快速识别托福段落主旨

 　　如果能快速把握托福阅读文章段落的核心，掌握这一技巧，就会大大提高托福阅读文章做题效率，节省读文章的时间。下面介绍一下如何通过段落快速把握托福阅读文章主旨。

　　很多托福阅读段落属于总-分结构，即段落开始为段落主题句，其他部分为支撑细节，具体论证方式有举例、对比比较、定义、分类、提供数据支持、类比、过程描述等，此时的段落目的对应段落开始的主题句。例如：

　　例一(总-分结构)

　　Paragraph 7: About 90 percent of modern humans are right-handed: we are the only mammal with a preferential use of one hand. The part of the brain responsible for fine control and movement is located in the left cerebral¹ hemisphere, and the findings above suggest that the human brain was already asymmetrical² in its structure and function not long after 2 million years ago. Among Neanderthalers of 70,000–35,000 years ago, Marcellin Boule noted³ that the La Chapelle-aux-Saints individual had a left hemisphere slightly bigger than the right, and the same was found for brains of specimens⁴ from Neanderthal, Gibraltar, and La Quina.

　　What is the author's primary purpose in paragraph 7?

　　(A) To illustrate⁵ the importance of studying the brain

　　(B) To demonstrate that human beings are the only mammal to desire fine control of movement

　　(C) To contrast the functions of the two hemispheres of the brain

　　(D) To demonstrate that right-hand preference has existed for a long time

　　根据一般段落的总-分结构，可以判断首句为主题句，所以第四个选项为正确答案。文中主要描述大脑左半球的功能，未与大脑右半球的功能进行比较，所以第三个选项为干扰选项。

　　例二(总-分结构)

　　Paragraph 6: Moreover, getting petroleum⁶ out of the ground and from under the sea and to the consumer can create environmental problems anywhere along the line. Pipelines⁷ carrying oil can be broken by faults or landslides⁸, causing serious oil spills. Spillage from huge oil-carrying cargo⁹ ships, called tankers¹⁰, involved in collisions or accidental groundings (such as the one off Alaska in 1989) can create oil slicks at sea. Offshore¹¹ platforms may also lose oil, creating oil slicks that drift ashore¹² and foul¹³ the beaches, harming the environment. Sometimes, the ground at an oil field may subside¹⁴ as oil is removed. The Wilmington field near Long Beach, California, has subsided¹⁵ nine meters in 50 years; protective barriers have had to be built to prevent seawater from flooding the area. Finally, the refining and burning of petroleum and its products can cause air pollution. Advancing technology and strict laws, however, are helping¹⁶ control some of these adverse¹⁷ environmental

　　In paragraph 6, the author’s primary purpose is to

　　(A)provide examples of how oil exploration can endanger the environment

　　(B)describe accidents that have occurred when oil activities were in progress

　　(C)give an analysis of the effects of oil spills on the environment

　　(D)explain how technology and legislation help reduce oil spills

　　根据段落的总-分结构(段落首句中的复数名词problems说明本段落的结构是总-分结构——首句总论，其他句子分述几个problems)，可以确定首句为段落主题句，即本段的写作目的，第一个选项符合此意，为正确答案。第二个选项只是论证本身的内容，不是段落首句所说的写作目的。第三个选项与第四个选项都只是段落论述中的细节。

　　例三(特殊结构)

　　Paragraph 5: In addition to exploring the possible antecedents of theater, scholars have also theorized about the motives¹⁸ that led people to develop theater. Why did theater develop, and why was it valued after it ceased to fulfill¹⁹ the function of ritual? Most answers fall back on the theories about the human mind and basic human needs. One, set forth²⁰ by Aristotle in the fourth century B.C., sees humans as naturally imitative—as taking pleasure in imitating persons, things, and actions and in seeing such imitations. Another, advanced in the twentieth century, suggests that humans have a gift for fantasy, through which they seek to reshape reality into more satisfying forms than those encountered in daily life. Thus, fantasy or fiction (of which drama is one form) permits people to objectify their anxieties and fears, confront them, and fulfill their hopes in fiction if not fact. The theater, then, is one tool whereby people define and understand their world or escape from unpleasant realities.

　　Which of the following best describes the organization of paragraph 5?

　　(A)The author presents two theories for a historical phenomenon.

　　(B)The author argues against theories expressed earlier in the passage.

　　(C)The author argues for replacing older theories with a new one.

　　(D)The author points out problems with two popular theories.

