第二節(jié)　主旨題閱讀公式及真題講解

主旨類試題主要考查考生對文章中心思想的理解程度和對主要信息和次要信息的辨別能力。這類問題的提問形式如下：

1.The key point of the passage is that＿＿＿.

2.The main（central，principal）idea（topic，subject）of the passage is about＿＿＿.

3.The article is written to explain＿＿＿.

4.The passage is mainly（chiefly）about＿＿＿.

5.Which of the following best reflects the main idea of the article？

6.Which statement best expresses the main idea（central thought）of the essay？

7.The theme of the passage is＿＿＿.

8.The best summary of the passage（paragraph）is.

9.What does the article（author）mainly discuss？

10.The passage is chiefly concerned with＿＿＿.

11.Which of the following statements best summarizes the main idea of the passage（paragraph）？

12.Which of the following is the best conclusion of the passage（paragraph）？

13．The original title of this passage can be probably replaced by＿＿＿.

14．What is the best title for this passage？

15．What is the passagemainly concerned about？

16．Where do you think the passage is taken from？

17．In the first paragraph，the authormainly tells us＿＿＿.

18．The author’smain purpose in writing the passage is to＿＿＿.

雖然這些題目的提問方式多種多樣，但基本上體現(xiàn)了三種命題方式：

第一種是Main Idea類型。最典型的、最常見的提問方式是：What is the main idea/ point of this passage？這類題目的答案選項的表達形式是陳述句，要求考生找出體現(xiàn)文章主要內(nèi)容、中心思想的句子。

第二種是Main Topic類型。最典型的、最常見的提問方式是：What is the main topic/subject of this passage？和What is the best title for this passage？這類題目的答案選項的表達形式通常是名詞性詞組。

第三種是Main Purpose類型。最典型的、最常見的提問方式是：What is the author’s main purpose in writing the passage？這類題目的答案選項的表達形式通常是以帶to的不定式引出的動賓結(jié)構(gòu)來表達。

不論是針對文章的中心內(nèi)容提問還是要求給文章選定合適的標題，還是要求選定作者的寫作目的，最根本的都是要求考生能夠概括文章的中心思想。下面兩套主旨題閱讀公式可以幫助考生迅速準確地抓住文章中心思想，從而排除干擾選項。

一、主旨題閱讀公式一

文章的主旨=全文的主旨句（thesis）=各段落主題句之和=各段落段意之和

分析閱讀段落的內(nèi)容、迅速捕捉文脈和段落主題句是閱讀考試中概括中心思想最常用、最便捷的方法。在本章第一節(jié)中我們已經(jīng)分析了辨別和捕捉段落主題句的方法，以及主題句的位置和表現(xiàn)形式。全篇文章是放大的段落，因而全文的主旨句和段落主題句功能相同，都是用來表達全文中心思想的。文章的其他部分不論是段落還是句子，均圍繞這一主旨句展開議論、描述或解釋說明。它通常以陳述句的形式出現(xiàn)，在文章中最常見的位置是第一段首句、第一段末句和全文末句等地方。有些文章沒有一個概括全文內(nèi)容的主旨句，而是每一段落中有概括該段主要內(nèi)容的主題句，這時只要把每段的主題句綜合起來大致就可以發(fā)現(xiàn)全文的主旨。此外，還有少數(shù)文章全文和各段落都沒有明顯的主題句，這時就需要考生自己先概括每一段的主要內(nèi)容，然后再將各段段意相加，就可大致歸納出全文的中心思想。

1.文章的主旨=全文的主旨句（thesis）

（1）首段首句。很多英文文章都喜歡開門見山，一開始就明確提出全文論述的主要觀點或主要說明的內(nèi)容。接下去的段落和句子內(nèi)容就會進一步具體地闡述或說明文章的主旨。這類文章的結(jié)構(gòu)通常是從一般到具體，是典型的演繹模式的文章。全文的主題句就是文章的首段首句。

例1：

Taste is such a subjective matter that we don’t usually conduct preference tests for food.The most you can say about anyone’s preference，is that it’s one person’s opinion.But because the two big cola（可樂飲料）companies—Coca-Cola and Pepsi Cola are marketed so aggressively，we’ve wondered how big a role taste preference actually plays in brand loyalty.We set up a taste test that challenged people who identified themselves as either Coca-Cola or Pepsi fans：Find your brand in a blind tasting.

We invited staff volunteers who had a strong liking for either Coca-Cola Classic（傳統(tǒng)型）or Pepsi，Diet（低糖的）Coke，or Diet Pepsi.These were people who thought they’d have no trouble telling their brand from the other brand.

We eventually located 19 regular cola drinkers and 27 diet cola drinkers.Then we fed them four unidentified samples of cola one at a time，regular colas for the one group，diet versions for the others.We asked them to tell us whether each sample was Coke or Pepsi；then we analyzed the records statistically to compare the participants’choices with what mere guess-work could have accomplished.

