攻克大学英语四级：阅读篇Day2主旨题

　　主旨题在每一篇文章中都会直接或间接地涉及，所以读完一篇文章必须能够找出它的主题句，或自己归纳出主题。

　　主旨题的题目形式一般为：

　　The passage is mainly about _____.

　　Which of the following expresses the main idea of the passage?

　　What is the general topic of the passage?

　　The author is mainly concerned with _____.

　　The main theme of the passage is ______.

　　Paragraph 2 is mainly about _____.

　　Which of the following best summarizes the author s opinion?

　　What is the author s purpose in writing this passage?

　　The best title of this passage is _____.

　　主题句出现的位置：

　　1)开门见山。绝大多数的文章主题句出现在开头。

　　2)水到渠成。小部分文章的主题句出现在结尾处。

　　3)前后呼应。即文章开头点题，结尾总结，首尾结合给出主题。

　　4)中间也可点题。

　　5)留给读者自己归纳。有些英语作者喜欢和读者捉迷藏，有时出题老师也愿意找这类文章给考生设置一些障碍。

　　例一：主题句在文章开头(见上述头两例)

　　例二：主题句在文章结尾

　　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(运动员). 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(缺陷)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.

　　本文主题在于强调积极强化对于年轻运动员的作用。前面的部分为铺垫，而在文章末尾才给出主题句。

　　例三：主题句在文章中间

　　Some pessimistic experts feel that the automobile is bound to fall into disuse. They see a day in the not-too-distant future when all autos will be abandoned and allowed to rust. Other authorities, however, think the auto is here to stay. They hold that the car will remain a leading means of urban travel in the foreseeable future.

　　The motorcar will undoubtedly change significantly over the next 30 years. It should become smaller, safer, and more economical, and should not be powered by the gasoline engine. The car of the future should be far more pollution-free than present types.

　　Regardless of its power source, the auto in the future will still be the main problem in urban traffic congestion(拥挤). One proposed solution to this problem is the automated highway system.

　　When the auto enters the highway system, a retractable(可伸缩的)arm will drop from the auto and make contact with a rail, which is similar to those powering subway trains electrically.

　　Once attached to the rail, the car will become electrically powered from the system, and control of the vehicle will pass to a central computer. The computer will then monitor all of the car s movements.

　　The driver will use a telephone to dial instructions about his destination into the system. The computer will calculate the best route, and reserve space for the car all the way to the correct exit from the highway. The driver will then be free to relax and wait for the buzzer(蜂鸣器)that will warn him of his coming exit. It is estimated that an automated highway will be able to handle 10,000 vehicles per hour, compared with the 1,500 to 2,000 vehicles that can be carried by a present-day highway.

　　本文头两段指出了不同人对于汽车的前途的不同看法，在第三段，即文章中间才给出主题句，讲解决城市交通堵塞的一个方法是自动高速公路系统。后面两段具体介绍自动高速公路系统是如何工作的。

　　请读下面的文章并且找到主题句，做出主旨题。

　　Exercise 1

　　The biggest safety threat facing airlines today may not be a terrorist with a gun, but the man with the portable computer in business class. In the last 15 years, pilots have reported well over 100 incidents that could have been caused by electromagnetic interference. The source of this interference remains unconfirmed, but increasingly, experts are pointing the blame at portable electronic devices such as portable computers, radio and cassette players and mobile telephones.

　　RTCA, an organization which advises the aviation(航空)industry, has recommended that all airlines ban(禁止)such devices from being used during critical stages of flight, particularly take-off and landing. Some experts have gone further, calling for a total ban during all flights. Currently, rules on using these devices are left up to individual airlines. And although some airlines prohibit passengers from using such equipment during take-off and landing, most are reluctant to enforce a total ban, given that many passengers want to work during flights.

　　The difficulty is predicting how electromagnetic fields might affect an aircraft s computers. Experts know that portable devices emit radiation which affects those wavelengths which aircraft use for navigation and communication. But, because they have not been able to reproduce these effects in a laboratory, they have no way of knowing whether the interference might be dangerous or not.

　　The fact that aircraft may be vulnerable(易受损的)to interference raises the risk that terrorists may use radio system in order to damage navigation equipment. As worrying, though, is the passenger who can t hear the instructions to turn off his radio because the music s too loud.

　　Q: The passage is mainly about .

　　A) a new regulation for all airlines

　　B) the defects of electronic devices

　　C) a possible cause of aircraft crashes

　　D) effective safety measures for air flight

　　【题目译文】这篇文章是关于

　　【答案解析】C。从每段的第一句话可知文章讲述电磁干扰对于飞机安全的影响和飞行事故的可能原因。

　　Exercise 2

　　Believe it or not, optical illusion(错觉)can cut highway crashes.

　　Japan is a case in point. It has reduced automobile crashes on some roads by nearly 75 percent using a simple optical illusion. Bent stripes, called chevrons(人字形)painted on the roads make drivers think that they are driving faster than they really are, and thus drivers slow down.

