主旨题阅读公式及真题讲解

第二节　主旨题阅读公式及真题讲解

主旨类试题主要考查考生对文章中心思想的理解程度和对主要信息和次要信息的辨别能力。这类问题的提问形式如下：

1.The key point of the passage is that＿＿＿.

2.The main（central，principal）idea（topic，subject）of the passage is about＿＿＿.

3.The article is written to explain＿＿＿.

4.The passage is mainly（chiefly）about＿＿＿.

5.Which of the following best reflects the main idea of the article？

6.Which statement best expresses the main idea（central thought）of the essay？

7.The theme of the passage is＿＿＿.

8.The best summary of the passage（paragraph）is.

9.What does the article（author）mainly discuss？

10.The passage is chiefly concerned with＿＿＿.

11.Which of the following statements best summarizes the main idea of the passage（paragraph）？

12.Which of the following is the best conclusion of the passage（paragraph）？

13．The original title of this passage can be probably replaced by＿＿＿.

14．What is the best title for this passage？

15．What is the passagemainly concerned about？

16．Where do you think the passage is taken from？

17．In the first paragraph，the authormainly tells us＿＿＿.

18．The author’smain purpose in writing the passage is to＿＿＿.

虽然这些题目的提问方式多种多样，但基本上体现了三种命题方式：

第一种是Main Idea类型。最典型的、最常见的提问方式是：What is the main idea/ point of this passage？这类题目的答案选项的表达形式是陈述句，要求考生找出体现文章主要内容、中心思想的句子。

第二种是Main Topic类型。最典型的、最常见的提问方式是：What is the main topic/subject of this passage？和What is the best title for this passage？这类题目的答案选项的表达形式通常是名词性词组。

第三种是Main Purpose类型。最典型的、最常见的提问方式是：What is the author’s main purpose in writing the passage？这类题目的答案选项的表达形式通常是以带to的不定式引出的动宾结构来表达。

不论是针对文章的中心内容提问还是要求给文章选定合适的标题，还是要求选定作者的写作目的，最根本的都是要求考生能够概括文章的中心思想。下面两套主旨题阅读公式可以帮助考生迅速准确地抓住文章中心思想，从而排除干扰选项。

一、主旨题阅读公式一

文章的主旨=全文的主旨句（thesis）=各段落主题句之和=各段落段意之和

分析阅读段落的内容、迅速捕捉文脉和段落主题句是阅读考试中概括中心思想最常用、最便捷的方法。在本章第一节中我们已经分析了辨别和捕捉段落主题句的方法，以及主题句的位置和表现形式。全篇文章是放大的段落，因而全文的主旨句和段落主题句功能相同，都是用来表达全文中心思想的。文章的其他部分不论是段落还是句子，均围绕这一主旨句展开议论、描述或解释说明。它通常以陈述句的形式出现，在文章中最常见的位置是第一段首句、第一段末句和全文末句等地方。有些文章没有一个概括全文内容的主旨句，而是每一段落中有概括该段主要内容的主题句，这时只要把每段的主题句综合起来大致就可以发现全文的主旨。此外，还有少数文章全文和各段落都没有明显的主题句，这时就需要考生自己先概括每一段的主要内容，然后再将各段段意相加，就可大致归纳出全文的中心思想。

1.文章的主旨=全文的主旨句（thesis）

（1）首段首句。很多英文文章都喜欢开门见山，一开始就明确提出全文论述的主要观点或主要说明的内容。接下去的段落和句子内容就会进一步具体地阐述或说明文章的主旨。这类文章的结构通常是从一般到具体，是典型的演绎模式的文章。全文的主题句就是文章的首段首句。

例1：

Taste is such a subjective matter that we don’t usually conduct preference tests for food.The most you can say about anyone’s preference，is that it’s one person’s opinion.But because the two big cola（可乐饮料）companies—Coca-Cola and Pepsi Cola are marketed so aggressively，we’ve wondered how big a role taste preference actually plays in brand loyalty.We set up a taste test that challenged people who identified themselves as either Coca-Cola or Pepsi fans：Find your brand in a blind tasting.

We invited staff volunteers who had a strong liking for either Coca-Cola Classic（传统型）or Pepsi，Diet（低糖的）Coke，or Diet Pepsi.These were people who thought they’d have no trouble telling their brand from the other brand.

We eventually located 19 regular cola drinkers and 27 diet cola drinkers.Then we fed them four unidentified samples of cola one at a time，regular colas for the one group，diet versions for the others.We asked them to tell us whether each sample was Coke or Pepsi；then we analyzed the records statistically to compare the participants’choices with what mere guess-work could have accomplished.

