研究历年高考阅读理解试题，我们会发现but/however是一个重现率极高的词汇，它有很强的启示功能， 对我们判断上下文文意、推断作者的态度、判明人物心理、理清文章层次都具有举足轻重的作用。

一．but引出相反或相对的信息。利用but 的这一功能，可以快速、准确地推知上下文的意义。

例（07江西）

Until 1954 it was thought that no man could run one mile in less than four minutes. As years 36 ,the record came closer and closer to four minutes and Roger Bannister, a young English 37, began to believe be might 38 this almost magic barrier.

It was a cold afternoon on May 6th, 1954, when Bannister knew be had a 39 chance. Bannister had been 40 hard and was very fit, but the weather conditions were a real 41 to him. Describing the 42 later , Bannister said, "On the way to the track the wind blew strongly. As I 43 for the start I glanced at the flag. It moved 44 now. This was the moment when I made my decision."

36.A.passed along B. passed down C. went by D. went over

37.A.coach B. athlete C. captain D. judge

38.A.defeat B. move C. beat D. break

39.A.real B. lucky C. serious D. false

40.A.competing B. training C. fighting D. attending

41.A.eagerness B. pleasure C. relief D. worry

42.A.accident B. event C. issue D. topic

43.A.did up B. made up C. put up D. lined up

分析: but前讲的是Bannister训练刻苦（training hard）身体康健（was very fit），这是对其有利的条件，but 后应该是对其不利的因素，这样我们可以推知天气状况不佳，故41空选D。这里but 引出与上文相反的信息，可以利用它来推断下文的意思。

二．yet/but引出作者想要谈论的话题，yet/but前为引子，yet/but起过渡作用。

例1.

About 90% of the sugar is produced as food. Only 10% is used in industry for purposes other than food production. Yet sugar has great possibilities for use as the basis of chemicals. It can even be used for making plastics. In the future these potential uses will certainly be developed more than in the past. There are many reasons why we should increase the production of sugar. Most important is that it is one of the most highly concentrated of energy foods. Thus sugar cane and beet produce an average of 7, 000, 000 calories per acre. In this way they have the advantage over potatoes which give only 4,000,000, while the figure for wheat and beans is 2,000,000 each. So three acres of land growing wheat, beans and potatoes give only slightly more energy than one acre of sugar.

Question: The third paragraph emphasizes (强调) _______. .

A．about 90% of sugar used as food B．only 10% used in industry

C．sugar used for making plastics D．future uses of sugar

此题答案为D. 文中用 yet进行过渡,引出作者想要强调或谈论的内容。明白了but/yet的这一功能，就不至于把引子当话题。（A、B两个选项均为引子）

例2. (07辽宁)

What will people die of 100 years from now? If you think that is a simple question, you have not been paying attention to the revolution that is taking place in bio-technology(生物技术). With the help of new medicine, the human body will last a very long time. Death will come mainly from accidents, murder and war. Today's leading killers, such as heart disease, cancer, and aging itself, will become distant memories.

In discussion of technological changes, the Internet gets most of the attention these days. But the change in medicine can be the real technological event of our times. How long can humans live, Human brains were known to decide the final death. Cells(细胞) are the basic units of all living things, and until recently, scientists were sure that the life of cells could not go much beyond 120 years because the basic materials of cells, such as those of brain cells, would not last forever. But the upper limits will be broken by new medicine. Sometime between 2050 and 2100, medicine will have advanced to the point at which every 10 years or so, people will be able to take medicine repair their organs (器官). The medicine, made up of the basic building materials of life, will build new brain cells, heart cells, and so on-in much the same way our bodies make new skin cells to take the place of old ones.

It is exciting to imagine that the advance in technology may be changing the most basic condition of human existence, but many technical problems still must be cleared up on the way to this wonderful future.

Question: In the author's opinion, today's most important advance in technology lies in ____.

A. medicine B. the Internet

C. brain cells D. human organs

But 前的 the Internet 为引子，but 后的(change in) medicine 才是作者的观点(the change

in medicine can be the real technological event of our times). 因此此题的答案为A. but 这一功能构成"引子+but+论题"模式。

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