本
文
摘
要
托福阅读考试的题型大致可分为三大类，基础理解，推理，以及总结。当然，每一大类又可细分为具体的题型，以此类推，又可细化出10大类。具体分类如下：
基础理解类
1. 事实信息
2. 否定信息
3. 句子简化
4. 指代
5. 词汇
推理类
6. 推理题
7. 目的题
8. 插入题
总结类
9. 文章总结题
10. 表格分类题
不同类型的题目，对于同学们技能的考察也不相同。基础理解类的题目强调同学们的同义替换，总结，扫读及语法的能力。而对于推理类的题目，则更多得考察同学们对文章段落结构的把握以及推论的能力。总结类题型则强调对文章段落的总结和具体知识点的考察。因此，对于不同的题型，在回答的技巧和策略上也需要进行调整。
就三大类而言，题目的难度由低到高，总结类的题目可以说难度最高，基础理解类最低，也是占比较高的题型。所以，如果同学能够提高基础理解类题型准确率，能够很大程度上提高自己的整体阅读成绩。毕竟，这一大类的题型占到考试比重的80%左右。
Type 1 事实信息题
这个类别的题型和否定信息题加在一起可以几乎达到考试整体的百分之四十。也就是说一篇文章12-14道题可以有4题左右的事实信息和否定信息类的题目。这类题目的解答通常并不需要阅读完整篇文章或段落，而仅仅需要某一句话，精准的定位能力是回答此类问题的关键。 此类题目多以true来询问，以下题为例：
P1.Paleontologists have argued for a long time that the demise of the dinosaurs was caused by climatic alterations associated with slow changes in the positions of continents and seas resulting from plate tectonics. Off and on throughout the Cretaceous (the last period of the Mesozoic era, during which dinosaurs flourished), large shallow seas covered extensive areas of the continents. Data from diverse sources, including geochemical evidence preserved in seafloor sediments, indicate that the Late Cretaceous climate was milder than today’s. The days were not too hot, nor the nights too cold. The summers were not too warm, nor the winters too frigid. The shallow seas on the continents probably buffered the temperature of the nearby air, keeping it relatively constant.
Q1.According to paragraph 1, which of the following is true of the Late Cretaceous climate?
A. Summers were very warm and winters were very cold.
B. Shallow seas on the continents caused frequent temperature changes.
C. The climate was very similar to today’s climate.
D. The climate did not change dramatically from season to season
以上是一道典型的托福阅读的细节题型，虽然是给出整段，但是同学们不需要通读整段。同学们可以根据题目的关键字，即the Late Cretaceous climate到文章段落中去定位。同学们可以发现在段落的倒数第四句可以找到这个单词，并且也提到了和当今的气候的一个对比。在倒数第四句附近进行精读，同学们不难发现，其后一句也就是倒数第三句，说到夏天不是很热，冬天也不是很凉。最后一句，说大陆架上的浅海使得温度相对稳定。从这两个关键句上，我们不难得出答案就是选项Ｄ，因为这里提到了季节变化不剧烈这个意思。因此，这道题并不用通读文章段落就可以得出正确的答案。同学们可以看出，此题所考察的主要能力包括定位以及同义替换。这两种能力对于基础题型的解答都比较重要。当然，事实信息题也会询问一些与文章事实相关的内容，例如，According to the paragraph, why did X do Y? 就答题技巧上而言，和询问true类型的题目答题步骤相同。
Type 2 否定信息题
此类题目的一大特征就是，题干中有NOT true 和EXCEPT询问是会要求考生先将包含正确信息的选项排除，所以可以看成事实信息题的对立题型，在答题技巧上也并没特别，与事实信息题相似。以下题为例：
P2. The Ogallala aquifer is a sandstone formation that underlies some 583,000 square kilometers of land extending from northwestern Texas to southern South Dakota. Water from rains and melting snows has been accumulating in the Ogallala for the past 30,000 years. Estimates indicate that the aquifer contains enough water to fill Lake Huron, but unfortunately, under the semiarid climatic conditions that presently exist in the region, rates of addition to the aquifer are minimal, amounting to about half a centimeter a year.
