阅读理解突破之词义猜测题
高考命题取向
正确理解文中单词或短语的含义是理解文章的第一步，也是理解文章的基础，不懂单词含义根本就谈
不上理解文章。但英语单词、短语的含义并非完全等同于词典中所标注的汉语意思，其含义随不同语境会
有所不同。能根据上下文理解灵活变化的词义，才算是真正初步具备了一定的阅读理解能力。在高考阅读
理解中，词义猜测题通常有以下三种情况：推测划线单词或短语的含义；推测划线代词指代含义；推测划
线句子的含义。
近3年全国高考细节理解题题量统计
卷名 年份 2020 2021 2022
新高考I卷 2 1 1
全国卷I（乙卷） 1 1 1
全国卷** 错误的表达式 1 1 2
**（甲卷）
全国卷** 错误的表达式 1 1 2
**
技巧点拨
对于推测划线单词或短语的含义，可以依据定义、同位语、文章中的例子、对比关系或比较关系、构
词法、并列结构、因果关系等来解题；
对于推测代词含义，可以从宏观上充分把握代词指代内容涉及段落的整体含义，并从微观入手抓住关
键词或关键句，弄清逻辑关系（因果关系，转折关系，补充说明，对比关系等）来解题；
关于推测划线句含义，采用三步法—一定位，返回原文，定位划线句子，理清句子结构；二分析，分
析划线句子前后语境，根据关键信息和逻辑关系（因果关系，转折关系，补充说明，对比关系等）合理推
断句意；三比较，比较选项，找出与推断出的句义相似的选项。
高考典题例析
推测划线单词或短语的含义
例1 (2022·全国甲卷)
As Ginni Bazlinton reached Antarctica, she found herself greeted by a group of little Gentoo penguins(企
鹅)longing to say hello.These gentle, lovely gatekeepers welcomed her and kick-started what was to be a trip Ginni
would never forget.
Ever since her childhood, Ginni, now 71, has had a deep love for travel.Throughout her career(职业)as a
professional dancer, she toured in the UK, but always longed to explore further. When she retired from dancing and
her sons eventually flew the nest, she decided it was time to take the plunge.
After taking a degree at Chichester University in Related Arts, Ginni began to travel the world, eventually
getting work teaching English in Japan and Chile.And it was in Chile she discovered she could get last-minute
cheap deals on ships going to Antarctica from the islands off Tierra del Fuego, the southernmost tip of the South
American mainland.“I just decided I wanted to go,” she says.“I had no idea about what I'd find there and I wasn't
nervous, I just wanted to do it.And I wanted to do it alone as I always prefer it that way.”
In March 2008, Ginni boarded a ship with 48 passengers she'd never met before, to begin the journey towards
Antarctica.“From seeing the wildlife to witnessing sunrises, the whole experience was amazing.Antarctica left an
impression on me that no other place has,” Ginni says.“I remember the first time I saw a humpback whale; it just
rose out of the water like some prehistoric creature and I thought it was smiling at us.You could still hear the
operatic sounds it was making underwater.”
The realization that this is a precious land, to be respected by humans, was one of the biggest things that hit
home to Ginni.28.Which of the following best explains “take the plunge” underlined in paragraph 2?
A.Try challenging things.
B.Take a degree.
C.Bring back lost memories.
D.Stick to a promise.
28.【解析】选A。词义猜测题。根据第二段“Throughout her career as a professional dancer,she toured in the
UK,but always longed to explore further.When she retired from dancing and her sons eventually flew the nest,she
decided it was time to take the plunge.”可知,在她的舞蹈演员职业生涯中,她曾在英国巡演,但一直渴望进一步
探索。在她不再跳舞且她的儿子们最终成家立业后,她决定是时候冒险了。据此可以判断,take the plunge意
为“尝试具有挑战性的事情”。故选A。
例2 (2022·全国乙卷)
Can a small group of drones(无人机) guarantee the safety and reliability of railways and, at the same time,
help railway operators save billions of euros each year? That is the very likely future of applying today's “eyes in
the sky” technology to making sure that the millions of kilometres of rail tracks and infrastructure( 基础设
施)worldwide are safe for trains on a 24/7 basis.
