主要考查對(duì)文章進(jìn)行概括或總結(jié)的能力，要求在閱讀短文時(shí)，能夠提煉文章的中心思想，體會(huì)作者的主要寫作意圖，充分運(yùn)用邏輯概括能力，透過字里行間獲取文章最具代表性的觀點(diǎn)、論點(diǎn)及作者的情感傾向。

　　(一)出題形式：主旨大意題命題形式主要有三大類：一類是概括中心思想(main idea)型;一類是確定文章標(biāo)題或主題(topic/title/headline)型;還有一類是詢問文章的寫作目的(purpose)。

　　1) What would be the best title for the text?

　　2) What is the topic of the text?

　　3) Which of the following best expresses the main idea?

　　4) The best title/headline for this passage might be ______.

　　5) The authors main purpose in writing the passage is ______.

　　6) Which of the following statements is best supported by the text?

　　7) Which of the following best summarizes the passage?

　　8) The main idea/The general idea/The main theme of this passage is ______.

　　9) The title that best expresses the main idea of the passage is ______.

　　(二)答案位置：大部分文章都有主題句(topic sentence)，主題句表達(dá)了文章的中心思想(main idea)，找到了主題句，也就抓住了文章的主旨大意。因此，主題句定位法是解答主旨大意題的一種行之有效的方法。主題句呈現(xiàn)形式通常有以下幾種：

　　1)在開頭出現(xiàn);

　　2)在結(jié)尾出現(xiàn);

　　3)在開頭和結(jié)尾同時(shí)出現(xiàn)，首尾呼應(yīng);

　　4)有些文章的中心思想貫穿全文，并沒有用一句話明確表達(dá)出來，這就要求學(xué)生學(xué)會(huì)歸納概括。(三)實(shí)戰(zhàn)演練

　　1. The easy way out isnt always easiest. I learned that lesson when I decided to treat Doug, my husband of one month, to a special meal. I glanced through my cookbook and chose a menu which included homemade bread. Knowing the bread would take tine, I started on it as soon as Doug left for work. As I was not experienced in cooking, I thought if a dozen was good, two dozen would be better, so I doubled everything. As Doug loved oranges, I also opened a can of orange and poured it all into the bowl. Soon there was a sticky dough covered with ugly yellowish marks. Realizing I had been defeated, I put the dough in the rubbish bin outside so I wouldnt have to face Doug laughing at my work. I went on preparing the rest if the meal, and, when Doug got home, we sat down to Cornish chicken with rice. He tried to enjoy the meal but seemed disturbed. Twice he got up and went out side, saying he thought he heard a noise. The third time he left, I went to the window to see what he was doing. Looking out, I saw Doug standing about three feet from the rubbish bin, holding the lid up with a stick and looking into the container. When I came out of the house, he dropped the stick and explained that there was something alive in our rubbish bin . Picking up the stick again, he held the lid up enough for me to see. I felt cold. But I stepped close and looked harder. Without doubt it was my work. The hot sun had caused the sough to dough to double in size and the fermenting yeast made the surface shake and sigh as thought it were breathing . It looked like some unknown being from outer space. I could see why Doug was shaken. I had to admit what the living thing was and why it was there. I dont know who was more embarrassed by the whole thing Doug or me.

　　The writers purpose in writing this story is ___________

　　a.to tell an interesting experience.

　　b.To show the easiest way out of a difficulty.

　　c.To describe the trouble facing a newly married woman

　　d.To explain the difficulty of learning to cook from books

　　2 Decision thinking is not unlike poker--- it often matters not only what you think, but also what others think you think and what you think they think you think. The mental process is similar. Naturally, this card game has often been of considerable interest to people who are, by any standards, good thinkers.

　　The great mathematician John von Neumann was one of the founders of game theory. In particular, he showed that all games of perfect information, games like chess where the players cant hide anything or play tricks; they dont win by chance, but by means of logic and skills. Then there are games of imperfect information, like poker, in which it is impossible to know in advance that one course of action is better than another.

　　One mistaken idea about business is that it can be treated as a game of perfect information. Quit the reverse. Business, politics, life itself are games which we must normally play with very imperfect information. Business decisions are often made with many unknown and unknowable factors which would even puzzle best poker players. But few business people find it comfortable to admit that they are taking a chance, and many still prefer to believe that they are playing chess, not poker.

　　The subject discussed in this text is _____

　　a. the process of reaching decision

　　b. the difference between poker and chess

　　c. the secret of making good business plans

　　d. the value of information in winning games

　　3 Most people feel lonely sometimes, but it usually only lasts between a few minutes and a few hours. This kind of loneliness is not serious, In fact, it is quite normal. For some people, though, loneliness can last for years. Now researchers say there are three different types of loneliness.

