一、细节题
大纲对考生掌握的阅读能力的第二条要求是：了解阐述主旨的事实和细节。也就是说我们在阅读一篇文章时，
除了抓住文章的主旨和大意外，还必须弄清文中的一些重要事实或细节，因为它们是作者得出结论或阐明论点的依据。了解这些事实或细节有助于领会并确定文章的主题。
细节类题目在英语等级考试的阅读理解题中占的比例最大，涉及的内容也很广，因此，我们在复习应考时，应注意在该类题目上多下功夫。细节题常出why, when, where, what, who等疑问词引导的句子提问。解答细节题的关键在于从问题中找出问题的关键词，即能表达问题所涉及内容的中心词，然后迅速在短文中用查读的方法找出关键词在短文中的位置，以及包含所需信息的句子或短语，最后根据这些句子或短语做出正确的选择。
细节类题目常见提问形式有：
What causes...?
Why does the author mention...?
How many...?
where in the passage does the author describe...?
What time does the writer think is ...?
The author mentions that...?
The writer states...?
等等
对于这种题型，考生可以首先从问题中找到关键词，然后以此为线索，运用查读的方法到文章中寻找这一细节，找到后再把这一部分内容仔细阅读一遍，从而保证对这一细节的正确理解，最后确定正确答案。
Let Them Watch It
One hot night last July, when our new baby wouldn’t or couldn’t sleep, I tried everything I could think of : a warm bottle, songs, and gentle rocking. Nothing would settle him. Guessing that I had a long night ahead of me, I brought a portable TV into his room, figuring that watching the late movie was as good a way as any to kill off the hours until dawn. To my surprise, as soon as the TV lit up, the baby quieted right down, his little eyes, focused brightly on the tube. Not to waste an opportunity for sleep, I then tiptoed out of the room, leaving him to watch the actors celebrate John Bellushi’s fortyfifth birthday. My wife and I heard no more of the baby that night, and the next morning when I went into his room, I found him still watching TV himself.
I found in my baby’s behaviour a metaphor for the new generation. My wife and I had given him some books to examine, but he merely spit upon them. When we read to him, he did not feel comfortable. And so it is in the schools. We find that our students don’t read, that they look down upon reading and scold those of us who teach it. All they want to do is watch TV. After this experience with the baby, however, I have reached a conclusion; let them watch it. If television is that much more attractive to children than books, why should we fight it? Let them watch it all they want!
这是99年试题中的一篇短文。短文讲的是一个炎热的夏天，孩子就是不愿意睡觉，作者想尽了各种办法，又是拿奶瓶，又是唱歌，又是摇晃，就是不管用。实在没有办法，把一个手提电视给他拿了过去，孩子立刻就不闹了。我们看第36题：
36. The author brought a TV set into his son’s room to
A)make his son stop crying.
B) spend the night watching TV.
C) leave it to his son.
D) make his son fall asleep as soon as possible.
题目问的是作者把电视拿到他儿子屋里去的目的是什么。这道题就属于细节性题目。在回答这类题目时，就要到文中找有关信息。请看第一段第三句： Guessing that I had a long night ahead of me...watching the late movie was as good a way as any to kill off the hours until dawn。作者把电视机拿到他儿子的房间里本不是给他儿子看的，而是准备让自己看深夜电影来打发长夜难熬的时光。所以，选项B为最佳答案。其他三个选项都不是他把电视机拿到儿子房间里去的初衷。下面我们看推理题。
二、推理题
一篇文章往往包含两方面的内容：即字面内容和内在内容。所谓内在的内容，是指由于种种原因，文章的作者并不直说出其意，而是把要表达的意思隐藏在字里行间。推理题就是要求考生依据文章所提供的事实，透过表面的文章信息去推测文章深层的含义。推理能力包括归纳、演绎、分析，综合、引申等。阅读理解题中最让考生头痛的应属推理题。这类题既有以局部内容为基础的简单推理，也有以某一段落，甚至整篇文章为基础判断作者（或文中某人物）态度、观点、意图、语气、身份及文章文体等的复杂推理。
推理题往往以下列形式出现：
It can be inferred from the passage that...
In this passage the author implies that...
We can conclude from the passage that...
The author’s attitude toward...is...
The author may probably agree with / be in favour of / support /...
One could conclude from the passage that...
The paragraph following this passage most probably would discuss...
请看上面这篇短文的第37题：
37. The baby’s reaction to the TV was
A)unexpected.
B) exciting.
C) awful.
D) calm.
该题的下确答案为A。作者在文章中提到，他一打开电视，孩子马上就安静下来，再也不闹了，眼睛直盯在电视上。作者在这里用了“To my surprise", 显然孩子对电视的反应，是作者没有预料到的，因此A为正确答案。exciting是“令人兴奋的”，"awful"是“可怕的”， 也就是极其不好的反应， calm是“平静的”，电视一开，那孩子就平静下来了，但这并不是说他的反应是平静的。下面我们再看第38题：
38. from the passage we know that the author is
A) a doctor.
