2010年12月英语四级阅读理解之猜答案技巧

在运用以下猜答案技巧之前，最好能略读文章，了解文章的主题是什么，记住：“主题”对答题至关重要。
　　锦囊妙计1：利用逻辑关系信号词
　　细节题常常考查某种逻辑关系，最常见的有因果关系、比较关系和举例关系。每种逻辑关系都会有特有的信号词。利用信号词能够使你更快地定位原文，定位原文后再仔细理解原文，答案就不难选择了。各种逻辑关系的信号词有：
　　因果关系：because， for, as, since, as a result of, so that, therefore, thus, hence, consequently, attribute... to...等；
　　比较关系：but， however, on the contrary, by contrast, rather than, as... as, like, similar, parallel 等；
　　举例关系：for example, for instance, like, such as, and so on, that is 等。
　　【例】

　　As diners thirst for leading brands, bottlers and restaurateurs salivate (垂涎) over the profits. A restaurant's typical mark-up on wine is 100 to 150 percent, whereas on bottled water it's often 300 to 500 percent. But since water is much cheaper than wine, and many of the fancier brands aren't available in stores, most diners don't notice or care.
　　As a result, some restaurants are turning up the pressure to sell bottled water. According to an article in The Wall Street Journal, some of the more shameless tactics include placing attractive bottles on the table for a visual sell, listing brands on the menu without prices, and pouring bottled water without even asking the diners if they want it. Q: Why are some restaurants turning up the pressure to sell bottled water?
　　[2006.12／T60]

