高屋建瓴悟主旨，事半功倍巧解题——“论说文”语篇主旨呈现方式探秘

北京

论说文在高考英语试卷中占有举足轻重的地位。本文总结了近几年高考英语试卷和大型模拟考试试卷中论说文的语篇主旨呈现方式，以帮助学生在英语论说文阅读中科学、高效地领悟语篇主旨，快而准地解答相应题目。

一、论说文的概念界定

首先，论说文是针对某一个主题表达主张、说明事理、阐发见解的文章。它涉及的主题可大可小，从宇宙天地、社会人生，到一事一物、一言一行，都可论可说。就这个意义而言，散文、杂文、时评、演讲，甚至学术类文章都属于论说文行列。其次，在高中英语教学语境中，由于说明文和议论文的遣词用句特征和语篇宏观结构相似，所以经常把两者合称为论说文。本文所用实例均为高考或模拟试卷中的说明文和议论文篇目，为行文方便，笔者把它们统称为论说文。

二、总结主旨呈现方式的重要性

典型的论说文通常由三部分组成：开头（introduction）、展开（development）和结论（conclusion），但作者们在写作方式上是千变万化、彰显个性的，不同的文章在主旨呈现方式、论证和说明方法，以及结尾方式三个方面各显神通。有时，主旨在一段中就能表达清楚，有时需要段群才可以清晰说明。而高考英语论说文的命题几乎全部围绕主旨和支撑主旨的细节展开。因此，厘清主旨是什么以及主旨是如何表现的是阅读论说文的首要问题。本文通过总结论说文主旨的呈现方式和命题特征帮助学生高屋建瓴地领悟文章主旨，统领全文理解，避免不必要的错误。

三、多样的主旨呈现方式及解题指导

主旨的呈现方式就是作者表达观点的方式，虽然表达观点的手段多样，但大致可归纳为转折式、提问式、举例式、开门见山式等等。题目设置会随着作者表达主旨观点的方法的变化而变化。

（一）转折式

所谓转折式呈现主旨是指先陈述现象或大家普遍认同的道理，然后提出自己的观点，一般通过but,however,while,although,though,still,in fact,in my opinion等语篇衔接词引出主旨。转折式呈现主旨重在阐释自己的观点，一般不全盘否定、不批判别人的观点。如：

【例1】（2018年北京卷阅读理解D篇）

Preparing Cities for Robot Cars

The possibility of self-driving robot cars has often seemed like a futurist’s dream,years away from materializing in the real world.Well,the future is apparently now.The California Department of Motor Vehicles began giving permits in April for companies to test truly self-driving cars on public roads.The state also cleared the way for companies to sell or rent out self-driving cars,and for companies to operate driverless taxi services.California,it should be noted,isn’t leading the way here.Companies have been testing their vehicles in cities across the country.It’s hard to predict when driverless cars will be everywhere on our roads.But however long it takes,the technology has the potential to change our transportation systems and our cities,for better or for worse,depending on how the transformation is regulated.

While much of the debate so far has been focused on the safety of driverless cars (and rightfully so),policymakers also should be talking about how self-driving vehicles can help reduce traffic jams,cut emissions (排放) and offer more convenient,affordable mobility options.The arrival of driverless vehicles is a chance to make sure that those vehicles are environmentally friendly and more shared.

47.According to the author,attention should be paid to how driverless cars can ______.

A.help deal with transportation-related problems

B.provide better services to customers

C.cause damage to our environment

D.make some people lose jobs

48.As for driverless cars,what is the author’s major concern?

A.Safety. B.Side effects.

C.Affordability. D.Management.

第一段结尾句以转折的方式强调“城市交通体系是向好还是向坏转变取决于该转变是如何被规范的”，这就是本文的主旨；而第二段以“While...,...also should...”开头，首先肯定需要关注“safety”，然后强调更应关注如何“reduce traffic jams,cut emissions...”，这样本文的主旨就更加具体化了。

命题人精准地在转折环节设置了题目，这两个题的正确选项都源自篇章主旨，47题答案“A.help deal with transportation-related problems”是对第二段首句的概括，48题的答案“D.Management.”是对第一段结尾词“regulated”的解释。而学生错选选项都是因其忽略了或未能正确解读句子的转折意义。例如：47题，不少学生认为无人驾驶汽车会带来方便，而想当然地无视主旨意义，从而误选B项；48题，由于A选项“Safety”是原文词汇复现，一些学生受其误导忽视了第二段首句的转折意义，从而误选A项。

（二）提问式

文章有时会带有特殊问句式或一般问句式标题，作者往往在疑问中隐含所指所想，用问句做标题是为了引起读者的思考。在标题或开篇部分的设问一般都要在文章中进行回答，一问一答有时就构成了文章的主体结构。如：

【例2】（2016年北京卷阅读理解D篇）

Why College Is Not Home

The college years are supposed to be a time for important growth in autonomy(自主性) and the development of adult identity.However,now they are becoming an extended period of adolescence,during which many of today’s students are not shouldered with adult responsibilities.

