“方便”語出《法華經(jīng)·方便品》：“吾從成佛以來，種種因緣、種種譬喻，廣演言教，無數(shù)方便，引導(dǎo)眾生令離所執(zhí)?！北疚倪@里的所謂方便，理正為方，言巧稱便，就是根據(jù)形勢(shì)的變化（這里主要指針對(duì)新托?？荚?/a>的變化），選擇隨機(jī)應(yīng)變的教化機(jī)智，即學(xué)習(xí)方法。本文將深度剖析新托?？荚?/a>中閱讀部分的特點(diǎn)，目的在于一方面幫助考生全面而深刻地了解新托福閱讀部分的考試特點(diǎn)，另一方面幫助考生透徹地分析新托福閱讀部分考試的規(guī)律。?

一、新托?？荚囬喿x部分的六大變化

1. 新托?？荚囬喿x部分中的四個(gè)主要按鍵及功能

在新托?？荚囬喿x部分，閱讀文章出現(xiàn)在電腦屏幕的右邊（這和GRE機(jī)考形式恰好相反，因?yàn)樵贕RE機(jī)考閱讀部分，閱讀文章出現(xiàn)在電腦屏幕的左邊），而相應(yīng)的題目出現(xiàn)在電腦屏幕的左邊。因?yàn)槲恼潞荛L(zhǎng)，所以需要借助于滾動(dòng)條的滾動(dòng)，才能看到全文。在閱讀部分，考生可以通過點(diǎn)擊Next button向前瀏覽所有的問題，也可以通過點(diǎn)擊Back button回視前面的問題，并返回到文章的最開頭。托福閱讀部分還擁有一個(gè)review功能的按鍵，通過點(diǎn)擊Review button考生將會(huì)在Review Screen看到所有的問題，和看到這些問題的狀態(tài)---answered, not answered, not yet seen。最后，新托福的閱讀部分還有一個(gè)Help button，考生點(diǎn)擊這個(gè)按鍵之后，將會(huì)得到a list of topics for which helpful explanations are available。

2. 新托?？荚囬喿x部分的文章長(zhǎng)度、題目數(shù)量及考試時(shí)間均有變化

原有形式的托?？荚?/a>，其閱讀部分的時(shí)間為55分鐘，需要完成5篇文章，每篇文章的長(zhǎng)度在350字左右，每篇文章后面的題目數(shù)量在10道左右，也就是說題目的總數(shù)量為50道。而新托?？荚囬喿x部分的具體安排見下表：

READING SECTION

Reading Text??? Time Allowed? Length of Passage? Number of Questions
Passage 1????????? 20 minutes??? 600-700 words??????? 12-14
Passage 2????????? 20 minutes??? 600-700 words??????? 12-14
Passage 3????????? 20 minutes??? 600-700 words??????? 12-14
Passage 4 & 5??? 20 minutes??? 600-700 words??????? 12-14 each

需要注意的是：

(1) Passage 4 & 5屬于加試部分，即考生在閱讀部分所遇到的文章數(shù)量可能是3篇，也可能是5篇，那么相應(yīng)的考試的時(shí)間為60分鐘和100分鐘；
(2) 閱讀部分的考試時(shí)間是Preset的，即閱讀部分考試的總時(shí)間是固定不變的，但做每篇文章，做每道題目所花費(fèi)的時(shí)間由考生自己靈活掌握；
(3) 閱讀文章明顯增長(zhǎng)，達(dá)到了700字左右。

3. 新托?？荚囬喿x文章中的專業(yè)詞匯的處理和題目定位的處理均有變化

新托福閱讀部分一個(gè)非常glossary的特點(diǎn)是：A word in blue in a passage indicates that a definition is available for the word. Clicking on the word brings up this definition。也就是說凡是在閱讀文章中所遇到的生僻的專業(yè)詞匯，都會(huì)呈現(xiàn)出藍(lán)色，點(diǎn)擊后將會(huì)給出這個(gè)單詞的定義和解釋。

