第一讲 英语等级考试介绍
在本辅导中将结合人事部颁发的“全国专业技术人员等级考试大纲”、“全国专业技术人员职称英语等级考试指南”以及1999年的考题向大家介绍职称英语等级考试的内容、水平、题型以及解题的思路、方法等。目的是为了帮助大家熟悉这种考试形式，提试成绩。
第一讲主要是和大家介绍职称英语等级考试的特点，如何正确理解考试大纲，大纲规定和要求，以及职称英语等级考试的题型等。
一，专业类别及等级的划分
“全国专业技术人员职称英语等级考试大纲”规定:职称英语等级考试分为四个专业类别:综合与人文类、理工类、卫生类和财经类。其中每个专业类别又各分成a、b、c三个等级。需要指出的是，虽然职称英语考试分成四个专业类别，这几个类别考试的题型、题量、试题的难易度完全一致，只是考试的内容有所差别。
二，职称英语等级考试的要求
职称英语等级考试共分a、b、c三个等级。那么，对于参加不同级别考试的人员，大纲又有哪些具体的要求呢?
首先，大纲对申报不同级别的人员所认知的量提出了不同的要求:申报a级的人员应认知6000个左右的单词和短语;申报b级的人员应认知4500个左右的单词和短语;申报c级的人员应认知3000个左右的单词和短语。
所谓认知，就是认识、知道的意思，也就是说，在阅读文章时，能认识这么多的单词，并不要求每个词都能运用。
职称英语等级考试所涉及的词汇、短语主要根据考试大纲所附的词汇表，在实际考试中，凡是超出大纲词汇表以外的词汇一般都给出中文意思。
一般考试中均有对考生语法知识的。职称英语等级考试是否也考语法呢?大纲明确指出:考试重点是考查应试者的阅读理解能力。不直接考语法。所谓不直接考语法，就是不像其他类型的考试那样要求考生做与语法有关的多项选择题、改错题等。不直接考语法，并不等于说可以不懂语法，语法知识不重要，阅读理解必须运用语法知识辩认出正确的语法关系，不懂语法，不论词汇量有多大都是毫无意义的。职称英语等级考试要求考试者必须懂得英语基本语法结构和常用句型，能正确用这些结构和句型写成的句子。具体要求见大纲第2页。
前面提到，职称英语等级考试的测试重点是考察应试者的阅读理解能力。它要求应试者能综合运用英语语言知识和阅读技能来理解本专业或一般的英语书面材料。具体来讲，阅读能力主要包括下列几个方面:
掌握所读材料的主旨和大意;
了解阐述主旨的事实和细节;
根据上下文判断某些词汇和短语的意义;
即理解个别句子的意义，也理解上下文之间的逻辑关系
根据所读材料进行一定的判断、推断和引伸;
领会作者的观点、意图和态度。
由于阅读理解能力是本考试的重点，对于如何提高阅读能力，如何做阅读理解题，我们在后面将做重点介绍。
职称英语等级考试c级共有四种题型:词汇、阅读理解、完成句子、选择填空。其中，词汇有20道小题，计20分;阅读理解15道小题，计45分，完成句子5小题，计15分;选择填空20道小题，计20分。总题量为60小题满分为100分。其中，词汇、阅读理解和选择填空为客观题，即要求考生从所给的选项中选择一个最佳答案。完成句子则要求考生根据短文的内容，在所给提供的几个句子的空白处填写一个单词，属于主观题。
b级和a级考试也各有四种题型:词汇、阅读理解、概括大意和完型填空。其中词汇有20道小题，计20分;阅读理解25道小题，计50分;概括大意5小题，计10分;完型填空10道小题，计20分。总题量为60小题，满分为100分。同c级一样，词汇、阅读理解均为客观题，概括大意及完型为主观题。
a级和b级题型、题量完全一样，不同之处在于a级的要求高一些。这主要体现在:第一，阅读的总量要比b级大一些;第二，题目的难度要比b级高一些。
接下来我们看一下各个级别中每种题型的具体要求。我们先看词汇题。
在c、b、a三个级别的考试中，均有词汇题20道，每小题1分。其中1—10道题的每个句子中均有一处空白，请从所给的四个选项中选择一个最佳答案;11——20题的每个句子中均有一个词或词组划有底横线，请从所给的四个选项中选择一个与划线部分意义最相近的词或词组代替句中的划线部分。这一部分为选择题，只要求把答案涂在答题中相应的位置上，请看实例 :
i ’m afraid that your daughter has failed to get _____her mid-term exams.
a: by b: over c: through d: out
在上面这道题中，i’m afraid that your daughter has failed to get_____her mid-term exams叫做题干。这名话的意思是:恐怕你的女儿期中考试没有通过。答案当然是选项c了。因为get through表示“通过”的意思，尤其是指通过考试、测验、检验等。get by也有“通过”的意思，但是常常是指“走过去”的意思。get over也有“通过”的意思，但是常常是指“越过一条河、街等”的意思。get out: 跑出去;传出去。
我们再看另一种形式的词汇题:
i wonder what your aim in life is. attitude b: symbol c: goal d: action
____
这道题的题干中aim这个词下有一横线，请判断四个选项中哪个选项意思与它最接近。这名话的意思是:我想知道你的生活目标是什么。aim在这里的意思是:目标、目的。四个选 项中选项a的意思是态度。后面跟介词to或towards.选项b的意思是象征、符号。选项d的意思是行动、行为。选 项c的意思是目标、目的。所以c为正确答案。
在职称英语等级考试中，份量最重的应该是阅读理解题。比重占到总分的二分之一左右。它的出题方式是，选 给出一篇短文，在后面有几个问题，每个问题都有四个备选答案，应试者根据短文的内容选择出一个最佳答案。请看大纲第9页，我们看一下第一篇阅读理解题目。
这篇短文有300字，属于故事性材料。文中的主人公是古代希腊的一位英雄，名叫hercules.本文通过他为国王去取金苹果的这个情节.