Getting all four samples right was a tough test，but not too tough，we thought，for people who believed they could recognize their brand.In the end，only 7 out of 19 regular cola drinkers correctly identified their brand of choice in all four trials.The diet-cola drinkers did a little worse—only 7 of 27 identified all four samples correctly.

While both groups did better than chance would predict，nearly half the participants in each group made the wrong choice two or more times.Two people got all four samples wrong.Overall，half the participants did about as well on the last round of tasting as on the first，so fatigue，or taste burnout，was not a factor.Our preference test results suggest that only a few Pepsi participants and Coke fans may really be able to tell their favorite brand by taste and price.

Question：

The author’s purpose in writing this passage is to＿＿＿.

A.show that taste preference is highly subjective

B.argue that taste testing is an important marketing strategy

C.emphasize that taste and price are closely related to each other

D.recommend that blind tasting be introduced in the quality control of colas

這是一篇非常典型的實驗報告性說明文，旨在通過實驗說明在品嘗食品上個人口味具有極強的主觀性。文章開門見山，第一句就點出了全文的主旨，這一句又是全文的主題句（thesis）。后面分別介紹了所做實驗的目的、對象、方法和過程及其發(fā)現(xiàn)和結(jié)論。這類實驗報告性說明文通常會涉及實驗的內(nèi)容。在閱讀這類文章時，把握了實驗的內(nèi)容就等于把握了文章的全部。在這里，最重要的是實驗的目的和結(jié)論，因為這兩方面是把握文章主旨的關(guān)鍵。本文首先介紹了所做實驗的目的：個人口味在消費者對可樂品牌的忠誠度上有多大的影響。圍繞這一實驗?zāi)康?，在對可口可樂和百事可樂的忠誠消費者中間僅憑個人口感而不知其可樂品牌的情況下測試消費者分辨自己所喜愛的品牌的能力，最后得出的結(jié)論是：僅有極少數(shù)的受測者能憑著可樂的口感和價格斷定是否是自己喜愛的品牌。作者介紹該實驗的目的只有一個，即想要證明全文的主旨——文章的首句。就這道題目而言，把握住全文的主旨句就等于找到了答案。所剩的工作就是在答案選項中找出與這句話表述最為相似的表述即可。本題的正確答案是A選項。

例2：

The media can impact current events.As a graduate student at Berkeley in the 1960s，I remember experiencing the events related to the People’s Park that were occurring on campus.Some of these events were given national media coverage in the press and on TV.I found it interesting to compare my impressions of what was going on with perceptions obtained from the news media.I could begin to see events of that time feed on news coverage.This also provided me with some healthy insights into the distinctions between these realities.

Electronic media are having a greater impact on the people’s lives every day.People gather more and more of their impressions from representations.Television and telephone communications are linking people to a global village，or what one writer calls the electronic city.Consider the information that television brings into your home every day.Consider also the contact you have with others simply by using telephone.These media extend your consciousness and your contact.For example，the video coverage of the 1989 San Francisco earthquake focused on“l(fā)ive action”such as the fires or the rescue efforts.This gave the viewer the impression of total disaster.Television coverage of the Iraqi War also developed an immediacy.CNN reported events as they happened.This coverage was distributed worldwide.Although most people were far away from these events，they developed some perception of these realities.

In 1992，many people watched in horror as riots broke out on a sad Wednesday evening in Los Angeles，seemingly fed by video coverage from helicopters.This event was triggered by the verdict（裁定）in the Rodney King beating.We are now in an age where the public can have access to information that enables it to make its own judgments，and most people，who had seen the video of this beating，could not understand how the jury（陪審團）was able to acquit（宣布無罪）the policemen involved.Media coverage of events as they occur also provides powerful feedback that influences events.This can have harmful results，as it seemed on that Wednesday night in Los Angeles.By Friday night the public got to see Rodney King on television pleading，“Can we all get along？”by Saturday，television seemed to provide positive feedback as Los Angeles riot turned out into a rally for peace.The television showed thousands of people marching with banners and cleaning tools.Because of that，many people turned out to join the peaceful event they saw unfolding（展開）on television.The real healing，of course，will take much longer，but electronic media will continue to be a part of that process.（1999年第三篇）

Question：

The best title for the passage is＿＿＿.

