第六节阅读理解解题思路与步骤

　第一章 阅读理解指导

　本章介绍同等学力研究生英语考试阅读理解部分的能力要求以及命题趋势。

　第一节 阅读理解命题概述

　同等学力研究生英语考试是在全国范围内举行的标准化考试，阅读理解是同等学力研究生英语考试的一个重要组成部分，所占分数的比例也很高，因此也直接关系到考生能否通过考试并取得优异的成绩。那么，如何提高阅读理解水平，进行有针对性的复习呢？兵法云：知己知彼，百战不殆。在复习中，了解考试大纲对阅读理解的能力要求，熟悉命题重点和命题规律，进而揣摩解题技巧和解题思路，对考生取得高分无疑是至关重要的。

　根据考试大纲的要求，同等学力研究生英语考试考生的阅读速度应达到每分钟100～120个单词，能综合应用英语语言知识和阅读技能读懂一般性题材的文章和科技文献资料。要求考生能掌握所读材料的主旨和大意，了解说明主旨和大意的事实和细节；既能理解字面意思，也能根据所读材料进行判断和推论；既要理解个别句子的意义，也要理解上下文的逻辑关系；根据上下文判断词汇和短语的意义，领会作者的观点和态度。考题选材的原则有两条：一是材料的题材广泛，包括人物传记、社会、文化、科普常识、日常知识、日常生活故事等，涉及的背景知识应能为考生理解；二是文章的语言难度中等，若出现无法猜测而又影响理解的关键词、超纲词汇(同等学力申请硕士学位英语水平全国统一考试大纲对词汇的要求是考生应掌握5500个左右的英语词汇和550个左右的常用词组)，则会用汉语注明词义。

　同等学力英语考试阅读理解题的时间为45分钟左右，共25～30题，每题1分，共有短文5～6篇，每篇300～400词，要求考生在理解短文的基础上从每题所给的四个选项中选出一个最佳答案。2001年以前的阅读理解部分有6篇文章，每题1分，共30分，但2001年～2004年的考题中阅读理解部分都只有5篇文章，每题1分，共计25分。

　第二节 阅读理解的题材、试题类型和解题思路

　虽然阅读理解取材广泛，内容多变，但是只要结合考试大纲和历年试题，考生就会发现试题的类型是有规律可循的。因为命题就是根据考试大纲，通过试题来考查考生的认知、概括、判断和推理能力。熟悉试题类型、找出相应的解题思路也就成为考生提高解题速度和准确率的关键。

　一、文章题材

　从近几年的试题来看，阅读理解文章的题材范围比较广泛，主要以下列题材为主。一是科普类文章，这类文章有两个特点：涉及面广，涉及科学技术领域的方方面面，但深度不会太深、太专；社会意义的外延，即使是一般科技领域的文章也多涉及其社会意义，不是完全在科技方面的探讨。二是社会文化方面的文章，其涉及面也较为广泛，包括诸如教育、经济和文化一切与生活直接相关的内容。以上两种题材是阅读理解文章最主要的题材，在历年试题中至少有3篇。其余的文章题材有人物传记、日常生活故事等。近年的试题中日常生活故事的比重有所增加，2002年～2004年阅读理解的文章中都有这类题材的文章，其中2003年试题中有两篇该题材的文章。了解题材的范围使我们知道，在做阅读理解时，除了要具备语言方面的知识外，还应该有比较广泛的知识面，这样往往能够帮助我们克服文字上的理解障碍。因此平时广泛地了解科技动态，关注社会问题、教育问题，可以有助于提高英语的阅读能力。

　二、试题类型

　根据命题要求，阅读理解题可分为主旨大意题、细节题、语义题和推断题四类。主旨大意题旨在考查考生对文章主旨大意的理解和概括归纳能力。细节题考查考生对文章中出现的事实和有关细节的理解程度。语义题考查考生对文章中某些关键词语或句子在特定的语境中含义的理解。推断题则考查考生在深刻理解原文的基础上进行推理和判断的能力。其中细节题所占比例最大，每年都超过50%；其次为推断题和语义题，近两年推断题比例有所上升，约占15%～20%，语义题比例有所下降，约占8%；主旨大意题比例最小。考生应对不同的题型有所了解，熟悉每种题型的考核重点，并采取不同的解题思路和办法。下面介绍各种题型的特点和解题方法。

