托福阅读之句子简化题浅析

在托福考试里面，句子简化题在每一篇阅读当中都会有出现，这种题目应该如何处理，才能更加有效呢？
我们先来看一下插空题的形式：
The extreme seriousness of desertification results from the vast areas of land and the tremendous numbers of people affected, as well as from the great difficulty of reversing or even slowing the process.

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) Desertification is a significant problem because it is so hard to reverse and affects  large areas of land and great numbers of people.
B) Slowing down the process of desertification is difficult because of population  growth that has spread over large areas of land.
C) The spread of deserts is considered a very serious problem that can be solved only  if large numbers of people in various countries are involved in the effort.
D) Desertification is extremely hard to reverse unless the population is reduced in the  vast areas affected.
从题目要求中，我们可以看出，出题者需要我们选出能够“best expresses the essential information”的选项，而且给出了错误选项的特征：Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information，不正确的选项改变了重要信息的意思或漏掉了重要的意思。
那我们先来分析一下，句子中什么才是重要的信息呢？
（一）逻辑。在一个句子中，很多东西都可以简化，但是，逻辑是不能简化掉的。如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. 这句话很长，主要的逻辑是 Aquifer contains enough water，but unfortunately, under the semiarid climatic conditions，rates of addition to the aquifer are minimal，虽然水很多，但由于半干旱气候原因，补给率很低。
简化题逻辑分两种：
1）逻辑词中的逻辑。这种主要体现的是因果，对比，转折等逻辑。
例如，The extreme seriousness of desertification results from the vast areas of land and the tremendous numbers of people affected, as well as from the great difficulty of reversing or even slowing the process. （因果）
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. （转折）
2）表过程的逻辑。If the pores are large, the water in them will exist as drops too heavy for surface tension to hold, and it will drain away; but if the pores are small enough, the water in them will exist as thin films, too light to overcome the force of surface tension holding them in place; then the water will be firmly held.
对于托福考生来说，初期最好是能将逻辑罗列出来。
例一：The extreme seriousness of desertification results from the vast areas of land and the tremendous numbers of people affected, as well as from the great difficulty of reversing or even slowing the process.
我们可以把它写成：  
严重结果       因为： 人/地  受影响，
 也因为： 难---逆转or减缓
逻辑列出来后，这个句子就简单了，考生可以根据这个逻辑去做题。此题的答案选择是与上述逻辑一致的选项A) Desertification is a significant problem because it is so hard to reverse and affects large areas of land and great numbers of people.
例二：If the pores are large, the water in them will exist as drops too heavy for surface tension to hold, and it will drain away; but if the pores are small enough, the water in them will exist as thin films, too light to overcome the force of surface tension holding them in place; then the water will be firmly held.
我们可以把它写成：
孔大， 水-滴状， 太重， 张力hold不住，流走
孔小， 水-片状， 太轻， 张力hold住，  流不走
做题的时候，选类似的逻辑选项A) Surface tension is not strong enough to retain drops of water in rocks with large pores but it strong enough to hold on to thin films of water in rocks with small pores.

（二）文章强调的信息。这类信息是文章花较多笔墨描述的信息，或带有转折的信息。
例一：Wind velocity also increases with altitude and may cause serious stress for trees, as is made evident by the deformed shapes at high altitudes.
该句子重点信息在后面，作者着重描写该部分。
例二：For example, some early societies ceased to consider certain rites essential to their well-being and abandoned them, nevertheless, they retained as parts of their oral tradition the myths that had grown up around the rites and admired them for their artistic qualities rather than for their religious usefulness.
该句子重点信息在后面，作者着重描写该部分。

了解了重要信息，做起提来就方便多了。我们在做题的时候可以选择与原文一致的选项，也可以通过排除法剔除错误选项
错误选项的特点是:
1）没有提及重要信息
2）改变重要意思，逻辑上出了问题。
3）增添额外信息
例如:The extreme seriousness of desertification results from the vast areas of land and the tremendous numbers of people affected, as well as from the great difficulty of reversing or even slowing the process.

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) Desertification is a significant problem because it is so hard to reverse and affects  large areas of land and great numbers of people.
B) Slowing down the process of desertification is difficult because of population  growth that has spread over large areas of land.
C) The spread of deserts is considered a very serious problem that can be solved only if large numbers of people in various countries are involved in the effort.
D) Desertification is extremely hard to reverse unless the population is reduced in the  vast areas affected.
4）分析：A选项正确。B选项因果关系与原文不符，属于改变重要意思，逻辑上出了问题。C选项出现了原文没有提及的信息。D选项出现了新的逻辑关系--除非否则--文中没有提及这一点。所以后三个选项可以排除。

总结：
简化题的方法：
一）找逻辑
1) 逻辑词
2) 过程逻辑
二）找重点信息
三）正、反两反面找正确选项。

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