[轉貼CD] iBT閱讀部分巡講講稿內容

[micki]

新托福考試將於2006年8月在中國大陸地區推出。這一消息牽動著千萬考生的心。許多考生對於新托福考試的形式感到十分的陌生，由此也對新托福考試產生了相當的恐懼心理。本文將深度剖析新托福考試中閱讀部分的特點，目的在於一方面幫助考生全面而深刻地瞭解新托福閱讀部分的考試特點，另一方面幫助考生透徹地分析新托福閱讀部分考試的規律。

一、新托福考試閱讀部分的六大變化
1. 新托福考試閱讀部分中的四個主要按鍵及功能
在新托福考試閱讀部分，閱讀文章出現在電腦屏幕的右邊（這和GRE機考形式恰好相反，因為在GRE機考閱讀部分，閱讀文章出現在電腦屏幕的左邊），而相應的題目出現在電腦屏幕的左邊。因為文章很長，所以需要借助於滾動條的滾動，才能看到全文。在閱讀部分，考生可以通過點擊Next button向前瀏覽所有的問題，也可以通過點擊Back button回視前面的問題，並返回到文章的最開頭。托福閱讀部分還擁有一個review功能的按鍵，通過點擊Review button考生將會在Review Screen看到所有的問題，和看到這些問題的狀態---answered, not answered, not yet seen。最後，新托福的閱讀部分還有一個Help button，考生點擊這個按鍵之後，將會得到a list of topics for which helpful explanations are available。

2. 新托福考試閱讀部分的文章長度、題目數量及考試時間均有變化
原有形式的托福考試，其閱讀部分的時間為55分鐘，需要完成5篇文章，每篇文章的長度在350字左右，每篇文章後面的題目數量在10道左右，也就是說題目的總數量為50道。而新托福考試閱讀部分的具體安排見下表：

READING SECTION
Reading Text Time Allowed Length of Passage Number of Questions
Passage 1 20 minutes 600-700 words 12-14
Passage 2 20 minutes 600-700 words 12-14
Passage 3 20 minutes 600-700 words 12-14
Passage 4 & 5 20 minutes 600-700 words 12-14 each

需要注意的是：
(1) Passage 4 & 5屬於加試部分，即考生在閱讀部分所遇到的文章數量可能是3篇，也可能是5篇，那麼相應的考試的時間為60分鐘和100分鐘；
(2) 閱讀部分的考試時間是Preset的，即閱讀部分考試的總時間是固定不變的，但做每篇文章，做每道題目所花費的時間由考生自己靈活掌握；
(3) 閱讀文章明顯增長，達到了700字左右。

3. 新托福考試閱讀文章中的專業詞彙的處理和題目定位的處理均有變化
新托福閱讀部分一個非常glossary的特點是：A word in blue in a passage indicates that a definition is available for the word. Clicking on the word brings up this definition。也就是說凡是在閱讀文章中所遇到的生僻的專業詞彙，都會呈現出藍色，點擊後將會給出這個單詞的定義和解釋。
新托福閱讀部分中所有的關於Language Use的問題都是對文章中的一個單詞、一句話或者一個段落所發問的，並且對於此類題目定位處理上的一個最為鮮明的特點是：Whenever a question refers to a particular word or sentence in the passage, the word or sentence is highlighted. You don not need to search for it. Detail questions on TOEFL iBT identify the particular paragraph in which the answer can be found, so you do not need to scan the passage in order to find the location of an answer to a detail question.也就是說新托福考試的閱讀不再考察Language Use問題定位的能力。這大大降低了題目本身的難度。

4. 新托福考試閱讀部分中的干擾選項（distracter）的設置更為複雜
通過上面的第3點我們已經知道在新托福閱讀部分考試中，很多的細節題目不再需要定位了，這就降低了題目本身的難度。ETS為了在題目難度上做一平衡，採取的方法是將干擾選項的設置變得更為複雜，大有向GRE靠攏的趨勢，不僅干擾選項增多，干擾性也明顯增強了，尤其對於Paraphrasing的題型顯得尤為突出。

5. 新托福考試閱讀部分的題型形式變化多端，分值也呈現出巨大變化
新托福考試題目的形式變得多樣化了，相應題目的分值也出現了巨大變化。我們可以把新托福中的閱讀題型分為三種：
(1) Click on One Answer: For this multiple-choice type of question, you will choose the best of four possible answers，此類題目是傳統的四選一的題目，其分值為1分；
(2) Add a Sentence: For this type of question, you will click on a square to add a sentence to the passage. 這種插入句子題的文章中有4個「[■]」，然後題目給考生一句話，問考生這句話應該插在文章中哪一個所標「[■]」的地方。一般，題目的提問方式是這樣的：Look at the four squares [■] that indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage，此類題目的分值也為1分；
(3) Drag Answer Choices: 此類題型在做法上的最大特點在於它不是要求點擊選項，而是拖拉考生認為正確的選項到相應的表格中。其具體形式又可以分為兩大類，而其分值也會隨著具體形式的變化而變化：
A. Summarizing the Most Important Points題型:
此類題目的提問方式是這樣的：An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage is provided below. Complete the summary by selecting the THREE answer choices that express the most important ideas in the passage. Some sentenced do not belong in the summary because they express ideas that are not presented in the passage or are minor ideas in the passage。這類題目主要考查了考生對於重要論據和重要觀點的掌握，分值為2分，具體評分規則如下：
Points Possible Answers Correct Points Earned

