在阅读理解测试中，考生遇到的最大难题就是生词，如果一两个关键词不认识，尤其是动词、名词、形容词或副词，考生就无所适从。因此要提高阅读能力，必须掌握一定的词汇量。大纲中规定，考生熟练掌握3200个词，还要认识2000个词汇，此外还有几百个词组。但是，由于阅读理解这一部分题材广泛，遇到生词是常事，因为考生不可能百分之百地掌握大纲附表中所规定的全部词汇，更何况在阅读理解这部分，大纲明确地规定：“根据上、下文判断大纲附表以外的某些词汇和短语的意义” 资料来源 :医 学 教 育网 。 近几年的考题出现的生词越来越多，生词的多寡直接影响到理解的深度和理解的速度，考生反复阅读不解其意，有时还会影响考生的心理情绪。为了提高考生判断词汇的准确率，本章就命题方式、利用上、下文及构词来展开讨论。 医学教育网第一节 命 题 方 式 利用已知信息推测判断某些超纲词汇或短语是阅读理解的重要技能，只要掌握这种技能，一切问题就迎刃而解了。 常见的命题方式有： 1.The word “…” (in line …) most probably means . 医学教育网The expression stands for The phrase suggests 2.According to passage, what is “…”? 3.From the passage, we can infer that the word “…” is . 资料来源 :医 学 教 育网4.As used in the passage, the phrase “…” suggests . 5.By “…”,the writer (probably) means . 6. The author uses the phrase “…” to illustrate . 7. What does the author probably mean by “…” in …Paragraph? 第二节 根据上下文推断词义 确定词汇在文章中的准确含义，取决于对其所在的上、下文的理解，并在理解的基础上推测词义。利用上下文线索或暗示来推断词义的方法主要有五种： 1.利用定义或重述 有时在一篇文章中，作者估计到某个词一般读者不熟悉，就常常采取直接定义或用另一种方式进行解释的方法。这种解释可能是一种重述，即：在某个篇章中作者对前面一句话作一重新或补充的陈述，这种重新的陈述中往往包含前面句子某个生词的词义。表达这类情况常见的词语有：means; is; that is; refers to; can be defined as等。 例1 (1992年考题第1篇33题) Road politeness is not only good manners, but good sense too. It takes the most coolheaded and goodtempered of drivers to resist the temptation to revenge when subjected to uncivilized behavior. On the other hand, a little politeness goes a long way towards relieving the tensions of motoring. A friendly nod or a wave of acknowledgment in response to an act of politeness helps to create an atmosphere of goodwill and tolerance so necessary in modern traffic conditions. But such acknowledgments of politeness are all too rare too rare today. Many drivers nowadays days don`t even seem able to recognize politeness when they see it. By “good sense”, the writer means ［A］ the driver`s ability to understand and react reasonably ［B］the driver`s prompt response to difficult and severe conditions ［C］ the driver`s tolerance of rude or even savage regulations ［D］ the driver`s acknowledgment of politeness and regulations 在这一段里，我们不能根据平时对“good sense”的理解来对待本文，整个这句话的意思是指行路礼貌不仅是好的举止，也是“good sense”。它需要司机头脑清醒、脾气好，并在受到别人不文明对待时能保持冷静，不会采取抵制报复行为。文中第二句实际上是对“good sense”的进一步解释，从中我们可以看出“good sense”在这篇文章中指的就是司机保持清醒头脑，遇事要冷静，不能轻易发火。“coolheaded”和goodtempered”以及“resist…revenge”(不报复人)都紧扣选择项A中的“understand and react reasonably”，故A为正确答案。 例2 Martha Graham founded the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance. Her classes were used as a laboratory for her stage works, and her stage works in turn were a means for attracting new pupils to her schoola sort of selfwinding process, with herself as the key to the development. In line 3 the author uses the phrase “a sort of selfwinding process” to illustrate ［A］ the new steps Graham developed for dance ［B］ the relationship between Graham`s performances and her school ［C］ the discipline demanded in Graham`s school ［D］ the physical endurance of Graham`s dancers 恐怕许多考生见到此题会无所适从，最后胡乱猜个答案。可大多数却忘记了标点符号的特殊作用，本句话中的破折号所带来的信息超过句中任何一个单词。它告诉我们，破折号后面的成分是对前面的解释说明。这样，只要弄清前面成分的含义，后面的问题就会迎刃而解。原文大间是“…创办了…舞蹈学校，她的课堂成了自己舞台作品的实验室，反过来(in t)，她的舞台作品又成了吸引新生入校的手段。”这充分说明了舞台作品(正式演出)和学校间相得益彰的关系，正如破折号所解释的那样，是一种“自我促进”的过程，而她自己是整个发展过程的关键(key)。四个选项中，A、C、D都和破折号前的成分风马牛不相及，故只有B为正确答案。 例3 (1991年考题第二篇) The period of adolescence, i.e., the period between childhood and adulthood, may be long or short, depending on social expectations and on society`s definition as to what constitutes maturity and adulthood. …… 句中的“adolescence”对考生来说可能是生词，但是，如果考生细心便会发现下句的“the period between childhood and adulthood”正是“adolescence”的定义(介于孩童与成年之间的时期，即：青春期)，借助于这种定义法不难猜测出该句的意义。 2.利用相关信息 有时提问的词或词组可能有几种释义，要选择正确的、合乎题意的答案，考生可以从上下文的有关信息中获得某个词或词组的线索或暗示。 例1(1996年考题第2篇57题) ……… The debate was launched by the Government, which invited anyone with an opinion of the BBCincluding ordinary listeners and viewersto say what was good or bad about the Corporation, and even whether they thought it was worth deeping. The reason for its inquiry is that the BBC`s royal charter runs out in 1996 and it must decide whether to keep the organization as it is, or to make changes. The BBC`s “royal charter” (Line 4.Paragraph 4) stands for . ［A］ the financial support from the royal family ［B］ the privileges granted by the Queen ［C］ a contract with the Queen ［D］ a unique relationship with the royal family 该题中的“charter”一词在大纲中只有一个词义“宪章”，显然在该句中这种释义不妥。句中的“run out”表示“到期”，“royal”是“皇家的”。众所周知，英国是君主立宪国家，国王代表国家，“royal”就代表“the Queen”，“charter”在此为“特许证”、“契约”，因此“royal charter”就指“a contract with the Queen”(与女王签订的合同)。 