迷阵 巧破英语句法结构题失分“迷阵”

　　由于汉英思维方式迥然不同，考生在充分正确理解较为复杂的英语句子方面明显存在较大困难，这是考生考试不能获取高分的一个重要原因。在此，笔者试图借助于对一些典型错题的剖析，帮助考生理清句法结构，养成正确理解复杂句型的能力。
　　一、基本思路
　　例1： _____you can never possess seems better than______you own.
　　A. What; that B. What; what
　　C. That; whatD. That; that
　　本题考查识别从句的结构。旨在检测考生对较为复杂语句的结构感知。从知识项目来看，此题属于从句的测试项目。但它并不是简单地测试主语从句的基本用法，而是将从句的基本结构置于复合句的多层次结构之中，从而考查以下几个微技能：对语句层次的确认；对从句句法的确认；对语句内部功能的确认。这样，本题就上升到知识与技能的综合运用。本题设置了两处空缺，使考生不容易辨认这两个名词性从句。在______you can never possess seems better...语句中，can never possess与seems连为一体，从而构成区分该语言组块的较大难度。考生往往不能准确分辨语句结构以及分析句子成分，乍一看，这个句子怪怪的，容易让人感到纠结，胡乱瞎猜。本题的理解关键在于先找准possess、seems和own三个谓语动词，确认seems是主句的谓语动词，前面是名词性从句做主语，than是连词，连接另外一个名词性从句。另外要分析所缺的词在句子中充当什么成分，possess和own都是及物动词，所以两个分句都是缺少宾语。而what在名词性从句中可以做主语、宾语、表语，that只起连接作用，不充当成分。由此可知，本题答案为B。
　　提高对复杂结构的识别能力，关键问题不在于死抠语法，而在于进行语句结构知觉能力的训练。训练的核心在于：借助语境的感悟，逐步发展对语句结构的层次感；借助意思的解悟，了解句子成分之间的内在关联；在实际阅读活动中逐步熟悉语句构成的具体手段，如省略、插入、倒装、替代、指称，等等。
　　二、巩固运用
　　例 2：After the flooding, people were suffering in that area,______urgently needed clean water, medicine and shelter to survive. (2012江苏卷22)
　　A. which B. who
　　C. whereD. what
　　本题旨在考查考生对主句与从句间逻辑关系的理解以及关系词运用的掌握情况。根据上面的讲述，考生应该具备这样的解题思路：首先，整体感知句子，包含一个主句和一个从句；其次，确定从句为定语从句；最后，确定所缺的词在定语从句中的作用。题干中设空之前的主句告诉我们：people were suffering in that area。接下来考虑的是，找准后面定语从句所修饰的先行词；正确的方法是：分析定语从句的句子成分，发现从句缺少主语，这样答案就限定在A或B，再结合to survive的逻辑主语应该是人，最终确定用关系代词who。本题答案为B。错误选项中干扰性最大的是C。where，语感较差的考生，容易确定area为先行词，where紧承area，读起来上口，但明显存在语法错误。如果将题干稍加修改，在urgently之前加上they，则定语从句中缺的是状语，则选择C。where修饰先行词area。
　　由此不难发现，对于复杂句子的理解，考生是有“法”可依；只要弄懂规则，灵活理解，善于变通，就能彻底理解形形色色的长难句。
　　例3：______is known to us all is that the old scientist, for______life was hard in the past, still works very hard in his eighties.
　　A. As; whom B. What; whom
　　C. It; whose D. As; whose
　　本题难度明显大于上面两例。考查点侧重于对复杂句型的理解和分析能力，涵盖了名词性从句和定语从句，干扰性更大。考生看到这个题目，往往会感到无从下手，不愿意或者不能从本质上分析句子结构，跟着感觉走，仓促猜测。正确的对策是：遵循语言学习的方法和策略，养成临危不乱、理智分析的习惯。在整体感悟句子之后，找准主句的谓语动词是第二个is，其前是主语从句，其后是表语从句，在表语从句中又包含了一个定语从句for______life was hard in the past。第一空所缺词在主语从句中做主语，而as常用来引导定语从句，It则常作为形式主语出现在主语从句中；第二空，考生容易不假思索地选择whose，应当将表语从句所包含的信息分解、还原成the old scientist still works very hard in his eighties和life was hard for him in the past。由此，可以确定本题正确答案为B。
　　三、拓展提升
　　纵观近几年高考阅读，不难发现，阅读量越来越大，选材出现了大量复合复杂句。非谓语动词、独立主格结构、多种从句的叠加，有时还会有强调句型、倒装句等特殊句型，这些无疑增加了句子结构的复杂程度和语境理解的难度。所以“磨刀不误砍柴工”，平时考生要加强对复杂结构句型的训练，遇到长难句，不妨尝试分析句子的层次，理清句子结构，确定句子内部以及句间的功能作用，力求熟能生巧。这样，考试时就能在有限的时间内，既能做到理解顺畅到位，又能保障阅读速度。例如遇到下文：How was I, who had worked hard and read books of adventure, and was only fifteen years old, who had not dreamed of giving the Queen of the Oyster Pirates a second thought, and who did not know that French Frank was madly and Latinly in love with her—how was I to guess that I had done him shame? 要理解透彻，必须理清句子层次。How was I是主句，I是主语，who had worked hard and read books of adventure是第一个定语从句，was only fifteen years old前面隐含了一个who是第二个定语从句，who had not dreamed of giving the Queen of the Oyster Pirates a second thought是第三个定语从句，who did not know that French Frank was madly and Latinly in love with her是第四个定语从句，how was I to guess that I had done him shame?作为第二个主句结束整个长句。
　　另外，听力材料中也会有这样的长句子：We decided that the movie was too violent, but our children, who like to watch scary movies, thought that we were wrong. Even though he prefers to eat with a fork, he chooses to use chopsticks in Chinese restaurants; however, they arent easy to use. 对此，考生切不可有畏惧心理，要树立信心，平时多听多跟读，尤其需要借助于一些连接词来断句，判断语义，提高理解速度。
　　对于书面表达，如果能巧妙地运用一些复杂句型，整篇文章就是锦上添花。比如2012年江苏高考英语作文：To conclude, there is no denying that, with a calm and open mind, conflicts are bound to be avoided and we can live harmoniously even if there are disagreements. 这样的结尾，长短结合，错落有致，生动有力，概括全文，给人感觉该文章层次较高。
　　(作者：汪建华，海安县曲塘中学）