《英语考试大纲》在阅读部分要求考生能够读懂不同类型的文字材料（生词量不超过所读材料总词汇量的3％），包括信函、书刊和杂志上的文章，还应能读懂与本人学习或工作有关的文献、技术说明和产品介绍等。根据所读材料，考生应能：
1． 理解主旨要义；
2． 理解文中的具体信息；
3． 理解文中的概念性含义；
4． 进行有关的判断、推理和引申；
5． 根据上下文推测生词的词义；
6． 理解文章的总体结构以及单句之间、段落之间的关系；
7． 理解作者的意图、观点或态度；
8． 区分论点和论据。
基于对历年考题阅读部分的总体分析和对2005年考试阅读部分的预测，笔者建议考生在复习时注意把握以下几点：
1.注重从总体把握文章，掌握作者的主要论点，把握文中的重要信息。拿到一篇文章，不要急于做题，而是要先判断文章的体裁和内容，从而缩小理解范围。例如议论文中，作者一定会提出自己的观点并加以解释和说明，考生就应准备去理解作者如何阐述观点。把握文章大意，可以从理解段落大意着手，找到段落的主题句，主题句一般位于段首或段尾。文章的作者一般都会直接或间接地表达自己的观点和倾向，许多作者会通过主题句来表达自己的论点，或是间接地把自己的观点在关键词或行文的字里行间体现出来，考生要有意训练自己在这方面的能力。
2.注重了解句与句、段与段之间的关系，特别是文章中的转折关系，学会利用上下文进行必要的判断、推理和引申。只有掌握句段之间的关系，才能摸清作者深层思路上的逻辑关系。从句子与句子，段落与段落之间的过渡可以读出作者整个的思路及论证过程，才能做出正确的推理、判断或引申。平时训练时，考生应多注意一些过渡词。
3.积极扩展词汇量，注意动词和名词，训练理解一些难句、复杂句。扩展词汇量的目的是避免词汇的欠缺造成理解的失误。动词作为语句结构的枢纽，意义重大，可以帮助考生理解作者的思想意图，而名词常常是关于事实的，细节题常考的内容多与名词有关。难句和复杂句多是具有深层含义的，学会解读难句、复杂句须从其结构入手。考生应抓住难句、复杂句的主干，找出主要信息和深层含义。
4.阅读时注意速度和解题顺序。建议考生先快后慢、先易后难，先略读文章，总体上把握，再细读搜寻答案，先解决容易的事实题再做较难的考深层含义的题。
5.多阅读时效性比较强的英美报刊文章。在历年的考研阅读文章中，时文占到相当大的比例。在备考初期就应当注意扩大知识面，并熟悉此类文章的内容、语言风格和篇章结构。
一、 应试总则
翻开考研英语试卷的阅读部分，考生首先应当掌握的最基本的应试总则可以概括为12个字：文章思路、圈点到位、重叠原文。事实上这12个字已经概括了阅读解题的全部过程。
第一步“文章思路”是指考生首先应对文章总体的思路和结构有一个大概的了解，先不要急于去读题目，而是应当将文章从头到尾看一遍，弄清楚文章的中心意思，这一遍阅读的目的并不是要立即找到答题所需要的信息点。在阅读的时候还要有主次之分，文章的第一段是文章的灵魂和核心，也应当是第一遍阅读的重点所在。考生要尽量将第一段的每一句话都理解透彻，因为掌握了第一段，就已经基本了解掌握了整篇文章的内容，至于其他的段落可以加快速度，看得懂就看，看不懂就暂时跳过去，在不懂的地方做出记号，留待以后解决。
读完文章并理清思路后就可以接着阅读试题，命题专家在设计考卷时，题目排列的次序与文章的布局基本是相吻合的，也就是说题目所需要的信息点在文章中应当是按顺序出现的，这一点对于基础差的考生相当重要，因为考生完全可以根据每篇文章题目的题干来推测文章大致的内容和思路。
有些考生在把握文章思路时常常会陷入困境，他们虽然也从头到尾把文章读了一遍，但还是搞不清文章到底在讲什么。如何扫清阅读理解中出现的盲点?笔者建议考生在第
一遍阅读时注意以下几点：
1. 文章中有些信息可以忽略，例如有关职务、头衔、社会地位等补充性说明；
2. 第一遍阅读时，可暂时不管句中破折号后所提供的旁支信息；
3. 复杂的难句看清主、谓、宾即可，其他辅助信息除非与解题有关，否则亦可暂时不管；
4. 上下文中平行对称的地方经常内容相同，所以这些互相对照的内容也可帮助考生消除盲点；
5. 做题时应注意：因为命题时要求选项部分的语言难度要低于文章语言的难度，所以读懂选项的语言常会帮助考生正确理解文章的内容。
第二步“圈点到位”，是就审题而言，实质上就是要求考生审题到位，弄清楚题目针对文章的什么内容提问。考生在读完题目后通常会返回到文章里去寻找答案，这时又会出现另一种情况，有些考生文章都看懂了，可就是找不到答案在哪里。出现这种情况的根本原因是考生没有审清题意，没有弄清楚题目要求考生在文章中寻找什么信息，因为绝大部分题目是针对文章的具体内容提问。
所以只要考生审题到位，返回原文搜索答案时，即可圈点出相应的内容，从而缩小寻找范围，大大提高正确率。2000年考研试题的20道阅读题中只有4道题目(3道主旨题，1道判断题)无法依据题干语言在原文中圈点，其他的16道题目均可根据题干命题语言在文中圈点出相应的内容，答案基本就在所圈语句的附近。所以只要能在掌握文章思路的基础上做到“圈点到位”，基本上所有的阅读题目都可以迎刃而解，特别是具体的细节题，可以说是手到擒来。
第三步“重叠原文”，即完成题目之后检查所找到的答案是否正确。设计阅读题时，选项通常是这样四种情况，假设选项内容是一个圆，文章内容也是一个圆，第一种情况是两者相距甚远，根本没有相交的地方，内容完全不一样，这种选项很容易就被排除掉；第二种情况是这两个圆相切，即只有很小一部分互相联系，但会有一部分考生选这个选项，因为选项的内容文中有所提及，有一定的迷惑性；第三种情况是这两个圆相交，有大部分内容重叠，考生往往会选择这种选项。较之前者，这种情况的迷惑性更大，也是最危险的干扰项；但只有符合第四种情况，即两个圆完全重合、内容完全相符的选项才是正确答案。
因此在检查时，考生要做的就是把所选的选项与文章中相应的内容做比较，看其是否能与原文重叠。
在判断选项是否能重叠原文时，考生常常也会感到迷惑，无法判断选项是否与原文内容完全重叠，这是因为命题专家在设计考题时会使用一些语言来迷惑考生，从而测试考生的英语水平和阅读能力。一般说来，事实上命题专家最常用的有四种方式：“语言简化”、“反话正说”、“正话反说”和“关键词替换”。
