思維定勢(shì)類錯(cuò)誤
所謂思維定勢(shì),指的就是人們的一種思維傾向,它是人們?cè)陂L(zhǎng)期的思維過(guò)程中所形成的一種思維條件反射。
英語(yǔ)學(xué)習(xí)中的思維定勢(shì),對(duì)于英語(yǔ)學(xué)習(xí)者有利也有弊。其利在于:它可以幫助學(xué)習(xí)者利用以前所學(xué)知識(shí)迅速聯(lián)系所接觸的語(yǔ)言現(xiàn)象,從而解決具體的語(yǔ)言實(shí)際問(wèn)題;其弊在于,有時(shí)它會(huì)誤導(dǎo)學(xué)習(xí)者對(duì)于一些比較特殊的句子或語(yǔ)言現(xiàn)象,想當(dāng)然地套用已形成的思維定勢(shì),從而得出錯(cuò)誤的結(jié)論。
事實(shí)說(shuō)明,各級(jí)各類考試的命題者常常利用考生思維定勢(shì)這一特點(diǎn), 有意編擬一些比較特殊的句子或結(jié)構(gòu)來(lái)測(cè)試考生對(duì)某一知識(shí)點(diǎn)的靈活處理技巧和深層理解能力。比如:
同學(xué)們都知道,像can, may, must, could, might, should等情態(tài)動(dòng)詞,其后要接動(dòng)詞原形(即不帶to的不定式),但是請(qǐng)看以下試題,這些情態(tài)動(dòng)詞是要用動(dòng)詞原形嗎?
◇He ran as fast as he could _________ the bus.
A. catch B. to catchC. catching D. caught
【分析】此題答案選A嗎?錯(cuò)了,不是的。正確答案為 B。你知道為什么嗎?
◇He ran as fast as he could _________to catch the bus.
A. hopeB. to hope C. hopingD. hoped
【分析】此題答案選A還是B?你若選A,錯(cuò)了;于是你就選B,也錯(cuò)了。此題最佳答案是C。你覺(jué)得奇怪嗎?為什么前一句的 He ran as fast as he could 后接帶 to 不定式 to catch,而后一句的 Heran as fast as he could 后要接現(xiàn)在分詞 hoping 呢?
你想弄懂以上問(wèn)題嗎?你還想做做類似的一些陷阱題嗎?請(qǐng)往下看。
1. Mr Smith is _________ a good teacher _________ we all respect.
A. such, thatB. such, as C. so, thatD. so, as
【分析】此題容易誤選A,一方面是因?yàn)?such … that … 是同學(xué)們很熟悉的一個(gè)句式,一看就可能選中了;另一方面,將 such … that … 的意思“如此……以致……”代入句中,也完全通順,即“史密斯先生是一位如此優(yōu)秀的教師,以致我們大家都尊敬他”。從表面上看,以上分析很有道理,但其實(shí)錯(cuò)了。因?yàn)樵趕uch … that … (如此……以致……)結(jié)構(gòu)中,that 引導(dǎo)的是結(jié)果狀語(yǔ)從句,并且 that 在從句中不充當(dāng)句子成分,若在上句填入 such … that …,句末的 respect 顯然缺少賓語(yǔ)(注意:respect 是及物動(dòng)詞)。正確的答案應(yīng)是B,as 用作關(guān)系代詞,用以引導(dǎo)定語(yǔ)從句,修飾其前的名詞 teacher,同時(shí) as 在定語(yǔ)從句中用作動(dòng)詞 respect 的賓語(yǔ),句意為“史密斯先生是我們大家都尊敬的一位好老師”。有的同學(xué)們可能還會(huì)問(wèn),能否選A答案,而將其后的 that 視為引導(dǎo)定語(yǔ)從句的關(guān)系代詞呢?(事實(shí)上 that 經(jīng)常用于引導(dǎo)定語(yǔ)從句!) 不能。因?yàn)楫?dāng)先行詞受到 such 的修飾時(shí),其后的定語(yǔ)從句應(yīng)用關(guān)系代詞 as 來(lái)引導(dǎo),而不用that。
順便說(shuō)一句,假若在原句的 respect 后加上 him 一詞,則應(yīng)選A,即He is such a goodteacherthat we all respect him (他是如此好的一位老師,我們大家都尊敬他)。
