纵观历年英语高考阅读真题，不难发现猜测词义题都会作为考生应该掌握的一项阅读技能列入到试题中，旨在考查学生根据上下文推测生词、短语或句子意思的能力。而高考阅读真题中所考查的词或短语的意义往往不停留在字面上，考生应学会“顺藤摸瓜”，通过构词、定义、同位、对比、因果、常识、同义、反义及上下文线索等来推测尚不熟悉的词或词组的含义。本文拟通过对高中英语阅读中的词义猜测的考情分析、题型设问形式以及解题技巧进行归纳、剖析，以期能对高中学生的阅读学习有所启示。
一、考情分析
下面以2016—2019四年12套全国卷48篇阅读为例，分别从话题、体裁、细节理解、推理判断、词义猜测和主旨大意等方面做统计分析，以期能够找出高考阅读的一些命题规律。
语篇及题型
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通过对近年新课标全国卷分析统计来看，词义猜测题一般有1－3题。考查相对比较稳定，但难度略有增加，需要在复杂的句式中通过上下文综合分析才能得出答案。
二、题型设问形式
1、常见设问形式
1) The underlined word is closest in meaning to the word…?/Which of the following is the closest in meaning to the underlined word “...” in Paragraph...?
2) We can learn from the underlined part… that…
3) By saying…, the author means to say that…
4) The underlined word “...” in Paragraph ... probably means ______.
5) What does the underlined word “...” in Paragraph ... refer to?
2、全国卷部分设问题例
1)What does the underlined word “downside” in Paragraph 4 probably mean？(2016全国卷Ⅱ)
2) What does the underlined word “displace” in paragraph 2 probably mean? （2017全国卷III）
3) What does the underlined word “the water catcher” in paragraph 2 probably refer to? （2017全国卷I）
4) Which of the following best explains “dominant” underlined in paragraph? （2018全国卷I）
5) What does the underlined word “stumbles” in in paragraph 2 refer to____? （2019全国卷I）
三、解题技巧
1）根据定义或说明进行词义猜测
在有些文章中，尤其是新闻报导及科普类阅读文章中，作者会对某些生词作出一定的解释和说明，通过这些解释说明性的短语或句子可以推断出生词的含义。一般而言，在be，be called，that is，such as，to mean，protected by---等词出现的句子中，生词用来作被解释说明的表语，或是用来作下定义的主语。文章对于词义的解释除了直接下定义外，还有一种间接释义法，即通过描述、介绍、总结等方式，对前面画线单词进行间接提示，读者可以从中推断词语含义。
例1:UBC Professor Simard explains how trees are much more complex than most of us ever imagined. Although Charles Darwin thought that trees are competing for survival of the fittest, Simard shows just how wrong he was. In fact, the opposite is true: trees survive through their co-operation and support, passing around necessary nutrition "depending on who needs it".[2014辽宁C]
29. The underlined sentence "the opposite is true" in Paragraph 2 probably means that trees _______.
A. compete for survival B. protect their own wealth
C. depend on each other D. provide support for dying trees
【解析】首先根据题干可以定位到原文第二段第三句：In fact， the opposite is true:trees survive through their co-operation and support,passing around necessary nutrition "depending on who needs it". 很显然，冒号后的部分是解释说明划线句子的。根据该部分的句意可知，树是靠相互合作和支持才得以生存，故选C。
2）根据举例进行词义猜测
在英语阅读材料中，有时作者会列举出一些例子对生词进行解释说明，这些例子能够为我们提供猜测生词词义的重要线索。常见的表示举例的信息词包括such as, such ...as, for example, for instance, like, including, especially等。
例2:In recent centuries, trade, industrialization, the development of the nation-state and the spread of universal compulsory education, especially globalization and better communications in the past few decades, all have caused many languages to disappear, and dominant languages such as English, Spanish and Chinese are increasingly taking over..[2018全国I卷C]
