TPO25-2 The Decline of Venetian Shipping:
Paragraph 2 This decline can be seen clearly in the changes that affected Venetian shipping and trade. First, Venic’s intermediary functions in the Adriatic Sea, where it had dominated the business of shipping for other parties, were lost to direct trading. In the fifteenth century there was little problem recruiting sailors to row the galleys (large ships propelled by oars): guilds (business associations) were required to provide rowers, and through a draft system free citizens served compulsorily when called for. In the early sixteenth century the shortage of rowers was not serious because the demand for galleys was limited by a move to round ships (round-hulled ships with more cargo space), with required fewer rowers. But the shortage of crews proved to be a greater and greater problem, despite continuous appeal to Venic’s tradition of maritime greatness. Even though sailors’ wages doubled among the northern Italian cities from 1550 to 1590, this did not elicit an increased supply.
以上算得上是托福閱讀中較長的段落了,在快速閱讀這個段落的時候我們要找的關(guān)鍵詞是:邏輯信號詞—如段落中所標示的first, but, this… 我們不難發(fā)現(xiàn)這些信號詞所在的句子基本都是解題的信息點。那么在做題定位時不妨多加留意。當然,抓住這些關(guān)鍵詞并不難,難在理解。
接下來我們就來看看理解這些句子時的關(guān)鍵詞。每段話的首句是必定要讀的。This decline can be seen clearly in the changes that affected Venetian shipping and trade。這是包含了一個定語從句的復雜句。先看到核心詞changes,再看到Venetian shipping and trade。這篇文章接下來具體要寫的內(nèi)容就展露無遺,也就是威尼斯船業(yè)和貿(mào)易的變遷。
First,這當然是開始寫shipping的標志了。Venice’s intermediary functions in the Adriatic Sea, where it had dominated the business of shipping for other parties, were lost to direct trading. 我們一直強調(diào)句子要讀主干,那么簡單地看這個句子就是Venice’s functions were lost, 核心詞很顯然是lost,也對應(yīng)了整篇文章的主題 decline. 接下來兩句寫到了15和16世紀遇到的船員難招的問題。…there was little problem recruiting sailors to row the galleys (large ships propelled by oars): guilds (business associations) were required to provide rowers, and through a draft system free citizens served compulsorily when called for. 這句話中有冒號的出現(xiàn),閱讀冒號之前的內(nèi)容there was little problem;到下一句:the shortage of rowers was not serious because the demand for galleys was limited by a move to round ships (round-hulled ships with more cargo space), with required fewer rowers. 這句中要看到的核心是not serious;再往后看到But….to be a greater and greater problem. 到這里意思應(yīng)該已經(jīng)一目了然了,就是講威尼斯船業(yè)在招聘船員方面所遭遇的變遷:little problem—not serious —greater problem.
剛才我們講了文章閱讀部分要抓關(guān)鍵詞,其實我們在閱讀題目和選項時也是需要尋找關(guān)鍵詞的。有些題目的選項是比較長的,四個選項看上去也差不多一段話了,所以一定要抓住關(guān)鍵詞判斷才行,如否定詞、比較詞和并列詞。這些是快速瀏覽選項的第一步。再次也要看到題干和每個選項中能讓我們快速定位到原文的關(guān)鍵詞。我們還是以托福TPO25為例:
TPO25-1 The Surface of Mars
Paragraph 5 As on the Moon, the extent of large impact cratering (i.e. craters too big to have been filled in by erosion since they were formed) serves as an age indicator for the Martian surface. Age estimates ranging from four billion years for Mars’s southern highlands to a few hundred million years in the youngest volcanic areas were obtained in this way。
According to paragraph 5, what have scientists been able to determine from studies of large impact cratering on Mars?
A. Some Martian volcanoes are much older than was once thought。
B. The age of Mars’s surface can vary from area to area。
C. Large impact craters are not reliable indicators of age in areas with high volcanic activity。
D. Some areas of the Martian surface appear to be older than they actually are。
劃出選項中的關(guān)鍵詞后,定位到原文迅速瀏覽發(fā)現(xiàn)原文中并無如A和D選項中的比較,C中的否定詞not和原文是明顯相矛盾的,故而選擇B,而B選項對應(yīng)的恰好是本段末句:Age estimates ranging from four billion years for Mars’s southern highlands to a few hundred million years in the youngest volcanic areas were obtained in this way。
根據(jù)以上分析,我們應(yīng)該明白在閱讀之時何為關(guān)鍵詞。簡單地講有定位關(guān)鍵詞和判斷關(guān)鍵詞。定位關(guān)鍵詞包括題干及選項中的名詞,還有就是段落中那些一直向你示好的邏輯信號詞了,不要忘記用它們找到你解題需要的信息。判斷關(guān)鍵詞是選項中那些有特色的詞匯,包括否定詞,比較詞或者是句子主干中的動詞等,根據(jù)這些詞和原文進行對應(yīng),至少有一半的選項可以迅速被排除。