　1. 主旨大意题

　主旨大意题是有关短文中心论点、主题思想以及短文标题、写作目的的问题。这类考题旨在考查考生对文章主旨大意的理解和概括归纳能力。考题中往往出现以下词汇：subject, topic, theme, title, main idea, purpose等。

　1) 常见的提问方式

　What is the main idea/point of this passage？

　The main idea of this passage can be best expressed as ________.

　The topic of the passage is ________.

　The passage mainly deals with ________.

　Which of the following best states the theme of the passage？

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

　2) 解题思路

　把握行文脉络，抓住主题句(topic sentence)是概括中心思想的常用方法，主题句表达中心思想，其余的句子围绕其展开说明或议论。主题句通常以判断句的形式出现，表达意思比较概括，通常是文章的首句、各段的首末句和文章的最后一句。有时文章会有一些引言性的段落或段首句，考生一定要注意判断区别。如2004年试题中的一篇文章的开头：

　Diego Chiapello, legally blind since birth, isn’t one of Italy’s famous “mama’s boys” who live with their parents into adulthood. The 27-year-old lives alone in Milan, works as a network administrator, loves diving and dreams of sailing across the Atlantic with a sight-impaired (有视力障碍的) crew.

　Obviously, he’s not your average disabled person—but especially so in Italy. The country has more barriers to integration than almost anywhere else on the Continent: among European countries, Italy ranks third from the bottom in accessibility for the disabled, ahead of only Greece and Portugal. People who use wheelchairs especially find it difficult to navigate the country’s cobblestone (鹅卵石) streets, ride buses or visit restaurants, shops and museums. Less than a quarter of Italy’s disabled hold jobs, compared with 47 percent for Europe.

　如果只读了第一段，考生还以为文章是讲Diego Chiapello的生平，可继续读下去才发现文章主要是讲生活在意大利的残疾人存在的诸多问题，意大利是一个对残疾人多么“不友好”的国家。这篇文章的第一段只是一个引子。

　针对这种情况考生要在阅读首段的基础上，迅速阅读(skim)文章下文，寻找后文中的关键词，以进一步证实文章的主题。

　值得注意的是，由于这类试题的干扰项常常是文章提及的观点和看法，考生容易误选。所以在解题时一定要胸怀全局，不能把某一段的观点误认为是全文的中心思想。

　3) 练习与解析

　阅读文章并选出文后问题的正确答案 (2003年试题)

　Nowadays, we hear a lot about the growing threat of globalization, 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 the many positive aspects that globalization 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 all-too-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 increasing 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 bad 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 globalization cannot deprive the individual of his free will.

　Critics of globalization 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.

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

　A. Globalization Is Standardization.

　B. Globalization: Like It or Lump It.

　C. Globalization: Don’t Worry, Be Happy.

　D. Globalization Brings Equality.

　2. What is the writer’s attitude towards blobalization?

　A. Suspicious B. Positive C. Indifferent D. Contemptuous

　答案与解析

　这是一篇议论文，其中心话题是全球化(globalization)。文章的结构和条理非常清晰：第一段是主题段，第一句提出全球化的一种观点，即全球化威胁论——全球化破坏地区生活方式的多样性，许多方言和传统逐渐消失等；第二句建议读者考虑全球化可能带来的好处；第三句点明文章的写作意图，让人们安心地面对全球化的未来。从文章的首段我们就可以大致了解文章的主旨，即全球化不是威胁，相反还会带来很多益处。文章举例因特网、MTV以及国际品牌(如耐克、可口可乐)，进一步阐述自己的观点，有破有立。文章的最后一段总结全文，重申主题。

