作者：郝昌明
众所周知,完形填空题是利用上下文语境推断原文未知信息的试题,因此在认真阅读分析原文把握主旨文意的基础上,发挥合理想象、大胆预测下文,可以吃透文意并准确传递文意,从而推断出每一空档的未知信息。本文结合2004年高考英语完形填空题(北京卷)介绍如何利用"预测法"对完形填空进行信息推断。
一、以首句为依据,预测情节的发生。
做完形填空题时,对首句应给予足够的重视,停留时间要长,阅读次数要多,不能一带而过,这样才能让首句在脑中产生强刺激;同时要反复思考、体会首句包含的深刻含义,这样就容易把握主旨文意,并利用文意预测下文。
2004年高考英语完形填空题(北京卷)首句为:When I joined a private football league a few years ago, the sport meant everything to me.在通读全文的基础上反复阅读首句,不难看出它暗示着后来我的这种想法发生了变化。此时我们不禁会问,是什么事让我改变了想法?根据常识我们知道,球队的灵魂人物是教练,一般情况下只有教练出问题,球队才会出现根本性质的问题。此时我们可以大胆预测一下,是主教练腐败分配不公,还是他的规章制度过于苛刻?是球队松松垮垮毫无出路,还是训练量太大,使足球运动变成了魔鬼运动?是单一原因还是各种原因兼而有之?这样的预测对理解文章情节的发生和发展过程很有好处。
[原文] My coach(教练)said that I had lots of potential(潜力), and I became captain of my team. That was before all the fun was taken out of playing.
At first, everyone on the team got equal playing time. Then the team moved up to the top division after winning all its games, and the pressure started. Some parents, who had paid the coach extra so their daughters could have private one-on-one training, got angry when she didn't give them more playing time in our matches. The coach was replaced.
二、以情节的发生为依据,预测情节的发展。
情节发生后,文章思路渐渐明朗,作者意图逐步体现,此时利用现有文意可以更为准确地预测情节的发展。
此时我们不禁要问,新的主教练上任后,球队的命运是不是该有根本性好转了?球队已经暴露出来一些问题,但距首句所暗示的力度(我们比赛和训练的乐趣被夺走了)似乎还很远,而且全文从篇幅上刚过三分之一,试题也才做了三分之一,主人公的命运是不是还要悲惨一点?于是我们可以大胆预测一下,新的主教练还像原来的主教练一样分配不公吗?球队出现了哪些新问题?
[原文] The new coach, however, took all the fun out of the game: All we did during practice was run. I always wished to God that it would rain so we would not have the training. Of course, all teams run drills; they are necessary. But we ran so much that, afterwards, we had trouble breathing. Younger people shouldn't be doing exercises intended for 18-year-olds.
I was very thin before I started football, but as a member of this team I wouldn't eat much, because I was afraid of being too full to run. I feared making mistakes, and the added pressure caused me to make more than my usual share.
看到这我们不禁会问,如此苛刻的训练量谁能受得了?会有人因承受不了而离开球队吗?如果这样真是太不幸了!
[原文] Is all this pressure necessary? I ended up leaving the football team. Four other girls did the same, and two of them stopped playing football completely. That's sad, because they had so much potential. They were just burned-out with all the pressure they felt from the coach or their parents.
三、以反映情节发展变化的标志性词汇或句子为依据,预测情节的发展变化。
不少完形填空题语境的发展方向是有所变化的,这就说明主人公的心理、情绪和作者的写作意图有了改变。这种改变代表着文意和文章发展方向的改变,文章未知信息的发展方向也必然随着改变,因此我们做完形填空题时应认真阅读原文,找出反映语境发展变化的标志性词汇或句子,并据此进行逻辑判断,从而推断出未知信息。
认真阅读2004年高考英语完形填空题(北京卷)其余内容不难发现,love, needed to relax, played better等词汇反映出主人公的处境和心情有了明显的变化,由看不到任何希望到重新找到感觉,文章的气氛也由沉闷苦涩向轻松愉快转变。因此,文章的未知信息也必将带有明显的轻快色彩,在这种轻快色彩的指导下进行判断,对文章未知信息的预测就会更准确。
[原文] I continued playing football at school and rediscovered my love for it. I joined a private team coached by my school coach. When I started playing for him, he told me I needed to relax because I looked nervous. After I calmed down, I played better. When you enjoy something, it's a lot easier to do it well.
四、完整地阅读文章,检验文章的发生、发展及变化是否与文意相吻合。
做完完形填空题后,我们一定要把文章完整地读一遍,看看其语境发生、发展及变化与主人公的心理和情绪及作者的写作意图是否完全一致,文意是否顺畅、有道理、一气呵成,再在主旨文意及正确语境的指引下进行适当的调整。
例如:做完2004年高考英语完形填空题(北京卷)后,回读文章发生阶段的内容不难发现,the top division, got angry, The coach was replaced. 等词汇或句子的确使我们感受到主人公的不幸和文章沉闷的气氛,而这部分中的pressure, private正是与这种气氛吻合的选项。回读文章发展阶段的内容可以发现,however, took all the fun out of the game, it would rain, ran so much, had trouble, wouldn't eat much, was afraid of, feared making mistakes, the added pressure, leaving the football, stopped playing football completely, burned-out with all the pressure等词汇或句子让我们进一步体会到主人公的沉痛心情和文章压抑的氛围,而这一部分中的run, ended, sad正是与这种氛围吻合的选项。回读文章情节发生变化阶段的内容可以看出,love, played better, enjoy, a lot easier to do it well等词汇表明主人公的事业和心情都有了根本性好转,文章的氛围一下子变得轻快舒畅起来,而这一部分中的rediscovered, calmed正是与这种气氛吻合的选项。
经过检验,可以肯定自己的解题思路、方法和结果是完全正确的。