大学英语四级考试阅读理解文章结构分析

大学英语四级考试阅读理解文章结构分析

辨别和理解文章的中心思想是大学英语四级考试阅读测试的重中之重，2006年修订的新四级考试大纲仍然将对此项能力的考查置于首位（见大纲第9页，外语教育）。新四级仔细阅读部分（Reading in Depth）选择题型的篇章阅读中，与此项能力直接相关的一种题型称为主旨题。如何快速把握文章结构，确定中心思想对快速阅读文章有相当重要的意义。我们知道，新四级的仔细阅读部分，选择题型的篇章阅读共两篇文章，十道题目，要求考生在15分钟之完成，平均每篇文章大约7－8分钟的时间，其中文章的阅读大约3－4分钟的时间。在这么短的时间读完一篇300－350字的文章，逐字逐句通读全文寻找主旨的方法就显得不切合实际了，这必然要求考生采用适当的阅读技巧。为此，笔者建议考生采用略读（skimm ing）和跳读（skip-reading）相结合的阅读方式。

略读是一种浏览式的阅读方法，其主要目的是为了快速有效地把握文章的主旨大意，是平时为了大量获取信息和各种英语应试阅读中特别常用而且极为重要的一种阅读方法。这种方法主要是指在阅读过程中，只关注与全文大意密切相关的主题信息，而忽略其它支持性的细节信息。四级考试中，阅读文章主要以说明文和议论文为主，一篇文章的主题信息通常会出现在以下几处：一、文章各段的首句和尾句。这些处于较明显、较特殊位置的句子往往是段落和文章的主题句，具有相当大的重要性；二、强转折处。通常以but, however, rather, yet, instead等词为标志，这些词汇后面的句子是主题性信息；三、因果关系处。通常以t herefore, as a result, thus, so, That is why…等词语或句式为标志，这些词汇或句式后面的句子是主题性信息；四、递进处。通常以moreover, furthermore, what’s more, what’s the most important, most important of all, most importantly等词汇或短语为标志，这些词汇或短语后面出现的信息是被强调的信息，即主题信息出现的地方；五、例证处。通常以for example, for instance, Let’s take…, Consider…等词汇、短语或句式为标志，这些词汇、短语或句式表示举例，也是支持性的细节信息，位于例子前后的句子一般都是例子要说明的主题；六、并列处。通常以firstly, secondly…finally, some…others…, for one thing…for another, on the one hand…on the other hand等组合为标志，这些组合都是支持性的细节信息，位于这些组合前后的句子一般都是这些细节信息所要支持的主题。

跳读可以作为略读的辅助。跳读旨在掌握文章的全貌和要点，但又不必将文章中所有的词句全部都读进眼帘，句子中期补充说明、修饰限定作用的，在跳读过程中就可以略去不读。因此，跳读主要是为了抓住句子的主干部分，忽略次要部分，这种阅读方法并不影响读者对于文章主题信息的把握。当主题信息处是长难句时，这种方式尤为有效。跳读可以分为以下三种形式：一、根据特殊的标点符号提示，采用跳读法。文章中的标点符号都有其一定的含义。如：两个逗号之间是插入成分或同位语；括号表示举例或补充说明；冒号通常用

来列举事物、附加解释说明性容；破折号通常放在解释性分句或句子前，或是用来列举前面总括的若干容，或是放在解释性的插入语之前或之后等。阅读时，可以将两个逗号之间的部分、括号的部分、冒号后的部分、破折号后的部分和两个破折号之间的部分省略不读；二、根据句法结构，采用跳读法。主要是在遇到长难句时，抓住句子的主干部分，即主语部分、谓语部分和宾语部分，而其它补充成分，即定语（从句）、状语（从句）和补语部分可以略去不读；三、根据文章结构和组织形式及段落间逻辑关系、主题句等，采用跳读法。阅读时，重点关注主题句、表明作者观点的词句，对于举例论证、引用论证、数据论证、正反论证、比喻论证等部分则一带而过，跳过不读。

当我们采用略读和跳读两种方法找到一篇文章的主题信息之后，全文的主旨又在哪里呢？是不是就是把所读到的主题信息句简单相加呢？我们知道，一篇好的文章是一个有机的整体，其部的信息是按照一定的思维模式逻辑地组合在一起的，这种严密的组合就是文章的结构。全文主旨的最后确认是离不开文章结构的，因为主旨就是作者的逻辑思维模式。

笔者根据历年四级考试真题中的文章结构，将四级仔细阅读文章中心思想获取的方式大致划分为五种。下面分别举例说明：

1、综合型

Faces, like fingerprints, are unique. Did you ever wonder how it is possible for us to recognize people. Even a skilled writer probably could not describe all the feat ures that make one face different from another. Yet a very young child—or even an animal, such as a pigeon—can learn to recognize faces, we all take this ability for g ranted.