　第1题的答案为C。此题要求确定文章的标题：选项A“全球化即是标准化”，这是全球化所带来的负面的影响，与作者的观点不符；选项B“全球化：不喜欢就将就一点吧”，这与作者的积极论调不符；选项C“全球化：别担心、要开心”正是作者的写作意图，所以可以作为标题；选项D“全球化带来平等”，文章并未直接提及。所以正确答案为C。

　第2题的答案为B。这道题与文章的主旨有关，A. 怀疑；B. 积极；C. 漠不关心；D.蔑视。结合对文章主旨的分析，不难推断出作者的态度是B。

　2. 细节题

　在文章中，作者往往用具体事实和细节证明、分析、阐述自己的中心思想和论点。细节题测试考生对文章中的具体事实、相关细节或具体数据的理解。这种题型是阅读理解的基本题型，在考试中的比例相当大(超过50%)，涉及的内容也很广。

　1) 常见的提问方式

　细节题常见的提问方式主要有如下几种：

　(1) 特殊疑问句

　通常使用疑问词who, when, where, what, whose, how, why等。

　 What do you know about…?

　 Why is (are)…?

　 How many (much)…in this article?

　 In what year…?

　 In what way…?

　 According to the passage, who (what, where, when)…?

　 Which of the following best characterizes the main feature of…？

　(2) 正误判断

　这种提问方式通常针对文章中的细节，询问某些事情是否属实、某种提法是否正确或文章是否提及某事。

　 Which of the following statements is (not) true?

　 Which of the following is (not) mentioned in the article?

　 Which of the following does not explain…?

　 Which of the following statements is wrong according to the author?

　 All of the following are true except…?

　(3) 填空

　这种提问方式形式更灵活，范围也更广泛。

　① The example of…is given to illustrate that________.

　② The best way to… is ________.

　③ The writer did…because ________.

　2) 解题思路

　细节题的顺序和文章内容的叙述顺序基本一致，解题时要按照试题的排列顺序在文章中寻找答案，可以收到事半功倍的效果。同时，考生还应抓住细节题中的关键词，如where, when, which, who以及话题，迅速准确地在文章中找出涉及的细节，快速定位，仔细阅读，并根据上下文加深理解。

　在这类题中，信号词也是帮助考生解题的重要线索。比如，however一词表示转折，说明后文与前文所述内容不同或相反。而in short或in a word则表明后文必定是对前文的概括和总结。

　同时需要注意的是，命题常利用文章中出现的一些表达方式设计干扰项，使其陈述与原文不符或部分不符，或虽与常识、大众观点一致，却与作者观点或原文内容相悖。这对于那些不善于琢磨句子意思、只看表面文字的考生来讲，欺骗性更大。

　一般，细节题的题干和答案在含义上相当于原文中某部分的内容，通常只是表达方式不同，如使用同义词、反义词或不同的语态，这类细节题可以在原文中直接找到答案，是易得分的部分。但是也有部分细节题需要在理解相关内容的基础上进行简单的推理和计算。

　3) 练习与解析

　阅读文章并选出文后问题的正确答案 (2002年试题)

　John Grisham was born on February 2, 1955, in Jonesboro, Arkansas, in the USA. His father was a construction worker and moved his family all around the southern states of America, stopping wherever he could find work. Eventually they settled in Mississippi. Graduating from law school in 1981, Grisham practiced law for nearly a decade in Southaven, specializing in criminal defense and personal injury litigation (诉讼). In 1983, he was elected to the state House of Representatives and served until 1990.

　One day at the Dessoto County courthouse, Grisham heard the horrifying testimony of a 12-year-old rape victim. He decided to write a novel exploring what would have happened if the girl’s father had murdered her attackers. He proceeded to get up every morning at 5 to work on the novel, called A Time to Kill, which was published in 1988. Grisham’s next novel, The Firm, was one of the biggest hits of 1991, spending 47 weeks on The New York Times bestseller list. Grisham lives with his wife and two children, dividing their time between their Victorian home on a 67-acre farm in Mississippi and a 204-acre plantation near Charlottesville, Virginia.