例2(1993年考题第3篇44题) Because a patent remains permanently public after it has terminated, the shelves of the library attached to the patent office contain details of literally millions of ideas that are free for anyone to use and, if older than half a century, sometimes even repatent. Indeed, patent experts often advise anyone wishing to avoid the high cost of conduction a search through live patents that the one sure way of avoiding violation of any other inventor`s right is to plagiarize a dead patent. Likewise, because publication of an idea in any other form permanently invalidates further patents on that idea, it is traditionally safe to take ideas from other areas of print. Much modern technological advance is based on these presumptions of legal security. The word “plagiarize” (line 5, paragraph 5) most probably means . ［A］ steal and use ［B］ give reward to ［C］ make public ［D］ take and change 要判断“plagiarize”的正确含义，首先要了解该句在本段中的意义。在第五段中，第二句在意义上与第一句和第三句相同，都是谈论利用不受专利权保护的发明设想或理论来重新获得新的发明专利。因此，通过上下文相关信息可以推断出“plagiarize”的同义词应是与之相并列的上句的“… of ideas that are free for anyone to use…”和下句的“… it is traditionally safe to take ideas from…”。故从相关信息中能猜出“plagiarize”是“抄袭，盗用”，选择项A中所提供的“steal and use”是该题的正确答案。 例3(1994年考题第5篇67题) Discoveries in science and ethnology are thought by “untaught minds” to come in blinding flashes or as the result of dramatic accidents. Sir Alexander Fleming did not, as legend would have it, look at the mold (霉) on a piece of cheese and get the idea for penicillin there and then. He experimented with antibacterial substances for nine years before he made his discovery. Inventions and innovations almost always come out of laborious trial and error. Innovation is like soccer; even the best players miss the goal and have their shots blocked much more frequently than they score. What does the author probably mean by “untaught mind” in the first paragraph? ［A］A person ignorant of the hard work involved in experimentation. ［B］ A citizen of a society that restricts personal creativity. ［C］ A person who has had no education. ［D］ An individual who often comes up with new ideas by accident. 大纲中没有“untaught”这个词，如果按照构词法，“taught”是“teach”的过去分词，前缀“un”表示“不，未”，“untaught”就是“未受过教育的”。但是，从本文第一段来看，这里并非指未受过教育的人。第一句说的是“untaught minds”这些人“认为科学技术发明来自于一时闪现的念头或突然什么事件。”但第二、三句表达相反的内容，“Alexander Fleming”可不是一看到奶酪上有霉就有青霉素的想法，他是实验了9年才发现的。所以发明和革新几乎都来自于辛劳的实践和失败。由于第一句与第二、三句的信息值相反，所以“untaught minds”与“laborious trial and error”隔隔不入。也就是说“untaught minds are against或ignorant of laborious trial and error”。所以，正确答案为A项。 3.利用举例 有时，考生可以用上下文所举的例子，运用具体到一般的归纳法来悟出某个单词或词组的含义。表达这类情况常见的词语有：“for example; for instance; such; such as; like; as; as…as…”等。 例1(1989年考题) If cities are to remain pleasant places to live in at all, however, it seems imperative, not only that communications in transport should be improved, but also that communication between human beings should be kept smooth and polite. All over cities, it seems that people are too tired and too rushed to be polite. Shop assistants won`t bother to assist, taxi drivers growl at each other as they dash dangerously round corners, bus conductors pull the bell before their desperate passengers have had time to get on or off the bus, and so or and so on. It seems to us that it is up to the young and strong to do their small part to stop such deterioration. What is the possible meaning of the word “deterioration” in the paragraph? ［A］ worsening of general situation［B］ lowering of moral standards ［C］ declining of physical constitution［D］ spreading of evil conduct 本段一开始，作者谈到：不仅交通状况，而且人际关系都亟待改善，其中出现了“improve, smooth, polite”等词。随后，作者又列举售货员、出租汽车司机及汽车售票员对顾客或乘客的不礼貌行为，并在最后一句话中用“such deterioration”来指代及概括上述不良表现，意在批评那些人道德水准下降，故B为正确答案。 例2 Today young couples who are just starting their households often spend lots of their money on appliances, for instance, washingmachines, refrigerators and color televisions. 这句中的appliances是个不太常见的词，考生有可能不知道其含义。但从文中的举例“washingmachines”(洗衣机)，refrigerators(冰箱)，televisions(电视机)”可以判断出该词的含义是“家用电器”。 4.利用比较、对照关系 比较关系表示意义上的相似关系，在作者比较事物时，强调它们相同之处。考生可以利用比较的部分来理解不熟悉的词汇。这种关系常用like, as等词语来表达。 例1 The snow was falling big flakes drifted with the wind like feathers. 该句中的“flake”一词不太常见，通过比较我们可以猜出其词义。“下雪了，大片的flakes如同羽毛一般随风中飘落”；“flakes”被比作羽毛，用介词like来表示这种关系。为此，我们不难猜出“flake”在此是指“雪片”，即：flakes of snow. 例2 The hotair balloon took off. It was as buoyant in the air as a cork(软木塞) in water. The word “buoyant”in this sentence most probably means ［A］ able to be used［B］ able to move from one place to another［C］ able to float or rise to the surface［D］ able to carry anything 我们知道，“Cork”是软木塞或塑料塞，在水中肯定要浮上水面，因为水的浮力大。