“语言简化”是命题专家命题使用语言时所必须遵守的总则。在设置选项时，四个选项的长度及句法不应有太大差异，而选项所使用的语言难度必须低于文章本身的难度。这一点对考生大有帮助，因为考生可以利用选项来理解文章。这一原则几乎在所有的阅读试题中都有所体现，故此笔者在这里就不再列举。“反话正说”的命题方式是指选项用肯定的方式来表述文中用否定方式所表述的内容。仅在2000年的考研试卷中，就有四道题目采用了这种命题方式。
例
“Few Americans attribute this solely to such obvious causes as a devalued dollar or the turning of the business cycle.”
The author seems to believe the revival of the U.S. economy in the 1990s can be attributed to the.
［A］ turning of the business cycle
［B］ restructuring of industry
［C］ improved business management
［D］ success in education［2000年54题］
A［正确答案］
第三种常用的命题方式“正话反说”，是指文中用肯定方式表述，而选项用否定方式表述，两者意义相吻合。这一命题方式在近年的试卷中也可找到例证。
例
How many men would have considered the possibility of an apple falling up into the tree? Newton did because he was not trying to predict anything. He was just wondering. His mind was ready for the
unpredictable. Unpredictability is part of the essential nature of research. If you don't have unpredictable things, you don't have research. Scientists tend to forget this when writing their cut and dried reports for the technical journals, but history is filled with examples of it.
The author asserts that scientists.
［A］shouldn't replace “scientific method” with imaginative thought
［B］shouldn't neglect to speculate on unpredictable things
［C］should write more concise reports for technical journals
［D］should be confident about their research findings［1999年第68
题］
B［正确答案］
“关键词替换”是出现最频繁的命题方式，几乎每年都有一些用这种方式设置的题目。
例
This speeding up of life, says the Futurist, receives a new form of expression.
Futurists claim that we must.
［A］ increase the production of literature
［B］ use poetry to relieve modern stress
［C］ develop new modes of expression
［D］ avoid using adjectives and verbs［2000年61题］
C［正确答案］
命题专家常常采用“语言简化”、“反话正说”、“正话反说”、“关键词替换”这四种方式设置考题，对考生进行干扰。考生在了解这些方式后，就可以反其道而行之，利用这四种命题方式来检查所选选项是否与原文重叠。
总则中笔者介绍了考研阅读理解应试的基本步骤，下面将就具体题型提出相应的应试原则。
二、 主题原则
主旨题型又叫主题原则，主要针对文章主题设问，考查考生对通篇文章的理解和把握，但是要特别注意和下面这种题型区分开来。
笔者建议考生在做主题题型时遵循这样的原则：因为此类题干扰性最大，难度也最大，考生须读完全文才能准确把握文章主题。所以考生拿到这种题时，不要急于去找答案，不论其出现在什么位置都把它作为最后一道题来做，因为在做另外三道题时，无疑有助于加深对整个文章的理解。而且，事实上，首先做主旨题，考生往往还会回过头来核查答案，这样耗时间，做题效率低。
主题题型分为以下两种：
1.明确的主题题型
此类题型位置较为固定，一般是第一个问题或最后一个问题，要求考生为文章选择合适的标题或是总结文章的中心思想。此类题型相对难度较小。
例
If you intend using humor in your talk to make people smile, you must know how to identify shared experiences and problems. Your humor must be relevant to the audience and should help to show them that you are one of them or that you understand their situation and are in sympathy with their point of view. Depending on whom you are
addressing, the problems will be different. If you are talking to a group of managers, you may refer to the disorganized methods of their secretaries; alternatively if you are addressing secretaries,
you may want to comment on their disorganized bosses.
