《泰德时代新托福考试备考丛书》阅读精选
时间:2007-11-12 12:05:48来源: 作者:
一、阅读试题结构
由于我国外语教学长期以来在总体上难以摆脱语法翻译为主的传统教学体系和方法，重语言知识胜于语言应用，造成学习者在四项语言技能的不平衡：重读写和轻听说的现象依然存在；听说领先，读写跟上，反复循环的教学指导思想始终难以落实。 这就从客观上造成了国内外语教育和学习的语言环境与真实自然的语言环境相背离的现实，形成了以阅读为主、以视听为辅、说无从开口，写无从下手的语言教学困境。无怪乎外语教学界大有“聋子英语”和“哑巴英语”的说法。我们希望新托福能对改变这种局面起到重要的促进作用。实践证明，新托福考试阅读部分的难度总体上与大部分中国考生的阅读熟练程度相当。但是，局部上讲，中国考生仍会感到篇章应用题难于基础理解题，新题型难于旧题型。
阅读部分内容的总体结构是三篇长度为650~750的阅读材料，每篇阅读材料后有11－13道题，考生每完成一道题即依次出现下一道题。要求20分钟完成每篇阅读材料及其试题，共历时约60分钟。阅读材料的难度与北美大学课本讲义的难度相当；题材有美国文化、艺术、历史、政治和自然等，有一定学术性， 但较听力材料的学术性低。
二、阅读素材分析
根据作者的目的不同，新托福的阅读篇章可以分为三种类型：说明文、议论文以及历史性、传记性和自传性的叙事文。
在这三种类型内，还可以分为单焦点和多焦点两种阅读篇章。
多焦点的阅读篇章（例如分类型、比较/对比型、原因/结果型和问题/解决办法型的文本），从不止一个视角或者观点出发来展开信息，或者涉及可以被划分为不同成分的信息。
单焦点的阅读篇章（例如描述、叙述和分析）不仅仅是呈现与一个主题相关的各种信息，同时也会在一定的深度和复杂程度上，展开要点，并呈现要点之间的相互关系。
三、阅读题型分析
一、基础理解题（basic comprehension questions）
具体分析起来，新托福的基础理解题除插话题和修辞目的题外，主要仍是现行托福中使用的传统题型。
基础理解题定义：基础理解题重点考查读者对基础项目的理解，特别是读者根据文章的词汇、句法和语义内容，理解把握重要信息的能力。它包括以下八个具体题型：
1） 词汇题(vocabulary)：考查读者根据上下文理解特定词和短语的能力。这种题型虽
难度不大，但占每篇文章后所有题目的三分之一，故考生仍应重视起来。
例题1：
passage: “in the animal world the task of moving about is fulfilled in many ways. for
some animals locomotion is accomplished by changes in body shape…”
the word locomotion in the passage is closest in meaning to
a. evolution
b. movement
c. survival
d. escape
正确答案是b。
例题2：
passage: “some poisonous snake bites need to be treated immediately or the victim will suffer paralysis…”
in stating that the victim will suffer paralysis the author means that the victim will
a. lose the ability to move
b. become unconscious
c. undergo shock
d. feel great pain
正确答案是a。
2）指代关系题(reference)： 考查读者认定代词与篇章中其他词语的指代关系的能力。
例题1：
passage: “…these laws are universal in their application, regardless of cultural beliefs, geography, or climate. if pots have no bottoms or have large openings in their sides, they could hardly be considered containers in any traditional sense. since the laws of physics, not some arbitrary decision, have determined the general form of applied-art objects, they follow basic patterns, so much so that functional forms can vary only within certain limits…”
the word they in the passage refers to
a. applied-art objects
b. the laws of physics
c. containers
d. the sides of pots
正确答案是a。
例题2：
passage：“…the first weekly newspaper in the colonies was the boston gazette,
established in 1719, the same year that marked the appearance of philadelphia’s first newspaper, the american mercury, where the young benjamin franklin worked. by 1760 boston had 4 newspapers and 5 other printing establishments; philadelphia, 2 newspapers and 3 other presses; and new york, 3 newspapers. the distribution, if not the sale, of newspapers was assisted by the establishment of a postal service in 1710, which had a network of some 65 offices by 1770, serving all 13 colonies…”
the word which in the passage refers to
a. distribution
b. sale
c. newspaper
d. postal service
正确答案是d。
3）句子简化题(sentence simplification)：考查读者认定文章中某一特定复杂句子所传
达的基本内容，并不受细枝末节的干扰，用简化的句子表达原句基本内容的能力。
例题
. . . although we now tend to refer to the various crafts according to the materials used to construct them—clay, glass, wood, fiber, and metal—it was once common to think of crafts in terms of function, which led to their being known as the “applied arts.” approaching crafts from the point of view of function, we can divide them into simple categories: containers, shelters, and supports. there is no way around the fact that containers, shelters, and supports must be functional. the applied arts are thus bound by the laws of physics, which pertain to both the materials used in their making and the substances and things to be contained, supported, and sheltered. these laws are universal in their application, regardless of cultural beliefs, geography, or climate. if a pot has no bottom or has large openings in its sides, it could hardly be considered a container in any traditional sense. since the laws of physics, not some arbitrary decision, have determined the general form of applied-art objects, they follow basic patterns, so much so that functional forms can vary only within certain limits. buildings without roofs, for example, are unusual because they depart from the norm. however, not all functional objects are exactly alike; that is why we recognize a shang dynasty vase as being different from an inca vase. what varies is not the basic form but the incidental details that do not obstruct the object’s primary function . . .
