一、主旨大意题
主旨大意题主要考查学生对所读材料(或所读材料片断)中心思想的概括。做这类题时,考生应通读全文,把握文章大意或中心思想,同时注意文章的主题句,因为主题句表达中心思想,其他句子均围绕主题句进行展开。主题句通常位于文章第一段首句、第一段末句或全文末句等地方,但位于段落中间(通常是第一段或最后一段的中间)也是完全可能的。主旨大意题的考查形式很多,如概括标题、主题、段意、中心思想等。请看2005年浙江卷中的一个段落:
In the course of working my way through school, I took many jobs I would rather forget. But none of these jobs was as dreadful as my job in an apple plant. The work was hard; the pay was poor; and, most of all, the working conditions were terrible.
◎What is the subject discussed in the text?
A. The writer’s unhappy school life
B. The writer’s eagerness to earn money
C. The writer’s experience as a full-time worker
D. The writer’s hard work in an apple plant
原文共有五个自然段,上面摘录的只是文章的第1个自然段,但是如果考生训练有素的话,只要读完这个段落就可猜出此题的答案了。因为文章第一句说In the course of working my way through school, I took many jobs I would rather forget,接着作者用but引出一个新的情况(即主题句):none of these jobs was as dreadful as my job in an apple plant. 再接下来又说: The work was hard; the pay was poor; and, most of all, the working conditions were terrible. 聪明的读者至此应该可以猜测到,下面的几个段落肯定是介绍这个apple plant 的work是如何的hard,它的pay是如何的poor,它的working conditions 是如何的terrible 等。比较四个选项,只有选项D所表述内容合乎上面的分析,故选D。
二、事实细节题
顾名思义,事实细节题即指针对文章的某个事实或细节而设置的试题。事实细节题的命题方法很多,如可能是对某个细节用同义结构转换后进行考查、也可能是将文章中的几个细节(通常是四个)放在一起要求考生判断是非(选出正确的一项或选出错误的一项)或对几个细节进行排序等。解答这类试题时,一个常用的方法就是运用定位法,即根据题干或选项中的线索词从原文中找到相关的句子,与选项进行比较从而确定答案(此时要特别注意一些常见的同义转换或简单换算)。请看200年安徽卷中的一道事实细节题:
Tuition Fees(学费)
Tuition fees are different from department to department, generally from $5,000 to $6,000 a year. For further information: tui@waikato.ac.nz
Accommodation(住宿)
You can have a room in a 4-bedrcom flat, which will cost about $100 a month with other regular living costs of about $150 a month for one person. For further information: ave@walkato.ac.nz
◎You have to pay at least ______ a year if you study at the University of Waikato.
A. $5,250 B. $8,000 C. $9,000 D. $11,000
根据Tuition fees一节的内容可知,一年的学费最低为5,000美元,再根据Accommodation(住宿)一节可知,除学费外,还有住宿费(每月100美元)和生活费(每月150美元),即一年大约共3,000美元,所以在WaiKato大学读书一年至少要花费5,000 3,000=8,000美元,故答案为B。
三、代词指代题
这类题要求考生根据一定的上下文推测代词的指代意义,它主要考查考生在一定语境中对上下文逻辑关系的正确理解。做这类题时,考生不仅要读懂相关句子的句意,理顺相关句子的逻辑关系,而且还要学会合理变通,尤其要学会变通理解其中的同义表达。请看2005年天津卷中的一个片断和一个道词义猜测题:
Many creative thinkers state that they have completely devoted themselves to the subject matter of the problem, often over fairly long periods of time. Indeed, it would be strange if they had not done this. Nothing in such statements supports the idea that there is anything very different about the problem solving that leads to discoveries of the great contributions to the society. The act of discovery, even in the relatively predictable(可以预见的) sense that it occurs in everyday learning, involves(涉及) a “sudden insight” which changes the problem situation into a solution situation. As we have seen, everyday discovery also requires that the learner have the knowledge of the rules gained in the past, which is involved in the solution.
What does the underlined word “this” refer to?