　　本段首句中的motives说明作者想探讨戏剧起源的动机，但是作者未直接说明这些动机，而是以一个问句将戏剧起源这一现象戏剧化。接着给出了两个答案，等于给一个现象提供了两个解释。第一个选项符合此意，为正确答案。

　　其实只要掌握托福阅读文章的几种段落组织方式，每种文章结构的主旨词，在托福阅读练习中，保持对主旨词的敏感性，熟练之后就能快速把握托福阅读段落的主旨了，托福阅读成绩也就自然提升了。

1 cerebral   

adj.脑的，大脑的；有智力的，理智型的

参考例句：

• Your left cerebral hemisphere controls the right-hand side of your body.你的左半脑控制身体的右半身。
• He is a precise,methodical,cerebral man who carefully chooses his words.他是一个一丝不苟、有条理和理智的人，措辞谨慎。

2 asymmetrical   

adj.不均匀的，不对称的

参考例句：

• Most people's faces are asymmetrical.多数人的脸并不对称。
• Folds may be gentle and symmetrical,or sharp and asymmetrical.褶皱可以是平缓而对称的，也可以是陡峭而非对称的。

3 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

4 specimens   

n.样品( specimen的名词复数 )；范例；（化验的）抽样；某种类型的人

参考例句：

• Astronauts have brought back specimens of rock from the moon. 宇航员从月球带回了岩石标本。
• The traveler brought back some specimens of the rocks from the mountains. 那位旅行者从山上带回了一些岩石标本。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 illustrate   

v.举例说明，阐明；图解，加插图

参考例句：

• The company's bank statements illustrate its success.这家公司的银行报表说明了它的成功。
• This diagram will illustrate what I mean.这个图表可说明我的意思。

6 petroleum   

n.原油，石油

参考例句：

• The Government of Iran advanced the price of petroleum last week.上星期伊朗政府提高了石油价格。
• The purpose of oil refinery is to refine crude petroleum.炼油厂的主要工作是提炼原油。

7 pipelines   

管道( pipeline的名词复数 )； 输油管道； 在考虑（或规划、准备） 中； 在酿中

参考例句：

• The oil is carried to the oil refinery by pipelines. 石油通过输油管输送到炼油厂。
• The oil carried in pipelines. 石油用管道输送。

8 landslides   

山崩( landslide的名词复数 )； （山坡、悬崖等的）崩塌； 滑坡； （竞选中）一方选票占压倒性多数

参考例句：

• Landslides have cut off many villages in remote areas. 滑坡使边远地区的许多村庄与外界隔绝。
• The storm caused landslides and flooding in Savona. 风暴致使萨沃纳发生塌方和洪灾。

9 cargo   

n.(一只船或一架飞机运载的)货物

参考例句：

• The ship has a cargo of about 200 ton.这条船大约有200吨的货物。
• A lot of people discharged the cargo from a ship.许多人从船上卸下货物。

10 tankers   

运送大量液体或气体的轮船[卡车]( tanker的名词复数 )； 油轮； 罐车； 油槽车

参考例句：

• They should stop offloading waste from oil tankers into the sea. 他们应当停止从油轮上往海里倾倒废弃物。
• The harbour admits large tankers and freighters. 这个港口容得下巨型油船和货轮。

11 offshore   

adj.海面的，吹向海面的；adv.向海面

参考例句：

• A big program of oil exploration has begun offshore.一个大规模的石油勘探计划正在近海展开。
• A gentle current carried them slowly offshore.和缓的潮流慢慢地把他们带离了海岸。

12 ashore   

adv.在(向)岸上，上岸

参考例句：

• The children got ashore before the tide came in.涨潮前，孩子们就上岸了。
• He laid hold of the rope and pulled the boat ashore.他抓住绳子拉船靠岸。

13 foul   

adj.污秽的；邪恶的；v.弄脏；妨害；犯规；n.犯规

参考例句：

• Take off those foul clothes and let me wash them.脱下那些脏衣服让我洗一洗。
• What a foul day it is!多么恶劣的天气！

14 subside   

vi.平静，平息；下沉，塌陷，沉降

参考例句：

• The emotional reaction which results from a serious accident takes time to subside.严重事故所引起的情绪化的反应需要时间来平息。
• The controversies surrounding population growth are unlikely to subside soon.围绕着人口增长问题的争论看来不会很快平息。

15 subsided   

v.（土地）下陷（因在地下采矿）( subside的过去式和过去分词 )；减弱；下降至较低或正常水平；一下子坐在椅子等上

参考例句：

• After the heavy rains part of the road subsided. 大雨过后，部分公路塌陷了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• By evening the storm had subsided and all was quiet again. 傍晚， 暴风雨已经过去，四周开始沉寂下来。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

16 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

17 adverse   

adj.不利的；有害的；敌对的，不友好的

参考例句：

• He is adverse to going abroad.他反对出国。
• The improper use of medicine could lead to severe adverse reactions.用药不当会产生严重的不良反应。

18 motives   

n.动机，目的( motive的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• to impeach sb's motives 怀疑某人的动机
• His motives are unclear. 他的用意不明。

19 fulfill   

vt.履行，实现，完成；满足，使满意

参考例句：

• If you make a promise you should fulfill it.如果你许诺了，你就要履行你的诺言。
• This company should be able to fulfill our requirements.这家公司应该能够满足我们的要求。

20 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。