为了使考试有一定的区分度,命题者常常在一些单选题中设下“陷阱”。在做这些“陷阱”题时,很多考生“想当然”地选出一个答案,胸有成竹地认为自己肯定答对了,等知道正确答案时却傻眼了——“这题太蒙人了!”这是我常常听到考生说的话。为了不被“蒙”住,考生需要知道出题者常常使用的“陷阱”都有哪些类型,该如何攻破。
母语干扰型
学外语最忌母语干扰,但由于母语在大脑中根深蒂固,因此常对大脑中尚不牢固的外语产生影响。命题者常利用这一点设置陷阱。
1. —Are you all right?
—______. (2008年浙江卷)
A. That's OK B. I think so
C. Take it easy D. It's very kind of you
2. I'll come to see you if _____________.
A. you're convenient B. it is convenient for you
C. you feel convenient D. it will be convenient for you
3. You ______ pay too much attention to your English listening, as it is so important.
A. should B. must
C. cannot D. needn't
[解析]1. B。问“你还好吗?”,这种情境下中国人常回答说“没事儿。”,因而易误选A。2. B。考生易受汉语表达“如果你方便的话”影响,而误选A或C,但事实上,英语中表达此意,应是it is convenient for / to you。3. C。考生易直译成汉语“你应该特别注意你的英语听力,因为它很重要。”而误选A。此题考查固定句型cannot ... too much,表示“再怎样……也不过分”。
破解方法:同学们应了解英语国家的文化和语言习惯,解题时力求用英语进行思维,弄清不同的语言环境下如何使用正确的交际用语,同时注意固定句型及搭配。
规律硬套型
考生常常不从语言实际出发,不考虑特定的语言环境,而是机械地套用语法规则或固定句型及短语,生搬硬套语法的条条框框,从而做出错误的选择。这点也容易成为命题者设置陷阱的依据。
1. In April, thousands of holidaymakers remained ______ abroad due to the volcanic ash cloud. (2010年福建卷)
A. sticking B. stuck
C. to be stuck D. to have stuck
2. Tom made a paper tiger ______ his little sister.
A. frighten B. frightening
C. frightened D. to frighten
3. How do you enjoy ______ your spare time, playing cards at home or taking a walk in the park?
A. spending B. to spend
C. having spent D. to have spent
4. She can not help ______ the house because she is busy making a cake.
A. to clean B. cleaning
C. cleaned D. being cleaned
[解析]1. B。不少学生受固定用法remain to be done的影响而误选C,然而此用法的意思是“还有某事要做”,用在这里显然不对。当remain作系动词时,后面接过去分词作表语,因而选B。题干的意思是“4月份的时候,成千上万的度假者由于火山灰的影响被困在了国外。”2. D。这里并不是make sth. do的用法,而是不定式表目的。这里选A的话,意思则变成了“让纸老虎恐吓他的妹妹”。3. A。这里考查的是enjoy doing的用法,选A。此题enjoy的宾语是How所指的内容,即playing cards or taking a walk。4. A。受can't help doing用法影响,易误选B。这里实际上是help (to) do,意为“帮助某人干某事”;而sb. can't help doing sth. 意为“某人情不自禁干某事”。
破解方法:同学们应认真读完整个题干,认真分析似曾相识的题干是否有结构及语境的变化,不要因为受到某些语法规则及固定短语的影响而妄下结论。应排除定式干扰,明确每个选项被排除的原因,同时理清来龙去脉,从而成功解题。
题干结构非正常型
(1) 插入隔离型:原本很简单的句子,在其中置入一个其他成分或插入语,造成分离现象,给同学们的理解带来麻烦而造成误选。
1. The theory many scientists have stuck to ______ correct.
A. prove B. proving
C. being prove D. has been proved
2. The other day, my brother drove his car down the street at ______ I thought was a dangerous speed.
A. asB. which C. whatD. that
3. With everything she needed ______, she went home happily.
A. to buy B. buying
C. bought D. buy
4. ______ be sent to work there? (2002年上海卷)
A. Who do you suggest
B. Who do you suggest that should
C. Do you suggest who should
D. Do you suggest whom should
[解析] 1. D。Many scientists have stuck to是修饰the theory的定语从句,其前面省略了that。Has been proved作the theory的谓语。2. C。此题易受介词at的影响而错选B。I thought是插入成分,at后的从句少了主语。3. C。注意with引导的复合结构,插入成分she needed可以去掉,everything和buy是被动关系,因此用过去分词。4. A。注意do you suggest是插入语。
(2) 错位型:通过前置、后置等手段造成错位现象,或利用倒装形式等“不正常”的句式“绕圈子”。
1. Whom would you rather have ______ you off?
A. to see B. seeing
C. seen D. see
2. John opened the door. There ______ he had never seen before. (2010年陕西卷)
A. a girl did stand B. a girl stood
C. did a girl stand D. stood a girl
3. ______ fired, your health care and other benefits will not be immediately cut off.
A. Would you be B. Should you be
C. Could you be D. Might you be
[解析]1. D。受完成时的影响而误选C。此题考查have sb. do结构,因是对sb.提问,而前置疑问词whom是have的宾语。2. D。Here / There位于句首,且句子的主语是名词,句子用全部倒装。3. B。虚拟条件句中含有had、were、 should时,可前置它们,省略if。句意为“如果你被解雇,你的医疗健康和福利不会被立即取消。”
(3) 省略型:省略某些成分,造成省略现象来干扰正常思维。
1. When ______ help, one often says "Thank you" or "It's kind of you".
A. offering B. offered
C. to be offered D. to offer
2. —Where did you get to know her?
—It was on the farm ______ we worked. (2007年山东卷)
A. that B. there
C. which D. where
3. The old man was disappointed to see the machine he had ______ was broken.
A. it repaired B. repaired
C. repair D. repair it
[解析]1. B。从句省略了one is。2. D。强调句省略了that I got to know her, 易误选A。原句可还原为:It was on the farm where we worked that I got to know her. 3. B。此句中the machine后省略了that。That引导定语从句,可将定语从句还原成:he had the machine repaired。
破解方法:一“减” “插入信息”;一“换”“错位部分”;一“加”“省略信息”;巧妙应对,还原其“庐山真面目”。
标点符号妙用型
标点符号是书面语中一系列表停顿、节奏和语调的符号,用来表示句子或句子成分的隔离或特指。出题人常利用同学们不熟悉标点符号的功能而设置陷阱。
1. I've never seen anyone run so fast—_________ David go.
A. just watch B. just to watch
C. just watching D. just having watching
2. The weather turned out to be very good; ______ was more than we could expect.
A. what B. which
C. that D. and which
3. There are 8 tips in Dr Roger's lecture on sleep, and one of them is: ______ to bed early unless you think it is necessary. (2004年重庆卷)
A. doesn't B. not to go
C. not going D. don't go
[解析]1. A。破折号用来表示思想上的突然中断或转折,或对前句起附加、补充或解释作用。与上句或上句的某部分并行。2. C。分号常用于两个关系密切的分句间,它的功能相当于逗号加一个连词,前后两分句并列。易误选B。3. D。冒号用来列举事物或解释前文,很多学生没有注意到is后的冒号,而误选不定式作表语。此题实为祈使句。
破解方法:了解标点符号的功能是破解此类题的法宝。
作者简介:
杨立军,从事高三英语教学工作多年,教学经验丰富。2008年获“长沙市优秀教师”称号,2009年获长沙市“教学能手”称号。