气球在空中就跟水中的软木塞一样能够飘起来，因为空气的浮力也很大。利用这种比较关系我们就不难猜出“buoyant”的词义，它是指“有浮力的、易浮的”，正确答案是C。 对照关系强调的是事物之间的区别和对立，用来表示的词语往往是反义词，需要考生运用语言知识和分析能力去领会相关信息之间存在的逻辑关系，利用语句中所使用的对比表达法得到某个单词或短语意义的线索。表示这类关系常见的词语有：“unlike”，“but”,“however”,“while”。 例3 Birds are day animals while others, just as engaging in their waymice are creatures of the night. Question. Mice described as being “creatures of the night”because they are ［A］ frightening to many people［B］ hunted by birds ［C］ studied while in hibernation［D］ active after dark. 本句用的是对比的手法，连词while把“Birds are day animals”和“mice are creatures of the night”连接起来，形成两个前后完全对应的成分，既然“鸟类是白天(活动的)动物”，那么“老鼠就是夜晚(活动的)动物”，故正确答案选D项。 例4 The male and female mosquito make an odd couple. The female is a vampire and lives on blood. The male is a vegetarian that sips nectar and plant juices. Females of different species choose different hosts on which to dine. Some feed exclusively on cattle, horses, birds, and other warm-blooded creatures. Some favor cold-blooded animals. Still others prefer man. While the female`s menu varies, her bite remains the same. She drives her sharp, tubular snout through the skin, injects a fluid to deep the blood from clotting, and drinks her fill, which takes a minute or less. It is the fluid she injects that carries disease. After her blood meal, she rests while her eggs develop. She then looks for a moist or flooded place to lay them. 1. The word “vampire” in this passage most nearly means ［A］ a vegetarian［B］ a coldblooded animal ［C］ an evil spirit that suck the blood［D］ a kind of warmblooded creature 2. In this passage, the word “moist” in the last line most probably means ［A］ damp ［B］ dry ［C］ shiny ［D］ dark 第一题中“vampire”的词义既可以根据重述部分“lives on blood”来猜测，又可以利用对比关系来推断。首先，段落一开始就阐明公蚊与母蚊形成鲜明对比，母蚊子是个“vampire”，以血度日；公蚊是个素食主义者，它只吸花蜜及植物汁。由此可见“vampire”是“vegetarian”的反义词，它们之间存在着对比的逻辑关系。故正确答案是C项——吸血鬼。 第二题可以利用重述关系来解决。母蚊子吸完血休息后，要找地方产卵，“moist”是什么地方我们不知道；但它后面的重述部分“flooded place”为我们提供了线索。因而正确答案选择A项。 5.利用常识性知识 有些情况下，考生可以根据自己的切身经验在这方面的常识，判断出某个生词或词组的特定的上、下文中的含义。 例1(1990年考题) Tourists were surprised to see a woman driving a huge orange tractor down one of Rome`s main avenues. Italy`s political leaders and some of its male union chiefs are said to have been more puzzled to see that the tractor was followed by about 200000 women in a parading procession that took more than three hours to snake through central Rome. The expression “snake through central Rome” probably means “to move ” ［A］ quietly through central Rome ［B］ violently through central Rome ［C］ in a long winding line through central Rome ［D］ at a leisurely pace through central Rome 文中说：由20万名妇名组成的游行队伍跟在拖拉机后边，花了3个多小时才通过罗马市中心。关键是要抓住“more than three hours”,花这么长时间，那么行进方式一定有什么奇特的地方，否则作者不会强调时间的长短。另外，“snake”的原意是“蛇”，两条线索结合起来不难判断出C“in a long winding line through central Rome”(像蛇那样蜿蜒前进)为正确答案。 例2 Mark got on the motorbike, I sat behind him on the pillion, and we roared off into the night. The word “pillion” in this sentence probably means . ［A］ an object used for sleeping ［B］ a bay on which one can rest ［C］ a seat for second person on a motorcycle ［D］ a place for sitting “pillion”是个不太常见的生词，但根据常识性知识我们能够推断出其正确词义。摩托车上有两个座位，Mark骑着摩托，而“我”坐在摩托上也只能坐在其后座上了。所以，该题的正确答案是C项。D项只是一般的泛指“座位”，没能明确地表达“pillion”的词义。 第三节 根据构词法推断词义 英语词汇，特别是科技词汇，绝大部分是由拉丁语和希腊语的词根构成的。数量庞大的英语词汇不可能全部记住，但是我们只要能掌握那些常用词根、前缀，又懂得构词的方法，再通过阅读实践进行分析、比较和归纳，词汇量就会成倍地扩大。国家教委制定的《非英语专业硕士研究生入学考试英语考试大纲》中词汇表一栏也明确规定“考生还必须理解本词汇表中所出现的单词加词缀构成的派生词”，为此，掌握英语单词的构词法非常必要，我们在《研究生入学考试英语单词速记法》一书里进行了详尽的讲解，详细内容请参见原书。 英语单词有两部分组成：词根和词缀；词缀又分为前缀和后缀，下面我们就分别从这两方面来阐述构词的方法，以便于考生能够根据这种构词法推断词义。 1.词 根 英语单词的前、后缀固然很重要，但最重要的是词根，它是词的核心内容，是一个词最根本的、不能加以分析的部分，它揭示词的最根本意义。比如： port 门，口，携带 port n.港口 porter n.看门人；搬运工 airport n.机场；航空港 heliport(=helicopter+airport) n.直升机场 transport(trans=from one place to another) v.运输 显而易见，port是上述一系列单词的词根，词根加词缀可以改变原来的词义或词性，对于主要的词根考生必须逐步记住。只要顺藤摸瓜，许多英语词汇都可以找到其根源(主要是拉丁根源)，再加上为数不太多的常见前后缀，考生就能很快掌握和熟悉英语词汇。 例1(1994年考题第4篇66题) With as many as 120 varieties in existence, discovering how cancer works is not easy. The researchers made great progress in the early 1970s, when they discovered that oncogenes, which are cancercausing genes (基因),are inactive in normal cells. Anything from cosmic rays to radiation to diet may activate a dormant oncogene, but how remains unknown. If several oncogenes are driven into action, the cell, unable to turn them off, becomes cancerous. The word “dormant” in the third paragraph most probably means . ［A］ dead ［B］ everpresent ［C］ inactive ［D］ potential 解答该题既可以利用构词法，也可以利用上下文相关内容。