what一词在中学课本中频频出现｡为帮助同学们掌握含有what的习语,下面笔者在此作一小结,供同学们学习时参考｡
1. “What about ...? (= How about ...?)” 意为“……怎么样?”｡例如:
(1) The girl students will clean the windows. What about the boys? 女同学都去擦玻璃窗了｡男同学们去干什么呢?
(2) What about having a game of table tennis? 咱们打一盘乒乓球怎么样?
2. “What for (= Why)?”常用于口语中,意为“为何,为什么?”｡例如:
—Do you happen to have twenty dollars with you? 你身上有20美元钱吗?
—What for? 干什么?
—I want to buy a reference book. 我想买一本参考书｡
3. what then常用于询问后果或询问接着会发生的事,意为“下一步怎么办?”｡例如:
We’ve finished this task at last and what then? 我们终于完成了这项任务,下一步怎么办呢?
4. what’s what意为“事情的真相;事情的来龙去脉”｡例如:
I beg you to tell me what’s what. 我恳求你告诉我事情的真相｡
5. and what not意为“等等,诸如此类”｡例如:
You had better take with you your shirts, shoes, caps and what not. 你最好随身带上衬衫､鞋､帽子等物品｡
6. so what表示不感兴趣或认为不重要,意思为“那又怎么样”｡例如:
(1) If I say I won’t go with you, so what? 如果我说我不想跟你一起去,那又怎么样呢?
(2) —Let’s hurry, or we will be late. 快点,否则我们要迟到了｡
—So what? Do you really want to listen to that boring lecture? 那又怎样呢?难道你真地想去听那个令人厌倦的讲座吗?
7. what引导插入语,意为“还有的是,加之”｡例如:
(1) He is handsome, and what is more, very rich. 他长得很英俊,而且很富有｡
(2) He is, what is called, a living dictionary. 他就是所谓的活词典｡
(3) We were very tired at that time, and what’s worse, it was raining heavily. 那时我们已经精疲力竭了,更糟的是,天还下着大雨｡
8. “What if ...?”意为“倘使……将会怎么样､即使……又怎么样?”｡例如:
What if he comes here to ask for you tomorrow? 如果他明天来这儿要求见你怎么办?
9. “What’s up? ”意为“怎么啦?出什么事了?”｡例如:
There are so many people standing there. What’s up? 那里站着那么多人,出什么事了?
10. what用于“A is to B what C is to D”结构,意思是“A对B之关系犹如C对D之关系一样”｡例如:
(1) Air is to us what water is to fish. 空气对我们犹如水对鱼一样不可或缺｡
(2) Reading is to the mind what food is to the body. 读书之于头脑如同食物之于身体一样重要｡
 
练一练:
1. —Susan, will you please go and empty that drawer?
— _______?
A. What for B. What is it
C. How is it D. How come
2. What about the two of us_______ a walk in the garden?
A. to take B. take
C. taking D. to be taken
3. Engines are to cars_______ hearts are to animals.
A. as B. that C. what D. which
4. —You look so upset, Jane._______?
—My pet dog is lost.
A. What’s up B. What’s for
C. What are you up to D. So what
5. —_______I move the picture over there?
—I suppose it will look better.
A. If only B. What if C. As if D. Even if
6. —Do you think I should get a good guidebook?
—Yes, of course._______, you also need a good camera and comfortable shoes.
A. What’s more B. So what
C. What if D. What for
Key: 1-6 ACCABA