四级考试阅读理解技巧
关于主题思想问题(Subject Matter)
Subject Matter(SM中心思想)是作者在文章中要表达的的主要内吼是贯穿全文的核心。作者在文章中努力通过各种Supporting Details来阐明中心议题。因此,把握主要思想对于全文内听理解具有重要意义。熟悉四级测试的人都知道,这类问题常被列为5题之首。然而,如何找出主题常使考生倍感棘手。因为他们总希望通过某个词或某句话就能找到答案,而找主题往往需要通读全文后才能作出判断。
针对SM问题,应采用快速阅读法(Skimming)浏览全文,理解文章主旨大意,阅读时要注意抓住中心思想的句子在文章中的位置也不同,但阅读时,文章的开头、结尾及段落的段首句和段尾句特别重要,因为他们往往名包含文章的中心议题(SM)。
根据批发部在内容的不同,这类问题可分杰主题型、标题型和目的型 。主题型一目了然就是找中心(Main Idea);标题型是为文章选择标题(Title);目的型就是推断作者的写作意图(Purpose).这类题常见的命题方式有:
(1) What is the main idea (subject) of this passage ?
(2) What does this passage mainly (primarily)concerned ?
(3) The main theme of this passage is ___________.
(4) The main point of the passage is__________.
(5) Which of the following is the best title for the passage ?
(6) The title that best expresses the theme of the passage is ___________.
(7) On which of the following subject would the passage most likely be found in a textbook ?
(8) The purpose of the writer in writing this passage _________.
(9) Which of the following best describes the passage as a whole ? 1. 关于主题型
Example:
Oceanography has been defined as "The application of all sciences to the study of the sea" Before the nineteenth century ,scientists with an interest in the sea were few and far between .Certainly Newton considered some theoretical aspects of it in his writings ,but he was reluctant to go to sea to further his work .
For most people the sea was remote , and with the exception of early intercontinental travelers or others , who earned a living from the sea, there was little reason to ask many questions about it ,let alone to what lay beneath the surface ,The first time that the question "What is at the bottom of oceans "? had to be answered with any commercial consequence was when the laying of a telegraph cable from Europe to America was proposed. The engineers had to know the depth profile( 轮廓)of the route to estimate the length of cable that had to be manufactured.
It was to Maury of US Navy that the Atlantic Telegraph Company turned, in 1853 , for information on this matter. In the 1840s, Maury had been responsible for encouraging voyages during which soundings(试探) were taken investigate the depths of the North Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Later, some of his findings aroused much popular interest in his book The Physical Geography of the Sea.
The cable was laid , but not until 1866 was the connection made permanent and reliable. At the early attempts, the cable failed and when it was taken out for repairs it was found to be covered in living growths, a fact which defied contemporary scientific opinion that there was no life in the deeper parts of the sea.
Within a few years oceanography was under way. In 1872 Thomson led a scientific expedition, which lasted for four years and brought home thousands of samples form the sea. Their classification and analysis occupied scientists for years and led to a five-volume report, the last volume being published in 1895 .
This passage is mainly about_____________.
A) the beginnings of oceanography
B) the laying of the first undersea cable
C) the investigation of ocean depths
D) the early intercontinental communications
本题问及全篇的中心思想。通过快读(skimming)我们知道这是一篇叙述"海洋学"的文章。第一段谈的是关于"海洋学"的定义;第二段是讲19世纪前对海洋感兴对趣的科学家不多;第三段谈到由于有人提了铺设海底电缆,人们才开始研究"海底深处究竟是什么";第四段说Maury考察北大西洋和太平洋的发现引起广泛的注意;第五段讲修筑海底电缆过程中发现大量的海洋生物;最后一段是海洋学研究的成果。可风全篇主要是讲海洋学的研究是如何开展起来的,所以正确答案是A)。文章有 个地方谈到铺设义;第二段是讲19世纪前对海洋感兴趣的科学家不多;第三段谈到由于有人提出铺设海底电缆,人们才开始研究"海底深处究竟有什么";第四段说Maury考察北大西洋和太平洋的发现引起广泛的注意;第五段讲修筑海底电缆过程中发现大量的海洋生物;最后一段是海洋学研究的成果。可见全篇主要是讲海洋学的研究是如何开展起来的,所以正确答案是A)。文章有好几个地方谈到铺设海底电缆B)和越洋通讯(D),但都是围绕着海洋学这条主线的。至于C),测量海洋深度,只是一个细节,不可能是文章的中心意思。
2.关于标题型
Example :
A rapid means of long-distance transportation became a necessity for the United States as settlement(新拓居地 ) spread ever farther westward. The early trains were impractical curiosities, and for along time the railroad companies met with troublesome mechanical problems. The most serious ones were the construction of rails able to bear the load, and the development of a safe, effective stopping system. Once these were solved, the railroad was established as the best means of land transportation. By 1860 there were thousands of miles of railroads crossing the eastern mountain ranges and reaching westward to the Mississippi. There were also regional southern and western lines .