Here is an example, which I heard at a nurses' convention, of a story which works well because the audience all shared the same view of doctors. A man arrives in heaven and is being shown around by St.
Peter. He sees wonderful accommodations, beautiful gardens, sunny weather, and so on. Everyone is very peaceful, polite and friendly until, waiting in a line for lunch, the new arrival is suddenly
pushed aside by a man in a white coat, who rushes to the head of the line, grabs his food and stomps over to a table by himself. “Who is that?” the new arrival asked St. Peter. “Oh, that's God” came the reply, “but sometimes he thinks he's a doctor.”
If you are part of the group which you are addressing, you will be in a position to know the experiences and problems which are common to all of you and it'll be appropriate for you to make a passing remark about the inedible canteen food or the chairman's notorious bad taste in ties. With other audiences you mustn't attempt to cut in with humor as they will resent an outsider making disparaging remarks about their canteen or their chairman. You will be on safer ground if you stick to scapegoat like the Post Office or the telephone system.
If you feel awkward being humorous, you must practice so that it becomes more natural. Include a few casual and apparently off_the_cuff remarks which you can deliver in a relaxed and unforced
manner. Often it's the delivery which causes the audience to smile, so speak slowly and remember that a raised eyebrow or an unbelieving look may help to show that you are making a lighthearted remark.
Look for the humor. It often comes from the unexpected. A twist on a familiar quote “If at first you don't succeed, give up” or a play
on words or on a situation. Search for exaggeration and understatements. Look at your talk and pick out a few words or sentences which you can turn about and inject with humor.
The best title for the text may be .
［A］ Use Humor Effectively
［B］ Various Kinds of Humor
［C］ Add Humor to Speech
［D］ Different Humor Strategies［2002年45题］
A［正确答案］
2.隐蔽的主题题型
这类题型在设问时较为隐蔽，不像明确的主题题型会直接问“文章的主题是什么”，而且位置也很随意，不会固定在第一道或最后一道。下列例题即为隐蔽的主题题型经常出现的形式，考生应熟悉此类题型的语言形式，以利于审题时准确判断题型。
例
When it comes to the slowing economy, Ellen Spero isn't biting her nails just yet. But the 47_year_old manicurist isn't cutting, filing
or polishing as many nails as she'd like to, either. Most of her clients spend $12 to $50 weekly, but last month two longtime customers suddenly stopped showing up. Spero blames the softening economy. “I'm a good economic indicator,” she says, “I provide a service that people can do without when they're concerned about saving some dollars.” So Spero is downscaling, shopping at
middle_brow Dillard's department store near her suburban Cleveland home, instead of Neiman Marcus. “I don't know if other clients are going to abandon me, too.” She says.
Even before Alan Greenspan's admission that America's red_hot economy is cooling, lots of working folks had already seen signs of the slowdown themselves. From car dealerships to Gap outlets, sales have been lagging for months as shoppers temper their spending. For retailers, who last year took in 24 percent of their revenue between Thanksgiving and Christmas, the cautious approach is coming at a crucial time. Already, experts say, holiday sales are off 7 percent
from last year's pace. But don't sound any alarms just yet.
Consumers seem only mildly concerned, not panicked, and many say they remain optimistic about the economy's long_term prospects even as they do some modest belt_tightening.
Consumers say they're not in despair because, despite the dreadful headlines, their own fortunes still feel pretty good. Home prices are holding steady in most regions. In Manhattan, “there's a new gold rush happening in the $4 million to $10 million range, predominantly fed by Wall Street bonuses,” says broker Barbara Corcoran. In San Francisco, prices are still rising even as frenzied
overbidding quiets. “Instead of 20 to 30 offers, now maybe you only get two or three," says John Tealdi, a Bay Area real_estate broker.
And most folks still feel pretty comfortable about their ability to find and keep a job.
Many folks see silver linings to this slowdown. Potential home buyers would cheer for lower interest rates. Employers wouldn't mind a litter fewer bubbles in the job market. Many consumers seem to have been influenced by stock_market swings, which investors now view as a necessary ingredient to a sustained boom. Diners might see
an upside, too. Getting a table at Manhattan's hot new Alain Ducasses restaurant used to be impossible. Not anymore. For that,
Greenspan&Co. may still be worth toasting.
To which of the following is the author likely to agree?
［A］ A new boom, on the horizon.
［B］ Tighten the belt, the single remedy.
［C］ Caution all right, panic not.