由于我国外语教学长期以来在总体上难以摆脱语法翻译为主的传统教学体系和方法，重语言知识胜于语言应用，造成学习者在四项语言技能的不平衡：重读写和轻听说的现象依然存在；听说领先，读写跟上，反复循环的教学指导思想始终难以落实。 这就从客观上造成了国内外语教育和学习的语言环境与真实自然的语言环境相背离的现实，形成了以阅读为主、以视听为辅、说无从开口，写无从下手的语言教学困境。无怪乎外语教学界大有“聋子英语”和“哑巴英语”的说法。我们希望新托福能对改变这种局面起到重要的促进作用。实践证明，新托福考试阅读部分的难度总体上与大部分中国考生的阅读熟练程度相当。但是，局部上讲，中国考生仍会感到篇章应用题难于基础理解题，新题型难于旧题型。
阅读部分内容的总体结构是三篇长度为650~750的阅读材料，每篇阅读材料后有11－13道题，考生每完成一道题即依次出现下一道题。要求20分钟完成每篇阅读材料及其试题，共历时约60分钟。阅读材料的难度与北美大学课本讲义的难度相当；题材有美国文化、艺术、历史、政治和自然等，有一定学术性， 但较听力材料的学术性低。
二、阅读素材分析
根据作者的目的不同，新托福的阅读篇章可以分为三种类型：说明文、议论文以及历史性、传记性和自传性的叙事文。
在这三种类型内，还可以分为单焦点和多焦点两种阅读篇章。
多焦点的阅读篇章（例如分类型、比较/对比型、原因/结果型和问题/解决办法型的文本），从不止一个视角或者观点出发来展开信息，或者涉及可以被划分为不同成分的信息。
单焦点的阅读篇章（例如描述、叙述和分析）不仅仅是呈现与一个主题相关的各种信息，同时也会在一定的深度和复杂程度上，展开要点，并呈现要点之间的相互关系。
三、阅读题型分析
一、基础理解题（basic comprehension questions）
具体分析起来，新托福的基础理解题除插话题和修辞目的题外，主要仍是现行托福中使用的传统题型。
基础理解题定义：基础理解题重点考查读者对基础项目的理解，特别是读者根据文章的词汇、句法和语义内容，理解把握重要信息的能力。它包括以下八个具体题型：
1） 词汇题(vocabulary)：考查读者根据上下文理解特定词和短语的能力。这种题型虽
难度不大，但占每篇文章后所有题目的三分之一，故考生仍应重视起来。
例题1：
passage: “in the animal world the task of moving about is fulfilled in many ways. for
some animals locomotion is accomplished by changes in body shape…”
the word locomotion in the passage is closest in meaning to
a. evolution
b. movement
c. survival
d. escape
正确答案是b。
例题2：
passage: “some poisonous snake bites need to be treated immediately or the victim will suffer paralysis…”
in stating that the victim will suffer paralysis the author means that the victim will
a. lose the ability to move
b. become unconscious
c. undergo shock
d. feel great pain
正确答案是a。
2）指代关系题(reference)： 考查读者认定代词与篇章中其他词语的指代关系的能力。
例题1：
passage: “…these laws are universal in their application, regardless of cultural beliefs, geography, or climate. if pots have no bottoms or have large openings in their sides, they could hardly be considered containers in any traditional sense. since the laws of physics, not some arbitrary decision, have determined the general form of applied-art objects, they follow basic patterns, so much so that functional forms can vary only within certain limits…”
the word they in the passage refers to
a. applied-art objects
b. the laws of physics
c. containers
d. the sides of pots
正确答案是a。
例题2：
passage：“…the first weekly newspaper in the colonies was the boston gazette,
established in 1719, the same year that marked the appearance of philadelphia’s first newspaper, the american mercury, where the young benjamin franklin worked. by 1760 boston had 4 newspapers and 5 other printing establishments; philadelphia, 2 newspapers and 3 other presses; and new york, 3 newspapers. the distribution, if not the sale, of newspapers was assisted by the establishment of a postal service in 1710, which had a network of some 65 offices by 1770, serving all 13 colonies…”
the word which in the passage refers to
a. distribution
b. sale
c. newspaper
d. postal service
正确答案是d。
3）句子简化题(sentence simplification)：考查读者认定文章中某一特定复杂句子所传
达的基本内容，并不受细枝末节的干扰，用简化的句子表达原句基本内容的能力。
例题
. . . although we now tend to refer to the various crafts according to the materials used to construct them—clay, glass, wood, fiber, and metal—it was once common to think of crafts in terms of function, which led to their being known as the “applied arts.” approaching crafts from the point of view of function, we can divide them into simple categories: containers, shelters, and supports. there is no way around the fact that containers, shelters, and supports must be functional. the applied arts are thus bound by the laws of physics, which pertain to both the materials used in their making and the substances and things to be contained, supported, and sheltered. these laws are universal in their application, regardless of cultural beliefs, geography, or climate. if a pot has no bottom or has large openings in its sides, it could hardly be considered a container in any traditional sense. since the laws of physics, not some arbitrary decision, have determined the general form of applied-art objects, they follow basic patterns, so much so that functional forms can vary only within certain limits. buildings without roofs, for example, are unusual because they depart from the norm. however, not all functional objects are exactly alike; that is why we recognize a shang dynasty vase as being different from an inca vase. what varies is not the basic form but the incidental details that do not obstruct the object’s primary function . . .
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