評論
打印
一、抓主題思想。我們首先要學會識別文章中那些最根本、最具有概括力的信息。這種信息應能歸納和概括文中其它信息所具有的共性。
例如：
Directions: Choose the most general word.
(A) chemist (B) physicist
(C) scientist (D) biologist
該問題要求找出最有概括性的詞。(C) scientist 符合題意，因為它包含了chemist, physicist和biologist，而(A)，(B)和(D)都指某一具體學科的科學家，不能概括其它的詞。因此，scientist最有概括性。
例二：
Directions: Choose the most general sentence.
(A) The hotel offers complimentary coffee from 7 to 10 a.m. daily.
(B) There are many reasons why guests feel at home at the Glorictta Bay Inn.
(C) The coin-operated laundry room has an ironing board.
(D) There are a number of extra services at the Glorictta Bay Inn including babysitting.
(A)，(C)，(D)都是從不同的側面說明旅館的服務情況，相互間并無聯系。而(B)卻概括了(A)，(C)和(D)的共性的東西，即：為什么旅客住在這家旅館里有賓至如歸的感覺。因此，(B)符合題意。倘若在一段文章中包含了以上(A)，(B)，(C)，(D)幾條信息，那末，(B)就是該段中心思想。由于同樣的道理，如果在一篇文章中，作者分段敘述幾方面的內容，那末，這些段落所圍繞和要說明的問題就是該文的中心思想。
例三：
Directions: Choose the main idea of an article. (Following are the topic sentences of an article.)
1) A mounting body of evidence suggests that fighting violence with violence rarely deters a crime in progress and greatly increases the chances of changing a robbery into a violent attack on the victim.
2) One report shows that at least 100 thousand handguns are stolen from private owners each year, the vast majority during burglaries...
3) Moreover. a study of robberies in eight American cities states that in less than 4 percent of the crimes did the victim have the opportunity to use a weapon....
Which of the following best reflects the main idea of the article?
(A) What Happens to the Victim of Crime?
(B) Is Your Family Safe?
(C) Should You Arm Yourself Against Crime?
第一段和第三段提到了victims(受害者)，第二段中提到了入室行竊，但是這三段說明的共同問題是人們是否應擁有自己的武器來反對犯罪行為。因此只有選擇(C)才能概括這三段所共同說明的問題，也就是此文的中心思想。
二、主題思想應能恰如其分地概括文中所闡述的內容。面不能太窄，即：不足以概括全部內容；但是面也不能太寬，即：包含了文中沒有闡述的內容。
例四：
Directions: Read the following passage and choose the best central thought
Sugar history in the Hawaiian Islands is filled with pioneering. In sailing ship
days, Hawaiian sugar growers were many months from sources of supplies and from markets. This isolation built up among the Hawaiian growers an enduring spirit of cooperation. Growers shared with one another improvements in production. Without government aid of any sort, they built great irrigation projects. Without government help, they set up their own research and experiment organization. Pioneering together over the years, they have provided Hawaii with its largest industry.
(A) In sailing days, Hawaiian sugar growers were many months away from supplies and markets.
(B) Hawaiian sugar growers built their great industry without government help.
(C) Hawaiian sugar growers have set up their own research organization and have
shared improvements.
(D) By pioneering together, sugar growers have provided Hawaii with its largest industry.
(A)，(B)和(C)項只是文中提到的各項具體內容，作為主題思想面太窄了，只有(D)項才概括了全文要說明的問題，因此，(D)是該文的主題思想。
要求抓主題思想的另一種形式是為短文選擇合適的標題，因為短文的標題常常也體現它所圍繞的主題或討論的中心。因此，為短文選擇標題實際上也反映了對主題思想的掌握。
例五：
Directions: Read the following and choose the title that best expresses the ideas of the passage.
There is a simple economic principle used to determine prices. It is called the law of supply and demand. Supply means the amount of, or access to, certain goods. Demand represents the number of people who want those goods. If there are more goods than wanted, the price of them falls. On the other hand, if the demand for those goods is much greater than the supply, then the price rises. Of course, manufacturers prefer to sell more goods at increased prices.
(A) Economic Principles
(B) Law of Supply and Demand
(C) More Goods, Lower Prices
(D) Fewer Goods, Higher Prices
該問題中，(A)泛指經濟規律，面過寬；(C)和(D)只是供需規則的二個單獨的方面不能包含全部，面太窄。正確的答案是(B)，因為這正是該短文自始至終談論的主題。