［D］ The more ventures, the more chance.［2004年55题］
C［正确答案］
三、态度原则
命题专家命题时，为了验证考生到底有没有读懂文章，会就整个文章或某个语言区域相对较为主观的态度设问。作者态度题有两种题型：
1. 文章作者态度题
这种题目对考生而言难度较大，迷惑性也较强，因为命题专家是针对整篇文章设问，考生很难找到具体对应的语言点，所以要把握整篇文章。例如作者在谈一件事时是用反讽的口气，还是赞成的语气，此类题所给的答案选项一般是四个形容词，考生应在审题时就把握好这四个形容词所表达的意思，然后返回文章去寻找感觉。特别提醒考生要牢记所遇到的构成作者态度题选项的每一个形容词。
做文章作者态度题时，千万不要把考生自己的态度揉进文章中，同时要注意区分作者本人的态度与作者引用的观点态度。文章作者态度是作者说话的口气(tone)，不是考某一个语言点，而是文章中数个语言点串起来的一根线给读者的整体感觉。
例
Could the bad old days of economic decline be about to return? Since OPEC agreed to supply_cuts in March, the price of crude oil has jumped to almost $26 a barrel, up from less than $10 last December.
This near_tripling of oil prices calls up scary memories of the 1973 oil shock, when prices quadrupled, and 1979―1980, when they also
almost tripled. Both previous shocks resulted in double_digit inflation and global economic decline. So where are the headlines warning of gloom and doom this time?
The oil price was given another push up this week when Iraq suspended oil exports. Strengthening economic growth, at the same time as winter grips the northern hemisphere, could push the price
higher still in the short term.
Yet there are good reasons to expect the economic consequences now to be less severe than in the 1970s. In most countries the cost of crude oil now accounts for a smaller share of the price of petrol
than it did in the 1970s. In Europe, taxes account for up to four_fifths of the retail price, so even quite big changes in the price of crude have a more muted effect on pump prices than in the past.
Rich economies are also less dependent on oil than they were, and so less sensitive to swings in the oil price. Energy conservation, a shift to other fuels and a decline in the importance of heavy,
energy_intensive industries have reduced oil consumption. Software, consultancy and mobile telephones use far less oil than steel or car
production. For each dollar of GDP (in constant prices) rich economies now use nearly 50% less oil than in 1973. The OECD estimates in its latest Economic Outlook that, if oil prices average
$22 a barrel for a full year, compared with $13 in 1998, this would increase the oil import bill in rich economies by only 0.25%-0.5% of GDP. That is less than one_quarter of the income loss in 1974 or
1980. On the other hand, oil_importing emerging economies―to which heavy industry has shifted―have become more energy_intensive, and so could be more seriously squeezed.
One more reason not to lose sleep over the rise in oil prices is that, unlike the rises in the 1970s, it has not occurred against the backbone of general commodity_price inflation and global excess demand. A sizable portion of the world is only just emerging from economic decline. The Economist's commodity price index is broadly unchanging from a year ago. In 1973 commodity prices jumped by 70%,
and in 1979 by almost 30%.
From the text we can see that the writer seems .
［A］ optimistic
［B］ sensitive
［C］ gloomy
［D］ scared［2002年55题］
A［正确答案］
2. 局部作者态度题
此类题目考查考生对局部细节所体现出的作者态度的理解，因此做此类题时，考生不能再像前一种态度题一样去找“感觉”，而应当回到文章局部上，落到实处。
例
In the last half of the nineteenth century, “capital” and “labour” were enlarging and perfecting their rival organisations on modern lines. Many an old firm was replaced by a limited
liability company with a bureaucracy of salaried managers. The change met the technical requirements of the new age by engaging a large professional element and prevented the decline in efficiency
that so commonly spoiled the fortunes of family firms in the second and third generation after the energetic founders. It was moreover a step away from individual initiative, towards collectivism and municipal and state_owned business. The railway companies, though still private business managed for the benefit of shareholders, were very unlike old family business!At the same time the great
municipalities went into business to supply lighting, trams and other services to the taxpayers.
The growth of the limited liability company and municipal business had important consequences. Such large, impersonal manipulation of capital and industry greatly increased the numbers and importance of shareholders as a class, an element in national life representing irresponsible wealth detached from the land and the duties of the
landowners; and almost equally detached from the responsible management of business. All through the nineteenth century, America, Africa, India, Australia and parts of Europe were being developed by British capital, and British shareholders were thus enriched by the world's movement towards industrialisation. Towns like Bournemouth and Eastbourne sprang up to house large “comfortable” classes who had retired on their incomes, and who had no relation to the rest of the community except that of drawing dividends and occasionally
attending a shareholders' meeting to dictate their orders to the management. On the other hand “shareholding” meant leisure and freedom which was used by many of the later Victorians for the
highest purpose of a great civilisation.
The “shareholders” as such had no knowledge of the lives, thoughts or needs of the workmen employed by the company in which they held
shares, and their influence on the relations of capital and labour was not good. The paid manager acting for the company was in more direct relation with the men and their demands, but even he had
seldom that familiar personal knowledge of the workmen which the employer had often had under the more patriarchal system of the old family business now passing away. Indeed the mere size of operations and the numbers of workmen involved rendered such personal relations impossible. Fortunately, however, the increasing power and
organisation of the trade unions, at least in all skilled trades, enabled the workmen to meet on equal terms the managers of the companies who employed them. The cruel discipline of the strike and lockout taught the two parties to respect each other's strength and understand the value of fair negotiation.