A.The 1989 San Francisco Earthquake and the 1992 Los Angeles Riots

B.How Media Cover Events

C.The 1992 Los Angeles Riots

D.The Impact of Media on Current Events

這是一篇典型的論說文。文章通過幾個事例清楚地表明了媒體對時事的巨大影響。在做題時，可先套用主旨≈全文主題句這一公式在B和D兩個選項中作出選擇。原文第一段的段首句“The media can impact current events”就是全文的主題句。B是文章根本未涉及的內(nèi)容。第二段的主題句是段首句“Electronic media are having a greater impact on the people’s lives every day”；第三段沒有主題句，只是舉了一個說明媒體對時事報道影響的具體事例。這兩段的主要內(nèi)容再次驗證了文章的主題是探討媒體對時事報道的影響。因此，不難看出本文最好的題目是答案D。然后可再結(jié)合排除法做題，排除A和C兩個選項，這兩個選項都是具體例子，屬于細節(jié)內(nèi)容。

（2）首段末句。英文文章的結(jié)構(gòu)很有規(guī)律性，除了開門見山類的文章外，還有很多文章將首段作為文章的引入部分，通過舉例子、講故事、描述某種社會現(xiàn)象來引出文章要探討的主題。這類文章的全文主旨句最常出現(xiàn)的位置就是首段末句。它不僅是全文中心思想的概括，往往還是第一段主要內(nèi)容的總結(jié)。這類文章中應(yīng)當(dāng)特別注意批駁型論說文的特點。文章首段往往提出作者反對的一個觀點，在表示強轉(zhuǎn)折的連接詞“but，however，yet”等后出現(xiàn)的首段末句才是作者真正的觀點，也是全文的主旨句。考生還應(yīng)當(dāng)注意：有時候這類文章的引入部分不止一段，可能是兩段或三段，這時要記住全文的主旨句通常在整個引入部分的末句。

例3：

The way people hold to the belief that a fun-filled，pain-free life equals happiness actually reduces their chances of ever attaining real happiness.If fun and pleasure are equal to happiness then pain must be equal to unhappiness.But in fact，the opposite is true：more often than not things that lead to happiness involve some pain.

As a result，many people avoid the very attempts that are the source of true happiness.They fear the pain inevitably brought by such things as marriage，raising children，professional achievement，religious commitment（承擔(dān)的義務(wù)），self-improvement.

Ask a bachelor（單身漢）why he resists marriage even though he finds dating to be less and less satisfying.If he is honest he will tell you that he is afraid of making a commitment.For commitment is in fact quite painful.The single life is filled with fun，adventure，excitement.Marriage has such moments，but they are not its most distinguishing features.

Couples with infant children are lucky to get a whole night’s sleep or a three-day vacation.Idon’t know any parent who would choose the word fun to describe raising children.But couples who decide not to have children never know the joys of watching a child grow up or of playing with a grandchild.

Understanding and accepting that true happiness has nothing to do with fun is one of the most liberating realizations.It liberates time：now we can devote more hours to activities that can genuinely increase our happiness.It liberates money：buying that new car or those fancy clothes that will do nothing to increase our happiness now seems pointless.And it liberates us from envy：we now understand that all those who are always having so much fun actually may not be happy at all.

Question：

What is the author trying to tell us？

A.Happiness often goes hand in hand with pain.

B.One must know how to attain happiness.

C.It is important to make commitments.

D.It is pain that leads to happiness.

這就是一篇典型的批駁型論說文。文章首段首句提出了要批駁的觀點：很多人認為充滿快樂、沒有痛苦的生活就是幸福的，并且指出這種觀點會給人們帶來的不利影響：會減少他們獲得真正幸福的機會。在首段末句中表示強轉(zhuǎn)折的“But”之后，作者提出了自己的觀點：能給人們帶來真正幸福的事情往往會帶著些許痛苦。這句話才是全文的主旨句。在答案選項中和它最為相似的表述是A選項，意思是幸福和痛苦常常密不可分。文章首段之后的部分就是在一步一步地論證作者觀點的正確性。在文章的第二、三、四段，作者從正反兩面分析說明能給人們帶來真正幸福的事業(yè)、婚姻、養(yǎng)育子女等都不能簡單地用充滿快樂來形容，因為這些往往就意味著承諾和付出，會給人帶來一定的痛苦；但是，如果人們因為懼怕痛苦而回避它們，人們也會失去獲得真正幸福的機會。在文章末段，作者有力地闡述了接受他的觀點能給人們帶來的好處：可以使人們節(jié)省時間金錢、擺脫嫉妒等不良的個人偏見。

例4：

Revenge is one of those things that everyone enjoys.People don’t like to talk about it，though.Just the same，there is nothing more satisfying or more rewarding than revenge.The purpose is not to harm your victims but to let them know that you are upset about something that they are doing to you.Careful plotting can provide you with relief from bothersome coworkers，gossiping friends，or nagging family m embers.

Coworkers who make comments about the fact that you are always fifteen minutes late for work can be taken care of very simply.All you have to do is get up extra early one day.Before the sun comes up，drive to each coworker’s house.Reach under the hood of your coworker’s car and disconnect the center wire that leads to the distributor cap，the car will be unharmed，but it will not start，and your friends at work will all be late for work on the same day.If you’re lucky，your boss might notice that you are the only one there and will give you a raise.