29. Which of the following best explains "dominant" underlined in paragraph 2?
A. Complex. B. Advanced. C. Powerful. D. Modern.
【解析】本题题干意为：下面哪一项最好地解释了第二段划线词“dominant”？根据划线词所在句子中的“such as English, Spanish and Chinese are increasingly taking over.”可推知dominant的意思是“占统治地位的，强大的”，故答案为C项（powerful）。
3）根据同位语或定语进行词义猜测和推断
同位语或定语从句对其先行词起修饰或解释说明的作用，借助同位语或定语从句提供的信息可以帮助我们猜测出生词的含义。其常见的信号词有：or, namely, that is, in other words, that is to say, to be more exact, to put in another way等。
例3:Some 2,500 years ago Greece discovered freedom. Before that there was no freedom. There were great civilizations, splendid empires, but no freedom anywhere. Egypt and Babylon were both tyrannies, one very powerful man ruling over helpless masses. [2015江苏D]
65．What does the underlined word “tyrannies” in Paragraph 2 refer to?
A. Countries where their people need help.
B. Powerful states with higher civilization.
C. Splendid empires where people enjoy freedom.
D. Governments ruled with absolute power.
【解析】画线单词后面部分为画线单词的同位语，对该单词进行解释，意为“一个统治无助群体的强有力的人”，即“专政，暴君”，可知答案是D。
4）利用句子间的对比关系猜测词义
在一个句子或语段中，有时会存在对两个事物或现象进行对比性的描述，此时我们根据这些对比性的描述推测词义。在句子中表示转折和对比关系的标志性词或短语主要包括：but, however, yet, or, otherwise, while, though, on one hand…on the other hand, rather than, instead of, despite, though, in spite of等。
例4:Encouraging this kind of thinking has a downside. I ran the risk of losing those students who had a different style of thinking. Without fail one would declare, “But I'm just not creative.” [2016全国Ⅱ卷B]
3.What does the underlined word “downside” in Paragraph 4 probably mean？
A. Mistake. B. Drawback. C. Difficulty. D. Burden.
【解析】因为前文提到作者很喜爱这个学生，说这个学生的创造性能够感染其他学生，下文说“冒着失去那些有不同的思考风格的学生的风险”，根据语境前后的对比判断，downside的含义应该是drawback“不利条件，缺点”。故选B。
5）利用句子或段落间的因果关系猜测词义
在阅读过程中，如果我们能弄清文章的行文思路、来龙去脉，我们就可以猜测出某些词的含义，对于整段话及文章的思路也会有更好的把握。如Because， since与as是连接原因状语从句的从属连词，so是连接表示结果的并列句的连词，so…that…与 such…as…是连接结果状语从句的连词。当这些表示因果关系的连词出现在有生词的句子或段落中时，我们根据这种逻辑关系提供的信息进行生词词义推测。
例5:There are also varieties developed to suit specific local conditions. One of the very best varieties for eating quality is Orleans Reinette, but you'll need a warm, sheltered place with perfect soil to grow it, so it's a pipe dream for most apple lovers who fall for it. [2016全国Ⅲ卷C]
3．What does the underlined phrase “a pipe dream” in Paragraph 3 mean？
A .A practical idea. B.A vain hope. C.A brilliant plan. D.A selfish desire.
【解析】根据本段中的“One of the very best varieties for eating quality is Orleans Reinette, but you'll need a warm, sheltered place with perfect soil to grow it ...”可知，尽管Orleans Reinette是很好的品种，但是对各项条件的要求很高，因此大多数喜欢它的人种植它的希望会落空。B项中的vain表示“徒然的，徒劳的”。故选B项。
6）利用同义、近义、反义以及并列关系推测词义
有时作者会用表示对比或转折的信号词连接意思相反的两个词或句子，这时就可根据反义词线索猜测词义。表示对比或反义的信号词或词组常见的标志性词语有and，or， like， but等。表示并列关系的连词有both…and， and， or， as well as，either…or， not only…but（also），neither…nor等。
例6:Gray wolves once were seen here and there in the Yellowstone area and much of the continental United States, but they were gradually displaced by human development. By the 1920s, wolves had practically disappeared from the Yellowstone area. They went farther north into the deep forests of Canada, where there were fewer humans around. [2017全国Ⅲ卷C]
