託福閱讀修辭目的題解題技巧
修辭目的題(rhetorical purpose questions)是新託福閱讀中難度較大的題型之一。這種題型對於國內考生來說較爲陌生，在考場上時間緊張的情況下考生往往不知該在文中什麼地方找答案。下面小編給大家帶來託福閱讀修辭目的題解題技巧，供大家學習。
託福閱讀修辭目的題(舉例)
託福閱讀中由於詞彙題和事實信息題的出題頻率和數量較高，使得大家往往把目光聚焦在對於單詞本身和句子本身信息的理解，而對於句子和句子之間，甚至是段落與段落之間的邏輯關係理解較爲弱化。託福閱讀十種題型中的修辭目的題注重考察單詞，短語或是句子在句子之內或句子之間起到的作用，這就要求大家平時閱讀時，在涉獵原文細節信息的基礎之上，要有意識地注意句子之間的邏輯關係以及段落的結構。通過練習培養嚴謹的句子邏輯關係和緊湊的文章構架，對於無論是寫作還是口語都有着一定的幫助。
此次目的題參考的內容基本可以分爲三類，其一，作者在句中提到一些單詞或短語或是句子是爲了舉例說明之前的相關信息點，輔助讀者更好地理解原文的信息。其二，作者提供相關信息目的在於解釋說明某一現象或是事件，本質與舉例說明較爲類似，也是爲了幫助讀者更好地理解信息，其三，作者在提出某些重要的觀點時，爲了突出個別的信息點，而引入一些單詞短語或句子，目的是爲了強度。基於對修辭目的題作者寫作目的本身的分析和理解，我們可以更好地解決相關題目。以下以第一種舉例說明的情況爲例，重點講解如何解決此類題目。
我們來看一道題，此題出自TPO14--children and advertising中的第10題，題幹問why does the author mention a show about a cartoon lion in which an advertisement appears featuring the same lion character?根據題幹關鍵詞定位到文中對應的句子，Host selling occurs, for example, when a children's show about a cartoon lion contains an ad in which the same lion promotes a breakfast cereal.讀完句子看到句中的插入短語for example，知道此句式爲例子，屬於舉例說明，我們都知道例子是用來證明之前的信息，所以向前反推，看到緊接其前這樣的內容In the recent past, the role of celebrities in advertising to children has often been conflated with the concept of host selling. Host selling involves blending advertisements with regular programming in a way that makes it difficult to distinguish one from the other.這兩句第一句解釋了host selling，第二句提到host selling的影響，所以得知緊接其後的句子是爲了例證這兩點信息，即host selling的概念以及它產生的影響。得出正確選項To help explain what is meant by the term "host selling" and why it can be misleading to children。
再比如TPO16中trade and the ancient middle east一文中第12題考到In paragraph 5, why does the author mention the new trade route opened up by Vasco da Gama's fifteenth century voyage around Africa?根據題幹關鍵詞定位到原文句子：as occurred when European seafarers circumvented Middle Eastern merchants after Vasco da Gama's voyage around Africa in the late fifteenth century opened up a southern route.讀句子as表示正如…得知此處爲舉例說明，例證之前的信息，看到前半句since the development of new international trade routes could undermine the monetary base and erode state power。得知提到Vasco da Gama's fifteenth century voyage around Africa目的是爲了證明新的國際貿易路線的發展可能破壞貨幣基礎並且侵蝕國家權力。得出答案爲To present an instance in which Middle Eastern states lost money and power because of their reliance on long-distance trade。
再如TPO25 The surface of mars一文中的第6題In paragraph 3, why does the author compare Maxwell Mons on Venus to the Hawaiian shield volcanoes on Earth?根據題幹關鍵詞定位到原文句子It is no accident that Maxwell Mons on Venus and the Hawaiian shield volcanoes on Earth rise to about the same height (about 10 kilometers) above their respective bases-Earth and Venus has similar surface gravity.通過句中短語It is no accident that得知此處爲舉例論證，所以向前看，緊接其前的句子爲The lower the gravity, the lesser the weight and the greater the height of the mountain.可知原文想要闡述的信息是地心引力和山脈高度直接的關係，而且地心引力越低則重量越低，隨之山的高度越高，所以緊接其後比較Maxwell Mons on Venus 和the Hawaiian shield volcanoes on Earth完全是爲了論證這個信息，由此容易選得正確選項爲To help explain the relationship between surface gravity and volcano height。
通過以上的三個例子我們知道修辭目的題中，舉例論證是常考點，常見的表示舉例的提示性的單詞或短語有：for example/for instance/such as/as/as a example of/one of…/this is the case…等。如果題幹中關鍵詞對應原文的句子裏有相關的表示例證的單詞，短語出現，則向前看前面的句子，答案也就隨之浮現出來。所以在平時的閱讀練習中，大家一定要注意句子之間邏輯關係，句與句之間不是互相獨立的，而是緊密聯繫，互相支撐，構建段落，甚至是全文。
託福閱讀：修辭目的題的解法
本質上講：對作者意圖的提問
形式上講：
Why does the author mention/discuss …?
