雅思閱讀高分解題技巧之配對(duì)題(下)
5、略讀文章,開(kāi)始解題
上述準(zhǔn)備工作完成之后,就可以開(kāi)始略讀文章來(lái)解題了。為了確保用最短的時(shí)間解題,考生應(yīng)當(dāng)熟悉略讀的方法。一般說(shuō)來(lái),找出段落的中心句,基本上就能把握文章的大意。但是,文章的寫(xiě)法千變?nèi)f化,如果把握西方人的寫(xiě)作方法,就可以比較容易地把中心句找出來(lái)。下面我們來(lái)看一下中心句出現(xiàn)的幾種類(lèi)型:
a.中心句在第一句
絕大多數(shù)的英語(yǔ)文章均采用演繹法 (deductive method) 來(lái)寫(xiě),也就是先出中心句,然后再寫(xiě)支持細(xì)節(jié) (supporting details) 。這個(gè)時(shí)候,判斷的標(biāo)準(zhǔn)就是看第二句話是否是支持細(xì)節(jié)。支持細(xì)節(jié)經(jīng)常會(huì)有以下特征:
a)有舉例信號(hào)詞: For example, for instance, sometimes, often 等。
b)有專(zhuān)有名詞,如人名、地名等。
c)有直接引語(yǔ)。
d)數(shù)字。
例 8 The role of governments in environmental management is difficult but inescapable. Sometimes, the state tries to manage the resources it owns, and does so badly. …. (劍 3, Test 2, Passage 2 )
Answer: Governments and management of the environment
在上述例子中, sometimes 是信號(hào)詞,標(biāo)志著前面是主旨句,后面是支持細(xì)節(jié)。因此只要根據(jù)第一句就能選出正確答案。
b.中心句在第二句或后半句
這種情況往往是由于第一句是讓步句、過(guò)渡句或者是介紹句導(dǎo)致的。讓步句的常見(jiàn)信號(hào)詞有: although/though, while, in spite of/ despite 等(重心在后半句);過(guò)渡句常見(jiàn)的信號(hào)詞有: not only…but also… (重心在后半句)。介紹句的情況不多,前半段用于介紹一個(gè)概念,而后半句才是真正的重點(diǎn)。
例 9 An intellectual breakthrough, brilliant though it may be, does not automatically ensure that the transition is made from theory to practice. Despite the fact that rockets had been used sporadically for several hundred years, they remained a relatively minor artefact of civilisation until the twentieth century. … (劍 3, Test 1, Passage 1 )
Answer: undeveloped for centuries
在這個(gè)例子中,第一句話是承上啟下用于引出主題,而第二句話用了一個(gè) Despite the fact that 結(jié)構(gòu)做出讓步,那么中心句自然就是后半句了。
例 10 While the Inuit may actually starve in hunting and trapping are curtailed by climate change, there has certainly been an impact on people’s health.(劍 6, Test 1, Passage 3 )
Answer: negative effects on well-being
讓步關(guān)系詞 While 放在句首通常表示“盡管”的意思,因此這句話的重心在后半句,即氣候變化對(duì)人們健康的影響。
c.中心句在轉(zhuǎn)折信號(hào)詞后
這種情況通常是由于作者之前陳述的觀點(diǎn)是不正確的,因此作者推翻之前的結(jié)論,而新的結(jié)論就在轉(zhuǎn)折詞之后。這類(lèi)轉(zhuǎn)折詞有 however, but 和 instead 等。
例 11 Merely restricting tourism cannot be the solution to the imbalance, because… Instead, communities in fragile regions must achieve greater control over tourism ventures in their regions, in order to balance their needs and aspirations with the demands of tourism. (劍 5, Test 4, Passage 1 )
Answer: How local communities can balance their own needs with the demands of wilderness tourism
這個(gè)段落的中心句埋藏位置很深,一定要跳躍中間三節(jié)支持細(xì)節(jié)才能找到中心句所在的段落。在最后一段中, instead 后面的內(nèi)容即是作者的觀點(diǎn)。
個(gè)別段落的第一句話與作者觀點(diǎn)直接相反,這時(shí)可以直接推斷出主題句。這類(lèi)句子有以下兩種情況:一、過(guò)去完成時(shí)或作者特別強(qiáng)調(diào)是過(guò)去的內(nèi)容;二、作者引用人們的觀點(diǎn)。
例 12 In the UK, travel times to work had been stable for at least six centuries… However, public infrastructure did not keep pace with urban sprawl, causing massive congestion problems which now make commuting times far higher. (劍 6 , Test 2, Passage 1 )
Answer: Increases in travelling time
第一句話使用了過(guò)去完成時(shí),很明顯作者暗示這是曾經(jīng)的情況,現(xiàn)在的情況一定是與之相反。因此正確選項(xiàng)就是把第一句的意思反過(guò)來(lái),不難選出。即便考生沒(méi)有發(fā)現(xiàn)第一句的“奧秘”,繼續(xù)往下找即可找到轉(zhuǎn)折點(diǎn) however ,后面的內(nèi)容則是直接交代了主題。
d.中心句在分散在段落中( A+B )
有些段落的段落大意僅根據(jù)一句話并不能判斷出來(lái),需要抓住文章中的兩句甚至幾句中心句。這種段落往往會(huì)有并列結(jié)構(gòu),如 also, in addition, furthermore 等。
例 13 Agriculture consumes about 70% of the world’s fresh water, so improvements in irrigation can make the greatest impact. … After agriculture, industry is the second biggest user of water… (劍 6, G 類(lèi) Test A, Section 3 )
Answer: The thirsty sectors
這段話中間有個(gè)并列關(guān)系詞 second ,那么答案自然就是前后兩層意思的相加了。
有時(shí) but 也有可能成為并列關(guān)系詞:
例14 The farms on the delta plains and fishing and aquaculture in the lagoons account for much of Egypt’s food supply. But by the time the sediment has come to rest in the fields and lagoons it is laden with municipal, industrial and agriculture waste from the Cairo region, which is home to more than 40 million people. (劍 5, Test 3, Passage 2 )
Answer: The threat to food production
第一句話是寫(xiě)尼羅河三角洲平原農(nóng)場(chǎng)的重要性, but 之后是說(shuō)垃圾的到來(lái)。兩句話意思相加,便知道大意是垃圾對(duì)食物生產(chǎn)的影響。
e.中心句在段落末句
這種情況在雅思閱讀中并不多見(jiàn),因?yàn)槲鞣饺藢?xiě)文章時(shí)較少使用歸納法 (inductive method) 。如果一個(gè)段落開(kāi)頭就開(kāi)始舉例,中間也沒(méi)有任何表達(dá)作者主旨的內(nèi)容, 那么就要考慮末句了。
例15 From this point of view, ‘scientific method’ may more usefully be thought of as a way of writing up research rather than a way of carrying it out.(劍 3, Test 1, passage 3 )
Answer: How research is done and how it is reported
該段落較長(zhǎng),但前面基本上都是在說(shuō)細(xì)節(jié)。最后一句話 from this point of view 之后對(duì)文章的內(nèi)容進(jìn)行總結(jié),因此就是中心句。
例16 These fracture zones, where the collisions occur, are where earthquakes happen. And very often, volcanoes. (劍 4, Test 3, Passage 2 )
Answer: Causes of volcanic eruption
乍一看本段好像是在寫(xiě)地球的構(gòu)造,但是看到最后一段,讀者才會(huì)明白作者這樣寫(xiě)的用意,即通過(guò)對(duì)地球構(gòu)造的介紹來(lái)引出火山爆發(fā)的原因。