来自：查字典高考网 2014-12-25
iBTReadingQuestion:Vocablulary-SimilarChoices
Fromthemailbag:
AninstructorinUzbekistansentusthefollowingquery:
IteachTOEFLiBT,andIneedyourrecommendationsonacingthevocabularyquestionsinthereadingsection.Theprobleminthistypeofquestionsisthemeaningsofthewordsthatareveryclosetoeachother.Whatcanyourecommend,whatdoweneedtopayattentionto?
Letslookatanexample:
Theseedsofthecounterculturehadbeengerminatingsincetheearly1960howeverbyendofthedecade,thecontroversiesoverVietnam,segregation,womensrights,andtherighttovotehadgivenweighttotheirvisionandcompelledmanytobecomemoreactivistintheirpolitics.
Inthissentence,weightcanbestbereplacedwith:
a)gravity
b)levity
c)credence
d)faith
Inthisexample,gravityseemssimilartoweight.Credenceresemblesfaith.Sohowtochoose?
Generally,thebestthingtodoistothrowoutanyknownwronganswers.Thateliminateslevity,whichmeanshumororgaiety.Clearly,thesentenceisnotabouthumor.
Thatstillleavesuswiththreepossibilities;credence,faith,andgravity.Itisherethatthingsgettricky.
Considerbothliteralandfigurativemeanings.Considercommonturnsofphraseusingthechoices,ifyouknowany.Considerwhereinthedifferencemayliewhenwordsappearsimilarinmeaning.Thetrickwillusuallylieinthes-v-oconstruct.
Letslookatcredencevs.faith.Faithmaybethemorefamiliar;afaithinGod,afaithfulservant.Credencemeansbelievability(astherootcredsuggests).Apersonhasfaithinsomethingorsomeone,whileacommonturnofphraseislendscredencetotheargument...
Soanargumentcanhavecredence,butapersonhasfaith.Sincethecontroversieshadgivenweighttoavision,wecaneliminatefaith;visioncannothavefaith.
Sothatleavescredenceandgravity.Cansomethingbegivencredence?Yes,anidea,concept,orvisioncouldbegivencredence.Gravityseemstoalsofit;itlookslikeasubstituteforheavy,anditmeans,figuratively,greatimportance,whichseemstoalsofit.Butalsoconsidertheliteralmeaning.Isgravitysomethingthatisgiven?Ordoesitalwaysexist?Somethingcanhavegravity,butitshardtoconceiveofitbeinggiven.
Givenachoicelikethat,gowiththeeasierfit.Credencecanreplaceweightwithoutthesentencebeingchangedinanyway.Gravityisawkward;itisntgivenandthesentencewouldneedtochangeforittofit.Inotherwords;gravityisatrickanswer.TheanswerisC;credence.
Thefigurativevs.literalandcommonphrasetechniqueonlyworkssomeofthetime;othertimes,youllhavetodelvedeeperintotherootwordsorcontextualhints.Butthisisastart;moreinafutureinstallment.
POSTEDBYTOEFLMONKEYAT7:21AMLINKSTOTHISPOST
LABELS:IBTREADINGQUESTION:VOCABULARY
SATURDAY,OCTOBER27,2007
【托福阅读技巧(04)】相关文章：
[标签：海外留学,语言考试,托福,,]
高考前必听的5首励志歌曲，《Dream it possible》最能鼓舞人心！
高考阅卷名师给考生的高考作文密训课 第4集 高考作文审题实操方法精讲（二）
美术联考用纸上海考试模拟试卷纸高考统考纸 4k水粉纸素描纸 速写纸卡纸美术模拟测试试卷纸 美术考试专用纸
高考体育四项生的日常训练——深蹲移动跳：发展膝关节，踝关节力量。
衍声高考琴行2019高本硕学生暑假音乐会 张俊瀚《陕北民歌主题变奏曲》《阿根廷舞曲》第三乐章