根据词的构成，我们知道“dorm”是该词的词根，等于“sleep”，如：dormitory(寝室，宿舍)，dormicive(安眠的，安眠药)，在原文中，“dormant”与上句的“inactive”是同义词；“active”为“活跃的”，加前缀“in”(不；反；非)表示“潜伏的，不活跃的”，恰好与“dormant”(休眠的，蛰伏的)同义。 例2 The fact that some naturally lefthanded children are forced into becoming righthanded may even result in levophobia. Sufferers from this rare condition find their hearts pound as if a heart attack were coming on as a result of their brains releasing adrenalin(肾上腺素) at the mere prospect of a leftoriented maneuver. They refuse to stand on the left side of an elevator, make lefthand turns when driving, sometimes even to look to the left. Psychologists believe levophobia will only disappear entirely when lefthanded children——a minority in all known society——are fully accepted The word “levophobia” in the reading means most nearly ［A］ a look to the left［B］ an irrational fear of the left ［C］ a problem caused by attitudes［D］ heart attacks 全文谈论的是要想叫左撇子做事的改用右手，会出现什么结果。抛开文章不看，只根据构词来识别“Ievophobia”，就不难找出答案。词根“levo”表示“左，向左”，例如：levo cardiogram(左心电图)或levogram; levoratation(左旋)。词根“phobia”表示“fear, dislike”(怕，厌恶)，如：zoophobia(动物恐怖症)：photophobia(怕光，畏光)等。把“levophobia”两部分的词意加在一起，就是“左侧恐怖症”，选择项B(一种对左的不合情理的恐惧)无疑与上述分析所得的意义相似，故为正确答案。 此外，我们还可以通过其他方法获得同一答案：文章一开始交待“强使一些生来就惯用左手做事的孩子改用右手，可能会使它们产生一种‘levophobia’”，接下来谈这种少见病的患者……一想到左向活动(at the mere prospect of a lefthand maneuver)就会…，以至于乘电梯时，他们不肯站左边，驾驶车辆时，他们拒绝左拐弯，甚至refuse to look to the left.贯穿全文的中心都是与这种左侧恐惧症有关，这样，我们再根据四个选择项的意义就可以找出正确答案。 2.词 缀 词缀是一个单词的附件，分为前缀和后缀。 前缀(prefix)就是附加在词根前面的部分。它包含附加性的词汇意义，在同一词根上加不同的前缀，就构成意义不同的新词。反之，在不同的词根上加上同一前缀也会构成新词。 例如：前缀“tele”表示“远、遥远”，与不同的词根搭配，就会出现telegram, telephone, telescope, television, telecontrolled(遥控)，telecommunication(远距离通讯)等新词。同样词根duct(引导)加上不同的前缀，也会出现abduct(诱拐)，induct(引入),conduct(指导)，introduction等新词。前缀有时也能改变词类，如able加上前缀“en—”就构成动词enable。 后缀(suffix)就是附加在词根后面的部分。它主要是改变词类，有时也改变词义。有些后缀是极为常用又非常活跃的。例如：“—ly”可以加在形容词后面，将其变为副词——final(ly)、economical(ly)等等，这类例子可以说是俯拾皆是。又如：“—ness”能加在几乎所有形容词后，将其变为抽象名词——dark(ness)，kind(ness)等。而“—er”加在动词后，表示“…者”，变成了名词“从事某种工作的人”，更是尽人皆知——read(er),teach(er)等等。 值得注意的是，有些后缀用得虽然并不很广，但却已差不多变成了一种专门性的后缀，像“—itis”在医学领域极为重要，表示“炎症”，如：arthrictis(关节炎)，hepatitis(肝炎)，nephritis(肾炎)，bronchitis(气管炎)等等，需要考生多加注意。 后缀分为名词后缀、形容词后缀、动词后缀和副词后缀。 例1(1994年考题第1篇51题) The American economic system is organized around a basically privateenterprise, marketoriented economy in which consumers largely determine what shall be produced by spending their money in the marketplace for those goods and services that they want most. Private businessmen, striving to make profits, produce these goods and services in competition with other businessmen; and the profit motive, operating under competitive pressures, largely determines how these goods and services are produced. Thus, in the American economic system it is the demand of individual consumers, coupled with the desire of businessmen to maximize profits and the desire of individuals to maximize their incomes, that together determine that shall be produced and how rescues are used to produce it. In Line 7. Para. 1. “the desire of individuals to maximize their incomes” means . ［A］ Americans are never satisfied with their incomes ［B］ Americans tend to overstate their incomes ［C］ Americans want to have their incomes increased ［D］ Americans want to increase the purchasing power of their incomes 该题的正确选择关键在于理解“maximize”的“maxi—”是前缀，表示“特大的，特别长的”，如：maximum(极点；最大限度)。 从文章中我们知道“maximize their incomes”是指最大限度地或最有效地使用其收入；也就是用尽可能少的钱买尽可能多的商品，答案为D项。 例2(1994年考题第5篇70题) The creative approach begins with the proposition that nothing is as it appears. Innovators will not accept that there is only one way to do anything. Faced with getting from A to B, the average person will automatically set out on the bestknown and apparently simplest route. The innovator will search for alternate courses, which may prove easier in the long run and are bound to be more interesting and challenging even if they lead to dead ends. Highly creative individuals really do march to a different drummer. The phrase “march to a different drummer” (the last line of the passage) suggests that highly creative individuals are . ［A］ diligent in pursuing their goals ［B］ reluctant to follow common ways of doing things ［C］ devoted to the progress of science ［D］ concerned about the advance of society drum是“鼓”，“drummer”即为“鼓手”。文中“march to a different drummer”是一个比喻，整个词组的意思为：伴着不同的鼓手所敲出的节奏行进。再根据上下文来判断，主要讲的是“不随波逐流，与其他人走的路不同”。因此，答案为B项。 