The author is most critical of .
［A］ family firm owners
［B］ landowners
［C］ managers
［D］ shareholders［1996年62题］
D［正确答案］
在谈到family firm owners 时，作者只是说：“通过雇用一大批专业人员，这一变化适应了新时代的技术要求，防止了效率的下降。而效率的下降通常是家族公司在精力充沛的创立者之后的第二三代破产的原因。”这是很客观的表述，在谈到landowners时说：“对资本与企业的如此大规模的非个人运作大大增加了作为一个阶层的持股人的数量及地位的重要性。
国民生活中这一现象的出现代表了不由个人负责的财富与土地及土地所有者的义务的分离，这也在同样程度上意味着（不由个人负责的财富）与经营管理责任的分离。”也是很客观的表述，没有表明自己的态度。C选项在原文中有两处提及，但都是指带薪经理，对经理并没有进行任何批评性评论，因而也不符合题意。只有D选项对应原文中The “shareholders” as such had no knowledge of the lives, thoughts or needs of the workmen employed by
the company in which he held shares, and his influence on the relations of capital and labour was not good.“像这样的‘持股人’对所持股票公司雇用的工人的生活，思想和需求一无所知，他对资本与劳工关系没有什么好的影响。”显然，作者对这种“持股人”持批判的态度，所以D是正确答案。实际上，1996年第62题命题也可以直接以下面的形式出现：
The author's attitude towards shareholders is.
［A］ biased［B］ positive［C］ sympathetic［D］ critical
四、首段原则
首段原则应用于根据首段内容所设置的题目，它包括两种形式：首句原则和末句原则。
1.首句原则
回顾近几年的考研阅读题，细心的考生会发现历年考研试卷中都有题目针对首段第一句话设问，为什么会出现这种情况？原因很简单，考研阅读所选的文章均是议论文和说明文，此类文章的文体要求在首段提出观点、突出中心，因此第一段就好像全篇文章的一个总纲，确定了文章的主要内容，而第一句话常常是一个自然段的主题句，首段首句自然就成为常考且必考的一个考点。
例
It is said that in England death is pressing, in Canada inevitable and in California optional. Small wonder. Americans' life expectancy has nearly doubled over the past century. Failing hips can be
replaced, clinical depression controlled, cataracts removed in a 30_minute surgical procedure. Such advances offer the aging population a quality of life that was unimaginable when I entered
medicine 50 years ago. But not even a great health_care system can cure death―and our failure to confront that reality now threatens this greatness of ours.
What is implied in the first sentence?
［A］ Americans are better prepared for death than other people.
［B］ Americans enjoy a higher life quality than ever before.
［C］ Americans are over_confident of their medical technology.
［D］ Americans take a vain pride in their long life expectancy.
［2003年56题］
C［正确答案］
2.末句原则
有时一个自然段的主题句也会出现在段末，因此考点也相应转向末句。
例
Technically, any substance other than food that alters our bodily or mental functioning is a drug. Many people mistakenly believe the term drug refers only to some sort of medicine or an illegal
chemical taken by drug addicts. They don't realize that familiar substances such as alcohol and tobacco are also drugs. This is why the more neutral term substance is now used by many physicians and psychologists. The phrase “substance abuse” is often used instead
of “drug abuse” to make clear that substances such as alcohol and tobacco can be just as harmfully misused as heroin and cocaine.
“Substance abuse”is preferable to “drug abuse” in that.
［A］ substance can alter our bodily or mental functioning if illegally used
［B］ “drug abuse” is only related to a limited number or drug takers
［C］ alcohol and tobacco are as fatal as heroin and cocaine
［D］ many substances other than heroin or cocaine can also be poisonous［1997年59题］
D［正确答案］
五、段落原则
段落推断原则考查考生对段落内容的理解，分为两类题型：段落首句推断和段落中句子推断。针对这两种具体题型的原则为：先看首句，如与选项符合即可选择，不必再浪费时间看完整个段落，如首句不能与选项吻合时再将整个段落读完以寻找符合的选项。
1. 段落首句推断
例
Straitford president George Friedman says he sees the online world as a kind of mutually reinforcing tool for both information collection and distribution, a spymaster's dream. Last week his firm was busy vacuuming up data bits from the far corners of the world and predicting a crisis in Ukraine. “As soon as that report runs, we'll suddenly get 500 new Internet sign_ups from Ukraine,” says Friedman, a former political science professor. “And we'll hear back from some of them.” Open_source spying does have its risks, of course, since it can be difficult to tell good information from bad.
That's where Straitford earns its keep.
It can be learned from paragraph 4 that.
