高考英语阅读理解部分考查的重点之一是考生对于文章细节信息的捕捉、理解和分析能力。细节题的比重一般为五分之一,换句话说,高考英语阅读理解的五篇文章中,每篇文章都至少设有一道细节题。细节题主要考查考生对文章中阐述主题的细节与具体事实的把握能力,内容涉及询问事实、原因、结果、目的等。细节题属于浅层理解题,难度较低,答案明确具体,考生一般可以从阅读材料中直接找到。因此,解答这类试题时,考生应快速阅读材料,抓住其大意后,迅速浏览考题,选定关键词,然后带着这些关键词,运用查读法,迅速查找相关信息,进而分析这些信息的结构和意义,理清逻辑关系,最后选出正确答案。
仔细研究高考英语真题,我们会发现,细节题主要是针对文章中的某个短语、某个从句或某个完整的句子而设置,其中又以针对句子设题的情况居多。下面我们将结合真题,具体分析细节题的命题思路、解题方法和技巧。
针对定语从句的关系词设题
我们知道,英语中的基本句型的语序大致上是固定不变的,但有些时候,由于表达的需要,某些句子的成分或位置会发生变化,如定语从句中的状语(关系副词)前移等。这种变化往往会令考生感到迷惑,于是命题者就常常利用这种变化设置考题。
例1:Many years ago, when I was fresh out of school and working in Denver, I was driving to my parents' home in Missouri for Christmas. I stopped at a gas station (加油站) about 50 miles from Oklahoma City, where I was planning to stop and visit a friend. While I was standing in line at the cash register (收款台), I said hello to an older couple who were also paying for gas. (2006年全国卷I,B篇)
60. The author planned to stop at Oklahoma City _______.
A. to visit a friend
B. to see his parents
C. to pay or the cash register
D. to have more gas for his car
解析:这是一道细节题。根据题干中的Oklahoma City,我们可以定位到原文的第二句话:“I stopped at a gas station about 50 miles from Oklahoma City, where I was planning to stop and visit a friend.”分析句子结构,定语从句where...的先行词是Oklahoma City,关系副词where相当于in which,将定语从句还原为正常语序:I was planning to stop and visit a friend in Oklahoma City,可确定作者在Oklahoma City停留是计划(planning to)去拜访一个朋友。因此正确答案为A。
例2:Coming in a close second—and often wrongly mentioned as the most distant land—is Easter Island, which lies 1,260 miles east of its nearest neighbor, Pitcairn Island, and 2,300 miles west of South America.
The mountainous 64-square-mile island was settled around the 5th century, supposedly by people who were lost at sea. They had no connection with the outside world for more than a thousand years, giving them plenty of time to build more than 1,000 huge stone figures, called moai, for which the island is most famous. (2003年全国卷,A篇)
57. Which of the following is most famous for moai?
A. Tristan da Cunha. B. Pitcairn Island.
C. Easter Island. D. St. Helena.
解析: 分析题干可知,因moai而闻名的是一座岛屿(the island),因此解题的关键就在于找到上文最后一句话中the island的具体所指。回到上文第一段,出现了两个岛的名字:Easter Island和Pitcairn Island,进一步分析句子结构可知,主语为Easter Island,而Pitcairn Island出现在which引导的定语从句中,是和Easter Island相邻的岛屿,所以下段中出现的The mountainous 64-square-mile island和最后一句中的the island指的也是Easter Island,故正确答案为C。
【技巧点拨】解答针对定语从句设置的细节题时,考生一定要认真分析句子结构,联系上下文,弄清楚关系词所指代的对象,准确答题。
针对易产生歧义的句子设题
除针对一些结构上比较特殊的句式设题之外,有些意义上容易令考生产生误解的语句也是命题者关注的重点。例如:
In the restaurant
There is probably nothing more annoying than a diner receiving or making a call near you when you are in a restaurant. The icy glares you receive should be warning that it is not appreciated. Turn your phone off and use your message service to return calls after you leave. (2005年上海春季卷,B篇)
79. According to the passage, the most annoying thing in a restaurant is that ________.
A. you receive icy glares
B. a nearby diner is answering a phone call
C. you have to use the message service
D. you can not return calls until after you leave
解析:解题的关键就在于理解词组nothing more ... than的准确含义:“没有什么能比得上……”,即“最……”,用比较级表示最高级的意义。原文第一句中说明了最annoying的事件是:receiving or making a call near you,因此可判定正确答案为B。然而,这道题的其他三个选项的内容在原文中也有出现,如果考生不理解词组nothing more ... than是比较级表最高级的意思,又受到其他三个选项的干扰,则会无从选择。
英语中有许多难于理解的句子,下面略举几例:
(1) 否定转移
They are not working hard at English only for themselves. 他们在努力学习英语,这样做并不仅仅是为了他们自己。
错误表达:They are working hard at English not only for themselves.