Gossiping friends at school are also perfect targets for a simple act of revenge.A way to trap either male or female friends is to leave phony messages on their lockers.If the friend that you want to get is male，leave a message that a certain girl would like him to stop by her house later that day.With any luck，her boyfriend will be there.The girl won’t know what’s going on，and the victim will be so embarrassed that he probably won’t leave his home for a month.

When Mom and Dad and your sisters and brothers really begin to annoy you，harmless revenge may be just the way to make them quiet down for a while.The dinner table is a likely place.Just before the meal begins，throw a handful of raisins into the food.Wait about five minutes and，after everyone has begun to eat，cover your mouth with your hand and begin to make odd noises.When they ask you what the matter is，point to a raisin and yell，“Bugs！”They’ll dump their food in the disposal，jump into the car，and head for McDonald’s.That night，you’ll have your first quiet，peaceful meal in a long time.

A well-planned revenge does not have to hurt anyone.The object is simply to let other people know that they are beginning to bother you.（1997年第四篇）

Question：

The main topic of the passage is how to＿＿＿.

A.avoid nagging family members

B.silence gossiping friends

C.make a harmless revenge

D.deal with bothersome coworkers

本文主要介紹了如何對你不喜歡的同事、朋友、親戚進行無傷害的報復(fù)，實際上就是通過巧妙策劃、精心安排來對他們搞一些惡作劇。在做題時，可套用公式：主旨≈全文主題句（thesis statement）和主旨≠文章某一部分的內(nèi)容。全文的主題句就是第一段最后一句：Careful plotting can provide you with relief from bothersome coworkers，gossiping friends，or nagging family members.這句話概括了第二、三、四段的內(nèi)容，由此可以看出A、B、D選項都只是文章某一段的內(nèi)容，不夠全面，因此不能作為全文主旨。只有C選項是對全文內(nèi)容的概括。

（3）全文末句。主旨句直到全文末段才出現(xiàn)的情況往往是歸納模式的論說文或說明文。這類文章在同等學(xué)力人員考研英語閱讀中比較少見。比較多見的是文章首、末兩段都有全文主旨句，這時末段的主旨句常常是首段主旨句的重述，旨在強調(diào)文章的主旨。

例5：

Most people would agree that，although our age exceeds all previous ages in knowledge，there has been no corresponding increase in wisdom.But agreement ceases as soon as we attempt to define“wisdom”and consider means of promoting it.

There are several factors that contribute to wisdom.Of these I put first a sense of proportion：the capacity to take account of all the important factors in a problem and to attach to each its due weight.This has become more difficult than it used to be owing to the extent and complexity of the special knowledge required of various kinds of technicians.Suppose，for example，that you are engaged in research in scientific medicine.You have no time to consider the effect which your discoveries or inventions may have outside the field of medicine.You succeed（let us say）as modern medicine has succeeded，in enormously lowering the infant death-rate，not only in Europe and America，but also in Asia and Africa.This has the entirely unintended result of making the food supply inadequate and lowering the standard of life in the parts of the world that have the greatest populations.To take an even more dynamic example，which is in everybody’s mind at the present time；you study the make up of the atom from a disinterested desire for knowledge，and by chance place in hands of a powerful madman the means of destroying the human race.

Therefore，with every increase of knowledge and skill，wisdom becomes more necessary，for every such increase augments our capacity for realizing our purposes，and therefore augments our capacity for evil，if our purposes are unwise.

Question：

What is the main idea of the passage？

A.It is unwise to place the results of scientific research in the hands of a powerful mad man.

B.The more knowledge one has，the wiser one becomes.

C.Any increase in knowledge could lead to disastrous results without the guidance of wisdom.

D.Wisdom increases in proportion to one’s age.

這是一篇典型的歸納類型論說文。文章第一段首先指出，人們普遍認為我們這個時代在知識領(lǐng)域已經(jīng)超越了以往任何時代，但在智慧方面卻沒有相應(yīng)的增長。第二段指出，在影響智慧的諸多因素中，是否具備綜觀全局、正確判斷在一個問題中每個重要因素的作用和地位的能力至關(guān)重要，因為如果缺乏這種能力，人們所取得的成就往往會給人們帶來意想不到的惡果。文章末段是全文的主旨句，強調(diào)指出：隨著知識和技能的增長，人們更需要智慧的引導(dǎo)，因為如果沒有智慧來引導(dǎo)我們，這種知識和技能的增長在增強人們達到自己目的的能力的同時，也隨之不可避免地增添了他們干壞事的能力。正確答案C選項就是對這句話的詮釋。

例6：

Nowadays，we hear a lot about the growing threat of globalisation，accompanied by those warnings that the rich pattern of local life is being undermined，and many dialects and traditions are becoming extinct.But stop and think for a moment about them any positive aspects that globalisation is bringing Read on and you are bound to feel comforted，ready to face the global future，which is surely inevitable now.

