(一)主旨大意题干扰项特点。 (1)虽覆盖全文意思,但显得太笼统;(2)其内容太窄,不能覆盖全文内容,只是文章内容的一部分,或只是文章内容的一个细枝未节;(3)与文章内容毫不相干,或与文章内容相悖。
例(1)The author write this passage to .(1995年6月六级题30)
A. discuss the negative aspects of being attractive
B. give advice to job-seekers who are attractive
C. demand equal rights for woman
D. emphasize the importance of appearance
(分析:文章中心意思是讲漂亮对女性的不利影响(But in the executive circle, beauty can become a liability.)但B项表达的意思偏离了主题(不是提供建议),且不是对所有外貌有魁力的人而言的;C项内容太笼统,太宽,不是讲女权平等;D项内容与文章主旨相反。故选A项。)
(二)细节题干扰项特点。 (1)与原句内容相反;(2)与原文内容一半相同一半不同;(3)与原句内容相似但过于绝对化。(4)原文中根本没提到 例(1)According to the passage, which of the following statement is TRUE?(1996年1月六级题35)
A.Future man will be made of silicon instead of flesh and blood.
B. Some day it will be difficult to tell a computer from a man
C. The reasoning power of computers has already surpassed that of
man?
D. Future intelligent life may not necessarily be made of organic matter.
(分析:此题是一个细节判断题。A项与原文内容相反,过于绝对化,原文是说由硅材料构成的计算机可能成为一种新的智慧生命,并不是说已经是。B项内容原文中根本没提到。C项说计算机的推理能力目前已超过人类,但原文内容只是说到90年代,第6代计算机的问世,其推理能力才与人类的大脑相匹配,而不是已超过,故与原文内容有出入。因此答案是D项。)
(三)逻辑推理题干扰项特点 。(1)不是在文章事实或上下文(句)逻辑基础上进行推理而得出了观点。 (2)虽然可以以文章提供的事实或内在逻辑为基础进行推理,但推理过头,概括过度。
例(1)It can be inferred from the passage that earlier generations didn't realize .(1993年6月六级题27)
A. the interdependence of water, soil and living things
B. the importance of the proper land use
C. the harmfulness of soil destruction and river floods
D. the extraordinary rapid growth of population
(分析:此题属从事实描述的基础上进行推理。短文主要讲了"环保是我们生活的一部分"。地下水位的重要性以及保护植被对保护源头的意义和充分利用江河中的水资源的意义。而文章开头就提出一种观点"我们要着手弥补先辈们的错误。"由此可推断出早期先辈们没有意识到水、土地、生物之间的相互依存关系,选A项。B、C项推理出的观点太窄,不能概括整段中心,D项短文中根本没提到。)
例(2)It can be concluded from the passage that the introduction of electronic media into the world of music .(1996年1月六级题24)
A.has brought about an information revolution
B. has speeded up the advent of a new generation of computers
C. has given rise to new forms of music culture
D. has led to the transformation of traditional musical instruments
(分析:短文中句电子媒体本身是"信息革命"(information revolution)的一部分,而A项说"导致、带来"(brought about)信息革命,属推理过头。文中还谈到计算机本身是一种电子媒体,而这种媒体又是音乐物质文化的一个更为重要的部分,而B项"加速新一代计算机的产生"从逻辑上推不出来。D项说导致了传统乐器的变革,而文中根本没提到"traditional musical instruments"属不在事实基础上进行揄,故错。因此,选项C才是正确答案。)
(四)观点态度题干扰项特点。纵观历届四级阅读理解试题在考查学生揣测作者观点态度时,正确选项要么是肯定、赞扬、褒义性的(如positive, support, useful, interesting, admiring等)要么是否定、批评、贬义性的(如disgust, critical, negative, disappointment等)而又以否定、贬义性居多。所以此类题型中的中性词(如indifferent, ambivalent, neutral, humor, disinterested, impassive)一般均为干扰项。由于近几年文章都是反映与社会联系紧密的,多为人们所担心的现象,故作者对这些社会现象持批评态度的较多。
例(1)The author's attitude toward the communications revolution is . (1998年 6月六级题25)
(分析:答案是(B) critical 其它选项(A)positive, (C)indifferent, (D)tolerant均为干扰项。)
例(2)What the last paragraph tells us is the author's . (1998年1月六级题30)
