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(cè)面說明旅館的服務情況，相互間并無聯(lián)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(nèi)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(nèi)容。面不能太窄，即：不足以概括全部內(nèi)容;但是面也不能太寬，即：包含了文中沒有闡述的內(nèi)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(nèi)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(xiàn)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(jīng)濟規(guī)律，面過寬;(C)和(D)只是供需規(guī)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。
例六：
Directions: Read the following passage and select the most appropriate title:
According to legend, the gods of the ancient Greeks lived in the clouds on the top of Mount Olympus. Zeus, the father of the gods, carried a bolt of lightning in his hand and ruled like an earthly king. Apollo was the sun god and his beams were golden arrows; he shielded the flocks of sheep and the fields of grain. Athena was the warrior goddess, standing in shining armor ready to protect the Greek cities. There were other gods as well, all with familiar human characteristics, but these were the leading gods.
(A) The Gods of the Ancient Greeks
(B) The Legend of the Sky God Zeus
(C) Beliefs of the Ancient Greeks
(D) Religions of the Past
該問題中，(B)項只是文中提到的一項具體內(nèi)容，作為主題思想面太窄了。(C)和(D)項泛指，面太寬。只有(A)項才概括了全文要說明的問題，是全文的主題。
三、一段文章的中心思想常常由主題句(Topic Sentence)表達。主題句常常位于段首或段尾處，間或出現(xiàn)在段落中間。同樣，一篇文章的中心思想也常常在開始段或結(jié)尾段點出。因此在閱讀中，我們要特別注意文章的開頭或結(jié)尾。
例七：
English is clearly an international language. It is spoken by pilots and airport control operators on all the airways of the world. Over 70 percent of the world's radio programs are in English
本段主題句為首句，其后的內(nèi)容均說明首句。
例八：
Some students prefer a strict teacher who tells them exactly what to do. Others prefer to be left to work on their own. Still others like a democratic discussion type of class. No one teaching method can be devised to satisfy all students at the same time
本段中心思想在結(jié)尾句得到體現(xiàn)，它是此段內(nèi)容的結(jié)論。
例九：
For adults a cold is not that serious. However, this is not the case for children. Cold symptoms in children may be signs of more serious diseases and should be given prompt medical attention.
本段主題句為第二句，因為在however后面才是作者真正的看法，并在本文中進一步作了說明。
然而，我們也常常發(fā)現(xiàn)，有的主題思想并非直接由一、二個句子表述，而是在文中間接暗示著。這就需要讀者根據(jù)文中細節(jié)進行概括與歸納，找出主題思想。
例十：
It's no wonder that we have so many rejections for physical reasons in our Selective Service. Since October of 1948, some six million young men have been examined for military duty. Of these, more than a million were rejected as physically unfit for military service. To get two men today, the United States Army must call seven men. Of the five rejected three are turned down for physical reasons and two for mental problems. To get the 196 thousand additional men we needed for Berlin, the government had to call up 750 thousand men. And the rejection rate is increasing each year. The reason for this problem is that we are under exercised as a nation. We look, instead of play. We ride, instead of walk. The way we live prevents us from being healthy.
本段中找不到某一句作為主 題。根據(jù)文中的內(nèi)容進行歸納，可找出主題思想，即：“The military's rejection rate for physical reason is increasing because this nation's lack of exercise is leading to poor health.”
在確定一篇文章的中心思想時，我們通常用快讀的方法，從頭至尾將全文瀏覽一遍，注意不要被個別詞、句難住而停下來。要從上下文的連貫意思上來理解進行闡述的、有關(guān)這個主題我們了解了什么。這樣，就可以比較有把握地概括出中心思想了。
在閱讀理解測試中，常常用于檢查對主題思想的掌握的問題有：
1. The main (central, principal) idea of this passage is __________________ .
2. The main idea of this selection may be best expressed as __________________.
3. The main theme (topic) of the passage is __________________ .
4. The passage is mainly about __________________ .
5. This passage deals mainly (primarily) with __________________ .
6. The author's purpose in writing this passage is __________________ .
7. The main purpose of the passage is __________________ .
8. The best (most appropriate) title of (for) this passage is __________________ .
9. What would be the most appropriate title for this passage?
10. What is the subject of this passage?
11. Which of the following best summarizes the passage?
12. Which of the following best sums up the main idea of the whole passage?
建議大家在平時的閱讀練習中進行全文快速瀏覽，嘗試自己提煉和總結(jié)文章主旨。經(jīng)過一段時間的練習，考試中必然能快速了解整篇文章大意，方便選出正確答案。
