托福阅读结构的类型

很多考托福的学生经常觉得托福阅读的文章读起来枯燥无味，感觉每个句子之间关系都不大，读着后面就忘记了前面。下面就来说说托福阅读结构的类型，千万别错过。

托福阅读结构的类型

一、学术性文章结构

在学术性文章中，一般需要具备三个组成部分:

话题：即这篇文章的主角是什么。例如，讲解某个科学理论，研究某种社会现象，讨论历史事件等。在托福考试中，这类导入性信息经常出现在文章的首段。

考生可以根据文章首段信息对整篇文章所要讨论的核心内容有所了解。

方面:即将文章首段的话题延伸拓展到几个方面来进行阐述说明。如果主题是某个科学论点，则方面可能分为若干个支持论据;如果话题是某种自然现象，则方面可以分为若干个内因和外因;如果话题是某一历史事件，则方面为几段发展时期。

在托福阅读中，文章往往是按照各个方面的层次关系，把各个方面分割成若干独立的自然段，共同组成行文主体。

态度：即作者对这个话题的持什么样的态度，是积极的、消极的或中立的。在托福阅读中，态度常常被淡化甚至省略不提。

Topic话题+ Aspects方面+ Attitude态度，这三要素加起来就是标准学术论文体“T+A+A篇章结构”。

托福文章大多遵循这一结构，考生通过预习文章首段信息来大致把握文章的主题和讨论方向，掌握每一段的实质内容，就能了解整篇文章的文章脉络和逻辑结构。

二、学术性文章段落结构

学术性文章的自然段落一般具备两个组成部分:

主旨句:表达段落的主旨，即本段要表达的文章核心内容。

细节：为了详细说明这一段的中心含义，所罗列的相关支持内容，即本段中使用了哪些例子来阐明主旨句。

Topic Sentence主旨句+ Detail细节，这两个要素加起来就是标准学术论文体的“TS+D段落结构”。托福文章大多数的文章段落都遵循这种结构，考生通过段落主旨句就可以把握该段的中心含义。

托福阅读文章结构划分解析

第一种，因果类文章结构

也就是全文都是围绕着某个现象进行解释。典型文章desert formation，在文章开头的第一段就出现这样的内容：The deserts, which already occupy approximately a fourth of the Earth's land surface, have in recent decades been increasing at an alarming pace. The expansion of desert-like conditions into areas where they did not previously exist is called desertification. 首先对沙漠的现状进行了描述，紧接着就赶紧扣题下定义，告诉我们什么是沙漠化。现象交代完了之后，出题段的第三段就迅速展开了原因的描述，我们发现第三段和第五段开头分别是这样的：Even in the areas that retain a soil cover, the reduction of vegetation typically results in the loss of the soil's ability to absorb substantial quantities of water. 以及There is little doubt, however, that desertification in most areas results primarily from human activities rather than natural processes.这样就交代了两个原因，分别是loss of vegetation和soil’s ability to absorb water. 同学们读到这里就要开始有预判断了，预料下面是否开始说一些其他的原因呢?带着这样的疑问去看，发现第六段说的是：Four specific activities have been identified as major contributors to the desertification processes: overcultivation, overgrazing, firewood gathering, and overirrigation. 第九段针对overirrigation展开论述。果然是另外的沙漠化的原因，接着第十段就是对沙漠化的前景进行展望。至此整篇文章的结构就很清楚了。了解了文章的结构对于接下来的文章会有预判断，读起来就会前后连贯，会有效减少文章阅读的心理难度。

第二种文章结构是分类

最典型的例子就是aggression。开头第一段交代了When one animal attacks another, it engages in the most obvious example of aggressive behavior. Psychologists have adopted several approaches to understanding aggressive behavior in people. 于是我们大概知道文章是对aggression的研究方法进行阐述，果然文章非常清楚地用黑体字标注出了三种研究方法，分别是The Biological Approach和The Psychodynamic Approach以及The Cognitive Approach.至此文章结构一目了然，我们很清楚知道文章分成了三个部分，每一部分之间是并列关系。最为典型的是artisan and industrialization. 整篇文章也是分为了两个部分，前两段都在说手工作坊时代的生产方法，从第三段开始介绍机器大工业生产的情况以及带来的工人罢工。虽然整篇文章共有6段，但是我们如果可以判断出文章的结构就可以轻易地将文章分为两个部分，而且两部分之间还是比较对比的关系，就将一篇长文章读短了，降低阅读难度。

第三种文章结构是问题解决方法型

典型文章是Depletion of the Ogallala Aquifer，前四段介绍了Ogallala含水层的发现以及使用过度带来的问题，后两段就开始介绍治理的方法。这种文章的结构不如因果类的明显，但是也可以通过这样的思路将文章前后串起来，降低阅读难度。

