阅读理解总丢分？6个方法迅速找到答案（四）
高考阅读理解解题技巧（四）——词义猜测题
 
词义猜测题是高考阅读理解的一个常见题型，主要考查考生猜词悟义的能力。
 
1. 所猜词类
 
从近几年高考试题来看，词义猜测题既猜生词含义，也猜熟词新义；猜词里既有单词，又有短语。
 
（1）生词含义
 
如: Food Network producer Flay hopes the young cook will find a place on the network television. He says Lieberman's charisma is key. “Food TV isn't about food anymore,” says Flay. “It's about your personality (个性) and finding a way to keep people's eyeballs on your show.”
 
What does the word “charisma” underlined in the text refer to?
 
A. A natural ability to attract others.
 
B. A way to show one’s achievement.
 
C. Lieberman’s after-class interest.
 
D. Lieberman’s fine cooking skill.
 
解析：选A。charisma为非考纲词汇表上的单词，其词义可从下文的It’s about your personality (个 性) and finding a way to keep people’s eyeballs on your show猜出。
 
（2）熟词新义
 
如: Dear all,
 
Please read Professor Hume’s email about his next lecture on Rosa Parks.
 
Susan Miller
 
Secretary
 
Dear Susan,
 
Please forward this message to students of my history class.
 
What does the underlined word “forward” mean?
 
A. Explain. B. Send. C. Take. D. Read.
 
解析：选B。forward作副词，表示“向前方；前进”，这是大家非常熟悉的。但此处forward显然是用作动词，这是从构词法的角度考查同学们的知识扩展能力。再结合上下文显然forward指信件的“转递”，故选B。
 
2. 解题技巧
 
（1）根据上下文出现的定义或解释进行猜测
 
有时短文中出现一个需要猜测其意义的词或短语，下面接着出现其定义或解释，这是判断该词或短语意义的主要依据。如：
 
Gold is one of a growing number of shoppers buying into the organic trend, and supermarkets across Britain are counting on more like him as they grow their organic food business.
 
What’s the meaning of “the organic trend” as the words are used in the text?
 
A. Growing interest in organic food.
 
B. Better quality of organic food.
 
C. Rising market for organic food.
 
D. Higher prices of organic food.
 
解析：分析该词所在句子可知，越来越多的人购买organic food，所以全英国的超市才增加organic food business，以期望有更多像Gold这样的人前来购买。因此the organic trend就是“购买organic food的一种流行趋势”，故选A。
 
（2）根据转折或对比关系进行猜测
 
由but, however, otherwise等连接词连接的句子在语义上形成一定的关联。因此就可以根据其中一个句子的含义，来确定另一个句子的含义。另外，分号也可以表示转折、对比等意义。如：
 
A child’s birthday party doesn’t have to be a hassle; it can be a basket of fun ...
 
What does the underlined word “hassle” probably mean?
 
A. A party designed by specialists.
 
B. A plan requiring careful thought.
 
C. A situation causing difficulty or trouble.
 
D. A demand made by guests.
 
解析：通过分析分号前后两个句子的结构和逻辑关系可知，hassle和a basket of fun意义相反。故选C。
 
（3）根据构词法（转化、合成、派生等）进行猜测
 
在英语中，有很多词看起来是生词，但掌握了一定的构词法知识，就不难猜出它们的词义。如：
 
Market research shows that Gold and others who buy organic food can generally give clear reasons for their preferences — but their knowledge of organic food is far from complete.
 
我们知道，prefer的意思是“宁愿，愿意，喜爱”，根据上下文可以判断prefer的名词形式preference的含义应是“偏爱，爱好”。
 
（4）根据生活常识猜测词义
 
In old days, when girls from rich families were married to their husbands, they expected to bring with themselves a large quantity of dowry.
 
根据常识，在旧社会，有钱人家的姑娘出嫁当然要带很多嫁妆，故dowry应该表示“嫁妆”。
 
总之，在做阅读理解词义猜测题时要充分利用各种已知信息，灵活运用猜词技巧，大胆合理进行猜测判断。