1 、细节理解题 (questions of details)2 、词义猜测题 (words in context)3 、推理判断题 (questions of inference)4 、主旨归纳题 (main idea)

How to get the main idea?

主旨归纳题

Question forms:

主旨大意题主要考查考生在理解全文的基础上，运用概括、判断、归纳、推理等逻辑思维的方法对文章进行高度概括或总结的能力。多就文章的主要内容、主题或标题、作者的写作目的进行设问。常见的题干形式如下：

主旨大意题主要考查考生在理解全文的基础上，运用概括、判断、归纳、推理等逻辑思维的方法对文章进行高度概括或总结的能力。多就文章的主要内容、主题或标题、作者的写作目的进行设问。常见的题干形式如下：

大意类：The main idea of the passage is ...

What is the passage mainly about?

标题类：What's the best title / headline for the passage?

The best title for the passage might be ...

作者意图类：What's the writer's purpose in writing the passage ？ The author's purpose of writing this passage is …

What is topic, main idea of a passage or a paragraph?

1. 该主题是作者的观点（不是他人的观点，不是描写、说明，也不一定是事实）。2. 一个段落或一篇文章一般主题只能有一个，其他内容都起说明、论证作用。段落中其它句子或文章其它段落是用来解释、支撑或发展主题句所表述的主题思想。3. 主旨句一般是下定义，做一个判断，或陈述一个观点。

How to tell the wrong choices?

1、以偏概全，故意片面地理解文章，把文章中出现过的某一个观点当成整篇文章的主题。2、放大或缩小文章的主题，把文章的主题进行放大或者缩小。3 、偷换概念，把文章主题换成相关但不同的主题。

Techniques and Skills

1、正向法：速读文章，找主题句或自己概括主题，从选项中找出最符合的。2 、逆向法：假设题目中的选项为标题，其写法是否与所给文章一致。3 、统计法：有些段落文章有多个句子段落，各句段主题可能完全不同，此时应选择涉及最多的选项。

Have a try!How to get the main idea of a paragraph?

1 Smoking cigarettes is harmful to your health.

Experiments show that cigarette smoking can cause cancer. Besides the most serious and terrible disease(illness), cancer, cigarette smoking also can cause other health problems. For example, it can give one a “smoker’s cough”. Finally, studies have shown it is easy for cigarette smokers to catch colds. Whether you get an unimportant cold or terrible killer, cancer, smoking is harmful. Is it worth it? (1.5 分钟 )

A. Smoking can cause cancer.

B. Smoking is a terrible killer.

C. Smoking is harmful to our health.

D. An experiment on smoking.

Smoking cigarettes is harmful to your health.

2

Often no one looks more guilty than the innocent. On the other hand, nobody may look more innocent than a professional criminal. And the man who knows “everything” may really only be trying to hide his own weakness. So, it is foolish to try to judge a person only by his appearance. (1 分钟 )

What is the main idea of the passage? A. Professional criminals look more innocent

than others.

B. Don’t judge others by their appearance.

So, it is foolish to try to judge a person only by his appearance.

3 If you were planning to buy a television set, the

following advertisement would certainly draw your attention: “Color TV. Only $79. Two days sale. Hurry.” However, when you go to the store ready to buy. You may discover that they are sold out. But the shop assistant is quick to tell you that he has another model. A much better set which is “just right for you” It costs $395. This sales method is called “bait and switch”. Buyers are baited with a sales advertisement, and then they are switched to another more expensive one. (2.5分钟 )

The paragraph could be entitled _________. A. Buying A TV Set B. A Selling Method C. Buyer Beware D. TV Set on Sale

This sales method is called “bait and switch”.

(detail)

(detail)(detail)

(Point)

detail

4Tom studied four years at the University of Paris and decided to leave before his graduation. He trans-ferred to the University of Berlin and graduated with honors. Harvard Law School and, later, Boston College provided him with an excellent legal back-ground. He is presently a corporation lawyer in Miami, Florida. (2 分钟 )The main idea of this paragraph is that ______.A. Tom had studied at Paris and moved to another university.B. Tom became a lawyer after his graduation from College.C. Tom was an excellent student at Berlin university.D. Tom received an excellent education.

detail

detail

5

A couple of years ago, I took the family on a winter vacation to New York city to experience the holiday atmosphere. The longest lines that week weren’t in the hall of the Empire State building, at the Statue of Liberty ferry or any of New York's other landmarks, but in the square at Fifth avenue and 58 Street, where the crowd to get into FAO Schwarz (a toy store) snaked around the block.