　　The first kind of loneliness is temporary. This is the most common type. It usually disappears quickly and does not require any special attention. The second kind, situational loneliness, is a natural result of a particular situationfor example a family problem, the death of a loves one, or moving to a new place. Although this kind of loneliness can cause physical problems, such as headaches and sleeplessness, it usually does not last for more than a year.

　　The third kind of loneliness is the most severe. Unlike the second type, chronic loneliness usually lasts more than two years and has no specific cause. People who experience habitual loneliness have problems socializing and becoming close to others. Unfortunately, many chronically lonely people think there is little or nothing they can do to improve their condition.

　　Psychologists agree that one important factor in loneliness is a persons social contacts, e.g. friends, family members, co-workers, etc. We depend on various people for different reasons. For instance, our families give us emotional support; our parents share similar interests and activities. However, psychologists have found that, though lonely people may have many social contacts, they sometimes feel they should have more. They question their own popularity.

　　Psychologists are trying to find ways to help habitually lonely people for two reasons: they are unhappy and unable to socialize and there is a connection between chronic loneliness and serious illness such as heart disease. While temporary and situational loneliness can be a normal, healthy part of life, chronic loneliness can be a very sad, and sometimes dangerous condition.

　　The topic of the 4th paragraph is that _________.

　　a. one problem of loneliness is a persons social contacts

　　b. we depend on various people for different reasons

　　c. lonely people dont have many social problems

　　d. lonely people dont have many friends

　　What is the best title for the passage?

　　a. Three Kinds of Loneliness.

　　b. Loneliness and Diseases

　　c. Loneliness and Social Contacts

　　d. Chronic Loneliness.

　　4.Excused from recycling because you live in a high rise with a rubbish chute ? You wont be for long. Miamis Mark Shantzis has made it simple for those living in tall buildings to use the chute and cycle, too.

　　In Shantzis Hi-Rise Recycling system, a chute leads to a pip-shaped container with six boxes that can turn around when operated. The system, which fits in the same space as the chute and container now in use, enables ,glass, plastics, paper, metal, and other rubbish to go into separate boxes.

　　The system is controlled from a board foxed next to the chute door. The board has a button for each class of recycling materials. At the press of a button, a microcomputer locks all other floors chute doors and sets the recycling container turning until the right box comes under the chute. The computer also counts the loads and gives a signal by phone when the box is full. And a particular piece of equipment breaks up the non-recyclables.

　　Sorting recyclables before they are collected saves the use of expensive materials recovery equipment which otherwise has to do the sorting. Such equipment often makes recycled materials very expensive, so expensive that tones of recyclables remain wasted. Shantzis believes his system could help recycled materials become more cost-effective.

　　The purpose in writing this text is _________.

　　A to encourage people to recycle their rubbish.

　　B to introduce a recycling system for high rises

　　C to describe the use of computer technology in recycling

　　D to explain the need for rubbish collection in high rise

　　5 Many cities around the world today are heavily polluted. Careless methods of production and lack of consumer demand for environment-friendly products have contributed to the pollution problem. One result is that millions of tons of glass, paper, plastics, and these are difficult to get rid of.

　　However, today, more and more consumers are choosing green and demanding that the products they buy should be safe for the environment. Before they buy a product, they ask questions like these, Will this shampoo damage the environment? Can this metal container be reused or can it only be used once?

　　A recent study showed that two out of five adults now consider the environmental safety of a product before they buy it, this means that companies must now changed the way they make and sell their products to make sure that they are green, that is, friendly to the environment.

　　Only a few years ago, it was impossible to find green products in supermarkets, but now there are hundreds. Some supermarket products carry labels to show that the product is green. Some companies have made the manufacturing of clean and safe products their main selling point and emphasize it in their advertising.

　　The concern for a safer and cleaner environment is making companies rethink how they do business. No longer will the pubic accept the old attitude of buy it, use it , throw it away, and forget it. The public pressure is on , and gradually business is cleaning up its act.

　　What would be the best title for the text?

　　a. Business and People

　　b. Business Goes Green

　　c. Shopping Habits Are Changing

　　d. Supermarkets and Green Products

　　6If you ask people to name the one person who had the greatest effect on the English language, you will get answers like Shakespeare, Samuel Johnson, and Webster, but none of these men had any effect at all compared to a man who didnt even speak English ----William the Conqueror.