Consider the Internet，that prime example of our shrinking world.Leaving aside the alltoo-familiar worries about pornography and political extremism，even the most narrow-minded must admit that the net offers immeasurable benefits，not just in terms of education，the sector for which it was originally designed，but more importantly on a global level，the spread of news and comment.It will be increasingly difficult for politicians to maintain their regimes of misinformation，as the oppressed will not only find support and comfort，but also be able to organize themselves more effectively.

MTV is another global provider that is often criticized for imposing popular culture on the unsuspecting millions around the world.Yet the viewers’judgment on MTV is undoubtedly positive；it is regarded as indispensable by most of the global teenage generation who watch it，a vital part of growing up.And in the final analysis，what harm can a few songs and videos cause？

Is the world dominance of brands like Nike and Coca-Cola so had for us，when all is said and done？Sportswear and soft drinks are harmless products when compared to the many other things that have been globally available for a longer period of time—heroin and cocaine，for example.In any case，just because Nike shoes and Coke cans are for sale，it doesn’t mean you have to buy them—even globalisation cannot deprive the individual of his freewill.

Critics of globalisation can stop issuing their doom and gloom statements.Life goes on，and has more to offer for many citizens of the world than it did for their parents’generation.（2003年第五篇）

Question：

Which of the following could be the best title of the passage？

A.Globalisation is Standardization

B.Globalisation：Like It or Lump It

C.Globalisation：Don’t Worry，Be Happy

D.Gloalisation Brings Equality

本文是一篇典型的駁斥性論說文。作者通過分析網(wǎng)絡(luò)、MTV、運動服裝和軟飲料等經(jīng)濟全球化的標志性事物的出現(xiàn)給我們生活帶來的便利，表明了自己對全球化趨勢的認可。全文主題句出現(xiàn)在第一段段末，意思是：我們應(yīng)當(dāng)想想全球化給我們生活帶來的便利，讓我們坦然面對全球化的到來。這一主旨在文章的最后一段再次得到重述。

2.文章的主旨=各段落主題句之和

在沒有全文主旨句的文章中，利用在本章第一節(jié)提到的抓段落主題句的閱讀方法，迅速準確地找到文章各段的主題句就成了把握全文中心思想的關(guān)鍵。

例1：

Americans are proud of their variety and individuality，yet they love and respect few things more than a uniform，whether it is the uniform of an elevator operator or the uniform of a five-star general.Why are uniforms so popular in the United States？

Among the arguments for uniform s，one of the first is that in the eyes of most people they look more professional than civilian（百姓的）clothes.People have become conditioned to expect superior quality from a man who wears a uniform.The television repairman who wears a uniform tends to inspire more trust than one who appears in civilian clothes.Faith in the skill of a garage mechanic is increased by a uniform.What an easier way is there for a nurse，a policeman，a barber，or a waiter to lose professional identity（身份）than to step out of uniform？

Uniform s also have many practical benefits.They save on other clothes.They save on laundry bills.They are tax-deductible（可減稅的）.They are often more comfortable and more durable than civilian clothes.

Primary among the arguments against uniforms is their lack of variety and the consequent loss of individuality experienced by people who must wear them.Though there are many types of uniforms，the wearer of any particular type is generally stuck with it，without change，until retirement.When people look alike，they tend to think，speak，and act similarly，on the job at least.

Uniform s also give rise to some practical problems.Though they are long-lasting，often their initial expense is greater than the cost of civilian clothes.Some uniforms are also expensive to maintain，requiring professional dry cleaning rather than the home laundering possible with many types of civilian clothes.

Question：

The best title for this passage would be＿＿＿.

A.Uniforms and Society

B.The Importance of Wearing a Uniform

C.Practical Benefits of Wearing a Uniform

D.Advantages and Disadvantages of Uniforms

本文是一篇典型的正反觀點對比的論說文。首段是文章的引入部分，首先引出本文要談?wù)摰闹饕掝}——在美國制服頗受人們的喜愛和尊敬。首段末句是承上啟下的連接句，引出了第二、三段的內(nèi)容。第二、三段主要分析了制服深受人們喜愛和尊敬的原因。其中，第二段分析了人們格外喜歡制服的主要原因是：穿制服比穿普通衣服顯得更專業(yè)一些；第三段列舉了穿制服可以節(jié)省其他衣服、可以減稅等許多實際的好處。第四、五兩段列舉了一些人反對穿制服的理由。其中，第四段談到了這些人反對穿制服最主要的理由是：制服缺乏變化，因而穿制服會使人喪失個性；第五段列舉了穿制服可能給人帶來的一些麻煩，例如：購買和養(yǎng)護制服都比普通的衣服要貴。其實，在做這道主旨題時不需把文章了解得如此清楚，只需抓住各段的主題句——第二、三、四、五段的段首句，就可以回答問題了。很明顯，文章既涉及了制服的有利之處，也談到了制服的不利方面，因此正確答案是D選項。

例2：

In the USA，85% of the population over the age of 21 approve of the death penalty.In the many states which still have the death penalty，some use the electrical chair，which can take up to 20minutes to kill，while others use gas or lethal injection.

