常见听力解题技巧
一、短对话(Short Conversations)
短对话的测试形式是每组对话(一般是在一男一女之间进行的)一问一答。问题一般由先讲话的人提出。题目均以问句形式出现,其中多数是特殊疑问句。
1.短对话的问题所涉及的内容大致归纳如下。
(1)问“是什么、要什么、讨论什么、什么种类”等,如:
What is the man's answer?
What does the woman want for lunch?
What are they talking about?
What kind of books does the man want to borrow?
(2)问“做什么”,如:
What does the woman tell the man to do first?
What are the speakers doing now?
What will happen if John fails the exam?
(3)问“什么含义”,如:
What does the man mean / imply?
What does the woman's answer suggest?
(4)问“从对话中能获得什么信息或结论”,如:
What can we learn from the conversation?
What can be concluded from this conversation?
(5)问“对某人或某事有什么看法”,如:
What does the man think of Miss Brown?
What does the woman think of the plan?
(6)问“对话可能是在什么场所发生的”,如:
Where does this conversation most probably take place?
Where does this conversation most likely occur?
Where are the man and woman?
(7)问“钟点、星期或日期”,如:
When did the game finally start?
When will he be paid?
When will the winter vacation begin?
(8)问“做某事的方式、方法或使用的交通工具”,如:
How did the teacher usually begin his class?
How does the man usually go to work?
(9)问“对某事的感受如何”,如:
How does the man feel about the movie?
How do you like the film?
(10)问“多少”,属于涉及数字的题,可能有以下几种形式。
How many persons...?
How many dozens of ... does ... want?
How much does...?
How old is...?
How long does it take ... to...?
2.短对话若按对话内容分类,则可分为以下几种类型。
(1)时间类 包括直接型和计算型。
例W: Your library books are due on December 13th. If you have not finished using them by then, you may renew them once.
M: Thank you very much. I only need them for a few days.
Q: When must the man return his books to the library?
(2)数字类 包括直接型和计算型。
例W: Do you live in a college dormitory?
M: Yes, I do. It's a six-man suite, but at the moment only four of us live there.
Q: How many people share the suite now?
(3)地点类 包括直接型和含蓄型。
例M: I need to cash this check?
W: Will you step right over to the teller's window, please?
Q: Where is the conversation most probably taking place?
(4)否定类 此类对话既可以含有not, no, neither, nor等否定词,也有but, although等转折词,或由would rather, too...to...结构及虚拟语气等表达。因此,对于后者要特别加以注意。
例M: Ann, do you have any extra money you could loan me?
W: I wish I could help you. I went shopping yesterday. Now I have only two dollars till the end of the week.
Q: Will the man borrow any money from the woman?
(5)人物类 包括人物关系或身份。
例M: Good evening, Madam. There is a table for two over there. This way, please.
W: Thank you. Could I see the menu, please?
Q: What's the relationship between the man and woman?
A.Husband and wife.
B.Waiter and customer.
C.Salesman and customer.
D.Host and guest.
(6)活动类 这一类谈话内容可涉及上课、娱乐、工作、日常生活等各种情况。这类对话中往往先后出现几种情况,要注意听问句是什么,然后再进行选择。
例W: Are you going to New York next weekend?
M: Yes, I'm going to look up Bill while I'm there.
Q: What's the man going to do?
二、长对话(Long Conversations)
长对话是高级别英语听力测试中常见的题型。长一些的长对话设计为17句,即8个短对话的长度,短一些的长对话为12句,既6个短对话的长度。其实,可以把它认为是短对话和听力短文的结合。因为长对话在考试中的表现就是听力短文式的问题设置用短对话的形式进行表现。
听长对话的时候,首先,位置感很重要。一般而言,对话时,开头的客套以及问候与结尾的道别结束语很少出题,而对话中段往往才是重点。其次,边听边看,尽量在听的时候确定哪个选项能够最大程度的吻合,这是做短文听力的宗旨,同样适用于长对话。最后,长对话的源头一般是托福听力,所以,我们可以大胆预测诸如校园、找工作、租房、图书馆等等高频场景将再度和考生见面。
(1)预测能力
预测能力是考生在听取录音之前所具有的获取信息的能力。考生可通过对某些关键词、重要短语、相关问题和选项的分析来提前预测听力材料中的大致内容。
A.分析选项,预测答案
选项是信息材料的重要体现,因而它是考生重要的信息来源。考生通过对选项的解析思考,可以将注意力集中到某一点上。
在对选项进行解析思考时,考生应对短选项一目了然,抓住重点。例如:
A.At one o'clock.