B) an editor.
C) a writer.
D) a teacher.
第五讲 怎样做选择填空题
一、题型介绍
选择填空又称综合填空或完形测试，它是目前较为浒的一种英语测试题型之一。
在我国其它的大规模英语考试中是一项必试项目。
选择填空或完形测试的理论依据是完形心理学。这种理论的观点认为：人们在观察物体形状时，往往下意识地把不连贯的、窑的部分给补上，然后把它看成一个完整的形状。把这种理论应用到语言测试上，便出现了完形测试。这种试题设计程序为：命脉题人员首先选取一篇短文，然后每隔一定数目的单词（一般为5-11个）有规律地去掉一个词，最后，让考生填出去掉的那些词，来测试他们的语言应用能力。
最初的这种完形测试方法是按固定比例来删词，后来又产生了几种新的变体。一种是删掉的词仅限于某一类语言现象，如动词、名词、介词等。这样原来隔固定词数删词的标准仅做参考；另一种是把综合填充和多项选择结合起来，试题设计者为每个空白处提供3-5个选择先项，让考生从中挑选出唯一正确的答案。这样既可达到所希望的测试目的，又可保证评分的客观性。这种测试形式是目前国内采用的最普遍的完形测试方式。英语等级考试C级试卷中采用的就是这种题型。
选择填空的题目设计并非拿一篇短文来随便地去掉几个词。设计者遵循一定要求和准则，以保证测试的效度和信度。首先，选文的头一、两句应是完整的，不去掉任何词，以帮助考生进入语境。其次，原文的长度一般在300词左右，太长或太短都不合适。为了达到测试目的，可以灵活掌握隔多少个单词删去一个词，但是总体上要遵循每隔一定数目的单词去掉一个词这种原则。
二、选择填空的测试点
根据等级考试大纲，选择填空通常用由一篇300词左右的短文组成。短文中留有20个空格，每个空格为一题。我们还注意到，职称英语等级考试中删词的间隙较一般考试要大一些。这样，题目就相对容易了一些。这是因为破坏的信息量少了，所以恢复起来也就相对而言容易一些。通过对样题的分析，我们发现，补删的词几乎涉及到所有词类，如动词、名词、形容词、副词、代词、介词、连词、短语等等。
三、选择填空的解题方法
表面上来年，选择填空就是要求考生把每个句子中删掉的词给恢复出来。实际上，选择填空不仅仅测试应试者在句子水平上运用语言的能力，它还测试应试者在语篇水平上综合运用语言的能力。因为，选择填空中的填空是与文章的上下文有紧密联系的，不是孤立的、不相关的。因此，要做好选择填空题，必须首先通读整篇文章，开清文章的大意和逻辑关系，根据空格所在句子的结构、语法、语篇等信息，通过逻辑揄、对比等手段最后确定答案。尤其是运用语法知识、搭配和语篇知识来确定答案。
请看这篇短文，文中有20处空白，每个空白处有4个选项。请根据短文的内容从4个选项中选择1个最佳答案。
Television is the greatest communiction medium ever designed and operated by man. It sends into the human brain an -------- (36) amount of opinions and information and -------(37) moral and artistic standards for all of us. Every minute of a television programme teaches us something. It is never a neutral (中立的）------- (38). For example, how and when public issues ar -------(40) how they are treated by the television networks in entertainment --------(41) news and public affairs programmes.
What the American people think about governemnt and politics in -------(42), ad wwell as a favorite candidate in ------ (43), is largely influenced by ------- (44).
Unfortunately commercial television seldom ------- (45) anything of value to our lives. Many Americans express a deep hostility (故意）--------(46) television because they know most TV programmes are ------- (47) poor quality and that sometimes these programmes are ever ------- (48).
The question is : how can television be improved? There are many thins are ordinary ------- (49) can do. For example, he ----- (50) complain to his local TV stations about offensive advertising. He can ----- (51) citiaens groups to urge local TV stations to ----- (52) their programmes ----- (53), these groups should propose regular analysies of specific TV commercials and programmes by educators, doctors, etc. to ----- (54) the influence of these programmes on children and adults. Television can be our most exciting medium if we just think about ----- (55) to improve it.
36. A endless G ending C ended D end
37. A finds B absorbs C sets D mends
38. A consequence B influence C result D purpose
39. A talked B handled C watched D noticed
40. A over B in C above D on
41. A as well as B also C but D together
42. A all B short C general D name
43. A particular B special C instance D individual
44. A entertainment B news C programmes D television
45. A damages B contributes C hands D takes
46. A toward B in C on D over
47. A with B in C of D among
48. A serious B harmful C attractive D long
49. A reader B participant C listener D viewer
50. A can B does C should Dought to
51. A can B does C should D ought to
52. A call B gather C organize D make
53. A As a result B As a matter of fact C In contract DIn addition
54. A determine B refuse C involve D receive
55. A tracks B roads C easy D programmes