The first of these was the case of Ruth Ellis who was hanged for shooting her lover in what was generally regarded as a crime of passion.The second was hanged for murders which，it was later proved，had been committed by someone else.

The pro-hanging lobby uses four main arguments to support its call for the reintroduction of capital punishment.First，there is the deterrence theory，which argues that the potential murderers would think twice before committing the act if they knew that they might die if they were caught.The armed bank robber might，go back to being unarmed.

The other two arguments are m ore suspect.The idea of retribution demands that criminals should get what they deserve：if a murderer intentionally set out to commit a crime，he should accept the consequences.Retribution，which is just another word for revenge，is supported by the religious doctrine of an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.

The arguments against the death penalty are largely humanitarian.But there are also statistical reasons for opposing it：the deterrence figure do not add up.In Britain，1903 was the record for executions and yet in 1904 the number of murders actually rose.There was a similar occurrence in 1946 and 1947.If the deterrence theory were correct，the rate should have fallen.

The other reasons to oppose the death penalty are largely a mater of individual conscience and belief.One is that murder is murder and the state has no more right to take a life than the individual.The other is Christianity advises forgiveness，not revenge.（1997年第一篇）

Question：

The passage is mainly about＿＿＿.

A.the argument in favor of the death penalty

B.the argument against the death penalty

C.the argument about the reintroduction of the death penalty

D.the argument about the abolition of the death penalty

這是一篇關(guān)于美國人對死刑態(tài)度的說明文。從每一段的主題句可以看出第一段主要講美國大多數(shù)人贊成執(zhí)行死刑以及各種執(zhí)行死刑的方式；第二段列舉了歷史上兩個死刑執(zhí)行的案例；第三、四段介紹了人們贊成重新實施死刑的依據(jù)；第五、六段介紹了人們反對實施死刑的理由。由此可以看出，本文對是否應(yīng)該恢復(fù)執(zhí)行死刑這一問題正反兩方面的觀點進行了客觀的介紹，不摻雜任何作者個人的態(tài)度，因此應(yīng)該首先排除含有作者主觀意見的A、B兩個選項。此外，D選項說的是死刑的廢除，和文章主旨不符，因此正確答案是C選項。

3.文章的主旨=各段落段意之和

閱讀中也有少數(shù)文章的各段落中沒有明顯的主題句，這就給把握全文主旨增加了一定的難度。遇到這種文章時，一種辦法是自己總結(jié)各段的主要內(nèi)容，然后將各段內(nèi)容相加得到全文主旨。另一種辦法是套用下文將要提到的排除法公式做題。在總結(jié)各段的主要內(nèi)容時，可以利用本書第一篇中提到的文章篇章結(jié)構(gòu)的知識，特別是可以體現(xiàn)主題的核心詞語的重復(fù)出現(xiàn)來把握主旨。

例1：

Researchers have established that when people are mentally engaged，biochemical changes occur in the brain that allow it to act more effectively in cognitive areas such as attention and memory.This is true regardless of age.

People will be alert and receptive if they are faced with information that gets them to think about things they are interested in.And someone with a history of doing more rather than less will go into old age more cognitively sound than someone who has not had an active mind.

Many experts are so convinced of the benefits of challenging the brain that they are putting the theory to work in their own lives.“The idea is not necessarily to learn to memorize enormous amounts of information.”Says James Fozard，associate director of the National Institute on Aging.“Most of us don’t need that kind of skill.Such specific training is of less interest than being able to maintain mental alertness.”Fozard and others say they challenge their brains with different mental skills，both because they enjoy them and because they are sure that their range of activities will help the way their brains work.

Gene Cohen，acting director of the same institute，suggests that people in their old age should engage in mental and physical activities individually as well as in groups.Cohen says that we are frequently advised to keep physically active as we age，but older people need to keep mentally active as well.Those who do are more likely to maintain their intellectual abilities and to be generally happier and better adjusted.“The point is，you need to do both.”Cohen says.Intellectual activity actually influences brain-cell health and size.

Question：

What is the passage mainly about？

A.How biochemical changes occur in the human brain.

B.Why people should keep active not only physically but also mentally.

C.How intellectual activities influence brain-cell health.

D.Why people should receive special mental training as they age.

