托福閱讀遇到一些長句子是在所難免的，那么有什么好的方法可以幫助我們去理解這種句子呢？下面小編給大家?guī)韺嵗v解如何快速理解托福閱讀長句子。

實例講解如何快速理解托福閱讀長句子

我們大家都知道托福閱讀的時間是在60-80分鐘之內完成3-4篇長度分別在700字左右的文章，我們平均算下來每篇文章我們在平時練習的時候一定要保證在20分鐘之內完成，所以在做托福閱讀時除了做題正確外，做題速度也是關鍵。那做題速度的快慢很大程度上就取決于我們讀句子的快慢上了。那如何能夠在盡可能短的時間內讀更多的句子呢?很多同學認為是詞匯量的問題，認為只要詞匯量上去了，自然句子讀的就快，但實際上在閱讀的過程中我們會發(fā)現(xiàn)很多同學在讀句子的時候，句子中的每個單詞都認識，但是這些認識的單詞在組成句子后反倒是不知道整句話的意思了。該如何解決這個問題呢?那今天我就給大家說一種比較簡單的方法，通過一些小詞來幫助大家在盡可能短的時間里讀懂句子。

這種方法我給它起了個名字叫做解釋說明法?？催^《托福閱讀專項進階初級》這本書的同學都會有印象，在這本教材的第一單元詞匯題部分，書中教給了我們一種如何認識陌生單詞的方法—定義法，在書中還給我們舉了一些標志詞，比如means, is called, is defines as，which is等，當我們看到這些標志詞的時候就可以推出我們不認識的生詞了，比如書中給我們舉的例子：

Some wild animals hibernate, which is to sleep through winter. They enter their dens in late fall and do not come out until spring. Before hibernating, animals eat to gain fat. This fat sustains them through winter. When they come out in spring, the animals are very thin. They are also very hungry. Hibernation enables many wild animals to survive during the cold winter when there is no food to eat.

The word hibernate in the passage is closest in meaning to

A store

B sleep

C migrate

D awake

在這個題中我們通過畫線的句子which is to sleep through winter來推出前面所問的那個生詞hibernate的意思，既答案是B選項sleep.

這是書中詞匯題部分對于不認識單詞的一種解題方法，那么現(xiàn)在我們反過來想一下，如果我們不是在解詞匯題，而是僅僅在讀這樣的句子的話我們應該怎么做呢?我們可以看到在剛才的例題中劃線的句子就是對前面的那個詞的一個解釋，那既然劃線的句子僅僅是為了說明前面的詞，那我們在閱讀句子的時候就可以省略掉不讀，而在咱們的英語中有類句子就有這種解釋說明的作用，那就是非限制性定語從句。我們可以簡單的把這種句型寫成：A, which/who/where/whose...,... 這個樣子，在這個句型中A代表一個詞，在這個詞的后面是逗號加一個從句的格式，這個時候我們只要省略不看這個從句就可以了，因為這個從句僅是對前面這個詞的解釋說明，讓我們來看托福閱讀TPO中的兩個句子：

1. The deserts, which already occupy approximately a fourth of the Earth’s land surface, have in recent decades been increasing at an alarming pace. (TPO2 Desert Formation)

2.The Ediacara fossil formation, which contains the oldest known animal fossils, consists exclusively of soft-bodied forms. (TPO5 The Cambrian Explosion)

我們可以看到在第一個句子里面在desert的后面就出現(xiàn)了逗號加從句，所以我們可以直接省略掉這個從句部分，原句就變成了：The deserts have in recent decades been increasing at an alarming pace. 第二句話同理我們可以簡化成：The Ediacara fossil formation consists exclusively of soft-bodied forms. 這樣大家會看到原本比較長的兩句話經(jīng)過我們的簡化就變得比較短了，閱讀起來也就快了一些，既幫助我們節(jié)省了時間。