当然，随着官方真题Official的不断更新，越来越多的文章结构开始出现，比如时间顺序，或者一篇文章中出现多种文章结构杂糅，无论是何种样貌出现，同学们都要能够将作者的写作思路找出来，将文章展现的散落一地的珍珠串成更易于佩戴的珍珠项链。这样在做题目的时候就更加成竹在胸，也会觉得眼前的文章不再冗长地让人烦躁。

托福阅读结构题解题技巧

一：单个段落组织结构题

单个段落组织结构题常见提问方式：Which of the following best describes how paragraph X is organized?/What is the author's primary purpose in paragraph X?等。

解题切入点：段落首尾句。

真题演练：

Traditionally, it was believed that the transition to agriculture was the result of a worldwide population crisis. It was argued that once hunter-gathers had occupied the whole world, the population started to grow everywhere and food became scarce; agriculture would have been a solution to this problem. We know, however, that contemporary hunter-gatherer societies control their population in a variety of ways. The idea of a world population crisis is therefore unlikely, although population pressure might have arisen in some areas.

Which of the following best describes the way paragraph 2 is organized?

A A possible explanation for a phenomenon is presented and then criticized.

B Two similar ways of accounting for a puzzling fact are considered.

C Early societies’ response to a problem is contrasted with contemporary societies’ response.

D A prehistoric development is first explained in traditional terms and then in contemporary terms.

解题步骤详述：

1.判断题型，题目问的是第二段的结构，因此属于单个段落结构题。

2.理解段落首尾句，原文段落首尾句的意思分别是：“传统上认为农业的转变是世界人口危机导致的结果。”“尽管某些地区出现人口压力，但是世界人口危机的观点是不可能的。”

3.推测结构，结合首尾句可推出本段落结构大致为：先陈述了某个现象的原因， 然后又把该原因否决掉。

4.找出正确答案：A中提到criticize 符合上一步的结构猜想，正确。B中的two similar ways在原文中未提及过，错误。C中关于早期社会和当代社会的比较在原文中也没有提及，错误。D中的递进关系不符合原文结构，错误。因此，本题答案为A选项。

二：多个段落组织结构题

多个段落组织结构题常见提问方式：What is the relationship between paragraphs X and Y in the passage?/What role does Paragraph X play in the passage?等。

解题切入点：段落首尾句+结构关键词。

真题演练：

Much population movement involved the opening up of new lands for rice cultivation. Two things made this possible and encouraged it to happen. First, the opening of the kingdom to the full force of international trade by the Bowring Treaty (1855) rapidly encouraged economic specialization in the growing of rice, mainly to feed the rice-deficient portions of Asia (India and China in particular). The average annual volume of rice exported from Siam grew from under 60 million kilograms per year in the late 1850s to more than 660 million kilograms per year at the turn of the century; and over the same period the average price per kilogram doubled. During the same period, the area planted in rice increased from about 230,000 acres to more than350,000 acres. This growth was achieve as the result of the collective decisions of thousands of peasants families to expand the amount of land they cultivated, clear and plant new land, or adopt more intensive methods of agriculture.

They were able to do so because of our second consideration. They were relatively freer than they had been half a century earlier. Over the course of the Fifth Reign (1868 – 1910), the ties that bound rural people to the aristocracy and local ruling elites were greatly reduced. Peasants now paid a tax on individuals instead of being required to render labor service to the government. Under these conditions, it made good sense to thousands of peasant families to in effect work full-time at what they had been able to do only part-time previously because of the requirement to work for the government: grow rice for the marketplace.

Which of the following best describes the relationship between paragraphs 3 and 4 in the passage?

A Paragraph 4 provides further evidence of the economic growth of Siam discussed in paragraph 3.

B Paragraph 4 continues the discussion begun in paragraph 3 of farming improvements that led to economic growth.

C Paragraph4 examines a particular effect of the Bowring Treaty mentioned in paragraph 3.

D Paragraph 4 discusses the second of two factors that contributed to the expansion of rice farming mentioned in paragraph 3.

解题步骤详述：

1.判断题型，题目问的是第三段和第四段的关系，可知此题是多个段落结构题。

2.阅读两段的首尾句并找结构关键词，第三段第二句中有提到two things，第三句紧接着提到first的内容，但后文并未出现其他内容，直到第四段第一句中出现了second。

3.推测结构，根据两段中出现过的列举信号词“first”和“second”可得出两段是并列关系。

4.找出正确答案：A中的further 属于递进关系，不符合结构，错误。B中的continues仍然属于递进关系，错误。C中effect，属于因果关系，错误。D中second of two符合并列关系，正确。因此，本题答案为D选项。

三：组织结构题规律总结

通过上面两道例题，可以观察出结构题在考察时容易出现以下四种关系：1.并列关系(first，second，one of two等);2.转折关系(but，however，not，impossible等);3.递进关系(continue，further，more over，in addition等);4.因果关系(therefore，because，reason，effect等)。所以，在遇到组织结构题时可联系上述关系对号入座，快速选出正确选项。