考研英语阅读是整体试卷分数最重的部分,历年都是兵家必争之地,也是让很多考生很“忧愁”的题型之一。接下来跨考教育英语教研室王茜老师将为考生讲解阅读的一种题型——例证题题,希望对考生的暑期英语复习有所帮助。
一、判断题型
通过对考研英语阅读文章题干的观察分类例证题题干特点如下,当题干中出现example,demonstrate,illustrate,case,story,即可判断该题干为例证题,见历年真题题干如下:
1. Wilt Chamberlain is cited as an example to____.(2008 text3)
2. George Washington's dental surgery in mentioned to____.(2008 text 4)
3. The birthday phenomenon found among soccer players is mentioned to(2007 text 1)
4. The statement “It never rains but it pours” is used to introduce(2007 text 4)
二、方法
通过对历年真题的分析,例证题的考察主要考察的是论点论据的区分,即找出例子论证的论点。例证题可细分为两种类型,例子在文首;例子在文中。例子在文首时,多为了引出文章主题,主题通常紧随例子后面;例子在文中时,多为刚刚陈述一个观点,接着举例论证的情况,所以观点多数情况紧随例子前面。
例子在文首见历年真题题干如下:
1.The extinction of large prehistoric animals is noted to suggest that________.(2006 Text 3)
[A] large animal were vulnerable to the changing environment
[B] small species survived as large animals disappeared
[C] large sea animals may face the same threat today
[D] slow-growing fish outlive fast-growing ones
例子出现在文章首段,用过去式陈述过去发生在大型肉食动物身上的事情,一段末通过now这个时间指示副词和文章开头的arrived之间的对比提出文章主题,Now something similar could be happening in the oceans。正确答案为最后首段末句的同义替换,C。
2. The birthday phenomenon found among soccer players is mentioned to(2007 text 1)
[A] stress the importance of professional training.
[B] spotlight the soccer superstars at the World Cup.
[C] introduce the topic of what makes expert performance.
[D] explain why some soccer teams play better than others.
一段通过一个现象的叙述,引出二段首的观点,此篇文章,主旨句特点比较明显,为二段首的问句,问题的答案即为主旨,what might account for this strange phenomenon?首段中的问句及二段首的问句就是文章的主旨,另见2001text4,2002text3。2005年第二篇及2007年第二篇首段连续出现多个并列问句的情况不是文章主旨。
三、错误选项特点
通过对真题的分析,例证题错误选项的特征多为就事论事,混淆论点论据。见真题如下:
1. The extinction of large prehistoric animals is noted to suggest that________.(2006 Text 3)
[A] large animal were vulnerable to the changing environment(文中一段例子中的细节,不可概括主题)
[B] small species survived as large animals disappeared(文中一段例子中的细节,不可概括主题)
[C] large sea animals may face the same threat today
[D] slow-growing fish outlive fast-growing ones(与文中一段三句相矛盾,属于一段例子中的细节上的反向干扰。)
综合分析其它三个干扰选项特征其实一句话概括,即题干问为什么举例,而干扰选项在说这个例子本身——就事论事,混淆论点论据。
2. The birthday phenomenon found among soccer players is mentioned to(2007 text 1)
[A] stress the importance of professional training.
(球员出生现象不能够直接强调职业训练的重要性,此处通过球员出生的例子在没有论证的情况下,还不能得出结论,即天才是后天造就的,文章的论证是下面的逻辑顺序:球员出生现象的引子——原因的猜测:某些星相学玄学原因?——接着通过埃里克森的实验得出结论:天才是后天造就。该选项跳跃性太强,出现了逻辑断层。)
[B] spotlight the soccer superstars at the World Cup.
(例证为了引出主题:二段首,卓越的原因,而不是讨论球员本身,选项B非作者意图。)
[C] introduce the topic of what makes expert performance.
[D] explain why some soccer teams play better than others.
(文章中说的是球员,不是球队,属于一段例子中的细节上的偷换概念。)
通过对干扰选项的观察,B、D两个干扰项的特点都是就事论事,讨论例子本身,非作者意图,没有分清论点论据。