托福阅读-句子插入题100%技巧

【考试技巧】新托福插入题命中百分百2011年04月28日11:15:19在新托福阅读的考查中，每篇文章必会出现一类题，叫做InsertTextQuestions，即插入句子题(简称插入题)。考试中，考生会遇到一句话，问该句插入文中哪里最合适。如下面例题：▇Theraisingoflivestockisamajoreconomicactivityinsemiaridlands,wheregrassesaregeneralthedominanttypeofnaturalvegetation.▇Theconsequencesofanexcessivenumberoflivestockgrazinginanareaarethereductionofthevegetationcoverandthetramplingandpulverizationofthesoil.▇Thisisusuallyfollowedbythedryingofthesoilandacceleratederosion.▇Lookatthefoursquares▇thatindicatewherethefollowingsentencecanbeaddedtothepassage。Thiseconomicrelianceonlivestockincertainregionsmakeslargetractsoflandsusceptibletoovergrazing。Wherewouldthesentencebestfit?(选自OfficialGuideP73)按照ETS官方指南上的解析，这类题型重点考查英文句子间的逻辑语义关系，即英文中句子与句子是如何衔接在一起的。所以，只要掌握了英语句子间的衔接手法(cohesivedevices)，这种问题便可迎刃而解。那么，英文句子有哪些衔接手法呢？主要分为以下四种。1.代词(Pronouns)具体包括人称代词、指示代词和关系代词等(personal,demonstrative,relative,etc)。在上下句的关联中，代词是最为紧密的一类词。当作者再次谈及上句相关话题时，为了避免重复，遵循语言学的最简单化原理，作者会用代词指代该话题词。例如，Speakingaforeignlanguageisanenormousassetinthemodernworld.Thisiswhysomanyjuniorhighschoolsarenowofferinglanguageclasses。Today'steachersarefacedwithastarkchoice.Theymustdecidewhethertoteachinawaythathelpsstudentpassstandardizedexamsorteachinawaythatactuallyhelpsstudentslearn。2.定冠词the+名词(specificarticles+nouns)名词所指对象第一次出现时，用不定冠词a连接，当后句再次提及该名词对象时，为了表示它和前一句名词是同一关系，会用定冠词the引出。例如，Awomaniswalkingintoourclassroom.Thewomanisourteacher。3.重复话题词或同义近义改写(Repetition,synonym,orslightvariationofaword)上下句的衔接也可以通过重复话题词实现，或者是对该话题词进行相关改写。例如，Tofosterhealthyrelationshipsbetweenchildreninaclassroom,teachersshouldprovidetimeforgamesandfunactivities.Havinghealthyrelationshipswiththeirpeershelpschildrengainconfidenceusefulinotherpartsoftheirlives.(重复话题词)Beforechoosingapublicorprivateschoolfortheirchildren,parentsshouldtakeintoaccountthecost.Thepriceofaprivateschoolisusuallymuchhigherthanthatofapublicschool.(话题词同义改写)4.过渡性词和词组(Transitionalphrases/transitionaladverbs)上面讲到的三种句间关系属于隐性关系。隐性关系通过上下句的语义关系体现。现在，我们要讲的是句子间的显性关系，即通过明显的逻辑连词或副词来体现句间关系。这些显性关系词包括以下类别。4.1时间关系then,next,later,finally,etc。4.2因果关系therefore,consequently,asaresult,etc。4.3转折关系however,but,yet,nevertheless,ontheotherhand,etc。4.4解释关系thatis,inotherwords,etc。4.5举例关系forinstance,forexample例如，Peersandoldersiblingshaveamajorinfluenceonhowschoolchildrenbehave.Forinstance,youngchildrenoftenrepeatbadwordstheyhearfromtheirfriendsorbrothersandsisters。有了上面的理论铺垫，我们再来看小插题就容易得多了！例如，前面给出的那道例题，▇Theraisingoflivestockisamajoreconomicactivityinsemiaridlands,wheregrassesaregeneralthedominanttypeofnaturalvegetation.▇Theconsequencesofanexcessivenumberoflivestockgrazinginanareaarethereductionofthevegetationcoverandthetramplingandpulverizationofthesoil.▇Thisisusuallyfollowedbythedryingofthesoilandacceleratederosion.▇Lookatthefoursquares▇thatindicatewherethefollowingsentencecanbeaddedtothepassage。Thiseconomicrelianceonlivestockincertainregionsmakeslargetractsoflandsusceptibletoovergrazing。Wherewouldthesentencebestfit?我们先读给出的这句话--Thiseconomicrelianceonlivestockincertainregionsmakeslargetractsoflandsusceptibletoovergrazing.这个句子使用的衔接手法(cohesivedevice)属于代词指代前文话题词。this后面的名词economicrelianceonlivestock一定在上一句里出现。于是，搜索段落，答案锁定在第二个方框前的那一句Theraisingoflivestockisamajoreconomicactivityinsemiaridlands,wheregrassesaregeneralthedominanttypeofnaturalvegetation。这句话与被插入的句子话题一致，都是在讲经济上依赖牲口这件事，所以应插入第二个方框。同理，以下考题，请考生自测。答案见文末。Extinctbutalreadyfullymarinecetaceansareknownfromthefossilrecord.▇Howwasthegapbetweenawalkingmammalandaswimmingwhalebridged?▇Missinguntilrecentlywerefossilsclearlyintermediate,ortransitional,betweenlandmammalsandcetaceans。▇Veryexcitingdiscoverieshavefinallyallowedscientiststoreconstructthemostlikelyoriginsofcetaceans.▇In1979,ateamlookingforfossilsinnorthernPakistanfoundwhatprovedtobetheoldestfossilswhale。Lookatthefoursquares▇thatindicatewherethefollowingsentencecanbeaddedtothepassage。Thisisaquestionthathaspuzzledscientistsforages。Wherewouldthesentencebestfit?(选自OfficialGuideP64)Paragraph3:■Exhibitors,however,wantedtomaximizetheirprofits,whichtheycoulddomorereadilybyprojectingahandfuloffilmstohundredsofcustomersatatime(ratherthanoneatatime)andbycharging25to50centsadmission.■AboutayearaftertheopeningofthefirstKinetoscopeparlorin1894,showmensuchasLouisandAugusteLumiere,ThomasArmatandCharlesFrancisJenkins,andOrvilleandWoodvilleLatham(withtheassistanceofEdison'sformerassistant,WilliamDickson)perfectedprojectiondevices.■Theseearlyprojectiondeviceswereusedinvaudevilletheaters,legitimatetheaters,localtownhalls,makeshiftstorefronttheaters,fairgrounds,andamusementparkstoshowfilmstoamassaudience.■Lookatthefoursquares[■]thatindicatewherethefollowingsentencecanbeaddedtothepassage。WhenthiswidespreaduseofprojectiontechnologybegantohurthisKinetoscopebusiness,EdisonacquiredaprojectordevelopedbyArmatandintroduceditasEdison'slatestmarvel,theVitascope.Wherewouldthesentencebestfit?(选自OfficialGuideP84)Before1815manufacturingintheUnitedStateshadbeendoneinhomesorshopsbyskilledartisans.■Asmastercraftworkers,theyimpartedtheknowledgeoftheirtradestoapprenticesandjourneymen.■Inaddition,womenoftenworkedintheirho