在托福閱讀中,斷間關系題有個特點,說難不難,說簡單也不簡單。喜歡這道題的同學通常是已經窺破其中玄機,而討厭這道題的同學則是因為很多時候明明知道兩段關系卻選不出答案,真是十分頭痛,愛你在心口難開。

要解決一類題,首先得知道擺在自己面前的已經是這類題了。所以,我們要先認識認識這道題。這類題現身的方式通常有以下幾種:
① What is the main purpose of paragraph A in the passage?
② How does paragraph B relate to paragraph A
③ Which of the following best describes the relationship between paragraphs A and B
④ Paragraph B expands on paragraph A by
識破真身,再來解題。那么,段間關系題,要如何解決呢?
前面介紹了具備因果關系的段落,本文來介紹舉例關系的段落。
具備舉例關系的段落,一般的模式是 A 段是一個中心觀點,而 B 段是例子的展開去支持 A 段落中的觀點。
舉個例子
例如下面的兩個段落:
【paragraph 3】Many adaptations to this general problem are based on a resting stage that awaits favorable conditions. We will consider two examples from the vertebrates. The first is the red kangaroo. This marsupial inhabits the deserts of central Australia where the onset of rains and the resulting sudden growth of vegetation are extremely unpredictable. Obviously, it is advantageous for a kangaroo female to produce young at a time when plant productivity is sufficient to support her offspring. For such a relatively large mammal, however, gestation (the period of development during pregnancy) is so long that if a female waited to mate and carry the young until after the rains came, the favorable period might be past. The kangaroo’s life history adaptation to this problem involves the use of embryonic diapause during gestation (development in the uterus).
【paragraph 4】After a 31-day gestation period, the female gives birth to a tiny helpless young typical of marsupials. The newborn crawls into the mother’s pouch and attaches to a teat where it continues to grow and develop. After 235 days it leaves the pouch but remains with the mother and obtains milk from her. Two days after giving birth, the female mates again. The fertilized egg enters a 204-day period of diapause during which it remains in the uterus but does not attach. It then implants, and 31 days later, birth of the second young occurs. Note that the first young leaves the pouch at just this time. Again, the female mates, fertilization occurs, and another diapause follows. The eventual result is that at any one time, the female has three young at various stages of development one in diapause, one in the pouch, and one outside the pouch. Among other benefits, this allows her to freeze the development of an embryo during times of drought and food shortage until the offspring in the pouch is able to leave.
7. What is the main purpose of paragraph 4 in the passage?
A. To give the details of an adaptation mentioned in paragraph 3
B. To describe an adaptation different from the one explained in paragraph 3
C. To introduce an adaptation that is described in detail in paragraph 5
D. To discuss an adaptation that is not as successful as the one discussed in paragraph 5
解題步驟
文章的第七題問第四段的目的,即判斷該題為段間關系題。
這時可以先讀出兩段的中心內容。
第三段中提到兩種有脊椎動物通過一個休息階段等待好的環境來處理某個問題,其中一種是紅袋鼠。段落順著往下一直到本段尾句讀到 The kangaroo’s life history adaptation to thisproblem involves the use of embryonic diapause during gestation (development in the uterus).該句中提到了紅袋鼠具體的處理問題的方式是在孕期讓胚胎休眠。因此該段主要提及紅袋鼠處理問題的方式,段落的中心實則為尾句。
往下讀第四段的時候,便讀到第四段開始進一步詳細地舉例說明具體的胚胎休眠的處理方式,也就是在圍繞第三段關于紅袋鼠處理問題的手段進行舉例說明,由此可以判斷第四段與第三段的段間關系為舉例說明。則可以直接按照兩段的關系來進行解答。
選項 A 表述第四段為第三段提到的一種適應提供詳細的細節,符合兩段關系,其中的 adaptation 即紅袋鼠處理問題的方式的同義替換,因此直接判斷為答案 A 選項。