那除了這種句式之外呢，我們也看到在詞匯題的這種方法中還列出了其他的標志詞，比如：is called, is defines as....，放在句子中我們可以這樣來表示：A is called B, A is defined as B. 在這種句式中我們根據(jù)A和B這兩部分哪部分簡單我們讀哪部分的原理來進行快速閱讀句子。我們還是通過兩個句子來看一下：

1. The expansion of desert-like conditions into areas where they did not previously exist is called desertification. (TPO2 Desert Formation)

2. Alternatively, stability can be defined as the speed with which an ecosystem returns to a particular form following a major disturbance, such as a fire. (TPO3 The long-term stability of ecosystems)

我們分別來看一下在這兩句中A和B分別代表句子中的哪一部分。在第一句中我們可以看到表示解釋的詞：is called, 所以A就是is called前面的那部分內容，既The expansion of desert-like conditions into areas where they did not previously exist ，而B就是desertification這個詞，在這句話中我們可以看到A和B中B要簡單的多僅有一個詞，而這個詞desertification的意思就是沙漠化，所以我們很容易知道這個句子就是告訴我們什么叫做沙漠化而已。我們再來看第二句話，在第二句中那個表示解釋的詞是be defined as,所以在這句中A就是stability,而B則是the speed with which an ecosystem returns to a particular form following a major disturbance, such as a fire。在這個句中，相比較B來說，A所代表的內容比較短僅有一個詞stability，而這個詞的意思就是穩(wěn)定性，所以我們可以知道這句話就是告訴我們什么叫做穩(wěn)定性。從這兩個句子中我們會發(fā)現(xiàn)讀一個詞的時間一定會比讀一個長句子的時間短，所以仍舊是幫助我們大大的節(jié)省了理解句子的時間。

托福閱讀背景知識：全球變暖的影響

Rice yields falling under global warming

全球氣候變暖也與亞洲的一些主要大米出產(chǎn)國的耕地面積減少有關。

Global warming is cutting rice yields in many parts of Asia, according to research, with more declines to come.

Yields have fallen by 10-20% over the last 25 years in some locations.

The group of mainly US-based scientists studied records from 227 farms in six important rice-producing countries such as Thailand, Vietnam, India and China.

This is the latest in a line of studies to suggest that climate change will make it harder to feed the world's growing population by cutting yields.

In 2004, other researchers found that rice yields in the Philippines were dropping by 10% for every 1C increase in night-time temperature.

That finding, like others, came from experiments on a research station.

The latest data, by contrast, comes from working, fully-irrigated farms that grow "green revolution" crops, and span the rice-growing lands of Asia from the Indian state of Tamil Nadu to the outskirts of Shanghai.

Describing the findings, which are published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), lead researcher Jarrod Welch said:

"We found that as the daily minimum temperature increases, or as nights get hotter, rice yields drop."

The mechanism involved is not clear but may involve rice plants having to respire more during warm nights, so expending more energy, without being able to photosynthesise.

By contrast, higher temperatures during the day were related to higher yields; but the effect was less than the yield-reducing impact of warmer nights.

However, if temperatures continue to rise as computer models of climate project, Mr Welch says hotter days will eventually begin to bring yields down.

We see a benefit of [higher] daytime temperatures principally because we haven't seen a scenario where daytime temperatures cross over a threshold where they'd stop benefiting yields and start reducing them," he told BBC News.

"There have been some recent studies on US crops, in particular corn, that showed the drop-off after that threshold is substantial," said the University of California at San Diego researcher.

The 2007 assessment of climate impacts from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) concluded that although a modest temperature rise could increase crop yields in some regions, for "temperature increases more than 3C, average impacts are stressful to all crops assessed and to all regions".

A study published at the begining of last year concluded that half of the world's population could face a climate-induced food crisis by 2100, with the most extreme summers of the last century becoming routine towards the end of this century.