67.What’s the author’s attitude toward continued parental guidance to college students?

A.Sympathetic. B.Disapproving.

C.Supportive. D.Neutral.

69.According to the author,what role should college play?

A.To develop a shared identity among students.

B.To define and regulate students’ social behavior.

C.To provide a safe world without tension for students.

D.To foster students’ intellectual and personal development.

特殊问句式标题一般以why,what,how提问居多。一般，如果在篇章开始部分设问，后文就会有所回答。以Why College Is Not Home为例，全文就是在回答why。

第一段首句明确提出大学应该是“a time for important growth in autonomy（自主性）and the development of adult identity”，这和标题的隐含意义是一致的，因此可以确定其就是本文的主旨句。然而，现在大学却成了“an extended period of adolescence”。命题人紧紧抓住“大学不该是什么，应该是什么”这个核心设置了67题和69题。如果学生关注文章标题，敏感地捕获到作者观点和态度，仅根据第一段内容就可以高效地解答这两个题目。67题题干中的“continued parental guidance to college students”和第一段第一句的意思相反，故67题答案为B；69题D选项“To foster students’ intellectual and personal development”和第一段第一句的意思一致，故69题答案为D。

（三）举例式

举例式是指通过描述普遍事实、特性事例、研究对象等引入主旨。这种方式一般也是为了引起读者的兴趣和思考。如：

【例3】（2016年6月浙江卷阅读理解A篇）

“Did you hear what happened to Adam Last Friday?”Lindsey whispers to Tori.

With her eyes shining,Tori brags,“You bet I did.Sean told me two days ago.”

Who are Lindsey and Tori talking about? It just happens to be yours truly,Adam Freedman,I can tell you that what they are saying is (a) not nice and (b) not even true.Still,Lindsey and Tori aren’t very different from most students here at Linton High School,including me.Many of our conversations are gossip (闲话).I have noticed three effects of gossip:it can hurt people,it can give gossipers a strange kind of satisfaction,and it can cause social pressures in a group.

41.The author uses a conversation at the beginning of the passage to _____________ .

A.introduce a topic

B.present an argument

C.describe the characters

D.clarify his writing purpose

42.An important negative effect of gossip is that it _______________ .

A.breaks up relationships

B.embarrasses the listener

C.spreads information around

D.causes unpleasant experiences

43.In the author’s opinion,many people like to gossip because it _______________ .

A.gives them a feeling of pleasure

B.helps them to make more friends

C.makes them better at telling stories

D.enables them to meet important people

作者在开篇以生动事例引入主旨，即“three effects of gossip:it can hurt people,it can give gossipers a strange kind of satisfaction,and it can cause social pressures in a group”。

41题问开篇所举事例的作用。从写作角度看，生动的例子是为了引入写作话题，引起读者关注，故41题的答案为A。后两个题目则是在问考生主旨中的两个细节点（hurt people和a strange kind of satisfaction）。“causes unpleasant experiences”和“hurt people”为同义转换，“a feeling of pleasure”和“a strange kind of satisfaction”为同义转换，故42题和43题的答案分别是D、A。本篇阅读理解一共设了5个题，如果考生能理解主旨，其中3个题就迎刃而解了。

（四）开门见山式

开门见山式就是直接陈述观点和事实。虽然这种方式比较简单，但需要注意承载主旨的句子或句群的关键信息联系，否则会出现理解偏差。如：

【例4】（2019年北京卷阅读理解D篇）

By the end of the century,if not sooner,the world’s oceans will be bluer and greener thanks to a warming climate,according to a new study.

At the heart of the phenomenon lie tiny marine microorganisms（海洋微生物）called phytoplankton.Because of the way light reflects off the organisms,these phytoplankton create colourful patterns at the ocean surface.Ocean colour varies from green to blue,depending on the type and concentration of phytoplankton.Climate change will fuel the growth of phytoplankton in some areas,while reducing it in other spots,leading to changes in the ocean’s appearance.

42.What are the first two paragraphs mainly about?

A.The various patterns at the ocean surface.

B.The cause of the changes in ocean colour.

C.The way light reflects off marine organisms.

D.The efforts to fuel the growth of phytoplankton.

45.What is the main purpose of the passage?

A.To assess the consequences of ocean colour changes.

B.To analyze the composition of the ocean food chain.

C.To explain the effects of climate change on oceans.

D.To introduce a new method to study phytoplankton.