Getting all four samples right was a tough test，but not too tough，we thought，for people who believed they could recognize their brand.In the end，only 7 out of 19 regular cola drinkers correctly identified their brand of choice in all four trials.The diet-cola drinkers did a little worse—only 7 of 27 identified all four samples correctly.

While both groups did better than chance would predict，nearly half the participants in each group made the wrong choice two or more times.Two people got all four samples wrong.Overall，half the participants did about as well on the last round of tasting as on the first，so fatigue，or taste burnout，was not a factor.Our preference test results suggest that only a few Pepsi participants and Coke fans may really be able to tell their favorite brand by taste and price.

Question：

The author’s purpose in writing this passage is to＿＿＿.

A.show that taste preference is highly subjective

B.argue that taste testing is an important marketing strategy

C.emphasize that taste and price are closely related to each other

D.recommend that blind tasting be introduced in the quality control of colas

这是一篇非常典型的实验报告性说明文，旨在通过实验说明在品尝食品上个人口味具有极强的主观性。文章开门见山，第一句就点出了全文的主旨，这一句又是全文的主题句（thesis）。后面分别介绍了所做实验的目的、对象、方法和过程及其发现和结论。这类实验报告性说明文通常会涉及实验的内容。在阅读这类文章时，把握了实验的内容就等于把握了文章的全部。在这里，最重要的是实验的目的和结论，因为这两方面是把握文章主旨的关键。本文首先介绍了所做实验的目的：个人口味在消费者对可乐品牌的忠诚度上有多大的影响。围绕这一实验目的，在对可口可乐和百事可乐的忠诚消费者中间仅凭个人口感而不知其可乐品牌的情况下测试消费者分辨自己所喜爱的品牌的能力，最后得出的结论是：仅有极少数的受测者能凭着可乐的口感和价格断定是否是自己喜爱的品牌。作者介绍该实验的目的只有一个，即想要证明全文的主旨——文章的首句。就这道题目而言，把握住全文的主旨句就等于找到了答案。所剩的工作就是在答案选项中找出与这句话表述最为相似的表述即可。本题的正确答案是A选项。

例2：

The media can impact current events.As a graduate student at Berkeley in the 1960s，I remember experiencing the events related to the People’s Park that were occurring on campus.Some of these events were given national media coverage in the press and on TV.I found it interesting to compare my impressions of what was going on with perceptions obtained from the news media.I could begin to see events of that time feed on news coverage.This also provided me with some healthy insights into the distinctions between these realities.

Electronic media are having a greater impact on the people’s lives every day.People gather more and more of their impressions from representations.Television and telephone communications are linking people to a global village，or what one writer calls the electronic city.Consider the information that television brings into your home every day.Consider also the contact you have with others simply by using telephone.These media extend your consciousness and your contact.For example，the video coverage of the 1989 San Francisco earthquake focused on“live action”such as the fires or the rescue efforts.This gave the viewer the impression of total disaster.Television coverage of the Iraqi War also developed an immediacy.CNN reported events as they happened.This coverage was distributed worldwide.Although most people were far away from these events，they developed some perception of these realities.

In 1992，many people watched in horror as riots broke out on a sad Wednesday evening in Los Angeles，seemingly fed by video coverage from helicopters.This event was triggered by the verdict（裁定）in the Rodney King beating.We are now in an age where the public can have access to information that enables it to make its own judgments，and most people，who had seen the video of this beating，could not understand how the jury（陪审团）was able to acquit（宣布无罪）the policemen involved.Media coverage of events as they occur also provides powerful feedback that influences events.This can have harmful results，as it seemed on that Wednesday night in Los Angeles.By Friday night the public got to see Rodney King on television pleading，“Can we all get along？”by Saturday，television seemed to provide positive feedback as Los Angeles riot turned out into a rally for peace.The television showed thousands of people marching with banners and cleaning tools.Because of that，many people turned out to join the peaceful event they saw unfolding（展开）on television.The real healing，of course，will take much longer，but electronic media will continue to be a part of that process.（1999年第三篇）

Question：

The best title for the passage is＿＿＿.

