第四节 字数限制
一、考点介绍
雅思阅读考试填空题的答案一般都有字数方面的限制，答案超出字数要求是不能得分的。因此，快速浏览题目要求是避免失误、取得高分的关键。
二、真题示例
Example 1（Cambridge IELTS 12 Test 5 READING PASSAGE 2 Questions 16 and 17）
【真题回顾】
READING PASSAGE 2
COLLECTING AS A HOBBY
Collecting must be one of the most varied of human activities, and it's one that many of us psychologists find fascinating Many forms of collecting have been dignified with a technical name: an archtophilist collects teddy bears, a philatelist collects postage stamps, and a deltiologist collects postcards. Amassing hundreds or even thousands of postcards, chocolate wrappers or whatever, takes time, energy and money that could surely be put to much more productive use. And yet there are millions of collectors around the world. Why do they do it?
There are the people who collect because they want to make money—this could be called an instrumental reason for collecting; that is, collecting as a means to an end. They'll look for, say, antiques that they can buy cheaply and expect to be able to sell at a profit. But there may well be a psychological element, too—buying cheap and selling dear can give the collector a sense of triumph. And as selling online is so easy, more and more people are joining in.
Many collectors collect to develop their social life, attending meetings of a group of collectors and exchanging information on items. This is a variant on joining a bridge club or a gym, and similarly brings them into contact with like-minded people.
Questions 16 and 17
Complete the sentences below.
Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 16 and 17 on your answer sheet.
16 Collectors' clubs provide opportunities to share …………………… .
17 Collectors' clubs offer…………………… with people who have similar interests.
【考点点拨】
16 Collectors' clubs provide opportunities to share …………………… .
答案：information
关键词：share
定位句：根据关键词定位到第三段第一行：Many collectors collect to develop their social life, attending meetings of a group of collectors and exchanging information on items．很多收藏者通过收藏拓展他们的社会生活，参加一群收藏者的会议并且交换关于物品的信息。
解 析：定位句中的exchanging和空格前的share是同义替换，答案就是information。
考 点：字数限制。题目要求只填1个词，如果考生没有注意答题要求中的字数限制，直接把答案写成了information on items，就是错误的。
17 Collectors' clubs offer…………………… with people who have similar interests.
答案：meetings或contact
关键词：offer、with people
定位句：根据关键词定位到第三段：Many collectors collect to develop their social life, attending meetings of a group of collectors and exchanging information on items. This is a variant on joining a bridge club or a gym, and similarly brings them into contact with like-minded people．很多收藏者通过收藏拓展他们的社会生活，参加一群收藏者的会议并且交换关于物品的信息。这是加入桥牌社或健身馆的一种变体，同样能使他们接触到志趣相同的人。
解 析：定位句中的a group of collectors、brings分别和题目中的with people、offer是同义替换，答案就是meetings或contact。
考 点：字数限制。题目要求只填1个词，如果考生没有注意答题要求中的字数限制，直接把答案写成了them into contact，就是错误的。
Example 2（Cambridge IELTS 9 Test 1 READING PASSAGE 1 Question 8）
【真题回顾】
READING PASSAGE 1
William Henry Perkin
The man who invented synthetic dyes
Historically, textile dyes were made from such natural sources as plants and animal excretions. Some of these, such as the glandular mucus of snails, were difficult to obtain and outrageously expensive. Indeed, the purple colour extracted from a snail was once so costly that in society at the time only the rich could afford it. Further, natural dyes tended to be muddy in hue and fade quickly. It was against this backdrop that Perkin's discovery was made.
Question 8
Answer the question below.
Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.
Write your answer in box 8 on your answer sheet.
8 Before Perkin's discovery, with what group in society was the colour purple associated?
【考点点拨】
8 Before Perkin's discovery, with what group in society was the colour purple associated?
答案：(the/only) rich
关键词：what group、the colour purple
定位句：根据关键词定位到第三行：Indeed, the purple colour extracted from a snail was once so costly that in society at the time only the rich could afford it．实际上，从蜗牛身上提取的紫色颜料曾经非常昂贵，在当时的社会，只有富人才能买得起。
解 析：定位句中的the purple colour和题目中的the colour purple是同义替换，题目问的是what group，定位句说的是only the rich，题目要求填写不超过2个词，所以答案可以写rich、the rich或only rich中的任何一个。
考 点：字数限制。如果没有注意题目要求中的字数限制而把答案写成了only the rich，就是错的。
Example 3（Cambridge IELTS 9 Test 4 READING PASSAGE 1 Question 10）
【真题回顾】
READING PASSAGE 1
The life and work of Marie Curie
During World War I, Marie Curie, with the help of her daughter Irene, devoted herself to the development of the use of X-radiography, including the mobile units which came to be known as“Little Curies”, used for the treatment of wounded soldiers. In 1918 the Radium Institute, whose staff Irene had joined, began to operate in earnest, and became a centre for nuclear physics and chemistry. Marie Curie, now at the highest point of her fame and, from 1922, a member of the Academy of Medicine, researched the chemistry of radioactive substances and their medical applications.
Question 10
Complete the note below.
Choose ONE WORD from the passage for each answer.
Write your answer in box 10 on your answer sheet.
Marie Curie's research on radioactivity
· Marie and Irene Curie developed X-radiography which was used as a medical technique for 10......................
【考点点拨】
Marie and Irene Curie developed X-radiography which was used as a medical technique for 10..................... .
答案：soldiers
关键词：Marie、Irene Curie、X-radiography、used as a medical technique for
定位句：根据关键词定位到第一行：During World WarⅠ, Marie Curie, with the help of her daughter Irene, devoted herself to the development of the use of X-radiography, including the mobile units which came to be known as“Little Curies”, used for the treatment of wounded soldiers．在第一次世界大战期间，在女儿Irene的帮助下，Marie Curie投身于开发X射线照相技术的应用，其中包括被称为“小个子居里”的治疗负伤士兵的移动设备。
解 析：定位句中的used for the treatment of和题目中的used as a medical technique for是同义替换，答案就是soldiers。
考 点：字数限制。题目要求只填1个词，如果考生没有注意答题要求中的字数限制，直接把答案写成了wounded soldiers，就是错误的。