［A］ Straitford's prediction about Ukraine has proved true
［B］ Straitford's guarantees the truthfulness of its information
［C］ Straitford's business is characterized by unpredictability
［D］ Straitford is able to provide fairly reliable information［2003年44题］
D［正确答案］
2.段落中句子推断
例
But it is hardly inevitable that companies on the web will need to resort to push strategies to make money. The examples of Virtual Vineyards, Amazon.com, and other pioneers show that a Web site
selling the right kind of products with the right mix of interactivity, hospitality, and security will attract online customers. And the cost of computing power continues to free fall, which is a good sign for any enterprise setting up shop in silicon.
People looking back 5 or 10 years from now may well wonder why so few companies took the online plunge.
Ｗe learn from the last paragraph that .
［A］pushing information on the Web is essential to Internet commerce
［B］interactivity, hospitality and security are important to online customers
［C］leading companies began to take the online plunge decades ago
［D］setting up shops in silicon is independent of the cost of computing power［1999年58题］
B［正确答案］
六、转折/对比原则
议论文和说明文都强调逻辑的严谨性，而转折和对比常常可以用来测试考生在这一方面的阅读理解能力，所以考生对文中的转折和对比关系应高度重视，只要看到标明转折或对比的关系词如but, however等，就应当立即在原文上进行圈点。一般说来转折后的内容多与上文所表达的意思相反，而对比往往是强调其中的一方。
1.首段的转折/对比
只要首段中出现一对处于对比状况的概念，命题专家通常都会就此设置考题，考生应掌握这一规律，在看到文章首段出现转折对比的内容时，应当立即集中注意力，同时还要明白，第一段出现转折关系时，转折后所表述的一定是文章的中心议题，而在首段出现的对照或对比的内容将在下文中进行具体的议论，并在文章最后得出结论。
例
Few creations of big technology capture the imagination like giant dams. Perhaps it is human kind's long suffering at the mercy of flood and drought that makes the ideal of forcing the waters to do our bidding so fascinating. But to be fascinated is also, sometimes, to be blind. Several giant dam projects threaten to do more harm than good.
The third sentence of paragraph 1 implies that .（转折）
［A］ people would be happy if they shut their eyes to reality
［B］ the blind could be happier than the sighted
［C］ over_excited people tend to neglect vital things
［D］ fascination makes people lose their eyesight［1998年51题］
C［正确答案］
2. 文中的转折
例
It is a remarkable record, stretching back over 70 years―yet the BBC's future is now in doubt.
The world famous BBC now faces .
［A］ the problem of new coverage［B］ an uncertain prospect
［C］ inquiries by the general public［D］ shrinkage of audience［1996年55题］
B［正确答案］
七、复指原则
在历年的考题中，应用复指原则设问的题目较多，此类题目的考点是复指代词或与复指副词作用相同的词。1994年、1995年时此类题目大多是直接问考生文章某句中的“it”或“that”等代词指代什么。近几年此类题目的问法开始转向隐蔽，但无论题目用何种方式设问，考生都应当记住，此类题目的答案的位置必定在复指词的上文中。因此，此类题目的解答只需返回原文，在复指词上方扫描即可找到正确答案。如果按阅读习惯接着读下面的句子或段落，无论看多少遍也找不到答案。
例
For a long period of time and in many parts of the country, a traveler was a welcome break in an otherwise dull existence.
Dullness and loneliness were common problems of the families who generally lived distant from one another. Strangers and travelers were welcome sources of diversion, and brought news of the outside world.
The harsh realities of the frontier also shaped this tradition of hospitality. Someone traveling alone, if hungry, injured, or ill, often had nowhere to turn except to the nearest cabin or settlement.
It was not a matter of choice for the traveler or merely a charitable impulse on the part of the settlers. It reflected the harshness of daily life: if you didn't take in the stranger and take care of him, there was no one else who would. And someday, remember, you might be in the same situation.
Families in frontier settlements used to entertain strangers .
［A］ to improve their hard life
［B］ in view of their long_distance travel
［C］ to add some flavor to their own daily life
［D］ out of a charitable impulse［1997年57题］
C［正确答案］
八、类比原则
议论文和说明文在论证说明事理的时候均很抽象，为了让读者更形象地理解一些抽象的内容，文章常会采用类比的手法。形象的类比不仅有助于将抽象的道理阐释清楚，更可以让读者加深印象。类比在文中有两种体现方式，一是明喻，即A像B一样；二是暗喻，说A是B，由于暗喻更加隐蔽，近年来命题专家也越来越趋向于在暗喻内容上设问。
例
The mechanic should sit down among levers, screws, wedges, wheels, etc., like a poet among the letters of the alphabet, considering them as an exhibition of his thoughts, in which a new arrangement
transmits a new idea.
