what在高中英语中的某些特殊用法
what在英语中是个很常用的词。我们知道它能用作疑问词,引导特殊疑问句,在句中做主语﹑表语或宾语;又能用作连接代词(或复合关系代词),引导主语从句﹑表语从句或宾语从句;还能用作疑问形容词,只作定语并可表示感叹。对于这些常规的用法本文就不一一赘述,现就what在高中英语中的某些特殊用法归纳如下:
1. what = just as,意为“恰像,犹如,好比”用作连词,引导比较状语从句
惯用句式是:A is to B what C is to D. 意为“AB而言正如CD一样”例如
Air is to us what water is to fish.  空气对于我们犹如水对于鱼。(介词to 表示两者的关系)
也有“A is for B what C is for D.”句式。例如:
Poultry is for the cook what canvas is for the paint. 厨师离不了家禽正如画家离不开画布一样。(介词for表示“供…使用”)
what 引导的从句也可以放在句首,其句式是:
What C is to Dthat A is to B.= A is to B what C is to D.
在这一结构中,喻体在前,主体在后,相当于“just as…,so…”结构,意思也是“AB而言正如CD一样”例如:
What blood vessel is to a man's bodythat railway is to transportation.
=Just as blood vessel is to a man's body so Railway  is to transportation.
铁路对于运输,好比血管对于人体一样。
2. what do with连用,意为“(怎样)处理﹑安排或对付等”。what常有较灵活的翻译,常用结构是:“what do with sth./sb.?”或“what to do with sth./sb. 例如:
What will you do with the letter 你将把那封信怎样处理?
The kids do not know what to do with themselves on rainy days. 孩子们不知道雨天干什么好。
注意do with deal with同义,但搭配不同:do with只能与what搭配,而deal with可与不同的疑问词搭配。比较:
How will you deal with the letter?你将那封信怎样处理?
You may have some idea of what the astronauts have to deal with if you try to drink a glass of water while standing on your head or while just lying down.
如果你试着倒立着或仅以躺着的姿势去喝水,就能大致体会得到宇航员必须应付什么了。
3. 问价格﹑度量﹑速度、人口﹑面积﹑门牌(汽车﹑电话等)号码等时,只能用what提问,不能用how much提问。例如:
What is the costpriceof the gold watch?这块金表多少钱?
What is the speed of the car?车速是多少?
What is the lengthwidthdepthof the lake?这湖有多长(宽、深)?
What is the populationareaof China?中国的人口(面积)有多少(大)?
What moneycash have you got 你有多少钱(现金)?
What is your telephone carroomnumber?你的电话(汽车﹑房间)号码是多少?
4.What is like?”的两种含义。
表示“情况怎样”,多指天气或气候。例如:
What is the weather like today?今天天气怎样?
What is the climate like there?那里的气候怎样?
表示“像什么样,什么模样,怎样的” 指人或事物。例如:
What is the camel like ?骆驼是什么样子的?
  — What is your teacher like?“你老师是怎样一个人?”
— She is very kind and beautiful. “她既善良又美丽。”
What will life be like in the future 未来的生活是什么样子呢?
注意:“What islike?”通常用于对某人、某地和某物的实际情况提问,包括对其内在的品质或外在的特征(或持久的特征)提问。而“How is like?”是就某人、某地和某物的外观询问对方的看法,可以用来询问变化的事物,如暂时的情况,情绪等,还常用来问候别人的健康。如:
How is your work these days  近来你的工作情况如何?
How is he 他近况如何?  (他身体近来怎么样?)
比较:What does she look like?她是什么模样?(What look like?只能指外表
5.“What do you think of…?”用于询问对方对……的看法或评价。例如:
What do you think of the idea?你认为这个主意怎样?
What did you think of that film?你对那场电影评价如何?
注意:“ What do you think of…?”是惯用搭配,不能改为“How do you think of…?”。但我们可以说:How do you feel about the ideathat film)?或者How do you like the ideath
at film)?
6.what 用作复合关系代词时,既可指代人又可指代物。例如:
China is no longer what it used to be 中国已不是过去的中国
She is what you call a bluestocking”。 她就是你说的“女才子”。
She is not what she was five years ago. 她不再是5年前的她了。
7. what从句可用作宾语补足语或状语。例如:
We will make the factory twice what it is today. 我们将使工厂比现在规模增加一倍。(句中的twice what it is today是动词make的宾语the factory的补足语)
Gravity is what makes you weigh what you weigh. 地心吸引力使人称得现有的重量(句中的第一个whatblue什么特殊意思到句末为表语从句;句末的what you weigh 是说明前面的动词weigh,系回答how much 的问题,作状语)
8.howwhy一样,what可以用作名词。例如:
  Please explain to us how and whysince you know what.
既然你想出一个好办法,请给我们解释清楚解决这个问题的方法和理由。
  By asking whyhow and what ifcurious minds find new ideas and solutions.
通过刨根问底,提出假设,富有求知欲的天才人物想出了新主意,出了解决问题的新办法。(见新版高二英语上册p.7what if 可译为:假设)
9.what连用的常用句型和词组
What if…?What will or would happen if…?如果(假如)…将会怎么样?例如:
What if it is true?如果这是真的又怎么样?
What if a storm should come up?万一发生暴风雨怎么办?
what withbecause of as a result of;因为;由于……的结果;例如:
What with overwork and what withso little sleepshe fell ill.
一半由于工作过度的劳累,一半由于睡眠不足,她病倒了。
She has been depressedwhat with losing her job and having to move.
她由于丢了工作还要搬家而感到沮丧。
and what notand so onetc;以及各种其它东西;诸如此类;等等;例如:
I bought sugarteaeggsand what not. 我买了食糖、茶叶、鸡蛋之类的东西。
come what willmay)是固定搭配必须倒装,意为“不管发生什么事”“不管怎样”
Come what will may),I will always stand by you.
不管发生什么事,我将永远支持你。
what引导的名词性从句用法列析
◆◆what的特殊含义
一、表示"所……的事", 相当于"the thing that……; all that……; everything that……"等。如:
1.What he wanted to see was an end to all the armies of the world .
他所希望看到的是世界上一切军队的消亡。
2.What we can't get seems better than what we have.
我们不能得到的看来比我们拥有的要更好。
3.What was once regarded as impossible has now become a reality.