英語說明文結構特點與閱讀技巧概述

  英語說明文結構特點與閱讀策略:

  1、說明文的特點

  說明文用平實的語言客觀地解釋或探討各種問題,如機器的製造過程、自然或社會現象產生的原因、工程專案的規劃或問題的解決方案等等,介紹自然科學、社會科學領域的最新成果,社會經濟發展過程中出現的新生事物等等。

  2、說明順序:時間順序,空間順序、邏輯順序或認識順序

  3、說明方法:例如舉例、分類法或類比、對比法,給事物下定義或分析事物產生的原因以及後果。舉例說明文使用例子說明事物闡明觀點;分解展開法著重於事物的區別、差異,分類展開法則強調事物的相似之處;類比說明事物如何相似,對比說明事物如何不同;因果說明文表明事物發生的原因及結果。除了用文字說明以外,說明文中常常使用資料、圖片等資料。 無論採用什麼說明方法,作者都是為了說明事物的本質特徵、清晰地展現所說明的事物。因此,閱讀說明文的關鍵是:抓住事物的特點,即抓住說明物件的本質特徵。以“Goals”為題開啟一篇說明文的思路。

  參考思路

  1***目標的分類:***可根據時間順序,空間順序、邏輯順序或認識順序,任選一個進行分類和排列***

  2***各個類別的特點和細節:

  3***組織成文:

  範文點評

  Goals Everyone has goals. Many people do not reach their goals for lack of planning. These three sets of goals should be developed: lifetime, intermediate and short term. Lifetime goals should be written out. These goals should be clear and reasonable. F or instance, the goal to win a research prize is clear and measurable. Other lifetime goals might include publishing a certain number of influential books or articles, earning a departmental chairmanship at a major university, successfully competing for a grant from the National Science Foundation or securing a consultantship with a big corporation. Intermediate goals relate to outcomes during the next few years. For the beginning doctoral student, intermediate goals may include completion of course work and preparation of a doctoral research proposal. Like lifetime goals, these are measurable and clearly stated. Short-term goals involve outcomes expected during the next 12 months. These goals are more performance oriented, and they help with achievement of intermediate goals. Examples of short-term goals are earning an A in a course, learning how to program a computer or performing an experiment.

  【點評】

  本文介紹了人生的三種目標:終生的、長期的和短期的目標。在文中採用了說明文常用的方法:定義、舉例、分類和比較等。

  對這些方法我們要了解並且掌握:

  1. 定義法***definition***

  定義法是用下定義的方式去揭示事物本質特徵或概念內涵。它能使讀者迅速抓住本質屬性和基本特點。

  此法的句型:①„is a/the „of „which/that „②„relate to/involve/refer to „

  【例】***1***Language is a system of arbitrary vocal symbols which is used for human communication. 語言是人類用來交際的任意性的語音符號體系。

  ***2***Intermediate goals relate to outcomes during the next few years. ***3***Short-term goals involve outcomes expected during the next 12 months.

  2. 舉例法***illustration***

  舉例法就是舉出實際事例來說明事物的方法,是最常見,往往也是最有效的闡釋模式。專家提醒舉例時應挑選具體、典型且有能力表達清楚的例子,並注意按照一定的順序編排。

  請看上述範文第二段:“For instance”引出“lifetime goals”的例項,如,贏得研究獎金、出版有影響書或文章、獲得大學的系主任職位、獲得國家自然科學基金及大公司穩定的顧問職位。

  3. 分類法***classification***

  分類法就是把說明的物件,按一定的標準劃分成不同類別分別加以說明的方法。

  如:上述範文介紹人生的三種目標,並按照時間的長短對終生目標、長期目標和短期目標做了分類說明。

  4. 比較法***comparison***

  比較法是用一個事物和與其有聯絡的其他事物加以對比的說明方法。

  目的是為了幫助讀者準確地區分事物,通過對比達到對該事物的深刻認識。

  如:上述範文對三種人生目標在時間上和實際*作上進行了比較,並闡明瞭彼此的聯絡。

  ***1***Lifetime goals should be written out.

  ***2***Like lifetime goals, these are measurable and clearly stated.

  ***3***These goals are more performance oriented, and they help with achievement of intermediate goals.

  5. 數字法***statistics***

  數字法是運用資料來表明事物的本質和特點,準確合理的資料使文章精確可信。

  【例】

  ***1***Nearly half of all Americans over age 20 wear a bridge or denture,and more than 20 percent h**e complete upper and lower denture. *y age 50, one out of every two persons has gum disease.

  ***2***And it seems sensible to wait. One quarter of all marriages between people under twenty-one end in divorce. In *ritain in 1972, there were 124,248 divorces.

  說明文的說明方法除上面介紹的常見的幾種以外,還有諸如分項法、列舉法、比喻法及引用法等,只有綜合運用多種說明方法,才能多角度、多層次地全面、清晰、準確地展示客觀事物的本來面貌。

  說明文結構特點:

  1 時態:多為一般現在時。

  2:條理十分清晰;

  3 多為被動語態,表達客觀的事物。

  出題特點:

  1 資訊對應查詢;

  2 標題判斷題;

  3.生詞詞義判斷題;

  4.代詞指代判斷題;

  5 讀者物件判斷

  ★解題要旨:1 通讀全文,把握文章行文特點;2 題文對照,逐一篩選