掌握一定的构词知识有助于提高阅读效率。例如:He fell into a ditch and lay there, semiconscious, for a few minutes.根据词根conscious(清醒的,有意识的),结合前缀semi(半,部分的,不完全的),可猜出semiconscious为“半清醒的,半昏迷的”。
(2)根据上下文的对比关系推断词义
文中可能会同时出现某一生词的同义词或反义词,这时可以通过上下文的对比关系来猜测词义。例如:If you agree, say“Yes”, if you dissent, say “No”.根据两组相对的词Yes与No、agree与dissent,不难推断dissent是“不同意”之意。
(3)根据文中解释推断词义
文中有时对生词作以注解或说明,考生应善于捕捉这一信息。如A journalist is a person who works on a newspaper or magazine and writes articles for it.此句不难推断出journalist意为“记者”。
(4)根据上下文之间的逻辑关系推断词义
He is so stingy that he never gives anything to others, even his friends or relatives.句中stingy是生词,根据对结果分句的理解可推知其意为“吝啬的”。
例一:This frightens away non-experts, who are happier going to Computertowns where there are computers for them to experiment on, with experts to encourage them and answer any questions they have.这是一个多重复合句,主句为“This frightens away non-experts”,who引导的定语从句是第一层次的从句,修饰主句中的non-experts;where引导第二层次的从句,修饰who引导的定语从句中Computertowns,介词with的复合结构来做状语。
例二:If you press another, your meal is prepared and heated for you; then it is brought on along a very small railway line to your seat in front of your television so that you don’t even have to stand up when you get what you need.这是一个并列复合句,在分号前后各有一个分句:分号前是一个带有条件状语从句的复合句your meal is prepared and heated for you;分号后是带有两个状语从句和一个宾语从句的复合句,其中so that引导的是结果状语从句,when you get是时间状语从句,what you need是宾语从句,充当动词get的宾语。经过这样的分析,全句脉络分明,意义明朗。