We also tell people apart by how they behave. When we talk about someone’s personality, we mean the ways in which he or she acts, speaks thinks and feels th at make that individual different from others.

Like the human face, human personality is very complex. But describing someon e’s personality in words is somewhat easier than describing his face. If you were as ked to describe what a “nice face”looked like, you probably would have a difficu lt time doing so. But if you were asked to describe a “nice person”, you might be gin to think about someone who was kind considerate, friendly, warm, and so fort h.

There are many words to describe how a person thinks, feels and acts. Gordon Allport, an American psychologist, found nearly 18,000 English words characterizing differences in people’s behavior. And many of us use this information as a basis for describing, or typing, his personality. Bookworms, conservatives, military types-peopl e are described with such terms.

People have always tried to “type”each other. Actors in early Greek drama w

ore masks to show the audience whether they played the villain’s（坏人）or the he ro’s role. In fact, the words “person”and “personality”come from the Latin p ersona, meaning “mask”. Today, most television and movie actors do not wear ma sks. But we can easily tell the “good guys”from the “bad guys”because the tw o types differ in appearance as well as in actions. （1996年6月四级真题）

70. Which of the following is the major point of the passage?

A) Why it is necessary to identify people’s personality

B) Why it is possible to describe people

C) How to get to know people

D) How best to recognize people

本文讲述的是我们可以通过面部特征、行为方式和语言方式等来描述人或识别人。其中，首段谈到了面部特征在描述或识别一个人的过程当中的重要性；第二段紧接着谈到了行为方式在这方面的作用；第三段和第四段分别谈到了用语言方式来对一个人进行描述；最后一段说人们总是根据一个人的面部特征和行为方式将人划分为不同的类型。

划线部分就是需要阅读的句子，黑体字部分是重点标志性词汇。其中，第一段的两句话根据标点符号，采用了跳读。其余各段中举例等细节部分信息也跳过不读。

通过阅读主题信息，我们发现，这篇文章的每一段都谈到了描述或识别人的一个方面，全文的主旨需要把各段的主题综合起来，经过总结概括而形成。这种结构模式我们称之为综合型结构。这样，考查各段主题，我们可以得出正确答案应该是B。

2、开门见山型

Most episodes of absent-mindedness—forgetting where you left something or wo ndering why you just entered a room－are caused by a simple lack of attention, say s Schacter. “You’re supposed to remember something, but you haven’t encoded i t deeply.”

Encoding, Schacter explains, is a special way of paying attention to an event th at has a major impact on recalling it later. Failure to encode properly can create an noying situations. If you put your mobile phone in a pocket, for example, and don’t pay attention to what you did because you’re involved in a conversation, you’ll probably forget that the phone is in the jacket now hanging in your wardrobe (衣柜). “Your memory itself isn’t failing you.”says Schacter. “Rather, you didn’t give your memory system the information it needed.”

Lack of interest can also lead to absent-mindedness. “A man who can recite spo rts statistics from 30 years ago.”says Zelinski, “may not remember to drop a letter in the mailbox.”Women have slightly better memories than men, possibly because they pay more attention to their environment, and memory relies on just that.

Visual cues can help prevent absent-mindedness says Schacter. “But be sure the cue is clear and available.”he cautions. If you want to remember to take a medicat ion (药物) with lunch, put the pill bottle on the kitchen table—don’t leave it in th e medicine chest and write yourself a note that you keep in a pocket.

Another common episode of absent-mindedness: walking into a room and won dering why you’re there. Most likely, you were thinking about something else. “Ev eryone does this from time to time.”says Zelinski. The best thing to do is to retur n to where you were before entering the room, and you’ll likely remember. (2002年6月四级真题)

30. What is the passage mainly about？

A) The process of gradual memory loss.

B) The causes of absent-mindedness.

C) The impact of the environment on memory.

