新托福考試中的閱讀時很多考生不容易引起重視的一項,因為絕大部分考生感覺在托福考試中托福閱讀是自己的強項,對於強項過多的重視是不必要的。然而這種認知不一定準確。通過很多案例發現不少這樣的學員,自認新托福閱讀考試還不錯的,實際考出來的分數隻有 22 分左右,甚至會更低。
ETS 對閱讀高水平 ( High level ) 的評定標準是 22 — 30 分。而事實上,閱讀如果達不到 25 分以上,總分想要過百會比較困難,因為這相當於把掙分的壓力轉移到瞭大部分人比較弱的聽力、口語、寫作上面。由此可見,閱讀取得高分對於獲得百分以上的托福成績是一種保證 !
托福閱讀中的細節題其實不難,但前提是定位的點要對,比如下面這個例題:
Two species of deer have been prevalent in the Puget Sound area of Washington State in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. The black-tailed deer, a lowland, west-side cousin of the mule deer of eastern Washington, is now the most common. The other species, the Columbian white-tailed deer, in earlier times was common in the open prairie country, it is now restricted to the low, marshy islands and flood plains along the lower Columbia River.
According to paragraph 1, which of the following is true of the white-tailed deer of Puget Sound?
A. It is native to lowlands and marshes.
B. It is more closely related to the mule deer of eastern Washington than to other types of deer.
C. It has replaced the black-tailed deer in the open prairie.
D. It no longer lives in a particular type of habitat that it once occupied.
這是一個典型的細節題,在該題題幹中,有的考生會選擇 Puget Sound 作為關鍵詞回原文定位,因為它是專有名詞,在文中會比較顯眼。但是如果一旦選擇瞭這個地名,勢必會定位在該段的第一句話,托福細節題往往是定位在哪句就在哪句找答案,這樣的話考生是選不出正確答案的,因為定位不精確。其實正確的關鍵詞應該是 white-tailed deer,這個用連字符連接的詞在文章中也是比較醒目的,按該詞定位應是該段最後一句話。所以根據它的意思應該選 D 項。其中 A 項與原句意思不符,B 和 C 都與定位句信息無關。我們再來看另外一個否定事實細節題的例子:
Plant communities assemble themselves flexibly, and their structure depends on the particular history of the area. Ecologists use the term "succession" to refer to the changes that happen in plant communities and ecosystems over time. The first community in a succession is called a pioneer community, while the long-lived community at the end of succession is called a climax community. Pioneer and successional plant communities are said to change over periods from 1 to 500 years. These changes — in plant numbers and the mix of species — are cumulative. Climax communities themselves change but over periods of time greater than about 500 years.
According to paragraph 1, which of the following is NOT true of climax communities?
A. They occur at the end of a succession.
B. They last longer than any other type of community.
C. The numbers of plants in them and the mix of species do not change
D. They remain stable for at least 500 years at a time.
這個題大傢都會選擇用 climax communities 去定位,但在定位過程中會出現很多問題。首先考生要學會跳躍式定位,即根據文章中特殊的標點符號以及最醒目的詞來搜索我們真正需要的關鍵詞。文中的 particular 是加瞭陰影的,succession 是在引號裡面的,都非常醒目,通過看這兩個詞我們會發現它們附近沒有我們需要的東西 ; 再比較突出的就是數字及破折號,在 500 的上方有 a climax community,但它是單數,與題幹關鍵詞不完全匹配,細節題講究的是精確定位,所以我們應該選擇 500 斜下方的 Climax communities,即該段的最後一句話。
否定事實細節題的出題思路有兩種:一是無中生有,即根據定位點的內容,四個選項隻有一個沒有提到,這種思路多適用於選項比較簡短的題目 ; 二是張冠李戴,即根據定位點的內容表述,隻有一個選項與之矛盾,這種思路多適應於選項比較長的題目。就這個例題而言,根據定位的最後一句話,從表述上來說跟它相關的隻有 C 和 D 兩個選項,D 項的意思與原句相符,而 C 項與原句矛盾,所以正確答案是 C。綜上所述,做新托福閱讀的細節題,最重要的一點就是要盡量地去精確定位。、
以上是托福閱讀中怎樣攻破題目的內容,希望大傢可以從中學到一些經驗或者吸取一些教訓,小編不建議大傢把別人的方法照搬全抄,還是要以自己的策略為大前提,別人的經驗經過仔細揣摩後可以用來完善自己的備考策略
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