在四級(jí)考試中,閱讀理解所占比重較大,因此閱讀理解成績的好壞直接影響著整個(gè)考試的成敗。通過對(duì)近幾年四級(jí)真題的分析,我們不難發(fā)現(xiàn),閱讀理解部分通常有一篇教育題材的文章,可見教育題材越發(fā)受到出題專家的青睞和關(guān)注。教育題材的文章內(nèi)容主要有三類:學(xué)校教育、家庭教育和網(wǎng)絡(luò)教育。無論屬于哪一類教育題材,閱讀的測(cè)試主要集中在兩類題型上:推斷(推理)題和細(xì)節(jié)理解題。
1. 推斷(推理)題
教育題材的文章一般以教育學(xué)生和孩子為主,考試題目不會(huì)直接給出答案,而是讓考生猜測(cè)句子暗含的意思,因此推斷題很常見。閱讀中,切忌不要"只見樹木不見森林",過多地被文字所糾纏。此類題目常見的提問方式如下:The first paragraph indicates that ______. / It can be inferred from the passage that ______. 解答此類題目的關(guān)鍵是從文中找出關(guān)鍵詞。一般情況下,雖然文章沒有直接給出答案,但是答案會(huì)隱藏在某句話或某幾個(gè)詞后面,如連詞but, because等或動(dòng)詞suggest, infer, indicate等。
例如:2007年12月的試題。
The attraction for students might at first seem obvious. Primarily, there’s the convenience promised by courses on the Net: you can do the work, as they say, in your pajamas (睡衣). But figures indicate that the reduced effort results in a reduced commitment to the course. While the dropout rate for all fresh-men at American universities is around 20 percent, the rate for online students is 35 percent. Students themselves seem to understand the weaknesses inherent in the setup. In a survey conducted for eCornell, the DL division of Cornell University, less than a third of the respondents expected the quality of the online course to be as good as the classroom course.
Q: According to the passage, distance learning is basically characterized by ______.
A) a considerable flexibility in its academic requirements
B) the great diversity of students’academic backgrounds
C) a minimum or total absence of face-to-face instruction
D) the casual relationship between students and professors
此段選自一篇網(wǎng)絡(luò)教育題材的文章,主要講網(wǎng)絡(luò)教育的趨勢(shì)和特點(diǎn)。本題主要定位在前兩句話,其中關(guān)鍵詞是primarily, 句意是起初網(wǎng)絡(luò)教育對(duì)學(xué)生的吸引力似乎是顯而易見的,主要是因?yàn)榫W(wǎng)上提供的課 程很方便:正如他們所說的那樣,你可以穿著睡衣上課。由此推斷網(wǎng)絡(luò)教育的特點(diǎn)是學(xué)生很少或完全不用和老師面對(duì)面地交流、學(xué)習(xí)。故選C)。
2. 細(xì)節(jié)理解題
細(xì)節(jié)理解題是四級(jí)閱讀理解中最常見的考試題型,因此教育題材的閱讀題型也不例外。在回答此類題目時(shí),應(yīng)采用查讀法(Scanning)。這類題目常以以下疑問代詞或疑問副詞提問,如who, what, when, where, why以及how等。這些題目往往不采用文章的原話提問,而是使用同義詞語、同義轉(zhuǎn)述等。因此,在選擇答案前應(yīng)首先看準(zhǔn)題干、看清題目所問;然后,查讀時(shí)注意尋找與題目相關(guān)的關(guān)鍵詞;最后,在充分理解原文和題干的基礎(chǔ)上確定正確答案。
例如:2005年1月的試題。
Some Japanese parents believe that if their young children attend a university-based program, it will in-crease the children’s chances of eventually being admitted to top-rated schools and universities. Several more progressive programs have introduced free play as a way out for the heavy intellectualizing in some Japanese kindergartens.
Q: Why do some Japanese parents send their children to university-based kindergartens?
A) They can do better in their future studies.
B) They can accumulate more group experience there.
C) They can be individually oriented when they grow up.
D) They can have better chances of getting a first-rate education.
此段選自一篇學(xué)校教育題材的文章,主要是對(duì)比美日兩國的兒童教
育。此題是典型的細(xì)節(jié)題,根據(jù)題設(shè)中的university-based,答案可定位在第一句。if 引導(dǎo)的條件從句可看作結(jié)果,而其后的主句就是原因,只要將選項(xiàng)和主句進(jìn)行對(duì)比,就可以選出D)。
綜上所述,如果考生平時(shí)對(duì)以上的教育問題有一定的了解,那么再閱讀此類文章時(shí)就易于把握整體大意,從而更好地解答題目。因此,考生平常在學(xué)習(xí)英語時(shí),應(yīng)該注重英美文化,尤其要關(guān)注教育方面的背景知識(shí),從文化的角度入手輕松地學(xué)習(xí)英語以提高做題的準(zhǔn)確性。
n. 品質(zhì),特質(zhì),才能
adj. 高品質(zhì)的