根据词缀推断词义
词缀是一个单词的附件，分为前缀和后缀。
前缀(prefix)就是附加在词根前面的部分。它包含附加性的词汇意义，在同一词根上加不同的前缀，就构成意义不同的新词。反之，在不同的词根上加上同一前缀也会构成新词。
例如：前缀"tele"表示"远、遥远"，与不同的词根搭配，就会出现telegram, telephone, telescope, television, telecontrolled(遥控)，telecommunication(远距离通讯)等新词。同样词根duct(引导)加上不同的前缀，也会出现abduct(诱拐)，induct(引入),conduct(指导)，introduction等新词。前缀有时也能改变词类，如able加上前缀"en-"就构成动词enable。
后缀(suffix)就是附加在词根后面的部分。它主要是改变词类，有时也改变词义。有些后缀是极为常用又非常活跃的。例如："-ly"可以加在形容词后面，将其变为副词--final(ly)、economical(ly)等等，这类例子可以说是俯拾皆是。又如："-ness"能加在几乎所有形容词后，将其变为抽象名词--dark(ness)，kind(ness)等。而"-er"加在动词后，表示"...者"，变成了名词"从事某种工作的人"，更是尽人皆知--read(er),teach(er)等等。
值得注意的是，有些后缀用得虽然并不很广，但却已差不多变成了一种专门性的后缀，像"-itis"在医学领域极为重要，表示"炎症"，如：arthrictis(关节炎)，hepatitis(肝炎)，nephritis(肾炎)，bronchitis(气管炎)等等，需要考生多加注意。
后缀分为名词后缀、形容词后缀、动词后缀和副词后缀。
例1.(1994年考题第1篇51题)
The American economic system is organized around a basically privateenterprise, marketoriented economy in which consumers largely determine what shall be produced by spending their money in the marketplace for those goods and services that they want most. Private businessmen, striving to make profits, produce these goods and services in competition with other businessmen; and the profit motive, operating under competitive pressures, largely determines how these goods and services are produced. Thus, in the American economic system it is the demand of individual consumers, coupled with the desire of businessmen to maximize profits and the desire of individuals to maximize their incomes, that together determine that shall be produced and how rescues are used to produce it.
In Line 7. Para.
1. "the desire of individuals to maximize their incomes" means _____ .
［A］ Americans are never satisfied with their incomes
［B］ Americans tend to overstate their incomes
［C］ Americans want to have their incomes increased
［D］ Americans want to increase the purchasing power of their incomes
该题的正确选择关键在于理解"maximize"的"maxi-"是前缀，表示"特大的，特别长的"，如：maximum(极点；最大限度)。
从文章中我们知道"maximize their incomes"是指最大限度地或最有效地使用其收入；也就是用尽可能少的钱买尽可能多的商品，答案为D项。
例2.(1994年考题第5篇70题)
The creative approach begins with the proposition that nothing is as it appears. Innovators will not accept that there is only one way to do anything. Faced with getting from A to B, the average person will automatically set out on the bestknown and apparently simplest route. The innovator will search for alternate courses, which may prove easier in the long run and are bound to be more interesting and challenging even if they lead to dead ends.
Highly creative individuals really do march to a different drummer.
The phrase "march to a different drummer" (the last line of the passage) suggests that highly creative individuals are _____ .
［A］ diligent in pursuing their goals
［B］ reluctant to follow common ways of doing things
［C］ devoted to the progress of science
［D］ concerned about the advance of society
drum是"鼓"，"drummer"即为"鼓手"。文中"march to a different drummer"是一个比喻，整个词组的意思为：伴着不同的鼓手所敲出的节奏行进。再根据上下文来判断，主要讲的是"不随波逐流，与其他人走的路不同"。因此，答案为B项。