掌握所讀材料的主旨和大意是正確理解全文的關(guān)鍵。對(duì)主題思想的提問是閱讀理解測(cè)試的必考題。但提問方式及用詞都有差異，這類題常見提問方式可歸納如下：
1. The main idea of this passage is _______
2. This passage tells us_______
3. Which of the following statements best expresses the main idea of the passage?
4. Which of the following sentences best summarizes the author's main point?
5. Which of the following best states the theme of the passage?
6. The subject matter of this selection is ______
7. The passage mainly discusses_______
8. This passage illustrates ______
9. This paragraph centers / focuses on ______
10. This passage mainly deals with ______
11. This passage is chiefly concerned with ______
12. The author's purpose in writing this passage is _______
13. What is the passage mainly about?
14. What is the best title of the passage?
15. The major point discussed in the passage is
解答這一類題目的基本方法如下：
A．找出主題句。首先要讀標(biāo)題，因?yàn)闃?biāo)題往往是主題句中的核心詞或概括性的詞。抓住全文中心思想的最快捷的途徑就是找出主題句。主題句一般位于文章或段落的開始，然后圍繞主題展開論述。因?yàn)樵S多作者喜歡采用從一般到個(gè)別的論證或敘述方式，即演繹法(deduction)。這是一種很常見的文章或段落的寫作形式。若作者采用歸納法(induction)，即從個(gè)別到一般來論證或敘述，主題旬就會(huì)位于段末。除此之外，主題句還有可能位于段落的中間。找到主題句后，就應(yīng)以它為標(biāo)準(zhǔn)，在解題時(shí)，凡是與主題句意思最接近的選項(xiàng)必然是正確的答案。
例1
In rock music there is a distinct and almost overwhelming beat．No single beat is characteristic of the music today. But each song has an easily recognizable rhythm．As you listen to a son9，your foot usually starts to pick up the beat．Before lon9，your entire body seems to be moving with it．Your head pounds with the beat，and there is no room for thought．Only the surge of the music is important．In its own way，rock music is as dominant as the rock Gibraltar. Its message is an evergrowing emotional one．
在這一段文章中 “In rock music there is a distinct and almost overwhelming beat.” 為主題句。beat則是句子的信息核心。該詞在第2、4、6句里重復(fù)出現(xiàn)，而第3句中的“rhythm”(節(jié)奏)跟“beat”(強(qiáng)烈的節(jié)奏)意思基本一致，這就保證了主題平穩(wěn)而持續(xù)的發(fā)展。請(qǐng)注意：第8、9句作者重申并總結(jié)了主題句，而不是說段末是主題句。
例2來源：考試大
The vegetable and fruit and flower merchants are surrounded by baskets of purple eggplants， green peppers，strings of tiny silvery onions，heads of bitter Indian spinach．a(chǎn)nd a dozen Indian vegetables for which I don’t even know the English names．I had forgotten about the profusion of fruit in India—it is only during the brief intense summer that you see much variety of fruit in Moscow. In Russia，as winter approaches all vegetables except for potatoes and the pervasive cabbage in soup seem to disappear from the menus．
主題句在中間的第二句“I had forgotten about the profusion of fruit in India—it is only during the brief intense summer that you see much variety of fruit in Moscow.”
例3
People live in cities today think that meat is something that comes wrapped in cellophane．from the supermarket，potatoes come by the pound in plastic or paper bags，and feather grows in hats. The city dwellers’ views are quite different from the views of their ancestors, who knew that? meat is hunted down in the forest，potatoes are planted and weeded，and only birds can produce1eathers. Yet, whether people today realize it or not，they are still as dependent on animals and plants for their existence as their ancestors were．
主題句為最后一句 “Yet，whether people today realize it or not，they are still as dependent on animals and plants for their existence as their ancestors were.”
以上為敘述的方便并考慮到篇幅的限制，只選單段短文為例。實(shí)際上閱讀理解題中大部分是多段短文。但主題句一般出現(xiàn)在起始段。
B．概括和歸納出主題思想。實(shí)際上，在閱讀理解測(cè)試部分有的文章是沒有主題句的。這是由于文章的體裁不同或是由于閱讀的短文是從篇幅較長(zhǎng)的文章中節(jié)選的。這時(shí)就要靠讀者自己進(jìn)行概括或歸納隱含的主題思想了。概括主題可以從歸納每段的要點(diǎn)開始(大部分閱讀理解短文都是由數(shù)段組成)，最后將各段要點(diǎn)集中概括并歸納出全文的主題思想。下面不妨考察幾個(gè)例子：
例4
A bus driver must answer questions while guiding a bus through heavy traffic. All day long, the driver answers the same questions without becoming angry. Every few minutes a bus driver has to ask passengers to step to the rear of the bus. In spite of traffic snarls and thoughtless passengers who cause delays, a bus driver is expected to cover his or her route on schedule.
這一段的隱含主題句可概括為“Driving a bus is hard work.”
例5
A green I-538 form is used by international students in order to obtain permission from the Immigration and Naturalization Service to transfer from one university to another in the United States. If you are planning to transfer, remember that you must obtain the permission before leaving the university where you are currently studying. You must complete the form I-538, have it signed by the foreign student advisor, and submit it to the District Office of the Immigration and Naturalization Service together with the form I-20 from the new school and the small, white form I-94 that was affixed to your passport when you entered the country.
Submitting the signed 1-538 and other documents does not insure permission to transfer. Only an official of Immigration can decide each case. Students who have not completed one term of study at the school that issued them their first I-20 are not advised to file for permission to transfer until they have completed one term.