A. Great contributions to the society.
B. Long-time study of the subject matter.
C. Various statements about problem solving.
D. Complete devotion to artistic creation.
此题答案选B。答案的直接依据是文章中的Many creative thinkers state that they have completely devoted themselves to the subject matter of the problem, often over fairly long periods of time. Indeed, it would be strange if they had not done this 这两句话。从句意和句子结构上看,this在此指代的应是they have completely devoted themselves to the subject matter of the problem, often over fairly long periods of time,比较四个选项,只有B与之吻合,因为选项中的long-time与原文中的over fairly long periods of time属同义表达,选项中的study of the subject matter 与原文中的devoted themselves to the subject matter of the problem属同义表达。
四、词义猜测题
即要求考生根据一定的上下文猜测生词的词义。它是高考英语阅读理解中的一个难点,同学们应引起充分重视。猜测生词词义的方法很多,常用的有同义解释法、因果推断法、前后对比法、基本构词法、语境理解法、举例说明法、常识背景法、类属分析法等。请看2005年安徽卷中一道词义猜测题:
More American people take their troubles with them on holiday, according to a new survey. Although 40 percent said that the main reason for going away is to escape pressure(压力) from work, almost all said they worry more than they do at home. Only four in every 100 said that they are happy and free of care.
The underlined word “survey” in the first paragraph most probably means ______.
A. research B. review C. exhibition D. examination
此题答案选A。比较四个选项,同时结合常识,文中所提到的事实和数据应该是“调查和研究”得出的(其他几个选项可排除)。
五、推理判断题
即要求考生在理解原文表面文字信息的基础上,作出一定的判断和推理,从而得出文章的隐含意义和深层意义。推理判断题属于主观性较强的高层次阅读理解题,做这类题目时,同学们应严格依据作者所陈述的细节、事实以及作者的措词、态度和语气等,找出能够表露作者思想倾向和感情色彩的词语,然后利用自己已获得的相关知识进行推理判断,从而得出符合逻辑的结论。此时应特别注意:当问及作者的看法、意图与态度时,不要误认为是在问“你”(考生)的想法,而是作者本人在字里行间所表述的观点。请看2005年全国卷中的一个段落:
Now the task I face in harvesting the fruit is twofold: First, I have to find the red ones among the leaves, which means I almost have to stand on my head, and once found I have to reach down and under, pick the tomatoes and withdraw(缩回) my full fist without dropping the prize so dearly won. I found two full-blown white roses completely hidden as I picked tomatoes in June, but they were weak and the leaves already yellow for lack of light.
By saying “the prize so dearly won” in paragraph 5, the writer wants to ______.
A. show the difficulty in picking the tomatoes
B. show the hardship of growing the roses
C. express her liking for the roses
D. express her care for the tomatoes
本文大意讲的是作者在春天偶然栽种的一棵西红柿长成后非常大,影响到园中的玫瑰花,作者在享受西红柿美味的同时,又难以割舍珍贵的玫瑰花,面对两种选择,作者举棋不定。
此题要求考生推测作者说the prize so dearly won的意图,属推理判断题。此题答案选A,其推理依据主要有以下几点:一是作者在第1句用了 the task一词,将摘西红柿看成是一项“任务”;二是作者在三个地方用了have to,表示摘西红柿不容易;三是作者还用了stand on my head, reach down and under…等夸张性用词,充分说明了摘西红柿的难度。比较四个选项,显然只有选项A。
请再看一道高考真题实例:
Maybe ten-year-old Elizabeth put it best when she said to her father. “But, Dad, you can’t be healthy if you’re dead.”
Dad, in a hurry to get home before dark so he could go for a run, had forgotten to wear his safety belt—a mistake 75% of the US population make every day. The big question is why.
Why did Elizabeth say to her father, “But, Dad, you can’t be healthy if you’re dead?
A. He was driving at great speed.
B. He was running across the street.
C. He didn’t have his safety belt on.
D. He didn’t take his medicine on time.
10岁的女儿对父亲说:“爸爸,你若死了,也就不可能健康了。”女儿为什么这样说呢?下文告诉我们:父亲匆匆忙忙在天黑之前开车赶回家,以便跑步锻炼身体,但却在开车回家时忘记系安全带。显然女儿是在责备父亲未系安全带开车,由此可推知答案应选 C。
高考英语阅读理解的常见题型
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