攻克省略難題的五大方法

作者：周天教（湖南）

來源：《第二課堂（高中版）》，2005年第07期（pp43-47)

省略是指在不影響句子意思明了、清楚的前提下，將句子中的某些成分省略掉，從而使所表達的內容更加緊湊和簡潔。近年來，許多高考試題為增加其靈活性和考查考生綜合運用語言的能力，經常利用省略這一手段來編制試題，或考查考生對省略句的判斷和理解，或借省略為干擾考查其他相關知識點，并因此出現了不少同學們望而生畏的難題，本文擬就如何應對這類試題作一分析，并為同學們介紹五大攻克省略難題的方法。

一、整句還原法

所謂整句還原法，即指通過分析題干所提供的情景或句子結構，將命題者省略的部分補充完整，然后再根據完整的句子進行分析和答題。如：

1. “What were you trying to prove to the police?”  “_____ I was last night.”

A. That      B. When         C. Where           D. What

分析：此題應選 C，其余三項均有可能誤選。做對此題的關鍵是要明確答語部分為省略句，若將其補充完整，即為：I was trying to prove to the police where I was last night. 其中where 引導的是一個賓語從句。請再看以下類似試題：

(1) “What made her so happy?”  “_____ her son passed the college entrance examinations.”

A. That        B. 不填        C. Since          D. For

此題選A，若將其補充完整，即為：That her son passed the college entrance examinations made her so happy.

(2) “What made you so upset?” “_____ my wallet.”

A. Lost        B. Losing       C. Having lost     D. Being lost

此題選B，若將其補充完整，即為：Losing my wallet made me so upset.

(3) “What did she tell you?” “_____ she would be late”

A. That        B. When         C. Where       D. Whether

此題選A，若將其補充完整，即為：She told me that she would be late.

2. I want to improve my English, but I don’t know _____. What can you suggest?

A. when       B. how        C. why         D. where

分析：此題應選 B，其余三項均有可能誤選，其實此句為省略句，若將此句補充完整，即為：…but I don’t know how to improve my English. 請看以下類似試題：

(1) I think the door is locked, but I’d better go and make sure it ____.

A. does        B. has         C. was        D. is

答案選D，為 …and make sure it is locked 之省略。

(2) Dr Black comes from either Oxford or Cambridge. I can’t remember _____.

A. where      B. there       C. which      D. that

答案選C，為I can’t remember which city he comes from 之省略。

(3) He didn’t sell half as many computers as he thought he _____.

A. had       B. was        C. would       D. sold

答案選C，為He didn’t sell half as many computers as he thought he would sell 之省略。

二、常識語境法

常識語境法指的是，同學們在補充省略成分時要充分考慮句子本身的語境，有時還要結合一定的生活常識和學科常識，即補充完整的句子不僅要符合語法，而且要符合情理。如：

1. “I like you more than her, my dear.” “You mean more than ____love her or more than she loves ____?”

A. you, me      B. she, you     C. I, me       D. I, you

分析：做對此題的關鍵是要弄清填空句是個省略句，補充完整為 You mean that you love me more than you love her or that you love me more than she loves me? 句意為“你是說你愛我勝過你愛她，還是說你愛我勝過她愛我？”，所以答案應選A。若選其他答案，從語法上也是對的，但不合情理。

2. Boris has brains. In fact, I doubt whether anyone in the class has _____IQ.

A. a high     B. a higher     C. the higher     D. the highest

分析：此題答案為B。此句實為Boris has brains. In fact, I doubt whether anyone in the class has a higher IQ than him之省略。省略than him后不僅句意仍然清楚，而且顯得更為簡潔。句意為“……我懷疑班上有沒有哪個人比他智商更高”，即“我認為他可能是班上智商最高的”。請再看以下類似的題目(分析理由同上，答案均選A)：

(1) How beautifully she sings! I have never heard _____ voice.

A. a better    B. a best         C. the better        D. the best

(2) “I’ve never found _______ job.” “Congratulations.”

A. a better    B. a best         C. the better        D. the best

(3) “What do you think of the service here?” “Oh, wonderful. We couldn’t have found _______ place.”

A. a better    B. a best         C. the better        D. the best

(4) How cold it is! We’ve never had ______ day this winter.

A. a colder    B. a cold           C. the coldest      D. the colder

三、一致驗證法

所謂一致驗證法，即指在補充省略成分時，要注意考慮句子結構的前后一致性，此法尤其適合于做因承前省略而擬編的試題。如：

1. I think I can fix it tomorrow. If ______, you’ll have to wait till Friday.

A. not    B. can’t     C. don’t       D. won’t

分析：答案應選A。if not為if I can’t fix it tomorrow 之省略。其中的if I can’t fix it tomorrow與前面的 I can fix it tomorrow一致。注意，此題不能選B，因為句子已省略了主語。下面請再看一個類似的例子：

If the weather is fine, we’ll go. If _____, _____.

A. not, not    B. no, no     C. not, no       D. no, not

此題應選A。If not, not. 為 If the weather is NOT fine, we will NOT go. 全句意為“如果天氣好, 我們就去；如果天氣不好，我們就不去”。該句的特點是：后句與前句的用詞和句式完全相同, 只是前句為肯定，后句為否定，為了簡潔起見, 于是將后句與前句相同部分省略，只保留否定詞 not。

2. They are different in form but _____ in meaning.

A. not      B. no         C. aren’t       D. don’t

分析：答案選A，but not in meaning為 but they are not different in meaning 之省略。又如：

(1) In the accident the child was hurt, but the mother _____.

A. killing    B. to kill      C. killed      D. kill

答案選C，but the mother killed 為 but the mother was killed 之省略。

(2) The apartment’s fine for two people, but _____.

A. no more     B. no any      C. not more      D. not any (www.hz123456.com)

答案選C，but not more 為 but it is not fine for more than two people 之省略。