A.The 1989 San Francisco Earthquake and the 1992 Los Angeles Riots

B.How Media Cover Events

C.The 1992 Los Angeles Riots

D.The Impact of Media on Current Events

这是一篇典型的论说文。文章通过几个事例清楚地表明了媒体对时事的巨大影响。在做题时，可先套用主旨≈全文主题句这一公式在B和D两个选项中作出选择。原文第一段的段首句“The media can impact current events”就是全文的主题句。B是文章根本未涉及的内容。第二段的主题句是段首句“Electronic media are having a greater impact on the people’s lives every day”；第三段没有主题句，只是举了一个说明媒体对时事报道影响的具体事例。这两段的主要内容再次验证了文章的主题是探讨媒体对时事报道的影响。因此，不难看出本文最好的题目是答案D。然后可再结合排除法做题，排除A和C两个选项，这两个选项都是具体例子，属于细节内容。

（2）首段末句。英文文章的结构很有规律性，除了开门见山类的文章外，还有很多文章将首段作为文章的引入部分，通过举例子、讲故事、描述某种社会现象来引出文章要探讨的主题。这类文章的全文主旨句最常出现的位置就是首段末句。它不仅是全文中心思想的概括，往往还是第一段主要内容的总结。这类文章中应当特别注意批驳型论说文的特点。文章首段往往提出作者反对的一个观点，在表示强转折的连接词“but，however，yet”等后出现的首段末句才是作者真正的观点，也是全文的主旨句。考生还应当注意：有时候这类文章的引入部分不止一段，可能是两段或三段，这时要记住全文的主旨句通常在整个引入部分的末句。

例3：

The way people hold to the belief that a fun-filled，pain-free life equals happiness actually reduces their chances of ever attaining real happiness.If fun and pleasure are equal to happiness then pain must be equal to unhappiness.But in fact，the opposite is true：more often than not things that lead to happiness involve some pain.

As a result，many people avoid the very attempts that are the source of true happiness.They fear the pain inevitably brought by such things as marriage，raising children，professional achievement，religious commitment（承担的义务），self-improvement.

Ask a bachelor（单身汉）why he resists marriage even though he finds dating to be less and less satisfying.If he is honest he will tell you that he is afraid of making a commitment.For commitment is in fact quite painful.The single life is filled with fun，adventure，excitement.Marriage has such moments，but they are not its most distinguishing features.

Couples with infant children are lucky to get a whole night’s sleep or a three-day vacation.Idon’t know any parent who would choose the word fun to describe raising children.But couples who decide not to have children never know the joys of watching a child grow up or of playing with a grandchild.

Understanding and accepting that true happiness has nothing to do with fun is one of the most liberating realizations.It liberates time：now we can devote more hours to activities that can genuinely increase our happiness.It liberates money：buying that new car or those fancy clothes that will do nothing to increase our happiness now seems pointless.And it liberates us from envy：we now understand that all those who are always having so much fun actually may not be happy at all.

Question：

What is the author trying to tell us？

A.Happiness often goes hand in hand with pain.

B.One must know how to attain happiness.

C.It is important to make commitments.

D.It is pain that leads to happiness.

这就是一篇典型的批驳型论说文。文章首段首句提出了要批驳的观点：很多人认为充满快乐、没有痛苦的生活就是幸福的，并且指出这种观点会给人们带来的不利影响：会减少他们获得真正幸福的机会。在首段末句中表示强转折的“But”之后，作者提出了自己的观点：能给人们带来真正幸福的事情往往会带着些许痛苦。这句话才是全文的主旨句。在答案选项中和它最为相似的表述是A选项，意思是幸福和痛苦常常密不可分。文章首段之后的部分就是在一步一步地论证作者观点的正确性。在文章的第二、三、四段，作者从正反两面分析说明能给人们带来真正幸福的事业、婚姻、养育子女等都不能简单地用充满快乐来形容，因为这些往往就意味着承诺和付出，会给人带来一定的痛苦；但是，如果人们因为惧怕痛苦而回避它们，人们也会失去获得真正幸福的机会。在文章末段，作者有力地阐述了接受他的观点能给人们带来的好处：可以使人们节省时间金钱、摆脱嫉妒等不良的个人偏见。

例4：

Revenge is one of those things that everyone enjoys.People don’t like to talk about it，though.Just the same，there is nothing more satisfying or more rewarding than revenge.The purpose is not to harm your victims but to let them know that you are upset about something that they are doing to you.Careful plotting can provide you with relief from bothersome coworkers，gossiping friends，or nagging family m embers.

Coworkers who make comments about the fact that you are always fifteen minutes late for work can be taken care of very simply.All you have to do is get up extra early one day.Before the sun comes up，drive to each coworker’s house.Reach under the hood of your coworker’s car and disconnect the center wire that leads to the distributor cap，the car will be unharmed，but it will not start，and your friends at work will all be late for work on the same day.If you’re lucky，your boss might notice that you are the only one there and will give you a raise.

