托福阅读点拨：句子简化题

阅读句子简化题往往是让大多数托福考生很头疼的题型。为什么呢？因为句子简化题可以说是纯粹考查我们对句子结构的准确理解。一般来说，要求简化的句子都是长难句。

所以很多托福考生都会采用翻译的方法做题，即首先翻译原句，然后逐个翻译四个选项。你有没有这样的问题呢？其实，这种做法不仅浪费时间，而且对我们读句子的能力要求极高。那么如何快速解决托福阅读句子简化题呢？

托福阅读句子简化题的实质是内容不变，形式上更趋于简单。如果要分解出句子简化的核心，则包括两大基本元素：一是句子的内容——与语义直接相关；二是句子的逻辑——与结构直接相关。所以做托福阅读句子简化题的基本解题步骤就是：

1. 寻找给定句子中的逻辑关系；
2. 寻找与逻辑相关的语义，分析句子主干（主、谓、宾及部分限定词），抓住核心信息；
3. 选择与题干逻辑和语义对等的选项。

接下来我们看一道例题：

In order for the structure to achieve the size and strength necessary to meet its purpose, architecture employs methods of support that, because they are based on physical laws, have changed little since people first discovered them-even while building materials have changed dramatically.

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. Unchanging physical laws have limited the size and strength of buildings that can be made with materials discovered long ago.
B. Building materials have changed in order to increase architectural size and strength, but physical laws of structure have not changed.
C. When people first started to build, the structural methods used to provide strength and size were inadequate because they were not based on physical laws.
D. Unlike building materials, the methods of support used in architecture have not changed over time because they are based on physical laws.

先分析原文长难句结构：除去开头目的状语，整个句子包含两个逻辑关系：因果关系（because they are based on physical laws）和对比关系（while building materials have changed dramatically）；其次，关注一些核心信息：methods of support + physical law + changed little +  building materials + changed dramatically. 由此可以判断正确答案为B。

建议大家在应对句子简化题的时候要一抓逻辑关系词，二抓句子主干成分，在复习过程中多看多分析一些长句难句。