• 假如您想说一口流利、地道的英语，学习和掌握英语的读音规则不仅是必要的，也是必需的。
• 假如您想标准、地道地演唱英语歌曲，最起码要有标准的发音，并了解连读、失去爆破方面的知识。
• 这篇文章介绍英语的意群、气群与停顿。关于连读和失去爆破，请参考前面的介绍。

 意群：一个句子可以按照意义和语法结构分成几个部分，每一个部分称为一个意群。意群可以用“/”符号表示。

意群是根据语义、语法和语调来划分的。从语义和语法上讲，意群必须是表达某种意义的一个（组）词、一个短语、一个分句、一个主句或者从句。

气群：凡是一口气能说完或者读完的一个句子，或句子一大部分的，称为一个气群。一个气群一般包括若干个意群，说话或者朗读时气长的人可念完一个很长的句子而不停顿，但最短的气群不得少于一个意群。气群用”ll”表示。

停顿: 为了使意思表达得更清楚或者是换气的需要，人们在说话或朗读时经常需要停顿。（句子之间的停顿较长，意群之间停顿较短，往往由逗号、分号、冒号等分开。）

• When winter comes, / it gets colder and colder, / and the days get shorter and shorter.

• Reading aloud / is very important /  for beginners.

• Early to bed / and early to rise / makes a man / healthy, happy, and wise.

• Jane, / who's a brilliant swimmer, / represented  Britain / at the Olympic Games.

• After he took his bath, / he dressed in a hurry, / ran to catch the bus, / and got to his appointment / before it was too late.

练习

1. 递增的意群

1. a dog
2. a black dog
3. a sleeping black dog
4. a sleeping black dog and a cat
5. a sleeping black dog / and a black and white cat
6. a sleeping black dog / and a playing black and white cat
7. a sleeping black dog, / a playing black and white cat / and two grey rabbits
8. a sleeping black dog, / a playing black and white cat / and two hopping grey rabbits
9. a sleeping black dog, / a playing black and white cat / and two hopping grey rabbits / on the grass lawn
10. a sleeping black dog, / a playing black and white cat / and two hopping grey rabbits / on the grass lawn / in the park
11. He saw / a sleeping black dog, / a playing black and white cat / and two hopping grey rabbits / on the grass lawn / in the park.

2. 短文朗读

Fishing / is my favourite sport. || I often fish for hours / without catching anything. || But this does not worry me. || Some fishermen are unlucky. || Instead of catching fish, / they catch old boots and rubbish. || I am even less lucky. || I never catch anything / … not even old boots. || After having spent whole mornings / on the river, / I always go home / with an empty bag. ||You must give up fishing! / my friends say. || It's a waste of time. || But they don't realize / one important thing. || I'm not really interested | in fishing. || I am only interested / in sitting in a boat / and doing nothing at all!