《全国专业技术人员英语等级考试大纲》的规定，无论是哪个专业类别，在a、b、c三个等级中都有阅读理解试题并且占很大比重。所以说，阅读理解部分成绩的好坏直接决定着职称考试的成败。因此，在复习过程中需要把主要的精力放在阅读理解上。既然等级考试的重点放在了对专业技术人员阅读能力的考察上，那么，阅读能力包括哪些方面的内容呢?其实我们在上一讲介绍大纲时已向大家讲过，今天在这里我们再重复一下:
职称英语等级考试对考生的阅读能力的要求主要体现在以下几个方面:
阅读理解能力:
1、掌握所读材料的主旨和大意;
2、了解阐述主旨的事实和细节;
3、根据上下文判断某些和短评的意义;
4、既理解个别句子的意义，也理解上下文之间的逻辑关系;
5、领会作者的观点、意图和态度。
一、影响阅读理解的主要因素
上面我们提到，阅读能力的高低是直接决定着考试的成败。如何提高阅读能力是每一位应试者最为关心的问题。在回答这个问题之前，我们首先看一下影响阅读理解能力的几个因素:词汇量;语法知识;背景知识。
1)词汇量
我们在阅读某篇文章时， 如果感觉到难，这可能是由于种种因素造成的，词汇是其中一个因素。词汇不仅是语言最基本构成材料，也是阅读文章时首先需要理解的万分。有关的研究表明，在一篇短文中如果生词的数量超过了总词数的5%左右，要想顺利地阅读与理解就很困难了。因此，一个人所掌握词汇量的大小直接影响着阅读的速度与理解的准确性，而且词汇量的大小也往往反映一个人语言水平的高低，因此，在各类考试的考试大纲中都对考生需要掌握的词汇进行明确的规定。职称英语等级考试也不例外，大纲对报考不同级别的人员应认知的词汇量提出了明确的要求。希望大家对照词汇表所标出的级别，看看到底自己能认识多少个单词，还有多少不认识，把这些不认识的单词标记出来，每天抽点时间看一看，短时间可能会记住一些单词。请大家注意，考试中超出大纲的词汇都会给出中文注释，这一点请大家放心。
2)语法知识
在阅读过程中，除了词汇量之外，影响理解的另一个重要因素就是语法。任何一种语言都有自己的语法规则，它包括词法和句法，即组词成句的规则和词型变化规则。职称考试不直接考语法，实际上是不象其它类型的考试那样要求考生做与语法有关的多项选择题、语法改错题等题目。但这并不等于说语法知识不重要。阅读理解必须运用语法知识辨认出正确的语法关系。没有一定的语法知识，看不出句子的主、谓、宾，搞不清句子结构，也就没有理解可言。请看下面的例子:
he shall pay you what he owns you.
这句话看起来并不复杂，但语法赋予它的特定含义不一定人人都明白。这句话中，shall不是助动词，它不和动词一起组成将来时，表示说话人将要把他欠的钱还给你。shall在这里是个能愿动词，用在第二或第三人称，表示决心。所以这句话的大致意思是:我一定让他偿还他欠你的钱。
上面我们说到，语法包括词法和句法两大类，语法知识欠缺的同志需要系统地学点英语语法，或找本语法书来读一读，弥补这方面的不足。
实际上，阅读与语法有着相辅相成的关系。也就是说，有了牢固的语法知识可以促进阅读的顺利进行，提高阅读的速度和效率。同样，大量地进行阅读实践又可以巩固已知的语法知识。从这个意义上说，尽管语法对阅读的理解起着重要的影响，但人们总不能等把语法知识全部掌握了才去进行阅读。阅读和语法的学习应同步进行。不能把二者割裂开来。
3)背景知识
影响阅读理解的因素，除了语言本身之外，还有一个背景知识的问题。我们在学习英语的过程中，都有这样的体会，如果一篇短文的内容是我们比较熟悉的，读起来就容易，相反，如果是一个我们比较生疏的话题，理解起来难度就大多了，造成这种情况的一个主要原因就是背景知识。一篇文章，甚至一本书，虽然只讲一个故事，或论述一个主题，但神经质涉及到的历史掌故，文化现象，科学知识，甚至风土人情，却不一定是人人知晓，个个明白的。
由于背景知识不熟悉而影响理解，任何人可能都会碰到这个问题。对我们来讲，克服这一障碍的办法就是广泛阅读，增加对英语国家的历史、人文状况、政治现实、科学知识、风土人情的了解。这里有一点可以告诉大家，职称英语考试所取材料均属科普之类，是任何受过高等教育的人都应该或都能了解的常识不存在背景上的障碍。换句话说，作为一位外科大夫，不能对心血管方面的基本常识不了解。同样，搞法律的人，不能不了解点历史知识。
以上我们向大家介绍了制约阅读理解能力提高的几个因素，除了采取扩大词汇量、巩固和提高语法基础知识、扩大自己的背景知识之外，要想提高阅读理解能力，更重要的是掌握一些阅读方法。因为它直接关系到阅读的效率。不同的人读同一篇文章，有的人读得快一些，理解的也准确，而有的人则读得慢，理解的准确率也差。这里有能力的问题，也有方法的问题。较好的阅读方法可以使人在阅读时达到事半菌位的效果。尤其是考试时，由于时间紧，我们不可能做到把每个句子都读懂再去回答问题。这就要求我们平时注意培养良好的阅读习惯，考试时才能做到不仅有速度，而且也有效果。下面介绍几种常见的快速阅读方法。
1)快速浏览法。英文叫skimming。即在短时间内快速阅读文章，以了解文章的主旨大意。在这种情况下，不要去管细节内容，只管尽快地阅读。比如，一看标题，就可以预测文章大致内容;读了一段，就可以进一步预测，不要把眼睛盯在具体的每个单词上。
这种阅读方法对解答抓大意的题目十分有效。答题前，一般采用这种方法先通读一遍文章，以对全文获得一个总的印象。运用这种方法时，注意掌握好阅读的节奏，速度过快或过慢均达不到预想的效果。另一种方法就是直接寻找每段的主题句。所谓主题句，就是文章中能概括一段或几段主要意思的那个句子。主题句一般位于段落的开头部分，但也有的位天句中或句尾，有时甚至没有主题句。根据各段的主题句就可以很快地把文章的大意总结出来。
2)普读法。英文叫scanning。就是用目光快速地查找所需的特定信息，撇开无关的信息。考试时，在获得文章大意之后回答每个细节性问题时，可以采用这种方法。即先从问题中找到线索，然后按照线索，根据读第一遍时的印象，有针对性地去文章中寻找信息，找到有关部分后，再仔细读一遍，真正理解了，最后确定答案。
3)研读法。所谓研读就是仔细地阅读。英文叫study reading。力求对文章的某一特定的部分具有比较透彻的理解。在所要查找的内容需要理解其深层的意义，需要对此进行分析、归纳、判断或推理时，就需要采用研读的方法。在研读的过程中，如果碰到不熟悉的词，可以通过上下文，根据有关背景知识以及构词法猜测生词的大意。如果碰到长句或难句，要注意利用自己所具有的英语语法知识分析句子的主语、谓语、宾语、状语、定语等语法万分，并搞清句子成分之间的修饰与被修饰关系，从而准确地把握句子的含义。
上述几种阅读方法并不是互相排斥的，面是互为前提，互相补充。无论平时的阅读还是考试时，根据阅读的目的，有意识地去运用这些阅读方法和技巧。例如考试时，如果要了解文章的主旨大意，可以用掠读的方法，如果需要做细节题，则采用查读法。但是要进行合理的推论或判断，则需要采用研读的方法，因此，解答阅读理解题的过程实际上就是上述几种阅读方法综合运用的过程。在一般的情况下，先了解文章的主题，然后回答细节性问题，最后解答推论题和正误判断题。
一、细节题
大纲对考生掌握的阅读能力的第二条要求是:了解阐述主旨的事实和细节。也就是说我们在阅读一篇文章时，除了抓住文章的主旨和大意外，还必须弄清文中的一些重要事实或细节，因为它们是作者得出结论或阐明论点的依据。了解这些事实或细节有助于领会并确定文章的主题。