The author mentions/discusses … in order to ______.
The author uses … as an example of_____.
等等
做這類題目時有些同學往往會出現黑人問號，我怎麼知道作者怎麼想的!
其實，這類題目和託福其他題目一樣，都是有套路的。至少，託福閱讀裏的修辭目的題是不會要求考生們對鍋裏的魚眼裏“詭異的光”進行理解的。
言歸正傳，那麼做這類題目的套路究竟是什麼呢?
首先我們要知道託福文章結構有一個規律，就是claim(觀點)+detail(s)，換句話說就是給出一個觀點，然後用一個或者若干個細節或者例子來支撐前面的觀點。
不論是從文章整體架構，段落結構，還是更微觀的行文結構來看，一般來說這個規律都成立。而修辭目的題實質上就是出題人把一個detail拎出來問你，作者爲什麼要提到這個detail。到這裏，問題的關鍵就變成了找到這個detail對應的claim究竟在哪裏。
最簡單的模型就是，claim後面就一個detail支撐，這種情況下，自然detail前面緊挨着的那句話就是作者的觀點，即提到這個detail的目的是爲了說明前面的這個觀點。
然而有時候，作者會用不止一個detail來支撐最前面的claim，模型視圖如下
Claim+ detail 1 + detail 2 + detail 3
這種時候，如果出題人把detail 3拎出來問你它的目的，顯然答案就不是爲了支持緊挨着它的前面那句話了，而應該是遙相支持前面的前面的前面的那個claim。
根據以上原理，我們總結出了一個做題步驟，幫助大家高效地找到這個claim。
簡言之，
1. 找出題目中的關鍵詞
2. 用關鍵詞定位原文
3. 按照原句 -- 前面1~2句 -- 段落第一句的順序找到claim
4. 根據原文claim找到對應選項
可以看出，步驟1和2是在文章中找到題目裏提到的detail的位置，當然，如果文中已經給你highligh出來了的話這兩個步驟就省掉了
而步驟3纔是在找claim
下面，我們來進行一個實操應用：
In paragraph 1, what is the author's purpose in providing examples of how organisms are destroyed?
○To emphasize how surprising it is that so many fossils exist
○To introduce a new geologic theory of fossil preservation
○To explain why the fossil record until now has remained incomplete
○To compare how fossils form on land and in water
很明顯，這道題需要我們自己去找到detail的位置，所以我們要從第1個步驟開始做起：找出題目中的關鍵詞
examples of how organisms are destroyed(生物被摧毀的例子)
第2步，我們要拿着關鍵詞到段落裏面去找detail對應的原句，即哪裏有提到生物被摧毀的例子
Paragraph 1: When one considers the many ways by which organisms are completely destroyed after death, it is remarkable that fossils are as common as they are. Attack by scavengers and bacteria, chemical decay, and destruction by erosion and other geologic agencies make the odds against preservation very high. However, the chances of escaping complete destruction are vastly improved if the organism happens to have a mineralized skeleton and dies in a place where it can be quickly buried by sediment. Both of these conditions are often found on the ocean floors, where shelled invertebrates (organisms without spines) flourish and are covered by the continuous rain of sedimentary particles. Although most fossils are found in marine sedimentary rocks, they also are found in terrestrial deposits left by streams and lakes. On occasion, animals and plants have been preserved after becoming immersed in tar or quicksand, trapped in ice or lava flows, or engulfed by rapid falls of volcanic ash.
我們看下來後會發現有且僅有紅色部分是一些摧毀生物的具體例子，清道夫、細菌、化學侵蝕等等，至此我們完成了第2步，定位出了detail對應的原句。
第3步，到這句話的前面找它對應的claim，這道題裏，它前面只有一句話，那讓我們來驗證一下這是不是這個detail所支撐的觀點呢?