　When he’s not writing, Grisham devotes time to charitable causes, including mission trips with his church group. As a child he dreamt of becoming a professional baseball player, and now serves as the local Little League commissioner. He has built six ballfields on his property and hosts children from 26 Little League teams.

　1. John Grisham is ________ at present.

　 A. a writer B. a lawyer

　 C. a professional baseball player D. a congressman

　2. What inspired Grisham to write his first novel?

　 A. A case of murder. B. A case of rape.

　 C. His father’s experience. D. His life on the farm.

　3. The story of the novel A Time to Kill would probably focus on __________ ?

　 A. how the girl was attacked B. the circumstances of the rape

　 C. how the girl’s father took revenge D. how the case of rape was settled

　4. Which of the following is NOT true of the novel The Firm?

　 A. It was popular at the time of publication.

　 B. It earned Grisham great fame.

　 C. It brought Grisham wealth.

　 D. It was carried by The New York Times as a series.

　答案与解析

　这是一篇人物传记，介绍主人公John Grisham的职业生涯。文章共三段：第一段介绍他的出生、家庭以及教育背景，早期作律师，并有所成就；第二段写他职业生涯的一个转折点，一个12岁的强奸案受害人的证词给他灵感，启发他写了第一部小说A Time to Kill，另外还提到他的第二部小说获得的巨大成功；第三段介绍他除了写作以外所做的事情：慈善事业、垒球。

　第1题的答案为A。这道细节题考主人公现在的职业，通读全文我们知道他现在从事的是作家这个职业。

　第2题的答案为B。

　题干部分的关键词是first novel，关于John Grisham 第一部小说的内容在第二段，细读这一部分，即可找出正确答案。

　第3题的答案为C。题干部分的关键词是A Time to Kill，这是John Grisham第一部小说的书名，所以还要在第二段寻找相关内容。文章中提到“He decided to write a novel exploring what would have happened if the girl’s father had murdered her attackers.”，经过简单的文字推理我们就可以得到正确答案。

　第4题的答案为D。题干部分的关键词是the novel The Firm，文中第二段中提到：这部小说是1991年的畅销书，47周上榜纽约时报的畅销书榜；它使得Grisham 有能力最终放弃律师职业，专职写作。由此我们可推断选项A的说法正确，该书出版时很受欢迎；选项B和C的说法也正确，该小说给Grisham带来了名与利；选项D，该小说在纽约时报上连载，不符合原文。所以正确答案为D。

　通过对以上细节题的分析，我们知道做细节题一定要掌握文章的脉络和大意，并要根据文章提供的信息进行适当的推理。

　3. 语义题

　语义题主要测试考生根据上下文判断某些关键词语或句子含义的能力。

　1) 常见的提问方式

　The phrase “…” in paragraph…most probably means ________.

　The word “…” in line…,paragraph…can be best replaced by ________.

　The word “…” in line…paragraph…refers to ________.

　 According to the author, the word“…”means ________.

　 The sentence “…” in paragraph…refers to ________.

　 According to the passage, the expression “…” can be interpreted as ________.

　 Which of the following is closest in meaning to the phrase “…” in paragraph…?

　通常语义题考查的项目有：对文章中某个代词指称内容的理解；对文章中短语的理解；对文章中某个复合词的理解；对文章中某个句子的理解。这类题需要考生具有扎实的词汇基本功和综合应用上下文、构词法、语法知识、逻辑关系以及常识猜测词义的能力。

　2) 解题思路

　通读全文，掌握文章的含义和逻辑关系。

　综合应用上下文语境、构词法、语法知识、逻辑关系或常识猜测词义。

　3) 练习与解析

　阅读文章并选出文后问题的正确答案

　Passage 1 (2001年试题)

　Want a glimpse of the future of health care? Take a look at the way the various networks of people involved in patient care being connected to one another, and how this new connectivity is being exploited to deliver medicine to the patient—no matter where he or she may be.

