著名美国心理学家布鲁姆把人们在认知领域中的教育目标分为六个层次，即记忆、理解、运用、分析、综合、评价。一般把前两个层次的试题称为知识型试题;后四个层次则称为能力型试题。目前广为流行的完形填空题，则是这两类题型的综合。完形填空题既考查学生的语言的知识能力，又测试学生综合运用所学知识的实践能力，能较全面地反映出学生对所学知识的掌握程度。它涉及面广，难度较大，各小题的四项答案，只一项最佳，有点类似选择题空题，其余的均是干扰性或迷惑性选项。因此，做这项题型时，不能争于求成，而要经过一定的训练，掌握一定的答题技巧，才能达到事半功倍的效果。为了能在完形填空中获得优异成绩，除了具备比较扎实的语言基础知识和一定的综合运用基础知识能力，还必须掌握一定的解题步骤和技巧。
第一，快速通读全文，掌握短文主旨大意在答题时，不要急于看选项、找答案，应通篇浏览短文，掌握文中时间、地点、人物及事件，即who，when, where, what。短文开头的第一、二句通常是主题句，或是告诉考生文章所要讲的主要内容是什么。完形填空首句一般不预留空白，因此认真阅读短文开头的第一、二句，有利于学生准确地预测和推断短文的主旨。
第二，在理解的基础上，边读边答题。要按文章的先后顺序，对每道题所给词语的确切含义进行分析比较。答题时必须先易后难，先做最有把握、最熟悉的短语、惯用法、动词形式和语言结构的题目， 并考虑到全文整体意境的影响，做到瞻前顾后，上下文呼应，运用逻辑思维，推理的方式来进行答题。切不可自行断意，顾此失彼。
第三， 借助自己已补全的那些空缺，再细读全文，此时对全文意思的理解程度会更清楚。一篇文章是一个整体，有它独立的内容，结构与逻辑联系，不能单从局部的词义和语法来理解，应从全文内容出发不断深入理解，这样就为在解决那些少数疑难问题排除了在逻辑意义上易选错的选项。先看看哪些词语意义与文章不符，然后综合运用词汇、句型、语法等知识反复地字斟句酌，排除明显错误，缩小选择范围，得出符合逻辑的正确答案。
下面以一篇短文为例，与大家谈谈如何做好“完形填空”题。
College and university graduations in the United States are arriving earlier and earlier each year as the average length of school year gets shorter. The school year has fallen by nearly six weeks, from 191 days in 1964 to 156 days in 1994, according to the National Association of Scholars. 1 most American kindergarten, elementary(初等的)and high school students are 2 to spend 180 days a year in their schools. The length of the average class period also has 3 , from more than 57 minutes to less that 54, the Association reports.
“The 4 has to that students are simply 5 less, ”said the director of the Association.“If you count the actual 6 of contact hours, you'll find they are 7 four years in college getting an education that would have taken about 8 years in 1964.”
The universities argue(认为)that they are simply teaching more 9 .“The traditional idea that learning 10 in the classroom and through reading and writing 11 based on seat time is out of date, ”said a spokesman for the American Council on Education. 12 than attending lectures, students now chat with their professors on their computers or use other types of 13 technology, allowing for a shorter school year, he said.“It is very 14 that, in many schools, they are going to spend less time 15 than they used to.”
1.A.By comparison B.In particular C.Strangely enough D.As a result
2.A.intended B.required C.requested D.inquired
3.A.fallen B.declined C.oppressed D.lowered
4.A.reason B.cause C.conclusion D.condition
5.A.playing B.learning C.working D.paying
6.A.number B.times C.need D.arrangement
7.A.spending B.given C.living D.asked
8.A.five B.two C.three D.six
9.A.quickly B.thoroughly C.wisely D.efficiently