本文是一篇調(diào)查研究類型的論說文。文章第一段指出研究者認為人們動腦時，腦部的注意力和記憶力這些認知區(qū)域的活動會更活躍、更有效。第二段指出如果人們能多思考他們感興趣的問題，當(dāng)他們老的時候會比沒這么做的人具有更強的認知能力。第三段介紹了這些研究者深信這一理論并將它付諸實踐，不斷用各種活動來挑戰(zhàn)自己的大腦。文章的第四段點出了全文的觀點：老年人不僅應(yīng)該有健康的身體，還應(yīng)有健康的頭腦；第一、二段說明了為什么要這么做的理論依據(jù)；第三段提供了事實依據(jù)。因此，通過綜合各段的主要內(nèi)容可以判斷全文的主旨應(yīng)該是B選項所表達的。

例2：

Americans usually consider themselves a friendly people.Their friendships，however，tend to be shorter and more casual than friendships among people from other cultures.It is not uncommon for Americans to have only one close friend during their life-time，and consider other“friends”to be just social acquaintances.This attitude probably has something to do with American mobility and the fact that Americans do not like to be dependent on other people.They tend to“compartmentalize”（劃分）friendships，having“friends at work”，“friends on the softball team”，“family friends”，etc.

Because the United States is a highly active society，full of movement and change，people always seem to be on the go.In this highly charged atmosphere，Americans can sometimes seem brusque or impatient.They want to get to know you as quickly as possible and then move on to something else.Something，early on，they will ask you questions that you may feel are very personal.No insult is intended；the questions usually grow out of their genuine interest or curiosity，and their impatience to get to the heart of the matter.And the same does for you.If you do not understand certain American behavior or you want to know more about them，do not hesitate to ask them questions about themselves.Americans are usually more eager to explain all about their country or anything“American”in which you may be interested.In fact that you may become tired of listening.It doesn’t matter because Americans tend to be uncomfortable with silence during a conversation.They would rather talk about the weather or the latest sports scores，for example，than deal with silence.

On the other hand，don’t expect Americans to be knowledgeable about international geography or world affairs，unless those subjects directly involve the United States.Because the United States is not surrounded by many other nations，some Americans tend to ignore the rest of the world.（2001年第一篇）

Question：

The general topic of the passage is＿＿＿.

A.American culture　　　　 B.American society

C.Americans’activities　　D.Americans’personality

本文是一篇介紹美國人性格典型特征的論說文。由于文章主要探討的主題不是通過文章的主題句集中表達的，而是散落于各段當(dāng)中，因此做該題應(yīng)當(dāng)應(yīng)用主旨題答題的公式：主旨≈各段主要內(nèi)容之和。本文第一段主要講美國人對待友誼的態(tài)度；第二段主要講美國人看似無禮、不耐煩等性格特征；第三段主要講美國人對國際事務(wù)缺乏了解。不難看出，全文重在介紹美國人典型的性格特征，因此D項是正確答案。A選項American culture（美國文化）和B選項American society（美國社會）覆蓋面太廣，過于寬泛，而C選項Americans’activities（美國人的活動）與各段內(nèi)容不符。

二、主旨題閱讀公式二

文章的主旨≠文中的某一細節(jié)≠文中某一部分的主要內(nèi)容≠覆蓋面過廣的表述≠文章未涉及的內(nèi)容

這套主旨題做題公式主要用于排除法做題。特別適用于那些既沒有全文主旨句又沒有段落主題句的文章。對于這類文章，很多考生往往缺乏概括每一段落主要意思的能力，這時應(yīng)當(dāng)從答案選項入手，采取排除法做題，可以取得事半功倍的效果。本套公式就是考生用排除法做題去掉主旨題干擾項時應(yīng)當(dāng)參照的依據(jù)。本章第一節(jié)已經(jīng)清楚界定了文章主旨的相關(guān)概念，因此在用此套公式做題時，要首先排除只涉及了文章中某個具體事例或帶有具體的人名、地名的細節(jié)描述型選項；其次，要重點研究并排除最具有干擾力的一類選項，這類選項往往和主旨相關(guān)，但卻不夠全面，只涉及文章某一段或某幾段的內(nèi)容；再次，還要警惕那些放之四海而皆準的常識性表述。最后，還要排除那些文章中根本未提及的內(nèi)容，這些內(nèi)容往往和主題沾邊，但在文章有限的范圍內(nèi)未能被涉及。

例1：

The concept of“environment”is certainly difficult and may even be misunderstood；but we have no handy substitute.It seems simple enough to distinguish between the organism and the surrounding environment and to separate forces acting on an organism into those that are internal and biological and those that are external and environmental.But in actual practice this system breaks down in many ways，because the organism and the environment are constantly interacting so that the environment is modified by the organism and vice versa（反之亦然）.

In the case of man，the difficulties with the environmental concept are even more complicated because we have to deal with man as an animal and with man as a bearer（持有者）of culture.If we look at man as an animal and try to analyze the environmental forces that are acting on the organism，we find that we have to deal with things like climate，soil，plants，and such-like factors common to all biological situations；but we also find，always，very important environmental influences that we can only class as“cultural”，which modify the physical and biological factors.But man，as we know him，is always a bearer of culture；and，if we study human culture，we find that it，in turn，is modified by the environmental factors of climate and geography.We thus easily get into great difficulties from the necessity of viewing culture，at one moment，as a part of the man and，at another moment，as a part of the environment.

Question：

In this passage，the author is primarily concerned with＿＿＿.

