主要考查對文章進行概括或總結的能力，要求在閱讀短文時，能夠提煉文章的中心思想，體會作者的主要寫作意圖，充分運用邏輯概括能力，透過字里行間獲取文章最具代表性的觀點、論點及作者的情感傾向。

（一）出題形式：主旨大意題命題形式主要有三大類：一類是概括中心思想（main idea）型；一類是確定文章標題或主題（topic / title / headline）型；還有一類是詢問文章的寫作目的（purpose）。

1） What would be the best title for the text？

2） What is the topic of the text？

3） Which of the following best expresses the main idea？

4） The best title / headline for this passage might be ______.

5） The author’s main purpose in writing the passage is ______.

6） Which of the following statements is best supported by the text？

7） Which of the following best summarizes the passage？

8） The main idea / The general idea / The main theme of this passage is ______.

9） The title that best expresses the main idea of the passage is ______.

（二）答案位置：大部分文章都有主題句（topic sentence），主題句表達了文章的中心思想（main idea），找到了主題句，也就抓住了文章的主旨大意。因此，“主題句定位法”是解答主旨大意題的一種行之有效的方法。主題句呈現形式通常有以下幾種：

1）在開頭出現；

2）在結尾出現；

3）在開頭和結尾同時出現，首尾呼應；

4）有些文章的中心思想貫穿全文，并沒有用一句話明確表達出來，這就要求學生學會歸納概括。

（三）實戰演練

1. The easy way out isn’t always easiest. I learned that lesson when I decided to treat Doug, my husband of one month, to a special meal. I glanced through my cookbook and chose a menu which included homemade bread. Knowing the bread would take tine, I started on it as soon as Doug left for work. As I was not experienced in cooking, I thought if a dozen was good, two dozen would be better, so I doubled everything. As Doug loved oranges, I also opened a can of orange and poured it all into the bowl. Soon there was a sticky dough (面團) covered with ugly yellowish marks. Realizing I had been defeated, I put the dough in the rubbish bin outside so I wouldn’t have to face Doug laughing at my work. I went on preparing the rest if the meal, and, when Doug got home, we sat down to Cornish chicken with rice. He tried to enjoy the meal but seemed disturbed. Twice he got up and went out side, saying he thought he heard a noise. The third time he left, I went to the window to see what he was doing. Looking out, I saw Doug standing about three feet from the rubbish bin, holding the lid up with a stick and looking into the container. When I came out of the house, he dropped the stick and explained that there was something alive in our rubbish bin . Picking up the stick again, he held the lid up enough for me to see. I felt cold. But I stepped close and looked harder. Without doubt it was my work. The hot sun had caused the sough to dough to double in size and the fermenting yeast (酵母) made the surface shake and sigh as thought it were breathing . It looked like some unknown being from outer space. I could see why Doug was shaken. I had to admit what the “living thing” was and why it was there. I don’t know who was more embarrassed (尷尬) by the whole thing –Doug or me.

The writer’s purpose in writing this story is ___________

a. to tell an interesting experience.

b. To show the easiest way out of a difficulty.

c. To describe the trouble facing a newly married woman

d. To explain the difficulty of learning to cook from books

Key:a