The high point in railroad building came with the construction of the first transcontinental system. In 1862 congress authorized two western railroad companies to build lines from Nebraska west-ward and from California eastward to a meeting point, so as to complete a transcontinental crossing linking the Atlantic seaboard with the Pacific .The Government helped the railroads generously with money and land Actual work on this project began four years later. money and land. Actual work on this project began four years later. The Central Pacific Company, starting from California, used Chinese labor, while the Union Pacific employed crews of Irish laborers. The two groups worked at remarkable speed, each trying to. cover a greater distance than the other. In l869 they met at a place called Promontory in what is now the state of Utah. Many visitors came there for the great occasion. There were joyous celebrations all the country, with parades and the ringing of church bells to honor the great achievement.
The railroad was very important in encouraging westward movement. It also helped build up industry and farming by moving raw materials and by distributing products rapidly to distant markets. In linking towns and people to one another it helped unify the United States.
The best title for this passage would be__________.
A) Settlements Spread Westward
B) The Coast-to-Coast Railroad: A Vital Link
C) American Railroad History
D) The Importance of Trains in the American Economy
本题是给文章选标题,实际上也是问及全篇的主旨。文章第一段的第一句虽然提到"settlement spread ever farther westward ",但这不是本文论述的中心,太故选项A)是错的;选项D)也不合适,因为作者在第三段第二句里谈的是在美国起重要作用的transcontinental railway, 而不是泛指美国的铁路;虽然本文从一个侧面反映了美国铁路的历史,故选项C)也是错的;本文的第三段点了文章的主旨,即这条横贯美国的铁路在开发西部、发展工农业生产和统一美国等方面 起到了a vital link 的作用。因此,答案应该是选项B)
3.关于目的型
We find that bright children are rarely held back by mixed -ability teaching. On the contrary, both their knowledge and experience are enriched. We feel that there are many disadvantages in streaming( 把...按能力分班) pupils. It does not take into account the fact that children develop at different rates. It can have a bad effect on both the bright and the not-so-bright child. After all, it can quite discouraging to be at the bottom of the top grade!
Besides, it is rather unreal to grade people just according to heir intellectual ability. This is only one aspect of their total personality. We are concerned to develop the abilities of all our pupils to the full , not just their academic ability. We also value personal qualities and social skills, and we find that mixed-ability teaching con-tributes to all these aspects of learning.
In our classrooms, we work in various ways. The pupils often work in groups: this gives them the opportunity to learn to cooper-ate, to share, and to develop leadership skills. They also learn how to cope with personal problems as well as learning how to think, to make decisions, to analyze and evaluate, and to communicate effectively. The pupils learn from each other as well as from the teacher. Sometimes the pupils work in pairs`, sometimes they work on individual tasks and assignments, and they can do this at their own speed. They also have some formal class teaching when this is appropriate. We encourage our pupils to use the library, and we teach them the skills they need in order to do this efficiently. An advanced pupil can do advanced work: it does not matter what age the child is. We expect our pupils to do their best, not their least, and we give them every encouragement to attain this goal.
The author's purpose in writing this passage is to________.