Gossiping friends at school are also perfect targets for a simple act of revenge.A way to trap either male or female friends is to leave phony messages on their lockers.If the friend that you want to get is male，leave a message that a certain girl would like him to stop by her house later that day.With any luck，her boyfriend will be there.The girl won’t know what’s going on，and the victim will be so embarrassed that he probably won’t leave his home for a month.

When Mom and Dad and your sisters and brothers really begin to annoy you，harmless revenge may be just the way to make them quiet down for a while.The dinner table is a likely place.Just before the meal begins，throw a handful of raisins into the food.Wait about five minutes and，after everyone has begun to eat，cover your mouth with your hand and begin to make odd noises.When they ask you what the matter is，point to a raisin and yell，“Bugs！”They’ll dump their food in the disposal，jump into the car，and head for McDonald’s.That night，you’ll have your first quiet，peaceful meal in a long time.

A well-planned revenge does not have to hurt anyone.The object is simply to let other people know that they are beginning to bother you.（1997年第四篇）

Question：

The main topic of the passage is how to＿＿＿.

A.avoid nagging family members

B.silence gossiping friends

C.make a harmless revenge

D.deal with bothersome coworkers

本文主要介绍了如何对你不喜欢的同事、朋友、亲戚进行无伤害的报复，实际上就是通过巧妙策划、精心安排来对他们搞一些恶作剧。在做题时，可套用公式：主旨≈全文主题句（thesis statement）和主旨≠文章某一部分的内容。全文的主题句就是第一段最后一句：Careful plotting can provide you with relief from bothersome coworkers，gossiping friends，or nagging family members.这句话概括了第二、三、四段的内容，由此可以看出A、B、D选项都只是文章某一段的内容，不够全面，因此不能作为全文主旨。只有C选项是对全文内容的概括。

（3）全文末句。主旨句直到全文末段才出现的情况往往是归纳模式的论说文或说明文。这类文章在同等学力人员考研英语阅读中比较少见。比较多见的是文章首、末两段都有全文主旨句，这时末段的主旨句常常是首段主旨句的重述，旨在强调文章的主旨。

例5：

Most people would agree that，although our age exceeds all previous ages in knowledge，there has been no corresponding increase in wisdom.But agreement ceases as soon as we attempt to define“wisdom”and consider means of promoting it.

There are several factors that contribute to wisdom.Of these I put first a sense of proportion：the capacity to take account of all the important factors in a problem and to attach to each its due weight.This has become more difficult than it used to be owing to the extent and complexity of the special knowledge required of various kinds of technicians.Suppose，for example，that you are engaged in research in scientific medicine.You have no time to consider the effect which your discoveries or inventions may have outside the field of medicine.You succeed（let us say）as modern medicine has succeeded，in enormously lowering the infant death-rate，not only in Europe and America，but also in Asia and Africa.This has the entirely unintended result of making the food supply inadequate and lowering the standard of life in the parts of the world that have the greatest populations.To take an even more dynamic example，which is in everybody’s mind at the present time；you study the make up of the atom from a disinterested desire for knowledge，and by chance place in hands of a powerful madman the means of destroying the human race.

Therefore，with every increase of knowledge and skill，wisdom becomes more necessary，for every such increase augments our capacity for realizing our purposes，and therefore augments our capacity for evil，if our purposes are unwise.

Question：

What is the main idea of the passage？

A.It is unwise to place the results of scientific research in the hands of a powerful mad man.

B.The more knowledge one has，the wiser one becomes.

C.Any increase in knowledge could lead to disastrous results without the guidance of wisdom.

D.Wisdom increases in proportion to one’s age.

这是一篇典型的归纳类型论说文。文章第一段首先指出，人们普遍认为我们这个时代在知识领域已经超越了以往任何时代，但在智慧方面却没有相应的增长。第二段指出，在影响智慧的诸多因素中，是否具备综观全局、正确判断在一个问题中每个重要因素的作用和地位的能力至关重要，因为如果缺乏这种能力，人们所取得的成就往往会给人们带来意想不到的恶果。文章末段是全文的主旨句，强调指出：随着知识和技能的增长，人们更需要智慧的引导，因为如果没有智慧来引导我们，这种知识和技能的增长在增强人们达到自己目的的能力的同时，也随之不可避免地增添了他们干坏事的能力。正确答案C选项就是对这句话的诠释。

例6：

Nowadays，we hear a lot about the growing threat of globalisation，accompanied by those warnings that the rich pattern of local life is being undermined，and many dialects and traditions are becoming extinct.But stop and think for a moment about them any positive aspects that globalisation is bringing Read on and you are bound to feel comforted，ready to face the global future，which is surely inevitable now.

