语义韵(semantic prosody)研究起源于20世纪80年代。具体反映说话者或作者在选择一个多词单位时，不仅要考虑到一个词相邻位置的词语和语法共选关系和限制关系，还要考虑到更远的语义选择趋向和相应的语用关系即语义韵。在考研阅读这种学术期刊中，撰稿人经常会用一些词传达出他或者她们的态度，情感等。这些词汇的出现，向读者(或听众)预示着带有特定语义特征的搭配词会在不远处出现，这就是语义韵在起作用。究其原因，这些词语习惯性地吸引某一类具有相同或相似语义特点的搭配词，它们在文本中反复共现，使得词语之间被传染上相关语义特点，并使其整个跨距内弥漫着一种特殊的语义氛围即语义韵。

　　Whatever happened to the death of newspaper? A year ago the end seemed near. The recession threatened to remove the advertising and readers that had not already fled to the internet. Newspapers like the San Francisco Chronicle were chronicling their own doom. America’s Federal Trade commission launched a round of talks about how to save newspapers. Should they become charitable corporations? Should the state subsidize them ? It will hold another meeting soon. But the discussions now seem out of date.

　　26. By saying “Newspapers like … their own doom” (Lines 3-4, Para. 1), the author indicates that newspaper __________. [A]neglected the sign of crisis [B] failed to get state subsidies [C]were not charitable corporations [D]were in a desperate situation

　　此段文字来自于英语二2011年的阅读理解的真题，根据这段文字，出题人出了一道题，问划线句子的意思。在这个句子里，chronicling their own doom影响了同学了的做题，大家先来看一下选项： [A]neglected the sign of crisis [B] failed to get state subsidies [C]were not charitable corporations [D]were in a desperate situation 我们发现[B] failed to get state subsidies [C]were not charitable corporations 这两个选项均出自于文段后面的两个一般疑问句：Should they become charitable corporations? Should the state subsidize them ? ，并且作者并未给出答案。所以我们可以很容易排除这两个选项。而且，我们发现在这一段中虽然有很多单词不认识，但几乎每一个考生肯定会看到，并准确地说出这些高亮化单词的释义：Whatever happened to the death of newspaper? A year ago the end seemed near. 这些词语使这一段话弥漫着接近尾声，临近死亡的语义氛围。这些词语在文本中反复共现，使得词语之间被传染上这种绝望的语义特点，并使其整个文章内弥漫着一种特殊的语义氛围。这就是语义韵在做题中可以帮助我们的。这些词，使我们更加坚定地选择最后一个选项。

　　对于考研，利用这种思路解题屡试不爽。还有日后研究生阶段的学习肯定会遇到不认识的生词和难词，学会了语义韵的方法，不仅应试做题，还是阅读期刊，都是大有裨益的。考研路上有你我，新祥旭与你同行!