A) argue for teaching bright and not-so-bright pupils in the same class
B) recommend pair work and group work for classroom activities
C) offer advice on the proper use of the library
D) emphasize the importance of appropriate formal classroom
本题要求学生首先了解这篇文章的主题。文章中讨论了两种上课的方式: stream1ng pupi1s即把学生按能力分班进行教学和mixed-ability teaching即把程度不齐的学生混班上课。并列举了前者的弊端和后者的优点。因此A)是答案。而选项出,B),D)中提到的几种做法均为mixed-abi1ity teaching的具体做法,都不能看作是作者写这篇文章的目的。这一题要求阅读时不但要看懂个别的句子,而且要能够根据作者思路的展开,把握作者在整篇文章中赞成什么反对什么,因此,必须看懂全篇文章的意思
关于细节性问题(Suppporting Details)
细节性问题是关于Supporting Details类的问题,通过Skimming找出主题后,应进一步掌握阐述和发展主题的主要事实,或按要求找出特定细节。 在回答此类问题时,应采用查读法(Scanning),因为这些具体内容(Detai1s是用来说明、论证或分析文章中心的。这类题目常以"WH-"形式来提问,如who, what, when, where, why及how等形式。这些问题的表达常不采用文章中的原话提问,而是使用同义词语等,因此,在选择答案前应首先看准题于,看清问题所问;
究竟;然后,在查读时注意寻找与题目相关的关键词语;最后,在充分理解原文、原题的基础上确定正确答案。
当然,这类细节性问题所涉及的面是很广的。有的涉及数字计算,如问时间、距离、次数、数量等,认真计算后方可选定正确答案;有的涉及正误判断,要先看选项,根据选项提供的线索,寻视文中相应部分,最后在题中选出肯定答案;还有的寻问事实、原因、结果、目的等。总之,做细节题切忌通过自己对某类知识的主观了解和认识做出想像判断,一定要紧扣文章内容,不可随心所欲。
细节类问题的命题方式有以下几种:
(1)Which of the following is NOT true according to the information in the passage?
(2) Which of the following is mentioned in the passage?
(3) What is the example of . . . as described in the passage?
(4) The author mentions all of the following except . . .
(5) The reason for . . .is . . .
(6) The author states that . . .
(7) According to the passage, when (where, why, how, who, etc. ) ...
Example :
Just seven years ago, the Jarvik-7 artificial heart was being cheered as the model of human creativeness. The sight of Barney Clark-alive and conscious after trading his diseased heart for met-al-and-plastic pump -convinced the press, the public and many doctors that the future had arrived. It hadn't. After monitoring production of the Jarvik-7 , and reviewing its effects on the 150 or so patients (most of whom got the device as a temporary measure) the U. S. Food and Drug Administration concluded that the machine was doing more to endanger lives than to save them. Last week the agency cancelled its earlier approval , effectively banning ( 禁止 ) the device .
The recall may hurt Symbion Inc. , maker of the Jarvik-7 , but it won't end the request for an artificial heart. One problem with the banned model is that the tubes connecting it to an external power source created a passage infection. Inventors are now working on new devices that would be fully placed, along with a tiny power pack, in the patient's chest. The first sample products aren't expected for another 10 or 20 years. But some people are already worrying that they'11 work- and that America's overextended healthcare programs Will lose a precious $ 2.5 billion to $ 5 billion a year providing them for a relatively few dying patients. If such expenditures( 开支)cut into funding for more basic care , the net effect could actually be a decline in the nation's health. According to the passage the Jarvik-7 artificial heart proved to be ________.
A) a technical failure
B) a technical wonder
C) a good life-saver
D) an effective means to treat heart disease
本题是考核学生根据止下文全面理解和进行正确判断的能力,问的是本文论述的Jarvik-7人造心脏性能和效果到底如何。文章一开头说Jarvik-7是一大技术成就,但文章说到:…the .U.S. Food and Drug Administration concluded that the machine was doing more to endanger lives than to save them (Line -7-9).后面又提到:Last week the agency canceled its earlier approval , effectively banning the device.这两句话提供了这个问题的答案。因此A)是答案:
The new models of artificial hearts are expected_______.
A) to have a working life of 10 or 20 years
B) to be set fully in the patient's chest
C) to be equipped with an external power source
D) to create a new passage for infection
本题是考核正确理解事实细节的能力。选项已的意思与文章中第二段第三句,即"Inventors are now working…in the patient's chest."的意思符合,因此选项B)是答案。
关于推理性问题(Inference)
推理性问题与细节性问题相似,也是对文章具体内容的判断。但推理不但要求掌握文章所表达的字面含义,还要掌握一定的逻辑判断能力及写作技巧知识,从文章表面推出更深层含义,这部分往往出题分量大,难度大,出错也最多,归根结底还是对文章内容没有做到真正的理解和掌握。
Inference类问题主要包括Significance和Communication Techniques两大类。
1. Significance
文字表面往往没有明显反映作者的全部意图,有些含义需要读者从字里行间去体会,靠自己的逻辑推理能力去判断,从上下文的联贯及文中有关部分的暗示去明析作者隐含的意思。这类问题的命题方式有:
(1)The writer implies but not directly states that__________-.
