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托福阅读的考察特点是比较明显的，虽然其选文都是科普文或者其他学术性文章，但是却不考察学术概念本身，而将考察重点落脚在常见词汇以及常见表达上。有很多考生对于这一特点并不熟悉，以至于花了大量的时间在专业概念的识记上，有的时候会产生事倍功半的效果。事实上，与其追求尽量记忆专业概念以及其背景知识，不如把精力放在句子语法结构的识别，逻辑关系的识别上，这更有助于我们适应托福阅读的考察，比如以下例子：

句子简化题：

原文：The structure of the backbone shows, however, that Ambulocetus swam like modern whales by moving the rear portion of its body up and down, even though a fluke was missing.

选项：

A Even though Ambulocetus swam by moving its body up and down, it did not have a backbone.

B The backbone of Ambulocetus, which allowed it to swim, provides evidence of its missing fluke.

C Although Ambulocetus had no fluke, its back bone structure shows that it swam like modern whales.

D By moving the rear parts of their bodies up and down, modern whales swim in a different way from the way Ambulocetus swam.

很多同学对于Ambulocetus，fluke这样的词汇不熟悉，在阅读句子时会出现思维断裂，整个句子好像被人为拆成了碎片，无法完整阅读，于是将出现“读不懂”句子的情况。但是当我们仔细分析该句，可以发现，这些词汇应该作为专业概念词出现，理论上不应该是托福阅读考察的重点，那我们将专业概念词加以识别，以单独一个字母加以替换后，于是这个句子就变成了这个形式

The structure of the B shows, however, that A swam like W by moving RP up and down, even though F was missing.

替换后，发现句子简化成了几个字母间的彼此发生的动作以及逻辑联系，剩下的这些动词以及逻辑词是我们常见的词汇。同理，我们将选项的句子加以化简，以选项A为例，便成了：

A Even though A swam by moving its body up and down, it did not have a B.

对这两个句子彼此进行匹配分析，可以发现，在主干上，原文强调的内容是“A swam like W”，而在选项上，强调的内容是 “it did not have a B.”，而“A swam by moving…”是作为让步状语出现的，并非句子强调的内容。因此无论从句子本身内容来说(选项意思为not have B，原文have B)还是从句子强调的内容来说(选项重点为A swam like W，选项not have B)都不符合原文，因此判断该选项是干扰项。由于篇幅因素，在这里就不将剩下的选项都逐一分析了，请同学们运用这一思路自行完成。

从这个分析便可看出，托福阅读虽然会出现专业概念，但在实际出题时，却不会考察专业概念的理解，反而将重点放在了句子的动词以及逻辑描述词，要求考生能够把握专业概念的彼此逻辑联系，并能够在其他的说法中再现这一逻辑关系。而这正是我们平常复习时需要掌握的核心阅读能力。

那么我们应该如何完成阅读能力的训练呢?有三个重点需要注意：

一是注意积累动词、逻辑描述词，以免当选项中对于这些常见词发生了同义替换时出现识别障碍;toefl.etest.net.cn

二是注意分析句子成分间的彼此逻辑关系，特别是主语与宾语之间;或者从句与主句之间的因果、转折或类比关系。

三是注意句子的结构分析，区分常见的修饰成分如介词短语、从句及非谓语动词，并抓住句子的主干。

只要我们掌握住这样的阅读能力，即使在遇上陌生学术领域时，也可以在解题时做到游刃有余，比如以下例子：

细节题：

原文：Lesley Maynard, the archaeologist who coined the phrase “Panaramitee style,” suggested that a sequence could be determined for Australian rock art, in which a geometric style gave way to a simple figurative style (outlines of figures and animals), followed by a range of complex figurative styles that, unlike the pan-Australian geometric tradition tended to much greater regional diversity.

选项：

10. According to paragraph 5, the complex figurative style differs from the geometric style in that the complex figurative style

varies significantly from region to region

is more meaningful

appears on only a few types of rocks

has changed little overtime

题目中再次出现了非常抽象的专业概念“complex figurative style”以及“geometric style”，那我们还是以单独一个字母加以替换后，于是题干就变成了这个形式

the C differs from the G in that the C…

原文也替换成了：

in which G gave way to a S, followed by a range of C that, unlike the G tradition, tended to much greater regional diversity.发现“C unlike G”就是指题干中所示条件“C differs from the G”，其原因实际上是“greater regional diversity”

通过同义替换，发现正确答案为A :varies significantly from region to region

所以，所谓“读懂”句子，实际上是能够完成句子的结构分析，找出句子的主干以及所蕴含的逻辑关系。希望大家都能熟练的驾驭长难句理解方法，不再害怕学术话题。