The author wants to tell us _______ in this paragraph.

A. the distribution of people

B. the poor traffic conditions

C. the popularity of a toy store

D. the nice holiday atmosphere

Types of Paragraph Structures

Types The position of the topic Information words

At the beginning

At the end

In the middle

No clear topic sentence

for example……

so, therefore,……

Have a try!How to get the main idea of a passage?

details

Paragraph ideas

Passage idea

[1] Magellan’s men were the first to make the trip around the world. It took them more than two years to do so by ship.

[2] Magellan was from Portugal, but he sailed for the King of Spain. On September 20, 1519, he left Spain with five ships and 240 men. After passing the trip of South America, they reached the Pacific Ocean, on which they sailed more than one year. Very often they could not see a piece of land for months and they suffered greatly from the lack of food and fresh water. Many of them died of hunger and diseases. They even had to live on sawdust. Finally in April 1521, Magellan got to the Philippine Islands, where he was killed. His men fled and continued their voyage across the Indian Ocean. It was with the greatest difficulty that they passed the Cape of Good Hope. By the time they returned to Spain on December 21,1521, seven out of every eight men had died.

[3] Magellan’s voyage proved that men could sail around the world and that our earth is but a huge ball. (4 分钟 )

Which of the following do you think is the best title for this passage?A.Magellan’s death.B.Going around the World.C.The World Is Round.D.Magellan’s Voyage.

[1] Magellan’s men were the first to make the trip around the world. It took them more than two years to do so by ship.

Magellan’s voyage was the first trip around the world .

The process of M

agellan’s

long and difficult voyage

[2] Magellan was from Portugal, but he sailed for the King of Spain. On September 20, 1519, he left Spain with five ships and 240 men. After passing the tip of South America, they reached the Pacific Ocean, on which they sailed more than one year. Very often they could not see a piece of land for months and they suffered greatly from the lack of food and fresh water. Many of them died of hunger and diseases. They even had to live on sawdust. Finally in April 1521, Magellan got to the Philippine Islands, where he was killed. His men fled and continued their voyage across the Indian Ocean. It was with the greatest difficulty that they passed the Cape of Good Hope. By the time they returned to Spain on December 21,1521, seven out of every eight men had died.

[3] Magellan’s voyage proved that men could sail around the world and that our earth is but a huge ball.

Magellan’s voyage proved the earth is round.

[1] Magellan’s men were the first to make the trip around the world. It took them more than two years to do so by ship.

[2] Magellan was from Portugal, but he sailed for the King of Spain. On September 20, 1519, he left Spain with five ships and 240 men. After passing the trip of South America, they reached the Pacific Ocean, on which they sailed more than one year. Very often they could not see a piece of land for months and they suffered greatly from the lack of food and fresh water. Many of them died of hunger and diseases. They even had to live on sawdust. Finally in April 1521, Magellan got to the Philippine Islands, where he was killed. His men fled and continued their voyage across the Indian Ocean. It was with the greatest difficulty that they passed the Cape of Good Hope. By the time they returned to Spain on December 21,1521, seven out of every eight men had died.

[3] Magellan’s voyage proved that men could sail around the world and that our earth is but a huge ball. (4 分钟 )

Paragraph 1:

Magellan’s voyage was the first trip around the world .

Paragraph 2:The process of Magellan’s long difficult voyage

Paragraph 3: Magellan’s voyaged proved the earth is round.

Magellan’s voyage

Magellan’s men were the first to make the trip around the world. It took them more than two years to do so by ship.

Magellan was from Portugal, but he sailed for the King of Spain. On September 20, 1519, he left Spain with five ships and 240 men. After passing the trip of South America, they reached the Pacific Ocean, on which they sailed more than one year. Very often they could not see a piece of land for months and they suffered greatly from the lack of food and fresh water. Many of them died of hunger and diseases. They even had to live on sawdust. Finally in April 1521, Magellan got to the Philippine Islands, where he was killed. His men fled and continued their voyage across the Indian Ocean. It was with the greatest difficulty that they passed the Cape of Good Hope. By the time they returned to Spain on December 21,1521, seven out of every eight men had died.

Magellan’s voyage proved that men could sail around the world and that our earth is but a huge ball.

Which of the following do you think is the best title for this passage?

A. Magellan’s death.B. Going around the World.C. The World Is Round.D. Magellan’s Voyage.

(too narrow)

(too narrow)(too broad)

(just proper)

LAST TIPPut yourself in the writer’s shoes!