Drones are already being used to examine high-tension electrical lines. They could do precisely the same thing
to inspect railway lines and other vital aspects of rail infrastructure such as the correct position of railway tracks
and switching points. The more regularly they can be inspected, the more railway safety, reliability and on-time
performance will be improved. Costs would be cut and operations would be more efficient(高效)across the board.
That includes huge savings in maintenance costs and better protection of railway personnel safety. It is
calculated that European railways alone spend approximately 20 billion euros a year on maintenance, including
sending maintenance staff, often at night, to inspect and repair the rail infrastructure. That can be dangerous work
that could be avoided with drones assisting the crews' efforts.
By using the latest technologies, drones could also start providing higher-value services for railways, detecting
faults in the rail or switches, before they can cause any safety problems. To perform these tasks, drones for rail
don't need to be flying overhead. Engineers are now working on a new concept: the rail drones of the future. They
will be moving on the track ahead of the train, and programmed to run autonomously. Very small drones with
advanced sensors and AI and travelling ahead of the train could guide it like a co-pilot.With their ability to see
ahead, they could signal any problem, so that fast-moving trains would be able to react in time.
29.What does “maintenance” underlined in paragraph 3 refer to?
A.Personnel safety. B.Assistance from drones.
C.Inspection and repair. D.Construction of infrastructure.
29.【解析】选C。 词义猜测题。根据后文“It is calculated that European railways alone spend approximately
20 billion euros a year on maintenance, including sending maintenance staff, often at night, to inspect and repair the
rail infrastructure. (据统计,仅欧洲铁路公司每年在铁路维护上的花费就约为200亿欧元,其中包括经常在夜间
派遣维修人员检查和维修铁路基础设施。)”可知,花在“maintenance”上的费用是用于“inspect and repair the
rail infrastructure (检查和维修铁路基础设施)”的,由此可知“That includes huge savings in maintenance costs
and better protection of railway personnel safety.”是指大幅节省检修成本和更好地保护铁路人员的安全,画线词
和 C项:Inspection and repair(检修)含义相近。故选C。
推测代词含义
例3 (2022·新高考Ⅱ卷)
Over the last seven years, most states have banned texting by drivers, and public service campaigns have tried a
wide range of methods to persuade people to put down their phones when they are behind the wheel.
Yet the problem, by just about any measure, appears to be getting worse.Americans are still texting whiledriving, as well as using social networks and taking photos.Road accidents, which had fallen for years, are now
rising sharply.
That is partly because people are driving more, but Mark Rosekind, the chief of the National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration, said distracted(分心)driving was “only increasing, unfortunately.”
“Big change requires big ideas.” he said in a speech last month, referring broadly to the need to improve road
safety.So to try to change a distinctly modern behavior, lawmakers and public health experts are reaching back to an
old approach: They want to treat distracted driving like drunk driving.
An idea from lawmakers in New York is to give police officers a new device called the Textalyzer.It would
work like this: An officer arriving at the scene of a crash could ask for the phones of the drivers and use the
Textalyzer to check in the operating system for recent activity.The technology could determine whether a driver had
just texted, emailed or done anything else that is not allowed under New York's hands-free driving laws.
“We need something on the books that can change people's behavior,” said Félix W.Ortiz, who pushed for the
state's 2001 ban on hand-held devices by drivers.If the Textalyzer bill becomes law, he said,“people are going to be
more afraid to put their hands on the cell phone.”
10.What does the underlined word “something” in the last paragraph refer to?
A.Advice. B.Data. C.Tests.D.Laws.
10.【解析】选D。代词指代题。画线词所在的句子的意思是“我们需要一些能改变人们行为的有案可查的
东西。”由此可知,something指能够改变人们的行为的有案可查的东西。根据下文的 If the Textalyzer bill
becomes law, he said, “people are going to be more afraid to put their hands on the cell phone.”可知, something
指代的是法律。故选D。
例4 推测划线句含义
(2022·新高考Ⅱ卷)
We journalists live in a new age of storytelling, with many new multimedia tools.Many young people don't even
realize it's new.For them, it's just normal.
