四六級閲讀理解通用高分技能
閲讀理解除了要求正確理解事實細節的能力外，還經常需要考生根據一定上下文對某些詞彙的意義進行推斷、根據所讀材料理解文章隱含的意義和深層次的含義、歸納文章主題思想、通過概括得出結論、綜合判斷作者態度等，這就要求考生具備相應的閲讀理解微技能，與四級考試密切相關的一些微技能包括詞彙的理解、預測、判斷、歸納和推理。
詞彙的理解
對於閲讀中碰到的生僻詞，我們首先要學會識別哪些情況下即使不瞭解詞義也不影響對短文的理解；其次是轉變對生僻詞義認識上的態度，即在許多情況下不必瞭解該詞的確切意義，尤其沒有必要了解它在英漢辭典中的中文釋義，而只需對該詞詞義的大概而籠統的理解就行。實踐中，在確定了短文中哪些生僻詞的詞義有必要作一大概瞭解後，我們可以從以下兩個角度來猜度詞義：
(1) 構詞知識
即利用單詞的構詞要素詞根，前後綴來識記單詞。
詞根是一個單詞的根本部分，代表詞的基本意義；前綴是加在詞根或單詞前面的部分，通常也有一定含義；後綴是加在詞根或單詞後面的部分，通常在增加詞義的同時還改變詞性。通過詞根詞綴構詞的方式有多種，現簡單歸納如下：
①前綴+詞根：inter(中間)+vene→intervene(介入)
②詞根+後綴：circl(圓)+瞝et(小)→circlet(小環)
③詞根+詞根：tele(遠)+scope(鏡)→telescope(望遠鏡)
④前綴+詞根+後綴：in(不)+aud(聽)+瞚ble(可)→inaudible(聽不見)
⑤雙前綴+詞根：re(再)+dis(取下)+cover(蓋)→rediscover(再發現)
⑥詞根+雙後綴：care(用心)+瞝ess(不)+瞝y(地)→carelessly(不小心地)
⑦前綴+雙詞根：tri(三)+gono(角)+metry(測量)→trigonometry(三角幾何)
⑧雙詞根+後綴：biblio(書)+phil(愛)+瞚st(人)→bibliophilist(書籍愛好者)
⑨雙前綴+詞根+後綴：ir(不)+re(反對)+sist(站)+瞚ble→irresistible(不可抵抗的)
前綴+詞根+雙後綴：se(離)+greg(羣)+瞐tion+瞚st→segregationist(種族隔離主義者)
雙前綴+詞根+雙後綴：un(不)+pre(先)+ced(走)+瞖nt+瞖d→unprecedented(史無前例的)
(2) 上下文線索
利用上下文線索猜測詞義的方法很多，但其核心是尋找與該生僻詞相關的上下文意義線索，這些線索主要可歸納為以下幾種：
①同義定義為了便於讀者理解作者本義，作者有時會對文中的生僻詞或專業性較強的詞直接給出定義。在下定義時，作者常使用一些信號詞，如：is/are(called)，means，can be defined as，refer to，is/are known as，signify等，例：
Food fallacies refer to beliefs about food that are not true.
或標點符號，如——，()等，例：
Multiplexing ——transmitting independent signals at the same time in the same channel——increases the efficiency of radio channels.
有時，作者用同位語形式或連詞or給出定義，例：
Nerve cells evidently first appeared in coelenterates, “hollow瞘utted” organisms like hydra and the sea anemone.
Intelligent behavior remained impossible until the appearance of relatively big，complex types of brain——the types we find among the vertebrates，or backboned animals.
②近義複述同一短文中上下毗鄰的句子通常有互釋作用，我們可以從上下文的複述中獲取與某一單詞相關的信息來猜度詞義。例：
Mr. and Mrs. Firth had a long courtship. They dated for nine years before they got married.
Although he often had the opportunity，Mr. Tritt never stole money from a customer. This would have endangered his position at the bank，and he did not want to jeopardize his future.
③反義對照在表示對照的上下文中，常包含有意義相反的詞語或概念，這些意義相反的概念可以互為線索，幫助我們猜度詞義。常有以下一些信號詞：although，but，however，though，whereas，while，yet，on the contrary，on the other hand等。
例：Chimpanzees(猩猩) in the wild use simple objects as tools，but in laboratory situations they can use more sophisticated items.
Most dentists-offices are drab places，while Emilio’s new office is a bright，cheerful place.
④搭配集合利用詞與詞的搭配或該詞所出現的語境，我們也能推知詞義的大概輪廓。例：
People gathered to look. Three fine streams of hot water sprouted from holes in the jacket(套，殼) of the radiator.
A man is watering his lawn just as an attractive，well dressed girl walked by. As he ogles her，he accidentally turns the hose on his ugly，dowdy wife.