Consider the Internet，that prime example of our shrinking world.Leaving aside the alltoo-familiar worries about pornography and political extremism，even the most narrow-minded must admit that the net offers immeasurable benefits，not just in terms of education，the sector for which it was originally designed，but more importantly on a global level，the spread of news and comment.It will be increasingly difficult for politicians to maintain their regimes of misinformation，as the oppressed will not only find support and comfort，but also be able to organize themselves more effectively.

MTV is another global provider that is often criticized for imposing popular culture on the unsuspecting millions around the world.Yet the viewers’judgment on MTV is undoubtedly positive；it is regarded as indispensable by most of the global teenage generation who watch it，a vital part of growing up.And in the final analysis，what harm can a few songs and videos cause？

Is the world dominance of brands like Nike and Coca-Cola so had for us，when all is said and done？Sportswear and soft drinks are harmless products when compared to the many other things that have been globally available for a longer period of time—heroin and cocaine，for example.In any case，just because Nike shoes and Coke cans are for sale，it doesn’t mean you have to buy them—even globalisation cannot deprive the individual of his freewill.

Critics of globalisation can stop issuing their doom and gloom statements.Life goes on，and has more to offer for many citizens of the world than it did for their parents’generation.（2003年第五篇）

Question：

Which of the following could be the best title of the passage？

A.Globalisation is Standardization

B.Globalisation：Like It or Lump It

C.Globalisation：Don’t Worry，Be Happy

D.Gloalisation Brings Equality

本文是一篇典型的驳斥性论说文。作者通过分析网络、MTV、运动服装和软饮料等经济全球化的标志性事物的出现给我们生活带来的便利，表明了自己对全球化趋势的认可。全文主题句出现在第一段段末，意思是：我们应当想想全球化给我们生活带来的便利，让我们坦然面对全球化的到来。这一主旨在文章的最后一段再次得到重述。

2.文章的主旨=各段落主题句之和

在没有全文主旨句的文章中，利用在本章第一节提到的抓段落主题句的阅读方法，迅速准确地找到文章各段的主题句就成了把握全文中心思想的关键。

例1：

Americans are proud of their variety and individuality，yet they love and respect few things more than a uniform，whether it is the uniform of an elevator operator or the uniform of a five-star general.Why are uniforms so popular in the United States？

Among the arguments for uniform s，one of the first is that in the eyes of most people they look more professional than civilian（百姓的）clothes.People have become conditioned to expect superior quality from a man who wears a uniform.The television repairman who wears a uniform tends to inspire more trust than one who appears in civilian clothes.Faith in the skill of a garage mechanic is increased by a uniform.What an easier way is there for a nurse，a policeman，a barber，or a waiter to lose professional identity（身份）than to step out of uniform？

Uniform s also have many practical benefits.They save on other clothes.They save on laundry bills.They are tax-deductible（可减税的）.They are often more comfortable and more durable than civilian clothes.

Primary among the arguments against uniforms is their lack of variety and the consequent loss of individuality experienced by people who must wear them.Though there are many types of uniforms，the wearer of any particular type is generally stuck with it，without change，until retirement.When people look alike，they tend to think，speak，and act similarly，on the job at least.

Uniform s also give rise to some practical problems.Though they are long-lasting，often their initial expense is greater than the cost of civilian clothes.Some uniforms are also expensive to maintain，requiring professional dry cleaning rather than the home laundering possible with many types of civilian clothes.

Question：

The best title for this passage would be＿＿＿.

A.Uniforms and Society

B.The Importance of Wearing a Uniform

C.Practical Benefits of Wearing a Uniform

D.Advantages and Disadvantages of Uniforms

本文是一篇典型的正反观点对比的论说文。首段是文章的引入部分，首先引出本文要谈论的主要话题——在美国制服颇受人们的喜爱和尊敬。首段末句是承上启下的连接句，引出了第二、三段的内容。第二、三段主要分析了制服深受人们喜爱和尊敬的原因。其中，第二段分析了人们格外喜欢制服的主要原因是：穿制服比穿普通衣服显得更专业一些；第三段列举了穿制服可以节省其他衣服、可以减税等许多实际的好处。第四、五两段列举了一些人反对穿制服的理由。其中，第四段谈到了这些人反对穿制服最主要的理由是：制服缺乏变化，因而穿制服会使人丧失个性；第五段列举了穿制服可能给人带来的一些麻烦，例如：购买和养护制服都比普通的衣服要贵。其实，在做这道主旨题时不需把文章了解得如此清楚，只需抓住各段的主题句——第二、三、四、五段的段首句，就可以回答问题了。很明显，文章既涉及了制服的有利之处，也谈到了制服的不利方面，因此正确答案是D选项。

例2：

In the USA，85% of the population over the age of 21 approve of the death penalty.In the many states which still have the death penalty，some use the electrical chair，which can take up to 20minutes to kill，while others use gas or lethal injection.