2.What does the underlined word “displaced” in paragraph 2 mean？
A. Tested. B. Separated. C. Forced out. D. Tracked down.
【解析】由第二段第一句话可知，曾经在黄石公园里到处都能看见灰狼，下文提到但后来由于人类的发展灰狼数量逐渐减少，几乎消失了。因此可以推出，displaced意为“被迫离开”，故选C。
例7:If you feel you can relate, then group training is an even better option for you．It's a great opportunity to learn more about fitness through the clear instruction and supervision(监管) of a fitness instructor．If you're tired of wandering around the gym wasting time and becoming bored, you can attend an upbeat group fitness class that'll keep your workout on track．Don't let fitness frighten you![ 2015福建E)
73．The underlined word “upbeat” in the second paragraph probably means “ ____ ”．
A. cheerful B. average C. serious D. temporary
【解析】根据If you're tired of wandering around the gym wasting time and becoming bored, you can attend an upbeat group fitness class that will keep your workout on track.可以判断upbeat应该是bored的反义词。故选A。
7）根据上下文关系猜测词义
有些词的意思无法通过构词法来猜测，文章中也没有相应的解释，我们也不必着急，继续往下读，或许可以根据上下文的内容猜测出它的含义。有时候文章没有明显的标志性提示词，只有把前后文章读懂，才能最终推断出划线词的意思。
例8:Just at this time NASA decided to test some new high-altitude cameras by taking photographs of Yellowstone. A thoughtful official passed on some of the copies to the park authorities on the assumption that they might make a nice blow-up for one of the visitors' centers. As soon as Christiansen saw the photos，he realized why he had failed to spot the caldera; almost the whole park-2.2 million acres—was caldera. The explosion had left a hole more than forty miles across—much too huge to be seen from anywhere at ground level. At some time in the past Yellowstone must have blown up with a violence far beyond the scale of anything known to humans. [2019江苏B]
60. What does the underlined word "blow-up" in the last paragraph most probably mean？
A. Hot-air balloon. B. Digital camera. C. Big photograph. D. Bird's view.
【解析】本题题干意为：最后一段中划线部分词blow-up最有可能是什么意思？根据本段中美国航空航天局用高空照相机拍摄黄石国家公园及Christiansen看到照片后意识到自己为什么找不到火山口，可知划线部分意为“大照片”，故选C。
例9:To construct a working still, use a sharp stick or rock to dig a hole four feet across and three feet deep. Try to make the hole in a damp area to increase the water catcher's productivity. Place your cup in the deepest part of the hole. Then lay the tube in place so that one end rests all the way in the cup and the rest of the line runs up — and out — the side of the hole. [2017全国Ⅰ卷D]
2.What does the underlined phrase “the water catcher” in paragraph 2 refer to？
A. The tube. B．The still. C. The hole. D．The cup.
【解析】根据语境，尤其是第二段的第一句“To construct a working still, use a sharp stick or rock to dig a hole four feet across and three feet deep.”可知，画线部分指代前句中的“a working still”，即自制的太阳能蒸馏器。故选B项。
综上所述，词义猜测的方法多样，运用不拘一格。在平时阅读理解训练中，可以引导学生灵活运用，在阅读中我们可以根据实际灵活应用上面提到的几种猜词技巧，排除生词的干扰，理解文章的思想，提高阅读速度，从而有效突破生词障碍，提高学生的词义猜测能力和阅读理解能力，从而提高我们在高考阅读理解中的得分率。