一、考查比较等级的基本用法
1. Of the two sisters, Betty is _________ one, and she is also the one who loves to be quiet. (安徽卷)
A. a younger B. a youngest C. the younger D. the youngest
【解析】答案选C。根据句中的of the two sisters可知,此题涉及的是两者比较,故用比较级;另外,由于是特指两者中的一个,故其前用定冠词,不用不定冠词。
2. 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
【解析】答案选B。因是两者比较,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。
3. Speaking of all the songs he has written, I think this is probably his _________ one. (全国卷II)
A. better-known B. well-known C. best-known D. most-known
【解析】答案选C。因为是从他所写的所有歌中选出一首来比较,故用最高级。
二、在语境中考查比较等级的用法
1. I don’t think this film is by far the most boring. I have seen _________. (江西卷)
A. better B. worse C. the best D. the worst
【解析】答案选B。既然前文说“这不是最最烦人的电影”,那么下文说的肯定就“还有更糟的”,故用worse。有意思的是,2006年的这道江西卷的考题与下面这道2004年的湖南卷极为相似:
That doesn’t sound very frightening. Paul, I’ve seen _________. What did you like most about the film# (湖南卷)
A. better B. worse C. best D. worst
由前句“这听起来并不十分令人恐惧”可知,说话人曾见过比这个更令人恐惧的事,所以用比较级worse。
2. The new group of students is better-behaved than the other group who stayed here _________. (北京卷)
A. early B. earlier C. earliest D. the earliest
【解析】答案选B。做此题的关键词是new,即把“新来的学生”与“早些时候呆在这儿的学生”进行比较。全句意为:新来的这群学生比早些时候呆在这儿的那些学生表现得更好些。
3. There is an old proverb, “Love me, love my dog. ” But there is _________ wisdom in this: “Love me, love my book.” (湖南卷)
A. some B. much C. more D. most
【解析】答案选C。由于是将“Love me, love my dog”与“Love me, love my book”进行比较,故用比较级。此题的巧妙之处在于句中没有出现than,而是给出两个待比较的proverb。
4. With April 18’s railway speedup, highway and air transport will have to compete with _________ service for passengers. (江苏卷)
A. good B. betterC. best D. the best
【解析】答案选B。句子大意为:由于铁路提速了,所以公路和航空业要提高服务质量来竞争客源。因将“公路和航空”与“铁路”比较,故用比较级。
三、考查“否定词 a 比较级”结构
1. Your story is perfect. I’ve never heard _________ before. (全国卷III)
A. the better one B. the best one C. a better one D. a good one
【解析】答案选C。“否定词(尤其是never) a 比较级”的意思是“从来没有……一个更……的”,这类结构通常可视为在其后省略了一个than…短语,做题时要注意根据具体的语境作出正确的理解,如:I have never read a better article. 我从未读过(比这篇文章)更好的文章(=这是我所读过的最好的文章)。I have never seen a worse film. 我从没看过(比这部电影)更糟的电影(=这是我所看过的最糟的电影)。本题中的I’ve never heard a better one before的意思是“我从未听到过(比你这个事故)更好听的事故”。
2. —Did you enjoy yourself at the party#
—Yes. I’ve never been to _________ one before. (四川卷)
A. a more excited B. the most excited C. a more exciting D. the most exciting
【解析】答案选C。I’ve never been to a more exciting one before实为I’ve never been to a more exciting one before than this one. 其意为“我从未参加过比这个晚会更令人兴奋的晚会”,即“这是我参加过最令人兴奋的晚会”。又如:I’ve never had a worse morning than today. 我哪一天早上也不像今天早上这样倒霉。若意思明确,有时可省略than结构:He is fine, never better. 他很好,比以往任何时候都好。
注意:有时根据不同语法结构的需要,也可能没有不定冠词。如:
No news could be more delightful to me. 这消息最令我高兴。
I have never drunk better beer. 我从来没喝过这么好的啤酒。
四、考查比较等级的修饰语
After two years’ research, we now have a _________ better understanding of the disease. (全国卷II)
A. very B. far C. fairlyD. quite
【解析】答案选B。这四个副词中,通常只有far可用于修饰比较级。注:quite有时也可用于修饰比较级better,但它只用于表示“身体康复”,不用于其他意义。
五、考查相似比较级结构的区别
—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 thanD. not more than
【解析】答案选B。比较:less than意为“少于”;more than意为“多于,超过”;no more than意为“只有,只是”;not more than意为“不多于,至多”。做好此题的关键是注意句中的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。
六、考查近义比较的区别
This washing machine is environmentally friendly because it uses _________ water and electricity than _________ models. (北京卷)
A. less; older B. less; elder C. fewer; older D. fewer; elder
【解析】答案选A。less为little的比较级,主要用于修饰不可数名词,fewer为few的比较,主要用于修饰可数名词,据此可排除C和D,因为fewer不能用于修饰water;older与elder的区别之一是前者既可用于修饰人,也可用于修饰事物,而后者只用于修饰人,不用于修饰事物,故只能选A。
七、考查as…as结构的用法及修饰语的位置
1. It is reported that the United States uses _________ energy as the whole of Europe. (广西卷)
A. as twice B. twice muchC. twice much as D. twice as much
【解析】答案选D。由energy后的as可知,此题是考查as…as…结构。根据英语语法习惯,修饰as…as…结构的副词只能置于as…as…结构之前,不能置于其中。又如:She went out with a man twice as old as her. 她和一个年龄比她大一倍的男子来往。It cost three times as much as I had expected. 它花的钱比我预期的多两倍。
2. He speaks English indeed, but of course not _________a native speaker. (上海卷)
A. as fluent as B. more fluent thanC. so fluently as D. much fluently than
【解析】答案选C。因为修饰动词speaks要用副词,排除A和B;又因为than只能用于比较级后而不能位于原级后,排除D。句意是:他的英语讲得的确不错,不过,当然不如英语本族人讲得流利。