The first of these was the case of Ruth Ellis who was hanged for shooting her lover in what was generally regarded as a crime of passion.The second was hanged for murders which，it was later proved，had been committed by someone else.

The pro-hanging lobby uses four main arguments to support its call for the reintroduction of capital punishment.First，there is the deterrence theory，which argues that the potential murderers would think twice before committing the act if they knew that they might die if they were caught.The armed bank robber might，go back to being unarmed.

The other two arguments are m ore suspect.The idea of retribution demands that criminals should get what they deserve：if a murderer intentionally set out to commit a crime，he should accept the consequences.Retribution，which is just another word for revenge，is supported by the religious doctrine of an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.

The arguments against the death penalty are largely humanitarian.But there are also statistical reasons for opposing it：the deterrence figure do not add up.In Britain，1903 was the record for executions and yet in 1904 the number of murders actually rose.There was a similar occurrence in 1946 and 1947.If the deterrence theory were correct，the rate should have fallen.

The other reasons to oppose the death penalty are largely a mater of individual conscience and belief.One is that murder is murder and the state has no more right to take a life than the individual.The other is Christianity advises forgiveness，not revenge.（1997年第一篇）

Question：

The passage is mainly about＿＿＿.

A.the argument in favor of the death penalty

B.the argument against the death penalty

C.the argument about the reintroduction of the death penalty

D.the argument about the abolition of the death penalty

这是一篇关于美国人对死刑态度的说明文。从每一段的主题句可以看出第一段主要讲美国大多数人赞成执行死刑以及各种执行死刑的方式；第二段列举了历史上两个死刑执行的案例；第三、四段介绍了人们赞成重新实施死刑的依据；第五、六段介绍了人们反对实施死刑的理由。由此可以看出，本文对是否应该恢复执行死刑这一问题正反两方面的观点进行了客观的介绍，不掺杂任何作者个人的态度，因此应该首先排除含有作者主观意见的A、B两个选项。此外，D选项说的是死刑的废除，和文章主旨不符，因此正确答案是C选项。

3.文章的主旨=各段落段意之和

阅读中也有少数文章的各段落中没有明显的主题句，这就给把握全文主旨增加了一定的难度。遇到这种文章时，一种办法是自己总结各段的主要内容，然后将各段内容相加得到全文主旨。另一种办法是套用下文将要提到的排除法公式做题。在总结各段的主要内容时，可以利用本书第一篇中提到的文章篇章结构的知识，特别是可以体现主题的核心词语的重复出现来把握主旨。

例1：

Researchers have established that when people are mentally engaged，biochemical changes occur in the brain that allow it to act more effectively in cognitive areas such as attention and memory.This is true regardless of age.

People will be alert and receptive if they are faced with information that gets them to think about things they are interested in.And someone with a history of doing more rather than less will go into old age more cognitively sound than someone who has not had an active mind.

Many experts are so convinced of the benefits of challenging the brain that they are putting the theory to work in their own lives.“The idea is not necessarily to learn to memorize enormous amounts of information.”Says James Fozard，associate director of the National Institute on Aging.“Most of us don’t need that kind of skill.Such specific training is of less interest than being able to maintain mental alertness.”Fozard and others say they challenge their brains with different mental skills，both because they enjoy them and because they are sure that their range of activities will help the way their brains work.

Gene Cohen，acting director of the same institute，suggests that people in their old age should engage in mental and physical activities individually as well as in groups.Cohen says that we are frequently advised to keep physically active as we age，but older people need to keep mentally active as well.Those who do are more likely to maintain their intellectual abilities and to be generally happier and better adjusted.“The point is，you need to do both.”Cohen says.Intellectual activity actually influences brain-cell health and size.

Question：

What is the passage mainly about？

A.How biochemical changes occur in the human brain.

B.Why people should keep active not only physically but also mentally.

C.How intellectual activities influence brain-cell health.

D.Why people should receive special mental training as they age.