　　A) Bottled water brings in huge profits.
　　B) Competition from the wine industry is intense.
　　C) Most diners find bottled water affordable.
　　D) Bottled water satisfies diners' desire to be fashionable.
　　【解析】从题目开头的why可知本文要求查找的是因果关系，原文中可能有表示因果关系的信号词。上文第2段开头的As a result是表示因果关系的信号词．表明题目要求查找的原因可在上文找到。上文提到餐馆售卖瓶装水的利润巨大，且由于水比酒便宜得多，许多利润大的品牌在商店买不到．所以用餐者也不会注意或在乎；结果就是，一些餐馆加大售卖瓶装水的力度。定位后再细读上一段即可知道本题应选A。 [答案：A]
　　锦囊妙计2：利用特殊标点符号
　　一些标点符号与篇章结构或句间关系有密切联系，也常常成为考点。常考的标点及其功能包括：
　　破折号：对前面的内容进行解释或说明、补充，常考细节性问题；
　　引号：表示引用、强调或讽刺，常考细节、语义或态度性问题；
　　冒号：对前面的内容进行解释，常考细节性问题；
　　括号：表示解释。常考细节性问题。
　　在预读文章时，如果碰到这些特殊的标点符号，可以先作记号。遇到题干的关键词出现在特殊标点符号的同一个段落或句子，应优先看特殊标点符号处．答案可能就在那里。
　　【例2】
　　As we have seen, the focus of medical care in our society has been shifting from curing disease, to preventing disease－especially in terms of changing our many unhealthy behaviors, such as poor eating habits, smoking, and failure to exercise.
　　Q: Today medial care is placing more stress on___________. [2006.12/T62]
　　A) keeping people in a healthy physical condition
　　B) monitoring patients' body functions
　　C) removing people's bad living habits
　　D) ensuring people's psychological well-being
　　【解析】上文开头的focus与题目中的stress为同义词，为本题答案所在地。句中的破折号为特殊标点符号，对focus做出进一步的限定，因此，本题答案应锁定在破折号后的内容，此处的changing our many unhealthy behaviors与选项C内容相同，由此可确定选项C为本题答案。 [答案：C】
　　锦囊妙计3：字面意义不是解
　　以字面意义作选项是干扰项的常用技巧，这在词汇理解题中尤为常见，在答题时应立刻将字面意义的选项排除．同义改写或深层意义的才是正确选项。
　　【例3】
　　Arthur yon Wiesenberger, who carries the title Water Master, is one of the few water critics in North America. As a boy, he spent time in the larger cities of Italy, France and Switzerland, where bottled water is consumed daily. Even then, he kept a water journal, noting the brands he liked best. “My dog could tell the difference between bottled and tap water,” he says.
　　Q: By saying “My dog could tell the difference between bottled and tap water”, von Wiesenberger wants to convey the message that ____
　　[2006.12／T58]
　　A) plain tap water is certainly unfit for drinking
　　B) bottled water is clearly superior to tap water
　　C) bottled water often appeals more to dogs' taste
　　D) dogs can usually detect a fine difference in taste
　　【解析】题目中的dog只是为了强调瓶装水和自来水的区别很明显，对该句的正确理解不应真的与dog有关．可见选项C和D完全没有提及my dog could tell的深层意思，都只是表面的解释，可立刻予以排除。 [答案：B]
　　锦囊妙计4：照抄原文不是解．同义替换是解
　　在细节题中有两种极端，一种是答案照搬原文，另一种却相反，即照搬原文的不是答案，对原文进行同义改写的才是答案。前一种题毫无难度，因此，后一种是出题者主要使用的手段。在排除了毫无原文依据的选项后，在剩下的选项中，不妨考虑利用这个锦囊选出正确答案。
　　【例4】
　　... Others expected people to lie more in face-to-face exchanges because we are most practiced at that form of 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 account, he says. This is why fewer lies appear in e-
　　mail than on the phone.
　　Q: According to the passage, why are people more likely to tell the truth
　　through certain media of communication? [2006,6/T59]
　　A) They are afraid of leaving behind traces of their lies.
　　B) They believe that honesty is the best policy.
　　C) They tend to be relaxed when using those media.
　　D) They are most practiced at those forms of communication.
　　【解析】选项B和C的信息并未在原文提及，因此可以首先排除。选项D照抄上文首段末句原因从句的内容，这时也可以根据“照抄原文不是解”这条锦囊把选项D也排除掉，剩下的选项A是就成了最可能正确的选项。选项A是对第2段第2句中could be used to引出的目的的近义改写，为正确答案。 【答案：A】
　　锦囊妙计5：与文章主题相关的是解
　　有些题日以wh－开头，它们看似是细节题，但是答案短时间内又不能在原文找到某句细节作依据。遇到这种题目时，可选择与文章主题关系最密切的选项。
　　【例5】
　　At 19, when I began studying astrophysics, it did not bother me in the least to be the only woman in the classroom. But while earning my Ph.D. at MIT and then as a post-doctor doing space research, the issue started to bother me. My every achievement－jobs, research papers, awards－was viewed through the lens of gender (性别) politics. So were my failures. Sometimes, when I was pushed into an argument on left brain versus (相对于) right brain, or nature versus nurture (培育), I would instantly fight fiercely on my behalf and all womankind.
　　Q: What did the author constantly fight against while doing her Ph.D. and post-doctoral research? [2007.6／T59]
　　A) Widespread misconceptions about nature and nurture.
　　B) People's stereotyped attitude towards female scientists.
　　C) Unfair accusations from both inside and outside her circle.
　　D) Lack of confidence in succeeding in space science.
　　【解析】原文没有任何一句话直接与题干相关，因此“近义改写是解”行不通。这时，本锦囊就显得特别有效。上文在原文中是第2段，从首段开始就可以知道文章的主题与“性别歧视”问题有关，根据这个主题筛选选项，就能发现选项B与该主题关系最密切。其中stereotyped attitude towards female是对“性别歧视”的另一种表述。这样，即使问题与答案难以定位，抓住了文章主题，就可以确定选项B是本题答案。 [答案：B]
　　锦囊妙计6：排除法
　　有时题目和答案的设置比较隐蔽。想通过定位原文这种正面进攻的方法找到答案耗时费力，那么，不妨试试排除法。如果能证明选项中的三个与题干无关，而与文中的其他话题或内容有关．这就可从反面确定剩下的那个选项为题目答案。
　　【例6】
　　Trying to criticize writing on the fly is possibly the single greatest barrier to writing that most of us encounter. If you are listening to that 5th grade English teacher correct your grammar while you are trying to capture a fleeting (稍纵即逝的) thought, the thought will die. If you capture the fleeting thought and simply share it with the world in raw form, no one is likely to understand. You must learn to create first and then criticize if you want to make writing the tool for thinking that it is.
　　The practice that can help you past your learned bad habits of trying to edit as you write" is what Elbow calls "free writing". In free writing, the objective is to get words down on paper non-stop, usually for 15-20 minutes. No stopping, no going back, no criticizing. The goal is to get the words flowing. As the words begin to flow, the ideas will come out from the shadows and let themselves be captured on your notepad or your screen.
　　Q: What prevents people from writing on is________. [2007.6／T63]
　　A) putting their ideas in raw form
　　B) trying to capture fleeting thoughts
　　C) attempting to edit as they write
　　D) ignoring grammatical soundness
　　【解析】本题题干的内容非常隐蔽，在原文难以定位。我们可以从选项入手。发现选项A、B、D都是free writin9过程中应该做的．也就是说．它们是使写作者能不断写出东西的方法，这与题干的要求正好相反，因此可以把它们排除掉。这样，虽然我们可能仍然不能确定剩下的选项C与题干明确的关系，但排除了其他三个选项。也就等于从反面证明了选项C是唯一可选的选项了。 【答案：C】