　　Now the American Association Foundation for Traffic Safety in Washington D. C. is planning to repeat Japan s success. Starting next year, the foundation will paint chevrons and other patterns of stripes on selected roads around the country to test how well the patterns reduce highway crashes.

　　Excessive speed plays a major role in as much as one fifth of all fatal traffic accidents, according to the foundation. To help reduce those accidents, the foundation will conduct its tests in areas where speed-related hazards are the greatest curves, exit slopes, traffic circles, and bridges.

　　Some studies suggest that straight, horizontal bars painted across roads can initially cut the average speed of drivers in half. However, traffic often returns to full speed within months as drivers become used to seeing the painted bars.

　　Chevrons, scientists say, not only give drivers the impression that they are driving faster than they really are but also make a lane appear to be narrower. The result is a longer lasting reduction in highway speed and the number of traffic accidents.

　　Q: The passage mainly discusses .

　　A) a new way of highway speed control

　　B) a new pattern for painting highways

　　C) a new approach to training drivers

　　D) a new type of optical illusion

　　【题目译文】文章主要讨论了 。

　　【答案解析】A。文章以日本和美国在高速公路上喷涂不同图案的条带为例，阐述了利用视觉错觉可以减缓高速公路上的车速，并减少交通事故的发生。

　　Exercise 3

　　Amtrak(美国铁路客运公司)was experiencing a down-slowing in ridership(客运量)along the lines comprising its rail system. Of major concern to Amtrak and its advertising agency DDB Needham, were the long-distance western routes where ridership had been declining significantly.

　　At one time, trains were the only practical way to cross the vast areas of the west. Trains were fast, very luxurious, and quite convenient compared to other forms of transportation existing at the time. However, times change and the automobile became America s standard of convenience. Also, air travel had easily established itself as the fastest method of travelling great distances. Therefore, the task for DDB Needham was to encourage consumers to consider other aspects of train travel in order to change their attitudes and increase the likelihood that trains would be considered for travel in the west.

　　Two portions of the total market were targeted: 1) anxious fliers those concerned with safety, relaxation, and cleanliness and 2) travel-lovers those viewing themselves as relaxed, casual, and interested in the travel experience as part of their vacation. The agency then developed a campaign that focused on travel experiences such as freedom, escape, relaxation, and enjoyment of the great western outdoors. It stressed experiences gained by using the trains and portrayed western train trips as wonderful adventures.

　　Advertisements showed pictures of the beautiful scenery that could be enjoyed along some of the more famous western routes and emphasized the romantic names of some of these trains . These ads were strategically placed among family-oriented TV shows and programs involving nature and America in order to most effectively reach target audiences. Results were impressive. The Empire Builder, which was focused on in one ad, enjoyed a 15 percent increase in profits on its Chicago to Seattle route.

　　Q: What s the author s purpose in writing this passage?

　　A) To show the inability of trains to compete with planes with respect to speed and convenience.

　　B) To stress the influence of the automobile on America s standard of convenience.

　　C) To emphasize the function of travel agencies in market promotion.

　　D) To illustrate the important role of persuasive communication in changing consumer attitudes.

　　【题目译文】作者写该篇文章的目的是什么?

　　【答案解析】D。本文首先分析了美国铁路客运公司客运量下降的原因，然后以该公司通过广告来吸引消费者，提高客运量为例，说明了广告在传递信息，引导并改变消费者的消费观念上的重要作用。

　　Exercise 4

　　Priscilla Ouchida s energy-efficient house turned out to be a horrible dream. When she and her engineer husband married a few years ago, they built a $100,000, three-bedroom home in California. Tightly sealed to prevent air leaks, the house was equipped with small double-paned(双层玻璃的)windows and several other energy-saving features. Problems began as soon as the couple moved in, however. Priscilla s eyes burned. Her throat was constantly dry. She suffered from headaches and could hardly sleep. It was as though she had suddenly developed a strange illness.

　　Experts finally traced the cause of her illness. The level of formaldehyde(甲醛)gas in her kitchen was twice the maximum allowed by federal standards for chemical workers. The source of the gas? Her new kitchen cabinets and wall-to-wall carpeting.

　　The Ouchidas are victims of indoor air pollution, which is not given sufficient attention partly because of the nation s drive to save energy. The problem itself isn t new. The indoor environment was dirty long before energy conservation came along, says Moschandreas, a pollution scientist at Geomet Technologies in Maryland. Energy conservation has tended to accentuate the situation in some cases.

　　The problem appears to be more troublesome in newly constructed homes rather than old ones. Back in the days when energy was cheap, home builders didn t worry much about unsealed cracks. Because of such leaks, the air in an average home was replaced by fresh outdoor air about once an hour. As a result, the pollutants generated in most households seldom built up to dangerous levels.

　　Q: This passage is most probably taken from an article entitled .

　　A) Energy Conservation

　　B) House Building Crisis

　　C) Air Pollution Indoors

　　D) Traps in Building Construction

　　【题目译文】这段文章最可能从《 》文章中选取出来?

　　【答案解析】C。本文主旨讲的是室内空气污染的危害原因及来历，所以C)最符合题目的要求。