⑤比較舉例上下文中的比較和舉例，能揭示比較物或列舉物之間的共性，我們可根據這些共性來推知有關詞語的意思。例：
The consequences of epochal events such as wars and great scientific discoveries are not confined to a small geographical area.
Doctors believe that smoking cigarettes is detrimental to your health. They also regard drinking as harmful.
⑥因果時間因與果、時間的先與後都是事物發展變化過程中的必然關係，在利用上下文推測詞義時，這些關係也至關重要。例：
Robert is considered peremptory administrator because he makes decisions without seeking the opinions of others.
When Mark was in pedantic mood，he assumed the manner of a famous professor and gave long lectures on boring, insignificant topics.
⑦常識包括我們的生活經歷、經驗常識以及自己專業方面的知識，在閲讀到與自己專業相近的文章時，我們都會感到相對容易，這正是我們的專業知識在幫我們理解。例：
An apple falls down instead of up because of gravity.
An atomic clock is so precise that it can be used to check the accuracy of predictions based on Einstein’s relativity theories.
對付難文的閲讀需善於預測
預測
在對付難文的閲讀時，一定要善於在理解已知信息的基礎上對隨之可能出現的'信息進行積極預測。預測時，應學會藉助主題句、關聯詞語等篇章信息來提高預測的準確性。如，有一篇短文以這樣一句開頭：
Many people believe the glare from snow causes snowblindness. Yet…這裏根據表示轉折的關聯詞Yet，預測到下面可能出現的是主題句，又必然要否定本句中許多人的觀點，即snowblindness(雪盲)可能由glare from snow以外的其它原因引起。原文緊接着的是：Yet，dark glasses or not，they find themselves suffering from headaches and watering eyes，and even snowblindness，when exposed to several hours of “snow light”.
據此主題，我們可以比較有把握地預測到下文將着墨於引起“雪盲”的真正原因，原文如下：
The United States Army has now determined that glare from snow does not cause snowblindness in troops in a snow-covered country. Rather，a man’s eyes frequently find nothing to focus on in a broad expanse of barren snow-covered terrain. So his gaze continually shifts and jumps back and forth over the entire landscape in search of something to look at. Finding nothing hour after hour，the eyes never stop searching and the eyeballs become sore and the eye muscles ache. Nature offsets this irritation by producing more and more fluid which covers the eyeball. The fluid covers the eyeball in increasing quantity until vision blurs，then is obscured，and the result is total，even though temporary，snowblindness.
但預測不一定總是正確，它需要在繼續閲讀中予以肯定、否定或修正。上例中下文的內容與預測相近，表示理解過程正確。如預測與下文不一致，則可能：①對前面內容的理解有偏差；②據以預測的那部分語言信息可能有多種不同理解，因而可據以作出多種不同的預測。
預測有順向預測和逆向預測兩種，上面提到的為順向預測。所謂逆向預測，實為預測的一種特殊形式，應用於已知下文要推知上文的場合。閲讀中積極運用順向和逆向預測，除了上面談到的能提高對文章的理解深度外，還可幫助我們讀懂本來難以讀懂的章節。
判斷
在閲讀中，我們有時需要對文章內容的正誤作出判斷，有時需要藉助上下文對個別詞語的大意作出判斷，有時需要根據關聯，對上下文進行預測性判斷，有時需要在綜合分析的基礎上，通過判斷得出結論，有時還需要對作者語氣態度、思想傾向等等作出判斷。判斷貫穿於閲讀的全過程，也滲透在各種閲讀微技能中。例：
(1) 判斷推測句中omnivorous一詞的大意
She has a wide interest and is an omnivorous reader.
根據句中她“興趣廣”這一上文和被修飾的reader一詞，可大概判斷omnivorous具有“興趣廣、什麼書都喜歡讀”等含義。
(2) 根據前文，判斷下文
Laziness is a sin, everyone knows that. Nevertheless…
A) laziness can actually be helpful
B) laziness is a sign of mental illness
C) laziness is immoral and wasteful
D) you must be careful when you see someone lazy
根據第一分句的語義傾向和Nevertheless一詞，我們可得出這樣的判斷，即下文要談的內容必然與之相反，即談論Laziness也有其有利、肯定的一面，故A最有可能。
(3) 判斷作者觀點
Which of the following statements was written by someone who prefers small cars to large ones?
A) Their excellent gas mileage and even their improved interior design notwithstanding，today’s compact cars simply fail to provide the feel a traditional motorist yearns for.
B) They lack some of the size and even the character of the full-sized autos we were accustomed to; but today’s compacts more than make up for this with their excellent gas mileage.
