刚刚结束的大学英语四级考试，难度比09年12月份有明显降低，走出考场的学生也普遍如此反映。笔者下面就快速阅读部分为各位考生分析一下。
今年的快速阅读讲述痴迷网络的现象和带来的思考，文章内容属于社会热点，比较容易为考生理解和接受。命题也仍然采用了传统的7+3模式，7个选择题加3个完成句子。对于这种文章，我在课堂上反复强调过它的处理方法：只用眼睛看，不用脑子想，注重段落首尾句。
我们先来看一下选择题的解法。对于快速阅读的选择题，考生们只要记住五个字看到即所选就行了，也就是说，我们通过题干关键词定位到文章中之后，看到句子中有什么，我们就到答案中去找什么。由于快速阅读在命题的时候，选择题的四个选项区别很大，几乎没有共同之处，因此选项的迷惑性较低，考生也就没有必要去比较选项的差异，只需找到原文定位处的核心词汇就可以了。我们以刚刚结束的快速阅读选择题为例：
1. What eventually made Carla Toebe realize she was spending too much time on the Internet?
A. The poorly managed state of her house.
B. The high financial costs adding up.
C. Her daughters repeated complaints.
D. Fatigue resulting from lack of sleep.
通过本题题干，我们很容易定位到第一节的尾句it took near-constant complaints from her four daughters before she realized she had a problem，而这个句子就是我们解决问题的关键。如果分析一下原文的这个句子，它是说她的四个女儿对她抱怨了很久之后，她才意识到自己真的是出了问题，题干问的是使她产生这种意识的原因，所以答案就很明确了，是四个女儿不断的抱怨，因此本题答案是C选项。
但是，对于速度要求极为严格的快速阅读来说，这样的分析虽然能保证结果正确，但是却无法保证速度，这样分析下去，极有可能导致后面的问题无法完成。其实考生们只要记得看到即所选，就可以很快找到答案。我们同样再看一下这个尾句，很明显，里面有complaints，daughters这样的单词，而四个选项中只有C选项有我们在定位点看到的词，答案就出来了，根本不需要思考和分析。
2. What does the author say about excessive Internet use?
A. People should be warned of its harmful consequences.
B. People havent yet reached agreement on its definition.
C. It has been somewhat exaggerated.
D. It has become virtually inevitable.
本题题干中的关键词excessive Internet Use让我们很快定位到原文第四节的第一句话，但是题目中问的作者的观点，答案实际上落在了第五节的首句。发现第五节首句是解决问题的关键并不难，该句第一个词But，是一个非常明显的提示信息，引出的是作者的观点、态度等主要内容。这个句子说But as reliance on the Web grows, there are signs that the question is getting more serious attention，本句中虽没有与选项中重合的词汇，但是我们还是很容易看出它和A选项发生的同意转换：question，serious对应的就是warn，harmful consequences。而B选项中的agreementdefinition；C选项中的exaggerated；D选项中的inevitable都与原文差距巨大。所以本题答案为A。
3. Jonathan Bishop believes that the Internet overuse problem can be solved if people ______ .
A. can realize what is important in life
B. try to improve the Internet environment
C. can reach a consensus on its definition
D. become aware of its serious consequences
Jonathan Bishop的名字很明显出现在文章第七节的开头，而该节最后一句中which can be solved by 就提示了答案就在这个地方。这个句子说which can be solved by encouraging people to prioritize other life goals and plans in place of time spent on line， 介词by之后就是我们要重点关注的内容，我们会发现，by之后的词只有life在A选项中出现，B、C、D三个选项中没有出现by之后的内容。看到即所选，本题答案就是A。
4. According to Professor Maressa Orzack, Internet use would be considered excessive if ______ .
A. too much time was spent in chat rooms
B. one visited porn websites frequently
C. people got involved in online gambling
D. it seriously affected family relationships
Professor Maressa Orzack 是个明显的关键词，首次出现在文章中的第11节，而该节最后一句话中then its too much就是本题题干中所提到的be considered excessive的同意转换，可以确定本题答案就在该节尾句：If its a loss where youre not getting to work, and family relationships are breaking down as a result, then its too much. 很明显，我们还是不需要进行分析和判断，只要看到原文中提到的family relationships在D选项中出现，而其他三个选项都没有尾句中的这些单词，就足够了。本题答案D。
5.According to Orzack, people who struggle with heavy reliance on the Internet may feel ______.