　Online doctors offering advice based on standardized symptoms are the most obvious example. Increasingly, however, remote diagnosis (telemedicine) will be based on real physiological data from the actual patient. A group from the University of Kentucky has shown that by using an off-the-shelf (现成的) PDA (personal data assistance) such as a Palm Pilot plus a mobile phone, it is perfectly feasible to transmit a patient’s vital signs over the telephone. With this kind of equipment in a first-aid kit (急救包), the cry asking whether there was doctor in the house could well be a thing of the past.

　Other medical technology groups are working on applying telemedicine to rural care. And at least one team wants to use telemedicine as a tool for disaster response—especially after earthquakes. Overall, the trend is towards providing global access to medical data and expertise.

　But there is one problem. Bandwidth is the limiting factor for transmitting complex medical images around the world—CT scans being one of the biggest bandwidth consumers. Communications satellites may be able to cope with the short-term needs during disasters such as earthquakes, wars or famines, but medicine is looking towards both the second-generation Internet and third-generation mobile phones for the future of distributed medical intelligence.

　Doctors have met to discuss computer-based tools for medical diagnosis, training and telemedicine. With the falling price of broadband communications, the new technologies should usher in (迎来) an era when telemedicine and the sharing of medical information, expert opinion and diagnosis are common.

　1. The sentence “the cry asking whether there was a doctor in the house could well be a thing of the past” means .

　 A. now people probably would not ask if there is a doctor in the house

　 B. patients used to cry and ask if there was a doctor in the house

　 C. in the past people often cried and asked if there was a doctor in the house

　 D. patients are now still asking if there is a doctor in the house

　2. The word “problem” in the fourth paragraph refers to the fact that .

　 A. there are not enough mobile phones for distributing medical intelligence

　 B. CT scans are one of the biggest bandwidth consumers

　 C. bandwidth is not adequate to transmit complex medical images around the world

　 D. communications satellites can only cope with the short-term needs during disasters

　答案与解析

　这是一篇科普类文章，中心话题是远程医疗(telemedicine)。文章指出可以通过一系列的科技手段，如掌上电脑(PDA)、手机等传送病人的生理数据以实现网上诊断。随着宽带信息技术的进步和成本的降低，不久的将来会实现远程医疗和医学信息的共享。

　第1题的答案是A。本题考查对句子 “the cry could well be a thing of the past”的理解，“could well be”的意思是“could possibly be”。句子之前的文章说“有了掌上电脑和手机这样的设备，就可传送病人的生命信息”，据此我们可以肯定这句话意思是“呼唤家里是否有医生将有可能成为历史”。

　第2题的答案是C。本题考查名词problem在特定语境中指代的内容，文章第四段前几句话说有一个问题是限制实现远程医疗的因素，即带宽的问题，带宽还不够传送复杂的医疗图像，如CT扫描图像。由此我们可知C为正确答案。

　Passage 2 (2002年试题)

　Even before Historian Joseph Ellis became a best-selling author, he was famous for his vivid lectures. In his popular courses at Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts, he would often make classroom discussion lively by describing his own combat experience in Vietnam. But as Ellis’s reputation grew—his books on the Founding Fathers have won both the prestigious National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize—the history professor began to entertain local and national reporters with his memories of war. Last year, after The Boston Globe carried accounts of Ellis’s experience in the Vietnam war, someone who knew the truth about Ellis dropped a dime(揭发). Last week The Boston Globe revealed that Ellis, famous for explaining the nation’s history, had some explaining to do about his own past.

　“Even in the best of lives, mistakes are made,” said a wretched Ellis. It turned out that while the distinguished historian had served in the Army, he’d spent his war years not in the jungles of Southeast Asia, but teaching history at West Point (西点军校). He’d also overstated his role in the antiwar movement and even his high-school athletic records. His admission shocked colleagues, fellow historians and students who wondered why someone so accomplished would beautify his past. But it seems that success and truthfulness don’t always go hand in hand. Even among the distinguished achievers, security experts say, one in ten is deceiving—indulging in everything from empty boasting to more serious offenses such as plagiarism (剽窃), fictionalizing military records, making up false academic certificates or worse. And, oddly, prominent people who beautify the past often do so once they’re famous, says Ernest Brod of Kroll Associates, which has conducted thousands of background checks. Says Brod “It’s not like they use these lies to climb the ladder.”