托福閱讀背景知識：無處不在的手機

Cellphone feels like a part of your body? A global survey has found that most people can't live without their mobiles， never leave home without them and， if given a choice， would rather lose their wallet.

是不是覺得手機已成為身體的一部分?一項全球調查顯示，大多數(shù)人覺得離開手機無法生活，從來不會不帶手機出門，如果非要有所取舍，則寧愿舍棄錢包。

Calling mobile phones the "remote control" for life， market research firm Synovate's poll said cell phones are so ubiquitous that by last year more humans owned one than did not.

這項由思緯市場調查公司開展的民調稱，手機已成為人們生活中的“遙控器”，它們無處不在。截至去年，手機用戶的數(shù)量已超過沒有手機的人數(shù)。

Three-quarters of the more than 8，000 respondents polled online in 11 countries said they take their phone with them everywhere， with Russians and Singaporeans the most attached.

該公司共對來自11個國家的八千多位受訪者開展了一項在線調查。調查結果顯示，四分之三的受訪者稱自己無論去哪都會隨身帶手機。俄羅斯人和新加坡人對手機最為依賴。

More than a third also said they couldn't live without their phone， topped by Taiwanese and again Singaporeans， while one in four would find it harder to replace the mobile than their purse.

超過三分之一的受訪者稱他們生活離不開手機，其中最多的人來自臺灣和新加坡，而四分之一的人覺得隨身攜帶手機比攜帶錢包更為重要。

Some two-thirds of respondents go to bed with their phones nearby and can't switch them off， even though they want to， because they're afraid they'll miss something.

約三分之二的受訪者睡前會把手機放在身邊，而且他們即使想關機，也不會關掉，因為害怕錯過電話。

"Mobiles give us safety， security and instant access to information. They are the number one tool of communication for us， sometimes even surpassing face-to-face communication. They are our connections to our lives，" Jenny Chang， Synovate's managing director in Taiwan， said in a statement.

思緯公司駐臺灣常務董事Jenny Chang在一份聲明中稱：“手機給了我們安全感，讓我們更安心，而且能隨時接收信息。手機是我們第一大通訊工具，有時甚至超過了面對面的交談。手機是聯(lián)系我們生活的紐帶?！?/p>

Mobiles have also changed the nature of relationships， with the survey finding nearly half of all respondents use text messages to flirt， a fifth set up first-dates via text and almost the same number use the same method to end a love affair.

手機還改變了人們談情說愛的方式。調查發(fā)現(xiàn)，近一半的受訪者利用短信調情，五分之一的受訪者通過短信安排初次約會，另有相同比例的人用同樣的方法結束一段戀情。

Apart from the obvious calling and texting， the top three features people use regularly on their mobile phones globally are the alarm clock， the camera and the games.

除通話和發(fā)短信這兩個主要的功能外，從全球來看，人們最常使用的其它三項手機功能是鬧鐘、拍照和游戲。

As for email and Internet access， 17 percent of respondents said they checked their inboxes or surfed the Web off their phones， lead by those in the United States and Britain.

而至于發(fā)郵件和上網(wǎng)這兩項功能，17%的受訪者稱他們利用手機查收郵件或瀏覽網(wǎng)頁，這其中以美國人和英國人居多。

One in 10 respondents log onto social networking websites such as Facebook and MySpace regularly via mobile， again led by Britain and the United States.

十分之一的受訪者經(jīng)常通過手機登錄Facebook和Myspace等社交網(wǎng)站，英美人在這一項所占的比例也是最高。

"As the mobile becomes more and more an all-in-one device， many other businesses are facing challenging times. The opportunities for mobile manufacturers and networks however are enormous，" said Synovate's global head of media， Steve Garton.

思緯公司全球媒體總裁史蒂夫?加頓說：“隨著手機逐漸成為一種集多種功能為一體的通訊工具，很多其它行業(yè)正面臨著挑戰(zhàn)。然而這對手機制造商和網(wǎng)絡來說卻蘊含著巨大的機遇?！?/p>

Not everyone is tech savvy， however： 37 percent of respondents said they don't know how to use all the functions on their phone.