新托福閱讀部分中所有的關(guān)于Language Use的問題都是對(duì)文章中的一個(gè)單詞、一句話或者一個(gè)段落所發(fā)問的，并且對(duì)于此類題目定位處理上的一個(gè)最為鮮明的特點(diǎn)是：Whenever a question refers to a particular word or sentence in the passage, the word or sentence is highlighted. You don not need to search for it. Detail questions on TOEFL iBT identify the particular paragraph in which the answer can be found, so you do not need to scan the passage in order to find the location of an answer to a detail question.也就是說新托?？荚嚨拈喿x不再考察Language Use問題定位的能力。這大大降低了題目本身的難度。

4. 新托?？荚囬喿x部分中的干擾選項(xiàng)（distracter）的設(shè)置更為復(fù)雜

通過上面的第3點(diǎn)我們已經(jīng)知道在新托福閱讀部分考試中，很多的細(xì)節(jié)題目不再需要定位了，這就降低了題目本身的難度。ETS為了在題目難度上做一平衡，采取的方法是將干擾選項(xiàng)的設(shè)置變得更為復(fù)雜，大有向GRE靠攏的趨勢(shì)，不僅干擾選項(xiàng)增多，干擾性也明顯增強(qiáng)了，尤其對(duì)于Paraphrasing的題型顯得尤為突出。

5. 新托?？荚囬喿x部分的題型形式變化多端，分值也呈現(xiàn)出巨大變化

新托?？荚?/a>題目的形式變得多樣化了，相應(yīng)題目的分值也出現(xiàn)了巨大變化。我們可以把新托福中的閱讀題型分為三種：

(1) Click on One Answer: For this multiple-choice type of question, you will choose the best of four possible answers，此類題目是傳統(tǒng)的四選一的題目，其分值為1分；

(2) Add a Sentence: For this type of question, you will click on a square to add a sentence to the passage. 這種插入句子題的文章中有4個(gè)“[■]”，然后題目給考生一句話，問考生這句話應(yīng)該插在文章中哪一個(gè)所標(biāo)“[■]”的地方。一般，題目的提問方式是這樣的：Look at the four squares [■] that indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage，此類題目的分值也為1分；

(3) Drag Answer Choices: 此類題型在做法上的最大特點(diǎn)在于它不是要求點(diǎn)擊選項(xiàng)，而是拖拉考生認(rèn)為正確的選項(xiàng)到相應(yīng)的表格中。其具體形式又可以分為兩大類，而其分值也會(huì)隨著具體形式的變化而變化：

A. Summarizing the Most Important Points題型:

此類題目的提問方式是這樣的：An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage is provided below. Complete the summary by selecting the THREE answer choices that express the most important ideas in the passage. Some sentenced do not belong in the summary because they express ideas that are not presented in the passage or are minor ideas in the passage。

這類題目主要考查了考生對(duì)于重要論據(jù)和重要觀點(diǎn)的掌握，分值為2分，具體評(píng)分規(guī)則如下：
Points Possible?? Answers Correct??? Points Earned?

3 points????????????? 3?????????????????????? 2
????????????????????????? 2?????????????????????? 1
??????????????????????? 0--1???????????????????? 0

B. Understanding details as they relate to the main idea (schematic table)題型：

此類題型主要考查了考生對(duì)于結(jié)構(gòu)重要信息的掌握，其提問方式是：Select the appropriate sentences from the answer choices and match them to the type of ---- that they describe. TWO of the answer choices will NOT be used。根據(jù)answer choices的數(shù)量，7個(gè)中選5個(gè)或者9個(gè)中選7個(gè)歸類，其相應(yīng)的分值為3分和4分。具體評(píng)分規(guī)則如下：

Points Possible??? Answers Correct??? Points Earned

3 Points???????????????????????????????

???????????????????????? 5?????????????????? 3
???????????????????????? 4?????????????????? 2
???????????????????????? 3?????????????????? 1
?????????????????????? 0--2???????????????? 0
4 Points????????????????

