时态是高考的重要内容之一,而在考题中往往不给出时间状语,这就增加了解题难度。这就要求考生善于研究语境,探讨时间,为结合题意选择正确时态。下面以高考试题为例,说明如何处理时态问题。

　　1. Rainforests________and burned at such a speed that they will disappear from the earth in the near future.

　　A. cut B. are cut C. are being cutD. had been cut

　　答案为C。由语境可知,"雨林在不久的将来将会从地球上消失"是由于"现阶段正在以很快的速度砍伐和烧毁雨林"所致。故用现在进行时的被动语态与语境相符。

　　2. -You haven't said a word about my new coat, Brenda. Do you like it?

　　-I'm sorry I________anything about it sooner. I certainly think it's pretty on you.

　　A. wasn't saying B. don't say C. won't say D. didn't say

　　答案为D。由"haven't said"暗示第二个说话者从过去到现在对话时一直没有说话,现在第二个说话者说"对不起,关于你的新衣服我没有早点说什么(没有给予评价)",从这一语境意义可知,"没有说"是指说话前(过去)的情况。故选 didn't say 切合题意。

　　3. -Have you moved into the new house?

　　-Not yet. The rooms________.

　　A. are being painting

　　B. are painting

　　C. are painted

　　D. are being painted

　　答案为D。由not yet 可知现在还未搬进新房,暗示房间现在正在被油漆。

　　4. -Can I help you, sir?

　　-Yes. I bought this radio here yesterday,but it________.

　　A. didn't workB. won't workC. can't workD. doesn't work

　　答案为D。由对话情境可知,收音机是过去买的,买的时候肯定能工作,而现在说"收音机不能正常工作(想调换)"应是指现在的情况,故选D。若选C,意思是"不可能工作",can't work表示对现在情况的否定推测,与题意不符。

　　5. The old couple have been married for 40 years and never once________with each other.

　　A. they had quarreled

　　B. they have quarreled

　　C. have they quarreled

　　D. had they quarreled

　　答案为C。由语境可知,这对老年夫妇结婚至今40年,"相互从未争吵"这一状态持续至今也应是40年,所以适合用现在完成时,再结合句子结构,never位于句首,应用倒装语序。

　　(文/张金该；英语辅导报高三版2003-2004学年第41期；版权归英语辅导报社所有，独家网络合作伙伴新浪教育，未经许可，不得以任何形式进行转载。)