对副词的测试主要是副词词义辨析,以及副词与动词或形容词的搭配使用两个方面。例如:
例1.Mary became______homesick and critical of the United States, so she fled from her home in west Bloomfield to her hometown in Austria.
A) increasingly B) completely
C) absolutely D) sincerely (2001.6.68)
答案为A)。本题测试副词意义辨析。四个副词是相互没有多大关系的词,意义分别为:A)increasingly越来越,日益;B)completely完全地;C)absolutely绝对地;D)sincerely真诚地。根据句意A)是正确答案。句意为:玛丽越来越思乡,越来越对美国挑剔,所以她从她在西布鲁姆菲尔德的家飞到澳大利亚的故乡。
例2.When he finally emerged from the cave after thirty days,John was______pale.
A)enormously B) startlingly
C)uniquely D) dramatically (1997.6.66)
答案为B)。本题是副词辨义,四个副词词形没有相似之处,意义差别也很大,要选一个适合句意并能修饰形容词pale的副词。四个副词的意义分别是:A) enormously巨大地,庞大地;B) startlingly令人吃惊地;C) uniquely独一无二地;D) dramatically戏剧性地,显著地。根据句意B)为正确答案。句意为:三十天后,当约翰从洞穴中出来时,他的脸色苍白得令人吃惊。
例3.She remains confident and_______untroubled by our present problems.
A) indefinitelyB) infinitely
C) optimisticallyD) seemingly(2000.6.46)
答案为C)。本题四个副词中A)和B)是形似副词,本题一方面测试对副词意义辨析,另一方面测试考生排除语义搭配干扰的能力。四个副词的意义分别是:A) indefinitely不确定地,不明确地;B) infinitely无限地,无穷地;C) optimistically乐观地;D) seemingly表面上地。正确答案为C) optimistically,但要排除D) seemingly的干扰,因为seemingly 也可与untroubled搭配,决定本题答案的关键是前面的remains confident,这样,选D)与之并列就不妥了。句意为:她仍然充满信心,保持乐观,而不为目前的困难所烦恼。
例4.While admitting that this forecast was______uncertain,the scientists warned against treating it as a cry of wolf.
A) anyhow B) somehow
C) somewhat D) anyway (1996.1.49)
答案为C)。选项中的四个副词或有some或有any,而且在意义上或多或少有相似之处。A) anyhow意为"无论如何";B) somehow 意为"不知如何";C) somewhat意为"有些,一点";D) anyway 意为"无论如何,总之",根据题意应选C)。句意为:虽然科学家们承认这次预报有点不太确定,但他们警告说,不要认为这是无中生有。