二.语篇的逻辑推理及其解题功能。
“形成语篇的根本是逻辑,理解语篇的根本也是逻辑,一切语篇无不深藏着思维的逻辑”(何善芳,2002)。英语是综合型为主,向分析型过渡的语言,其语篇的逻辑性既依赖于有着丰富衔接手段的显性连贯,也有赖于隐性的思维结构的一致性和连贯性。雅思阅读文章句际和段际的逻辑关系通常使用显性的逻辑连接词或其它的过渡词语来表达,在阅读答题时应注重这些词在语篇中的限制和导向功能,以提高语篇的正确解读效率。雅思阅读命题还有一个特点,即题干中出现的逻辑连接词(或逻辑关系)往往会在原文中相关位置重现,给定位和确定答案提供了重要的线索(详见本文作者的“逻辑关系词的阅读功能”一文/上海新东方雅思官网)。这样的考题就是为了检验考生能否在阅读时利用这些线索,看懂句子之间和各成分之间的关系,明白作者的思路和观点。而对于依靠隐性思维结构的一致和连贯来体现逻辑关系的语句,则要求在阅读答题时,要注重对相关部分上下文语义照应的分析和理解。以下就答题中基于显性连贯和隐性思维结构的逻辑推理各举一例进行说明。
例一.剑桥6/Test4/Reading Passage3
Until recently, not much was known about the topic, and little help was available to teachers to deal with bullying. Perhaps as a consequence, schools would often deny the problem. “There is no bullying at this school” has been a common refrain, almost certainly untrue.
Q33. The writer thinks that the declaration “There is no bullying at this school”
A. is no longer true in many schools.
B. was not in fact made by many schools.
C. reflected the school’s lack of concern.
D. reflected a lack of knowledge and resources.
这是一道单选题,也是观点、态度分析类的题目(题干中有thinks,选项中有reflected)。这一类型的题目对应的原文答案信息区域往往有观点态度提示词或明显的逻辑连接词。本题的选项C/D结构一致(reflected+宾语),是典型的twins选项,应重点考虑。以题干中引号内的词作为定位词,定位于原文中以上这段文字。原文这三句话使用了显性的衔接手段,即表示因果的逻辑连接词“as a consequence”,来达到语义的连贯和逻辑性,表明了the declaration “There is no bullying at this school”是结果,其原因是(或者说是反映了/reflect)第一句话中的not much was known/little help was available,对应选项D的lack of knowledge and resources。雅思阅读考试在文章逻辑衔接处设题的情况非常普遍,考生应对此高度重视。
例二.剑桥6/Test4/Reading Passage1
But the sales push rarely stops in the office. The flashy brochures and pamphlets left by the sales reps are often followed up with meals at expensive restaurants, meetings in warm and sunny places, and an inundation of promotional gadgets. Rarely do patients watch a doctor write with a pen that isn’t emblazoned with a drug’s name, or see a nurse use a tablet not bearing a pharmaceutical company’s logo. Millions of dollars are spent by pharmaceutical companies on promotional products like coffee mugs, shirts, umbrellas, and golf balls. Money well spent? It’s hard to tell.
Q11. Evidence of drug promotion is clearly visible in the healthcare environment.
这是一道对错无判断题,根据雅思判断题的命题特点,题干定位词应为healthcare environment,考点为visible。该题定位有一定的难度,因为定位词不仅在原文中作了转述替换,而且其转述的形式并不是我们所熟悉的同义,近义,具体化,结构重组等,而是同一语义场的词汇同现的对应。根据判断题的顺序性原则,可以粗略定位在原文中的以上这段文字,在这段文字的第三个句子(题干对应句)中出现了patients/doctor/drug’s/nurse这一组同一语义场的词,对应题干定位词healthcare environment。考点visible对应该句的watch/see。但是这个句子并没有明确提到题干中的evidence of drug promotion。这里就需要通过上下文的语义照应进行分析和推理。该句和前后的句子之间并没有明显的衔接手段,但是上下文都提到了用于促销的礼品:promotional gadgets/promotional products like coffee mugs, shirts, umbrellas, and golf balls,根据思维结构的一致性和连贯性,题干对应句中的pen emblazoned with a drug’s name/tablet bearing a pharmaceutical company’s logo都应该是指用于促销的礼品,对应题干的evidence of drug promotion。因此该题判定为YES。在解答这一类题目时,我们只有把着眼点放在作者对文章的内容组织形式上,放在对上下文思维结构的逻辑关系的理解和推理上,才有可能正确答题。