D) A way of encoding and recalling.

本文讲述的是心不在焉这种心理现象形成的原因——缺乏注意力。首段即提出了这个主题，其余四段分别从几个具体的方面来印证这个主题：第二段谈的是没有给记忆系统提供其所需的信息而导致心不在焉；第三段谈到了缺乏兴趣也可以导致心不在焉；第三段说视觉提示也可以防止心不在焉；最后一段通过一个具体的例子来说明，如果将注意力集中到一个方面，便会忽略其它方面。划线部分即为要读的主题信息，一些标点符号处、举例论证处、引用论证处等都跳过不读。

我们看到，这篇文章开篇即提出这篇文章的主旨，后面几段是对这个主旨的分述，全文构成总分结构模式，这种模式便是开门见山型的结构。由此，我们很容易选出B 为正确答案。

3、对比型（C）

Americans are proud of their variety and individuality, yet they love and respect few things more than a uniform, whether it is the uniform of an elevator operator

or the uniform of a five-star general. Why are uniforms so popular in theUnited Stat es?

Among the arguments for uniforms, one of the first is that in the eyes of most people they look more professional than civilian (百姓的) Clothes. People have beco me conditioned to expect superior quality from a man who wears a uniform. The t elevision repairman who wears a uniform tends to inspire more trust than one who appears in civilian clothes. Faith in the skill of a garage mechanic is increased by a uniform. What easier way is there for a nurse, a policeman, a barber, or a waiter t o lose professional identity(身份) than to step out of uniform?

Uniforms also have many practical benefits. They save on other clothes. They sa ve on laundry bills. They are tax-deductible(可减税的). They are often more comfort able and more durable than civilian clothes.

Primary among the arguments against uniforms is their lack of variety and the c onsequent loss of individuality experienced by people who must wear them. Though there are many types of uniforms, the wearer of any particular type is generally stu ck with it, without change, until retirement. When people look alike, they tend to t hink, speak, and act similarly, on the job at least.

Uniforms also give rise to some practical problems. Though they are long-lasting, often their initial expense is greater than the cost of civilian clothes. Some uniforms are also expensive to maintain, requiring professional dry cleaning rather than the h ome laundering possible with many types of civilian clothes.（2000年6月四级真题）

35. The best title for this passage would be _______.

A) Uniforms and Society

B) The Importance of Wearing a Uniform

C) Practical Benefits of Wearing a Uniform

D) Advantages and Disadvantages of Uniforms

本文的结构模式十分清晰。首段提出全文主题：美国人如何看待制服的问题；第二段和第三段讲到了制服的优点；最后两段讲制服的缺点。很显然，后四段提出两种相反的观点，形成对比型的结构模式。划线部分是要读的主题信息，黑体字是重要的标志性词语，中间举例论证等细节部分采用了跳读。

对比型的结构模式中总是会出现截然相反的两种观点，全文的主旨则是两种观点的综合，由此，我们不难选出正确答案D。

4、问题型

Amtrak(美国铁路客运公司)was experiencing a downswing in ridership (客运量)alo ng the lines comprising its rail system. Of major concern to Amtrak and its advertisi ng agency DDB Needham，were the long-distance western routes where ridership ha d been declining significantly.

At one time，trains were the only practical way to cross the vast areas of the w est. Trains were faster，luxurious，and quite convenient compared to other forms of transportation existing at the time. However，times change and the automobile beca me America's standard of convenience. Also，air travel had easily established itself as the fastest method of traveling great distances. Therefore，the task for DDB Needha

m was to encourage consumers to consider other aspects of train travel in order to change their attitudes and increase the likelihood that trains would be considered for

travel in the west.

Two portions of the total market were targeted: 1) anxious fliers---those concern ed with safety，relaxation，and cleanliness and 2) travel-lovers---those viewing themse lves as relaxed，casual，and interested in the travel experience as part of their vacati on. The agency then developed a campaign that focused on travel experiences such as freedom，escape，relaxation，and enjoyment of the great western outdoors. It str essed experiences gained by u sing the trains and portrayed western train trips as w onderful adventures.

