通過幾個(gè)具體例子來感性體會(huì)所謂隱蔽和出題點(diǎn)的概念。先從一道No題中的難題開始。在一篇關(guān)于有氧代謝和無氧糖酵解的生命科學(xué)文章中,第三段有這樣一個(gè)長(zhǎng)達(dá)數(shù)行的難句子: With the conclusion of a burst of activity, the lactic acid level is high in the body fluids, leaving the large animal vulnerable to attack until the acid is reconverted, via oxidative metabolism, by the liver into glucose, which is then sent (in part) back to the muscles for glycogen resynthesis.

面對(duì)這樣一個(gè)充斥著煩難專業(yè)名詞的難句,很多同學(xué)讀完之后幾乎當(dāng)場(chǎng)暈倒。這里重點(diǎn)強(qiáng)調(diào)的不是句子本身的結(jié)構(gòu)和各因素相互之間的制約聯(lián)系。而是因?yàn)檫@句難句對(duì)應(yīng)了一道非常有代表性的羅馬數(shù)字類型題。

It can be inferred from the passage that the time required to replenish muscle glycogen following anaerobic

glycolysis is determined by which of the following factors?

I. Rate of oxidative metabolism

II. Quantity of lactic acid in the body fluids

III. Percentage of glucose that is returned to the muscles

(A) I only

(B) III only

(C) I and II only

(D) I and III only

(E) I, II, and III

題目問及無氧糖酵解過程轉(zhuǎn)化糖原時(shí)間和哪些因素有關(guān)?有氧代謝率和乳酸本身含量是比較明顯的因素。然而根據(jù)本人實(shí)際教學(xué)中的反饋,這道題的正確率非常低,原因主要是由于III項(xiàng)的現(xiàn)場(chǎng)爭(zhēng)議。當(dāng)提醒學(xué)員句子中括號(hào)包含的in part短短兩詞時(shí),往往得到的是豁然開朗的嘆氣。試想,在考試中讀到這樣一個(gè)復(fù)雜冗長(zhǎng)的句子時(shí),沒有經(jīng)過訓(xùn)練的考生是非常難在第一時(shí)間注意到這樣兩個(gè)不起眼的小詞的。所以本題選E選項(xiàng),同時(shí)受三個(gè)因素影響。

再看一個(gè)同樣也是生命科學(xué)文章的例子。這次不是以復(fù)雜機(jī)制作為隱蔽方法。文章主要內(nèi)容是各種復(fù)雜理論來解釋為什么動(dòng)植物中的雌雄比例大致相等。文中一段末句提到:Although Fisher wrote before the mathematical theory of games had been developed, his theory incorporates the essential feature of a game — that the best strategy to adopt depends on what others are doing.

這句話文字難度不大,但是這里是全文唯一一次提到game一詞的地方。之后文章就詳細(xì)展開關(guān)于Fisher的具體理論和機(jī)理。之后提問:

According to the passage, successful game strategy depends on

(A) the ability to adjust one's behavior in light of the behavior of others

(B) one's awareness that there is safety in numbers

(C) the degree of stability one can create in one's immediate environment

(D) the accuracy with which one can predict future events

(E) the success one achieves in conserving and storing one's resources

閱讀功底一般的同學(xué)讀到這里,頓時(shí)就停在那里。因?yàn)槲闹芯谷惶岬竭^一個(gè)理論叫g(shù)ame,對(duì)他來說早已“相見不如懷念了”。此時(shí)要么全文重新檢索,要么無奈的放棄。這種細(xì)節(jié)定位題貌似簡(jiǎn)單,其實(shí)殺傷力是極其巨大的。筆者教學(xué)過程中一直強(qiáng)調(diào)的是讀文章時(shí)就盡量形成預(yù)測(cè)考點(diǎn)的感覺,不然這種細(xì)節(jié)是很難找到的,即使后期水平上升到很高的境界。仔細(xì)觀察對(duì)應(yīng)的出題點(diǎn),標(biāo)點(diǎn)符號(hào)破折號(hào)“——”其實(shí)已經(jīng)隱蔽地暗示了此處敘述的重要性。正確選項(xiàng)A,depend on改寫為in light of, behavior of others概括了文中的what others are doing。

當(dāng)然,這些隱蔽的考點(diǎn)不光存在于理科文章中。文學(xué)評(píng)論文章中這條規(guī)律往往“老樹開新花”,有另外一種變化。簡(jiǎn)單先看一個(gè)例子:Their present high standing is due to a different, more democratic political climate and to different aesthetic values: we no longer require artists to provide ideal images of humanity for our moral edification but rather regard such idealization as a falsification of the truth.

這篇文章是分析了Francoise Duparc的作品及當(dāng)時(shí)不流行的原因。短文章第一題:

According to the passage, modern viewers are not likely to value which of the following qualities in a painting?

(A) The technical elements of the painting

(B) The spontaneity of the painting

(C) The moral lesson imparted by the painting:

(D) The degree to which the painting realistically depicts its subject

(E) The degree to which the artist's personality is revealed in the painting

作為短文章第一題的難度,本來應(yīng)該是比較低,容易上手的。但是實(shí)際學(xué)生反映看到題干的modern viewers沒有印象,無法在原文找到這題的合理定位,宛如遭到當(dāng)頭棒喝??陀^分析,如果題干做同義改寫(Paraphrase),題目的難度一定大大升高。仔細(xì)分析題干,其實(shí)這個(gè)viewers是復(fù)數(shù)泛指,類似于一大類泛指化題型。這種題型最怕文中對(duì)Francoise Duparc的評(píng)價(jià)做隨意歸納,把特點(diǎn)推廣到現(xiàn)代觀察者,因?yàn)檫@樣的解題思路不能保證“放之四海皆準(zhǔn)”。其實(shí)這道題的解題定位就是冒號(hào):之后的we(等價(jià)于題干的modern viewers)這個(gè)詞。這里的同義改寫即是正確選項(xiàng)C。

最后看一個(gè)No.9中Emily Bronte呼嘯山莊前后部分是否統(tǒng)一的例子。這篇文章本身不僅學(xué)術(shù)含義很深,沒有一定積累的考生較難理解。其文字難度也絕對(duì)不低。文中末尾提到:

However, any interpretation that seeks to unify all of the novel’s diverse element is bound to be somewhat

unconvincing. This is not because such an interpretation necessarily stiffens into a thesis (although rigidity

in any interpretation of this or any novel is always a danger), but because Wuthering Heights has recalcitrant

elements of undeniable power that, ultimately, resist inclusion in an all-encompassing interpretation.

這個(gè)例子是最能體現(xiàn)ETS出題點(diǎn)口味的,比上面的例子更具普遍意義??次恼潞竺鎲栴}:

The author of the passage would be most likely to agree that an interpretation of a novel should

(A) not try to unite heterogeneous elements in the novel

(B) not be inflexible in its treatment of the elements in the novel

(C) not argue that the complex use of narrators or of time shifts indicates a sophisticated structure

(D) concentrate on those recalcitrant elements of the novel that are outside the novel’s main structure

(E) primarily consider those elements of novelistic construction of which the author of the novel was aware

這道題題干中的an和a提示了泛指化的題型。仔細(xì)閱讀原文選段,不難發(fā)現(xiàn)這個(gè)離題的敘述內(nèi)容出現(xiàn)在不成立的原因半句的括號(hào)中的讓步語氣中的延伸敘述部分。試想當(dāng)?shù)谝淮伍喿x該文時(shí),這里究竟是重要還是不重要?