首先托福閱讀分四個階段:
第一階段:不關(guān)心句子的意義,只關(guān)心語言符號,比如:貓坐在帽子上飛;黑色的太陽
第二階段:獲取主題和重點信息,即大的框架結(jié)構(gòu)
第三階段:能找出觀點理論并確定觀點的支撐細節(jié);能分析整體框架。
第四階段:針對某個特定主題,在很多相關(guān)資料中尋找需要的信息。
為什么需要這四個閱讀階段呢?是由閱讀的三個特征來決定的:
1. 多書面語:詞匯句式復雜
2. 論證嚴密:觀點闡述嚴密,邏輯環(huán)環(huán)相扣
3. 結(jié)構(gòu)復雜:多觀點結(jié)構(gòu)
下面通過一個段落具體講解。3分鐘來讀以下段落:
Dinosaurs rapidly became extinct about 65million years ago as part of a mass extinction known as the K-T event, because it is associated with a geological signature known as the K-T boundary, usually a thin band of sedimentation found in various parts of the world (K is the traditional abbreviation for the Cretaceous, derived from the German name Kreidezeit).S1 Many explanations have been proposed for why dinosaurs became extinct. S2 For example, some have blamed dinosaur extinction on the development of flowering plants, which were supposedly more difficult to digest and could have caused constipation or indigestion—except that flowering plants first evolved in the Early Cretaceous, about 60 million years before the dinosaurs died out.S3 In fact, several scientists have suggested that the duck bill dinosaurs and homed dinosaurs, with their complex battery of grinding teeth, evolved to exploit this new resource of rapidly growing flowering plants.S4 Othershave blamed extinction on competition from the mammals, which alleged lyate all the dinosaur eggs—except that mammals and dinosaurs appeared at the same time in the Late Triassic, about 190 million years ago, and there is no reason to believe that mammals suddenly acquired a taste for dinosaur egg safter 120 million years of coexistence. S5Some explanations (such as the one stating that dinosaurs all died of diseases) fail because there is no way to scientifically test them, and they cannot move beyond the realm of speculation and guesswork.S6
全段一共241個字,6句話,平均每句話都40個字左右。
拿第一句話Dinosaurs rapidly became extinct about 65 million years ago as part of a mass extinction known as the K-T event, because it is associated with a geological signature known as the K-T boundary, usually a thin band of sedimentation found in various parts of the world (K is the traditional abbreviation for the Cretaceous, derived from the German name Kreidezeit)為例子,這句話出現(xiàn)了K-T boundary,sedimentation,Cretaceous等詞,不是常見詞匯,而且這句話中包含了原因狀語從句(becauseit is associated...),非謂語(known as.../found in...),同位語(usually a thin band of sedimentation...),插入語(K is the tradition abb...),所以總結(jié)一下,就是生詞多,句式復雜。
第二點觀點闡述嚴密,邏輯環(huán)環(huán)相扣。這一段第一句話的意思是恐龍滅絕了,緊接著第二句話說到Many explanations have been proposed 。第一個explanation是把恐龍的滅絕歸咎于開花植物的發(fā)展,但是(except)開花植物在恐龍滅絕前6千萬年前就已經(jīng)進化了,進而否定了恐龍因為開花植物而滅絕這一解釋。后面in fact這一句話更加證實了恐龍不是因為開花植物而滅絕。第二個explanation是因為哺乳動物吃恐龍蛋導致恐龍滅絕,但是(expect)在其滅絕前,恐龍和哺乳動物共處了1.2億年,進而否定了恐龍因為哺乳動物而滅絕。最后一句話Some explanations fail既做了總結(jié),又表達出態(tài)度:一些原因不能解釋恐龍滅絕,呼應開頭。
第三點結(jié)構(gòu)復雜,多觀點結(jié)構(gòu)。第一句話Dinosaurs rapidly became extinct 呼應主題,交代背景。緊接著Many explanations...,for example后面來列舉解釋恐龍滅絕的原因。some.....原因解釋1,破折號后面except表示轉(zhuǎn)折,否定前面的原因;in fact 表示遞進關(guān)系,進一步解釋說明前面一句話的意思---否定恐龍滅絕是因為開花植物。others...原因解釋2,破折號后面except表示轉(zhuǎn)折,否定原因2。最后一句話Some explanations fail總結(jié)上文,明確表達出態(tài)度。整段是分(some......others......)——總(explanations fail)結(jié)構(gòu)。