Advertisements showed pictures of the beautiful scenery that could be enjoyed al ong some of the more famous western routes and emphasized the romantic names of some of these trains(Empire Builder，etc.).These ads were strategically placed amon g family-oriented TV shows and programs involving nature andAmericain order to m ost effectively reach target audiences. Results were impressive. The Empire Builder, w hich was focused on in one ad. enjoyed a 15 percent increase in profits on itsChicag otoSeattleroute.（2000年1月四级真题）

31. What's the author's purpose in writing this passage?

A) To show the inability of trains to compete with planes with respect to speed and convenience.

B) To stress the influence of the automobile onAmerica's standard of convenienc e.

C) To emphasize the function of travel agencies in market promotion.

D) To illustrate the important role of persuasive communication in changing con sumer attitudes.

本文首段提出了美国铁路客运量下滑的问题。第二段分析原因，铁路客运量下滑主要是由于火车在便捷性和快捷性方面分别无法与汽车和飞机相媲美。最后两段说铁路客运公司的广告机构DDB Needham 通过广告宣传攻势，竭力将火车打造成为西部旅行的重要交通工具。划线部分就是要读的主要信息，黑体字是主要的标志性词语。

这是一篇典型的问题型结构模式的文章，其特点是文章的安排遵循“提出问题——分析问题——解决问题”的模式。这种文章的主旨一般落在文章的末尾处，即重心在分析问题和解决问题处。就本文而言，主旨主要是通过广告宣传改变客户态度，故选D。

5、实验型

Communications technologies are far from equal when it comes to conveying th e truth. The first study to compare honesty across a range of communications media has found that people are twice as likely to tell lies in phone conversations as they are in emails. The fact that emails are automatically recorded-and can come back t

o haunt (困扰)you appears to be the key to the finding.

Jeff Hancock ofCornellUniversityinIthaca, Mew York, asked 30 students to keep

a communications diary for a week. In it they noted the number of conversations o r email exchanges they had lasting more than 10 minutes, and confessed to how ma ny lies they told. Hancock then worked out the number of lies per conversation foe each medium .He found that lies made up 14 per cent of emails，21 per cent of in stant messages,27 per cent of face-to-face interactions and an astonishing 37 per cent of phone calls.

His results to be presented at the conference on human-computer interaction inV ienna,Austria, in April, have surprised psychologists. Some expected emailers to be th e biggest liars, reasoning that because deception makes people uncomfortable, the de tachment(非直接接触)of emailing would make it easier to lie. Others expected people to lie more in face-to-face exchanges because we are most practiced at that form o f communication.

But Hancock says it is also crucial whether a conversation is being recorded and could be reread, and whether it occurs in real time. People appear to be afraid to lie when they know the communication could later be used to hold them to accou nt, he says. This is why fewer lies appear in email than on the phone.

People are also more likely to lie in real time—in a instant message or phone c all, say—than if they have time to think of a response, says Hancock.He fond man y lies are spontaneous (脱口而出的)responses to an unexpected demand, such as: "Do you like my dress?"

Hankcock hopes his research will help companies work out the best ways for th eir employees to communicate. For instance, the phone might be the best medium f or sales where employees are encouraged to stretch the truth. But, given his results, work assessment where honesty is a priority, might be best done using email.（2006年6月四级真题）

57.Hancock's study focuses on ____________.

A)the consequences of lying in various communications media.

B)the success of communications technologies in conveying ideas.

C)people are less likely to lie in instant messages.

D)people 's honesty levels across a range of communications media.

不难看出，本文讲的是一个实验，即人们通过不同的交流媒介进行交流时，其诚信度是不一样的。这种文章称为实验型文章，其结构模式比较特殊，主要体现在以下两点：

一、文中含有实验人的话、实验人的观点、实验人的期望的句子是要重点阅读的句子；

含有表示实验结果的句子也是要重点阅读的句子，一般以to find, to show, to discover, to test等词为标志。本文划线的句子即要重点阅读的主题信息，黑体字是主要标志性词汇，与其它文章一样，支持性信息处采用了跳读。

二、文章一般开头提出实验的主旨，即实验的最终目的或最终结果，末尾提出实验的应用或实验的意义。如本文的主旨是不同交流媒介体现了不同的诚信度，实验的意义是要为公司员工的交流探索最佳的模式。

这种文章的主旨题通常也以考查实验目的或实验结果为主。由此，57题应该选择D。

以上就是笔者对于把握四级仔细阅读文章结构，解读中心思想的一些见解。广大考生只要在平时的阅读中加强略读和跳读能力的训练，相信是能增强快速阅读的能力的