A.the interpretation of the term“environment”

B.the discussion on the organisms and biological environment

C.the comparison between internal and external factors influencing man

D.the evaluation of man’s influence on culture

這是一篇典型的駁斥性論說文。第一段首先指出很多人對于環(huán)境這一概念的理解過于簡單。第一段第二句介紹了普通人對環(huán)境的理解，這正是本文要批駁的靶子。第一段最后一句在轉(zhuǎn)折詞“But”之后的部分是作者真正要表達的觀點，也是文章的主旨，即生物和環(huán)境是相互影響、相互作用的，因此在現(xiàn)實中很難區(qū)分出哪些是生物鏈的內(nèi)部因素，哪些是環(huán)境的外部因素。文章的第二段是以生物中最為復(fù)雜的人為例來進一步說明環(huán)境概念的復(fù)雜性，進一步申明作者自己的真實觀點，即人和環(huán)境是相互影響、相互作用的。雖然文章中有明顯的全文主旨句，但是這道主旨題的選項卻是用主題（subject）的形式來概括全文內(nèi)容的，而不是用主題句的形式，因此要做對這道題目，僅僅抓住了主旨句是不夠的，還必須結(jié)合主旨題閱讀公式二中所列舉的排除法做題原則來排除干擾項。B選項“關(guān)于生物體和生態(tài)環(huán)境的討論”只涉及了文章中某一部分內(nèi)容，而忽略了可以影響生物的外部環(huán)境因素。C選項“關(guān)于影響人的內(nèi)部因素和外部因素的比較”只涉及了文章第二段的內(nèi)容，不夠全面，而且對第二段的概括也不準確，因為該段根本沒有對這些因素進行比較。D選項“評價人對文化的影響”屬于文章中未涉及的內(nèi)容，因此，這三個選項都應(yīng)予以排除。只有A選項“對環(huán)境概念的解釋”全面、準確地概括了全文的內(nèi)容，故為正確答案。

例2：

The word science is heard so often in modern times that almost everybody has some notion of its meaning.On the other hand，its definition is difficult for many people.The meaning of the term is confused，but everyone should understand its meaning and objectives.Just to make the explanation as simple as possible，suppose science is defined as classified knowledge（facts）.

Even in the true sciences distinguishing fact from fiction is not always easy.For this reason great care should be taken to distinguish between beliefs and truths.There is no danger as long as a clear difference is made between temporary and proved explanations.For example，hypotheses（假設(shè)）and theories are attempts to explain natural phenomena.From these positions the scientist continues to experiment and observe until they are proved or discredited.The exact status of any explanation should be clearly labeled to avoid confusion.

The objectives of science are primarily the discovery and the subsequent understanding of the unknown.Man cannot be satisfied with recognizing that secrets exist in nature or that questions are unanswerable，he must solve them.Toward that end specialists in the field of biology and related fields of interest are directing much of their time and energy.

Actually，two basic approaches lead to the discovery of new information.One，aimed at studying curiosity，is referred to as pure science.The other is aimed at using knowledge for specific purposes—for instance，improving health，raising standards of living，or creating new consumer products.In this case knowledge is put to economic use.Such an approach is referred to as applied science.

Sometimes practical-minded people miss the point of pure science in thinking only of its immediate application for economic rewards.Chemists responsible for many of the discoveries could hardly have anticipated that their findings would one day result in application of such a practical nature as those directly related to life and death.The discovery of one bit of information opens the door to the discovery of another.Some discoveries seem so simple that one is amazed they were not made years ago；however，one should remember that the construction of the microscope had to precede the discovery of the cell.The host of scientists dedicating their lives to pure science are not apologetic about ignoring the practical side of their discoveries；they know from experience that most knowledge is eventually applied.（1999年第五篇）

Question：

The best title for the passage is＿＿＿.

A.Hypotheses and Theories　　　　　　　　 B.On Distinguishing Fact from Fiction

C.The Nature of Science and Scientists　　D.Biology and the Scientific Age

這篇文章是一篇典型的說明文。文章主要通過闡述理論科學(xué)和應(yīng)用科學(xué)的區(qū)別，揭示了科學(xué)本質(zhì)和科學(xué)家的使命。由于文章各段沒有明顯的主題句可以利用，所以在做主旨題時也要用到排除法做題，首先根據(jù)公式排除細節(jié)內(nèi)容A選項和B選項，再排除未涉及的內(nèi)容D選項，所剩的就只有正確答案C選項了。

上述例子說明在利用主旨題做題公式時，同時還要利用其他方法以求達到最迅速、最準確做題的目的，說明考生應(yīng)在初讀文章的時候，就應(yīng)當(dāng)格外留意文章的首尾兩段，甚至各個段落的首句和末句，并相應(yīng)地做出標記。在判斷選項時可結(jié)合排除法原則來排除明顯的干擾項，縮小考慮的范圍，減少閱讀量。