A technologist can be compared to an artist because .(明喻)
［A］ they are both winners of awards
［B］ they are both experts in spatial thinking
［C］ they both abandon verbal description
［D］ they both use various instruments［1996年65题］
B［正确答案］
九、例证原则
让事实说话往往是最有效的论证方式之一，命题专家在设置题目时往往也会针对文中的事例设问，考查考生对局部结构的理解。例证题1994年第一次出现在考研试卷上，共两道题，占4分。但在1995年至1998年间，没有出现过一道例证题，1999年再次出现，一样是两道题，占4分。之后，几乎每年的考题都有一至两道例证题，这就说明考研命题的一大特点，命题规则总是不断重复的。
考生们在应用例证原则解题时还应注意常用的例证方式有两种：一是先提出观点，后举例说明；二是先列举事例再做出结论。考生应当学会举一反三，不要被各种原则的变化形式所迷惑。
例
Now the tide appears to be turning. As personal injury claims continue as before, some courts are beginning to side with defendants, especially in cases where a warning label probably wouldn't have changed anything.In May, Julie Nimmons, president of Schutt Sports in Illinois, successfully fought a lawsuit involving a football player who was paralyzed in a game while wearing a Schutt helmet. “We're really sorry he has become paralyzed, but helmets aren't designed to prevent those kinds of injuries,” says Nimmons.
The jury agreed that the nature of the game, not the helmet, was the reason for the athlete's injury. At the same time, the American Law
Institute―a group of judges, lawyers, and academics whose recommendations carry substantial weight―issued new guidelines for tort law stating that companies need not warn customers of obvious
dangers or bombard them with a lengthy list of possible ones.
“Important information can get buried in a sea of trivialities,” says a law professor at Cornell Law School who helped draft the new guidelines. If the moderate end of the legal community has its way,
the information on products might actually be provided for the benefit of customers and not as protection against legal liability.
The case of Schutt helmet demonstrated that .
［A］some injury claims were no longer supported by law
［B］helmets were not designed to prevent injuries
［C］product labels would eventually be discarded
［D］some sports games might lose popularity with athletes［1999年53题］
A［正确答案］
十、句子理解原则
这种题型旨在考查文中某一句话的内涵。因此在解题时，考生要牢牢抓住这句话本身，弄清楚它的每个单词、每个表达及整个句子所传递的信息，可以借助周边的句子来帮助理解，但不要跑得太远。
例
In the US and Canada,where the right_to_die movement is gathering strength, observers are waiting for the dominoes to start falling.
When the author says that “observers are waiting for the dominoes to start falling”, he means .
［A］ observers are taking a wait_and_see attitude towards the future of euthanasia
［B］ similar bills are likely to be passed in the US, Canada and other countries
［C］ observers are waiting to see the result of the game of dominoes
［D］ the effect_taking process of the passed bill may finally come to a stop［1997年52题］
B［正确答案］
十一、词汇原则
阅读中的词汇题通常会有两种情况，一种是考生一看到所考的单词立刻心跳加速：“完了，这个词不认识，大纲上也没有。”还有就是一看到单词，立刻欣喜不已：“哈哈，这么容易的单词。”第一种情况下考生往往会随便猜一个选项，错误率很高。而第二种情况下，考生往往落入命题专家的陷阱，不知不觉地失了分，原因是考生并没有掌握阅读词汇题的基本命题原则。
在阅读部分的词汇题要考的并不是考生认不认识题中所考的单词，否则便是命题失效。此处要考的是考生阅读中的推断能力，也就是说题中所考单词的词义必定能根据上下文推断出来。所以考生在遇到阅读中的词汇题时，一定要冷静，去上下文中细找，推断出词义后，可将词义代入原文看是否通畅。
例1
Railroads justify rate discrimination against captive shippers on the grounds that in the long run it reduces everyone's cost. If railroads charged all customers the same average rate, they argue, shippers who have the option of switching to trucks or other forms of transportation would do so, leaving remaining customers to shoulder the cost of keeping up the line. It's a theory to which
many economists subscribe, but in practice it often leaves railroads in the position of determining which companies will flourish and which will fail. “Do we really want railroads to be the arbiters of
who wins and who loses in the marketplace?” asks Martin Bercovici, a Washington lawyer who frequently represents shippers.
The word “arbiters” most probably refers to those.
［A］ who work as coordinators［B］ who function as judges
［C］ who supervise transactions［D］ who determine the price［2003年54题］
B［正确答案］
例2
For any job search, you should start with a narrow concept―what you think you want to do―then broaden it. “None of these programs do that,” says another expert. “There's no career counseling implicit in all of this.” Instead, the best strategy is to use the agent as a kind of tip service to keep abreast of jobs in a particular
database; when you get E_mail, consider it a reminder to check the database again. “I would not rely on agents for finding everything that is added to a database that might interest me,” says the
author of a job_searching guide.
The expression “tip service” most probably means .