本文是一篇调查研究类型的论说文。文章第一段指出研究者认为人们动脑时，脑部的注意力和记忆力这些认知区域的活动会更活跃、更有效。第二段指出如果人们能多思考他们感兴趣的问题，当他们老的时候会比没这么做的人具有更强的认知能力。第三段介绍了这些研究者深信这一理论并将它付诸实践，不断用各种活动来挑战自己的大脑。文章的第四段点出了全文的观点：老年人不仅应该有健康的身体，还应有健康的头脑；第一、二段说明了为什么要这么做的理论依据；第三段提供了事实依据。因此，通过综合各段的主要内容可以判断全文的主旨应该是B选项所表达的。

例2：

Americans usually consider themselves a friendly people.Their friendships，however，tend to be shorter and more casual than friendships among people from other cultures.It is not uncommon for Americans to have only one close friend during their life-time，and consider other“friends”to be just social acquaintances.This attitude probably has something to do with American mobility and the fact that Americans do not like to be dependent on other people.They tend to“compartmentalize”（划分）friendships，having“friends at work”，“friends on the softball team”，“family friends”，etc.

Because the United States is a highly active society，full of movement and change，people always seem to be on the go.In this highly charged atmosphere，Americans can sometimes seem brusque or impatient.They want to get to know you as quickly as possible and then move on to something else.Something，early on，they will ask you questions that you may feel are very personal.No insult is intended；the questions usually grow out of their genuine interest or curiosity，and their impatience to get to the heart of the matter.And the same does for you.If you do not understand certain American behavior or you want to know more about them，do not hesitate to ask them questions about themselves.Americans are usually more eager to explain all about their country or anything“American”in which you may be interested.In fact that you may become tired of listening.It doesn’t matter because Americans tend to be uncomfortable with silence during a conversation.They would rather talk about the weather or the latest sports scores，for example，than deal with silence.

On the other hand，don’t expect Americans to be knowledgeable about international geography or world affairs，unless those subjects directly involve the United States.Because the United States is not surrounded by many other nations，some Americans tend to ignore the rest of the world.（2001年第一篇）

Question：

The general topic of the passage is＿＿＿.

A.American culture　　　　 B.American society

C.Americans’activities　　D.Americans’personality

本文是一篇介绍美国人性格典型特征的论说文。由于文章主要探讨的主题不是通过文章的主题句集中表达的，而是散落于各段当中，因此做该题应当应用主旨题答题的公式：主旨≈各段主要内容之和。本文第一段主要讲美国人对待友谊的态度；第二段主要讲美国人看似无礼、不耐烦等性格特征；第三段主要讲美国人对国际事务缺乏了解。不难看出，全文重在介绍美国人典型的性格特征，因此D项是正确答案。A选项American culture（美国文化）和B选项American society（美国社会）覆盖面太广，过于宽泛，而C选项Americans’activities（美国人的活动）与各段内容不符。

二、主旨题阅读公式二

文章的主旨≠文中的某一细节≠文中某一部分的主要内容≠覆盖面过广的表述≠文章未涉及的内容

这套主旨题做题公式主要用于排除法做题。特别适用于那些既没有全文主旨句又没有段落主题句的文章。对于这类文章，很多考生往往缺乏概括每一段落主要意思的能力，这时应当从答案选项入手，采取排除法做题，可以取得事半功倍的效果。本套公式就是考生用排除法做题去掉主旨题干扰项时应当参照的依据。本章第一节已经清楚界定了文章主旨的相关概念，因此在用此套公式做题时，要首先排除只涉及了文章中某个具体事例或带有具体的人名、地名的细节描述型选项；其次，要重点研究并排除最具有干扰力的一类选项，这类选项往往和主旨相关，但却不够全面，只涉及文章某一段或某几段的内容；再次，还要警惕那些放之四海而皆准的常识性表述。最后，还要排除那些文章中根本未提及的内容，这些内容往往和主题沾边，但在文章有限的范围内未能被涉及。

例1：

The concept of“environment”is certainly difficult and may even be misunderstood；but we have no handy substitute.It seems simple enough to distinguish between the organism and the surrounding environment and to separate forces acting on an organism into those that are internal and biological and those that are external and environmental.But in actual practice this system breaks down in many ways，because the organism and the environment are constantly interacting so that the environment is modified by the organism and vice versa（反之亦然）.

In the case of man，the difficulties with the environmental concept are even more complicated because we have to deal with man as an animal and with man as a bearer（持有者）of culture.If we look at man as an animal and try to analyze the environmental forces that are acting on the organism，we find that we have to deal with things like climate，soil，plants，and such-like factors common to all biological situations；but we also find，always，very important environmental influences that we can only class as“cultural”，which modify the physical and biological factors.But man，as we know him，is always a bearer of culture；and，if we study human culture，we find that it，in turn，is modified by the environmental factors of climate and geography.We thus easily get into great difficulties from the necessity of viewing culture，at one moment，as a part of the man and，at another moment，as a part of the environment.

