托福阅读：句子简化题解题技巧

句子简化题解题技巧——简化，理清句子逻辑关系
　　首先，要简化，最主要的就是抓住句子的主干和句子中各个成分之间的逻辑关系，这和句子简化题中的题目要求相对应，  express the essential information; incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information, 所以在简化后的句子中，必然包含原句中的主要信息和所有的逻辑关系。那么我们在做题中最重要的是先把要简化的句子进行正确得理解和分析，而不是先去进行选项之间的对比。
　　提取句子主干，在大部分情况下句子主干即抓主、谓、宾、以及对这些部分的限定修饰词，如后置定语等；在复杂句中，要对从句的内容也要把握。抓逻辑关系即指抓因果，转折，并列，举例，假设等，但要注意要简化的句子若是一个句子，则可能包含多重逻辑关系；若是有两个句子或以上，则要分析出各个句子内部和句子之间的逻辑关系。

句子简化题解题技巧——了解出题思路
　　其次，在把握原句主要信息和逻辑关系以后，我们还必须了解ETS的出题思路，这样对我们快速排除错误选项，辨识正确选项有很大的帮助。在句子简化题错误选项的设置上无非有两种，一种是对主要信息的缺失或错误陈述，另一种则是逻辑错误。所以，在看选项时，首先检验选项是否包含所有主要信息，是否只陈述了次要信息，是否主要信息的位置互换等。比如说，

Some of the earliest human civilizations arose in southern Mesopotamia, in what is now southern Iraq, in the fourth millennium B.C.E. In the second half of that millennium, in the south around the city of Uruk, there was an enormous escalation in the area occupied by permanent settlements. A large part of that increase took place in Uruk itself, which became a real urban center surrounded by a set of secondary settlements. 【While population estimates are notoriously unreliable, scholars assume that Uruk inhabitants were able to support themselves from the agricultural production of the field surrounding the city, which could be reached with a daily commute.】 But Uruk’s dominant size in the entire region, far surpassing that of other settlements, indicates that it was a regional center and a true city. Indeed, it was the first city in human history.
　　Q1 Which of the sentences below best express the essential information in the highlighted sentence in the passage? Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.
　　A. Although scholars cannot accurately determine the size of the Uruk population, they know the citizens were not dependent on agriculture.
　　B. Scholars do not have enough evidence to determine whether the agricultural areas just outside of Uruk were large enough to feed the city’s 　population
　　C. Because city populations cannot feed themselves, scholars think the surrounding farms provided food for the people in Uruk
　　D. Scholars believe that the inhabitants of Uruk were able to support themselves from produce grown in field surrounding the city.
　　我们的解题步骤如下：
　　1.确定句子核心信息
　　While population estimates are notoriously unreliable, scholars assume that Uruk inhabitants were able to support themselves from the agricultural production of the field surrounding the city, which could be reached with a daily commute.
　　分析：本句是由while引导的让步状语从句（注：while出现在句中引导对比对照关系的状语从句；如出现在句首则引导让步关系的状语从句，）+主句scholars assume that…the city组成一个虽然…但是…的大结构。主句句末有一个which引导的非限定性定语从句，该从句意图在于对前面意义完整的主句进行补充说明。所以该句最核心的意思就是句中标红的部分。
　　2.核对选项
　　A. Although scholars cannot accurately determine the size of the Uruk population, they know the citizens were not dependent on agriculture.
　　A选项后半句出现与原句完全矛盾的信息：居民不是依靠农业；而原句中说到是用城市周围的田地自给自足。
　　B. Scholars do not have enough evidence to determine whether the agricultural areas just outside of Uruk were large enough to feed the city’s population
　　B选项说学者们没有足够证据证明城外的农业地区是否足够大来供给城市人口。这是原句完全没有谈及的信息，所以错误
　　C. Because city populations cannot feed themselves, scholars think the surrounding farms provided food for the people in Uruk
　　C选项出现一个因果关系，这是原句完全没有的信息，该选项是最容易被排掉的。
　　D. Scholars believe that the inhabitants of Uruk were able to support themselves from produce grown in field surrounding the city.
　　D选项说学者们认为U城的居民能够通过长在城市周围田地里的作物供养他们自己。意思与原句主要意思一致，所以正确。