Q2.According to paragraph 2, all of the following statements about the Ogallala aquifer are true EXCEPT:
A. The aquifer stretches from South Dakota to Texas.
B. The aquifer’s water comes from underground springs.
C. Water has been gathering in the aquifer for 30,000 years.
D. The aquifer’s water is stored in a layer of sandstone.
对于这道题，同学们可以选取题目中的Ogallala aquifer直接定位到段落的开头，通过段落的前两句把问题的答案筛选出来。选项A和D都在第一句中，而选项B和C都在第二句中。选项B的与第二句中from rains and melting snows信息相反，而其它选项都正确，所以B是正确的答案。通过这道题，同学可以注意到该段落的后半部分完全不需要去进行阅读。答案都在定位词的附近。此题所考察的主要能力也是定位以及同义替换，比如选项A的同义表达。
Type 3 句子简化
句子简化题型可以说是托福阅读考试中最具代表性的题型之一，可以说在其它海外留学语言考试中都没有类似的题型。此类题型通常都是选取非常复杂的句子，要求考生选取出能够同义替换或者表述相同内容的信息。此类题型主要是考察考生的精读能力。通过找准句子的各个结构，从而确定长句子的准确意思。具体例题如下：
P5.An even more exciting find was reported in 1994, also from Pakistan. The now extinct whale Ambulocetus natans ("the walking whale that swam") lived in the Tethys Sea 49 million years ago. It lived around 3 million years after Pakicetus but 9 million before Basilosaurus. The fossil luckily includes a good portion of the hind legs. The legs were strong and ended in long feet very much like those of a modern pinniped. The legs were certainly functional both on land and at sea. The whale retained a tail and lacked a fluke, the major means of locomotion in modern cetaceans. 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. The large hind legs were used for propulsion in water. On land, where it probably bred and gave birth, Ambulocetus may have moved around very much like a modern sea lion. It was undoubtedly a whale that linked life on land with life at sea
Q3.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. 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 backbone 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.
对于这道题，通过对于语法的分析，可以得出，所划的句子是宾语从句，强调的主要意思就是shows后面的从句，however的位置应当提前，所以这个只要搞清楚宾语从句的主要内容，也就能够把握住该句的主要核心信息，即尽管fluke不存在,但是Ambulocetus通过上下摆动其后半部分，游起来类似现代鲸鱼。因此，可以判断出选项C的核心信息与所划句子的信息吻合。 为了答好这类题目，同学应该具备能够分析句子结构的能力，掌握常见的逻辑关系，把握句子的核心信息，相比较前两种题型，此类题型也是进行同义替换，但更加强调整个句子的同义替换。
Type 4 指代
应该算是最没有难度的题型，没有之一。基本上，大部分的同学通过对于单词的位置都能够推出该词所指的对象。主要技巧在于，如果代词在句首，那么就在前一句中看其主句的主语，而如果代词在句中，需要找到本句中的主语。尽管该种题型的比例较少，甚至可以说并非必考题型，但依然可以当作一种单独的题型。具体例题如下：
P3.The fossil consists of a complete skull of an archaeocyte, an extinct group of ancestors of modern cetaceans. Although limited to a skull, the Pakicetus fossil provides precious details on the origins of cetaceans. The skull is cetacean-like but its jawbones lack the enlarged space that is filled with fat or oil and used for receiving underwater sound in modern whales. Pakicetus probably detected sound through the ear opening as in land mammals. The skull also lacks a blowhole, another cetacean adaptation for diving. Other features, however, show experts that Pakicetus is a transitional form between a group of extinct flesh-eating mammals, the mesonychids, and cetaceans. It has been suggested that Pakicetus fed on fish in shallow water and was not yet adapted for life in the open ocean. It probably bred and gave birth on land.
