1、准确理解词义在阅读理解中的重要性以interest与difference为例看一道高考英语阅读理解真题。如下：AParentsandkidstodaydressalike,listentothesamemusic,andarefriends.Isthisagoodthing?Sometimes,whenMr.Ballmerandhis16-year-olddaughter,Elizabeth,listentorockmusictogetherandtalkaboutinterestsbothenjoy,suchaspopculture,heremembershismoredistantrela
2、tionshipwithhisparentswhenhewasateenager.“Iwouldneverhavesaidtomymom,Hey,thenewWeezeralbumisreallygreat.Howdoyoulikeit?”saysBallmer.“Therewasjustacompletegapintaste.”Musicwasnottheonlygulf.Fromclothingandhairstylestoactivitiesandexpectations,earliergenerationsofparentsandchildrenoftenappearedtomovei
3、nseparateorbits.Today,thegenerationgaphasnotdisappeared,butitisgettingnarrowinmanyfamilies.Conversationsonsubjectssuchassexanddrugswouldnothavetakenplaceagenerationago.Nowtheyarecomfortableandcommon.Andparentchildactivities,fromshoppingtosports,involveafeelingoftrustandfriendshipthatcancontinueint0a
4、dulthood.Nowondergreetingcardstodaycarrythemessage,“Tomymother,mybestfriend.”Butfamilyexpertswarnthatthenewequalitycanalsoresultinlessrespectforparents.“Theresstillalotofstrictnessandauthorityonthepartofparentsoutthere,butthereisachangehappening,”saysKerrie,apsychologyprofessoratLebanonValleyCollege
5、.“Inthemiddleofthatchange,thereisalotofconfusionamongparents.”Familyresearchersofferavarietyofreasonsfortheseevolvingrolesandattitudes.Theyseethe1960sasaturningpoint.Greatculturalchangesledtomoreopencommunicationandamoredemocraticprocessthatencourageseveryonetohaveasay.“Myparentswereonthebeforesideo
6、fthatchange,buttodaysparents,the40-year-olds,wereontheafterside,”explainsMr.Ballmer.“Itsnotsomethingeasilyaccomplishedbyparentsthesedays,becauselifeismoredifficulttounderstandordealwith,butsharinginterestsdoesmakeitmorefuntobeaparentnow.”41.TheunderlinedwordgulfinPara.3mostprobablymeans_.A.interestB
7、.distanceC.differenceD.separation42.Whichofthefollowingshowsthatthegenerationgapisdisappearing?A.Parentshelptheirchildrendevelopinterestsinmoreactivities.B.Parentsputmoretrustintheirchildrensabilities.C.Parentsandchildrentalkmoreaboutsexanddrugs.D.Parentssharemoreinterestswiththeirchildren.43.Thecha
8、ngeintodaysparent-childrelationshipis_.A.moreconfusionamongparentsB.newequalitybetweenparentsandchildrenC.1essrespectforparentsfromchildrenD.morestrictnessandauthorityonthepartofparents44.Bysaying“todaysparents,the40-year-olds,wereontheafterside.”theauthormeansthattodaysparents_.A.followthetrendofth
9、echangeB.cansetalimittothechangeC.failtotakethechangeseriouslyD.havelittledifficultyadjustingtothechange45.Thepurposeofthepassageisto_.A.describethedifficultiestodaysparentshavemetwithB.discussthedevelopmentoftheparentchildrelationshipC.suggestthewaystohandletheparentchildrelationshipD.comparetodays
10、parentchildrelationshipwiththatinthepast布衣老师解析这篇文章的中心topic或theme就一个：relationshipbetweenparentsandtheirchildreninthepastandatpresent过去与现在父母与孩子的关系关系由远及近，becomenarrow，但是仍然未到亲密无间的程度。做这篇阅读理解时，我们快速浏览文章首尾，抓出关键词relationship，同时快速浏览问题及备选答案，我们看到45题，讲purpose目的，其实就是文章的主旨，备选答案里出现了3次relationship，进而也印证了我们对文章中心的判断。关
11、系，无外乎就是距离“远”“近”。这里，着重讲解41、42题。因为，这里涉及词汇的准确理解问题。41题典型的词义理解题，必考题型。文章中加下划线的词gulf的意义。理解词义，务必记住一条原则：Nocontext,notext.词本无义，义由境生。Themeaningof awordisitsuseinthelanguage,notonlyitsdefinitionsinthedictionary.Adictionarydoesnotrequireorforbidaparticularsenseofawordbutrecordstheusesthathavebeenfoundofit.也就是说，词
