託福閱讀考試先讀題還是先讀文章
在託福閱讀中，許多同學糾結於先讀文章還是先讀題?下面就將爲大家分析託福閱讀特點，仔細講解託福閱讀方法。
託福閱讀考試先讀題還是先讀文章?
託福閱讀考試中許多考生認爲閱讀文章時必須要讀懂每字每句，事實上(in fact)，這是不必要的。託福閱讀考試中，即使遇到陌生的詞，但是根據上下文的意思以及自己的一些常識判斷(judge)，也不太會影響對文章的理解。特別是託福閱讀這種題目涉及面廣，信息量大的形式，掌握閱讀和答題的技巧(skill)，對在託福閱讀考試中是會有很大幫助的。
在託福閱讀中，甚至可以擴展到ETS所有考試的閱讀題目中，如果要用一個詞來概括的話，那就是paraphrase，意譯。無論是題幹還是正確選項，大都能在原文中找出一句話來與之相對應。即題目是原文的意譯。這種意譯是通過同義詞來完成的(complete)。
即題幹中多用近義詞來對原文中的句子進行替換，來達到提出問題或者提出正確答案的意思。準確把握意譯，是多數題目中準確在原文中定位(locate)信息、或者在迷惑選項中選出正確的那個，都有着重要的作用(effect)。在後面的文章裏我會結合實例解釋這一點。
關於先看題目還是先看文章的問題。也就是做題時間安排的問題。在此問題上我與有的朋友也有過爭執。我個人習慣是先用5—7分鐘的時間通讀全文，然後平均每個問題有1分鐘的時間來回答。由於對問題的回答建立在了熟悉全文的基礎上，每個問題又有足夠的時間返回全文，每個選項都一一進行斟酌。
我認爲這樣準確率比較高。但有的朋友本着居家過日子的心，認爲1000多字的文章只出十幾個題，必然有一些信息是沒用的。這樣通讀全文就會浪費掉一些時間，不如先看題再回去找來的痛快。對此我不好妄加評論。每個人都應該通過考前大量的練習來制定出最爲適合自己的方法。
關於複習的時間安排(arrangement)。我認爲，弄完詞彙以後，就應該着手突擊一下閱讀了。如今各種各樣的模擬題猶如英語輔導班一樣大量涌現。不會出現我們早期考生有題捨不得做的情況了。但也不能太急功近利，單詞沒弄好就硬上閱讀，有時候會適得其反。用1周的時間大量的突擊，也是對單詞的一個鞏固。找到感覺以後就可以開始下面的複習(review)了。
複習聽力口語作文的日子裏，每天一定要最少做3篇文章的題量，按照考試的時間要求(requirement)，千萬不可放鬆。做得多了，就可以把閱讀當作一種放鬆了。ETS的閱讀文章能教給我們各種學科的基礎知識。(這與GRE有區別。託福的專業性文章還都處於一個啓蒙的專業水平上，不像G那麼變)閱讀還可以教給我們一些老美的思路，老美看待問題的方式。閱讀不會像你想象的那樣痛苦的(painful)。
無論是OG還是Delta，都把閱讀的題目分成十類，即：Understanding Facts and Details， Identifying Negative Facts， Locating Referents， Understanding Vocabulary in Context， Making Inferences，Determining Purposes， Recognizing Paraphrases (Simplifying sentences)， Recognizing Coherence (Sentence inserting)， Summarizing Important Ideas and Organizing information.
託福閱讀主觀題的失分原因分析
第一、馬虎粗心導致丟三落四或添油加醋
例1：“據說，PMI可以在較短的時間內吸收較大劑量的甲基叔丁乙醚。”句中加橫線的詞語能否刪去?爲什麼?