　Then what makes them do it? Psychologists say some people succeed, at least in part, because they are uniquely adjusted to the expectations of others. And no matter how well known, those people can be haunted by a sense of their own shortcomings. “From outside, these people look anything but fragile,” says Dennis Shulman, a New York psychoanalyst. “But inside, they feel hollow, empty.”

　What does “to climb the ladder” in the second paragraph mean?

　 A. To become more successful.

　 B. To inquire into one’s background.

　 C. To cover one’s serious offenses.

　 D. To go further in beautifying one’s past.

　答案与解析

　文章主要指出许多成功的名人会美化自己的过去。

　答案为A。本题测试英语习语“to climb the ladder”的意思，ladder是梯子，“顺着梯子往上爬”，意思是往上爬，以获得更多名利或成功。

　Passage 3 (2001年试题)

　With only about 1, 000 pandas left in the world, China is desperately trying to clone the animal and save the endangered species, That’s move similar to what a Texas A&M University researcher has been undertaking for the past five years in a project called “Noah’s Ark”.

　Dr. Duane Kraemer, a professor in Texas A&M’s College of Veterinary Medicine and a pioneer in embryo (胚胎) transfer work and related procedures, says he salutes the Chinese effort and “I wish them all the best success possible. It’s a worthwhile project, certainly not an easy one, and it’s very much like what we’re attempting here at Texas A&M—to save animals from extinction.”

　Nosh’s Ark is aimed at collecting eggs, embryos, semen (精子) and DNA of endangered animals and storing them in liquid nitrogen. If certain species should become extinct, Kraemer says there would be enough of the basic building blocks to reintroduce the species in the future.

　It is estimated that as many as 2, 000 species of mammals, birds and reptiles will become extinct over the next 100 years. The panda, native only to China, is in danger of becoming extinct in the next 25 years.

　This week, Chinese scientists said they grew an embryo by introducing cells from a dead female panda into the egg cells of a Japanese white rabbit. They are now trying to implant the embryo into a host animal.

　The entire procedure could take from three to five years to complete.

　“The nuclear transfer of one species to another is not easy, and the lack of available panda eggs could be a major problem,” Kraemer believes. “They will probably have to do several hundred transfers to result in one pregnancy. It takes a long time and it’s difficult, but this could be groundbreaking science if it works. They are certainly not putting any live pandas at risk, so it is worth the effort,” adds Kraemer, who is one of the leaders of the Missyplicity Project at Texas A&M, the first-ever attempt at cloning a dog.

　“They are trying to do something that’s never been done, and this is very similar to our work in Noah’s Ark. We’re both trying to save animals that face extinction. I certainly applaud their effort and there’s a lot we can learn from what they are attempting to do. It’s a research that is very much needed.”

　The word “groundbreaking” (Paragraph 7) can be interpreted as .

　A. pioneering

　B. essentially new

　C. epoch-making

　D. evolutionary

　答案与解析

　这篇文章是Texas A & M University 研究人员对中国克隆大熊猫工程的评述。

　答案为A。考查复合词“groundbreaking”的意思，该词由ground和break+ing构成，break new/fresh ground意思是“开始新的事业，作出新的发现”，由该习语里的动词和宾语+ing构成的复合形容词的意思是“由开创性的”。A. 开创性的，先驱的；B. 本质上是新的；C. 划时代的；D. 革命性的。选项A最贴近。

　4. 推断题

　这类题要求考生在理解原文的基础上根据文章所阐述的事实、细节以及上下文的提示、线索进行综合分析，作出推断、预测，得出合理的结论。这类题具有较大的难度。主要的考查项目包括作者的写作意图、观点态度、文章的来源、上下文应涉及的内容等。这类题的题干常见的关键词有imply, suggest, infer, conclude, author’s point of view, author’s attitude等。

　1) 常见的提问方式

　It can be inferred/concluded from the pass