首先，让我们以2000年考题第三篇文章为例，概括地说明以上阅读方式的含义和重要性，请考生特别注意用黑体标出的部分：
【例1】
When a new movement in art attains a certain fashion, it is advisable to find out what its advocates are aiming at, for, however farfetched and unreasonable their principles may seem today, it is possible that in years to come they may be regarded as normal. With regard to Futurist poetry, however, the case is rather difficult, whatever Futurist poetry may be — even admitting that the theory on which it is based may be right — it can hardly be classed as Literature.
This, in brief, is what the Futurist says: for a century, past conditions of life have been conditionally speeding up, till now we live in a world of noise and violence and speed. Consequently, our feelings, thoughts and emotions have under gone corresponding changes. This speeding up of life, says the Futurist, requires a new form of expression. We must speed up our literature too, if we want to interpret modern stress. We must pour out a large stream of essential words, unhampered by stops, qualifying adjectives, or finite verbs. Instead of describing so unds we must make up words that imitate them; we must use many sizes of type and different colored ink on the same page, and shorten or lengthen words at will.
Certainly their descriptions of battles are confused. But it is a little upsetting to read in the expla- natory notes that a certain line descries a fight between a Turk and a Bulgarian officer on a bridge off which they both fall into the river — and then find that the line consists of the noise of their falling and the weights of the officers, “Pluff! Pluff! A hundred and eighty five kilograms.”
This, though it fulfills the laws and requirements of Futurist poetry, can hardly be classed as Literature. All the same, no thinking man can refuse to accept their first proposition: that a great change in our emotion-nal life calls for a change of expression. The whole question is really this: have we essentially changed?(2000年考题)
【综合分析】第一句提出作者的文学评论观。第一段第二句表达了作者对未来派诗歌的看法，这种看法在最后一段第一句得到照应，仅仅抓住这两句，我们对作者的观点和意图就能一目了然。第二段第一句的前半句告诉我们：本段谈的是未来派诗人的创作理念，本段第三句对这个理念进行了概括性说明。第四段举例说明了他们的创作特点。
相应地，下列四个题针对这些方面——作者的文学评论观、对未来派诗歌的看法、未来派诗歌的创作理念——的重要信息展开提问。
59. This passage is mainly________.
［A］ a survey of new approaches to art
［B］ a review of Futurist poetry
［C］ about merits of the Futurist movement
［D］ about laws and requirements of literature
【分析】该题测试考生对文章的宏观把握。从文章第一段第二句——提出观点——和最后一段第一句——结论，不难看出，本文是对未来派诗歌的评论，因此，［B］是正确答案。
60. When a novel literary idea appears, people should try to________.
［A］ determine its purposes
［B］ ignore its flaws
［C］ follow the new fashions
［D］ accept the principles
【分析】该题的测试重点是作者的文学评论观。根据文章第一句，作者认为，每当一个新艺术运动达到一定流行程度时，最好先找出其倡导者的目的，因为无论其原则在今天看来可能是多么不着边际、多么荒谬，但是数年后它也许会被看做是正常的东西。因此，［A］是正确答案，意为：确定其目的。
61. 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
【分析】该题提问的是未来派诗歌的创作理念，从文章第二段的主题来看，［C］是正确答案，意为：找出新的表达方式。
62. The author believes that Futurist poetry is________.
［A］ based on reasonable principles
［B］ new and acceptable to ordinary people
［C］ indicative of a basic change in human nature
［D］ more of a transient phenomenon than literature
【分析】本题的测试重点是作者对未来派诗歌的看法，作者对未来派诗歌进行了严厉的批评。在四个选择项中，只有［D］含有批评意味，意为：与其说是文学，不如说是一种稍纵即逝的现象。
【说明】题号为原考研考题题号，黑体为作者所加，下文同。
以下我们就来具体谈一谈如何利用各种线索把握文章的重要信息