此題有兩問，第一問應先回答“不能刪去”，第二問再回答不能刪去的原因，原因分三步來回答：一是先解釋“據說”在句中的含義，即“‘據說’是引用別人的話，不一定是真實的”;第二點再說明刪去該詞後對原句的理解有何影響，即“去掉後，此觀點就成了客觀事實，與原意不相符”;第三步還要說明用該詞後語言運用上有何特點，即“用該詞，體現了說明文語言的科學準確性。”
粗心的考生在答題時，有的根本就沒回答第一問，直接從第二問作答;有的在回答第二問時，要點不全面，丟三落四，因而失分。
像此類失誤還很多，如“文中有這樣的話‘生活就這樣，當你在爲別人行善時也爲自己儲蓄幸福’。請你結合自己的生活體驗談談你的感悟。”學生在作答時只談感悟，不結合自己的生活體驗。
第二、審題不清，答非所問
例2：結合你所學過的陶淵明的其他作品，說說你對五柳先生“不慕榮利”的看法。
考生在答該題上的失誤主要有兩方面，一是沒有結合學過的陶淵明的其他作品或是結合了作品，但作品中並沒有體現“不慕榮利”的看法(如《桃花源記》);二是回答的並非考生本人對五柳先生“不慕榮利”的看法，而是五柳先生自己“不慕榮利”的思想和表現。
例3：假如董生處在當今社會，你對董生又有何建議?(《送董邵南遊河北序》)
有的考生這樣回答：我建議董生爲朝廷效力，用自己的知識才乾造福於黎民百姓。這個考生在審題時，就沒有看清假設的前提——“處在當今社會”。
第三、不善概括，抓不住重點
例4：本文(《五柳先生傳》)表現了五柳先生怎樣的性格特點?
有些考生只是引用了原文中的一些句子作答，沒有歸納提煉，回答抓不住重點，語言囉嗦不簡明，且條理也不清晰。經過提煉後正確的答案是：不慕榮利，率真自然，安貧樂道。
第四、文體不清，用語不當
中考閱讀中一般都要涉及到三大文章體裁，有些同學混淆了不同文體的特點。
例5：第3段主要運用了的說明方法，作用是
(說明文《北京的園林》)
有的考生在第一個空格內填上“舉例論證”(正確的答案是“舉例子”)，第二條橫線上填的是“生動形象地揭示了文章的中心”(正確的答案是“用具體的事例來說明北京的園林建築在細微之處見匠心的特點”)。顯然，這個考生把三種文體的特點雜糅在一起，張冠李戴了。
即使是同一類型的題，在不同文體中回答的方法也是不一樣的。同樣是用詞的恰當，但體現的是記敘文語言的生動形象性，說明文語言的科學準確性，議論文語言的邏輯嚴密性。
第五、找不準答題的立足點
例6：文中第2段李先生“靜靜地看着我們，眼裏流露出一股濃濃的歉意。”請你根據上下文揣摩李先生此時的心理活動。
仔細推敲題目的要求可看出，題意是要求答題者以自己的身份去推測李先生的心理活動，所以作答的時候只能用第三人稱“他”或“李先生”，不能用第一人稱“我”、“我們”。如果要用第一人稱的話也只能用“我認爲李先生他心裏想……”的形式。此類題的失誤關鍵是沒有找準答題的切入點，沒有選好角度。
第六、不注意具體題型的行文模式
主觀性問答題中，行文語言要通順、簡明、準確、得體。有些問答題應順應問句順水推舟而答。如：“假如董生處在當今社會，你對董生又有何建議?”應用“我建議董生……”的模式作答;“你認爲怎樣做才能讓我們周圍開滿人性的美麗之花?”應用“我認爲……”的形式入題作答。
第七、信馬由繮，隨心所欲
並非所有的主觀性試題都可以由考生隨心所欲地發揮。做閱讀題時，應注意千萬不能脫離閱讀語段，不能與文段中作者提出的觀點、揭示的中心、提倡的看法、做法相悖。
例7：讀完文章，無論是“我”還是那對夫婦，都讓我們感受到了人性的美麗。可在現實生活中還是有人慨嘆世風日下。你認爲怎樣做才能讓我們周圍開滿人性的美麗之花?