细节类题目在英语等级考试的阅读理解题中占的比例最大，涉及的内容也很广，因此，我们在复习应考时，应注意在该类题目上多下功夫。细节题常出why, when, where, what, who等疑问词引导的句子提问。解答细节题的关键在于从问题中找出问题的关键词，即能表达问题所涉及内容的中心词，然后迅速在短文中用查读的方法找出关键词在短文中的位置，以及包含所需信息的句子或短语，最后根据这些句子或短语做出正确的选择。
细节类题目常见提问形式有:
what causes...?
why does the author mention...?
how many...?
where in the passage does the author describe...?
what time does the writer think is ...?
the author mentions that...?
the writer states...?
等等
对于这种题型，考生可以首先从问题中找到关键词，然后以此为线索，运用查读的方法到文章中寻找这一细节，找到后再把这一部分内容仔细阅读一遍，从而保证对这一细节的正确理解，最后确定正确答案。
let them watch it
one hot night last july, when our new baby wouldn’t or couldn’t sleep, i tried everything i could think of : a warm bottle, songs, and gentle rocking. nothing would settle him. guessing that i had a long night ahead of me, i brought a portable tv into his room, figuring that watching the late movie was as good a way as any to kill off the hours until dawn. to my surprise, as soon as the tv lit up, the baby quieted right down, his little eyes, focused brightly on the tube. not to waste an opportunity for sleep, i then tiptoed out of the room, leaving him to watch the actors celebrate john bellushi’s fortyfifth birthday. my wife and i heard no more of the baby that night, and the next morning when i went into his room, i found him still watching tv himself.
i found in my baby’s behaviour a metaphor for the new generation. my wife and i had given him some books to examine, but he merely spit upon them. when we read to him, he did not feel comfortable. and so it is in the schools. we find that our students don’t read, that they look down upon reading and scold those of us who teach it. all they want to do is watch tv. after this experience with the baby, however, i have reached a conclusion; let them watch it. if television is that much more attractive to children than books, why should we fight it? let them watch it all they want!
这是99年试题中的一篇短文。短文讲的是一个炎热的夏天，孩子就是不愿意睡觉，作者想尽了各种办法，又是拿奶瓶，又是唱歌，又是摇晃，就是不管用。实在没有办法，把一个手提电视给他拿了过去，孩子立刻就不闹了。我们看第36题:
36. the author brought a tv set into his son’s room to
a)make his son stop crying.
b) spend the night watching tv.
c) leave it to his son.
d) make his son fall asleep as soon as possible.
题目问的是作者把电视拿到他儿子屋里去的目的是什么。这道题就属于细节性题目。在回答这类题目时，就要到文中找有关信息。请看第一段第三句: guessing that i had a long night ahead of me...watching the late movie was as good a way as any to kill off the hours until dawn。作者把电视机拿到他儿子的房间里本不是给他儿子看的，而是准备让自己看深夜电影来打发长夜难熬的时光。所以，选项b为最佳答案。其他三个选项都不是他把电视机拿到儿子房间里去的初衷。下面我们看推理题。
二、推理题
一篇文章往往包含两方面的内容:即字面内容和内在内容。所谓内在的内容，是指由于种种原因，文章的作者并不直说出其意，而是把要表达的意思隐藏在字里行间。推理题就是要求考生依据文章所提供的事实，透过表面的文章信息去推测文章深层的含义。推理能力包括归纳、演绎、分析，综合、引申等。阅读理解题中最让考生头痛的应属推理题。这类题既有以局部内容为基础的简单推理，也有以某一段落，甚至整篇文章为基础判断作者(或文中某人物)态度、观点、意图、语气、身份及文章文体等的复杂推理。
推理题往往以下列形式出现:
it can be inferred from the passage that...
in this passage the author implies that...
we can conclude from the passage that...
the author’s attitude toward...is...
the author may probably aGREe with / be in favour of / support /...
one could conclude from the passage that...
the paragraph following this passage most probably would discuss...
请看上面这篇短文的第37题:
37. the baby’s reaction to the tv was
a)unexpected.
b) exciting.
c) awful.
d) calm.
