39_______ of the corpus. No corpus can ever cover the whole language and

so linguists often find themselves relying on the additional information that

can be gained from the 40________of those who speak the language

concerned.

Instructions中明确地使用了complete the summary,这可以有效地帮助考生进行题型识别。另外,由于是填空,所以instructions中也对字数进行了限制。关于字数限制的问题,下文会专门讲述。

2. 选词

“选词”则是从给定的一个List中挑选合适的答案用于填写,List中的候选词通常以一个文本框的形式出现,相对于“原词”的填词方式,“选词”多了一层转换,因为常常和文中的原始表达有同义替换,这一定程度上增加的了难度。如下例(剑2 Test 1):

Questions 10-13

The island will be partially protected from storms by … (10)… and also by …

(11) … Further settlement caused by … (12) … will be prevented by the use

of … (13) …

需要注意的是,“选词”这种方式还可以进一步分为两种,即填写单词或填写字母序号。前者是我们所熟悉的传统Summary选词填空方式,直观但稍费时。近年来不少Summary的选词填空最后是以候选项前面的字母序号的填写来完成的,剑桥系列较新的几本我们可以看到不少例子。如(剑6 Test 1):

Questions 23-26

Complete the summary using the list of words, A-K, below.

THE TRANSPORT REVOLUTION

Modern cargo-handling methods have had a significant effect on 23 ……… as

the business of moving freight around the world becomes increasingly

streamlined. …
需要在此指出的是,Summary的这一小变化看似无关紧要,实则颇具“杀伤力”。事实上,不少考生由于把答案放到最后来誊写,在精神高度紧张、时间匆忙之下很容易把单词填写到本来要求字母的空格里,从而造成无谓无谓失分。所以应当引起注意。