(2) It can be inferred from the passage that_________.
(3) The author strongly suggests that__________ .
(4) It can be concluded from the passage that________.
(5) The passage is intended to__________ .
(6)The writer indicates that__________ .
Example
Nursing at Beth Israel Hospital produces the best patient care possible. If we were to solve the nursing shortage, hospital administration and doctors everywhere would do well to follow Beth Israel's example
At Beth Israel each patient is assigned to a primary nurse who visits at length with the patient and constructs a full-scale health ac-count that covers everything from his medical history to his emotion-al state. Then she writes a care plan centered on the patient's illness but which also includes everything else that is necessary.
The primary nurse stays with the patient through his hospitalization, keeping track with his progress and seeking further advice from his doctor. If a patient at Beth Israel is not responding to treatment , it is not uncommon for his nurse to propose another approach to his doctor. What the doctor at Beth Israel has in the primary nurse is a true colleague.
Nursing at Beth Israel also involves a decentralized ( 分散的 )nursing administration; every floor, every unit is a self-contained organization. There are nurse managers instead of head nurses,` in addition to their medical duties they do all their own hiring and dismissing, employee advising, and they make salary recommendations. Each unit's nurse decide among themselves who will work what shifts and when.
Beth Israel's nurse-in-chief ranks as an equal with other vice presidents of the hospital. She also is a member of the Medical Executive Committee, which in most hospitals includes only doctors.
It can be inferred from the passage that__________.
A) compared with other hospitals nurses at Beth Israel Hospital are more patient .
B) in most hospitals nurses get low salaries
C) in most hospitals nurses get low salaries
D) compared with other hospitals nurses have to work longer hour at Beth Israel Hospital
本题要求考生判断4个选项中哪一个是根据文章可以推断出的结论,要求考生根据文章内容作出合理的推断。从本题所提供的4个选项来看,文章并未谈及护士的"耐心"(A);也未谈及护士的"工资待遇"(Q),只是说到护士的工资提升要由各科室推荐;更未涉及护士的"工作时间长短"(D)),文章的第一段最后一句才是得出正确答案的依据,这句的意思是:"如果我们确要解决护理工作不足的问题,那么各地医院的行政部门和医生最好还是效法一下Beth Israel医院",主句的虚拟语气也说明这一点:迄今为止还未做到。由此可以推断:①护理不充分是一个应该解决的问题;②这个问题普遍存在,否则就没有必要要求各地医院行政部门和医生效法这家医院的做法。因此本题的正确答案为B),本题属于局域型问题的间接性问题,这类问题是考生出错最多的题型。在做这类问题时,切忌从篇章的个别句子中寻找答案,而应把目光放在全篇的理解上:作者写这篇文章的目的是什么,针对什么问题,如何解决等。有许多考生可能都有这种体验:有的问题,第一遍阅读时做对了,第二遍再细读后,又改错了。这就是因为他们在读第二遍时注意了对篇章的个别句于的推敲,而忽视了整篇文章的大意。
2. Communication Techniques
文章中的每一句话都有它的作用和目的,都是为作者的写作而服务的。有的是下层意思的铺垫,有的是上旬话的结果,互相衬托,互相联系。四级阅读中常常就技巧性问题提问,测试读者对文章是否正确理解。这类题的命题方式有:
(1)The fact . . . is mentioned by the author to show _________.
(2)The author achieves his purpose by depending mainly upon
(3)The writer talks about . . . in order io_________ .
(4) In discussing . . . , the author ._________
(5)The author's statement about . . . is a . . . for . . .