该题的下确答案为a。作者在文章中提到，他一打开电视，孩子马上就安静下来，再也不闹了，眼睛直盯在电视上。作者在这里用了“to my surprise", 显然孩子对电视的反应，是作者没有预料到的，因此a为正确答案。exciting是“令人兴奋的”，"awful"是“可怕的”， 也就是极其不好的反应， calm是“平静的”，电视一开，那孩子就平静下来了，但这并不是说他的反应是平静的。下面我们再看第38题:
38. from the passage we know that the author is
a) a doctor.
b) an editor.
c) a writer.
d) a teacher.
一、题型介绍
选择填空又称综合填空或完形测试，它是目前较为浒的一种英语测试题型之一。
在我国其它的大规模英语考试中是一项必试项目。
选择填空或完形测试的理论依据是完形心理学。这种理论的观点认为:人们在观察物体形状时，往往下意识地把不连贯的、窑的部分给补上，然后把它看成一个完整的形状。把这种理论应用到语言测试上，便出现了完形测试。这种试题设计程序为:命脉题人员首先选取一篇短文，然后每隔一定数目的单词(一般为5-11个)有规律地去掉一个词，最后，让考生填出去掉的那些词，来测试他们的语言应用能力。
最初的这种完形测试方法是按固定比例来删词，后来又产生了几种新的变体。一种是删掉的词仅限于某一类语言现象，如动词、名词、介词等。这样原来隔固定词数删词的标准仅做参考;另一种是把综合填充和多项选择结合起来，试题设计者为每个空白处提供3-5个选择先项，让考生从中挑选出唯一正确的答案。这样既可达到所希望的测试目的，又可保证评分的客观性。这种测试形式是目前国内采用的最普遍的完形测试方式。英语等级考试c级试卷中采用的就是这种题型。
选择填空的题目设计并非拿一篇短文来随便地去掉几个词。设计者遵循一定要求和准则，以保证测试的效度和信度。首先，选文的头一、两句应是完整的，不去掉任何词，以帮助考生进入语境。其次，原文的长度一般在300词左右，太长或太短都不合适。为了达到测试目的，可以灵活掌握隔多少个单词删去一个词，但是总体上要遵循每隔一定数目的单词去掉一个词这种原则。
二、选择填空的测试点
根据等级考试大纲，选择填空通常用由一篇300词左右的短文组成。短文中留有20个空格，每个空格为一题。我们还注意到，职称英语等级考试中删词的间隙较一般考试要大一些。这样，题目就相对容易了一些。这是因为破坏的信息量少了，所以恢复起来也就相对而言容易一些。通过对样题的分析，我们发现，补删的词几乎涉及到所有词类，如动词、名词、形容词、副词、代词、介词、连词、短语等等。
三、选择填空的解题方法
表面上来年，选择填空就是要求考生把每个句子中删掉的词给恢复出来。实际上，选择填空不仅仅测试应试者在句子水平上运用语言的能力，它还测试应试者在语篇水平上综合运用语言的能力。因为，选择填空中的填空是与文章的上下文有紧密联系的，不是孤立的、不相关的。因此，要做好选择填空题，必须首先通读整篇文章，开清文章的大意和逻辑关系，根据空格所在句子的结构、语法、语篇等信息，通过逻辑揄、对比等手段最后确定答案。尤其是运用语法知识、搭配和语篇知识来确定答案。
请看这篇短文，文中有20处空白，每个空白处有4个选项。请根据短文的内容从4个选项中选择1个最佳答案。
television is the greatest communiction medium ever designed and operated by man. it sends into the human brain an -------- (36) amount of opinions and information and -------(37) moral and artistic standards for all of us. every minute of a television programme teaches us something. it is never a neutral (中立的)------- (38). for example, how and when public issues ar -------(40) how they are treated by the television networks in entertainment --------(41) news and public affairs programmes.
what the american people think about governemnt and politics in -------(42), ad wwell as a favorite candidate in ------ (43), is largely influenced by ------- (44).
unfortunately commercial television seldom ------- (45) anything of value to our lives. many americans express a deep hostility (故意)--------(46) television BECause they know most tv programmes are ------- (47) poor quality and that sometimes these programmes are ever ------- (48).
the question is : how can television be improved? there are many thins are ordinary ------- (49) can do. for example, he ----- (50) complain to his local tv stations about offensive advertising. he can ----- (51) citiaens groups to urge local tv stations to ----- (52) their programmes ----- (53), these groups should propose regular analysies of specific tv commercials and programmes by educators, doctors, etc. to ----- (54) the influence of these programmes on children and adults. television can be our most exciting medium if we just think about ----- (55) to improve it.