Question：

In this passage，the author is primarily concerned with＿＿＿.

A.the interpretation of the term“environment”

B.the discussion on the organisms and biological environment

C.the comparison between internal and external factors influencing man

D.the evaluation of man’s influence on culture

这是一篇典型的驳斥性论说文。第一段首先指出很多人对于环境这一概念的理解过于简单。第一段第二句介绍了普通人对环境的理解，这正是本文要批驳的靶子。第一段最后一句在转折词“But”之后的部分是作者真正要表达的观点，也是文章的主旨，即生物和环境是相互影响、相互作用的，因此在现实中很难区分出哪些是生物链的内部因素，哪些是环境的外部因素。文章的第二段是以生物中最为复杂的人为例来进一步说明环境概念的复杂性，进一步申明作者自己的真实观点，即人和环境是相互影响、相互作用的。虽然文章中有明显的全文主旨句，但是这道主旨题的选项却是用主题（subject）的形式来概括全文内容的，而不是用主题句的形式，因此要做对这道题目，仅仅抓住了主旨句是不够的，还必须结合主旨题阅读公式二中所列举的排除法做题原则来排除干扰项。B选项“关于生物体和生态环境的讨论”只涉及了文章中某一部分内容，而忽略了可以影响生物的外部环境因素。C选项“关于影响人的内部因素和外部因素的比较”只涉及了文章第二段的内容，不够全面，而且对第二段的概括也不准确，因为该段根本没有对这些因素进行比较。D选项“评价人对文化的影响”属于文章中未涉及的内容，因此，这三个选项都应予以排除。只有A选项“对环境概念的解释”全面、准确地概括了全文的内容，故为正确答案。

例2：

The word science is heard so often in modern times that almost everybody has some notion of its meaning.On the other hand，its definition is difficult for many people.The meaning of the term is confused，but everyone should understand its meaning and objectives.Just to make the explanation as simple as possible，suppose science is defined as classified knowledge（facts）.

Even in the true sciences distinguishing fact from fiction is not always easy.For this reason great care should be taken to distinguish between beliefs and truths.There is no danger as long as a clear difference is made between temporary and proved explanations.For example，hypotheses（假设）and theories are attempts to explain natural phenomena.From these positions the scientist continues to experiment and observe until they are proved or discredited.The exact status of any explanation should be clearly labeled to avoid confusion.

The objectives of science are primarily the discovery and the subsequent understanding of the unknown.Man cannot be satisfied with recognizing that secrets exist in nature or that questions are unanswerable，he must solve them.Toward that end specialists in the field of biology and related fields of interest are directing much of their time and energy.

Actually，two basic approaches lead to the discovery of new information.One，aimed at studying curiosity，is referred to as pure science.The other is aimed at using knowledge for specific purposes—for instance，improving health，raising standards of living，or creating new consumer products.In this case knowledge is put to economic use.Such an approach is referred to as applied science.

Sometimes practical-minded people miss the point of pure science in thinking only of its immediate application for economic rewards.Chemists responsible for many of the discoveries could hardly have anticipated that their findings would one day result in application of such a practical nature as those directly related to life and death.The discovery of one bit of information opens the door to the discovery of another.Some discoveries seem so simple that one is amazed they were not made years ago；however，one should remember that the construction of the microscope had to precede the discovery of the cell.The host of scientists dedicating their lives to pure science are not apologetic about ignoring the practical side of their discoveries；they know from experience that most knowledge is eventually applied.（1999年第五篇）

Question：

The best title for the passage is＿＿＿.

A.Hypotheses and Theories　　　　　　　　 B.On Distinguishing Fact from Fiction

C.The Nature of Science and Scientists　　D.Biology and the Scientific Age

这篇文章是一篇典型的说明文。文章主要通过阐述理论科学和应用科学的区别，揭示了科学本质和科学家的使命。由于文章各段没有明显的主题句可以利用，所以在做主旨题时也要用到排除法做题，首先根据公式排除细节内容A选项和B选项，再排除未涉及的内容D选项，所剩的就只有正确答案C选项了。

上述例子说明在利用主旨题做题公式时，同时还要利用其他方法以求达到最迅速、最准确做题的目的，说明考生应在初读文章的时候，就应当格外留意文章的首尾两段，甚至各个段落的首句和末句，并相应地做出标记。在判断选项时可结合排除法原则来排除明显的干扰项，缩小考虑的范围，减少阅读量。