3. 推断题
这种类型的填空题是最为常见的一种,它既考查要点细节上的内容,又测试考生的灵活推断能力。听到的内容不可以拿来就用,需要根据所听的内容和所记的笔记仔细斟酌推测,得出恰当的答案。当然只要符合原文,会有好几个答案入选。下面是历年考题中比较典型的推断题。

2003年讲座:
Features of the hierarchy of needs:
a) Social esteem and self-realization needs are exclusively (8) human need.
b) Needs are satisfi ed in a fi xed order from the bottom up.
c) (9) Motivation for needs comes from the lowest un-met level,
d) Different levels of needs may (10) when they come into play.
此题是典型的推断题。在讲座里只是提供一个现象,然后在填空题里让考生根据推测得出确切的词。讲座里说道:Needs at one level do not have to be completely satisfi ed before needs at the next higher level come into play.(在下一个高阶段的需求活动开始前,前一个阶段的需求并不需要完全被满足。)推测出来的言下之意就是两种需求可以同时存在。根据这一理解,答案就出来了,coexist(不同的需求可以同时并存)。

2004年讲座:
2. Skill to (4) listen for answers
1) don’t shift from subject to subject
— sticking to the same subject: signs of (5) in conversation
此题要求从细节内容上进行揣摩推测得出相应的答案。讲座里说道:If someone sticks to one topic, you can assume that he or she is really interested in it. 该句表明如果有人坚持说一个话题,你就可以认为他或她真的对此有兴趣。推测来看,应该是对谈话表示有兴趣。所以,答案可以有多种选择,如:interest / attention / concentration / attentiveness。

2008年讲座:
A. (3) Historical reasons
— the Pilgrim Fathers brought the language to America;
— British settlers brought the language to Australia;
— English was used as a means of control in (4)

讲座中说:“the imposition of English as the one language of administration helps maintain the colonizers’ control and power.” 英语作为一种行政语言帮助英国的殖民者巩固其在殖民地的控制和力量。题目是:English was used as a means of control in (4) 。从需要推断的内容来看,英语作为一种在(什么地方)控制的手段?应该是在英国的殖民地实施的控制。所以答案为British colonies。

2009年讲座:
II. Presentation of an experimental report
— Prouding details;
— regarding readers as (2)

讲座中说:This means that you will need to spell out all the details and assume little knowledge of the area on the part of your audience. 该句表明写实验报告时需要阐明所有的细节,并假设你的听众对此领域所知甚少。由此可以推断出答案与knowledge有关。而且,根据空格要求填写形容词,所以填入unknowledgeable。

2010年讲座出现多道推断题:
B. gesture
Gestures are related to culture.
1. British culture
— shrugging shoulders: (5)
— scratching head: puzzlement
2. other cultures
— placing hand upon heart: (6)
— pointing at nose: secret
这里的两个空格都不能从讲座原话直接得出,需要合理推断,讲座中提到:In British English, shrugging shoulders may indicate an attitude of I don’t care or I don’t know. 我们可以从I don’t care or I don’t know推断出耸肩要表达的态度就是无所谓或者不知道。填空题要求填入三个以内的单词,且空格下面一行中的puzzlement提示第五空格内应填入名词,因此我们就需联想到与don’t care 和don’t know相匹配的名词,即indifference和lack of knowledge。所以 (5) 空中可填入indifference或lack of knowledge。

此外,讲座中提到:In other cultures placing your hand upon your heart is to indicate that you are telling the truth,与上题一样,空格内需填入名词,讲真话是诚实的表现,因此,(6) 空内应填入的单词就是honesty(诚实)。

2011年讲座:
I. High-context culture
A. feature
— context: more important than the message
— meaning (1) (1)
i.e. more attention paid to (2) context than
to the message itself
讲座论述了文化分类问题。第一类为高语境文化;第二类为低语境文化。高语境文化的特征就在于信息的语境比信息本身更重要:A high-context culture is a culture in which the context of the message, or the action, or an event carries a large part of its meaning and significance. 因此答案必须包含语境这一概念,即:in (the) context/surroundings/environment。

2012年讲座:
B. Ways to select samples in research time sampling
— systematic: e.g. fi xed intervals every hour
— random: fi xed intervals but (3) (3)
Systematic sampling and random sampling are often used in combination.

讲座中提到随机取样就是指取样的行为在一天中可以随机分布,并不是定时取样:
However, in random sampling, these five twenty minute periods may be distributed randomly over the course of the day. That is to say, intervals between observation periods could vary. Some
longer, others shorter. 所以答案只要意为随机分布即可,如not equally distributed/distributed randomly/irregular等。

以上是一些历年考题中典型的推断题。这类题要求考生在做填空的时候,根据讲座里相对应的部分进行推测揣摩,再填入概括性的单词,恰如其分地重现讲座的原有旨意。