記敘文語段《輕點關門》講述了一對夫婦爲了老人的身體健康，請求鄰居們出入時輕點關防盜門，最後向鄰居行重禮致謝的故事，揭示了鄰里之間互相體諒、真誠相處的人性美。有的考生在回答上述問題時提出“加強思想教育，加強公民道德規範教育”，顯然，這不是原文作者所提倡的，也不是出題者的意圖所在。原文作者提倡的是：要以“禮”服人，以德感人，從自身做起，與人友善，待人真誠，共育人性的美麗之花。
託福閱讀真題1
PASSAGE 36
The year 1850 may be considered the beginning of a new epoch in America art, with respect to the development of watercolor painting. In December of that year, a group of thirty artists gathered in the studio of John Falconer in New York City and drafted both a constitution and bylaws, establishing The Society for the Promotion of Painting in Water Color. In addition to securing an exhibition space in the Library Society building in lower Manhattan, the society founded a small school for the instruction of watercolor painting. Periodic exhibitions of the members' paintings also included works by noted English artists of the day, borrowed from embryonic private collections in the city. The society's activities also included organized sketching excursions along the Hudson River. Its major public exposure came in 1853, when the society presented works by its members in the Industry of All Nations section of the Crystal Palace Exposition in New York.
The society did not prosper, however, and by the time of its annual meeting in 1854 membership had fallen to twenty-one. The group gave up its quarters in the Library Society building and returned to Falconer's studio, where it broke up amid dissension. No further attempt to formally organize the growing numbers of watercolor painters in New York City was made for more than a decade. During that decade, though, Henry Warren's Painting in Water Color was published in New York City in 1856 — the book was a considerable improvement over the only other manual of instruction existing at the time, Elements of Graphic Art, by Archibald Roberson, published in 1802 and by the 1850's long out of print.
In 1866 the National Academy of Design was host to an exhibition of watercolor painting in its elaborate neo-Venetian Gothic building on Twenty-Third Street in New York City. The exhibit was sponsored by an independent group called The Artists Fund Society. Within a few months of this event, forty-two prominent artists living in and near New York City founded The American Society of Painters in Water Colors.
1. This passage is mainly about
(A) the most influential watercolor painters in the mid-1800's
(B) efforts to organize watercolor painters in New York City during the mid-1800's
(C) a famous exhibition of watercolor paintings in New York City in the mid-1800's
(D) styles of watercolor painting in New York City during the mid-1800's
2. The year 1850 was significant in the history of watercolor painting mainly because
(A) a group of artists established a watercolor painting society
(B) watercolor painting was first introduced to New York City
(C) John Falconer established his studio for watercolor painters
(D) The first book on watercolor painting was published
3. The word securing in line 5 is closest in meaning to
(A) locking
(B) creating
(C) constructing
(D) acquiring
4. All of the following can be inferred about the Society for the promotion of Painting in
Watercolor EXCEPT:
(A) The society exhibited paintings in lower Manhattan.
(B) Instruction in watercolor painting was offered by members of the society
(C) The society exhibited only the paintings of its members.
(D) Scenes of the Hudson River appeared often in the work of society members.
5. The exhibition at the Crystal Palace of the works of the Society for the Promotion of Painting in
Watercolor was significant for which of the following reasons?
(A) It resulted in a dramatic increase in the popularity of painting with watercolor.
(B) It was the first time an exhibition was funded by a private source.
(C) It was the first important exhibition of the society's work.
(D) It resulted in a large increase in the membership of the society.
6. The word it in line 15 refers to
(A) time
(B) group
(C) building
(D) studio
7. Which of the following is true of watercolor painters in New York City in the late 1850's?
(A) They increased in number despite a lack of formal organization.
(B) They were unable to exhibit their paintings because of the lack of exhibition space.
(C) The Artists Fund Society helped them to form The American Society of Painters in Water
Colors.
(D) They formed a new society because they were not allowed to join groups run by other kinds
of artists.