A.detailed analysis of the ways of raising poultry in Bangladesh
B. great appreciation of the development of poultry industry in Bangladesh.
C. critical view on the development of the poultry industry in Bangladesh
D. practical suggestion for the improvement of the poultry industry in Bangladesh.
(分析:答案选C。表明作者的批语态度。)
例(3)The author's attitude towards the speaker's remarks is .(1996年1月四级题68)
(分析:正确答案为(C)critical, 其它选项(A)neutral, (B)positive, (D)compromising 均为干扰项。)
三、紧急状况下的阅读答题方法
做好阅读理解题,最理想的步骤是先迅速浏览五道题大体了解一下五道题各自提问了什么,各选项句是什么意思。然后带着题干的提问略读全文,以最快的速度掌握所阅读材料中的主要内容和主要观点,模清五道题各自提问的内容大体在文章的什么位置,并做些相应的记号。接着开始逐个答题如果哪一题在略读基础上不能选出,再到文中相应的地方进行查读、细读,直至选出正确答案。五题全做完后,最后把五个选出的答案连起来看一看,检查一下是否存在明显的逻辑不通或相冲突。如果有,及时订正;如果没有,可以做下一篇文章。 但是,如果考生时间实在不够了而剩下一、两篇还没做,在此紧急状况下,该如何阅读答题呢?下面介绍一些临门一脚的诀窍。
(一)针对主旨大意题只读段首、段尾句。一般来说,一篇文章的中心思想或某一段主题思想往往通过段首、段尾句表达出来。考生迅速找到了这些主题句,也能答题。
例(1) The author writes this passage to .(1995年6月六级题30)
A. discuss the negative aspect of being attractive.
B. give advice to job-seekers who are attractive
C. demand equal rights for woman
D. emphasize the importance of appearance
(分析:考生若没有时间看整个文章,但只要看到第一段最后一句话:But in the executive circle, beauty can become a liability. 第二段第一句话:While attractiveness is a positive factor for a man on his way up the executive ladder, it is harmful to a woman. 考生亦能选出正确答案项A。)
例(2)The main idea of this passage is that .(1991年6月六级题40)
A.better use of greenspace facilities should be made so as to improve the quality of our life
B. attention must be directed to the improvement of recreative possibilities.
C. the urban environment is providing more recreation activities
than it did many years ago. D. priority must be given to the development of obligatory activities.
(分析:此题主要考某一段的中心意思。考生苦看到了该段第一句话:Greenspace facilities are contributing to an important extent to the quality of the urban environment. 即使没有通读全段,考生也应能选出A项为正确答案。)
(二) 若针对举例子、引用名人言论、特殊符号(如冒号、引号、破折号)后内容出题,可只读例子、名人言话、符号前后句内容,然后符号题。
例(1)This sommers argues that . (1994上1月六级题28)
A. older women find it hard to escape poverty.
B. older women usually perform better in their jobs
C. the major cause of the poverty of older women is sexism
D. more people have come to believe in sexism and ageism.
(分析:考生一看到题干,迅速到文章中找到Tish Sommers 位置C人名开头安母大写,容易找到,且有双引号引用了她的原话:When "sexism meets ageism, poverty is no longer in the doorstep it moves in"。考生只要看看新引用的话及前后句内容,就能选出正确答案A项。)
例(2)According to Dr. David, Americans . (1993年6月六级题32)
A. are ideally vigorous even under the pressure of life
B. often neglect the consequences of sleep deficit
C. do not know how to relax themselves properly
D. can get by on 6.5 hours of sleep.
(分析:考生一看到此人名字,迅速从课文中找到,然后细读他所说的话:"people cheat on their sleep, and they don't even realize they're doing it,"says Dr. David. "They think they're key because they can get by on 6.5 hours, when they really need 7.5, eight or even more to feel ideally vigorous."只要理解了这些话,考生应能选出B项。)
(三)如果题目只是针对某一段内容而提问,考生可只看该段内容即可答题,而不必等把文章全看完才做,以防到时要交卷,而能做出的题因时间不足而瞎猜。
例(1)In the first paragraph, the author gives the definitions of some terms in order to .(1996年1月六级题26) (建议:考生看完第一段就做此题,不必看后面内容)
例(2)From the third paragraph, we can leard that .(建议:考生只看第三段,然后迅速答题。)
(四)针对词汇题,考生可只看词汇所在句和前后句内容即可答题,因为对单词字义的揣测,一般只通过单词所在句或前后句内容就能猜出。
例(1)The word "dubious"(Line. 2)most probably means .(1990年1月六级题33)
A.valuable B. useful C. doubtful D. helpful
(分析:对"dubious"一词词义的揣测,可根据该单词所在句和其前面一句话即可猜出。Yet you will find little if anything written on what it is to be an employee. You can find a great deal of very dubious advice on how to get a job or how to get a promotion. 从这两句可猜出dubious是含有贬义、否定语气的,故选C。)
例(2)The word "hassles" in the passage (Line 4)probably means .(1993年6月六级题24)
A. agreements B. disadvantages C. worries D. quarrels
(分析:判断"hassles"意思,可从该词所在句前后句判断出。But sharing the family home requires adjustments for all. There are the hassles over bathrooms, telephones and privacy. Some families, however, manage the delicate balancing act. But for others, it proves too difficult. 从前后句意思及介词over, 考生可猜出"hassles"就是quarrels。)
(五)考生还可根据我们写的"阅读理解命题规律"中"考点常考处"专题专看一些考点常考处(转处、例举处、范例处、段首段尾处、特殊符号处)的内容,然后答题。如果根本就没时间看短文,可根据我们上面写的两个专题只看题目和各选项进行符号题。如果后面还有主观题没做(如作文、简答),建议考生没有做完的阅读理解题不要做了,赶紧先把简答题、作文写好(注:作文一定要写,哪怕只写了几句中心句,也能得一点分。有时就这么一、两分决定你过没过四级)