雅思閱讀考試中“望文生義”常見的四大形態(tài)
定義是作者為了更好地表達思想，在文章中對一些重要的概念、難懂的術語或 詞匯等所作的解釋。這些解釋提供的信息具有明確的針對性，利用它們猜測詞義比較容易。例如:Kinetic energy is the energy of moving particles. Kinetic enegry 可能是生詞，由定義可知，表語是說明主語性質內容的。所以kinetic energy就是“運動粒子的能量”。再如Typhoons are cyclones，storms with strong winds rotating around a low-pressure center.如果cyclones是生詞，推斷該詞義的線索就是其后面的解釋“繞低氣壓中心形成的暴風雨”由此我們可知cyclones的意思是“繞低氣壓中心形成的暴風雨”。在這種解釋中定義句的謂語動詞多為：be, mean, deal with, be considered, to be, refer to, be called, be known as, define, represent, signify, constitute等。
二、根據進一步闡述猜測詞義
雖然進一步闡述不如定義那樣嚴謹、詳細，但是提供的信息足以使我們猜出生詞的詞義。復述部分可以是適當的詞，短語或者句子。例如Experts in kinesics, in their study of body motion as related to speech ,hope to discover new methods of communications. 逗號中短語的意思是“對肢體語言進行研究的學科”。短語與前面生詞kinesics是同位關系，因此我們不難猜出kinesics指“肢體語言學”。在這種復述當中,構成同位關系的兩部分之間多用逗號連接，有時也使用破折號，冒號，分號，引號，和括號等。另外同位語前還常有or, similarly, that is to say, in other words, namely, or other, 等副詞或短語出現(xiàn)。另外一種會以定語從句的形式出現(xiàn)如從句Obesity, which is a medical disorder that affects approximately 20-30% of the population of the United States of America. It is an excessive accumulation of body fat that results from the storage of excess food energy calories in the body's fat cells. 根據生詞obesity后面的非限制性定語從句which is a medical disorder that affects approximately 20-30% of the population of the United States of America. It is an excessive accumulation of body fat that results from the storage of excess food energy calories in the body's fat cells. 我們可以推斷出 obesity的含義，即“過度肥胖”。
三、根據舉例猜測詞義
恰當的舉例能夠提供猜測生詞的重要線索，例如The consequences of epochal events such as wars and great scientific discoveries are not confined to a small geographical area as they were in the past. 句中“戰(zhàn)爭”和“重大科學發(fā)現(xiàn)”是生詞的實例，通過它們我們可以猜出epochal的 大致詞義“重要的”。
四、根據上下文的語境關聯(lián)猜測詞義
例如Computers have been used for most kinds of crime, including fraud theft, larceny, embezzlement, burglary, sabotage, murder and forgery, since the first cases were reported in 1985. 這句話中有許多生詞出現(xiàn)，但通過上文的crime和murder一詞，我們可以知道這些下劃線詞都是與犯罪有關的詞。在考試中，就不必費心去考慮它們的具體意思，知道大概類別即可。再如Goran Ivanisevic fears only one service in tennis -- Michael Stichs. His toss is always the same: the straight one or the topspin. Sampras has a good serve and Becker too, but Stichs is the toughest to read.在此例中，大多數詞用于網球運動中的一些專門詞匯，我們可以不必理會，而主要關注認識的那些詞。這樣能夠大概理解此句講的是網球選手Goran害怕某種service, 通過上下文大致可得知這是指網球運動中的一個動作(比如發(fā)球、扣球等)。其實，service就是“發(fā)球”的意思。從形容詞straight可知Stichs發(fā)球的特點，而且他是最難預測的一個。這樣一來就可以很好地把握文章內容了。