B.At two o'clock.
C.At three o'clock.
D.At four o'clock.
当你看到这4个选项时,你脑海中马上就会有时间的概念。试题可能会问What time,所以在听录音时,你就应注意有关时间的陈述。以下为该题的对话。
M: Hi Wanda. Where are you rushing to?
W: I'm heading for a meeting of the ski club. It starts at three o'clock.
对话中,你会清晰地听到“at three o'clock,”最后当你听到“What time does the meeting begin?”时,你就会毫不犹豫地选C。
对长选项的解析比对短选项的解析难度大。因为长选项句子长、信息多,需要考生在几秒钟内略读一遍,所以要求考生具有快速阅读能力、快速反应能力、短期记忆能力和处理信息能力。为了既省时,又准确,做到有的放矢,应注意纵观选项,划出相异词语,预测目标选项,听音时有所侧重。例如:
A.We told him not to go to Australia and he took our advice.
B.We asked him not to go to Australia, but he didn't listen to us.
C.We tried to persuade him to go to Australia, but he said he didn't want to.
D.We said that he could do well in Australia, but he was not convinced.
当考生遇到这4个选项时,乍一看句子很长,但不同点却只有几个词。若竖看,考生会发现前3句开头有相似之处We told/ asked /persuade him (not) to go to Australia。看完这4个选项之后,考生便会想象出问题可能会是“我们是(否)劝他去澳大利亚,他是否听从了。”因此,当我们听到“We tried to persuade him not to go to Australia, but in vain.”时,我们就会毫不犹豫地选B。
B.综合分析,抓关键词
当出现几个或多个选项信息时,考生应纵观所有选项,推断出其中的关键词,连词成一线。这样考生既有总体印象,又能预测出所问问题的范围。例如:
A.There is no variation in climate in the United States.
B.The climate varies a little in the United States.
C.The climate varies a lot in the United States.
D.The climate is very pleasant all the year round.
在听音之前浏览一遍所有选项,稍加分析,考生便不难发现选项中的几个信息词no variation, a little, a lot, very pleasant。考生不妨将这些信息画出或做标记,在听音时加以注意,这样便很容易听出。
(2)辨听信息的能力
辨听信息是一项监听技能,同样是解析分析之钥匙。掌握它,考生便可接匙开锁,问题便可迎刃而解。在听音过程中,通过对具体信息的识别,以点带面,理解全篇。例如:
A.Jason met his former college teacher unexpectedly in Chicago.
B.Jason missed his former college teacher in Chicago.
C.Jason planned a meeting in Chicago with his former college teacher.
D.Jason went back to his college in Chicago.
4个选项中的具体不同信息为met, missed, planned a meeting, went back to。考生在听时须留意辨别。当考生听到“Jason ran across his former college teacher during a business trip to Chicago.”时,“ran across”正好与选项A中的“met...unexpectedly”相吻合,就会毫不犹豫地选A。
(3)要点选择的能力
要点选择在听力理解中是一项非常重要的技能。考生可以通过对要点的选择来达到预期理解和选择的目的,尤其是通过对一些重要话语如标识语和非标识语的理解。
A.标识语
标识语以一个词、一个短语、一个句子甚至一个标点的形式出现在听力材料中,以引起考生注意。这些标识语如下。
firstly...
secondly...
thirdly...
the first thing I'm going to talk about is...
the next thing...
the most important thing I want to make clear is...
the last thing I want to...
B.非标识语
非标识语在听力材料中无明显的语言标识,它是讲话人利用声调高低、语速快慢的变化手段来提醒考生。例如:
W: Help me with this stack of books, will you?
M: “Help”, you! Do you think I work, here?