36. a endless g ending c ended d end
37. a finds b absorbs c sets d mends
38. a consequence b influence c result d purpose
39. a talked b handled c watched d noticed
40. a over b in c above d on
41. a as well as b also c but d together
42. a all b short c general d name
43. a particular b special c instance d individual
44. a entertainment b news c programmes d television
45. a damages b contributes c hands d takes
46. a toward b in c on d over
47. a with b in c of d among
48. a serious b harmful c attractive d long
49. a reader b participant c listener d viewer
50. a can b does c should dought to
51. a can b does c should d ought to
52. a call b gather c organize d make
53. a as a result b as a matter of fact c in contract din addition
54. a determine b refuse c involve d receive
55. a tracks b roads c easy d programmes
一、题型介绍
概括大意这一题型在 职称 英语等级考试中属于新题型。在我国其它的大规模的英语考试均未出现过。
这种题型是先给出一篇短文，通常由一段组成，每段说明一个主题。其主题可以用一个或几个单词概括出来，该单词或词组是不完整的，即有一个单词是空出来的，但其第一个或前几个字母已经给出，要求考生在理解每段文字内容的基础上把空缺的字母给补上，使之构成一个完整的单词。这种题型有点像我们平时所说的“画龙点睛”或“高度概括”的意思。实际上，我们可以把每个段落看作一篇小短文，内容有了，标题不完整，考生要做的工作就是来把这个标题补全或来“命”这个标题。
二、测试点
显而易见，这种题型的测试点就是考查考生抓大意的能力，即大纲规定的应该掌握的阅读能力的第一条。要概括短文的大意，就要首先读懂原文。原文读不懂自然总结不出来。把大意概括出来，还要能找出适当的英文单词，还要能写出这个单词，所以概括大意这种题型同时又考了 词汇 量和拼写。
由于这种题型也比较新颖，对考生可能有点不适应，不知如何下手。其实，这种题型相对来说不算难。上面我们谈到，概括大意这种题型的实质是让考生给每段文字“命”一个小标题。而要“命”出这个标题来就必须确定每段文字的主题 思想 。如何确定文章和主题思想?考虑一下人们的写作和逻辑思维过程，这个问题就容易回答了。我们在写一篇短文时，总要分几个段落来写，而每一个段落都有自己的一个观点、论点或主旨。要阐述它，作者就必须展开他的观点或论点，一定要作补充、说明、解释或举例，以支持所提出的问题。反映作者观点、论点或主旨的这个句子通常叫做主题句。主题句往往体现了每一段或整个文章的主题思想。那么，找到了段落的主题句，就等于抓住了它的主题思想，抓住了它的主题思想，标题就容易确定了。看来，要概括出每段的段落大意，就必须先找到每段的主题句。
在怎样做阅读理解题第一讲中，我们详细介绍了如何通过找主题句来抓文章的大意，即解答主旨类题目。这里就不再重复了。下面我们通过一个具体的实例来说如何解答概括大意这类题目，并指出解题的步骤。
singapore
1. in______________ to singapore .
singapore is an independent city-state in southeastern asia, consisting of one major island - the singapore island - and more than 50 small islands, located off the southern tip of the malay peninsula. the city of singapore, the capital of the country, is at the southeastern end of the singapore island; it is one of the most important port cities and commercial centers of southeast asia. the total area of the republic is 640 sq.km.
2. l____________ and climate.
low-lying singapore island has no outstanding relief (轮廓鲜明的)features. a central area of hills rises to the maximum height of 176 m. the country has a wet tropical climate, with an average annual temperature of 27.20 c. the average annual precipitation is 2,413 mm; the wettest months are november through january.
3. state sy_________ of singapore .
singapore is governed under a constitution of 1959, as amended (修改后的). a president, elected to a four-year term is head of state, and a prime minister is head of government. the president used to be elected by parliament, but by a 1991 constitutional amendment (修正), the president is now elected directly by the people. the parliament is the law-making body with its 81 members populary elected.
4. e_____________.
in the late 1980s the country had some 290 primary schools with 278,300 pupils and 160 s***ndary schools with 200,200 students. the main institutions of higher education are the national university of singapore (founded in 1980 with the combination of two major universities), several technical colleges, and a teachers college.
5. e_______________ of singapore .
singapore has one of the highest standards of living of any country in asia. in the late 1980s the gross domestic product was estimated at $23.7 billion, or $ 8,870 per person. the fishing industry is centered on the port of during, on southwestern singapore island. industry has grown rapidly since the 1960s, and singapore now produces a diversity (多样化的)of goods, including chemicals, electronic items, clothing, and processed foods, etc. ship building and petroleum refining are also important.
这是一篇关于新加坡的文章。我们先看一段。上面我们说了，在做概括大意这类题目时，先找段落的主题句。第一段好像没有哪一句话能概括全段的主题思想。这种段落属于无主题句段落。叙述的都是细节内容。这时要根据段落论述的中心或焦点进行提炼，跳出具体细节，从整体上把握段落，概括出全段的大意。本段涉及到新加坡的地理位置、国土面积，首都等，显然是对新加坡的一个简单介绍。介绍的英文单词是introduction，所以该段的小标题为introduction to singapore。
下面我们来看第二段。发现这一段也均为情节句， 没有一句概括性的句子，表明该段也无主题句段落。这就要求我们根据细节内容把该段的主题概括出来。该段的前两句讲到新加坡岛地势不高，中部有些小山，最高只有176米。接下来说的是该国气候属于热带雨林气候，年平均温度在摄氏27.2度，年平均降雨量为2,413毫米，十一月至一月份雨量最为充沛。由此看来，该段讲的是新加坡的地势及气候的情况。原小标题中已给出了气候这个词，空出来的单词给出了第一个字母l，所以这里应填land。
那么第三段的标题该怎样命呢?不难看出，该段的第一句为主题句。说的是新加坡是按照1959年修正后的宪法来治国的。接下来展开叙述，均为细节内容。如总统为国家元首，四年一任，总理为政府首脑。过去总统由议会选出，根据地991年修正的宪法，现在总统由国民直接选取出。议会是制订法律的机关等。由此看来， 这一段是在叙述国家的体制，即state system。
第四段似乎也没有主题句。但该段的内容很明显，是在讲新加坡的教育情况，所以小标题为education。
我们再来分析一下第五段。这一段的第一句话显然是该段的主题句，它说的是“新加坡在众多亚洲国家中享有较高的生活水平。”为什么说新加坡人民的生活水平高呢?下面的每句话都围绕这一主题展开论述。首先讲在八十年代后期新加坡的国内生产总值达237亿美元，人均八千多美元。接着讲新加坡的渔业。再接着讲自六十年代以来，新加坡的工业发展迅速，并能生产出各种产品。最后又讲新加坡的造船业和石油加工工业也很重要。这些都属于细节内容，是为支持主题句而服务的。根据本段的主题句，我们就可以概括出它的标题。“新加坡人民生活水平高”说明经济发达。所以该段的标题应该是“economy of singapore"(新加坡的经济)。下面叙述的细节也是有关新加坡的经济情况的。标题中给出的字母“e”即起到了揭示作用，同时也起到了限定的作用。它揭示我们要填“economy”这个词，而且限定我们只能填这个词。
women’s rights movement .
46. r------- of women
women’s
rights are guarantees of political, social, and ***nomic equality for women in a society that traditionally gives more power and freedom to men. among these rights are control of property, equality of opportunity in education and employment, right of voting, and freedom of marriage. today, complete political, ***nomic, and social equality with men remains to be achieved.