第四节 专项阅读练习 Passage 1 The food we eat seems to have profound effects on health. Although science has made enormous steps in making food more fit to eat, it has, at the same time, made many foods unfit to eat. Some research has shown that perhaps eighty percent of all human illnesses are related to diet and forty percent of cancer is related to the diet as well, especially cancer of the color. Different cultures are more prone to contract certain illnesses because of the food that is characteristic in these cultures. That food is related to illness is not new discovery. In 1945, government researchers realized that nitrates and nitrites, commonly used to preserve color in meats, and other food additives, caused cancer. Yet, these carcinogenic additives remain in our food, and it becomes more difficult all the time to know which things on the packaging labels of grossed food are helpful or harmful. The additives which we eat are not all so direct. Farmers often give penicillin to beef and poultry, and because of this, penicillin has been found in the milk of treated cows. Sometimes similar drugs are administered to animals not for medicinal purposes, but for financial reasons. The farmers are simply trying to fatten the animals in order to obtain a higher price on the market. Although the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has tried repeatedly to control these procedures, the practices continue. 1. The word “carcinogenic” most means nearly the same as . ［A］ troublemaking［B］ color-retaining ［C］ moneymaking［D］ cancercausing 2. What are nitrates used for . ［A］They preserve flavor in package foods ［B］ They preserve the color of meats ［C］They are the objects of research ［D］ They cause the animals to become fatter Passage 2 Hot boning is an energy saving technique for the processing industry. It has receives considerable attention in recent years when increased pressure for energy conservation has accentuated the need for more efficient methods of processing the bovine carcass. Cooling of an entire carcass requires a considerable amount of refrigerated space, since bone and trimmable fat are cooled along with the muscle. It is also necessary to space the carcasses adequately in the refrigerated room for better air movement and prevention of microbial contamination, thus adding to the volume requirements for carcass chillers. Conventional handling of meat involves holding the beef sides in the cooler for 24 to 36 hours before boning. Chilling in the traditional fashion is also associated with a loss of carcass weight ranging from 2% to 4% due to evaporation of moisture from the meat tissues. Early excision, or hot boning, of muscle prerigor(僵硬) followed by vacuum packaging has several potential advantages. By removing only the edible muscle and fat prerigor, refrigeration space and costs are minimized, boning labor is decreased and storage yields increased. Because hot boning often results in toughening of meat, a more recent approach, hot boning following electrical stimulation, has been used to reduce the necessary time of rigor mortis. Some researchers have found this method beneficial in maintaining tender meat, while others have found that meat also becomes tough after electrical stimulation. 1. In the passage, the word “chillers” means most nearly . ［A］ refrigerators ［B］ spaces ［C］ approaches ［D］ researchers 2. The word “accentuate” in the first paragraph most probably means . ［A］ advocate ［B］ pronounce ［C］ stress ［D］ toughen 3. The word “tender” in the last paragraph most probably means . ［A］ gentle ［B］ sympathetic ［C］ soft ［D］ delicate Passage 3 George Washington Carver showed that plant life was more than just food for animals and humans. Carver`s first step was to analyze plant parts to find out what they were made of. He then combined these simpler isolated substances with other substances to create new products. The branch of chemistry that studies and finds ways to use raw materials from farm products to make industrial products in called chemurgy. Carver was one of the first and greatest chemurgists of all time. Today the science of chemurgy is better known as the science of synthetics. Each day people depend on the use synthetic materials made from raw materials. All his life Carver battled against the disposal of waste materials, and warned of the growing need to develop substitutes for the natural substances being used up by humans. Carver never cared about getting credit for the new product he created. He never tried to patent his discoveries or get wealthy from them. He turned down many offers to leave Tusdegee Institute to become a rich scientist in private industry. Thomas Edison, inventor of the electric light, offered him a laboratory in Detroit to carry out food research. When the United Stated government made him a collaborator in the Mycology and Plant disease Survey of the Department of Agriculture, he accepted the position with the understanding that he wouldn`t have to leave Tuskegee. An authority on plant diseases—especially of the fungus variety—Carver sent hundreds of specimens to the United States Department of Agriculture. At the peak of his career, Carver`s fame and influence were known on every continent. 