???????????????????????? 7?????????????????? 4
???????????????????????? 6?????????????????? 3
???????????????????????? 5?????????????????? 2
???????????????????????? 4?????????????????? 1
??????????????????????? 0—3???????????????? 0

6. 新托?？荚囬喿x部分增加了4種題型

新托?？荚囬喿x部分增加了4種題型，分別是Paraphrasing題型（同義改寫題型），Understanding Coherence題型（插入句子題型），Organization Information題型（結(jié)構(gòu)信息表格題型），Summarizing the Most Important Points題型（總結(jié)重要觀點(diǎn)題型）。

二、以一篇文章現(xiàn)場(chǎng)感受新托福閱讀考試的特點(diǎn)

將文章發(fā)給聽眾，現(xiàn)場(chǎng)感受一下，新托福的文章的特點(diǎn)

The Underground Railroad

The Underground Railroad was one of the most fascinating and gripping phenomena to emerge from the brutal period of American slavery. In fact, it was neither underground nor any kind of railroad, but an intricate, loosely organized, and highly secretive network of people dedicated to helping black slaves escape from bondage in the southern states to freedom in the northern United States, Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean. Because few of its members dared to keep records of their activities, much of the Railroad’s history has been transmitted orally, or lost. Nevertheless, it is possible to reconstruct a vivid picture of the people involved and the great challenges they faced.

Established as early as the late 16th century, when the first captive laborers were brought to the New World from Africa, the Railroad consisted of an informal arrangement of “stationmasters”—people who provided food and refuge, their “station”—the houses, shops, or barns where they provided shelter, and “conductors”—those who guided escaped slaves along the difficult routes to safety. All kinds of people worked on the Railroad, including preachers, politicians, farmers, storekeepers, former slaves, and even Native American. Most had no knowledge that they worked as part of an organization that reached all across the United States—but they were united by their hatred of the institution of slavery and their desire to help those struggling to escape.

Perhaps the most famous of Railroad workers was Harriet Tubman. Born a slave in Maryland, Tubman escaped through the Railroad at the age of 25, and eventually became a conductor herself. Over a ten—year period, she made nearly 20 trips back into the South to lead to safety many members of her family, and dozens of others besides, perhaps as many as 300 in all.

The conditions faced by runaways were severe. Often forced to travel at night, they would navigate by the North Star. Rivers, swamps, and forests lay in their way. They could carry little food, and depended on stationmasters and conductors to keep them from starvation. Sometimes the lucky ones could travel by wagon, ship, or horse, but most had to go on foot. If they were unable to actually leave the southern states, they might have no choice but to take up residence deep in swamps or in mountainous areas, separated from their families and isolated from the world, or to join communities of Native Americans.

The risks faced by fugitives were formidable Recapture was unthinkable. Escapees would endure terrible punishments, including mutilation or amputation of limbs, harder labor even than before was virtually guaranteed, or sale “down the river”—deeper into the South and even farther from freedom. After the Fugitive Slave Law was passed in 1850, a new class of professional slave—hunters arose, paid handsomely to catch runway slaves and return them to their owners; they could even pursue their quarry into the free northern regions. Young men were the most successful in traveling the Railroad, though sometimes women and children would also manage to escape. Strength and speed were critical. Slaves would occasionally employ disguises, trying to pass themselves as messengers on errands, or even, in the case of the lighter—skinned slaves, as whites. Holidays and weekends were the best times to escape, or any other circumstance that permitted a head start on the authorities.

Activities on the Railroad reached a peak in the last few decades before the outbreak of the American Civil War in 1861.The great political tension created by the institution of slavery was already tearing the country apart. Whites in the South generally felt that slavery was an indispensable part of their culture. Their economy certainly depended on it, and moreover, they resented being dictated to from the North and from Washington. Those in the North, on the other hand, could only see the brutality in slavery, and the hypocrisy it meant in a country claiming to be founded on the principle of freedom and equality for all mankind. Though terribly destructive, the Civil War ultimately settled the question, and with the ratification of the 13th amendment to the U.S. Construction on December 18, 1865, it became law what “neither slavery nor involuntary servitude…shall exist in the United States.”

三、結(jié)束語

談到這里，我們已經(jīng)將新托?？荚囬喿x部分的特點(diǎn)做了詳盡地剖析，同時(shí)也比較深刻和全面地分析了如何做到substantial understanding的問題，也就是給出了方法論的問題。有了這樣的方法論，其余的工作應(yīng)該是會(huì)水到渠成的。最后想用三句話來結(jié)束本文，希望這三句話能給在新托福征途上的考生以鼓勵(lì)和啟迪：Nothing more than diligence can predict your success。If you lie upon roses when young, you’ll lie upon thorns when old. With time and patience the leaf of the mulberry becomes satin.??