作者：籍万杰
纵观近年来的高考试题,可以发现高考对名词的考查主要侧重于以下几个方面:
一、 考查名词的单复数形式
英语中名词分为不可数名词和可数名词两大类。
1. 不可数名词包括抽象名词、物质名词和专有名词,一般没有复数形式,不能直接被数词修饰。下面这些名词是部分常见的不可数名词: advice, air, information, fun, music, furniture, luggage, behavior, bread, butter, equipment, dust, housework, honesty, news, paper, knowledge, sugar, progress, traffic, weather, work等。不可数名词前通常不用不定冠词,作主语时,谓语动词通常用单数形式。
[原题再现]
-I/'d like________information about the management of your hotel, please.
-Well, you could have________word with the manager. He might be helpful.
A. some; a B. an; someC. some; some D. an; a
information是不可数名词,其前不可用an,have a word with sb.(与某人说句话)是一固定搭配。答案为A。
2. 有些不可数名词加上复数词尾后,词义发生了变化:
paper(纸)-papers(报纸;文件);work(工作)-works(工厂;作品;工事);green(绿色)-greens(青菜);等等。
[原题再现]
He gained his________by printing________of famous writers.
A. wealth; work B. wealths; works C. wealths; work D. wealth; works
wealth意为/"财富/",是不可数名词,没有复数形式;work在本句中意思是/"作品/",应使用复数形式。答案为D。
3. 有些名词只有复数形式。如:
goods(货物), glasses(眼镜), compasses(圆规), regards(问候), clothes(衣服), trousers(裤子), contents(目录),等等。
[原题再现]
I need________cloth, for I/'m going to make________clothes.
A. a lot of; many B. much; much
C. many; many D. many; a lot
cloth意为/"布/",是不可数名词,其前不能用many或数词修饰;而clothes是复数名词,不能用much修饰,应使用many。答案为A。
4. 抽象名词和物质名词具体化。有一些抽象名词在一定情况下,特别是有限制性定语修饰时,意义常常被具体化,变为可数名词。
[原题再现]
Many people agree that________knowledge of English is a must in________international trade today.
A. a; / B. the; an C. the; the D. /; the
a knowledge表示/"对......懂;对......有某种程度的了解/";international trade泛指/"国际贸易/",前面不用冠词。答案为A。
二、考查名词作定语
名词可以用作定语修饰后面的名词,表示类别、处所、材料、时间、功能、用途等,名词作定语时通常要用单数形式。如:
a shoe shop(鞋店), street lamps(路灯), a book case(书柜),等等。
注意:1) man和woman作定语时,它所用的数必须与后面的名词保持一致。如:
three men drivers(三个男司机),five women nurses(五个女护士),等等。
2) 名词本身就是复数形式时,仍用复数形式作定语。如:arms control(武器控制), sports meeting(运动会), clothes shop(服装店), a goods train(货车),等等。
[原题再现]
The________is just around the corner and you won/'t miss it.
A. bicycle/'s shop B. bicycle shop C. bicycles shop D. bicycles/' shop
答案为B。
三、考查名词词义辨析和习惯用法
近年来的高考试题语境化程度越来越高,经常考查名词词义在具体语境中的细微差异;同时,地道的英语惯用法的掌握情况也是命题者测试的热点。
[原题再现]
①-I/'m sorry I stepped outside for a smoke. I was very tired.
-There is no________for this while you are on duty.
A. reason B. excuse C. cause D. explanation
本题考查名词的辨析,首先要搞清四个名词的意义和用法。excuse/"理由/",/"借口/"; reason/"原因/"; cause/"事件起因/"; explanation /"解释/"。根据题意/"你在值班的时候是没有理由出去的/",应选B。
②I keep medicines on the top shelf, out of the children/'s________.
A. reach B. hand C. hold D. place
本题考查惯用语, out of one/'s reach或out of the reach of sb.意思是/"某人够不着/"。答案为A。