When one considers the many ways by which organisms are completely destroyed after death, it is remarkable that fossils are as common as they are.
(當一個人知道生物死後會被如此多的方式所完全分解毀滅，那他就會感嘆世界上化石如此普遍有多不可思議)
看起來邏輯上可以成爲生物被摧毀的例子所支撐的對象吧
那我們現在來做第4步，根據找出來的claim去選出最接近的選項
In paragraph 1, what is the author's purpose in providing examples of how organisms are destroyed?
○To emphasize how surprising it is that so many fossils exist
○To introduce a new geologic theory of fossil preservation
○To explain why the fossil record until now has remained incomplete
○To compare how fossils form on land and in water
選項1是不是就是我們找出來的claim的同義複述呀?答案就是它了!
All in all，只要把握好題型背後的原理，媽媽再也不用擔心你做不好修辭目的題了!
託福閱讀修辭目的題全解析
一、 什麼是修辭?
首先要弄懂的問題是什麼叫做修辭(rhetorical)?這裏所指的修辭不同於咱們語文課上學的"比喻、擬人、排比、對偶、移情"等等，這些都是具體的修辭手法。託福閱讀中的修辭含義更廣，它包括舉例子 "下定義、闡述、解釋、對比、反駁、強調、批評"等。 根據官方指南(official guide)英文版第三版42頁的說法，這裏的修辭是指"有效寫作或演講的藝術"，也就是說，某個具體信息可能是爲了給某個觀點舉例子，下定義，或者是爲了闡述、解釋、對比、反駁、強調、批評某個觀點。而這裏說的具體信息可能是一個詞、一句話甚至是一個段落。
二、託福 閱讀考察什麼能力?
如果說事實信息題是問作者給出了哪個細節或信息的話，修辭目的題則是問爲什麼給出某個具體信息或細節。由此我們可以知道修辭目的題實際考察的同學們在閱讀中"角色轉換"的能力，也就是把自己想成是作者，揣摩作者寫某個詞、某句話，或某一段的意圖能力。說到這兒同學們可能會說：考試的時候我很緊張，根本沒有心思把自己想成是作者，再去猜他/她當時寫的時候是怎麼想的，是不是這道題我就做不對了?"。其實大可不必擔心，因爲作者寫作是有一定的邏輯順序在裏面的，具體信息出現的位置也是有一定規律的，下面我將給大家分析一下託福閱讀文章的結構，看完這個結構大家就會對作者的寫作順序有一個較明晰的瞭解。
三、託福閱讀結構分析--作者寫作意圖的線索
託福閱讀的題材多種多樣，但總體而言議論文、說明文偏多，也有少數是記敘文，如名人生平等。但不管哪一種其文章結構都有基本的規律，即"板塊式結構"。也就是說文章有總論點(Thesis Statement)，每段也有各自的論點，段落中的內容是爲了闡述段落論點，最終是爲了論證文章論點服務的。爲一目瞭然，以下圖表示文章結構：
由此可見，文章段落中具體的信息應該是爲段落論點服務的，而其最終目的是文章的總論點。
四、託福 閱讀題目分類
修辭目的題按提問對象分大致可分三類：一是問具體信息的目的、二是問段落目的、三是問段落組織結構。其中第一種出現的次數最多，其中又以舉例目的題出現頻率最高。因而以下重點介紹第一類的解法
五、找答案--三步走
舉例目的題是修辭目的題中出現多、代表性強的一類。經過上述分析，相信大家已經對舉例的目的有所瞭解，即：例子是爲了證明論點的。而很多時候在具體信息，也就是例子之前還有一個具體的論點(statement)，因此例子的目的也就有三個層次：
1. 例子之前general statement
2. 段落的TS
3. 文章的TS
這也就意味着我們再解修辭目的題的時候有了尋找的目標和方向。也就是，當問到修辭的目的，尤其是具體信息的目的時，首先需要關注的就是具體信息之前的那句話，如果選項中沒有則尋找其所在段落的中心句，(具體尋找中心句的方法請關注新東方教師講解系列的其他文章)，如果還沒有則需要回顧一下全文的中心句，再比照選項，選擇意義相同的選項。
爲了讓大家進一步體會這個"三步走"戰略，這裏以Test Practice Online 中的一道託福 閱讀題爲例實踐一下我們的解法：
Paragraph 1 : The United States dancer Loie Fuller (1862-1928) found theatrical dance in the late nineteenth century artistically unfulfilling. She considered herself an artist rather than a mere entertainer, and she, in turn, attracted the notice of other artists。
Paragraph 5 : As her technological expertise grew more sophisticated, so did the other aspects of her dances. Although she gave little thought to music in her earliest dances, she later used scores by Gluck, Beethoven, Schubert, Chopin, and Wagner, eventually graduating to Stravinsky, Fauré, Debussy, and Mussorgsky, composers who were then considered progressive. She began to address more ambitious themes in her dances such as The Sea, in which her dancers invisibly agitated a huge expanse of silk, played upon by colored lights. Always open to scientific and technological innovations, she befriended the scientists Marie and Pierre Curie upon their discovery of radium and created a Radium Dance, which simulated the phosphorescence of that element. She both appeared in films-then in an early stage of development-and made them herself; the hero of her fairy-tale film Le Lys de la Vie (1919) was played by René Clair, later a leading French film director。