這篇短文的隱含主題旬可歸納為 “What should an international student d0．if he or she wants to transfer from one university to another in the United States.”
1. The main idea of this passage is _______
2. This passage tells us_______
3. Which of the following statements best expresses the main idea of the passage?
4. Which of the following sentences best summarizes the author's main point?
5. Which of the following best states the theme of the passage?
6. The subject matter of this selection is ______
7. The passage mainly discusses_______
8. This passage illustrates ______
9. This paragraph centers / focuses on ______
10. This passage mainly deals with ______
11. This passage is chiefly concerned with ______
12. The author's purpose in writing this passage is _______
13. What is the passage mainly about?
14. What is the best title of the passage?
15. The major point discussed in the passage is
解答這一類題目的基本方法如下：
A．找出主題句。首先要讀標(biāo)題，因?yàn)闃?biāo)題往往是主題句中的核心詞或概括性的詞。抓住全文中心思想的最快捷的途徑就是找出主題句。主題句一般位于文章或段落的開始，然后圍繞主題展開論述。因?yàn)樵S多作者喜歡采用從一般到個(gè)別的論證或敘述方式，即演繹法(deduction)。這是一種很常見的文章或段落的寫作形式。若作者采用歸納法(induction)，即從個(gè)別到一般來論證或敘述，主題旬就會(huì)位于段末。除此之外，主題句還有可能位于段落的中間。找到主題句后，就應(yīng)以它為標(biāo)準(zhǔn)，在解題時(shí)，凡是與主題句意思最接近的選項(xiàng)必然是正確的答案。
例1
In rock music there is a distinct and almost overwhelming beat．No single beat is characteristic of the music today. But each song has an easily recognizable rhythm．As you listen to a son9，your foot usually starts to pick up the beat．Before lon9，your entire body seems to be moving with it．Your head pounds with the beat，and there is no room for thought．Only the surge of the music is important．In its own way，rock music is as dominant as the rock Gibraltar. Its message is an evergrowing emotional one．
在這一段文章中 “In rock music there is a distinct and almost overwhelming beat.” 為主題句。beat則是句子的信息核心。該詞在第2、4、6句里重復(fù)出現(xiàn)，而第3句中的“rhythm”(節(jié)奏)跟“beat”(強(qiáng)烈的節(jié)奏)意思基本一致，這就保證了主題平穩(wěn)而持續(xù)的發(fā)展。請(qǐng)注意：第8、9句作者重申并總結(jié)了主題句，而不是說段末是主題句。
例2來源：考試大
The vegetable and fruit and flower merchants are surrounded by baskets of purple eggplants， green peppers，strings of tiny silvery onions，heads of bitter Indian spinach．a(chǎn)nd a dozen Indian vegetables for which I don’t even know the English names．I had forgotten about the profusion of fruit in India—it is only during the brief intense summer that you see much variety of fruit in Moscow. In Russia，as winter approaches all vegetables except for potatoes and the pervasive cabbage in soup seem to disappear from the menus．
主題句在中間的第二句“I had forgotten about the profusion of fruit in India—it is only during the brief intense summer that you see much variety of fruit in Moscow.”
例3
People live in cities today think that meat is something that comes wrapped in cellophane．from the supermarket，potatoes come by the pound in plastic or paper bags，and feather grows in hats. The city dwellers’ views are quite different from the views of their ancestors, who knew that? meat is hunted down in the forest，potatoes are planted and weeded，and only birds can produce1eathers. Yet, whether people today realize it or not，they are still as dependent on animals and plants for their existence as their ancestors were．
主題句為最后一句 “Yet，whether people today realize it or not，they are still as dependent on animals and plants for their existence as their ancestors were.”
以上為敘述的方便并考慮到篇幅的限制，只選單段短文為例。實(shí)際上閱讀理解題中大部分是多段短文。但主題句一般出現(xiàn)在起始段。
B．概括和歸納出主題思想。實(shí)際上，在閱讀理解測(cè)試部分有的文章是沒有主題句的。這是由于文章的體裁不同或是由于閱讀的短文是從篇幅較長(zhǎng)的文章中節(jié)選的。這時(shí)就要靠讀者自己進(jìn)行概括或歸納隱含的主題思想了。概括主題可以從歸納每段的要點(diǎn)開始(大部分閱讀理解短文都是由數(shù)段組成)，最后將各段要點(diǎn)集中概括并歸納出全文的主題思想。下面不妨考察幾個(gè)例子：
例4
A bus driver must answer questions while guiding a bus through heavy traffic. All day long, the driver answers the same questions without becoming angry. Every few minutes a bus driver has to ask passengers to step to the rear of the bus. In spite of traffic snarls and thoughtless passengers who cause delays, a bus driver is expected to cover his or her route on schedule.
這一段的隱含主題句可概括為“Driving a bus is hard work.”
例5
A green I-538 form is used by international students in order to obtain permission from the Immigration and Naturalization Service to transfer from one university to another in the United States. If you are planning to transfer, remember that you must obtain the permission before leaving the university where you are currently studying. You must complete the form I-538, have it signed by the foreign student advisor, and submit it to the District Office of the Immigration and Naturalization Service together with the form I-20 from the new school and the small, white form I-94 that was affixed to your passport when you entered the country.
Submitting the signed 1-538 and other documents does not insure permission to transfer. Only an official of Immigration can decide each case. Students who have not completed one term of study at the school that issued them their first I-20 are not advised to file for permission to transfer until they have completed one term.
這篇短文的隱含主題旬可歸納為 “What should an international student d0．if he or she wants to transfer from one university to another in the United States.”