SSAT阅读常见题型可分为以下两大类:
1.总结型题型
1)主旨题(main idea)、目的题(purpose)及标题题(best title)考查的是全文的中心思想及作者的写作目的,其主要提问方式如下:
⊙ What is the main idea of the passage?
⊙ What is the primary purpose of the passage?
⊙ What is the best title of the passage?
这类题型是SSAT阅读的必考题。做题时,需要我们对于整篇文章的内容进行概括总结,而非文章的第一段。在进行概括总结的过程中,我们还需要提炼核心词以及核心态度。
2)语气、态度及风格题(tone/attitude/style)考查的是作者对于文章主题的态度或者对于文章中提及的人、物或者事件的态度,其主要提问方式如下:
⊙ The author’s tone can best be described as…
⊙ The author’s attitude can best be described as…
⊙ The writer’s style can best be described as…
做题时,首先需要关注与态度相关的词,例如形容词。其次判断这些词的性质,例如是积极的、消极的或者是中立的。相关单词例如:critical、great、mistaken、beautiful、amazing、horrid等。
3)文章类型题(genre)考查的是文章的类型或出处,其主要提问方式如下:
⊙ You would most likely find this passage in…
⊙ This passage was probably taken from…
由于该题型考查的是文章的类型或出处,所以我们需要对英语文章的分类及相关特色有一定了解。比如,日记、教科书、新闻或小说各有什么特色:
※在日记中,可能有许多个人的细节信息;
※在新闻中,可能我们会看到这样的短语“Last Wednesday”;
※在教科书中,可能会出现很多客观信息或数据。
4)总结型题型的错误选项分析:
※指向文章中的某个特定细节或是极其细小的信息;
※使用错误细节;
※偏离主题或者主题模糊;
※讨论与文章无关联的话题或者没有讨论文章相关话题。
2.细节型题型
1)细节题(details)考查的是对于细节信息的理解分析能力,一种是直接的事实细节题,另一种是否定事实细节题,其主要提问方式如下:
⊙ According to the passage, which of the following is true of…
⊙ The ocelot shows its emotions by…
⊙ According to the passage, freighting involves all of the following EXCEPT…
事实细节题是阅读考试中最常见也是相对简单的题型,正确答案可以直接从文章中找出,不需要做推断和总结。事实细节题的错误选项分析如下:
※歪曲文章中的事实;
※使用过于概括或者绝对的词,例如all、none、never、always等;
※偏离文章主题;
※看似合理但在原文中找不到该信息。
否定事实细节题,即题干中含有“EXCEPT”或“NOT”等词的题目,则需要运用排除法来做题。具体操作是将选项一一代入原文进行验证,与原文内容不符的选项就是正确答案。
2)词汇题(words or phrases in context)考查的是单词或词组在原文中的含义,需要结合上下文来理解,其主要提问方式如下:
⊙ In line 7, “ fiasco ” most likely means…
⊙“ Poking about ” (line 14) could be replaced by which of the following without changing the author’s meaning?
词汇题不是考查一个单词或词组在字典中的意思,而是要结合原文内容进行理解和分析。所以最好的方法还是将答案代入原文一一验证,看哪一个最符合原文的语境。如果遇到不认识的单词,除了平时需要增加词汇量,在考场上还可以运用前缀、后缀或者词根帮助理解单词。
3)推断题(inference)考查的是根据原文的内容进行合理推测,但推测的结果不会脱离原文内容,其主要提问方式如下:
⊙ The author suggests that…
⊙ The passage implies that…
⊙ It can be inferred from the passage that…
推断题是阅读题型中较难的一种,因为答案不能直接从文章中找出,需要对原文内容进行合理推断。解决这种题型最好的方法还是排除法,具体操作是将选项一一代入原文,看是否符合原文的内容和逻辑。换句话说,就是将选项代入原文后不会影响原文的意思,也不会加入全新的信息。
推断题错误选项分析如下:
※对于原文某一句话的推断过于抽象或过于极端;
