【教师】托福阅读多段型推理题浅析

众所周知，托福阅读中的多数题目仅针对某一段落出题，这在一定程度上为考生减轻了阅读压力，降低了解题难度，但在推理题中却不乏针对两个甚至两个以上段落出题的情况，大大增加了挑战性。

Paragraph 1:

Since 1980, the use of wind to produce electricity has been growing rapidly. In 1994 there were nearly 20,000 wind turbines worldwide, most grouped in clusters called wind farms that collectively produced 3,000 megawatts of electricity.
　　Most were in Denmark (which got 3 percent of its electricity from wind turbines) and California (where 17,000 machines produced 1 percent of the state’s electricity, enough to meet the residential needs of a city as large as San Francisco). In principle, all the power needs of the United States could be provided by exploiting the wind potential of just three states — North Dakota, South Dakota, and Texas. 

Paragraph 3:

Wind power has a significant cost advantage over nuclear power and has become competitive with coal-fired power plants in many places. With new technological advances and mass production, projected cost declines should make wind power one of the world’s cheapest ways to produce electricity. In the long run, electricity from large wind farms in remote areas might be used to make hydrogen gas from water during periods when there is less than peak demand for electricity. The hydrogen gas could then be fed into a storage system and used to generate electricity when additional or backup power is needed.

Paragraph 4:

Wind power is most economical in areas with steady winds. In areas where the wind dies down, backup electricity from a utility company or from an energy storage system becomes necessary.
　　Backup power could also be provided by linking wind farms with a solar cell, with conventional or pumped-storage hydropower, or with efficient natural-gas-burning turbines. Some drawbacks to wind farms include visual pollution and noise, although these can be overcome by improving their design and locating them in isolated areas.

3. Based on the information in paragraph 3 and paragraph 4, what can be inferred about the states of North Dakota, South Dakota, and Texas mentioned at the end of paragraph 1?
　　○ They rely largely on coal-fired power plants.
　　○ They contain remote areas where the winds rarely die down.
　　○ Over 1 percent of the electricity in these states is produced by wind farms.
　　○ Wind farms in these states are being expanded to meet the power needs of the United States.

该题涉及原文中的三个段落：推理对象位于第一段，而推理线索位于第三、四段。根据题干，阅读第一段末句可知，北达科他州、南达科他州和德克萨斯州的风力潜能极大，这势必说明这三个州拥有某种发展风力发电的有利条件。
　　在此基础上，根据题干转向第三、四段寻找相关线索，可定位到第四段首句Wind power is most economical in areas with steady winds，这说明以上三个州的风力必定很稳定。因此选项2为正确答案。

Paragraph 5:

Rome’s debt to Greece was enormous. The Romans adopted Greek religion and moral philosophy. In literature, Greek writers were consciously used as models by their Latin successors. It was absolutely accepted that an educated Roman should be fluent in Greek. In speculative philosophy and the sciences, the Romans made virtually no advance on early achievements.

Paragraph 6:

Yet it would be wrong to suggest that Rome was somehow a junior partner in Greco-Roman civilization. The Roman genius was projected into new spheres — especially into those of law, military organization, administration, and engineering. Moreover, the tensions that arose within the Roman state produced literary and artistic sensibilities of the highest order. It was no accident that many leading Roman soldiers and statesmen were writers of high caliber.

12. Which of the following statements about leading Roman soldiers and statesmen is supported by paragraphs 5 and 6?
　　○ They could read and write the Greek language.
　　○ They frequently wrote poetry and plays.
　　○ They focused their writing on military matters.
　　○ They wrote according to the philosophical laws of the Greeks.

根据题干，可轻松定位到第六段末句，阅读后可知该题的推理对象与写作有关。之后转向第五段寻找相关线索，可定位至该段第三、四句。将以上几句相联系后可知，许多高阶罗马军人和政治家都是写作高手，而罗马人在文学上有意识地效仿希腊作家，受过良好教育的罗马人应该精通希腊语，所以这些军人和政治家必然精通希腊语（写作高手必定受过良好教育）。因此正确答案为选项1。

通过以上例题分析不难发现，多段型推理题看似复杂，但解题方法与普通推理题大同小异：首先根据题干定位到一个段落中的推理对象，从中解读出需要关于某一方面的推理线索（如关于发展风力发电的有利条件、关于写作），再到另一个段落中定位该线索，将推理对象和推理线索相联系，便可得出所需的结论，核对选项选出正确答案。

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