47. traditional sta------ of women.
male control was obvious from the time of the earliest written historical r***rds, probably as a result of men’s role in hunting and warfare. the belief that women were naturally weaker and inferior to men was also found in god-centered religions. therefore, in most traditional societies, women generally were at a disadvantage. their education was limited to learning domestic skills, and they had no access to positions of power. a woman had no legal control over her person, her own land and money, or her children.
48. s-------- of women’s rights movement.
the age of enlightenment (启蒙时期)and the industrial revolution, which caused ***nomic and social progress, provided a favorable climate for the rise of women’s rights movement in the late 18th and the 19th century. in 1848 more than 100 persons held the first women’s rights convention in new york, and the feminists (女权主义者) demanded equal rights, including the vote.
49. dev--------.
in the late 1960s women made up about40 percent of the work force in england, france, germany, and the united states. this figure rose to more than 50 percent by the mid-1980s. a commission under the president was established in 1960 to consider equal opportunities for women. acts of congress entitled them to equality in education, employment, and legal rights. in 1964 the civil rights act, initially intended only for blacks, was extended to women.
50. go--------.
the objectives of the women’s movement included equal pay for equal work, federal support for day-care centers, r***gnition for lesbian (女性同性恋) rights, making abortion (堕胎) legal, and the focus of serious attention on the problems of forced sex relations, wife and child beating, and discrimination against (歧视) older and minority women.
46. 本题答案为rights。回答这类问题，关键是找出每段的主题句，主题句找出来后，大意基本上就可以概括出来了。这一段的主题句显然是第一句话，定义妇女的权利包括哪些方面的内容。所以空格处应填rights。
47. 本题答案为status。本段的主题句在段落中间，即这句话:therefore, in most traditional societies, women generally were at a disadvantage. 这句话也就反映了过去妇女的地位。地位是status。
48. 本题答案为start。这一段主要叙述的是妇女运动何时开始的。根据信号词rise就可以把答案做出来。
49. 本题答案为developments。这一段接着上一段进一步介绍妇女运动的发展情况，显然标题应该是developments。此外，由于空格处已经给出三个字母，该题相对容易多了。
50. 本题答案为goals。整段内容说明妇女运动的目标，原文中的目标用的objective这个词，换一个意义相近的词，就是goal。所以，根据信号词objective，我们会想到答案应该为goals。
三、解题步骤
以上我们介绍了概括大意的测试点及解题方法。考生在做这部分题目时应注意:
1. 先看大标题，然后仔细阅读每段文字，理解段落的首句及尾句，尽量找到段落的主题句。
2. 理解段落中句子之间的相互关系。如果段落的第一句或前两句是概括性的句子，紧接着开始论述细节，从而可以确定段首句为主题句。如果从首句就开始论述细节，到尾句才进行概括或归纳，说明尾句是主题句。如果首句和尾句都是陈述句，而在段中出现一句概括性的句子，说明该句是主题句，概括了全段的中心 思想 。如果全段均为情节句，没有一句概括性的句子，表明这是无主题句的段落。这时要概括段落论述的中心或焦点进行提炼。跳出具体细节，从整体上把握段落，概括出全段的大意。
3. 小标题与大标题对照。找出每个段落的主题句并概括出其大意后，反过来再看文章的大标题，看看每段的主题是不是文章大主题的分主题。经过从宏观到颓，从颓再到宏观这两上过程就能保证把小标题命出来。
4. 注意词的形式。由于所需补全的词一般多为名词，要从逻辑上考虑是用名词的单数还是用复数。如果需要补全的词前后还有其它的词时，注意该词与其它词的搭配关系。
第八讲:阅读理解练习
第三篇 the gene industry
major companies are already in pursuit of commercial applications of the new biology .they dream of placing nxymse(酶)
in the automobile to monitor exhaust nad send data om pollution to a microprocessor that will then adjust the engine .they speak of what the new york time calls"metal-hungry microbse(微生物)that might be used to mine valuable trace metals from ocean water".they have already demanded and won the right to patent new liteforms .
nervous critics,including many scientists,worry that there if corporate,national,
international,and inter-scientific rivalry in the entire biotechnological field.they create images not of oil spills(溢出),but of "microbe spills" that could spread disease and destroy entire populations,the creation and accidental release of extremely poisonous microbes,however,if only one cause for alarm.completely rational and respectable scientists are talking about possibilities that stagger the imagination.
should we breed people with cow-like stomachs so they can digest grass and hay ,thereby relieving the food problem by modifying us to eat lower down on the fod chain? should we biologically alter workers to fit the job requierement,for example,creating pilots with faster reaction times or assemblyline workers designed to do our monotonous work for us ?should we attempt to eliminate"inferior"people and breed a "super-race"?(hitler tried this ,but without the genetic weaponry that may soom issue form our fighiting?should we use genetic forecasting to preeliminate "unfit" babies?should we grow reserve organs for ourselves ,each of us having,as it were ,a "savings bank " full of spare kidney ,livers ,or hands?
wild as thses notions may sound,every one has itd advocates (and opposers) in the scientific community as well as its striking commercial application.as two critics of genetic engineering, jeremy rifkin and ted howard,state in their book who should play god ? "broad scale genetic engineering will probably be introduced to america much the same way sa assembly lines ,automobiles,vaccines, computers and all the other technologies. as each new genetic advance bmes commercially practical, a new consumer need will be exploitde and a market for the new technology will be created."
11. according to the passage, the new biology could potentially solve the pollution problem of automobiles by $ 26vAL g_DFhcD@)0(本 文来 源于 3COME考试频道外语园地职称英语 htTP://WWw.reader8.net/exam/]$ 26vAL g_DFhcD@)0
a using metal-bungry microbes.
b making se of enzymes.
c adjusting the engines.
d patenting new lifeforms .
12. according to the passage, which of the following would most probably worry the critics of the following would most probably worry the critics of the new biology?
a the microbes in the ocean warter.
b the creation and application of biological solar cells
c the accidental oil spills.
d the unexpected release of destructive micrbes.