A. depressed B. pressured C. puzzled D. discouraged
本题题干中的struggle with heavy reliance on the Internet may feel对应在文章第15节的首句People who struggle with excessive Internet use may be depressed or have other mood disorders, Orzack said.这一题是本次快速阅读题目中最为简单的一道，文中看到depressed，故答案选择A。
6. Why did Andrew Heidrich cut back on online gaming?
A. He had offended his relatives.
B. He had lost a lot of money.
C. His family had intervened.
D. His career had been ruined.
本题题干中的关键词也是非常明显，Andrew Heidrich 作为人名，首次出现在文章第17节，而cut back 出现在该节最后一句，所以答案就定位在最后一句了：He cut back only after a full-scale family intervention in which relatives told him hed gained weight. 可能本题让考生感到稍微有一点麻烦的是，A选项中出现了relatives，C选项中出现了family，虽然可以排除B和D两个选项，但是A和C又作如何区别呢？遇到这种情况，大家不要紧张，只需再多看一个单词就够了，我们在原文中还看到了intervention，而只有C选项中出现了它的动词形式intervened，所以答案就是C。
下面我们接着看一下后面三个完成句子的解法。对于完成句子来说，也要记住五个字句子要审全。快速阅读中的完成句子本身难度不大，但是命题者会故意通过改变句式、人称、单复数等手段，改变句子的语法属性，给考生设置陷阱。所以，对于这个题型，我们一定要注意把句子审全。总的来说，今年的四个完成句子比09年12月份的要简单一些，虽仍有陷阱，但不至于让考生无法识别。下面来具体分析一下。
8.In one of the messages she posted on a website, Toebe admitted that she ______.
按照我们课堂上讲的自然段定位原则，最后四题可供选择的文章范围已经很小了，本题题干关键词对应的是第19节的最后一句：She posted a message on a Yahoo Internet addiction group with the subject online: I have an Internet Addiction. 考生容易发现答案其实就在最后的引号之中，但是如果考生直接填写have an Internet Addiction的话，就陷入了命题者设置的陷阱之中。题目中使用的是第三人称Toebe，同时使用的是一般过去时态，这两个语法属性的改变决定了本题答案只能是had an Internet Addiction。有的考生题目审不全，会填成has an Internet Addiction，只注意到了人称变化，没注意到时态变化，是错误的。
9.Excessive Internet use had rendered Toebe so poor that she couldnt afford to seek ______.
本题对应的是文章20节的最后一句：I have no money or insurance to get professional help,题干进行了一个简单的同意转换，原文中的get， 变成了seek， 考生如果发现这一点，就很容易得出答案：professional help。
10.Now that shes got a boyfriend, Toebe is no longer crazy about ______.
最后这个题目出现在文章最后一节：I have a boyfriend now, and Im not interested in online dating. 本题依然用了一个小的同意转换，原文中的interested in，变成了crazy about，所以本题答案是：online dating。
从上面三个完成句子的分析中可以看出，这种题型唯一能给考生设置难度障碍的就是改变句子的语法属性，设置语法陷阱，而考生只要记得句子要审全，这个障碍自然就很容易突破了。
总的来说，今年的四级快速阅读题目不难，同学们只要把握我在课堂上讲过的一些基本方法和技巧，学会跳着读、挑着读，学会读段落首尾句（今年这篇快速阅读的十个题目，除最后一个题目出现在最后一节的中间一句外，其它九个题目全部为段落首尾句），学会克制自己习惯性的思考，学会把句子审全，这篇文章一定可以做得很好。
快速阅读原文：
Caught in the Web
A few months ago, it wasnt unusual for 47-year-old Carla Toebe to spend 15 hours per day online. Shed wake up early, turn on her laptop and chat on Internet dating sites and instant-messaging programs leaving her bed for only brief intervals. Her household bills piled up, along with the dishes and dirty laundry, but it took near-constant complaints from her four daughters before she realized she had a problem.
I was starting to feel like my whole world was falling apart kind of slipping into a depression, said Carla. I knew that if I didnt get off the dating sites, Id just keep going, detaching herself further from the outside world.