9. Why does the author mention Fuller's The Sea?
point out a dance of Fuller's in which music did not play an important role
explain why Fuller sometimes used music by progressive composers
C. To illustrate a particular way in which Fuller developed as an artist
D. To illustrate how Fuller's interest in science was reflected in her work
這是一道修辭目的題中問舉例目的的題，這道題得答案如果沒有"三步走"的解法指導一時間很難看出來。但根據"三步走"解法，大家便能在比較短的時間內找到答案。首先發現the sea 所在的段落中心句應該是第一句：As her technological expertise grew more sophisticated, so did the other aspects of her dances. 也就是說她除了舞蹈中的科技水平提高以外，其它方面也提高了。那這一段應該將具體哪幾個方面有了提高。由此這一段又可以分成四個部分，也就是TS之後的四句話，每句話講了她一個方面的提高。可以發現The Sea是出現在這一段除TS之外的第2句話中，而這句話前半部分給出了一個general statement, 即She began to address more ambitious themes in her dances。此時如果選項中有意思相同的就可以選出正確答案了，和可惜這道題的答案並不那麼明顯，所以我們繼續走第二步，找段落TS。這一段的TS是這一段的第一句，即As her technological expertise grew more sophisticated, so did the other aspects of her dances. 發現題目中也沒有明顯與之對應的選項。那隻剩下第三步，找文章的TS。這篇文章的TS比較明顯，在第一段的後半部分(事實上第一段本身就很短，可以看做一個整體作爲TS)。大家可以看出第一段是說Loie Fuller這個人不滿足於19世紀晚期的戲劇性舞蹈，她認爲自己是一位藝術家而不僅僅是位舞者。由此我們可以看出全文的中心應該是論證她爲成爲藝術家而努力，這和選項C的意思是吻合的。因而此題根據三步法，答案在第三個層面，及全文的TS， C 是正確選項。
綜上，修辭目的題考察了考生的角色轉換能力。通過對出題原理和作者寫作邏輯的分析我們可以總結出"三步走"的解法規律，以在考場上用最短的時間找到正確答案。相信有了這個框架，大家一定能明白考場上修辭目的題得答案應該往哪兒找，從而層層考察，找出答案。
託福閱讀10種題型剖析
新托福考試OG列出了閱讀的10種題型：
1. Factual information questions (純粹細節)
2. Negative factual information questions (否定細節)
3. Inference questions (推理題)
4. Rhetorical purpose questions (修辭目的題)
5. Vocabulary questions (詞彙題)
6. Reference questions (指代題)
7. Sentence simplification questions (句子簡化題)
8. Insert text question (句子插入題)
9. Prose summary (內容摘要題)
10. Fill in a table (表格歸類題)
但實際上，新托福考試閱讀當中還考了一些OG中沒列舉出來的題目：
一.段間關係概括題：這種題目要求考生概括出2個自然段間的邏輯關係。比如說《THE CAMBRIAN EXPLOSION》這篇文章的第6題。
6. Which of the following best describes the relationship between Paragraph2 and Paragraph3?
Paragraph2 puts forward several scientific claims, one of which is rejected in Paragraph3
Paragraph2 poses several questions, and Paragraph3offers a possible answer to one of them
Paragraph2 presents outdated traditional views, while Paragraph3presents the current scientific conclusions.