13. which of the following possibilities of the biotechnological applications is not mentioned in the third paragraph?
a developing a savings bank of one"s orangs.
b breeding soldiers for a war .
c producing people with cow-like stomachs.
d using genetic forecasting to curt diseases.
14. according to the passage,hitler had attempted to
a biologically change the pilots to win the war .
b develop genetic farming for increasing the food supply .
c kill the people he thought of as being inferior.
d encourage the development of genetic weapons for the war.
15. what is the implication of the sratement of jeremy rifkin and ted howard?
a the commercial applications of genetic engineering are inevitable.
b large-scale genetic engineering has occurred in the untied states.
c americans are proud of their computers,automobiles and genetic technologies.
d the potential application of each new genetic advance should be controlled.
第四篇 perfect competition
perfect competition exists in an industry that contains many relatively samll firms producing identical products.the most importhant characteristic(特征) of a perfectly competitive industry if that no single firm has any control over prices.this important characteristic follows from two assumptions(假设).first, a competitive industry is composed of many firms, each being very samll relative to the size of the industry .s***nd ,every firm in a perfectly competitive industry producse exactly the same product.
firms in perfectly competitive industries do not differentiate(区分) their products, nor do they make decisions about price.rather,each firm takes prices as given-that is ,as determined in the market by the laws of supply and demand -and decides olny how much to produce and how to produce it.given the availability(可得性) of perfect substitutes, any product priced over the market price will not be sold .
in perfectcompetition we also assume that firms can freely enter and exit the industry.the assumption of free entry implies that if firms in an industry are earning excessively high profits,new firms that seek to do the same thing are likely to spring up.fast food restaurants are quick to spring up when a new shopping center opens.where profit opportunities present themselves, we assume that firms sill enter and compete for them.
free exit is possible when firms can simply stop producing their products and leave a market .generally speaking,a firm closes dowm because it is suffering losses or because profits are insufficient .new england textile and furniture products found themselves facing increasing foreign competition, as well as lower production costs in the south .while some firms packed up and moved ,others simply got out of the business altogether.
16. which of the following is not a feature of perfect competition according to the passage?
a the firms involved are small compared to the size of the industry.
b the firms involved produce goods of the same kind .
c the size of the industry is ususlly very samll.
d the price of the products is deterimned by the market.
18. if a firm sells its products at a price higher than that of the market ,consumers will
a buy goods of the same kind produced by other companies.
b stop buying this type of products altogether.
c use anlther type of goods as substitutes.
d continue to buy its products becausr of their good quality.
19. in the third paragraph,the author mentions"fast food restaurants"to show
a the rapid emergence of new industries in down town areas.
b the prosperity of service indusries in backward countries .
c people"s enthusiasm for shopping .
d businessmen"s interest in high -profit industries.
20. what is the most important reason for a company to quit a business?
a some other firms are making more money .
b there is too much competition in this industry .
c it is not making adequate profit .
d foreign products have got control of the market.
第五篇 at war with a giant
the nultinatonal corporation mcdonald"s,which has a global empire of about 14,000 restaurants in 70 conutries and makes over 6 billion pounds a year, is in the process of suing two penniless and unemployed british environmental activists (活动分子).it is accusing david morris,a former postman ,and helen steel ,a former
gardener ,of distributing a leaflet in the 80s that is highly critical of the company"s environmental ,the treatment of its workers and the nutritional quality of its food.mcdonald"s denies all the allegations(断言).
when mcdonald"s launched its first attack on the couple in 1990,it probably expected them to back down .but they did not .for morris and steel the trial is an opportunity to broadcast their allegations against mcdonald"s to the world .and they have nothing to lose .they have no money or property ,so that even if mcdonald "s does win ,the hamburger shain will not be able to rver any of the costs of the case from the rwo activists.the trial was originally scheduled to last three wddks but it celebrated its first year in june 1995 and is expected to go on until at least january 1996.
helen steel explained why they took on this battle against the corporation giant :"we felt that really we had no option but to fight this case .it"s important to defend freedom of speech and the prblic"s right to criticize the business practices of huge multinational companies." the couple is helped by dan mills ,a former lawyer ,who says :"we are getting support from all round the country and all round the world.people are sending in letters and message of support .and also we are getting donations form people all over the world."
there is still no end in sight for the trial .if steel and morris win ,the reputationof mcdonald"s may never be the same again.
21. themultinational corporatiom mcdonald"s sued the british couple because.
a mcdonald"s considered that none of the allegations they made was real.
b they had a bad environmental rrd although they were envirommental activists.
c they always violated the disciplines of mcdonald"s.
d mcdonald"s considered that their distribution of a leaflet was illegal.
22. the main reason that the couple looked forward to the trial to be held was that they
a expected to earn some money from the trial.
b wanted to expose some illegal actions of mcdonald"s.
c wanted to be knowm in the world .
d were not afraid of losin
第九讲:综合练习
一、选择填空练习
阅读下面的短文，文中有20处空白，每个空白处给出了四个选项。请根据短文的内容从四个选项中选择一个最佳答案。
to be a good student
many teachers believe that the responsibilities for learning lie with the student. (1) a long reading assignment is given, instructors expect student to be familiar with the (2) in the reading even if they do not discuss it in class or take an examination. the (3) student is considered to be (4) who is motivated to learn for the sake of (5)-- not the one interested only in getting high grades. sometimes homework is returned (6) brief written comments but without a grade. even if a grade is not given, the student is (7) for learning the material assigned. when research is (8) the professor expects the student to take it actively and to complete it with (9) guidance. it is the (10) responsibility to find books, magazines, and articles in the library. professors do not gave the time to explain (11) a university library works; they expect students (12) graduate students to exhaust the reference (13) in the library. professors will help students who need it, but (14) that their students should not be (15) dependent on them. in the united states professors have many other duties (16) teaching, such as administrative or research work. (17), the time that a professor can spend with a student out side of class is (18). if a student has problems with classroom work the student should either (19) a professor during Office hours (20) make an appointment.