※看似合理但在原文中找不到该信息。
重要提示:在做题时千万不要让个人主观情绪或知识影响到理解及答案选择,即一切答案都是源自于文章本身。
1. It can be inferred that acetylsalicylic acid
(A) causes death
(B) must be eaten
(C) requires a license for use
(D) is significant to the medical industry
(E) should not be combined with any other drug
2. Which of the following titles best describes the content of the passage?
(A) Ways to Consume Heart Medicine (B) A Medical Examination
(C) Why We Need Acetylsalicylic Acid (D) Acetylsalicylic Acid and Asia
(E) An Introduction to Acetylsalicylic Acid
3. The author suggests that acetylsalicylic acid
(A) needs to be given as a shot (B) is an illegal drug
(C) must be cautiously taken (D) should be forbidden for use
(E) is only used for preventing heart disease
4. The author uses the phrase “can be eaten” (line 7) to show that acetylsalicylic acid is
(A) appetizing (B) edible
(C) useful in medical facilities (D) used only with blood-thinning drugs
(E) too dangerous to use in industry
5. According to the passage, acetylsalicylic acid
(A) cannot be prescribed (B) has limited effectiveness
(C) is not widely distributed (D) is an important heart medicine
(E) is not suitable for selling in pharmacies
6. The author’s tone in the second paragraph can best be described as
(A) apathetic (B) serious
(C) irritated (D) humorous
(E) passionate
Passage 1
1. The passage is primarily about
(A) the Tennessean preference for chicken wings
(B) a vacation in Africa
(C) searching for unfamiliar foods
(D) the importance of a restaurant offering vegetarian options
(E) introducing couscous to a new locale
2. According to the passage, couscous is a good choice for the focus of Simmons’ restaurant because
(A) it conforms to Islamic dietary laws
(B) it is cheap to manufacture
(C) it is a type of grain
(D) it goes well with dishes such as tagine and pastilla
(E) it can be combined with many types of meat and vegetables
3. The passage implies that most Tennesseans
(A) would like to visit North Africa
(B) are strongly health-conscious
(C) practice religions other than Islam
(D) had not eaten couscous before visiting Simmons’ restaurant
(E) enjoy outdoor activities
4. It can be inferred from the passage that “pearls” (line 17) are
(A) expensive food items (B) facts about couscous
(C) morsels of meat (D) grains of rice
(E) granules of pasta
5. The author compares women making couscous to
(A) bakers perfecting the texture of dough (B) laborers toiling on a construction site
(C) robots operating on an assembly line (D) divers hunting for pearls
(E) explorers researching foreign cultures
6. The passage was most likely taken from
(A) a review of local restaurants (B) an anthropology textbook
(C) a political treatise (D) a government census
(E) a pamphlet on weight loss
Passage 2
7. The purpose of the passage is primarily to draw attention to the
(A) achievements of Francisco José do Nascimento
(B) cultural offerings of Fortaleza
(C) climate of Ceará state
(D) racial diversity of contemporary Brazil
(E) international recognition of restaurants in Ceará
8. The people of Canoa Quebrada were traditionally
(A) Guaraní (B) fishermen
(C) horsemen (D) slaveowners
(E) culturally sophisticated
9. According to the passage, which of the following is true of Francisco José do Nascimento?
(A) He made his fortune from journeys to the slave markets at São Paulo.
(B) He has been largely forgotten by the people of Ceará.
(C) He was born in Canoa Quebrada in 1881.
(D) He was a member of an indigenous Guaraní tribe.
(E) He was opposed to the slave trade.
10. The state of Ceará has honored Francisco José do Nascimento by
(A) bestowing huge financial rewards on his family
(B) naming a number of locations and public institutions after him
(C) abolishing the slave trade before other Brazilian states did
(D) turning his hometown into an international tourist destination
(E) ensuring the turquoise waters he loved are adequately protected
11. The passage implies that tourists
(A) are destroying the tranquility of Canoa Quebrada
(B) prefer restaurants elsewhere in town to those on Broadway
(C) fear the presence of jellyfish in Canoa Quebrada’s waters
(D) have occasioned the construction of an airport near Canoa Quebrada
(E) often fail to appreciate the significance of Broadway
Passage 3
12. The author suggests that in the age of aviation before Earhart’s time, women
(A) had not been involved in transatlantic crossings
(B) had held only minor posts in aviation corporations
(C) were not permitted to fly
(D) showed little interest in aviation
(E) were restricted by social expectations
13. It can be inferred by the passage that before Earhart’s celebrity status, America was
(A) a leader in aviation
(B) skeptical of consumer aviation
(C) suffering as a result of women’s poor socioeconomic status
(D) a generally egalitarian society
(E) increasingly interested in aviation technology
14. The author’s attitude toward Earhart can best be described as
(A) barely acknowledging (B) meekly considerate
(C) openly commending (D) shrewdly patronizing
(E) confidently antagonistic
15. The passage provides information that helps answer which of the following questions?
I. What is likely to have earned Earhart her celebrity status?
II. What effect did Earhart have on women and girls?
III. What roles had women held in aviation before Earhart?
(A) I only (B) II only
(C) III only (D) I and II only
(E) I and III only
16. Which of the following titles best fits the context of the passage?
(A) Breaking the Aviation Mold (B) The First American Aviators
(C) A Transatlantic Mystery (D) World Aviation Records
(E) Famous Aviators of the 1900s
Passage 4
17. According to the author, wise actions seem led by
(A) a series of coin flips (B) a magical crystal ball
(C) a popular guidebook (D) a steady compass
(E) a worn map
18. The author uses the concept of diagrams to illustrate that wise people
(A) are sought by others (B) plan thoroughly
(C) think slowly (D) follow their own advice
(E) balance emotions and intellect
19. The author implies that intelligent people are likely to make decisions that are
(A) self-serving (B) unconventional
(C) short-sighted (D) impersonal
(E) contradictory
20. Which of the following best expresses the author’s main point?
(A) Intelligent people are not typically wise, but wise people are usually intelligent.