Q4.The word “It” in the passage refers to
A. Pakicetus
B. fish
C. life
D. ocean
对于该类型的题目，只要通过后面的具体内容bred and gave birth on land就不难得出，它所指代得是种生物，再往前，可以看到Pakicetus是种生物，而通过fed on fish可以得出这种生物依靠fish为生，因此答案只可能是A。事实上，对于这种题型，同学们也可以使用排除法把选项往其中进行代入，就可以比较容易得出答案。
Type 5 词汇
相比较刚才的指代题，词汇题的难度可以说既简单又困难，而且其考察数量基本每篇文章都能达到两篇，数量庞大。如果同学能够认识该单词那么很快就能够选出正确答案，但是如果不能认识单词，再去文章中看语义背景环境，再去猜该单词的意思，那么就会耗时又耗力。因此，对于单词的积累，也是同学们在准备托福阅读考试的必修课之一。以下是一道例题：
P6. Ecologists are especially interested to know what factors contribute to the resilience of communities because climax communities all over the world are being severely damaged or destroyed by human activities. The destruction caused by the volcanic explosion of Mount St. Helens, in the northwestern United States, for example, pales in comparison to the destruction caused by humans. We need to know what aspects of a community are most important to the community’s resistance to destruction, as well as its recovery.
Q5. The word “pales” in the passage is closest in meaning to
A. increases proportionally
B. differs
C. loses significance
D. is common
pale这个单词对于很多认识这个单词的同学来说是个形容词，指的是苍白的，但是这里加上s变成pales,因此，在这里使用其动词的意思，变得苍白，如果同学已经知道这个意思就不会有太大的难度选择出正确答案C。但是，如果同学们并不清楚该单词的意思，那么就只能从文章的语义中来判断，比如，该句中有destruction这个负面项的词汇，因此，在推测其语义的时候，可以更多的考虑消极方面的同义替换，因此在四个选项中，A 表成比例地增加 B表不同于 D表相同，只有C 表失去重要性，因此，从文章倾向性上推测也只能够选择C。虽然，这样推测的方法也会选出正确的选项，但是，比较耗时，因此，还是强烈建议同学们掌握大量单词，这样再回答该类型问题时，才能高效地回答。
Type 6 推理题
相对于前面几种题型，该题型在对于文章理解上的要求偏高，要求考生对于文章语句有一定程度上理解。换句话说也就是选出使用不同词汇和语法结构但是却表述相同意思的选项。该类型题目的标志性单词是infer和imply。具体出题问法通常都是”Which of the following can be inferred about X?” ”The author of the passage implies that X … 具体例题如下：
P5.Two other developments presaged the end of the era of turnpikes and started a transportation revolution that resulted in increased regional specialization and the growth of a national market economy. First came the steamboat; although flatboats and keelboats continued to be important until the 1850’s steamboats eventually superseded all other craft in the carrying of passengers and freight. Steamboats were not only faster but also transported upriver freight for about one tenth of what it had previously cost on hand-propelled keelboats. Next came the Erie C *** , an enormous project in its day, spanning about 350 miles. After the c *** went into operation, the cost per mile of transporting a ton of freight from Buffalo to New York City declined from nearly 20 cents to less than 1 cent. Eventually, the western states diverted much of their produce from the rivers to the Erie C *** , a shorter route to eastern markets.
Which of the following can be inferred from paragraph 5 about flatboats and keelboats?
