如何破解细节题之不可忽视的指示代词——帮你顺藤摸瓜找到答案

做托福阅读需要定位，这是很多同学都知道的。不过定位词后面出现的指示代词，如常见的it, they, this, that, these, those, such…对解题来说到底有什么妙用，你也许还不知道吧？今天我们来说说指示代词对于我们找答案的重要性。

我们正好用一篇文章The Role Of Diapause来一窥究竟。

If conditions within an organism’s environment occasionally or regularly become harsh, it may be advantageous for an organism to have a resistant stage built into the life cycle. In such a life history strategy, the organism suspends any growth, reproduction, or other activities for a period of time so that they may occur at a later, more hospitable time…

Unfavorable conditions that are relatively predictable probably pose a simpler problem for organisms than do unpredictable conditions. Adaptations to the regular change of seasons in the temperate and polar regions may be relatively simple. For example, many seeds require a period of stratification, exposure to low temperatures for some minimum period, before they will germinate. This is a simple adaptation to ensure that germination occurs following the winter conditions rather than immediately prior to their onset…

A similar strategy—accelerated development combined with a resting stage—has also allowed amphibians to inhabit deserts. The spadefoot toads, such as Couch’s spadefoot toad, inhabit some of the most severe deserts in North America. Adults of this species burrow deeply into the substrate where it is cooler and perhaps more moist. Here they enter into a resting state in which they are covered with a protective layer of dead skin.

以上三题都是指示代词在细节题的答案揭示中所起的作用。当然指示代词在托福的其他题型中的解题作用也是非常明显，包括句子插入题和词汇题。托福阅读题型中还有专门一类题型-指代题，用以考察大家对前后文的行文连贯性的掌握，和上下文的理解。大家在解题的时候希望能够注意指代词，从而提高我们对答案搜寻的敏感度。