快速準確破解托福閱讀中的句子簡化題

　　句子簡化題(sentence simplification questions)是托福閱讀獨有的一種題型。這一題型重在考查考生對長難句基本意思的把握程度，具有一定的難度。下面筆者就在介紹這一題型的基礎上為考生講解解題技巧，希望對考生解答這類題目有所幫助。

　　題型介紹

　　句子簡化題的基本要求是要求考生對比文中標出的句子(以下簡稱“原句”)與選項，選出與原句基本意思最為接近的選項。這類題目的提問方式一般為：“Which is the following best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence? Incorrect answer choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.”一般來說，題目中干擾選項的錯誤主要體現(xiàn)在兩個方面：一是從根本上改變了原句意思，二是漏掉了原句中包含的重要信息。

　　句子簡化題的出題思路一般分為兩類：一是對長難句的化繁為簡，即原句比較長，邏輯關系復雜，選項只保留了原句的主要信息，而省略了原句的次要信息(如同位語、例子)等;二是對相對簡單的句子的同義改寫，即原句難度不大，邏輯關系簡單，選項是原句的同義改寫。從做題方法上來說，對于第二種出題思路的題目，考生應該采用通讀的辦法，在理解原句意思的基礎上再答題。而針對第一種出題思路的題目，考生一般把握住原句的幾個關鍵點就可以見微知著，找到破解句子簡化題的良方。下面筆者就介紹兩個以第一類出題思路為主的簡化題的解題技巧，供考生參考。

　　技巧一：對比原句與選項，邏輯關系與原文一致者為正確選項

　　以化繁為簡為出題思路的原句往往具有句子長、結(jié)構復雜的特點，考生把握住這類句子的邏輯對于解題非常關鍵。在句子簡化題中，最常用到的邏輯關系有五種：因果關系、條件關系、轉(zhuǎn)折關系、讓步關系以及并列關系。考生應根據(jù)句中各成分間的邏輯關系分析出哪個是主句、哪個是從句。在選擇選項時，選項句子的邏輯關系應該與原句的主邏輯關系保持一致。這里有兩點需要指明。首先，轉(zhuǎn)折和讓步的邏輯關系可以互相轉(zhuǎn)換。也就是說，如果原句是轉(zhuǎn)折(讓步)關系，那么正確選項有可能是讓步(轉(zhuǎn)折)關系。不過，考生要進一步確定選項句子的主句意思與原句的主句意思是否一致，因為題目很有可能會在兩種邏輯的轉(zhuǎn)換中設置陷阱。其次，如果原文句子既包含并列關系，又包含其他四種邏輯關系中的某一種，那么并列關系一般會顯得次要些，而其他邏輯關系是主邏輯關系。

　　考生在使用這一技巧解題時需要注意兩個要點：第一，當多個選項都與原句的邏輯關系一致時，要分別對照選項與原句，看兩者主句的意思是否一致，一般主要看謂語動詞的意思是否一致;第二，若多個選項不僅邏輯關系與原句一致，主句意思也都一致，則須進一步對比各選項與原句，看兩者的從句意思是否一致。以下面一道托福真題為例。

　　例1：The highlighted sentence: He refused to develop projection technology, reasoning that if he made and sold projectors, then exhibitors would purchase only one machine—a projector—from him instead of several.

　　Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence from the passage? Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.

　　A. Edison was more interested in developing a variety of machines than in developing a technology based on only one.

　　B. Edison refused to work on projection technology because he did not think exhibitors would replace their projectors with newer machines.

　　C. Edison did not want to develop projection technology because it limited the number of machines he could sell.

　　D. Edison would not develop projection technology unless exhibitors agree to purchase more than one projector from him.

　　解析：由原句中的reasoning和if可知，本句包含兩種邏輯關系——因果關系和條件關系。但是由于if引導的條件從句是附屬于reasoning引出的表示原因的從句中，因而本題原句的主邏輯關系是因果關系。所以，考生應首先考慮選擇包含因果關系的選項B與C。由于單靠邏輯關系還判斷不出正確選項，考生需進一步對比選項主句與原句主句，看兩者的意思是否一致。原句中“He refused to develop projection technology”的謂語動詞是refused;選項B主句的謂語動詞也是refused;選項 C主句的謂語動詞是did not want to，與原句的refused屬于同義詞范疇。也就是說，選項B與C的主句意思與原句的主句意思一致，因而考生還是不能找出答案。這時，考生便需要再進一步對比選項從句與原句從句的意思是否一致。從原句中的“… would purchase only one machine … instead of several”可知，原句主要討論的是數(shù)量問題，對比選項B與選項C，只有選項C中的the number與數(shù)量有關，因而正確答案是選項C。

　　技巧二：對比原句中出現(xiàn)的例子與選項，不包含例子內(nèi)容的選項為正確選項

　　這一策略主要適用于原句中出現(xiàn)例子的情況。出現(xiàn)例子的原句一般包含for example、for instance、such as、like、include、including等標志詞(組)，或包含括號等特殊符號。由于正確選項都是對原句核心意思的概括，因而一般不會涉及到原句所舉的例子。根據(jù)這一點，考生可以用例子的內(nèi)容與選項對比，凡是含有例子內(nèi)容的選項一般都不是正確答案。以下面兩道真題為例。

　　例2：The highlighted sentence: Indeed, stability of the biological clock’s period is one of its major features, even when the organism’s environment is subjected to considerable changes in factors, such as temperature, that would be expected to affect biological activity strongly. (TPO 13: Biological Clocks)

　　Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in the passage? Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.