3 points

3 2
2 1
0--1 0


B. Understanding details as they relate to the main idea (schematic table)題型：
此類題型主要考查了考生對於結構重要信息的掌握，其提問方式是：Select the appropriate sentences from the answer choices and match them to the type of ---- that they describe. TWO of the answer choices will NOT be used。根據answer choices的數量，7個中選5個或者9個中選7個歸類，其相應的分值為3分和4分。具體評分規則如下：
Points Possible Answers Correct Points Earned

3 Points

5 3
4 2
3 1
0--2 0


4 Points

7 4
6 3
5 2
4 1
0—3 0

6. 新托福考試閱讀部分增加了4種題型
新托福考試閱讀部分增加了4種題型，分別是Paraphrasing題型（同義改寫題型），Understanding Coherence題型（插入句子題型），Organization Information題型（結構信息表格題型），Summarizing the Most Important Points題型（總結重要觀點題型）。

二、以一篇文章現場感受新托福閱讀考試的特點
將文章發給聽眾，現場感受一下，新托福的文章的特點

The Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad was one of the most fascinating and gripping phenomena to emerge from the brutal period of American slavery. In fact, it was neither underground nor any kind of railroad, but an intricate, loosely organized, and highly secretive network of people dedicated to helping black slaves escape from bondage in the southern states to freedom in the northern United States, Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean. Because few of its members dared to keep records of their activities, much of the Railroad』s history has been transmitted orally, or lost. Nevertheless, it is possible to reconstruct a vivid picture of the people involved and the great challenges they faced.
Established as early as the late 16th century, when the first captive laborers were brought to the New World from Africa, the Railroad consisted of an informal arrangement of 「stationmasters」—people who provided food and refuge, their 「station」—the houses, shops, or barns where they provided shelter, and 「conductors」—those who guided escaped slaves along the difficult routes to safety. All kinds of people worked on the Railroad, including preachers, politicians, farmers, storekeepers, former slaves, and even Native American. Most had no knowledge that they worked as part of an organization that reached all across the United States—but they were united by their hatred of the institution of slavery and their desire to help those struggling to escape.
Perhaps the most famous of Railroad workers was Harriet Tubman. Born a slave in Maryland, Tubman escaped through the Railroad at the age of 25, and eventually became a conductor herself. Over a ten—year period, she made nearly 20 trips back into the South to lead to safety many members of her family, and dozens of others besides, perhaps as many as 300 in all.
The conditions faced by runaways were severe. Often forced to travel at night, they would navigate by the North Star. Rivers, swamps, and forests lay in their way. They could carry little food, and depended on stationmasters and conductors to keep them from starvation. Sometimes the lucky ones could travel by wagon, ship, or horse, but most had to go on foot. If they were unable to actually leave the southern states, they might have no choice but to take up residence deep in swamps or in mountainous areas, separated from their families and isolated from the world, or to join communities of Native Americans.
The risks faced by fugitives were formidable Recapture was unthinkable. Escapees would endure terrible punishments, including mutilation or amputation of limbs, harder labor even than before was virtually guaranteed, or sale 「down the river」—deeper into the South and even farther from freedom. After the Fugitive Slave Law was passed in 1850, a new class of professional slave—hunters arose, paid handsomely to catch runway slaves and return them to their owners; they could even pursue their quarry into the free northern regions. Young men were the most successful in traveling the Railroad, though sometimes women and children would also manage to escape. Strength and speed were critical. Slaves would occasionally employ disguises, trying to pass themselves as messengers on errands, or even, in the case of the lighter—skinned slaves, as whites. Holidays and weekends were the best times to escape, or any other circumstance that permitted a head start on the authorities.
Activities on the Railroad reached a peak in the last few decades before the outbreak of the American Civil War in 1861.The great political tension created by the institution of slavery was already tearing the country apart. Whites in the South generally felt that slavery was an indispensable part of their culture. Their economy certainly depended on it, and moreover, they resented being dictated to from the North and from Washington. Those in the North, on the other hand, could only see the brutality in slavery, and the hypocrisy it meant in a country claiming to be founded on the principle of freedom and equality for all mankind. Though terribly destructive, the Civil War ultimately settled the question, and with the ratification of the 13th amendment to the U.S. Construction on December 18, 1865, it became law what 「neither slavery nor involuntary servitude…shall exist in the United States.」

三、結束語
談到這裡，我們已經將新托福考試閱讀部分的特點做了詳盡地剖析，同時也比較深刻和全面地分析了如何做到substantial understanding的問題，也就是給出了方法論的問題。有了這樣的方法論，其餘的工作應該是會水到渠成的。最後想用三句話來結束本文，希望這三句話能給在新托福征途上的考生以鼓勵和啟迪：Nothing more than diligence can predict your success。If you lie upon roses when young, you』ll lie upon thorns when old. With time and patience the leaf of the mulberry becomes satin.