This hit home for me as I was sitting with my 2-year-old grandson on a sofa over the Spring Festival holiday.I
had brought a children's book to read.It had simple words and colorful pictures — a perfect match for his age.
Picture this: my grandson sitting on my lap as I hold the book in front so he can see the pictures.As I read, he
reaches out and pokes (戳) the page with his finger.
What's up with that? He just likes the pictures, I thought.Then I turned the page and continued.He poked the
page even harder.I nearly dropped the book.I was confused: Is there something wrong with this kid?
Then I realized what was happening.He was actually a stranger to books.His father frequently amused the boy
with a tablet computer which was loaded with colorful pictures that come alive when you poke them.He thought
my storybook was like that.
Sorry, kid.This book is not part of your high-tech world.It's an outdated, lifeless thing.An antique, like your
grandfather.Well, I may be old, but I'm not hopelessly challenged, digitally speaking.I edit video and produce
audio.I use mobile payment.I've even built websites.
There's one notable gap in my new-media experience, however: I've spent little time in front of a camera, since
I have a face made for radio.But that didn't stop China Daily from asking me last week to share a personal story
for a video project about the integration of Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei province.
Anyway, grandpa is now an internet star — two minutes of fame! I promise not to let it go to my head.But I
will make sure my 2-year-old grandson sees it on his tablet.
4.What do the underlined words “hit home for me” mean in paragraph 2?
A.Provided shelter for me.
B.Became very clear to me.C.Took the pressure off me.
D.Worked quite well on me.
4.【解析】选B。词语猜测题。第一段提到:作者是记者,生活在一个讲故事的新时代,有许多新的多媒体工具。
许多年轻人甚至没有意识到它是新的。对他们来说,这很正常。含有画线词语的句子承接上文,表示“而在
春节假期,我和两岁的孙子坐在沙发上,尤其清楚地认识到了这一点”。故画线词语意思是“我很清楚”。
故选B。
模拟演练
A
潮南区2022-2023学年度第二学期期初高三摸底考试
He passed away many years ago. Father of the year (年度最佳父亲), my dad was not. That said, in some
ways, he was a better parent than many dads are today.
He loved to attend my hockey (曲棍球) games. He tied my skates for years when I was young. But he didn’t
go to a single one of the hundreds of soccer games I played as a kid. I didn’t care. All I wanted from my parents
was a ride to the game. I was there to see my friends, not perform for Mom and Dad.
That’s why I don’t understand helicopter parents, the ones who suffer from great guilt and shame if they
can’t make every single piano practice or football game. Your kids probably don’t care. Let them go and have some
fun. All that matters is that you drop them off and pick them up on time. Consistency is king.
Of course, when kids are really young, they want to spend time with you. And they want you, the parent, to
be focused on spending time with them, not checking your phone. “Wherever you are, be there,” said the great
Jim Rohn.
My dad never had a cell phone. He never used the Internet. I don’t even think he ever touched a computer.
But even if he did have a phone, I can’t imagine him checking when we would play catch in the backyard.
He was present. Every day in the summer, right after lunch, we’d play catch. He’d teach me how to throw a
curve ball (曲线球). Sometimes he’d pitch to me, and when he’d hit me with a fastball, he’d say, “That’ll toughen
you up.” We’d play until we lost all of the balls in the garden, not until he was distracted by a cellphone. Jim Rohn
would have approved of his presence, although perhaps not his attitude about fastballs.
1. What do the underlined words “helicopter parents” in paragraph 3 refer to?
A. The parents who can fly helicopters.
B. The parents who pick up their kids on time.
C. The parents who enjoy participating in sports.
D. The parents who focus too much on their kids.
B
（2023辽宁朝阳高三期末）
You don’t need to be an expert to recognize luna moths (蚕蛾). They have hairy white bodies, red legs and
huge green wings that stretch up to 4.5 inches across. And at the end of their wings are a pair of long tails that
have attracted scientists for centuries.