(B) Wisdom is more difficult to develop than intelligence.
(C) Wise people make good decisions effortlessly.
(D) Wisdom and intelligence are true gifts.
(E) It is more beneficial to be a wise person than to be an intelligent person.
Passage 5
21. The passage indicates that for most low-ranking tennis players, the greatest expense is from
(A) transportation (B) coaching
(C) fancy restaurants (D) sponsorships
(E) tournament entry fees
22. Without changing the author’s meaning, “defray” (line 18) could be replaced by
(A) enlarge (B) enumerate
(C) justify (D) cover
(E) forgive
23. Which of the following qualities would likely be most helpful to a low-ranking tennis player?
(A) know ledge of financial regulations (B) a warm personality
(C) connections to a tennis association (D) a taste for world travel
(E) a keen fashion sense
24. This passage was probably written to
(A) account for a top tennis player’s challenging rise to fame
(B) stimulate interest in a major tennis tournament
(C) explain a car commercial featuring a famous tennis player
(D) dispel myths about aspiring tennis players
(E) give tennis players advice on how to economize
25. It is most likely that in many low-level tournaments, the main motivation for players is not prize money but the chance to
(A) play in an exciting destination (B) improve their ranking
(C) meet more famous players (D) appear on television
(E) represent their nation
Passage 6
26. Which of the following events happened two years previously?
(A) The author mined the platinum seams.
(B) The author received a preliminary report.
(C) The author lived on PT8288.
(D) The market value of platinum dropped.
(E) The author celebrated her anniversary.
27. In the context of the passage, you can tell that a “photovoltaic array” (line 11) is most likely a series of
(A) solar panels (B) prospecting equipment
(C) precious metals (D) landing zones
(E) energy sources
28. From the details, you can tell that PT8288 is a good choice for the author because she
(A) prefers working alone (B) despises other prospectors
(C) enjoys gambling on commodity prices (D) intends to meet others
(E) faces no issues over landing rights
29. How did the author feel when she found that the second craft had researchers aboard?
(A) slightly panicked (B) overwhelmingly pleased
(C) overtly cautious (D) mildly sympathetic
(E) somewhat relieved
30. The author’s main purpose in writing this passage is most likely to
(A) record her expedition (B) positively portray the mining industry
(C) complain about other prospectors (D) describe the Belt
(E) explain the legal aspects of interplanetary
Passage 7
31. The author’s attitude toward professional wrestling is best described as
(A) dismissive (B) enthralled
(C) balanced (D) perplexed
(E) angry
32. According to the passage, professional wrestling may involve all of the following EXCEPT
(A) heroic characters (B) genuine competition
(C) complicated storylines (D) cultural variation
(E) admiration for violence
33. According to the author, which of the following best describes a professional wrestler?
(A) conman (B) academic
(C) referee (D) actor
(E) lunatic
34. The objective of the wrestler is to
(A) defeat his opponent (B) criticize foreign cultures
(C) avoid physical injury (D) make a statement about morality
(E) entertain his audience
35. The passage primarily concerns the idea that
(A) professional wrestling reflects established social values
(B) professional wrestlers are worried about whether they are accepted as true athletes
(C) television and ticket fees for professional wrestling are cheap
(D) all literary critics are impressed by professional wrestling
(E) sideshows are popular in Europe today
Passage 8
36. This passage was probably taken from
(A) an anthology (B) a television drama script
(C) an expository synopsis (D) a cigarette advertisement
(E) a health department appraisal
37. According to the passage, stomach cancer’s annual death count in the United States is
(A) more than gall bladder cancer’s annual death count
(B) 35 million per year
(C) equal to lung cancer’s annual death count
(D) less than 14% of all deaths from cancer
(E) more than that of any other form of cancer
38. This passage is mostly about
(A) stomach cancer diagnoses
(B) policies prohibiting smoking
(C) the prevalence of smoking in the United States
(D) the cost of cancer treatments
(E) one of the consequences of smoking
39. The passage provides information to answer which of the following questions?
(A) How can the public be persuaded against smoking?
(B) How many smokers are diagnosed with gall bladder cancer?
(C) What proportion of all cancer deaths are attributed to lung cancer?
(D) How are various forms of cancer treated?
(E) How can cancer treatment be made more affordable for everyone?