1. In line 2, the word“ step ”could best be replaced by . ［A］ footprint ［B］ action ［C］ scale ［D］ stair 2. According to passage, “chemurgy” can be defined as the . ［A］ combination of chemistry and metallurgy ［B］ research on chemistry of the soil ［C］ study of the relationship between sunlight and energy ［D］ development of industrial products from farm products Passage 4 When we think of creative people the names that probably spring to mind are those of men such as Leonardo da Vinci, Albert Einstein, and Pable Picasso, i.e. great artists, inventors and scientists—a selected and exceptionally gifted body of men with rare talent and genius. The tendency to regard creativity and imaginative thinking as the exclusive of a lucky few disregards the creative and imaginative aspects inherent in the solution of many of the tasks we regularly have to face—the discovery and development of new methods and techniques, the improvement of old methods, existing inventions and products. Everyone has creative ability to some extent. Creative thinking involves posing oneself a problem and them originating or inventing a solution along new and unconventional lines. It involves drawing new analogies, discovering new combinations, and/or new applications of things that are already known. It follows, then, that a creative person will exhibit great intellectual curiosity and imagination. He will be alert and observant with a great store of information which he will be able to sort out and combine, in the solution of problems. He will be emotionally receptive to new and unconventional ideas and will be less interested in facts than in their implications. Most important of all, he will be able to communicate uninhibitedly and will not be too concerned about other people`s reaction to his apparently “crazy” notions. People called the Wright brothers mad but it did not stop them from becoming the first men to construct and fly a heavierthanair craft. 1. The word “disregards” in the first paragraph most probably means ［A］ shows great interest to［B］ pays no attention to ［C］ respects［D］ concerns about 2. The word “uninhibitedly” in the second paragraph most likely means ［A］ unlimitedly ［B］ unworldly ［C］ systematically ［D］ freely3. A creative person should ［A］ not be interested in facts［B］ look at facts for what they imply ［C］ be more interested in applying new ideas than in facts ［D］ be emotional when he looks at facts Passage 5 We have seen that all living things must take in and use energy to maintain their bodies, to grow, to obtain more energy, and to reproduce. Since the evolutionary successful individual is one that leaves descendants in future generations, natural selection favors those individuals that can channel the most energy into producing offspring. The use of energy in other activities such as feeding, fighting, or growing is selectively advantageous only so far as these activities result in the organism`s accumulating more energy to produce offspring. Each individual has an “energy income”, all of the energy that it acquires during its lifetime. It also has an “energy budget”, its allotment of different amounts of energy to various activities. The most evolutionarily successful organisms are those which are most effective in conversion of energy to offspring. This does not mean that organisms use all their energy directly to produce offspring. For example, suppose that a tree converts some of its energy into growing a large root system, the energy thus spent cannot be used to produce offspring. Its large root system may enable the tree to obtain a great deal of water and minerals from the soil and so to produce more leaves, another diversion of energy away from the production of offspring. However, all of the leaves that the tree produces may then enable the tree to synthesize more food than it would have otherwise, and so allow it to make up for some of its previous energy expenditure by producing more offspring in the end. Thus organisms make energy investments which may ultimately yield energy gains that can be reinvested in the production of offspring. Sometimes these investments will turn out to be selectively disadvantageous because they postpone production of offspring. If the organism meets an early death, it will never get a chance to reproduce. So any item in an organism`s energy budget must have the potential to produce an ultimate productive gain that is equal to the risks involved in diverting energy away from the immediate production of offspring. 