四級考試閱讀理解的參考技巧

四級閱讀測試一般包括4篇文章的閱讀，每篇後有5道選擇題。這些的類型多種多樣，但歸納起來大致可分爲二大類，即全域型問題（Global Question）和局域型問題（Local Question ）. Local Question一般涉及三方面內容：Subject Matter, Attitudr/Tone; Local Question 涉及：Supporting Details ,Inference,Vocabulary.以下，我們將針對四級考試的特點、出題範疇、出題方式等，根據這些問題在考試出題中的大致排列順序，進行有步驟、有計劃的分項應試技能訓練。

關於主題思想問題（Subject Matter）

Subject Matter(SM中心思想)是作者在文章中要表達的的主要內吼是貫穿全文的核心。作者在文章中努力通過各種Supporting Details來闡明中心議題。因此，把握主要思想對於全文內聽理解具有重要意義。熟悉四級測試的人都知道，這類問題常被列爲5題之首。然而，如何找出主題常使考生倍感棘手。因爲他們總希望通過某個詞或某句話就能找到答案，而找主題往往需要通讀全文後才能作出判斷。

針對SM問題，應採用快速閱讀法（Skimming）瀏覽全文，理解文章主旨大意，閱讀時要注意抓住中心思想的句子在文章中的位置也不同，但閱讀時，文章的開頭、結尾及段落的段首句和段尾句特別重要，因爲他們往往名包含文章的中心議題（SM）。

根據批發部在內容的不同，這類問題可分傑主題型、標題型和目的型。主題型一目瞭然就是找中心（Main Idea）;標題型是爲文章選擇標題（Title）;目的型就是推斷作者的寫作意圖（Purpose）.這類題常見的命題方式有：

（1） What is the main idea (subject) of this passage ?

（2） What does this passage mainly (primarily)concerned ?

（3） The main theme of this passage is ___________.

（4） The main point of the passage is__________.

（5） Which of the following is the best title for the passage ?

（6） The title that best expresses the theme of the passage is ___________.

（7） On which of the following subject would the passage most likely be found in a textbook ?

（8） The purpose of the writer in writing this passage _________.

（9） Which of the following best describes the passage as a whole

1. 關於主題型

Example 1:

Oceanography has been defined as The application of all sciences to the study of the sea

Before the nineteenth century ,scientists with an interest in the sea were few and far between ainly Newton considered some theoretical aspects of it in his writings ,but he was reluctant to go to sea to further his work .

For most people the sea was remote , and with the exception of early intercontinental travelers or others , who earned a living from the sea, there was little reason to ask many questions about it ,let alone to what lay beneath the surface ,The first time that the question What is at the bottom of oceans ? had to be answered with any commercial consequence was when the laying of a telegraph cable from Europe to America was proposed. The engineers had to know the depth profile( 輪廓)of the route to estimate the length of cable that had to be manufactured.

It was to Maury of US Navy that the Atlantic Telegraph Company turned, in 1853 , for information on this matter. In the 1840s, Maury had been responsible for encouraging voyages during which soundings(試探)were taken investigate the depths of the North Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Later, some of his findings aroused much popular interest in his book The Physical Geography of the Sea.

The cable was laid , but not until 1866 was the connection made permanent and reliable. At the early attempts, the cable failed and when it was taken out for repairs it was found to be covered in living growths, a fact which defied contemporary scientific opinion that there was no life in the deeper parts of the sea.

Within a few years oceanography was under way. In 1872Thomson led a scientific expedition, which lasted for four years and brought home thousands of samples form the sea. Their classification and analysis occupied scientists for years and led to a five-volume report, the last volume being published in 1895 .

This passage is mainly about_____________.

A) the beginnings of oceanography

B) the laying of the first undersea cable

C) the investigation of ocean depths

D) the early intercontinental communications

本題問及全篇的中心思想。通過快讀（skimming ）我們知道這是一篇敘述 海洋學 的文章。第一段談的是關於 海洋學 的定義；第二段是講19世紀前對海洋感興對趣的科學家不多；第三段談到由於有人提了鋪設海底電纜，人們纔開始研究 海底深處究竟是什麼 ；第四段說Maury考察北大西洋和太平洋的發現引起廣泛的注意；第五段講修築海底電纜過程中發現大量的海洋生物；最後一段是海洋學研究的成果。可風全篇主要是講海洋學的研究是如何開展起來的'，所以正確答案是A）。文章有個地方談到鋪設義；第二段是講19世紀前對海洋感興趣的科學家不多；第三段談到由於有人提出鋪設海底電纜，人們纔開始研究 海底深處究竟有什麼 ；第四段說Maury考察北大西洋和太平洋的發現引起廣泛的注意；第五段講修築海底電纜過程中發現大量的海洋生物；最後一段是海洋學研究的成果。可見全篇主要是講海洋學的研究是如何開展起來的，所以正確答案是A）。文章有好幾個地方談到鋪設海底電纜B）和越洋通訊（D），但都是圍繞着海洋學這條主線的。至於C)，測量海洋深度，只是一個細節，不可能是文章的中心意思。