 放大圖片
■同學在備考Paper 1 questions asking for contextual meaning題時，需讀通整個句子。 資料圖片
上期，筆者和大家討論過如何應自己的能力對Paper 2 writing制定一些考試策略。例如：若同學英文較弱，便不應用過分深奧的文字或句子表達自己的論點。因為一旦用錯了，會令到同學嚴重失分。但這方法對Paper 1 reading奪分並沒有甚麼作用；反之，同學應掌握一些基本的exam skills。今日，筆者將與各位討論如何處理Paper 1 questions asking for contextual meaning of words and phrases.
簡單來說，由於contextual meaning refers to all those questions that ask about the meaning of certain words/phrases，所以在考試時，問題可以open-ended或close-ended的形式表現；通常close-ended or multiple-choice形式的問題比較複雜。當你遇到這類close-ended questions時，應作以下的回應：
1.重讀整句。 解答問題時，我們需要重讀整句句子。如在例題中，我們應該重讀句子「They're great ... except eat.」而不是只看the concerned line 「parties, lazy afternoons or dreary family」。
例子（ This example is taken from 2012 DSE EnglishLanguage 1A）
Related paragraph
[11] If you like a game so much you want to take it home, the prices range from Bt500 to Bt3,000 (HK$130-720). They're great for parties, lazy afternoons or dreary family get-togethers where no one can think of what else to do except eat. It might also boost your strategic talents and your kids' maths scores.
Question
What is the meaning of "dreary"?
A.Fun B.Lazy
C.Happy D.Boring
(Answer: D)
2.閱讀所有選項，選擇最適合答案。
如果你在Step 2仍然未能選擇恰當的答案，嘗試留意sentence附近有沒有hints or clues，從上述例題可見，the clause「where no one can think of what else to do except eat」其實以define了何為「dreary」。
同學們，當你下次做contextual meaning questions時，記着follow以上的steps.■Dr. A. Chan
作者簡介：哲學博士，哲學碩士，文學士，英語講師。熟悉公開考試之出題模式與評分準則，任教英語。
逢星期五見報
Practice
1.Although China remains a magnet for foreign investment, China's rising labor costs, crowded marketplace and red tape have deterred some overseas investors.
Based on the above sentence, what is the meaning of "a magnet"?
A.An object that attracts iron and steel and pushes them away
B.An attraction
C.A repellant
2.English literacy in the China is expanding since people believe mastery of English is essential for jobs these days. Another factor sparking interest in English is booming outbound tourism. In addition, fluency is now seen as a sign of personal development and social status.
Based on the above paragraph, what is the meaning of the word "sparking"?
A.Suppressing
B.Reducing
C.Causing
Answers: 1.B 2.C
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