阅读材料的题材分析

　　根据考试大纲的规定，四级阅读文章应当体现题材广泛的特点，但所涉及的背景知识应能为学生所理解。纵观1997～ 2002年全真阅读试题，在出现的近60篇短文中，涉及人文类题材的(包括文化、历史、教育、文学、风俗习惯、音乐等)共计 30篇，占总数的50%；社科类题材的(如社会学、心理学、经济学等)约占25%，其余为科普类短文。

　　上述统计表明，尽管阅读文章题材广泛，但从学科划分的大类分析，又表现为相对集中的特征，即学生较为熟悉的人文类、社科类题材约占总数的3／4，而涉及一定科学常识、学生较为陌生的科普题材(如自然科学、生命科学)只约占总数的1／4。由此可见，四级阅读篇章基本为常见题材，应在学生的掌握范围之内。但应注意最近几年科普类阅读文章有所增加。

　　就体裁而言，虽然大纲规定了阅读短文体裁应体现多样化，但从历年全真题来看，体裁为议论文和说明文的短文占到将近90%，描写文也有一定的数量。

　　综上所述，四级全真考题题材与体裁分布特征明显。在题材难度不大的情况下，考生可以集中精力探讨一下英语议论文和说明文的文体特征和论证手法，以培养正确的阅读和解题思路。

　　阅读材料的体裁分析

　　一篇好的阅读短文应当自成一体(self-contained)，其中的观点和论据都应与主题或中心思想密切相关，即所谓形式上的衔接性与内容上的连贯性。无论是议论文还是说明文，都有一个贯穿全文的主线：引论-本论-结论。读者如果在阅读过程中始终把握这一主线，并且围绕主线判断细节与事实，那么无论什么样的提问，都可迎刃而解。

　　1.议论文的结构特征及论证方法

　　议论文的目的是"说服"，即作者力图使读者同意并支持其观点，或驳斥某一观点。一篇好的议论文必须具备以下基本的结构特征：(1)有一个有争议的观点；(2)有充足的证据；(3)逻辑性强。掌握以上三个特征，读者在阅读某篇短文时自会有一个明确的判断并采取相应的对策。请看以下实例：

　　【例文1】(CET-4　2001年6月Passage Two)

　　Sport is not only physically challenging,but it can also be mentally challenging.Criticism from coaches,parents,and other teammates,as well as pressure to win can create an excessive amount　of　anxiety or stress for young athletes.Stress can be physical,emotional,or psychological,and　research has indicated that it can lead to burnout.Burnout has been described as dropping or quitting of an activity that was at one time enjoyable.

　　The early years of development are critical years for learning about oneself. The sport setting is one where valuable experiences can take place.Young athletes can,for example,learn how to cooperate with others,make friends,and gain other social skills that will be used throughout their lives.Coaches and parents should be aware,at all times,that their feedback to youngsters can greatly affect their children. Youngsters may take their parents'　and coaches'　criticisms to heart and find a flaw in themselves.

　　Coaches and parents should also be cautious that youth sport participation does not become work for children.The outcome of the game should not be more important than the process of learning the sport and other life lessons.In today's youth sport setting,young athletes may be worrying more about who will win instead of enjoying themselves and the sport.Following　a game,many parents and coaches focus on the outcome and find fault with youngsters' performances.Positive reinforcement　should be provided regardless of the outcome. Research indicates that positive reinforcement motivates and has a greater effect on learning than criticism.Again,criticism can create high levels of stress,which can lead to burnout.

　　这是一篇较为典型的论说文。本文先是论及父母、教练的批评对年轻运动员所产生的压力，而身体、感情、心理等的压力会导致运动员们精疲力竭，从而从反面强调了对孩子们进行正面强化教育的重要意义。本文的论证主线如上文划线部分所示。作者在第一段首先提出了自己要论证的主题(Sport is not only physically challenging，but it can also be mentally challenging.)，接着在第二、三段以正反两方面的典型事例进行论证，并在最后一段与第一段首尾呼应地指出父母和教练的批评会使孩子们高度紧张，而紧张会使他们精疲力竭。从而不言而喻地得出结论：父母和教练应给予孩子们更多的正面强化教育。由此可知，整篇文章采取总-分-总的推理法，其结构清晰、逻辑性强。

　　议论文的论证方式就四级考试而言主要采用两种：演绎法和归纳法。演绎法是指从一般陈述开始，最后得出具体、特殊的结论，是一种从一般到个别的推理方法；归纳法是指从个别实例出发，最后得出一般性结论，是一种从个别到一般的推理方法。从近年全真阅读短文中出现的议论文来看，大部分采用演绎法推理。了解四级阅读短文中议论文的比重及其论证结构有助于考生有意识地加强这方面的辨别和分析能力，使自己在解题过程中注意把握主线，理清作者的论证思路，从而克服忙乱和盲目心理，增强做题的理性和逻辑性。

　　2.说明文的结构特征与说明方法

　　说明文的目的是"告知"，即告诉人们某事并对其加以解释，以便读者了解。它与议论文的根本区别在于客观、真实，重细节描述，轻抽象评论。其语言多采用客观性词语(objective words)，较少使用主观判断词语(subjective words)，如表示个人喜恶的形容词、副词等。因此这类文章对考生来说，相对容易掌握。

　　说明文的结构特征和说明方法与议论文有异曲同工之处，也常采用演绎法和归纳法，只不过与议论文相比，归纳法在说明文中的使用相对要多些。请看另一实例：

　　【例文2】(CET-4　2001年6月Passage Three)

　　Humanity uses a little less than half the water available worldwide.Yet occurrences of　shortages and droughts are causing famine and distress in some areas,and individual and agricultural by-products are polluting water supplies.Since the world's population is expected to double in the next 50 years,many experts think we are on the edge of a widespread water crisis.

　　But that doesn't have to be the outcome.Water shortages do not have to trouble the world-if we start valuing water more than we have in the past.Just as we began to appreciate petroleum more after the 1970s oil crises,today we must start looking at water from a fresh economic perspective.We can no longer afford to consider water a virtually free resource of which we can use as much as we like in any way we want.

　　Instead,for all uses except the domestic demand of the poor,governments should price water to reflect its actual value.This means charging a fee for the water itself as well as for the supply costs.

　　Governments should also protect this resource by providing water in more economically and environmentally sound ways. For example,often the cheapest way to provide irrigation water in the dry tropics is through small-scale projects,such as gathering rainfall in depressions and pumping it to nearby cropland.

　　No matter what steps governments take to provide water more efficiently,they must change their institutional and legal approaches to water use.Rather than spread control among hundreds or even thousands of local,regional,and national agencies that watch various aspects of water use, countries should setup central　authorities to coordinate water policy.

　　本文阐述了人类在利用水资源方面存在的问题及解决办法。作者在第一段首先指出人类所面临的潜在用水危机的问题。在第二段开始，作者运用了转折连词"But"引出了本文的主题：我们必须从现在开始珍惜水资源，否则水资源短缺将会给人类带来麻烦。作者在以后的三个自然段里分别阐述了一些具体的措施来保护人类现有的水资源。

　　在说明方法上，本文采用了分述-总述的归纳法，引导考生从具体事实归纳出一般的结论。

　　一般而言，重描述的说明文考细节问题更多些，所以考生面对这类文章应当较有信心。

　　(文/温州职业技术学院　李绍斌; 英语辅导报大学一年级版03~04学年第13期;版权归英语辅导报社所有，独家网络合作伙伴新浪教育，未经许可，不得以任何形式进行转载。)