Some of them theorized that it was possible that female moths judged the health and quality of a male by
the size of his tails. But it turned out that female moths were not choosy at all. They just mate with the first males
they could find. Others believed that the tails could increase luna moths’ size to make them harder for the bats-
the main enemy of luna moths—to handle. But the theory proved wrong in 1903 when a scientist named
Archibald Weeks put bats against a bigger species of moths that lacked tails. He found that the bats killed 66% of
their targets. Luna moths, despite being smaller, were harder to catch. “Clearly, their tails provided an anti-bat
advantage,” Weeks observed. “I think they were used to direct bats away from the moths’ body.”
He was roughly right. More than a century later, Jesse Barber from Boise State University put luna moths
against bats in a dark room and filmed the hunting. Under normal circumstances, the bats only managed to catch
35% of the luna moths. But if Barber cut off their tails beforehand, the bats caught 81% of them. That was not
because the moths became worse fliers—in fact, cutting the troublesome tails seemed to have improved their
flying abilities.
Barber explained that bats were not visual hunters. They found their food with a special sound. To be
protected from bats, luna moths needed something that made confusing sounds. That was what the luna moths’
tails did: As they flew, they waved behind them and produced sounds that were similar to their wing beats. Tobats, they either sounded like a huge part of their target, or like an entirely different target. As a result, they
aimed about half their attacks at the tails.
2. What does the underlined word “they” in the last paragraph refer to?
A. Bats. B. Wings. C. Luna moths. D. Tail beats.
C
(江苏省镇江市2022-2023学年度第一学期高三期中试卷) “Unlike memory functions that tend to decrease
with age, expert knowledge often continues to accumulate as we get older. This makes it an area of strength in older
adults that we may be able to control and use to mitigate age-related memory decline and improve quality of life
for this group,” says Dr. Erik Wing, a postdoctoral fellow at Baycrest’s Rotman Research Institute.
3.What does the underlined word “mitigate” mean in Paragraph 4?
A. Confirm. B. Delay. C. Preserve. D. Follow.
D
(山东中学联盟2023届高三百校大联考) Although the performance decreases over time as the paper dries
out, it can be topped up to some extent with more water. The researchers say they want to improve the efficiency
of the battery in the future, and get it working for longer.
4.What does the underlined phrase “topped up” in paragraph 4 mean?
A. Declined B. Maintained C. Increased D. Changed
E
(南通市如皋市2022-2023学年度高三年级第一学期期初调研) Never can I forget the glory of her face
when she talks about how truly beautiful this world is. If I search back my love for the environment and geography,
I find her to be the source of my love for preserving nature. If one day I became an environmentalist, I know that
I’ll thank her for it. Apart from this, she has always greeted me with open arms and she calls her students “my
children”. Mrs. Monaf’s morals and values rubbed off on me deeply and I have always taken account of her
advice. She has been one of the most consistently good things in my life.
5.What does the underlined word “rubbed off on” in paragraph 3 mean?
A. Scratched off. B. Took on. C. Crossed off. D. Impacted on.
F
云南玉溪市2023届高三毕业生第一次教学质量检测
When students from Lithgow visited wetlands near their primary school, they quickly picked up on a
problem: there was nowhere for turtles.
“A bunch of students said there are no logs or rocks here, so where are they going to bask (晒太阳)?” says
Associate Professor Ricky Spencer from Western Sydney University. The question was raised as part of a project in
which year 5 and 6 students were attempting to understand their local environment and what it needed to thrive
(兴旺). The students had just learned that in spring, turtles have to bask on a rock or log to create eggs.
The students are now conducting research and developing a proposal to present to their local council for the
introduction of new basking areas, such as logs or human-made platforms. “That is pretty powerful, for year 5 and
year 6 students to actually know how to make change,” Spencer says. “We want kids to understand why
conservation measures are important.”
Led by Western Sydney University, the Turtles in Schools program aims to encourage an informed future
generation that will take care of the environment. It is currently in a trial phase, with select New South Wales
schools hosting turtles in classrooms and visiting nearby wetlands. By 2023, up to 10 turtle tanks will be installed
(安装) in schools. By 2024, the program will be available to all year 5 and 6 classrooms across Australia.
