有時所猜詞匯位于一個長句子中,而其后恰有對它的定義和解釋,而這個解釋成分通常是句中的定語成分,同位語成分或例子解釋。我們可以根據這些解釋成分的含義推測詞義,來看一道2002年的考研英語真題:As a result, the modern world is increasingly populated by intelligent gizmos whose presence we barely notice but whose universal existence has removed much human labor. Our factories hum to the rhythm of robot assembly arms. Our banking is done at automated teller terminals that thank us with mechanical politeness for the transaction. Our subway trains are controlled by tireless robot-drivers.
猜測劃線詞gizmos的含義,根據后面定語從句的內容whose presence we barely notice but whose universal existence has removed much human labor.這個東西的可以幫人們干很多的活,并且后邊有具體的舉例提到了robot assembly arms機器人組裝臂,automated teller terminals自動出納終端,robot-drivers機器人駕駛員。所以可見這個幫人們干活的東西就是機器設備,選項[C] devices既是正確答案。
(2)根據詞義關系猜測
如何能看出一個未知詞義與已知詞義的關系呢?當然是通過并列關聯詞and, or, but,however等,如happy and gay,我們不認識gay這個詞,也可以知道它是愉快的意思,因為和它并列的詞是快樂。再例如Man has known something about the planets Venus,Mars,and Jupiter with the help of spaceships.此句中的Venus(金星)、Mars(火星)、Jupiter(木星)均為生詞,但只要知道planets就可猜出這幾個詞都屬于“行星”這一義域。
再看一個表示并列關系的示例:But sometimes,no rain falls for a long,long time.Then there is a dry period,or drought.根據并列關系a dry period干旱時期,以及前文的no rain我們得知很久不下雨,由此可見drought意思為“久旱”,“旱災”。