A. They ceased to be used as soon as the first turnpikes were built.
B. They were slower and more expensive to operate than steamboats.
C. They were used for long-distance but not for regional transportation.
D. They were used primarily on the Erie C *** .
对于这样类型的题目很明显，同学们首先会去读文章，然后看题，之后可能再去看文章段落，因此，这样很有可能费时费力，对于这道题，同学们可以通过题干里的flatboats and keelboats作为定位词，同学们可以直接从第二个句子although开始看起。正确的答案就是从although flatboats and keelboats continued to be important until the 1850’s steamboats eventually superseded all other craft in the carrying of passengers and freight. Steamboats were not only faster but also transported upriver freight for about one tenth of what it had previously cost on hand-propelled keelboats.这两句话判断出，只要同学能够正确理解这两句话的意思，那么正确答案也就能够出来。那么下面我们把这两句话翻译一下：尽管flatboats 和keelboats 持续扮演着重要的角色，直到19世纪50年代，steamboats最终替代其他船只运送旅客和货物。Steamboats不仅在河上游开得更快，并且其成本也只需要以前人力驱动keelboats的十分之一。
Type 7 目的题
和推理题类似，同学们也要对文章的内容有一定的理解，这类题目大多考察对于段落的理解，比如前后的关系，或者作者的意图。和推理题有很大的类似性。这类题目的典型文法就是why 和purpose。具体题目如下：
P3. The first wells were drilled into the Ogallala during the drought years of the early 1930s. The ensuing rapid expansion of irrigation agriculture, especially from the 1950s onward, transformed the economy of the region. More than 100,000 wells now tap the Ogallala. Modern irrigation devices, each capable of spraying 4.5 million liters of water a day, have produced a landscape dominated by geometric patterns of circular green islands of crops. Ogallala water has enabled the High Plains region to supply significant amounts of the cotton, sorghum, wheat, and corn grown in the United States. In addition, 40 percent of American grain-fed beef cattle are fattened here.
In paragraph 3, why does the author provide the information that 40 percent of American cattle are fattened in the High Plains?
A To suggest that crop cultivation is not the most important part of the economy of the High Plains
B To indicate that not all economic activity in the High Plains is dependent on irrigation
C To provide another example of how water from the Ogallala has transformed the economy of the High Plains
D To contrast cattle-fattening practices in the High Plains with those used in other region of the United States
这道题和推理题比较类似，同学们可以很清楚地看到题目问及40 percent of American cattle are fattened in the High Plains这句话就位于该段落的最后一句，因此，既然题目问为什么，那么就往前看，in addition是并列关系的表达，因此40 percent of American cattle are fattened in the High Plains和前面的句子Ogallala water has enabled the High Plains region to supply significant amounts of the cotton, sorghum, wheat, and corn grown in the United States呈现并列关系，而这个句子的意思主要是Ogallala的水养活在High plains地区的大量棉花，高粱，小麦和玉米。因此根据这个意思，四个选项中，唯一相关的就只有选项C。选项D的错误在于文章没有对比，选项B的错误在于文章没有设计灌溉。虽然文章有提到现代灌溉工具，但和考察内容并不有直接关系。选项A则是毫无根据。只有选项C可以another example 可以将In addition 前面的句子看成一个example,而40% 则是另一个example 因此，完全正确。
通过这道题，同学们应该能够比较清楚地了解，虽然能够很好的定位，但是句子和句子的逻辑关系以及句子本身所表述的意思都是选出正确选项重要的内容。
Type 8 插入题
如果说目的题有考察到同学们对段落句子的逻辑考察，那么插入题对逻辑关系的考察则更加的密切。题目的典型考察方法就是给出一个句子，问同学插入在四个点当中，哪个比较合适。此类题型，相较而言，并不算十分困难，从给出的句子中理解基本意思，然后在文章中，寻找什么地方可以插入该意思。具体题型如下:
Q8.Look at the four squares [█] that indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage.
However, these animals have additional means of staying warm.
Where would the sentence best fit?
P3.Leatherbacks keep their body heat in three different ways. The first, and simplest, is size. The bigger the animal is, the lower its surface-to-volume ratio; for every ounce of body mass, there is proportionately less surface through which heat can escape. An *** leatherback is twice the size of the biggest cheloniid sea turtles and will therefore take longer to cool off. Maintaining a high body temperature through sheer bulk is called gigantothermy. It works for elephants, for whales, and, perhaps, it worked for many of the larger dinosaurs. █It apparently works, in a *** aller way, for some other sea turtles. █Large loggerhead and green turtles can maintain their body temperature at a degree or two above that of the surrounding water, and gigantothermy is probably the way they do it. █Muscular activity helps, too, and an actively swimming green turtle may be 7°C (12.6°F) warmer than the waters it swims through.