Paragraph2 introduces a generalization that is illustrated by specific examples in Paragraph3
二.修辭手法題：這種題目是修辭目的的變體。OG中大多數題目只考察一個詞組的修辭目的，而實際考試會對一句話甚至整段話的修辭目的進行考察。一個是考修辭對象，一個是考修辭的手段。比如說，《Meteorite Impact and Dinosaur Extinction》這篇文章第2題：
2. In paragraph 2, why does the author include the information that dinosaurs had flourished for tens of millions of years and then suddenly disappeared?
To support the claim that the mass extinction at the end of the Cretaceous is the best-documented of the dozen or so mass extinctions in the geological record
To explain why as many as half of the species on Earth at the time are believed to have become extinct at the end of the Cretaceous
To explain why paleontologists have always been intrigued by the mass extinction at the end of the Cretaceous
To provide evidence that an impact can be large enough to disturb the environment of the entire planet and cause an ecological disaster
三.段落結構題：這裏題目考查的是文章段落的構架，可以算是新題型。比如：《THE ORIGINS OF THEATER》這篇文章的第9題，
9. Which of the following best describes the organization of paragraph 5?
The author presents two theories for a historical phenomenon.
The author argues against theories expressed earlier in the passage.
The author argues for replacing older theories with a new one.
The author points out problems with two popular theories.
四. 段落主題題：這種題目考查的是整個段落的主題，可以說是老託福閱讀段落主題題的延續：
比如《Petroleum Resources》這篇文章的12題：
paragraph 6, the author’s primary purpose is to
Provide examples of how oil exploration can endanger the environment
Describe accidents that have occurred when oil activities were in progress
Give an analysis of the effects of oil spills on the environment
Explain how technology and legislation help reduce oil spills
五. 雙選題：其實不僅僅在聽力考試之中有雙選題，閱讀考試之中也是有雙選題的，只是ETS有可能覺得這點並不重要，因此沒有通知偶們，例子請見：《The Geologic History of the Mediterranean》這篇文章第5題。
5. Select the TWO answer choice from paragraph 3 that identify materials discovered in the deepest part of the Mediterranean basin. To receive credit you must select TWO answers.
Volcanic rock fragments.
This silt layers
Soft, deep-sea mud
Crystalline salt
以及《THE RISE OF TEOTIHUACAN》這篇文章第11題：
11. Select the TWO answer choices that are mentioned in paragraph 5 as being features of Teotihuacán that may have attracted immigrants to the city. To receive credit, you must select TWO answers.
The prosperity of the elite
Plenty of available housing
Opportunities for well-paid agricultural employment
The presence of one or more religious shrines
除此以外，OG對於新托福考試閱讀題型的呈現方法也與真實考試有一定距離，如：
一.細節題的閱讀跨度：OG中大多數題目只考一段，但是實際考試會有一道題目考2段、甚至是3段的情況。比如《GROUNDWATER》這篇文章的第10題：
10. According to paragraphs 6 and 7, why is basalt unlike most crystalline forms of rock?
It is unusually solid
It often has high porosity.
It has a low proportion of empty space.
It is highly permeable.
二.句子改寫題的句子複雜性：真實考題比OG中的句子改寫題要長很多，而且邏輯關係也更復雜。
三.指代題：OG指代題考得不少，真實考試指代題考得很少。
四.選項長度:真題的選項長度長很多。
五.細節題題幹關鍵字沒有在原文直接給出。這讓考生定位細節難度大幅度增加。不過說句公道話，其實在老托福考試就已經這樣了，並不是在新托福考試之中獨有的。比如《Depletion of the Ogallala Aquifer》這篇文章的第11題。
graph 5 mentions which of the following as a source of difficulty for some farmers who try to conserve water?
Crops that do not need much water are difficult to grow in the High Plains.
Farmers who grow crops that need a lot of water make higher profits.
Irrigating less frequently often leads to crop failure.
Few farmers are convinced that the aquifer will eventually run dry.
六. 文章的複雜程度：這個也不用說了，OG的文章結構性非常明顯，就好像看CCAV的新聞聯播一樣;真實考試的文章結構糾結多了，就好像看本屆世界盃一樣。比如：《The Long-Term Stability of Ecosystems》和《Colonizing the Americas via the Northwest Coast》這兩篇文章。