By guiding experiments on topics such as growth rates and behavioural observations, and introducing schools
to activities in their local wetlands, Spencer says this program could encourage students to actually carry their
education forward to their day-to-day life.
Presbyterian Ladies’ College has been investing in facilities including a turtle pond for six years. They will be
available for nearby schools involved in the Turtles in Schools program. “We want to connect students to the real
world, to develop values to look after the environment. Our students become familiar with understanding our
relationship to the natural world. We are connected to it. We rely upon it. It isn’t something dispensable,” theprincipal, Dr Paul Bergis, says.
6. What does the underlined word “dispensable” in the last paragraph probably mean?
A. Unnecessary. B. Impossible.
C. Mysterious. D. Powerful.
G
(海安市2023届高三期中学业质量监测试卷) “People think their hand is wider than it actually is,” said
Longo. He said they also seemed to think their fingers were shorter than their true lengths. People were most
accurate when finding their thumbs, but became less accurate with each finger, up to their pinkies (小手指)。
“It is connected to our sense of position,” explained Longo. Humans know where different parts of our bodies
are, even if we can’t see them. “It tells us whether a joint is straight or not,” said Longo. “We also need to know the
distances between our joints,“ he went on. Our brains know the sizes and shapes of our bodies from the maps they
make for themselves. “This experiment tried to find those maps,” he said.
7. What does the underlined word “It” in Paragraph 4 refer to?
A. The size of the hand. B. The misbelief people had.
C. The map the brain makes. D. The position of each body part.
H
(南京市2023届高三年级学情调研) Watching your kids learn new skills is extraordinarily rewarding, but
I’ve experienced more personal growth than I have at any other point in my life.
Last year, after a winter of practicing skiing on the green tracks for beginners each week, Alicia was french-
frying her way down blues and even attempted her first black. That month also witnessed me visiting the mountain
more times than in the 15 years combined and I’ve got myself a partner for life.
8. What does the father imply by saying “I’ve got myself a partner for life.”?
A. It is rewarding to learn new skills. B. Skiing has become his lifelong hobby.
C. He will explore more with his daughter. D. His daughter will accompany him forever.
I
(海安市 2023 届高三期初学业质量监测试卷) In the villages of the English countryside, there are still
people who remember the good old days when no one bothered to lock their doors. There simply wasn’t any crime
to worry about.
Amazingly, these happy times appear still to be with us in the world’s biggest community. A new study by Dan
Farmer, a gifted programmer, using an automated investigative program of his own called SATAN, shows that the
owners of well over half of all World Wide Web sites have set up home without fitting locks to their doors .
9. What does the underlined sentence in paragraph 2 mean?
A. Many Internet sites are not well protected. B. Those happy times appear still to be with us.
C. There simply wasn’t any crime to worry about. D. Hackers don’t actually break into an Internet site.
J
(山东省菏泽市2023届高三二模考试) Marissa Sumathipala, a student at Broad Run High School outside of
Washington, D.C, was practicing with her recreational figure-skating team when she crashed with another skater.
Her head hit against the ice heavily. Everything went black.
Up to that point, Sumathipala’s entire life had centred around her sport—her daily schedule, exercise routine,
even her diet. She had hopes of making the 2018 Olympic team. The fall on the ice would change everything,
including her direction.
Sumathipala had a brain injury and it ended her skating career. Symptoms lasted for years. Her memory felt
unclear at times. She’d find herself dizzy, sick, or exhausted. Sumathipala consulted doctors, so many that she “lost
count.” But no one had answers.Sumathipala began to realize that there was so much unknown about the brain. She set out to find the answers
herself, a path that would eventually bring her to Harvard University, where she’d concentrate in the human brain.
Throughout her four years, Surmathipala homed in on brain science. She worked with the McCarroll Lab at
Harvard Medical School, helping develop a new method for sequencing synapses (神经突序列) in the brain, which
are crucial for memory and learning. Even as an undergraduate, her colleagues were so struck by how mature her
thinking already was about science that she quickly became a trusted and valued member of the lab.
