第六講 如何做概括大意題
1、題型介紹
概括大意這一題型在 職稱 英語等級考試中是新題型。在國內其它的大規模的英語考試均未出現過。 這種題型是先給出一篇短文，一般由一段組成，每段說明一個主題。其主題可以用一個或幾個單詞概括出來，該單詞或詞組是不完整的，即有一個單詞是空出來的，但其第一個或前幾個字母已經給出，需要考生在理解每段文字內容的基礎上把空缺的字母給補上，使之構成一個完整的單詞。這種題型有點像大家平常所說的畫龍點睛或高度概括的意思。事實上，大家可以把每一個段落看作一篇小短文，內容有了，標題不完整，考生要做的工作就是來把這個標題補全或來命這個標題。
2、測試點
顯而易見，這種題型的測試點就是考查考生抓大意的能力，即大綱規定的應該學會的閱讀能力的第一條。要概括短文的大意，就要第一了解原文。原文讀不懂自然總結不出來。把大意概括出來，還要能找出適合的英文單詞，還要能寫出這個單詞，所以概括大意這種題型同時又考了 詞語 量和拼寫。
因為這種題型也比較新穎，對考生可能有點不適應，不知怎么樣下手。其實，這種題型相對來講不算難。上面大家談到，概括大意這種題型的實質是讓考生給每段文字命一個小標題。而要命出這個標題來就需要確定每段文字的主題 思想 .怎么樣確定文章和主題思想？考慮考慮大家的寫作和邏輯思維過程，這個問題就容易回答了。大家在寫一篇短文時，總要分幾個段落來寫，而每個段落都有我們的一個看法、論點或主旨。要講解它，作者就需要展開他的看法或論點，必須要作補充、說明、講解或舉例，以支持所提出的問題。反映作者看法、論點或主旨的這個句子一般叫做主題句。主題句總是體現了每一段或整個文章的主題思想。那樣，找到了段落的主題句，就等于抓住了它的主題思想，抓住了它的主題思想，標題就容易確定了。看來，要概括出每段的段落大意，就需要先找到每段的主題句。
在如何做閱讀理解題第一講中，大家詳細介紹了怎么樣通過找主題句來抓文章的大意，即解答主旨類題目。這里就不再重復了。下面大家通過一個具體的實例來講怎么樣解答概括大意這種題目，并指出解題的步驟。
Singapore
1. In______________ to singapore .
Singapore is an independent city-state in southeastern Asia, consisting of one major island - the Singapore Island - and more than 50 small islands, located off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula. The city of Singapore, the capital of the country, is at the southeastern end of the Singapore Island; it is one of the most important port cities and commercial centers of Southeast Asia. The total area of the republic is 640 sq.km.
2. L____________ and Climate.
Low-lying Singapore Island has no outstanding relief （輪廓鮮明的）features. A central area of hills rises to the maximum height of 176 m. The country has a wet tropical climate, with an average annual temperature of 27.20 C. The average annual precipitation is 2,413 mm; the wettest months are November through January.
3. State sy_________ of Singapore . Singapore is governed under a constitution of 1959, as amended1 （修改后的）. A president, elected to a four-year term is head of state, and a prime minister is head of government. The president used to be elected by Parliament, but by a 1991 constitutional amendment2 （修正）, the president is now elected directly by the people. The parliament is the law-making body with its 81 members populary elected.
4. E_____________.
In the late 1980s the country had some 290 primary schools with 278,300 pupils and 160 s***ndary schools with 200,200 students. The main institutions of higher education are the National University of Singapore （founded in 1980 with the combination of two major universities）, several technical colleges, and a teachers college.
5. E_______________ of Singapore .
Singapore has one of the highest standards of living of any country in Asia. In the late 1980s the gross domestic product was estimated at $23.7 billion, or $ 8,870 per person. The fishing industry is centered on the port of During, on southwestern Singapore Island. Industry has grown rapidly since the 1960s, and singapore now produces a persity （多元化的）of goods, including chemicals, electronic items, clothing, and processed foods, etc. Ship building and petroleum3 refining are also important.
這是一篇關于新加坡的文章。大家先看一段。上面大家說了，在做概括大意這種題目時，先找段落的主題句。第一段仿佛沒哪一句話能概括全段的主題思想。這種段落是無主題句段落。敘述的都是細節內容。這個時候要依據段落論述的中心或焦點進行提煉，跳出具體細節，從整體上把握段落，概括出全段的大意。本段涉及到新加坡的地點、國土面積，首都等，顯然是對新加坡的一個簡單介紹。介紹的英文單詞是introduction，所以該段的小標題為Introduction to Singapore.
下面大家來看第二段。發現這一段也均為情節句， 沒一句概括性的句子，表明該段也無主題句段落。這就需要大家依據細節內容把該段的主題概括出來。該段的前兩句講到新加坡島地勢不高，中部有的小山，最高只有176米。下面說的是該國氣候是熱帶雨林氣候，年平均溫度在攝氏27.2度，年平均降雨量為2,413毫米，11月至1月份雨量最為充沛。由此看來，該段講的是新加坡的地勢及氣候的狀況。原小標題中已給出了氣候這個詞，空出來的單詞給出了第一個字母L，所以這里應填Land.