(2) 全部否定与部分否定
全部否定:All germs are invisible to the naked eyes. 所有细菌都不能被肉眼所见。
部分否定:Not all worms are visible to the naked eyes. 并不是所有的虫子都能被肉眼所见。
(3) 含有more than / no more ... than的句子
The question is more than the boy is able to work out. 这个男孩是没有能力解出这道题的。
A family without love is no more a home than a body without soul is a man. 就像一个没有灵魂的躯体不能称之为人一样,一个没有爱的家庭就不能称之为家。
【技巧点拨】解答此类针对容易产生歧义或难以理解的句子设置的题型时,考生需结合平时积累的基础知识,反复推敲句意,“去伪存真”,判定句子在文中的准确意思之后再解题。
针对上下文或句间的逻辑关系设题
阅读理解文章中,有些句子间虽然没有明显的关联词,但却形成了逻辑上的因果关系、转折关系等,以及含有例证、引用等的句子,这些都可能成为命题人的设题点。
例1:
* The left half of the brain controls the right side of the body. The right half controls the left side.
* One half of the brain is always dominant (in charge). Usually, the left brain is dominant, which is why 90% of people are right-handed. (2007年江苏卷,D篇)
70. From the passage, we know the reason why around 10% of people are left-handed is that ________.
A. their frontal lobe is usually dominant
B. their temporal lobe is usually dominant
C. their right brain is usually dominant
D. their left brain is usually dominant
解析:该题无法在文中直接找到相对应的答案,而是需要考生利用原文的相关信息进行推测,从而得出正确答案。题干问的是“10%左右的人是左撇子的原因”,而原文阐述的是“通常情况下,左脑处于支配地位,因此90%左右的人是右撇子”,而前文说“左脑控制右边身体,右脑控制左边身体”,那么推测可知,左撇子是由于他们的右脑处于支配地位。因此正确答案为C。
例2:Jim suffered heart problems. In conversation he expressed little joy and it seemed that his life was drawing to a close.
When his heart problems led to operation, Jim went through it successfully, and a full recovery was expected. Within days, however, his heart was not beating properly. Jim was rushed back to operation, but nothing was found to explain the cause of his illness. He died on the operating table on the day before his 48th birthday. (2007年四川卷,B篇)
59. Jim was sent back to operation because ________.
A. his heart didn't work well
B. he expected a full recovery
C. his life was drawing to a close
D. the first one wasn't well performed
解析:题干中“Within days, however, his heart was not beating properly. Jim was rushed back to operation ...”这两个句子之间虽无表示原因的连词,但它们之间形成了意义上的因果关系。即Jim的心脏跳动不正常,所以再次进行手术。正确答案为A。
例3:What will people die of 100 years from now? If you think that is a simple question, you have not been paying attention to the revolution that is taking place in bio-technology (生物技术). With the help of new medicine, the human body will last a very long time. Death will come mainly from accidents, murder and war. Today's leading killers, such as heart disease, cancer, and aging itself, will become distant memories. (2007年辽宁卷,A篇)
56. According to the passage, human death is now mainly caused by ________.
A. diseases and aging
B. accidents and war
C. accidents and aging
D. heart disease and war
解析:根据题干中的关键词mainly caused,可对应至原文中的leading killers,such as后列举出了具体内容,因此正确答案为A。
【技巧点拨】阅读理解题不同于单项选择题,句子并不是单独存在的,而是处于特定的语言环境中,与上下文相联系。因此,考生解题时不应拘泥于某个单句,而应“瞻前顾后”,注意整体联系,避免“以偏概全”,准确解题。
综上所述,阅读理解中的细节题主要是针对句子的关系词、长难句的句意或句与句之间的逻辑关系设置题目,考生只要学会分析与题干相关的信息,厘清其所在句子的结构,联系上下文准确理解句子的意思,定能轻松解答细节题。