Toebes conclusion: She felt like she was addicted to the Internet. Shes not alone.
Concern about excessive Internet use isnt new. As far back as 1995, articles in medical journals and the establishment of a Pennsylvania treatment center for overusers generated interest in the subject. There is still no consensus on how much time online constitutes too much or whether addiction is possible.
But as reliance on the Web grows, there are signs that the question is getting more serious attention: Last month, a study published in CNS spectrums claimed to be the first large-scale look at excessive Internet use. The American Psychiatric Association may consider listing Internet addiction in the next edition of its diagnostic manual. And scores of online discussion boards have popped up on which people discuss negative experiences tied to too much time on the web.
There is no question that therere people whore seriously in trouble because theyre overdoing their Internet involvement, said psychiatrist Ivan Goldberg. Goldberg calls the problem a disorder rather than a true addiction.
Jonathan Bishop, a researcher in Wales specializing in online communities, is more skeptical. The Internet is an environment, she said, You cant be addicated to the environment. Bishop describes the problem as simply a matter of priorities, which can be solved by encouraging people to prioritize other life goals and plans in place of time spent online.
The new CNS Spectrums study was based on results of a nationwide telephone survey of more than 2,5000 adults. Like the 2005 survey, this one was conducted by Stanford University researchers. About 6% of respondents reported that their relationships suffered because of excessive Internet use. About 9% attempted to conceal nonessential Internet use, and nearly 4% reported feeling preoccupied by the Internet when offline.
About 8% said they used the Internet as a way to escape problems, and almost 14% reported they found it hard to stay away from the Internet for several days at a time.
The Internet problem is still in its infancy, said Elias Aboujaoude, a Stanford Professor. No single online activity is to blame for excessive use, he said. Theyre online in chat rooms, checking e-mail, or writing blogs. The problem is not limited to porn or gambling websites.
Excessive Internet use should be defined not by the number of hours spent online but in terms of losses, said Maressa Orzack, a Harvard University professor. It its a loss where youre not getting to work, and family relationships are breaking down as a result, then its too much.
Since the early 1990s, several clinics have been established in the U.S. to treat heavy Internet users. They include the Center for Internet Addiction Recovery and the center for Internet Behavior.
The website for Orzacks center lists the following among the psychological symptoms of computer addiction:
Having a sense of well-being or excitement while at the computer.
Longing for more and more time at the computer.
Neglect of family and friends.
Feeling empty, depressed or irritable when not at the computer.
Lying to employers and family about activities.
Inability to stop the activity.
Problems with school or job.
Physical symptoms listed include dry eyes, backaches, skipping meals, poor personal hygiene and sleep disturbances.
People who struggle with excessive Internet use may be depressed or have other mood disorders, Orzack said. When she discussed Internet habits with her patients, they often report that being online offers a sense of belonging, an escape, excitement and fun, she said. Some people say relief because they find themselves so relaxed.
Some parts of the Internet seems to draw people in more than others. Internet gamers spend countless hours competing in games against people from all over the world. One such game, called World of Warcraft, is cited on many sites by posters complaining of a gaming addiction.
Andrew Heidrich, an education network administrator from Sacramento, plays World of Warcraft for about two to four hours every other night, but thats nothing compared with the 40 to 60 hours a week he spent playing online games when he was in college. He cut back only after a full-scale family intervention, in which relatives told him hed gained weight.
Theres this whole culture of competition that sucks people in with online gaming, said Heifrich, now a father of two. People do it at the expense of everything that was a constant in their lives. Heidrich now visits websites that discuss gaming addiction regularly to remind my self to keep my love for online games in check.
Toebe also regularly visits a site where posters discuss Internet overuse. In August, when she first realized she had a problem, she posted a message on a Yahoo Internet addiction group with the subject online: I have an Internet Addiction.
Im self-employed and need the Internet for my work, but Im failing to accomplish my work, to take care of my home, to give attention to my children, she wrote in a message sent to the group. I have no money or insurance to get professional help; I cant even pay my mortgage and face losing everything.
Since then, Toebe said, she ahs kept her promise to cut back on her internet use. I have a boyfriend now, and Im not interested in online dating. She said by phone last week. Its a lot better now.