填空题型在听力考试中分布范围很广,从第一部分到第四部分,都有存在,难度变化也很大,从最简单的到最难的;而最重要的是,此题型是近年听力考试重头戏,戏份占到70% -100%,所以要考好听力项,在填空题型中必须有稳定的发挥。
1. 特点分析
雅思填空题型称为Completion,包括:Sentence Completion(句子填空),Passage Completion(段落填空),Table Completion(表格填空),Summary(摘要填空),和Notes Completion(简单信息表填空)。
它不同一般的Blank Filling-录音与题目文字匹配度高,信息易于捕捉。
例1:Both poles of our planet are covered with _____________.
录音:Both poles of our planet are covered with ice.
雅思的Completion存在着明显的信息转换-文字不匹配,但含义一致。
例2:At the final dinner, players receive _____________.
录音:The last week of the season, we usually have a dinner and presentation of prizes to the players.
它不是Literal Blank(文字空缺),而是Meaning Blank(含义空缺).
录音与题目有文字匹配的部分如dinner,但更有不匹配的部分如receive-presentation, 需要通过同意转换进行听力理解,来捕获空缺信息,即答案。
小结:
填空题型的关键在于Matching(匹配):通过录音与题目的匹配,找到含义上的空缺。
2. 针对方案
关键词
要做好录音与题目之间的匹配,最重要的是要找到Match Points(匹配支点),在这一步上,关键词的使用是核心技术。
1) 常用关键词
名词最好用:名词可变性小,录音与题目文字匹配度高,经常不需同意转换就可以进行匹配,如:water, fuel, carbon dioxide等等;
动词,形容词和副词不容忽视:在缺乏名词的情况下,这三类关键词即是匹配的支点,但要注意内容的同意转换,如:important-crucial, dangerous-risky, submit-hand in等等。
更为重要的一点:填空题题目中紧邻填空前的关键词经常是动词和形容词,这些关键词绝大多数情况下要进行同意转换,这就是对听者的一个重要提示,
听者可以以这些关键词作为缺失信息出现的判断依据。
例3:Cambridge 4 Test 2 Section 4 Question 37
Economic costs
May appear unimportant to ……
读题:划名词economic costs,划填空前的形容词unimportant-非常容易同意转换
录音:Let’s look at the economic costs first…… small amounts like this may seem insignificant for individual customers……
解析:economic costs在录音与题目中完全匹配,可以帮助较早的定位到题目;
而unimportant在录音中转换为insignificant, 听者在同意转换之后就可以马上得到缺失内容:individual customers.
例4:Cambridge 6 Test 4 Section 2 Question 14
Information about pay.
Will give out the …… form.
读题:划名词pay, 划填空前的动词give out-非常容易同意转换
录音:Anne works in the accounts department and looks after all temporary staff, so she is the person to see if you have any problems regarding pay. Anne will be explaining when and how you get it. She will also be handing out your tax forms.
解析:pay出现完全匹配,帮助定位题目;
听者在把听到的hand out转换为give out之后,就可以得到缺失内容:tax..
所以,根据这一普遍现象:填空前紧邻的动词和形容词经常进行同意转换;可以得出,这些在特定位置存在的动词和形容词是答案出现的先行信号词;因此,在读题时要尽量寻找这些匹配支点,在听题时要做好同意转换的准备。
2)特殊关键词
在常用关键词中,有两种关键词特别值得注意,他们分别是:
形容词的比较级和最高级:这类关键词的特点在于辨析度高,特有语法结构(-er, -est, more, most)使得他们在同意转换之后,还是非常容易辨认。
例5:Cambridge 5 Test 1 Section 4 Question 32
However, women are more prepared to …… about them.
读题:划名词women,划比较级more prepared
录音:A women, having fewer pretensions, is far more willing to learn.
解析:名词women完全匹配;形容词比较级more prepared转换为more willing, 由于有more的存在,使得转换容易辨认,匹配难度降低。
量词结构:量词在语法上类似于形容词,但篇幅比形容词更长;由于篇幅长的信息在听力中相对更容易捕捉,所以为了保持难度,题目中所有紧邻填空前的量词在录音中都会进行转换,因此:填空前量词必转换。
例6:Cambridge 5 Test 1 Section 4 Question 40
When investing in stocks and shares, it is suggested that women should put a high proportion of their savings in ……
读题:划名词stocks and shares,划填空前量词a high proportion of
录音:Many women are unwilling to in
Nvest in stocks and shares… It is usually suggested that at least 70% of a person’s saving should be in low-risk investment.
解析:名词stocks and shares完全匹配,帮助定位;
量词a high proportion of转换为篇幅更短的70%, 经过同意转换得到答案:low-risk investment.
3)关键词使用特殊情况
由以上可知,有助于匹配的关键词多处于填空之前,这也是考试的常见情况。但在少数情况下,关键词会处于填空之后,填空之前缺少或者没有关键词:
例7:Cambridge 5 Test 2 Section 4 Question 33
International teams work together.
…… is integrated with technical support.
读题:有助于匹配的关键词全部处于填空之后:integrated, technical support
对于这种情况,一方面可以利用短期记忆,在匹配到integrate和technical support之后再回顾答案。另一方面可以利用前面一行的内容,提前定位录音,做好匹配准备。
再读题:划前行的international, together, 划匹配关键词technical support和integrate.