　　A. Stability, a feature of the biological clock’s period, depends on changeable factors such as temperature.

　　B. A major feature of the biological clock is that its period does not change despite significant changes in the environment.

　　C. A factor such as temperature is an important feature in the establishment of the biological clock's period.

　　D. Biological activity is not strongly affected by changes in temperature.

　　解析：原句中出現(xiàn)了表示列舉的標志詞組such as，后面舉的例子是temperature，那么根據(jù)上文所述，正確選項一般不會含有temperature這個詞?？忌梢岳眠@一點先排除選項A、C、D。也就是說，本題的正確答案很可能是選項B。為了安全起見，考生可以再對比選項B與原句，看兩者的意思是否一致。原句主句的大意是“生物鐘的一個主要特點是穩(wěn)定(stability)，環(huán)境的巨大變化對生物鐘的影響也不大”，而選項B的大意也是如此，因而可以確定本題的正確答案是選項B。

　　例3：The highlighted sentence: In the second case, pollinators (insects, birds) obtain food from the flowering plant, and the plant has its pollen distributed and seeds dispersed much more efficiently than they would be if they were carried by the wind only. (TPO 17: Symbiotic Relationships)

　　Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in the passage? Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.

　　A. The relationship between flowering plants and pollinators provides pollinators with food and flowers with efficient reproduction.

　　B. In some cases birds obtain food from the seeds that are dispersed in the wind.

　　C. The wind not only helps the flowers distribute their seeds but enables birds to find more food.

　　D. Animals and insects are more effective in distributing pollen and seeds than the wind.

　　解析：本題原句中出現(xiàn)了括號，而且括號里面的內(nèi)容是舉例。根據(jù)上文所述，考生可以利用括號里出現(xiàn)的insects、birds與選項比對，如果選項中含有insects或birds，則可以暫時排除，由此考生可以排除選項B、C、D，重點考慮選項A。選項A強調(diào)的是pollinators與flowering plants的關系：flowering plants為pollinators提供food;而pollinators幫助flowering plants有效繁殖。由原句中的obtain food以及pollen distributed和seeds dispersed可知，原句所講的意思也是pollinator與flowering plants的關系，因而原句的意思與選項A的基本意思一致。由此考生可以斷定選項A作為正確答案。

　　技巧一與技巧二的綜合運用

　　考生在考試中難免會遇到更為復雜的題目，有時候需要綜合運用以上兩種技巧才能快速解題。以下面一道托福閱讀真題題為例。

　　例4：The highlighted sentence: Inequalities of gender have also existed in pastoralist societies, but they seem to have been softened by the absence of steep hierarchies of wealth in most communities, and also by the requirement that women acquire most of the skills of men, including, often, their military skills.

　　Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in the passage? Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information. (TPO 14 Pastoralism in Ancient Inner Eurasia)

　　A. Despite the fact that wealth is relatively evenly distributed in pastoral societies, gender inequality still exists because only men can acquire military skills and social status.

　　B. Inequalities of gender existed in pastoralist societies until most communities began to require women to possess the same skills as men and take part in the military.

　　C. Inequalities of gender in pastoralist societies were caused by steep hierarchies of wealth and differences in military training between men and women.

　　D. In pastoral societies, gender inequality is comparatively mild because wealth is relatively evenly distributed and women have to learn most of the same skills that men do.

　　解析：很多考生看到原句中出現(xiàn)的轉(zhuǎn)折邏輯詞but，就會想到用邏輯吻合的技巧來解答。由于英語中的轉(zhuǎn)折關系與讓步關系可以相互轉(zhuǎn)換，因而很多考生看到選項A出現(xiàn)的despite，會誤以為其是正確答案，掉入前面提到的在邏輯轉(zhuǎn)換時題目設置的陷阱中。所以，考生在利用技巧一解題時，遇到邏輯吻合的選項后，一定要對比一下該選項與原句的主句意思是否一致。在本題中，原句主句的重點在but之后，即“they seem to have been softened”，而選項A的主句是“gender inequality still exists”，兩者的意思明顯不一致，因而A不是正確選項。事實上，如果考生快速瀏覽原句，會發(fā)現(xiàn)后面句子出現(xiàn)了舉例的標志詞including，所舉的例子就是military skills。根據(jù)這個例子，考生可以暫且排除A、B、C三個選項。然后再對比選項D與原句的意思是否一致，最后考生可以得出正確答案正是選項D。

　　綜上所述，考生解答句子簡化題時，并非一看到題目就要通讀，而要視情況而定，聰明地做題。一般來說，原句越長越復雜，解題技巧發(fā)揮的作用會更大。熟練掌握文中所述的兩個技巧，考生定能在解題時受到事半功倍之效。