［A］ advisory［B］ compensation
［C］ interaction［D］ reminder［2004年43题］
D［正确答案］
十二、判断原则
判断题型考查考生在现实生活中的阅读技能即快速、准确寻找所需信息的能力，要求考生能够看懂题目提供的四个选项并在文中检索相关信息。这种题目比较耗费时间，在紧张的考试中，容易给考生带来心理压力，因此面对此类题型考生首先要调整心理状态，细致冷静地返回到文章中去寻找答案。
面对判断原则的题目，考生必须先读懂题目所给的四个选项，记住它们的意思，返回原文去扫描，搜寻信息点，与题目不相关的句子、语段很快掠过，相关信息语言区域则要求考生必须细致地对照原文中的信息。
判断原则有两种题型：
1. 一正三误
要求考生找出四个选项中惟一正确的一个，检验答案时要注意这种题型最常采用的三种命题方式是：正话反说、反话正说和关键词替换。
例
No company likes to be told it is contributing to the moral decline of nation. “Is this what you intended to accomplish with your careers?” Senator Robert Dole asked Time Warner executives last
week. “You have sold your souls, but must you corrupt our nation and threaten our children as well?” At Time Warner, however, such questions are simply the latest manifestation of the soul_searching that has involved the company ever since the company was born in 1990. It's a self_examination that has, at various times, involved issues of responsibility, creative freedom and the corporate bottom line.
At the core of this debate is chairman Gerald Levin, 56, who took over for the late Steve Ross in 1992. On the financial front, Levin is under pressure to raise the stock price and reduce the company's mountainous debt, which will increase to $17.3 billion after two new cable deals close. He has promised to sell off some of the property
and restructure the company, but investors are waiting impatiently.
The flap over rap is not making life any easier for him. Levin has consistently defended the company's rap music on the grounds of expression. In 1992, when Time Warner was under fire for releasing
Ice_T's violent rap song Cop Killer, Levin described rap as a lawful expression of street culture, which deserves an outlet. “The test
of any democratic society,” he wrote in a Wall Street Journal column, “lies not in how well it can control expression but in whether it gives freedom of thought and expression the widest
possible latitude, however disputable or irritating the results may sometimes be. We won't retreat in the face of any threats.”
Levin would not comment on the debate last week, but there were signs that the chairman was backing off his hard_line stand, at least to some extent. During the discussion of rock singing verses
at last month's stockholders' meeting, Levin asserted that “music is not the cause of society's ills” and even cited his son, a teacher in the Bronx, New York, who uses rap to communicate with
students. But he talked as well about the“balanced struggle” between creative freedom and social responsibility, and he announced that the company would launch a drive to develop standards for
distribution and labeling of potentially objectionable music.
The 15_member Time Warner board is generally supportive of Levin and his corporate strategy. But insiders say several of them have shown their concerns in this matter. “Some of us have known for many, many years that the freedoms under the First Amendment are not totally unlimited,” says Luce. “I think it is perhaps the case that some people associated with the company have only recently come to realize this.”
The last sentence of the first paragraph most probably implies that .
［A］ Luce is a spokesman of Time Warner
［B］ Gerald Levin is liable to compromise
［C］ Time Warner is united as one in the face of the debate
［D］ Steve Ross is no longer alive［1997年64题］
D［正确答案］
2. 三正一误
要求考生判断哪一个选项与文章不符。检验答案时有两种方式，一是正确选项所给的信息在文中根本没有提到过，二是正确选项所给信息与文中其他内容相互冲突。
例
With the start of BBC World Service Television, millions of viewers in Asia and America can now watch the Corporation's news coverage, as well as listening to it. And of course in Britain listeners and viewers can tune in to two BBC television channels, five BBC national radio services and dozens of local radio stations. They are brought sport, comedy, drama, music, news and current affairs, education, religion, parliamentary coverage, children's programmes and films for an annual licence fee of ￡83 per household.
It is a remarkable record, stretching back over 70 years―yet the BBC's future is now in doubt. The Corporation will survive as a publicly_funded broadcasting organisation, at least for the time
being, but its role, its size and its programmes are now the subject of a nation_wide debate in Britain.
The debate was launched by the Government, which invited anyone with an opinion of the BBC―including ordinary listeners and viewers―to
say what was good or bad about the Corporation, and even whether they thought it was worth keeping. The reason for its inquiry is that the BBC’s royal charter runs out in 1996 and it must decide
whether to keep the organisation as it is, or to make changes.
Defenders of the Corporation―of whom there are many―are fond of quoting the American slogan “If it ain't broken, don't fix it.”
The BBC “ain't broke”,they say, by which they mean it is not broken (as distinct from the word ‘broke’, meaning having no money), so why bother to change it?
Yet the BBC will have to change, because the broadcasting world around it is changing. The commercial TV channels―TV and Channel 4―
were required by the Thatcher Government's Broadcasting Act to become more commercial, competing with each other for advertisers,
and cutting costs and jobs. But it is the arrival of new satellite channels―funded partly by advertising and partly by viewers'
subscriptions―which will bring about the biggest changes in the long term.
In the passage, which of the following about the BBC is not mentioned as the key issue?
［A］ Extension of its TV service to Far East.
［B］ Programmes as the subject of a nation_wide debate.
［C］ Potentials for further international co_operations.
［D］ Its existence as a broadcasting organisation.［1996年56题］
C［正确答案］
在1996年至2004年考研试卷的180道阅读题目中，上文中所总结的原则不断重复出现，有时甚至两个或三个原则相互重叠。不以规矩，无以成方圆。命题专家在设计考题时必定会遵循一定的原则，而考生则应当在复习应考时掌握并熟练应用这12大原则，以求达到事半功倍的效果。
