2013年5月托福考试:托福阅读态度判断技巧
托福阅读文章大都是学术类文章,具有稳定清晰的逻辑结构,基本上是T(topic)+A(aspect)+A(attitude)的篇章结构,通过把握文章的主旨大意我们可以排除掉一些与之相矛盾的选项,但很多时候我们都是能够四选二,难就难在二选一,很难抉择,在这时候,作者的情感态度题就大有用武之地了。
因为在做托福阅读文章的时候我们要谨记选出来的选项一定要跟原文的中心一致,另外还要跟作者站在同一个角度去讨论问题,所以可以用情感态度来辅助我们做题,词汇有褒贬之分,同样,虽然科普类文章占大多数,但作者在写作的时候会自然的流露一些观点态度,利用这些蕴含的情感态度,我们可以做对一些题。
例如下面的这道题
4. Which of the following can be inferred about secondhand smoke?
o A. It should be used between employees.
o B. It should be accepted in the airport.
o C. It should be considered very seriously at work.
o D. It should be recommended to servers in a restaurant.
Secondhand smoke is a serious issue in the U.S. It caused major health problems. Many people like to smoke in restaurants and bars. Nonsmoking customers can choose to go elsewhere. But what about employees? They cannot choose so easily. Servers are exposed to high levels of smoke. Their health is at risk.
解析:题目让我们推测关于secondhand smoke的正确说法,我们看文段的首句,说secondhand smoke is a serious issue. 也就是说secondhand smoke不好,作者态度是否定的,对吧,那我们看选项,A should be used,应该被使用,肯定态度,排除;B should be accepted,应该被接受,肯定态度,排除;C should be considered very seriously,和原文中的is a serious issue是同意转述吧,说secondhand smoke 不好,跟原文的态度一致,保留;D should be recommended to servers,被提议,是肯定态度,排除掉,综上,正确答案为C。
通过这一个简单的例题,我们可以对情感态度辅助我们做题有个大体的概念,那我们继续下面的例题:
3. Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in the passage? Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.
○ Experiments revealed that caged starlings displayed a lack of directional sense and restless movements.
○ Experiments revealed that caged starlings were unable to orient themselves in the direction of their normal migratory route.
○ Experiments revealed that the restless movement of caged starlings had no clear direction.
○ Experiments revealed that caged starlings' orientation was accurate unless the weather was overcast.
o He then set up experiments with caged starlings and found that their orientation was, in fact, in the proper migratory direction except when the sky was overcast, at which times there was no clear direction to their restless movements.
解析:这是一道句子简化题,我们在做句子简化题的时候,牢记一点,那就是句子中心意思保持一致就对了,看到选项中都是以experiment revealed that开头,所以句子重点在found that后,句子中心为 their orientation was in the proper migratory direction,proper合适的,作者持肯定态度,那我们看选项,A 出现一个lack,否定态度,排除;B 出现unable,否定态度,排除;C 出现no,否定态度,排除;D 中accurate,肯定态度,为正确选项。
做完题后,我们再回过来看看原句整个的含义,首先讲他做了个实验,发现这些鸟的定位有适当的合适的飞行方向,except 表示例外,说明额外的一种情况,说当天空阴霾的时候,它们飞行没有明确的方向,那句子的重心还是说它们有明确的飞行方向,持肯定态度,D中说它们的飞行都很精确,unless,除非,表示另外的一种情况,跟原句的匹配程度很高,所以锁定答案为D。
托福阅读文章里的每句话都可以说是为文章中心服务的,所以我们在做题的时候可以借助文章主旨和情感态度来帮助我们做题,有时候情感态度不是很明显,是要靠我们体会的,所以建议大家在平时做完题的时候可以细细品读一下文章,从整体上来把握文章的逻辑架构和情感态度,细细体会字里行间作者蕴含的观点。