考研英语阅读解题——语法知识同位语的妙用

考研英语小tips

同位语指对名词或代词的解释说明。它一般由特殊标点符号引出，比如冒号、分号、单破折号、括号。同位语的出现意味着前面的内容可能比较抽象，需要具体解释说明，这一点符合阅读命题特征（长难句出命题）。因此，巧妙利用同位语，可以帮助我们快速解题。

接下来，我们通过具体的例子来看看如何利用同位语进行解题。

妙用一：单破折号QA

例1：26. What does the author mean by “paralysis by analysis” (Paragraph 4)? (2005年T2）

[A]Endless studies kill action.

[B]Careful investigation reveals truth.

[C]Prudent planning hinders progress.

[D]Extensive research helps decision-making.

Fortunately, the White House is starting to pay attention. But it’s obvious that a majority of the president’s advisers still don’t take global warming seriously. Instead of a plan of action, they continue to press for more research—a classic case of “paralysis by analysis”.

这题考查我们词组paralysis by analysis的含义，大部分同学可能因为不熟悉paralysis“瘫痪”的意思，在解题过程中会存在障碍。如果我们利用同位语的知识，这个题目就能轻易解出。这里的单破折号的功能是引出同位语，所以a classic case of “paralysis by analysis” 等同于前面的Instead of a plan of action, they continue to press for more research“没有行动的计划，他们继续敦促更多的研究”，同义替换选择A。

妙用二：冒号

QA

例2: 36.The statement “It never rains but it pours” is used to introduce _____. (2007年T4）

A.the fierce business competition

1. the feeble boss-board relations
2. the threat from news reports
3. the severity of data leakage

It never rains but it pours. Just as bosses and boards have finally sorted out their worst accounting and compliance troubles, and improved their feeble corporation governance, a new problem threatens to earn them—especially in America—the sort of nasty headlines that inevitably lead to heads rolling in the executive suite: data insecurity. Left, until now, to odd, low-level IT staff to put right, and seen as a concern only of data-rich industries such as banking, telecoms and air travel, information protection is now high on the boss’s agenda in businesses of every variety.

此题难度较大，题目问It never rains but it pours用来引出什么，实际上引出的就是第二句话（抛砖引玉：一句谚语引出文章讨论话题）。第二句是一个长难句 Just as bosses and boards have finally sorted out their worst accounting and compliance troubles, and improved their feeble corporation governance, a new problem threatens to earn them—especially in America—the sort of nasty headlines that inevitably lead to heads rolling in the executive suite: data insecurity.“正当老板和董事会最终解决了他们最糟糕的会计和合规问题，提升了他们孱弱的企业管理能力，一个新的问题使他们——尤其在美国——登上那种让人讨厌的新闻头条，它们最终会导致管理层的人事变动：数据不安全。”很多同学可能读不懂，但是如果注意到冒号，那么实际上，后面的data insecurity就是对前面问题的解释，直接能选出D信息泄露的严重性。

问题三：同位语从句QA

除了特殊标点引出的同位语，同位语从句同样在解题中能帮助我们快速选出正确选项。

例3：31. The author holds in paragraph 1 that the importance of education
in poor countries ________. （2009年T3）

[A] is subject to groundless doubts. 

[B] has fallen victim of bias. 

[C] is conventionally downgraded. 

[D] has been overestimated.

The relationship between formal education and economic growth in poor countries is widely misunderstood by economists and politicians alike. Progress in both areas is undoubtedly necessary for the social, political and intellectual development of these and all other societies; however, the conventional view that education should be one of the very highest priorities for promoting rapid economic development in poor countries is wrong.

这题根据题干关键词 importance of education 和poor countries定位到最后一句，但这句话读起来有点绕，有些同学就会容易做出错误选择。实际上，这句话中的 that education should be one of the very highest priorities for promoting rapid economic development in poor countries“在贫困国家，教育应该是促进经济快速发展的先任务之一。”是一个同位语从句，是对conventional view“传统观点”的解释说明。而主句是：the conventional view is wrong “传统的观点是错误的”。也就是说，贫困国家教育的重要性被高估，选择D。