那樣第三段的標題該如何命呢？不難看出，該段的第一句為主題句。說的是新加坡是根據1959年修正后的憲法來治國的。下面展開敘述，均為細節內容。如總統為國家元首，四年一任，總理為政府首腦。過去總統由議會選出，依據地991年修正的憲法，目前總統由國民直接選取出。議會是制定法律的機關等。由此看來， 這一段是在敘述國家的體制，即State System.
第四段好像也沒主題句。但該段的內容非常明顯，是在講新加坡的教育狀況，所以小標題為Education.
大家再來剖析一下第五段。這一段的第一句話顯然是該段的主題句，它說的是新加坡在海量亞洲國家里享有較高的生活質量。為何說新加坡人民的生活質量高呢？下面的每句話都圍繞這一主題展開論述。第一講在八十年代后期新加坡的國內生產總值達237億USD，人均八千多USD。接著講新加坡的漁業。再接著講自六十年代以來，新加坡的工業飛速發展，并能生產出各種商品。最后又講新加坡的造船業和石油加工工業也非常重要。這類都是細節內容，是為支持主題句而服務的。依據本段的主題句，大家就能概括出它的標題。新加坡人民生活質量高說明經濟發達。所以該段的標題應該是Economy of Singapore（新加坡的經濟）。下面敘述的細節也是有關新加坡的經濟狀況的。標題中給出的字母E即起到了揭示用途，同時也起到了限定有哪些用途。它揭示大家要填Economy這個詞，而且限定大家只能填這個詞。Women's Rights Movement .
46. R of Women
Women's
rights are guarantees of political, social, and ***nomic equality for women in a society that traditionally gives more power and freedom to men. Among these rights are control of property, equality of opportunity in education and employment, right of voting, and freedom of marriage. Today, complete political, ***nomic, and social equality with men remains4 to be achieved.
47. Traditional Sta of Women.
Male control was obvious from the time of the earliest written historical r***rds, Probably as a result of men's role in hunting and warfare5. The belief that women were naturally weaker and inferior to men was also found in god-centered religions. Therefore, in most traditional societies, women generally were at a disadvantage. Their education was limited to learning domestic skills, and they had no access to positions of power. A woman had no legal control over her person, her own land and money, or her children.
48. S of Women's Rights Movement.
The Age of Enlightenment （啟蒙時期）and the Industrial Revolution, which caused ***nomic and social progress, provided a favorable climate for the rise of women's rights movement in the late 18th and the 19th century. In 1848 more than 100 persons held the first women's rights convention in New York, and the feminists6 （女權主義者） demanded equal rights, including the vote.
49. Dev.
In the late 1960s women made up about40 percent of the work force in England, France, Germany, and the United States. This figure rose to more than 50 percent by the mid-1980s. A commission under the President was established in 1960 to consider equal opportunities for women. Acts of Congress entitled them to equality in education, employment, and legal rights. In 1964 the Civil Rights Act, initially7 intended only for blacks, was extended to women.
50. Go.
The objectives of the women's movement included equal pay for equal work, federal support for day-care centers, r***gnition for lesbian （女人同性戀） rights, making abortion8 （墮胎） legal, and the focus of serious attention on the problems of forced sex relations, wife and child beating, and discrimination against （歧視） older and minority women.
46. 本題答案為Rights.回答這種問題，重點是找出每段的主題句，主題句找出來后，大意基本上就能概括出來了。這一段的主題句顯然是第一句話，概念婦女的權利包含那幾個方面的內容。所以空格處應填Rights.
47. 本題答案為Status.本段的主題句在段落中間，即這句話：Therefore, in most traditional societies, women generally were at a disadvantage. 這句話也就反映了過去婦女的地位。地位是Status.
48. 本題答案為Start.這一段主要敘述的是婦女運動何時開始的。依據信號詞rise就能把答案做出來。
49. 本題答案為Developments.這一段接著上一段進一步介紹婦女運動的進步狀況，顯然標題應該是Developments.除此之外，因為空格處已經給出三個字母，該題相對容易多了。
50. 本題答案為Goals.整段內容說明婦女運動的目的，原文中的目的用的objective這個詞，換一個意義相近的詞，就是goal.所以，依據信號詞objective，大家會想到答案應該為Goals.
3、解題步驟
以上大家介紹了概括大意的測試點及解題辦法。考生在做這部分題目時應注意：
1. 先看大標題，然后仔細閱讀每段文字，理解段落的首句及尾句，盡可能找到段落的主題句。
2. 理解段落中句子之間的相互關系。假如段落的第一句或前兩句是概括性的句子，緊接著開始論述細節，從而可以確定段首句為主題句。假如從首句就開始論述細節，到尾句才進行概括或總結，說明尾句是主題句。假如首句和尾句都是陳述句，而在段中出現一句概括性的句子，說明該句是主題句，概括了全段的中心 思想 .假如全段均為情節句，沒一句概括性的句子，表明這是無主題句的段落。這個時候要概括段落論述的中心或焦點進行提煉。跳出具體細節，從整體上把握段落，概括出全段的大意。
3. 小標題與大標題對照。找出每一個段落的主題句并概括出其大意后，反過來再看文章的大標題，看看每段的主題是否文章大主題的分主題。經過從宏觀到頹，從頹再到宏觀這兩上過程就能保證把小標題命出來。
4. 注意詞的形式。因為所需補全的詞一般多為名詞，要從邏輯上考慮是用名詞的單數還是用復數。假如需要補全的詞前后還有其它的詞時，注意該詞與其它詞的搭配關系。