由以上对话可以看出,讲话人重读了“help you!”,同时后边用力问道“Do you think I work here?”这样讲话人便提示了考生“我是不会帮助你的”。
三、短文(Passages)
听力短文是传统题目,样题中问题的套路和过去一致。历史上所有文体无外乎两种:故事和说明文。说明文包含了简单说明文、科技说明文和人物传记。这部分通常有3篇听力材料。其中较短的约150词,较长的约220词。材料本身难度不算太大,关键在于能否听懂大意、抓住要点、记住主要情节。短文后面的问题大都是特殊疑问句。问题多问关于短文的主题、有关讲话人的情况、事实与细节、事情的因与果等,有时要求根据短文的内容做出其他推论。
短文听力不同于句子听力,它超出句子和简单对话层次界限。因为短文篇幅长,信息量大,要求听者知识面宽,基本功扎实,不仅需要掌握中心大意,而且需要掌握事实数据。因此该部分为听力测试中难度最大的部分。
有些考生在测试中,由于缺乏基本听力技能和知识面,听音后往往抓不住中心,只知支离破碎的几个词和几句话,可谓只见树木,而不见森林。这样考生对篇章的印象也只是断断续续、模模糊糊。那么,如何预测信息、获取信息,成功应试呢?这就需要掌握以下短文听力技能。
(1)预测信息
在听短文时,可利用读“Direction”的时间,快速扫视短文问题的选择项,然后分析预测短文的主旨是什么,会提出什么样的问题,提出什么样的观点和看法。同时,利用关键词、主体句、结论句、标识词等去预测听的内容是关于哪方面的。在听的过程中,利用已获信息不断调整预测,不断思考联想,以掌握短文主旨,观点和看法。例如:
A.International Business Machines Corporation.
B.International Business Machine.
C.Iron Beam Machining Company.
D.Iron Boat Machine Corporation.
从选项中,听者会猜出材料谈的是有关“机械公司”方面的事。因为4个选项中,均出现machine一词。3个选项中,均出现“公司”一词,即选项A中的Corporation,选项C中的Company 以及选项D中的Corporation。
当你听到“Which of the following is the full name of IBM?”
你 会 立 刻 想 到IBM中,I表 示International,B表 示Business,M表 示Machines。乍看,选项B似乎合适,但IBM是一公司的名称,应将Corporation一词加上,所以全称应为International Business Machines Corporation。
又如,下面的5个问题。
1.A.A compact car.
B.A wrist watch.
C.A walkman.
D.A small television.
2.A.Eight years ago.
B.In the spring of 1982.
C.At the end of 1982.
D.In 1983.
3.A.Sinclair
B.Casio.
C.Hattori.
D.Sony.
4.A.People who show great interest in novelty items.
B.People who work at railway or bus stations.
C.People who travel on trains and buses regularly.
D.People who have monotonous work.
5.A.It's getting smaller every year.
B.It's increasing rapidly.
C.It's expanding only in Japan.
D.It started in the 70's.
我们可以预测到的信息是,本篇文章为标准产品推荐文,题1的4个选项为名词,均为物品词,也就是文章讨论的中心。题2为时间,一定是与物品有关的时间,如产品发明时间等。题3为专有名词,估计是文中讨论的重点产品的名称。题4主要是顾客群。题5为产品发展状态。
(2)获取信息
获取信息的过程是由预测信息到分析推断,直至了解掌握信息的过程。在获取信息的过程中,除了利用语篇知识外,还可充分利用标识连接词来调节听音节奏,把握句与句、段与段之间的关系,掌握讲话者的思路、观点和倾向,以便有效地获取事实、数据等重要信息。
标识连接词有以下几类。
时间标识词:first, second, next, after, afterwards, etc.
条件标识词:if, if so, unless, otherwise, in that case, in the circumstances, etc.
例举标识词:like, such as, for example, take...for example, etc.
转折标识词:but, however, otherwise, although, on the contrary, etc.
附加标识词:and, also, likewise, in addition to, etc.
因果标识词:because, so, since, as a result, etc.
对照标识词:while, whereas, however, by contrast, on the other hand, etc.
结果标识词:thus, therefore, accordingly, in short, in a word, in conclusion, etc.