　　Before 1066, in the land we now call Great Britain lived peoples belonging to two major language groups. In the west-central region lived the Welsh, who spoke a Celtic language, and in the north lived the Scots, whose language, though not the same as Welsh, was also Celtic. In the rest of the country lived the Saxons, actually a mixture of Anglos, Saxons, and other Germanic and Nordic peoples, who spoke what we now call Anglo-Saxon , a Germanic language. If this state of affairs had lasted, English today would be close to German.

　　But this state of affairs did not last. In 1066 the Normans led by William defeated the Saxons and began their rule over England. For about a century, French became the official language of England while Old English became the language of peasants. As a result, English words of politics and the law come from French rather than German. In some cases, modern English even shows a distinction between upper-class French and lower-class Anglo-Saxon in its words. We even have different words for some foods, meat in particular, depending on whether it is still out in the field or at ready to be cooked, which shows the fact that the Saxon peasants were doing the farming, while the upper-class Normans were doing most of the eating.

　　When Americans visit Europe for the first time, they usually find Germany more foreign than France because the German they see on signs and advertisements seems much more different from English language is actually Germanic in its beginning and that the French influences are all the result of one mans ambition.

　　What is the subject discussed in the text?

　　a. The history of Great Britain.

　　b. The similarity between English and French.

　　c. The rule of England by William the conqueror

　　d. The French influences on the English language.

　　7Britains oldest man made his first visit to London yesterday at the age of 110. Mr. John Evans had never found the time or the money to make the trip from his home near Swansea. But, when British Rail offered him an all-expenses-paid birthday trip to the capital, he just could not refuse.

　　Until yesterday he had never been far from home, except for one trip to Aberdeen. Mr.Evens, who spent 60 years working as a miner in South Wales, almost made the journey to London once before, at the turn of the century. There was a trip to the White city but it was ten shillings return from Swansea-too much I thought. All my money went to the family then, he said.

　　During the nest two days Mr. Evens will be taken on a whistle-stop tour of London to see the sights. Top of his list is a visit to the Houses of Parliament.

　　The only arrangement he does not care for is the wheelchair provided to move him about if he gets tired. I dont like the chair business-people will so think I am getting old, he said.

　　Hi secret for a long and healthy life has been well publicizedno alcohol, no cigarette and no anger. Before setting off from Swansea with his 76-year-old son, Amwel, he quipped, Im glad to see theyve given me a return ticket.

　　What might be the best title for this passage?

　　a. 100-year-old Tourist

　　b. Secret for Long and healthy life

　　c. Free Return Ticket

　　d. Sightseeing in London

　　8 BEING set of by the April 1 Sino-us plane collision and US official agreement of the biggest arms sale to Taiwan in decade as well as remarks by US president Bush on Defending Taiwan, there have been increasing hacker attacks on websites of the two countries in the past weeks.

　　An American group of hackers (黑客) which calls itself Poison Box had begun ruining Chinese websites after the April1 spy plane incident, top Chinese portal sina.com said.

　　The Chinese soon attacked back.

　　On April 2, Chinese hackers invaded two Government websites over the weekend, forcing the Department of labor and the Department of the Health and Human Services to shut down their sites for a short time.

　　The US Department of labor went off line for a few hours after a page in its website was changed to display a picture of Wang Wei, the Chinese pilot who died in the collision.

　　The page was titled China back! and read, in English, the whole country is so sorry for losing the best son of China ---Wang Wei forever. We will miss the end of the day.

　　On May1, hackers exchanged bad remarks in which the official White House website was defaced by a huge amount of e-mail garbage. On May5, the White House website fell victim to a denial of serviced attack that blocked access to the site for more than two hours.

　　The Computer Network and Information Security Management Office told web operators an average of 100 sites a day had seen some more form of attack.

　　The best title of the passage is _____.

　　a. Sino-US plane collision.

　　b. Sino-US Hackers Fighting Cyber war

　　c. Cyber war continuing

　　d. Wang wei, our best son

　　9There were two interesting news items in the paper a few years ago . One was about a man who received a bill from the telephone company for 999,999for three month! The other was about a man who received 2,000 a month ---for doing nothing.

　　The connection between the two news items is simple: computer the best invention of the 20th century. The telephone bill came from a computer which made a terrifying mistake that was only 23.36. The other item was not so amusing. A man walked into the unguarded computer room of a large packaged food company and expertly programmed the computer to pay him 2,000 a month for raw meat which he supplied to the company. Of course he never sent the meat, but he certainly received the money. The computer wrote out a bill, and even signedit. It was only a random check that uncovered the trick. It could be happening in thousands of other companied all over the world.