开篇直接介绍一项研究结果，随后在第二段初步解释结果的成因，这实质上是直接陈述主旨。因为前两段的主旨也就是本文的主旨，所以42题和45题考查的内容在实质上是一样的，只是角度不同而已。42题和45题的正确选项B和C都是对本篇文章主旨的阐释。

教师需要提醒学生注意的是，开门见山式主旨呈现方式的语篇主旨虽然直接展现在读者面前，但其一定要全面、连贯地理解主干信息。如果考生没有关注到第一段中的“thanks to a warming climate”，其信息提取则会受到干扰，这两个题都可能出现失误。

（五）批判式

所谓批判式是指在阐释自己的观点时对错误认识或现象进行批判。如：

【例5】（2020年北京市东城区高考英语一模阅读理解D篇）

Last fall,I happened to overhear a student telling the others he had decided not to sign up for an introductory philosophy course.The demands of his major,he said seriously,meant he needed to take“practical”courses,and“enlightenment”would simply have to wait.For now,employability was the most important.

The students’conversation fits into a larger alarming narrative about the role of the humanities in higher education.In a time of dizzying technological achievement and of rapid scientific innovation,sceptics of the humanities may question the usefulness of studying Aristotle,the Italian Renaissance or Chinese fiction.

Actually,I regret not interrupting that student to argue for taking that introductory philosophy course...

42.What does the students’ conversation show?

A.Students feel employment difficult.

B.Students think philosophy less important.

C.Students find scientific innovation amazing.

D.Students consider university courses unsatisfying.

44.The author may agree that humanities _______________ .

A.discover students’ artistic ability

B.prepare students for graduation

C.raise awareness of social status

D.provide great insights into life

被批判的观点和现象是命题点之一。42题考查考生是否理解文章在批判什么。虽然第一段中有一些生词，但通过主干信息考生可以获得第一段的主旨“...he needed to take‘practical’courses...For now,employability was the most important.”。“ B.Students think philosophy less important.”体现了段落主旨，也正是本文要批判的观点，故答案为B。

第三段，作者开始展示自己的态度“argue for taking that introductory philosophy course”。后文中逐层论证自己的观点，批判错误现象。44题是考查考生推测作者的观点的题目，也就是对篇章主旨的理解。因为批判的就是轻视哲学这样的人文社科的现象，所以作者一定会认同“人文社科提供对生活的深刻见解”这一观点，故答案为D。

（六）对比/比较式

以对比或比较方式呈现主旨就是在对比两个或多个事物、现象和观点的过程中，摆出差异点，凸显优异点，从而确立作者阐释的重点。如：

【例6】(2018年北京市海淀区高考英语一模阅读理解D篇)

Eudaimonia is an Ancient Greek word,particularly stressed by the philosophers Plato and Aristotle,which deserves far more attention than it has because it corrects the shortfalls（缺失）in one of the most central,but troubling words in our moden language:Happiness.

When we nowadays try to clearly express the purpose of our lives，it is the word “happiness” that we commonly turn to.We tell ourselves and others that the most important principle for our jobs,our relationships and the conduct of our day-to-day lives is the pursuit of happiness.It sounds like an innocent enough idea,but too much reliance on the term means that we frequently unfairly tend to quit or,at least,heavily question a great many challenging but worthwhile situations.The Ancient Greeks did not believe that the purpose of life was to be happy; they proposed that it was to achieve Eudaimonia,a word which has been best translated as “fulf illment”.

What distinguishes happiness from fulf illment is pain....

47.What do we know about“Eudaimonia”from the passage?

A.It was first created by two Greek philosophers.

B.It has received a lot of attention from the public.

C.It still has some shortfalls that need to be corrected.

D.It was regarded as the purpose of life in ancient Greece.

48.According to Paragraph 3,happiness _______.

A.is the opposite of fulfillment

B.is free from physical or mental pain

C.stresses the psychological difference

D.serves as a respected and noble life goal

50.The passage encourages the readers to _______.

A.find fulfillment with all efforts

B.seek for a pain-free existence

C.keep optimistic whatever happens

D.balance happiness and suffering

在开篇前三段，如果可以理解作者对比阐释的“happiness”和“fulf illment（Eudaimonia）”的差异，并在第二段捕捉到作者的态度倾向“...too much reliance on the term means that we frequently unfairly tend to quit or,at least,heavily question a great many challenging but worthwhile situations.”，那么以上三个题目就迎刃而解了。47题考查的是对Eudaimonia的理解。关于Eudaimonia的主干信息出现在第一段和第二段最后两句。该题D项是对第二段和第一段有关信息的综合概括（从第三段开始，作者用常用词fulfillment代替了Eudaimonia）。48题考查对另一个对比对象happiness的理解。50题考查作者经过对比分析后的态度取向。

用不同的方法表达观点、呈现主旨是论说文语篇宏观结构的重要组成部分。训练学生全面理解承载语篇主旨的句和段是培养学生语篇意识的重要方法，也是高中英语阅读教学的重要内容，可以更科学地提高学生的阅读效能。