六级考试作文中的应用

同义词在英语四、六级考试作文中的应用

如果说英语词汇像浩瀚无际的大海，那么英语同义词则是这大海中一丛丛绚丽多彩、五光十色的浪花。

一、英语同义词的概念

“同义词”顾名思义应该是词义完全相同的词，但严格地说，那些“完全同义词”(absolute synonyms)，即在语义上毫无区别、可以在任何上下文中互换使用的词很少;而“部分同义词”(partial synonyms)，即基本意义相同或相似，但他们之间还有细微差别的词则大量存在。我们通常所说的同义词多指的是“部分同义词”。

二、英语同义词的两个作用

其一，用同义词来替换上文中出现过的词语可避免重复，让语言生动活泼、富于变化。请看下面的例句。

(1)You should repair that broken window. If you don't fix it soon，someone may get hurt.下划线的两个动词均表示“修理”。

(2)The recent data on energy production in the United States indicate that the production of nuclear energy is increasing. The information also indicates that the production of hydroelectric power is decreasing.下划线的两个名词均为“数据”。

(3)Many famous psychologists are trying to understand the problems modern people suffer from，but even these eminent scholars are confused about what causes them.下划线的两个形容词都可理解为“著名的”。

其二，同义词还能承上启下，使一个段落内部或段落之间衔接紧密、语义连贯。请看下列两个段落:

(1) TVGuide is the most popular magazine in the United States. Its weekly sale reaches 18，870，730 copies. Reader's Digestis second with a circulation of 18，193，255. National Geographic，a popular travel and nature magazine distributes 10，560，885 copies each month. Better Homes＆Gardens has a circulation of 8，057，386 copies. Women's Day is a popular woman's magazine selling 7，574，478 copies each month. Family Circle has amonthly sale of 7，366，482 copies.这个段落中的sale，circulation，distributes和selling四个单词都含有“销售量”或“卖出”之意。

(2) Over the last few decades，smoking in the United States has undergone a major transformation. In the1940s and 50s，smoking was very popular. The impression created in the movies and on television was that smoking was an elegant thing to do. In the 1970s，the US medical profession began to①realize the true cost of smoking to a person's health. By the early 1980，the①perception had become that smoking was ②dangerous. And by the mid-1980s，people①came to understand that smoking was ②hazardous not only to smokers themselves，but also to the people around them.这个段落共有两组同义词，编号为①的单词和短语都含有“意识到”之意;编号为②的两个形容词则警示人们吸烟“有害”健康。

在以上两个例子中，虽然每组同义词分布在段落中的不同位置，但都表示同一概念，这种相互呼应把整个自然段从意义上连接成一个整体，无法分割。

三、含有同义词的范文一篇

下面是一篇大学英语四/六级考试作文中常见的由三个段落组成的短文，其内容围绕着“失眠”这一话题展开。文中共有三组同义词，分别与①“失眠”，②“压力”，和③“导致”有关。

Insomnia

The triggers for①insomnia，or①loss of sleep，vary from person to person. To begin with，②pressure is linked to insomnia. For example，while managers think about how to increase profits，employees worry about whether they may be laid off some day. Unhealthy habits in life can be another reason. Before sleeping，some people drink too much coffee or tea; others tend to lie in bed，planning activities for the next day. Besides，①insomnia is sometimes attributed to physical illnesses such as aches and heart problems. Last but not least，those living very close to a busy street are often①kept awake by noises of passing motor vehicles. All the above-mentioned causes can definitely①leave a person sleepless.

Insomnia has multiple negative impacts on people in their everyday lives. The obvious effect is that a person who has①insufficient sleep may suffer from poor memory，become impatient，and get irritated easily. Worse still，study shows that ①lack of sleep always③goes hand in hand with obesity. But worst of all，a person，tortured by①sleeplessness，will be unable to perform tasks as well as usually expected. For a sleepy student，insomnia may③contribute to an F in an examination; for a sleepy civil servant，insomnia may③result in low work efficiency; and for a sleepy driver，insomnia may③bring about a traffic accident. Obviously，insomnia can③give rise to a number of serious problems in people's daily life.

Insomnia can be cured if people follow the guidelines below. First，to get rid of their severe mental②stress，they should consult a psychiatrist. Second，to get enough sleep，they can do certain things that are sleep-inducing(诱导的)．For instance，they can establish a good habit of going to bed and getting up regularly. Since exercise is a great sleep inducer，they can also get as much exercise as possible，preferably early in the day. Other effective methods include: having a glass of warm milk，taking a hot shower before bed，or counting sheep in their head. In brief，all roads lead to a restful(甜美的) sleep as long as they make an effort.

了解了同义词的两个作用后，考生在参加大学英语四/六级考试时，就可以有意识地在作文中用同义词来替换上文出现过的词语，这样做既丰富了表达和描述的多样化，又可使三个段落衔接紧密、浑然一体。其写作成绩也自然会“更上一层楼”。