Example :
If women are mercilessly exploited year after year, they have only themselves to blame. Because they tremble at the thought of being seen in public in clothes that are out of fashion, they are al-ways taken advantage of by the designers and the big stores. Clothes which have been worn only a few times have to be put aside because of the change of fashion. When you come to think of it, only a woman is capable of standing in front of a wardrobe packed full of clothes and announcing sadly that she has nothing to wear. Changing fashions are nothing more than the intentional creation of waste. Many women spend vast sums of money each year to replace clothes that have hardly been worn. Women who cannot afford to throw away clothing in this way, waste hours of their time altering the dresses they have. Skirts are lengthened or shortened, `necklines are lowered or raised, and so on.
No one can claim that the fashion industry contributes any thing really important to society. Fashion designers are rarely concerned with vital things like warmth, comfort and durability. They are only interested in outward appearance and they take advantage of the fact that women will put up with any amount of discomfort, as long as they look right. There can hardly be a man who hasn't at some time in his life smiled at the sight of a woman shaking in a thin dress on a winter day, or delicately picking her way through deep snow in high- heeled shoes .
When comparing men and women in the matter of fashion, the conclusions to be drawn are obvious. Do the constantly changing fashions of women's clothes, one wonders, reflect basic qualities of inconstancy and instability? Men are too clever to let themselves be cheated by fashion designers. Do their unchanging styles of dress reflect basic qualities of stability and reliability? That is for you to decide .To the writer, the fact that women alter their old-fashioned dresses is seen as_________ .
A) a waste of money
B) waste of time
C) an expression of taste
本题问题是:女士们把过了时的衣服改来改去,在作者看来是"浪费金钱"(A));是"(女士对服装的)喜好(品味)的表现"(C));是"(女士们)创造性的表现"(D));还是(B))所说的"浪费时间"。根据第二段所说的"waste hours of their time altering the dresses they have。"(Para。2, Line 4~5,答案应选B)。
关于词汇问题(Vocabulary)
词汇(Vocabulary)是四级阅读理解测试中非常重要的一项。词汇类其实也是就细节进行提问,所不同的是这是唯一关于词或词组的练习项目,词汇题往往要求对文章中的某个单词、短语甚至句子等找出近义词或最合适的解释。解答这类题需要学生拥有较大的词汇量。可是,单词记忆似乎已成为学生普遍反映最头痛的难题。阅读理解中词汇类问题的常见提问方式有下列几种:
(1)According to the author ,the word "…"means_______.
(2)Which of the following is nearest in meaning to "…"?
(3)The term ".."in paragraph… can be best replaced by ….
(4)What's the meaning of "…"in line …of paragraph….?
(5)As used in the line …, the word "…"refers to _______.
一般来说,在文章的阅读中解决释义的最邓办法是猜测词义。猜测词义也需要一定的技巧,可以通过1)上下文间意义的联系;2)同义关系,反义关系;3)词的定义;4)对词的解释和举例;5)构词法知识猜测词义。
1. 利用上下文词语意义的互相联系猜测词义
Example :
The fishermen make their canoes from tree trunks .They go from island to island in these light marrow boats and collect turtles' eggs
我们从上下文中可以得出以下信息:"canoes"是一种渔夫用树木做的、来回于岛屿之间的、轻狭长的、类似于小船之类的东西。尽管我们可能还不能肯定它的确切解释,但这一生词已经不会影响我们的阅读和理解了。
Example :
Jogging has become very popular in some countries ,It is believed to be a good exercise for old people .
"Jogging"的意思通过"a good exercise for old people "可以推断出是一种适合老年人的剧烈的运动方式。
2. 利用文章中词与词的同义和反义关系猜测词义
Example :
If you happened to be sitting in the woods outside the city ,you might have witnessed a strange sight . You would have seen a very proud looking man riding along horseback , saying something
在文章中可以很容易地判断出"witnesss"的同义关系词是"seen",因此"witness"就是看见的意思。
Example :
In the northern regions the winters are generally cold and humid ,and the summers hot and dry .
显然,冬天和夏天的气候是截然相反的,它们的修饰词的意思也应该截然相反。"cold"与"hot"对应,"humid"与"dry"对应。因此,"humid"是"潮湿" 意思。
3. 利用文章中对词的定义猜测词义
Example:
Such experiences are not unusual for the amateur conchologists, people who collect shells.
Conchologists的意思可以根据该词后面的同位解释"people who collect shells"理解为收集贝壳的人或贝壳收藏家。
Example :
Jack is now a florist, who keeps a shop for selling flowers in our district.