但并非所有人都是科技通。37%的受訪者稱，他們不知道如何使用手機上的所有功能。

Vocabulary：

ubiquitous： existing or being everywhere， esp. at the same time; omnipresent(無所不在的)

all-in-one：一體化，多功能

savvy：practical understanding; shrewdness or intelligence; common sense(在某一方面很在行)

現(xiàn)代生活中，手機幾乎是人人都有，隨身攜帶，一部分人甚至患上了嚴重的手機依賴癥。關于手機使用調查的文章也成為一些時尚的焦點，大家可以多閱讀一些類似的文章，大量的托福閱讀背景知識積累對于托福閱讀非常有幫助，不管是英文原版還是中文翻譯版，同學們都可以大量去閱讀，熟悉內容即可。

托福閱讀背景材料：性格決定魅力

If you exhibit positive traits such as honesty and helpfulness， the chances are that you will be perceived as a good looking person， for a new study has found that the perception of physical attractiveness is influenced by a person's personality.

The study， led by Gary W. Lewandowski， Jr， found that people who exhibit negative traits， such as unfairness and rudeness， appear to be less physically attractive to observers.

In the study， the participants viewed photographs of opposite-sex individuals and rated them for attractiveness before and after being provided with information on personality traits.

After personality information was received， participants also rated the desirability of each individual as a friend and as a dating partner.

Information on personality was found to significantly alter perceived desirability， showing that cognitive processes modify judgments of attractiveness.

"Perceiving a person as having a desirable personality makes the person more suitable in general as a close relationship partner of any kind，" said Lewandowski.

The findings show that a positive personality leads to greater desirability as a friend， which leads to greater desirability as a romantic partner and， ultimately， to being viewed as more physically attractive.

The findings remained consistent regardless of how "attractive" the individual was initially perceived to be， or of the participants' current relationship status or commitment level with a partner.

What would you think of this lady's physical attractiveness if she exhibited bad personal traits?

"This research provides a more positive alternative by reminding people that personality goes a long way toward determining your attractiveness; it can even change people's impressions of how good looking you are，" said Lewandowski.

如果你表現(xiàn)出誠實和樂于助人等美好品質，那么別人會覺得你的外表也很迷人。一項最新研究發(fā)現(xiàn)，一個人的性格會影響別人對他或她的外表吸引力的看法。

該項由蓋里?W?勒萬多維斯基負責的研究發(fā)現(xiàn)，人們認為，表現(xiàn)出不誠實和粗魯?shù)葠毫悠焚|的人外表也不夠吸引人。

研究對象首先觀看了一組異性的照片，隨后分別在得知照片中人物的性格特點之前和之后給他們的外表評分。

研究對象在得知照片中人物的性格特點后，還對與其中每個人交朋友或做戀人的期望值進行了評分。

研究人員發(fā)現(xiàn)，有關人物性格特點的信息大大改變了之前的喜好度評分，研究對象的認知過程改變了他們對照片中人物外表的評價。

勒萬多維斯基說：“總的來說，如果人們認為一個人的性格較好，那么他們會覺得無論與這個人做朋友還是做戀人都更合適?！?/p>

研究結果表明，人們更期望與性格較好的人交朋友、成為戀人，從而會認為他們的外表更迷人。

無論照片中人物給人的“第一印象”怎樣、或者研究對象目前的情感關系狀況以及與伴侶的親密程度如何，研究結果都是一致的。

勒萬多維斯基說：“該研究提出了一個更為積極的觀點，它提醒人們，性格在很大程度上能決定你的吸引力;性格甚至能夠改變人們對于你外表的印象。”

大量的托福閱讀背景知識積累對于托福閱讀非常有幫助，不管是英文原版還是中文翻譯版，同學們都可以大量去閱讀，熟悉內容即可。

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