■考查形容词与副词的基本用法
形容词修饰名词,副词修饰动词、副词或句子等。这是有关形容词和副词的最基本的用法。如:
Work gets done _______ when people do it together, and the rewards are higher too. (浙江卷)
A. easily B. very easy C. more easily D. easier
答案为C。根据题意可知,说话者是将when people do it together和when people don’t do it together这两种情况比较,故选比较级。注意不要选D,因为在此题是要用副词修饰动词,不能用形容词。
■在语境中考查形容词与副词的选择
即在特定语境中考查有关形容词或副词的用法。做这类题时通常无需进行细微的用法辨析,而只需根据语境(句意)选出一个最恰当(使句意最通顺)的形容词或副词即可。如:
(1) Progress so far has been very good. _______, we are sure that the project will be completed on time. (浙江卷)
A. However B. Otherwise C. Therefore D. Besides
答案为C。因前后为因果关系,故用therefore。
(2) A new _______ bus service to Tianjin Airport started to operate two months ago. (天津卷)
A. normal B. usual C. regular D. common
答案为C。根据常识,公交车通常是往返于某一固定的线路,故选regular最合适。
(3) She devoted herself _______ to her research and it earned her a good reputation in her field. (湖北卷)
A. strongly B. extremely C. entirely D. freely
答案为C。比较:strongly意为“强烈地”,extremely意为“极端地”“非常地”,entirely意为“全部地”“完全地”,freely意为“自由地”。根据句意,只有C最适合。
■在语境中考查比较等级的用法
(1) Of the two coats, I’d choose the _______ one to spare some money for a book. (四川卷)
A. cheapest B. cheaper C. more expensive D. most expensive
答案为B。根据句中的of the two coats可知,这是在两者之间作比较,故用比较级,可将答案锁定在B和C之间;再根据句意,排除C。
(2) The melon the Smiths served at dinner would have tasted _______ if it had been put in the fridge for a little while. (江西卷)
A. good B. better C. best D. well
答案为B。题目中将“放入冰箱中冷冻”与“不放入冰箱中冷冻”作比较,故用比较级。句意为:史密斯家人晚餐时上的甜瓜若能放入冰箱中冷冻一下味道会更好些。
■考查比较等级的修饰语的用法
After two years’ research, we now have a _______ better understanding of the disease. (全国II)
A. very B. far C. fairly D. quite
答案为B。这四个副词中,通常只有far可用于修饰比较。注:quite有时也可用于修饰比较better,但它只用于表示“身体康复”,不用于其他意义。
■考查more than等习语的用法
其中包括more than, less than, not more than, no more than, not less than, no less than等。做题时要注意结合各习语的意思以及相关句子的语境进行综合考虑,
―Do you need any help, Lucy?
―Yes, The job is _______ I could do myself. (福建卷)
A. less than B. more than C. no more than D. not more than
答案为B。注意句中的Yes,由于答话者对问话者的“你需要帮助吗?”作了肯定回答,说明答话者独自完成工作有困难,故填more than。more than的本义是“多于”“超过”,The job is more than I could do myself的意思是“这工作我自己做不了”。
■考查“never+比较级”的用法
有时“never+比较级”的意思相当于一个最高级的意思。如:I’ve never had a better flight. 我从来没有过这么舒适的飞行。其意相当于:这是多最舒适的飞行。
Your story is perfect; I’ve never heard _______ before. (全国III)
A. the better one B. the best one C. a better one D. a good one
答案为C。I’ve never heard a better one before的意思是:我以前从未听过比这个故事更好的故事。言外之意就是:这是我听过的最好的故事。