徐 元

一個句子可以根據(jù)意思和語法結(jié)構(gòu)分成若干部分,每一部分為一個意群。例如,Caroline was so angry at all that her husband had done that she left home一句可以分為五個意群:主語Caroline,謂語was so angry at,賓語all,定語從句that her husband had done,以及結(jié)果狀語從句that she left home?？梢?劃分意群就是根據(jù)句法結(jié)構(gòu)和邏輯關(guān)系對句子作斷句。

在閱讀時,即使你對詞匯和句法掌握得很好,但若只著眼于孤立的詞或短語,或者對短語、句式產(chǎn)生思維定勢,導(dǎo)致錯誤地分隔句子的成分,就會造成意群中斷,影響對句意的準確理解,從而對文章含義產(chǎn)生誤解。所以,正確劃分意群,可以有效提高閱讀理解能力。

意群可以是一個詞、一個短語,也可以是一個主句、各種從句或者并列句的一個分句等。閱讀時遇到較長、結(jié)構(gòu)較復(fù)雜的句子,可以先用“/”把它劃分為一個個相對獨立的意群,然后再確定意群間的關(guān)系,這樣就可以快速簡單地理清句意。

劃分意群時應(yīng)注意以下幾點:①保持句子結(jié)構(gòu)完整。如文首例句中,若把at all劃為固定詞組就破壞了句子的謂語成分。②弄清句子結(jié)構(gòu)之間的關(guān)聯(lián)。例如,文首例句中so是和第二個that構(gòu)成so... that...句型。③注意句子的邏輯性。若把文首例句中at all劃為固定詞組,則句意為“卡羅琳是如此完全生氣……”,不符合邏輯。④遇到選擇題時,切忌受空格前的信息影響產(chǎn)生思維定勢。如We should prevent pollution____________happily,答案可選from living和to live,若受prevent sb./sth. from doing sth.固定搭配的影響,選擇前者就錯了,這里選to live才符合句意。

另外,還應(yīng)記住兩點:首先,句子的每個成分,甚至每個詞,在句中都有它應(yīng)有的作用和地位,不會出現(xiàn)游離于句子之外、沒有用途的成分;其次,一個單詞如果屬于某個意群,就不能隨意把它劃分至別的意群中去理解。

下面就以句子為例,具體分析如何劃分意群。

例1He must capture the horse. He knew / better men than he / had tried. 他必須捕獲那匹馬。他知道比他強的人都試過了(也沒成功)。

句中knew后省略了that; better men than he屬于一個意群,是賓語從句的主語。若把he knew better劃為一個意群,句子就不通了。

例2He told us all / what he had done / to his girlfriend / the day before. 他告訴我們所有人,他在前一天對女友做了什么。

若把all劃入what he had done的意群中去,則這一意群出現(xiàn)語法錯誤,因為all后應(yīng)該用that引導(dǎo)定語從句。把all劃到he told us里,意為“他告訴我們所有人”。

例3For those / who prefer reading / the evening newspaper / offers the readers / the possibility of reading the news / others see and hear on TV. 對那些喜歡閱讀的人來說,晚報帶給他們一種可能,即讀到別人從電視上看到和聽到的消息。

句中兩個動名詞reading的意群劃分是關(guān)鍵。第一個reading是不及物的,意為“閱讀”,the evening newspaper不是它的賓語,而是另一個意群;第二個reading是及物的,the news是它的賓語。

例4The staff asked / that during June, July, and August / the working hours / be changed from 8:00 to 5:00 with an hour off for lunch / to 7:00 to 3:30 with a half-hour for lunch. 員工們要求在6月、7月和8月期間把作息時間從上午8點至下午5點,其間留一小時吃午餐改為從上午7點至下午3點半,其間留半個小時吃午餐。

be changed后的意群分隔容易混淆,同學(xué)們往往把視線停留在be changed from 8:00 to 5:00,導(dǎo)致看不懂下文。實際上,asked后的從句用的是虛擬語氣,be 的前面省略了should;而changed from與句中第二個to搭配,意為“把……改變?yōu)椤薄?/p>

從以上例子可見,閱讀時,應(yīng)多關(guān)注詞語的搭配、非謂語動詞的辨析、從句的分析及句子的邏輯關(guān)系等。對詞語的理解、句法結(jié)構(gòu)的分析應(yīng)突破思維定勢,堅持整體原則,即從意群的角度來分析。

【牛刀小試】

1. The best reason for the success of the TV program may be that it makes every child____________it____________able to learn.

A. watch, feel B. watch, feeling

C. watching, to feel D. watching, feel

2. I was looking forward to____________a new car and the day I was looking forward to____________at last.

A. buy, came B. buying, came

C. buying, coming D. buy, come

3. With everything she needed , she left the supermarket hurriedly.

A. to buy B. buying C. bought D. to be bought

4. The teacher told the girl he was speaking to____________down.

A. to sit B. sit C. sitting D. sits

5. I like listening to music, while what my sister enjoys .

A. to cook B. cooking C. is cooking D. is to cook

6. The old woman was said to be unable to read or write. Whom do you think she____________this letter?

A. had write B. had wrote C. had written D. had to write

7. Last week my grandpa sold the old house____________he used to live in his thirties.

A. which B. what C. when D. where

8. The teacher is reading the composition I have just finished____________any possible errors, if any.

A. correcting B. to correct C. corrected D. correct

9. Yesterday I got up too late____________the first bus.

A. and missed B. to miss C. so missed D. that I missed

10. Its dangerous to let children who are____________ride bicycles in the street.

A. not old enough to B. too young to

C. so young D. so old

【參考答案】

1. D (watching it為一個意群,相當于定語從句who is watching it;feel則與makes搭配,構(gòu)成make sb. do sth.結(jié)構(gòu))

2. B (句意為“我一直希望買一輛新車,我所盼望的這天終于到來了”。buying屬于look forward to doing結(jié)構(gòu),是一個意群;I was looking forward to是省略了關(guān)系代詞的定語從句,修飾the day,這是一個意群)

3. C (句意為“(她)所需要的東西買好后,她匆匆離開了超市”。with everything bought是with的復(fù)合結(jié)構(gòu),其中插入了一個意群she needed,作everything的定語,將此意群劃分出來,答案便一目了然)

4. A (he was speaking to是省略了關(guān)系代詞whom的定語從句,為一個意群;to sit down是不定式短語作目的狀語,為一個意群)

5. C (句意為“我喜歡聽音樂,而我姐姐喜歡的是烹飪”。what my sister enjoys是一個意群。選B是受了固定搭配enjoy doing的影響)

6. A (句意為“你認為她叫誰寫這封信的呢”。句中have sb. do sth.結(jié)構(gòu)發(fā)生變化,sb.因被提問而移到句首變?yōu)樘厥庖蓡栐~whom;do you think是一個意群,插入特殊疑問句中構(gòu)成復(fù)雜特殊疑問句)

7. D(in his thirties是一個意群。若錯誤地將in劃入he used to live,則會認為這個定語從句的謂語動詞后跟介詞,是及物的,導(dǎo)致錯選A關(guān)系代詞which作為定語從句的賓語)

8. B (I have just finished是修飾the composition的定語從句,為一個意群;動詞不定式to correct是表示目的的狀語。答題時,不能受finish doing結(jié)構(gòu)的影響)

9. A (句意為“昨天我起床太遲了,并且錯過了頭班車”。句中g(shù)ot up too late和and missed the first bus各為一個意群。選B則是因為受固定搭配too...to...的影響)

10. C (who are so young是定語從句,為一個意群。let后跟不帶to的動詞不定式,故排除A、B選項;D選項不符合句意)