第二讲：如何抓主题思想How to Get the Main Idea

常见的提问方式• 1. The main (central, principal) idea of this

passage is .• 2. The main idea of this selection may be best

expressed as .• 3. The main theme (topic) of the passage is .• 4. The passage is mainly about .• 5. This passage deals mainly (primarily) with ----.

6. The author’s purpose in writing this passage is

7. The main purpose of the passage is .

8. The best (most appropriate) title of this passage is .

9.What is the subject (the main idea) of this passage?

10. What is the author’s purpose in writing the passage?

11. What is the passage mainly about?

12. Which of the following statements best expresses the main idea of the passage?

13. Which of the following can be the best title of the passage?14. Which of the following best summarizes the author’s opinion?15. What would be the most appropriate title for this passage?

二、学会识别文章中那些最根本、最具有概括力的信息。

这种信息应当能够归纳和概括文章中其他信息所具有的共性。

Example 1:Directions: Choose the most general word.A. chemist B. physicist C. scientist D. biologist

Example 2:Directions: Choose the most general sentence.A. The hotel offers complimentary coffee from 7 to 10 a.m. daily.B. There are many reasons why guests feel at home at the Glorietta Bay Inn.C. The coin-operated laundry room has an ironing board.D. There are a number of extra services at the Glorietta Bay In including baby-sitting.

Example 3:Directions: Choose the main idea of an article. 1. A mounting body of evidences suggests that fighting violence with violence rarely deters a crime in progress and greatly increases the chances of changing a robbery into a violent attack on the victim. … 2. One report shows that at least 100 thousand handguns are stolen from private owners each year, the vast majority during burglaries … 3. Moreover, a study of robberies in eight American cities states that in less than 4 percent of the crimes did the victim have the opportunity to use a weapon. …

Which of the following best reflects the main idea

of the article? A. What Happens to the Victims of Crime? B. Is Your Family Safe? C. Should You Arm yourself Against Crime? D. Many Handguns Are Stolen in America.

三、主题思想应当能够恰如其分地概括文章中所阐述的内容。

主题思想应当能够恰如其分地概括文章中所阐述的内容，但是要注意，面不能太窄，也不能太宽。

Example 4Directions: Read the following passage and choose the best central idea. Sugar history in the Hawaiian Islands is filled with pioneering. In sailing ship days, Hawaiian sugar growers were many months from sources of supplies and from markets. This isolation built up among the Hawaiian growers an enduring spirit of cooperation. Growers shared with one another improvements in production. Without government aid of any sort, they built great irrigation projects. Without government help, they set up their own research and experiment organization. Pioneering together over the years, they have provided Hawaii with its largest industry.

A. In sailing days, Hawaiian sugar growers were many months away from supplies and markets. B. Hawaiian sugar growers built their great industry without government help.C. Hawaiian sugar growers have set up their own research organization and have share improvements. D. By pioneering together, sugar growers have provided Hawaii with its largest industry.

Example 5Directions: Read the following and choose the title that best expresses the idea of the passage. There is a simple economic principle used to determine prices. It is called the law of supply and demand. Supply means the amount of, or access to, certain goods. Demand represents the number of people who want those goods. If there are more goods than wanted, the price of them falls. On the other hand, if the demand for those goods is much greater than the supply, then the price rises. Of course, manufacturers prefer to sell more goods at increased prices.

A. Economic PrinciplesB. Law of Supply and DemandC. More Goods, Lower PricesD. Fewer Goods, Higher Prices

Example 6Directions: Read the following passage and select the most appropriate title. According to legend, the gods of the ancient Greeks lived in the clouds on the top of Mount Olympus. Zeus, the father of the gods, carried a bolt of lightning in his hand and ruled like an earthly king. Apollo was the sun god and his beams were golden arrows; he shielded the flocks of sheep and the fields of grain. Athena was the warrior goddess, standing in shining armor ready to protect the Greek cities. There were other gods as well, all with familiar human characteristics, but these were the leading gods.

A. The Gods of the Ancient GreeksB. The Legend of the Sky God ZeusC. Beliefs of the Ancient GreeksD. Religions of the Past

四、要特别注意文章的开头和结尾，善于捕捉主 题句 (Topic Sentence) 。 一篇文章的中心思想常常由主题句表达。主题句常常位于段首 或者段尾处，间或出现在段落中间。同样，一篇文章的中心思想也常常在开始段或者结尾段里点出。所以，在阅读中，要特别注意文章的开头和结尾。

Example 7 English is clearly an international language. It is spoken by pilots and airport control operators on all the airways of the world. Over 70 percent of the world’s radio programs are in English.

Example 8 Some students prefer a strict teacher who tells them exactly what to do. Others prefer to be left to work on their own. Still others like a democratic discussion type of class. No one teaching method can be devised to satisfy all students at the same time.

Example 9 For adults a cold is not that serious. However, this is not the case for children. Cold symptoms in children may be signs of more serious diseases and should be given prompt medical attention.

Example 10 It’s no wonder that we have so many rejections for physical reasons in our Selective Service( 义务兵役制 ). Since October of 1948, some six million young men have been examined for military duty. Of these, more than a million were rejected as physically unfit for military service. To get two men today, the United States Army must call seven men. Of the fire rejected three are turned down for physical reasons and two for mental problems. To get the 196 thousand additional men we needed for Berlin, the government had to call up 750 thousand men. And the rejection rate is increasing each year. The reason for this problem is that we are underexercised as a nation. We look, instead of play. We ride, instead of walk. The way we live prevents us from being healthy.

本讲小结： 在确定一篇文章的中心思想是，通常可以通过“快读”的方法，从头至尾地把全文浏览一遍，注意快读过程中，不要因个别生词或难句而停顿下来。要从上下文的连贯意思上来理解全文，仔细琢磨全文谈论的究竟是什么主题、作者从哪几个方面来进行论述、有关这个主题我们了解了什么。这样，就可以比较有把握地概括出主题思想了。