【文章內容簡介】 可以說sales declined dramatically / substantially / sharply / greatly / hugely. 第四步：總結文章主要討論對象、關鍵詞，作者、專家的觀點以及語篇及段落發(fā)展模式。對考試類文章而言，還要總結文章的考點、題目的定位、答案的替換、正確和干擾項的規(guī)律、特征。例1：請大家參考我對2005年1月六級閱讀第三篇的解析：Passage Three (31) Throughout the nation39。s more than 15,000 school districts, widely differing approaches to teaching science and math have emerged. Though there can be strength in diversity, a new international analysis suggests that this variability has instead contributed to lackluster (平淡的) achievement scores by . children relative to their peers in other developed countries.（注意本段的differing / diversity / variability幾個同義替換，表明本段強調了美國各個地區(qū)的科學和數學教育差異很大〈多樣性，多元化〉的事實。文章第二句，作者話鋒一轉，盡管多元化有好處，但有分析表明這導致了美國的孩子與其它發(fā)達國家的同齡人相比，學習成績比較平淡。這一句提出了美國教育存在的問題，預測后文可能會作詳細闡述或提出解決問題的辦法，注意這都是可能的考點。平時復習時一定要培養(yǎng)自己歸納、預測原文的能力?。?1. According to the passage, the teaching of science and math in America is _______.[定位與替換] 本題問美國的科學和數學教學的狀況。根據關鍵詞teaching of science and math定位到原文第一段。選B) characterized by its diversity以多樣性為特點。解題的重點在準確判斷第一段所強調的內容。 [干擾項分析] A) focused on tapping students39。 potential集中開發(fā)學生的潛力，文中無信息支持；C) losing its vitality gradually逐步失去活力，D) going downhill in recent years最近幾年走下坡路，文章雖指出了美國的教育體系有缺陷，但并未說其失去活力或走下坡路，故不應選C、D。Indeed, concludes William H. Schmidt of Michigan State University, who led the new analysis, no single intellectually coherent vision dominates . educational practice in math or science.39。39。 The reason, he said, is because the system is deeply and fundamentally flawed. （Indeed, 在這里是加強語氣，“確實”的意思，經常在文章中引出作者或者專家的重要觀點。專家Schmidt的結論：美國數學和科學的教育實踐缺乏連貫一致的知識觀念，原因是這個體系有深刻和根本的缺陷。到底是什么缺陷呢？這里專家只是作了抽象的概括，下文中可能會詳細闡述。注意coherent和第一段diversity是反義詞。）The new analysis, released this week by the National Science Foundation in Arlington, Va., is based on data collected from about 50 nations as part of the Third International Mathematics and Science Study.（本段不是很重要，主要講這個分析是基于50個國家的數據。）Not only do approaches to teaching science and math vary among individual . munities, the report finds (= the new analysis), but there appears to be little strategic focus within a school district’s curricula, its textbooks, or its teachers39。 activities.（Not only … , but …倒裝強調句，語意重心在but后面的內容：美國的各個學區(qū)在課程等方面缺乏戰(zhàn)略重點。the report finds是插入語）(32) This contrasts sharply with the coordinated national programs of most other countries.（這與大部分其它國家的協(xié)調的國家計劃形成鮮明對比，是作者的結論句。This指代上面一句的意思，也即美國人的做法。這里也是一個重要的對比考點。）32. The fundamental flaw of American school education is that ________.[定位與替換]本題是問美國學校教育的根本缺陷是什么。根據關鍵詞fundamental flaw可定位到原文第二段，但答案并不在其中（而是在第四段）。根據對文章的分析，應該選A) it lacks a coordinated national program美國學校教育缺乏一個協(xié)調一致的全國性計劃。答案是從第四段This contrasts sharply with the coordinated national programs of most other countries. 推得的。本題解題的關鍵是跨段整合內容。[干擾項分析] B) it sets a very low academic standard for students它對學生設定了非常低的學術標準，文中無內容支持（只是說美國學生學的多而不精）；C) it relies heavily on the initiative of individual teachers它非常依賴各個教師的主動性，文中無信息支持；D) it attaches too much importance to intensive study of school subjects 它太重視學校課程的深入學習，與文章內容相反，如果選項是attach too much importance to extensive, but not intensive, study of school subjects 才符合原文。(33) On average, . students study more topics within science and math than their international counterparts do. This creates an educational environment that is a mile wide and an inch deep, Schmidt notes. （出現(xiàn)比較級時應高度關注。第二句This指代第一句陳述的事實：平均說來，與國際同齡人相比，美國學生在科學與數學方面要學習更多的科目。A mile wide and an inch deep屬于形象用法、比喻考點。）For instance, eighth graders in the United States cover about 33 topics in math versus just 19 in Japan. Among science courses, the international gap is even wider.（作者接著舉例說明美國的教育環(huán)境是a mile wide and an inch deep。）. curricula for this age level resemble those of a small group of countries including Australia, Thailand, Iceland, and Bulgaria. Schmidt asks whether the United States wants to be classed with these nations, whose educational systems share our pattern of splintered (支離破碎的) visions but which are not economic leaders.33. By saying that the . educational environment is a mile wide and an inch deep (Line 2, Para. 5), the author means . educational practice ________.[定位與替換] 本題問作者對美國教育實踐的看法。根據上面兩段This指代的事實以及For instance后對a mile wide and an inch deep的進一步解釋可以看出，美國教育注重所開科目的廣度而不重視深度，所以選D) scratches the surface of a wide r