同时,要加强对录音的预判,使听力更加主动。
录音:Research… has involved scientists from many countries, who work together on research station. Here science and technical support have been integrated…
解析:”scientists from many countries, who work together”是前行的内容,帮助提前定位;随后加强主动性,听到science即预判可能为答案;在听到”technical support have been integrated”之后,确认science为正确答案。
试分析
例8:Cambridge 4 Test 1 Section 4 Question 39
Trees have a small effect on traffic noise
…… frequency noise passes through trees.
小结:
填空题听题基本步骤:Match-Find(匹配-捕获)
匹配的支点在于各种关键词的划取;捕获的前提是要做好关键词的同意转换,但在填空前缺少关键词的情况下要加强对答案的预判。
预测:
在匹配的同时,为了使听力更加主动,可以进行Prediction(预测)。
预测是利用生活常识,学科常识,语法常识,和更重要的-对各场景的熟悉,对答案进行事先判断,它主要分为两种形式:
精确预测,预测到具体答案或者答案类型;
范围预测,预测到答案大致范围或者答案词性范围。
1) 精确预测
可以预测到具体答案,或者至少是答案类型。
例9:Cambridge 5 Test 4 Section 1 Question 1, 2, 9 & 10
预测:根据题目内容结合Section 1中Renting场景常考信息(包括:地址,房租,日期,联系方式,时间,设施,租房者英语水平。。。),预测四题的答案类型分别为地址,联系时间,房租价格和入住日期,在听题时可以更有针对性。
例10:Cambridge 4 Test 3 Section 1 Question 8, 9 & 10
预测:根据题目内容结合Renting中考到payment经常涉及的项目(包括:应付款项,付款方式,付款期限),预测Question 8答案范围为rent, deposit & bill三选一;Question 9 weekly, monthly, quarterly & annually四选一;Question 10 electricity, water, gas & telephone四选一,在听题时缩小答案范围。
例11:Cambridge 6 Test 4 Section 3 Question 25
Current issues of periodicals are available at both libraries, although …… issues are only available at Fordham.
预测:根据图书馆场景中Journal/Periodical的常见类型(current issue and back issue),结合题目中已经提到current issue两个图书馆都有,则仅在F图书馆才有的期刊类型应该为back issue, 预测答案为back, 在听题时进行检测。
录音:Student: You haven’t mentioned periodicals. Are they held at both sites?
Librarian: Current issues, yes but if you wan to look at back issues you’ll need to use the CD-ROM databases which are held here at Fordham.
小结:
精确预测,非常依赖于听者对场景内容的熟悉,所以说场景是预测的基础;另外适用精确预测的题目对关键词的依赖并不大。
但是这种类型的题目在考试中出现频率不高,主要集中于Section 1,在其他部分只是偶尔出现;而更为常见的是需要与关键词结合使用的第二种类型:范围预测。
2) 范围预测
可以预测到答案大致范围或词性范围,由于预测范围不可能缩的很小,所以要与关键词配合使用。
例12:Cambridge 5 Test 1 Section 2 Question 15
Choice Cots, Good points: Easy to ……
读题:划名词Choice Cots, 形容词easy-准备好同意转换
预测:根据语法结构,预测词性为动词
录音:The next cot was by Choice Cots and this time our testers were pleased to find a cot which is simple to put together, unlike others we looked at.
解析:Choice Cots完全匹配,用以定位;easy to转换为simple to, 再针对性的去找一verb., 得到答案为动词短语put together.
例13:Cambridge 4 Test 1 Section 2 Question 11
Riverside Village was a good place to start an industry because it had water, raw materials and fuels such as …… and ……
读题:划名词Riverside Village, water, raw materials, fuels-都是不易转换的
预测:根据题目内容,预测答案为燃料种类
录音:Good afternoon everybody and welcome to Riverside Industrial Village…. The water and the availability of raw materials in the area, like minerals and iron ore, and also the abundance of local fuels, like coal and firewood, all made this site suitable for industry from a very early time.
解析:通过完全匹配的名词Riverside Village, water, raw materials & fuels来逐步定位,有针对性的听取答案为两种燃料:coal & firewood.
例14:Cambridge 5 Test 2 Section 3 Question 25 & 26
Operating video camera.
Working with other people:
--learning about
……
--compromising
--……people who have different views
读题:划名词video camera, 划动词working together, compromising
预测:本题属并列结构,雅思的并列结构中答案与题目形式趋同,因此预测25 & 26为动名词-v+ing。
录音:Firstly, learned how to use a camera. And also I think I really learned a lot
about working together with other people. I’ve never done anything with a group before, and we had to find ways of cooperating and compromising, and sometimes persuading people.
解析:通过完全匹配的关键词camera & working together逐步定位,随后针对性的听取动名词cooperating & persuading.
例15:Cambridge 5 Test 2 Section 4 Question 38
Measuring changes in the ice-cap (because of effects on sea levels and ……)
读题:划名词ice-cap & sea levels
预测:本题属对称结构,and前后不但词性相同往往内容形式也相同,因此预测答案很可能为环境方面的一个复数名词
录音:Within this general field, surveying changes in the volume and stability of the ice-cap is vital, these may have profound effects on world sea levels and ocean currents.
解析:通过完全匹配的ice-cap & sea levels来逐步定位,随后听取环境词汇ocean currents.
小结:
调整听力步骤为:Match-Find with Prediction (匹配-依据预测的捕获)