2. She can’t help _________ the house because she’s busy making a cake.
A. to clean B. cleaning C. cleanedD. being cleaned
【分析】此題容易誤選B,簡(jiǎn)單地套用 can’t help doing sth 這一結(jié)構(gòu)。其實(shí)此題應(yīng)選A,注意以下兩個(gè)結(jié)構(gòu)均可用,只是含義不同:can’t help doing sth=禁不住做某事,情不自禁地做某事; can’thelp to do sth=不能幫助做某事。前者為引申用法,一般辭書(shū)均作為固定搭配列出來(lái),許多老師對(duì)此也比較強(qiáng)調(diào),從而也就引起了同學(xué)們的足夠重視,并因此形成了思維定勢(shì);而后者為 help 表示“幫助”時(shí)的本義用法,因同學(xué)們平時(shí)對(duì)此沒(méi)引起注意,一看到上面的試題就馬上聯(lián)想到 can’thelp doing sth 這一結(jié)構(gòu),從而誤選了B。請(qǐng)看下面一例:
While shopping, people sometimes can’t help _________ into buying something they don’t reallyneed.
A. to persuade B. persuadingC. being persuadedD. be persuaded
【分析】此題應(yīng)選C(注意根據(jù)句意要用被動(dòng)形式)。
4. He made up his mind to devote his life _________ pollution _________ happily.
A. to prevent, to live B. to prevent, from living
C. to preventing, to live D. to preventing, from living
【分析】此題容易誤選B,認(rèn)為第一空應(yīng)填 to prevent(即認(rèn)為其中的 to 為不定式符號(hào)),第二空應(yīng)填 from living,因?yàn)?prevent … from doing sth 是一個(gè)常用句型。其實(shí)錯(cuò)了,正確的答案是C。第一空涉及的結(jié)構(gòu)是 devote … to …(把……奉獻(xiàn)給……),其中的 to 是介詞,而不是不定式符號(hào);第二空從表面上看涉及的是prevent…from… 結(jié)構(gòu),但其實(shí)不是。因?yàn)樵?prevent sb/sth from doing sth (阻止某人/某事做某事)這一句型中,prevent 后的賓語(yǔ)(sb/sth)應(yīng)與其后動(dòng)名詞有邏輯上的主謂關(guān)系,如:We can’t prevent him from leaving. (我們無(wú)法阻止他離開(kāi)),此句中“他”與“離開(kāi)”有邏輯上的主謂關(guān)系(即“他離開(kāi)”)。而上面誤句中的“污染”與“生活愉快”沒(méi)有邏輯上的主謂關(guān)系,所以不適宜用 prevent…from …結(jié)構(gòu)。選項(xiàng)C中的不定式 to live happily 在句中用作目的狀語(yǔ)。
5. Is there a shop around _________ we can buy some toilet articles?
A. that B. which C. whereD. what
【分析】此題很容易誤選 B,認(rèn)為 around 是介詞,選 which 用以代替前面的名詞 shop,在此用作介詞 around 的賓語(yǔ)。此分析語(yǔ)法上并不算錯(cuò),但問(wèn)題是,照此分析,此句的意思即為:有沒(méi)有這樣一個(gè)商店,在它的附近我們可以買(mǎi)到梳妝用品(你喜歡在商店的附近而不在商店里面買(mǎi)東西嗎)?其實(shí)此題的最佳選項(xiàng)應(yīng)是 C,其中的 around 是副詞(意為“在附近”),而不是介詞,其后 where 引導(dǎo)的定語(yǔ)從句修飾其前的地點(diǎn)名詞 shop,句意為:附近有沒(méi)有我們可以買(mǎi)到梳妝用品的商店?
6. The purpose of new technologies is to make life easier, _________ it more difficult.
A. not makeB. not to make C. not making D. do not make
許多學(xué)生一看到題干中的逗號(hào),便斷定此題應(yīng)選C,屬現(xiàn)在分詞表結(jié)果的用法。其實(shí)此題應(yīng)選B,句中的逗號(hào)相當(dāng)于連詞 and 或 but,not to make it more difficult 是對(duì)逗號(hào)前的不定式 to make lifeeasier 的補(bǔ)充說(shuō)明。全句句意為“新技術(shù)的目的是為了使生活變得更容易,不是使生活變得更困難”。兩個(gè)不定式雖在句中用作表語(yǔ),但它們是用以說(shuō)明句子主語(yǔ) purpose 的內(nèi)容的。請(qǐng)看類例:
(1) The purpose of the scheme is not to help the employers but ____B____ work for youngpeople.