本題要求我們對A、B中哪種觀點贊成小汽車作出判斷。A句中主句對小汽車予以否定，句首對小汽車的肯定性陳述又被notwithstanding一詞否定。答案是B，第一分句講到小汽車的缺陷：缺乏大汽車的空間和氣派；第二分句則認為小汽車的緊湊及其優秀的低耗油特徵能遠遠彌補上述不足，前面以轉折連詞將作者觀點轉向第二分句。
歸納是必須掌握的技能
歸納
歸納是一種由特殊(個別)到一般的概括，從閲讀理解角度説，所謂個別即具體細節，所謂一般即章節段落的大意或主題，歸納是由特殊細節推向一般主題的概括過程。我們可以藉助詞的上下義關係來領會掌握並運用歸納這一方法。
(1) 句子的歸納
A) Microwave ovens have eliminated many of the inconveniences previously associated with the preparation of meals.
B) Many foods can go directly from the freezer to the microwave oven without being defrosted.
C) Many microwave ovens can be pre-set to cook food while you are away from the kitchen.
D) The microwave oven has greatly reduced the amount of time it takes to cook a meal.
題中四句話都提到微波爐的好處，其中B、C、D 分別從方便、解凍、定時三個不同的方面具體講述微波爐不同於傳統炊具的優勢，而A則從整體上覆蓋了上述三句的內容，故A是對B、C、D的概括，上述分析、尋找最具概括意義之選項的過程即為歸納過程。推而廣之，我們可用之於段落和短文主題的歸納。
(2) 段落大意的歸納
Although most universities in the United States are run on a semester system, which offers classes in the fall and spring, some schools observe a quarter system comprised of fall, winter, spring, and summer quarters. The academic year, September to June, is divided into three quarters of eleven weeks each beginning in September, January, and March, the summer quarter, June to August is composed of shorter sessions of varying length. Students may take advantage of the opportunity to study year around by enrolling in all four quarters, Most students begin their programs in the fall quarter, but they may enter at the beginning of any of the other quarters.
A) Universities in the United States
B) The Academic Year
C) The Quarter System
D) The Semester System
本段由四個句子組成，各句大意分別為：1)有些學校實行四學期制；2)學年從9月至下年7月，前三個學期各長11周，夏季學期最短；3)學生可於任何學期註冊入學；4)但大多數學生秋季入學。通過上述四句大意的歸納，可知本段落主要講述美國大學的一種學期制，即Quarter System，答案為C。
(3) 短文主題的歸納
①Proponents of father-attended childbirth assert that the father’s experience encourages him to develop a closer bond with his child…
②As a father of three teenagers from a previous marriage, one man compared his past experience as a new father to being in the delivery room during the birth of his newborn daughter…
③ Women report that they are much less anxious and more aware of what is going on when their husbands are with them when they give birth…
A) The Father-Daughter Relationship
B) Baby’s First View of Life
C) Dad in the Delivery Room
文章共三段，分別給出了各段的主題句。第一段談贊成女子分娩時丈夫陪在其身邊的觀點並認為這一經歷有利於將來父子關係的發展；第二段從男子的角度談妻子分娩時陪在其身邊的感受；第三段則從女子自身的角度提到分娩時有丈夫在身邊會感到踏實、放心。通過對三段主題句的綜合概括，全文共同討論的是：女子分娩時要不要未來的父親候在產房，因此答案為C。
考生需具有一定的推理能力
推理
閲讀除了需要理解文章的字面語義外，更需要透過字裏行間領悟言外之意及作者的語氣、態度，這就要求讀者具有一定的推理能力。推理的前提就是閲讀到的有關文字——可能是短語或句子或整個段落甚至整篇短文。讀者必須由表及裏、由此及彼，從字裏行間悟出合乎作者本意的言外之意。推理的結果應是既來自於字裏行間、又高於字裏行間；既符合原文實際內涵，又超越實際內涵；既基於已知事實，又不僅僅是已知事實。
正確的推理要求：
1敝矣讜文，切忌用自己的觀點取代作者原意；
2弊⒁庾髡咔泊試煬淶奶氐愫頹閬潁客觀推測作者立場、觀點和寫作意圖；
3庇賞一已知事實可推出不止一個正確的結論。
例：Apart from the obvious fact that rioters tend to come from the less well-off section of the community, there is no evidence that economic circumstances have any causal relationship with street violence.
A) There is some evidence for relating economic circumstances to street violence.
B) Not all the people in the community referred to are poor.
C) There is no evidence that economic circumstances result from street viloence.
D) All rioters come from the poorer section of the community.
本例中，只有A可由原文推知，其中Apart from所引述的正是經濟環境與暴力的一種相關性；C否定了這一相關性，故與原文相悖；D與原句中“rioters tend to come from…”的原意不符：“往往”不等於“總是”；B則是原文第一部分的重述，不屬推論。