Also, Sumathipala competed with the Harvard Figure Skating Club all four years. She helped increase its
membership and introduced new skaters to the sport she still loves. “I spent a long time struggling with my
identity,” she said. “Growing up I was just a skater and then, when I got injured, I had to rebuild my identity. Then I
was a scientist. Now, I identify as being both a skater and a scientist.”
Reflecting on her years at Harvard, Sumathipala said one of the things she’s most grateful for is seeing how
things have come full circle for her.
10.What does the underlined phrase “homed in on” in paragraph 4 probably mean?
A. focused on B. returned to C. attended to D. stayed at
K
(山东省 2022-2023 学年高三十月百校联考) In a world where many of us give all our attention to
smartphones, Dulcie Cowling is different. She has got rid of hers. This 36-year-old woman decided, late last year,
to give up her smartphone to improve her mental health. At Christmas, she told her family and friends that she was
going to change her smartphone for an old cell phone, with which she could only make and receive calls and text
messages.
She remembers that one of the crucial moments that led her to make such a decision was a day in the park with
her 2 children, aged 6 and 3. “I was in the park with the children, staring at the mobile phone. When I looked up, all
of the parents — up to 20 — were looking at their phones, continually swiping across the screen,” she says. “I
wonder when this happened to us. We are missing real life!”
Roughly, 9 out of 10 people in the UK own smartphones. And people are addicted to them. A recent study
found that the average person spends 4.8 hours a day on their phones. However, for a small but growing number of
people, enough is enough. In other words, they shouldn’t spend more time on the phones.
Alex Dunedin threw his smartphone in the rubbish bag 2 years ago. “Culturally, we have become addicted to
these tools,” says this educational researcher and technology expert. “They are weakening cognition (认知) and
impeding productivity.” Dunedin says another reason behind his decision was environmental concerns. “We are
wasting large amounts of energy and producing large amounts of CO emissions.”
2
He has been happier and more productive since he stopped using his smartphone. He has not replaced it with
an old cell phone and does not even have a landline. He can only be contacted through emails that arrive on his
home computer. Another researcher, Burke says it will be helpful if more people keep an eye on how much time
they spend on their smartphones. “Beginning to realize exactly how much time they waste each day on their phones
can be a powerful wake-up call and catalyst (引发变化的因素) for change.” He also recommends staring by
turning off your phone or leaving it at home for a short time.
11. What do the words “enough is enough” in paragraph 3 probably mean?
A. No more will be tolerated. B. Enough is as good as a feast.
C. A slice is better than no bread. D. He who is content asks for no more.
L
I am a boy who likes reading and I read all kinds of books. When I do this, I have ended up with two speeds—
fast and slow depending on how worthwhile I find the book. I like to analyze and ponder over the words and
contents of the books, which can sharpen my mind.When I read the book Intrinsic Motivation(《内在动机》), I ask myself, “What kind of book is it?” Well, first
of all, I have to say Dan Pink writes well, which is probably not surprising as he is a speechwriter for an American
leader. The text is neither academically difficult nor overly casual. It states information clearly without effort. The
subject matter of the book is motivation, and it starts with a discussion of how external motivation is less effective
for modern knowledge work, where wide intelligent decision-making and innovation are essential.
The book shows that the tricky nature of how we are truly motivated is uncovered with plenty of examples
and descriptions of sound research. For example, it is shown how payment can signal that a task is undesirable
and so reduce intrinsic motivation. The heart of the book is the analysis of intrinsic motivation, in particular
through the three key elements of autonomy, mastery and purpose. The rest of the book then takes an applied
position, showing how these principles can be applied in the workplace. The book ends up with a comprehensive
summary, covering the contents from several different angles and providing an easy future reference.
This is the sort of book I like most. Unsurprisingly, perhaps, I took quite a long time to read and re-read this
excellent book. It covers the subject of motivation strongly and well. and is now one of my definitive references in
a rather large library.
12.What does the underlined phrase “ponder over” in paragraph I mean?
A. Think about. B. Speak out. C. Cut down. D. Take over.