8. Henry Warren's Painting in Water Color was important to artists because it
(A) received an important reward
(B) was the only textbook published that taught painting
(C) was much better than an earlier published fundamental of instruction
(D) attracted the interest of art collectors
9. The word considerable in line 19 is closest in meaning to
(A) sensitive
(B) great
(C) thoughtful
(D) planned
10. The year 1866 was significant for watercolor painting for which of the following reasons?
(A) Elements of Graphic Art was republished.
(B) Private collections of watercolors were first publicly exhibited.
(C) The neo-Venetian Gothic building on Twenty-Third Street in New York City was built.
(D) The National Academy of Design held an exhibition of watercolor paintings.
11. The word prominent in line 25 is closest in meaning to
(A) wealthy
(B) local
(C) famous
(D) organized
PASSAGE 36 BADCC BACBD C
託福閱讀真題2
The observation of the skies has played a special part in the lives and cultures of peoples since the earliest of times. Evidence obtained from a site known as the Hole in the Rock, in Papago Park in Phoenix, Arizona, indicates that it might have been used as an observatory by a prehistoric people known as the Hohokam.
The physical attributes of the site allow its use as a natural calendar/clock. The hole at Hole in the Rock is formed by two large overhanging rocks coming together at a point, creating a shelter with an opening large enough for several persons to pass through. The northeast-facing overhang has a smaller opening in its roof. It is this smaller hole that produces the attributes that may have been used as a calendar/clock.
Because of its location in the shelter's roof, a beam of sunlight can pass through this second hole and cast a spot onto the shelter's wall and floor. This spot of light travels from west to east as the sun moves across the sky. It also moves from north to south and back again as the Earth travels around the Sun, the west-to-east movement could have been used to establish a daily clock, much like a sundial, while the north-to-south movement could have been used to establish a seasonal calendar.
The spot first appears and starts down the surface of the wall of the shelter at different times of the morning depending on the time of the year. The spot grows in size from its first appearance until its maximum size is achieved roughly at midday. It then continues its downward movement until it reaches a point where it jumps to the floor of the shelter. As the Sun continues to move to the west, the spot continues to move across the shelter floor and down the butte, or hill, toward a group of small boulders. If a person is seated on a certain one of these rocks as the spot reaches it, the Sun can be viewed through the calendar hole. This occurs at different times in the afternoon depending on the time of year.
1. What does the passage mainly discuss?
(A) observations of the stars by ancient people
(B) rock formations of Arizona
(C) a site used by ancient people to measure time
(D) the movement of the earth around the Sun
2. The word obtained in line 2 is closest in meaning to
(A) acquired
(B) transported
(C) covered
(D) removed
3. The word attributes in line 5 is closest in meaning to
(A) changes
(B) characteristics
(C) locations
(D) dimensions
4. The word its in line 10 refers to
(A) roof
(B) beam
(C) hole
(D) spot
5. The word establish in line 15 is closest in meaning to
(A) create
(B) locate
(C) consult
(D) choose
6. Which of the following is NOT true of the spot of light?
(A) It is caused by sunlight passing through a hole.
(B) It travels across the roof of the shelter.
(C) Its movement is affected by the position of the Sun.
(D) It movement could have been used to estimate the time of day.
7. From which of the following can be the time of year be determined?
(A) The movement of the spot of light from west to east
(B) The speed with which the spot of light moves
(C) The movement of the spot of light from north to south
(D) The size of the sport of light at midday
8. The word roughly in line 18 is closest in meaning to
(A) finally
(B) harshly
(C) uneasily
(D) approximately
9. The passage mentions that the Hole in the Rock was used as all of the following EXCEPT
(A) a calendar
(B) a home
(C) a clock
(D) an observatory
10. Which of the following can be inferred from the fourth paragraph?
(A) The boulders are located below the rock shelter.
(B) The person seated on the rock cannot see the shelter.
(C) After it passes the boulders, the spot of light disappears.
(D) The spot of light is largest when it first appears.
PASSAGE 35 CABCA BCDBA
