新TOEFL考试中很多考生最容易忽略的就是TOEFL阅读，因为绝大部分人会感觉阅读是自己的强项。然而不少这样的考生，自认阅读不错，实际考出来的分数只有22分左右，这相当于把挣分的压力转移到了大部分人比较弱的听力、口语、写作上面。由此可见，阅读取得高分对于获得百分以上的TOEFL成绩是一种保证!
TOEFL阅读中的细节题其实不难，但前提是定位的点要对，比如下面这个例题：
Two species of deer have been prevalent in the Puget Sound area of Washington State in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. The black-tailed deer， a lowland， west-side cousin of the mule deer of eastern Washington， is now the most common. The other species， the Columbian white-tailed deer， in earlier times was common in the open prairie country， it is now restricted to the low， marshy islands and flood plains along the lower Columbia River.
According to paragraph 1， which of the following is true of the white-tailed deer of Puget Sound-
A. It is native to lowlands and marshes.
B. It is more closely related to the mule deer of eastern Washington than to other types of deer.
C. It has replaced the black-tailed deer in the open prairie.
D. It no longer lives in a particular type of habitat that it once occupied.
这是一个典型的细节题，在该题题干中，有的考生会选择Puget Sound作为关键词回原文定位，因为它是专有名词，在文中会比较显眼。但是如果一旦选择了这个地名，势必会定位在该段的第一句话，TOEFL细节题往往是定位在哪句就在哪句找答案，这样的话考生是选不出正确答案的，因为定位不精确。其实正确的关键词应该是white-tailed deer，这个用连字符连接的词在文章中也是比较醒目的，按该词定位应是该段最后一句话。所以根据它的意思应该选D项。其中A项与原句意思不符，B和C都与定位句信息无关。我们再来看另外一个否定事实细节题的例子：
Plant communities assemble themselves flexibly， and their structure depends on the particular history of the area. Ecologists use the term “succession” to refer to the changes that happen in plant communities and ecosystems over time. The first community in a succession is called a pioneer community， while the long-lived community at the end of succession is called a climax community. Pioneer and successional plant communities are said to change over periods from 1 to 500 years. These changes—in plant numbers and the mix of species—are cumulative. Climax communities themselves change but over periods of time greater than about 500 years.
According to paragraph 1， which of the following is NOT true of climax communities-
A. They occur at the end of a succession.
B. They last longer than any other type of community.
C. The numbers of plants in them and the mix of species do not change
D. They remain stable for at least 500 years at a time。