1. The word “allotment”(Paragraph 2) most probably means . ［A］ division ［B］ change ［C］ production ［D］ reservation 2. An indirect significance of a tree`s growing a large root system is . ［A］ its obtaining more water and minerals from the soil ［B］ its producing more foods ［C］ its obtaining more foods ［D］ its producing more offspring Passage 6 There are two main things that make aircraft engineering difficult: the need to make every component as reliable as possible and the need to build everything as light as possible. The fact that an aeroplane is up in the air and cannot stop if anything goes wrong, makes it perhaps a matter of life or death that its performance is absolutely dependable. Given a certain power of engine, and consequently a certain fuel consumption, there is practical limit to the total weight of aircraft that can be made to fly. Out of that weight as much as possible is wanted for fuel, radio navigational instruments, passenger seats, or freight room, and of course, the passengers or freight themselves. So the structure of the aircraft has to be as small and light as safety and efficiency will allow. The designer must calculate the normal load that each part will bear. This specialist is called the `stress man`. He takes account of any unusual stress that may be put on the part as a precaution against errors in manufacture, accidental damage, etc. The stress man`s calculations go to the designer of the part, and he must make it as strong as the stress man says in necessary. One or two samples are always tested to prove that they are as strong as the designer intended. Each separate part is tested, then a whole assembly—for example, a complete wing, and finally the whole aeroplane. When a new type of aeroplane is being made, normally only one of the first three made will be flown. Two will be destroyed on the ground in structural tests. The third one will be tested in the air. Two kinds of ground strength tests are carried out. The first is to find the resistance to loading of the wings, tail, etc. until they reach their maximum load and collapse. The other test is for fatigue strength. Relatively small loads are applied thousands of times. Each may be well under that the structure could stand as a single load, but many repetitions can result in collapse. One form of this test is done on the passenger cabin. It is filled with air at high pressure as for highaltitude flying and completely submerged in a large tank of water while the test is going on. The surrounding water prevents the cabin from bursting like a bomb if there is a failure. When a plane has passed all the test it can get a government certificate of airworthiness, without which it is illegal to fly, except for test flying. Making the working parts reliable is as difficult as making the structure strong enough. The flying controls, the electrical equipment, the fireprecautions, et. must not only be light in weight, but must work both at high altitudes where the temperature may be below freezing point and in the hot air of an airfield in the tropics. To solve all these problems the aircraft industry has a large number of research workers, with elaborate laboratories and test houses, and new materials to give the best strength in relation to weight are constantly being tested. 1. The word “component” in the first paragraph most likely means . ［A］ complete ［B］ employee ［C］ part ［D］ engineer 2. The word “consumption” in paragraph 2 may mean . ［A］ source ［B］ cost ［C］ operation ［D］ test 3. The word “precaution” in the second paragraph most likely means . ［A］ warning bell ［B］ safety measure ［C］ complaint ［D］ protest 4. “Assembly” in the third paragraph means . ［A］ meeting ［B］ unit made of parts ［C］ testing ground ［D］ place to make parts in 5. The word “submerged” in paragraph 4 may mean . ［A］ overburdened［B］ put below the surface ［C］ suppressed［D］ raised 6. The word “airworthiness” in paragraph 5 may mean . ［A］ high expenses［B］ great value ［C］ being fit for flying［D］ being worth the cost 7. The word “elaborate” in paragraph 7 may mean . ［A］ difficult［B］ complicated ［C］ important［D］ decorated 第五节 专项阅读练习答案与解题思路 Passage 1 1.