对于这道题，同学们可以很清楚在首句看到这个段落都是在讲保温的方法。那么再看句子的内容是有额外的保温的方法additional means of staying warm.，那么这个句子最佳的插入点应该是文中已经有提到过保温的内容之后，按照这样的语义，我们可以看到在首句之后，the first后面开始解释和说明第一种保温的方法，而无论是第一个点和第三点都是在解释说明第一种保温方法，也就是所谓的gigantothermy的方法，而最后一个点的内容则是说到另一种保温方法，因此，合适的插入点就是最后一个。所以，通过句中简单的逻辑并列关系和句义内容，同学们就能够很快找到准确的答案。抓住逻辑关系和语义内容，也就能很好的选择正确的内容。
Type 9 文章总结题
最后两种题型，文章总结题和完成表格都是总结类型的题目，他们都是位于考试中的最后一道题，并且不会同时出现。相比较于前面的其他八种题型，这两种类型的题目的分值也较高。当然，这两种题目的错误率普通来说也较高，通常的原因是位于最后，同学们基本上没有更多得时间，所以多数同学在做最后一题的时候可能保佑侥幸心理，随便选答案。但两种题型在出题方式上还是有着巨大的差异。文章总结题具体例题如下：
Q9.Direction：
An introductory sentence or a brief summary of the passage is provided below. Complete the summary by selecting the three answer choices that express the most important ideas in the passage. Some sentences do not belong in the summary because they express ideas that are not presented in the passage or are minor ideas in the passage. This question is worth 2 points.
The process of succession and the stability of a climax community can change over time.
Answer choices：
A. The changes that occur in an ecosystem from the pioneer to the climax community can be seen in one human generation.
B. A high degree of species diversity does not always result in a stable ecosystem.
C. The level of resilience in a plant community contributes to its long-term stability.
D. Ecologists agree that climax communities are the most stable types of ecosystems.
E. Disagreements over the meaning of the term “stability” make it difficult to identify the most stable ecosystems.
F. The resilience of climax communities makes them resistant to destruction caused by humans.
通过阅读整篇文章，同学们可以发现选项A原文章第一段的最后一句意思相反，因此不选。选项B对应原文第三段和第五段以及第四段的大意，正确，选。选项C对应原文第六段，第四段的大意，正确，选。选项D与原文第三段第四段首句意思相反，不选。选项E，对应原文第四段大意，正确，因此，选。选项F，原文并没有提及，不选。因此正确的选项为BCE。
同学们可以发现这样的题目放在最后正好是为了方便同学们把文章整体了解以后进行答题，事实上，尽管此类题型偏重整体文章，但同学们对于具体选项的回答也无法摆脱段落中的细节，因此加强对于细节的把握亦是答好此种题型的关键。
Type 10表格分类题
和前面的题型一样，偏重于考察全篇。但是对于文章的具体内容有所细化。
Q10.Directions: Select from the seven sentences below, the two sentences that correctly characterize endogenous rivers and the three sentences that correctly characterize exogenous rivers. Drag each sentences you select into the appropriate column of the table. Two of the sentences will NOT be used. This question is worth 3 points.
Endogenous Rivers
Exogenous Rivers
Answer Choices
A. Their water generally comes from groundwater springs.
B. Their water is saltier than the water of most other rivers.
C. They include some of the worlds largest rivers.
D. They originate outside the desert.
E. They often drain into inland basins and do not reach the sea.
F. They contain too much silt to be useful for irrigation
G. Their water flow generally varies with the season of the year.
Water in the Desert
P1.Rainfall is not completely absent in desert areas, but it is highly variable. An annual rainfall of four inches is often used to define the limits of a desert. The impact of rainfall upon the surface water and groundwater resources of the desert is greatly influenced by landforms. Flats and depressions where water can collect are common features, but they make up only a *** all part of the landscape.
在文章中，同学们可以发现第二段第二句说到exogenous，第四段说到endogenous。那么第二段第一句说到最大的河流，对应选项C 的they include选项；而这段的第二句说这些河流源自干旱区之外，对应选项D的they originate的内容；第三段的开头对应选项G 里their water flow的内容；因此，CDG这三个是exogenous的答案；第四段的第二句和第四句分别对应选项A 里their water generally的 内容和选项E里they often的内容，AE这两个是endogenous的答案。
