GRE閱讀出題難點解析

在一篇關(guān)于有氧代謝和無氧糖酵解的生命科學文章中,第三段有這樣一個長達數(shù)行的難句子： with the conclusion of a burst of activity, the lactic acid level is high in the body fluids, leaving the large animal vulnerable to attack until the acid is reconverted, via oxidative metabolism, by the liver into glucose, which is then sent (in part) back to the muscles for glycogen resynthesis.

面對這樣一個充斥著煩難專業(yè)名詞的難句,很多同學讀完之后幾乎當場暈倒。這里重點強調(diào)的不是句子本身的結(jié)構(gòu)和各因素相互之間的制約聯(lián)系。而是因為這句難句對應(yīng)了一道非常有代表性的羅馬數(shù)字類型題。

it can be inferred from the passage that the time required to replenish muscle glycogen following anaerobic glycolysis is determined by which of the following factors?

i. rate of oxidative metabolism

ii. quantity of lactic acid in the body fluids

iii. percentage of glucose that is returned to the muscles

(a) i only

(b) iii only

(c) i and ii only

(d) i and iii only

(e) i, ii, and iii

題 目問及無氧糖酵解過程轉(zhuǎn)化糖原時間和哪些因素有關(guān)?有氧代謝率和乳酸本身含量是比較明顯的因素。然而根據(jù)本人實際教學中的反饋,這道題的正確率非常低,原 因主要是由于iii項的現(xiàn)場爭議。當提醒學員句子中括號包含的in part短短兩詞時,往往得到的是豁然開朗的嘆氣。試想,在考試中讀到這樣一個復雜冗長的句子時,沒有經(jīng)過訓練的考生是非常難在第一時間注意到這樣兩個不 起眼的小詞的。所以本題選e選項,同時受三個因素影響。

再看一個同樣也是生命科學文章 的例子。這次不是以復雜機制作為隱蔽方法。文章主要內(nèi)容是各種復雜理論來解釋為什么動植物中的雌雄比例大致相等。文中一段末句提到：although fisher wrote before the mathematical theory of games had been developed, his theory incorporates the essential feature of a game — that the best strategy to adopt depends on what others are doing.

這句話文字難度不大,但是這里是全文唯一一次提到game一詞的地方。之后文章就詳細展開關(guān)于fisher的具體理論和機理。之后提問：

according to the passage, successful game strategy depends on

(a) the ability to adjust ones behavior in light of the behavior of others

(b) ones awareness that there is safety in numbers

(c) the degree of stability one can create in ones immediate environment

(d) the accuracy with which one can predict future events

(e) the success one achieves in conserving and storing ones resources

閱 讀功底一般的同學讀到這里,頓時就停在那里。因為文中竟然提到過一個理論叫g(shù)ame,對他來說早已相見不如懷念了。此時要么全文重新檢索,要么無奈的放 棄。這種細節(jié)定位題貌似簡單,其實殺傷力是極其巨大的。筆者教學過程中一直強調(diào)的是讀文章時就盡量形成預測考點的感覺,不然這種細節(jié)是很難找到的,即使后 期水平上升到很高的境界。仔細觀察對應(yīng)的出題點,標點符號破折號——其實已經(jīng)隱蔽地暗示了此處敘述的重要性。正確選項a,depend on改寫為in light of, behavior of others概括了文中的what others are doing。

當 然,這些隱蔽的考點不光存在于理科文章中。文學評論文章中這條規(guī)律往往老樹開新花,有另外一種變化。簡單先看一個例子：their present high standing is due to a different, more democratic political climate and to different aesthetic values: we no longer require artists to provide ideal images of humanity for our moral edification but rather regard such idealization as a falsification of the truth.

這篇文章是分析了francoise duparc的作品及當時不流行的原因。短文章第一題：

according to the passage, modern viewers are not likely to value which of the following qualities in a painting?

(a) the technical elements of the painting

(b) the spontaneity of the painting

(c) the moral lesson imparted by the painting:

(d) the degree to which the painting realistically depicts its subject

(e) the degree to which the artists personality is revealed in the painting

作 為短文章第一題的難度,本來應(yīng)該是比較低,容易上手的。但是實際學生反映看到題干的modern viewers沒有印象,無法在原文找到這題的合理定位,宛如遭到當頭棒喝?？陀^分析,如果題干做同義改寫(paraphrase),題目的難度一定大大 升高。仔細分析題干,其實這個viewers是復數(shù)泛指,類似于一大類泛指化題型。這種題型最怕文中對francoise duparc的評價做隨意歸納,把特點推廣到現(xiàn)代觀察者,因為這樣的解題思路不能保證放之四海皆準。其實這道題的解題定位就是冒號：之后的we(等價于題 干的modern viewers)這個詞。這里的同義改寫即是正確選項c。

最后看一個no.9中emily bronte呼嘯山莊前后部分是否統(tǒng)一的例子。這篇文章本身不僅學術(shù)含義很深,沒有一定積累的考生較難理解。其文字難度也絕對不低。文中末尾提到：

however, any interpretation that seeks to unify all of the novel’s diverse element is bound to be somewhat unconvincing. this is not because such an interpretation necessarily stiffens into a thesis (although rigidity in any interpretation of this or any novel is always a danger), but because wuthering heights has recalcitrant elements of undeniable power that, ultimately, resist inclusion in an all-encompassing interpretation.

這個例子是最能體現(xiàn)ets出題點口味的,比上面的例子更具普遍意義?？次恼潞竺鎲栴}：

the author of the passage would be most likely to agree that an interpretation of a novel should

(a) not try to unite heterogeneous elements in the novel

(b) not be inflexible in its treatment of the elements in the novel

(c) not argue that the complex use of narrators or of time shifts indicates a sophisticated structure

(d) concentrate on those recalcitrant elements of the novel that are outside the novel’s main structure

(e) primarily consider those elements of novelistic construction of which the author of the novel was aware

這道題題干中的an和a提示了泛指化的題型。仔細閱讀原文選段,不難發(fā)現(xiàn)這個離題的敘述內(nèi)容出現(xiàn)在不成立的原因半句的括號中的讓步語氣中的延伸敘述部分。