1. a if b although c because d since
2. a suggestion b context c abstract d information
3. a poor b ideal c average d disappointed
4. a such b one c any d some
5. a fun b work c learning d prize
6. a by b in c for d with
7. a criticized b innocent c responsible d dismissed
8. a collected b distributed c assigned d finished
9. a maximum b minimum c possible d practical
10. a student’s b professor’s c assistant’s d librarian’s
11.a when b what b why d how
12. a particularly b essentially c obviously d rarely
13. a selections b collections c obviously d rarely
14. a hate b dislike c like d prefer
15. a too b such c much d more
16. a but b except c with d besides
17. a however b therefore c furthermore d nevertheless
18. a plentiful b limited c irregular d flexible
19. a greet b annoy c approach d attach
20. a or b and c to d b
参考答案:
1 a 2 d 3 b 4 b 5 c 6 d 7 c 8 c 9 b 10 a
11 d 12 a 13 c 14 d 15 a 16 d 17 b 18 b 19 c 20 a
二、完成句子练习
阅读下面的短文，短文后面有五个不完整的句子，根据短文的内容完成句子。每个句子的空白处只准填写一个单词，该单词的第一个(或前几个)字母已经给出。
american newspapers
no country in the world has more daily newspapers than the usa. there are almost 2,000 of them, as compared with 180 in japan, 164 in argentina and 111 in britain. the quality of some american papers is extremely high and their views are quoted (引用) all over the world. distinguished dailies like the washington post or the new york times have a powerful influence all over the country. however the post and the times are not national newspapers in the sense that the times is in britain or le monde is in france, since each american city has its own daily newspaper. the best of the these present detailed accounts of national and international news, but many tend to limit themselves to state or city news.
like the press in most other countries, american newspapers range from the "sensational", which feature crime, sex and gossip, to the serious, which focus on factual news and the analysis of world events. but with few exceptions american newspapers try to entertain and give as much information as possible, for they have to compete with the attraction of television.
just as american newspapers satisfy all tastes, so do they also try and appeal to readers of all political persuasions. a few newspapers support extremist groups on the far right and on the far left, but most daily newspapers attempt to attract middle-of-the-road americans who are essentially moderate. many of these papers print columns by well-known journalists of differing political and social views, in order to present a balanced picture. &[T|H0MJMmH^#[YCMn5 ( 3COME考试频道 外语园地职称英语 )&[T|H0MJMmH^#[YCMn5hTTp://wWw.reader8.net/exam/
as in other countries american newspapers can be either responsible or irresponsible, but it is generally accepted that the american press serves its country well and that it has more than once courageously exposed political scandals or crimes, for instance, the watergate affair. the newspapers drew the attention of the public to the horrors of the vietnam war.
1. there are fewer n___________ newspapers in britain than in the usa.
2. most a________ newspapers try hard to entertain their readers therefore they have to write about crime, sex and gossip.
3. many american newspapers attract readers of different po_________ persuasions by supporting extremist groups fom time to time.
4. in this passage, the word " press" means n________.
5. the passage is mainly about ch__________ of american newspapers.
参考答案:
1. national 2 american 3 political 4 newspapers 5 characteristics
三、概括大意练习
下面的一篇短文共分五段，每段说明一个主题。其主题可以用一个或几个单词表示出来。该单词或词组是不完整的，即有一个词是空出来的，但其第一个(或前几个)字母已经给出，请将蓁的字母补全，使之成为一个完整的单词。
conversation
1. a famous ma_______ of the art.
the ancient greeks were very good at making conversations, and the greatest talker of them all was philosopher socrates. his pupil plato,rded some of his supposed conversations, and we read them in ’the dialogues’ of plato. in many classrooms today, socrates’ method of teaching is used.
2. what makes a good t_________
the best talkers appear to have had a great interest in and love for their fellow creatures; a curiosity about the world in general; some powers of observation and tolerance for those of others; and quick thinking. and they talked for the fun of it, not to show off their knowledge.
3. one important fa______ in conversation
a good voice must have the help of good speech, whose two assistants are clear enunciation and correct pronunciation. poor enunciation may suggest to your listeners that you lack consideration, and that you are not especially concerned about their opinion of you.
5. talk with st__________.
think of meeting a stranger as a chance to have a good time to talk, to make a friend. look with a smile directly into the other’s eyes when you are introduced, and shake hands with a firm, friendly clasp. this will give you confidence. then try to have a smooth and pleasant conversation with him.
参考答案:
1 master 2 talker factor 4 usage 5 strangers
四、完形填空练习
阅读下面短文，其中有十处空白，根据短文的内容在文中的空白处填上适当的字母，使之构成一个完整的单词。该单词的第一个字母已经给出。
heart
the heart is really just a very strong pump. it has four valves made of vry thin, strong tissues. if the damage to the h( 1 is not too bad, we put in pieces of natural heart-valve, which are taken from other people w ( 2 have just died. if a damaged artery is not too big, we replace it with a piece of vein. we take the v( 3 from another part of the patient’s own body. the human body has more veins than it really needs.
but how can we operate on the heart? how does the blood continue to flow round the b( 4 ? here the engineers really have helped us. we use the heart-lung machine. it does the work of both the heart and the l( 5 . it pumps the patient’s blood out of a large vein near the heart and passes the blood through a ’bath’ of oxygen. the b( 6 is filled with oxygen, and other gases are taken away from it, as in our lunges. the m( 7 keeps the blood warm all the time. then it pumps the blood back into a large artery. it does all this in a very gentle way, the blood c( 8 are not damaged. so we can work on a heart which is empty of blood.
"if you aren’t breathing, and if our heart isn’t beating, you are d( 9 ," people used to say. but that is not true now. although the heart is not pumping, and the patient is not breathing, his blood is still going around his body w( 10) the help of the machine. he is very much alive. the heart-lung machine saves thousands of lives every year. it’s really a wonderful invention!
参考答案:
1 heart 2 who 3 vein 4 body 5 lungs
6 blood 7 machine 8 cells 9 dead 10 with