A. provide B. to provide C. providingD. provided
(2) The purpose of the scheme ____A____ the employers but to provide work for young people.
A. is not to helpB. does not helpC. is not help D. is not helping
7. After _________ seemed like hours he came out with a bitter smile.
A. whichB. it C. whatD. that
【分析】此題應(yīng)選 C,其余三項(xiàng)都很容易誤選。誤選 A,認(rèn)為介詞后應(yīng)接關(guān)系代詞 which (注意沒(méi)有先行詞);B 或 D 也不能選擇,因?yàn)榻樵~后可接 what 引導(dǎo)的賓語(yǔ)從句,但通常不能跟 that 引導(dǎo)的賓語(yǔ)從句或沒(méi)有引導(dǎo)詞的從句。另一方面,引導(dǎo)名詞性從句的 that 也不能充當(dāng)句子成分(句中的 seemed 缺主語(yǔ))。
8. The judge paid no attention to _________ he had just lost his wife.
A. that B. which C. whatD. the fact that
【分析】此題容易誤選 A 或 B:選A,認(rèn)為 to 后應(yīng)接一個(gè) that 引導(dǎo)的賓語(yǔ)從句;選B,認(rèn)為其后是一個(gè)定語(yǔ)從句,介詞后應(yīng)用關(guān)系代詞 which。其實(shí)此題應(yīng)選 D。注意不能選A的原因是,在通常情況下,介詞后不能直接跟 that 從句(極個(gè)別介詞如except, but 等除外),遇此情況,應(yīng)在 that 從句前加上 the fact(此時(shí) the fact 用作介詞賓語(yǔ),其后 that 從句用作 the fact 的同位語(yǔ))。又如:
We all knew nothing about _________ he was a thief.
A. thatB. which C. whatD. the fact that (選D)
9. “When _________ get married?” “When _________ get married hasn’t been made public.”
A. they will, will they B. will they, they will
C. they will, they will D. will they, will they
【分析】此題容易誤選 D,認(rèn)為 when 后應(yīng)用疑問(wèn)句詞序。其實(shí)此題應(yīng)選 B,第二個(gè) when 是用以引導(dǎo)主語(yǔ)從句的連接副詞,其后要用陳述句詞序。
10. That day Mr Smith got up late, so he ran as fast as he could _________ the early bus.
A. catch B. to catchC. catchingD. caught
【分析】此題容易誤選A,認(rèn)為情態(tài)動(dòng)詞后只能接動(dòng)詞原形。但是,錯(cuò)了,正確的答案是B。其實(shí)情態(tài)動(dòng)詞 could 后本來(lái)有動(dòng)詞原形 run,只是被省略了,即此句的完整形式應(yīng)是 …so he ran as fastas he could run to catch the early bus,其中的不定式 to catch the early bus 為目的狀語(yǔ)。又如:
(1) My parents did what they could _________ my aunt and uncle.
A. help B. to helpC. helping D. helped
(2) He read what he could _________ his knowledge.
A. widen B. to widen C. wideningD. widened
以上兩題均選B,即選不定式,且此不定式為目的狀語(yǔ)。但是,同學(xué)們?nèi)魮?jù)此形成思維定勢(shì),也會(huì)麻煩。為此,請(qǐng)?jiān)倏磧深}:
(1) He ran as fast as he could _________to catch the bus.
A. hopeB. to hope C. hopingD. hoped
【分析】此題的最佳答案不是B,而是C,其中的現(xiàn)在分詞短語(yǔ) hoping to catch the bus 用作伴隨狀語(yǔ),即一邊跑一邊在希望能趕上早班車。
(2) He spent every minute he could _________ foreign languages.
A. study B. to studyC. studying D. studied
【分析】此題也應(yīng)選C,但是,它與上題選現(xiàn)在分詞 hoping 表伴隨有所不同,此題的 studying 其實(shí)與其前的動(dòng)詞 spend 有關(guān),即此句中的 studying 為動(dòng)名詞,其前省略了介詞 in。注意spend 的句型:spend + 時(shí)間或金錢(qián) + (in) doing sth。