"florist" 的意思就是其后定语从句"who keeps a shop for selling flowers 所描述的"拥有一家专门卖花的商店的人",即"花店主"
4. 利用文章中对词的举例及解释猜测词义
Example :
Today young couples who are just starting their households of ten spend lots of their money on appliances ,for instance ,washing machines , refrigerators and color TVs.
通过所举的例子(washing machines ,refrigerators and color TVs)
可以看出,"appliances" 应是这些名词的总称,即"家用电器"。
Example :
Finally the enemy surrendered .They threw down their weapons and walked out of the home with their hands over their heads
通过后一句对"surrendered"的解释:扔掉武器(throw down their weapons ),举起双手(with their hands over heads )可知其意是"投降"
5. 利用构词法知识(前缀和后缀)猜测词义
Example :
They overestimate the interviewee's ability and asked him many difficult questions
"estimate"是"估计"的意思,"over-"是前缀,意为"过分,过度,超 过"等,因此"overestimate"就是"高估"的意思 。
Example :
We were told that ours was the most spacious room in the hotel .That was why we had to pay so much for it .
"spacious"是由"space(名词,空间)"+"+-ious(形容词后缀 "变化而来的,因此,可猜测其词义为"宽敞"。
各种各样的前、后缀可以构成名词、形容词、动词、副词等,这些词缀需要平时不断地积累和记忆。掌握构词法知识是扩大词汇量和猜测生词词义的最佳办法。
四级考试阅读理解中的四不要
从新教学大纲对阅读能力的要求中,我们知道它主要包括阅读速度和阅读理解两个方面,笔者在西北工业在大水学97级学生中做了问卷调查,其中约95%的学生认国掌握词汇量太少是影响阅读理解的首要问题;°阅读速度方面,绝大多数学生认为他们在不同程度上都有以下不良阅读习惯:
(1)“指读”,即为了“集中注意力”,用手指或笔尖指着文章逐词阅读。一遇到生词,便停顿下来,无法在通篇理解的基础上继续进行阅读。
(2)“唇读”,即有的学生在阅读中寺喜欢读出声来,或即使不出声,嘴唇了居动,或脑子里也在想着读音,无形当中影响了大脑的思维速度。重视阅读理解中的细节性问题
关于细节性问题(Suppporting Details) 细节性问题是关于Supporting Details类的问题,通过Skimming找出主题后,应进一步掌握阐述和发展主题的主要事实,或按要求找出特定细节。 在回答此类问题时,应采用查读法(Scanning),因为这些具体内容(Detai1s是用来说明、论证或分析文章中心的。这类题目常以"WH-"形式来提问,如who, what, when, where, why及how等形式。这些问题的表达常不采用文章中的原话提问,而是使用同义词语等,因此,在选择答案前应首先看准题于,看清问题所问;
(3)“回读”,即在阅读中遇到生词或不熟悉的短语时,返回句首甚至段首重读;还有相当多的学生对阅读忆经产生心理定势,即认为自已第一遍肯定读不懂,因此反复多遍,浪费很多时间。
(4)“译读”,即在阅读过程中,不断地进行膛词逐句的翻译,通过译成母语来辅助理解。由于没有掌握正确的阅读方法,习惯于在不加限定的时间内,对一小块文章精雕细琢,导致了逐词阅读接受信息的习惯。
究竟;然后,在查读时注意寻找与题目相关的关键词语;最后,在充分理解原文、原题的基础上确定正确答案。
当然,这类细节性问题所涉及的面是很广的。有的涉及数字计算,如问时间、距离、次数、数量等,认真计算后方可选定正确答案;有的涉及正误判断,要先看选项,根据选项提供的线索,寻视文中相应部分,最后在题中选出肯定答案;还有的寻问事实、原因、结果、目的等。总之,做细节题切忌通过自己对某类知识的主观了解和认识做出想像判断,一定要紧扣文章内容,不可随心所欲。
细节类问题的命题方式有以下几种:
(1) Which of the following is NOT true according to the information in the passage?
(2) Which of the following is mentioned in the passage?
(3) What is the example of . . . as described in the passage?
(4) The author mentions all of the following except . . .
(5) The reason for . . .is . . .
(6) The author states that . . .
(7) According to the passage, when (where, why, how, who, etc. ) ...
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