答案为D项。可以利用构词法来解本题。词根“carcino”表示“癌”；“gen”表示“原”，都是名词，整个词义就是“致癌的东西，或致癌物”。“-ic”是形容词后缀，故“carcinogenic”是“致癌的，诱发癌症的”。 利用上下文内容及相关信息同样得出这个答案。 文章开始点明主题：我们所吃的食物似乎对我们的健康有深远的影响，接下来详细阐述有多少疾病与饮食有关。在1945年政府部门的科研工作者了解到nitrates and nitrites能导致癌症，下句的“these”向我们提供了线索，运用的是从具体到一般的归纳法，暗示nitrates与nitrites以及其他的添加剂都能致癌，那么these carcinogenic additives一定就是指的“上述这些致癌添加剂”。2. 答案为B项。该题询问nitrates被做何用?其实换种方法也是考查我们对于nitrates这个词是否掌握。答案线索就在随后的定语或者说是补充说明“commonly used to preserve color in meat,”因此我们就知道nitrates原来是用于肉类以使其保持肉类色泽的一种添加剂。 Passage 2 1.答案为A项。从词的构成上分析，词干“chill”表示“寒冷；冷的”；“-er”是名词后缀，表示“人或物”。“chill”加后缀“-er”变成名词，指冰箱的冷冻格子，那么最接近原义的就是refrigerator。利用上下文也能得出同一答案。原文中第三句“Cooling of an entire carcass requires a considerable amount of refrigerated space, since…”及后一句“It is necessary to space…in the refrigerated room…”告诉我们骨头和可切除的脂肪是随牛肉一起冷冻的，所以冷冻一具完整的牛体需要相当大的冷冻空间，这就要求增大冷冻格的体积。此外，贯穿第二段的主题都与冷冻有直接的联系，“cooler”与“chilling”也都提供了充分的线索。 2.答案为B项。本题仍可根据构词法来识别。词根“accentuate”是“重音；口音”；“-ate”是动词后缀，表示“做；造成；使之成……”等意义，如：differentiate(区别)，luxuriate(享受)，liquidate(清洗)。因此，“accentuate”就是“强调；着重于……”。 3. 答案为C项。四个选择项分别都是“tender”的词义，究竟取哪一个，需要考生根据上下文做出决策。该句是个对比句“Some researchers have found…,while others have found…”，连词“while”表示转折“然而；可是”，用来连接两个平行的句子。既然如此，就要利用对比关系来推测“tender”在本文中的词义。原文说“一些研究者已经发现这种方法对保持tender牛肉十分有益，而其他的人则发现在电流刺激后肉质也会变老(tough)”；这两派的观点截然不同，争论焦点在“tender”还是“tough”。“tough”在此处是“老，硬”之意；那么“tender”就应该是“嫩、软”，正确答案应归C项。“gentle”用来形容“温柔的、体贴的”，如：a tender heart软心肠；“sympathetic”与“gentle”同义；“soft”是“柔软的”，“not hard or difficult to bite through”;而“dedicate”则强调“needing careful handing”。 Passage 3 1.答案为B项。文中第二行告诉我们：Carver首先进行“分析植物的组成成分，以便弄清它们是由什么构成的。”在此“step”既不是指“脚印”，也不是指“等级”，更不是指“台阶”，而是指“所采取行动的第一步”。 2.答案为D项。该题要求找出“chemurgy”一词的确切定义。在原文的第二段中，作者写道“The branch of chemistry that studies and finds ways to use raw materials from farm products to make industrial products is called chemurgy”，这就是给出的定义，即：农业化学是化学的一个分支，它研究和探索运用农产品原材料去制成工业产品的方法和途径。因而D项内容全面概括了“chemurgy”的概念。 Passage 4 1.答案为B项。根据构词法我们可以识别出“disregard”的词义。“dis-”是前缀，意思是“相反、不、无”等表示否定意义。“regard”是“注意；重视”；那么“disregard”就是其反意词，即：不注意，忽略，由此可推断出正确答案。再者，通过对比方法我们也可以猜出“disregard”的词义。文中第一段作者在一个句子里同时用了“regard”和“disregard”，讲述的内容(文中的“tendency”)又是一种错误的观点，利用这种对比内容同样做出选择。 2.答案为D项。根据构词法来识别单词“uninhibitedly”。首先，“hibit”是词根，意思是：“持，握”，“in-”是前缀，即是“in”;“inhibit”=“to hold in”或“to maintain in”,意思是“禁止，抑制”；前缀“un-”表示“不，无，非”等相反之意；“-ly”又使该词变为副词词性。根据对该词的分析，我们可以看出，“uninhibitedly”的确切词义是“不受约束地”，所以答案选择D项。 3.答案为B项。该题询问的细节是：有创造思想的人应该怎样做，答案可以在第二段中找到。有创造力思想的人应该机警，具有非凡的观察力，同时，他必须“less interested in facts than in their implications……”。根据此句子我们可以找到正确答案。 Passage 5 1.答案为A项。上文交待“Each individual has an ‘energy income’… it also has an ‘energy budget’…”，每一个个体不仅有“能量、收入”，还要有“能量预算”，用于各种活动，故得知“allotment”为“分配、划出”之意。 2.答案为D项。原文第二段第四句指出：生物并非将其能量消耗都直接用于繁衍后代。在第六句作者总结说“Thus organisms make energy investments which may ultimately yield energy gains that can be reinvested in the production of offspring”。可见，最终目标是A项，只不过该目标是间接达到的。 Passage 6 1.答案为C项。在该题中，“component”的词义可以从几个方面来获取。首先从构词法上分析：前缀“con-”是“一起”之意；词根“pon”含“放”之意；而后缀“-ent”是名词的象征，因此，“component”的词义就推导出：合在一起的东西。如果根据上下文对比方法，同样可以得出这个答案。在文中作者叙述飞机制造工程的两大困难，一是“the need to make every component as reliable as possible”；二是“the need to bulid everything as light as possible”，通过比较，我们也可以看出，“component”与“everything”是同义，那么，选择答案当然是“parts”。 2.答案为B项。该词汇题可以根据构词法来解决。“con-”是前缀，表示“加强意义”；“sun”是词根，表示“拿走”；“-tion”后缀是名词特征。因此“consumption”就是“全部拿走→用掉”，所以其同义词选“cost”。 3.答案为B项。根据构词法，“pre-”是前缀，表示“先，预先”，如：“predict(预言，预告)，preface(前言，序言)等；“caution”表示“谨慎、注意”。因此“precaution”就是“小心”，在此指“注意安全”。 4.答案为B项。本题既可用对比法，也可用构词法来解决。文章中用一个对比的手法，来说明如何检验飞机：“Each separate part is tested, then a whole assembly…”，在此“each separate part”与“a whole assembly”的含义正好相反，前者是“各个部分”，使用同义词连用修饰“separate part”；后者也是同义词连用，“assembly”与“whole”同义，是“装配”，即：由各个部件组成的一个整体。例如：Every part is individually checked before assembly(装配前，对每一部件都分别进行了检查)。利用构词法也可以判断它的词义，“as-”是“到”的意思；“semble”是“一起”，也就是“归到一起”，进而答案就推到B项。5.答案为B项。根据构词法，“sub-”前缀表示“under, below, beneath”，如：subconscious(下意识)，submarine(潜水艇)；“merg”表示“sink, dip”，例如：emerge(“e-”表示“出”，由水中浮出→浮现，出现)，imerge(im-表示是“沉下，沉于水中，没入水中”)。因此，正确答案选B。 6.答案为C项。“air”表示“航空，空中，空气”，等于“aero”;“worthy”是“值得的，合适的，适合的”；“-ness”是名词后缀。那么“airworthiness”是词义就是“适航的，飞机性能良好的”。 7.答案选B项。根据构词法来分析：“labor”是词根，表示“劳动”；“-ate”是后缀，表示形容词词性，“有…性质的、具有…的”；前缀是“e-”等于“out”。因此，“elaborate”就是“精心制作的；详尽阐述的”。在该句中等于“complicated”。。
