托福考试阅读技巧（一）

　　接下来我们就来看看理解这些句子时的关键词。每段话的首句是必定要读的。This decline can be seen clearly in the changes that affected Venetian shipping and trade。这是包含了一个定语从句的复杂句。先看到核心词changes，再看到Venetian shipping and trade。这篇文章接下来具体要写的内容就展露无遗，也就是威尼斯船业和贸易的变迁。

　　First，这当然是开始写shipping的标志了。Venice’s intermediary functions in the Adriatic Sea， where it had dominated the business of shipping for other parties， were lost to direct trading. 我们一直强调句子要读主干，那么简单地看这个句子就是Venice’s functions were lost， 核心词很显然是lost，也对应了整篇文章的主题 decline. 接下来两句写到了15和16世纪遇到的船员难招的问题。…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. 这句话中有冒号的出现，阅读冒号之前的内容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. 这句中要看到的核心是not serious;再往后看到But….to be a greater and greater problem. 到这里意思应该已经一目了然了，就是讲威尼斯船业在招聘船员方面所遭遇的变迁：little problem—not serious —greater problem.

　　刚才我们讲了文章阅读部分要抓关键词，其实我们在阅读题目和选项时也是需要寻找关键词的。有些题目的选项是比较长的，四个选项看上去也差不多一段话了，所以一定要抓住关键词判断才行，如否定词、比较词和并列词。这些是快速浏览选项的第一步。再次也要看到题干和每个选项中能让我们快速定位到原文的关键词。我们还是以托福TPO25为例：

　　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。

　　划出选项中的关键词后，定位到原文迅速浏览发现原文中并无如A和D选项中的比较，C中的否定词not和原文是明显相矛盾的，故而选择B，而B选项对应的恰好是本段末句：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。

　　根据以上分析，我们应该明白在阅读之时何为关键词。简单地讲有定位关键词和判断关键词。定位关键词包括题干及选项中的名词，还有就是段落中那些一直向你示好的逻辑信号词了，不要忘记用它们找到你解题需要的信息。判断关键词是选项中那些有特色的词汇，包括否定词，比较词或者是句子主干中的动词等，根据这些词和原文进行对应，至少有一半的选项可以迅速被排除。

二、托福考试阅读技巧二:善于使用排除法

　　托福阅读中有些题目枝干信息太多，但都是干扰项，如果逐字阅读的话会很浪费时间。正确的做法应该是从选项中挖掘一下方向，如果有几项答案自相矛盾或者意思明显相反，就可以直接排除，然后再对模糊选项进行确认，这时候再回到正文中细读相关信息就会很省力。一般情况下，排除法是比较容易培养的套路，考生要善于使用这一技巧提高答题速度。

三、托福考试阅读技巧三:掌握句子顺序上的变化

　　问句中所含信息与文章中相应句子中的信息在顺序上有时可能出现不同，甚至前后完全倒置。这种情况可能会导致迷失答题的方向。还应注意到文章中有关问句的信息并非全都能在每个句子中找到，甚至在关键词及短语之间存在一些不相关的信息，这些都会是寻找答案过程中的困难。

四、托福考试阅读技巧四:查找同义词、近义词、相关词

在托福阅读考试中，能否准确找出正确答案很大程度上取决于能否辩认出同义词、近义词、相关词及不同形式的短语。

1.词形完全相同;

2.词义相同，即同义词 ;

3.词义相近，但并非同义 ;

4.词义相关。

上述四种词汇/短语表达方式中，种当然容易辩认，第二种同义词也相 对不难，但第三种与第四种形式则不易辩认，所以要在阅读过程中多加比较练习。如能攻破这一关，则一定能够取得好的考试成绩。