12、word的意义不是词典说了算，而是由具体的语境决定。回到文章，上文有“Therewasjustacompletegapintaste.”，下文有parentsandchildrenoftenappearedtomoveinseparateorbits，这些都说明“父母与孩子之间有距离，有差异difference”。这里需要强调的是：汉语里的“距离”本义是事物在空间或时间上间隔（物理或心理的间隔）。引申为两者间的差距（质的差异）。也就是说，我们不能把英语的gulf单纯理解为汉语的“沟壑，距离，间隔”，而要理解为“差异difference”。想一想“趋同离异”就理解了。中国人说话，出于民族性格因素
13、，倾向于“含蓄暗示，借代隐喻”。就是说，表达“差异、不同”，不直接说差异，而要说“距离”，就是用“距离distance”喻指“差异difference”。但是，同时，我们需要明白：“距离”可以用来描述或表达“差异”，但是“距离”并不一定意味着“差异”，因为“没有差异，也可以有距离”。换言之，有差异一定有距离，而有距离不一定有差异。Differencemeansdistance,butdistancedoesnotnecessarilymeandifference.备选答案中，distance很容易形成干扰，separation（分离的行为、或过程）也容易形成干扰。但是，问题又来了。Distan
14、ce这个选项到底可不可以呢？看看distance的英语解释：1. Theextentofspacebetweentwoobjectsorplaces;aninterveningspace.空间间隔（程度，抽象的量的概念）2. Thefactorconditionofbeingapartinspace;remoteness.分离或间隔的事实Differenceordisagreement: Thecandidatescouldnotbeatagreaterdistanceonthisissue.差异，意见上的分歧Emotionalseparatenessorreserve;aloofness.情
15、感上的分离，孤立。基于上述解释，我们得出结论：distance不仅可以表达物理时空上的间隔或距离，也可以表达抽象意义上的“距离，差异意见分歧或者情感上的孤立”。结合语境，music只是一种差异，不是“意见分歧或情感孤立”。所以，distance不合适。我们可以说thereisadistancebetweenparentsandchildrenonmusic，但是不说musicisadistance。再说42题。42题不难理解，但是孩子们筛选选项有一定困惑。这道题是细节题，最佳答案是D.Parentssharemoreinterestswiththeirchildren回文章定位。如下：Toda
16、y,thegenerationgaphasnotdisappeared,butitisgettingnarrowinmanyfamilies.Conversationsonsubjectssuchassexanddrugswouldnothavetakenplaceagenerationago.Nowtheyarecomfortableandcommon.Andparentchildactivities,fromshoppingtosports,involveafeelingoftrustandfriendshipthatcancontinueintoadulthood.但是孩子们发现，定位后
17、，这一段描述里并没有出现interests相关单词。但是整体理解文章，从文章最后一句lifeismoredifficulttounderstandordealwith,butsharinginterestsdoesmakeitmorefuntobeaparentnow明确出现了interest。另外，也是最根本的，是孩子们搞不清楚interest这个单词的内涵。只是机械地记忆了老师课堂上讲的或参考书上标注的它的汉语解释：兴趣，爱好。“爱好，兴趣”跟conversation与parent=childactivity有什么关系？产生这个疑问的根源在于对interest的内涵不真正理解。一起来看看i
18、nterest的英文解释：interest(ntrst,-tr-st,-trst)n.a. Astateofcuriosityorconcernaboutorattentiontosomething: aninterestinsports.好奇或关切、关注的状态b. Something,suchasaquality,subject,oractivity,thatevokesthismentalstate: countsthetheateramonghisinterests.引人注意、惹人好奇的品质、性质或东西1.afeelingofhavingonesattention,concern,orc
19、uriosityparticularlyengagedbysomething: Shehasaninterestinarchitecture.注意力或好奇心被吸引或占有的感觉2. somethingthatarousessuchfeelings;somethinginwhichoneisinterested: Chessishisonlyinterest.吸引人注意、引人入胜的东西3. thepowertoexcitesuchfeelings;qualityofbeinginteresting: asubjectthatholdslittleinterestforme.吸引力4. concer
20、norimportance: amatterofprimaryinterest.重要性5.Involvementwithorparticipationinsomething: Shehasaninterestinthequalityofhereducation.参与度Thefeelingofapersonwhoseattention,concern,orcuriosityisparticularlyengagedbysomething.Eg.ShehasagreatinterestinthepoetryofDonne.Somethingthatconcerns,involves,draws,a
21、ttractstheattentionof,orarousethecuriosityofaperson.Eg.Hisinterestsarephilosophyandchess.Powerofexcitingsuchconcern,involvement,etc.;qualityofbeinginteresting麦克米伦MacmillanUNCOUNTABLE the quality thatsomethinghasthat makes you noticeitand want to know aboutitortakepartinit吸引力；吸引人注意的品质The scar added i
22、nteresttoa face thatotherwisewouldhave appearedtoo bland.COUNTABLE OFTENPLURAL an activity thatyou enjoy doing whenyouarenot working兴趣，爱好基于上述解释，我们终于明白了interest并不全等于汉语的“兴趣，爱好”。Interest本质意义是“关注的状态，吸引人注意力的性质或东西，关注的东西”。从这个意义上讲，conversation与parent=childactivity都属于interest的范畴。到此，我们看看42题选项，A、B、C都包含于D选项interest里面。因此，它是最佳选项。
