(1)说话者自身的身份或职业 根据谈话内容判断说话者一方的职业或身份: ① W: Good evening, Professor David. My name is Susan Gray. I m with the local newspaper. Do you mind if I ask you a few questions? M: Not at all. Go ahead, please. Q: What is Susan Gray? A. A writer. B. A teacher. C. A reporter. D. A student. 由local newspaper可以判断说话者是位记者,在采访。
② M: How about the food I ordered? I ve been waiting for 20 minutes already. W: I m very sorry, sir. I ll be back with your order in a minute. Q: Who is the man most probably speaking to? A. A shop assistant. B. A telephone operator. C. A waitress. D. A clerk. 与order有关的自然是waitress,答案为A。
(2)说话双方之间的关系 该题型是上一题型的延伸,要求同学们能判断说话者双方的身份,问题经常是 What s the relationship between the two speakers? ① W: How long will it take you to fix my watch? M: I ll call you when it s ready. But it shouldn t take longer than a week. Q: What is the probable relationship between the speakers? A. Librarian and student. B. Operator and caller. C. Boss and secretary. D. Customer and repairman. 既然女士让男的fix my watch,说明对方是repairman,而自己是customer。
②M: Sorry to trouble you. But is there any possibility of borrowing a blanket? I feel cold. W: I think we ve got one. Could you wait until after take-off please? Q: What is the probable relationship between the two speakers? A. A guest and a receptionist. B. A passenger and an air hostess. C. A customer and a shop assistant. D. A guest and a waitress. take-off一词的使用说明女的是空姐,答案自然是B。 可以看出,职业、身份以及说话双方关系的选择所依据的同样是信息词。当然,要判断双方的关系,还可以从说话的方式