探究4：主旨大意题命题解读及备考策略

闫跃

一、命題解读

一篇文章是由若干段落按照一定形式、围绕某个中心思想组合而成的有机整体。中心思想也就是主旨大意，它是作者写这篇文章的目的。主旨大意题涉及的文章体裁通常为说明文、议论文和记叙文，它是高考英语阅读理解的必考题型，分为主题类与标题类两种考查形式，考查对象通常是整篇文章，也可能是某个段落。准确理解文章的主旨大意对考生解答其他题型（尤其是推断文章出处的题目）也大有裨益。

二、解题策略

一般而言，语篇中有两类句子：一类是能对中心思想起到概括作用的句子，叫主题句

（topic sentence）;另一类是描述、说明或论证中心思想的句子，叫阐述句（supporting sentence）。找准主题句是做好主旨大意题的重要技巧，当然，部分记叙文和少数说明文也可能没有明确的主题句，这就需要我们在理解各个段落的基础上自行归纳。现结合高考真题分述如下：

1. 主题句在首段

有些文章开门见山，在开头就提出主题或结论，随后用细节、事例来解释或支撑主题句表达的内容。这类文章遵循由一般到具体、由结论到过程的逻辑结构，属于典型的演绎法的写作方式（新闻报道常用此写法，新闻报道的首句称为“导语”，它就是对全文内容高度概括的主题句）。

【典题链接】（2020·全国丙卷阅读C篇）

With the young unable to afford to leave home and the old at risk of isolation（孤独）， more families are choosing to live together.

The doorway to peace and quiet， for Nick Bright at least， leads straight to his mother-in-law： she lives on the ground floor， while he lives upstairs with his wife and their two daughters.

Four years ago they all moved into a three-storey Victorian house in Bristol—one of a grow-ing number of multigenerational families in the UK living together under the same roof. They share a front door and a washing machine， but Rita Whitehead has her own kitchen， bathroom， bedroom and living room on the ground floor.

“We floated the idea to my mum of sharing a house，” says Kathryn Whitehead. Rita cuts in： “We spoke more with Nick because I think it's a big thing for Nick to live with his mother-in-law.”

And what does Nick think？ “From my stand-point， it all seems to work very well. Would I recommend it？ Yes， I think I would.”

It's hard to tell exactly how many people agree with him， but research indicates that the numbers have been rising for some time. Official reports suggest that the number of households with three generations living together had risen from 325，000 in 2001 to 419，000 in 2013.

Other varieties of multigenerational family are more common. Some people live with their elderly parents; many more adult children are returning to the family home， if they ever left. It is said that about 20% of 25-34-year-olds live with their parents， compared with 16% in 1991. The total number of all multigenerational households in Britain is thought to be about 1.8 million.

Stories like that are more common in parts of the world where multigenerational living is more firmly rooted. In India， particularly outside cities， young women are expected to move in with their husband's family when they get married.

31. What is the text mainly about？

A. Lifestyles in different countries.

B. Conflicts between generations.

C. A housing problem in Britain.

D. A rising trend of living in the UK.

【点石成金】D   本文是一篇说明文，属于“总—分”结构。文章开头指明了一种现象，即年轻人承担不起独居的费用，而老年人独自居住又会感到孤独，所以越来越多的家庭选择住在一起。下文主要以一个英国家庭为例，对该国的多代同居现象做了详细展示，作者还引用数据证实在英国与父母同居的年轻人的比例在上升，并在末尾顺便提及了这种现象在其他一些国家也很常见。所以，本文主要讲的是英国的一种日渐流行的居住方式。

2. 主题句在中间段

有的文章会先在首段或前面几段陈述次要信息、他人观点、认识误区或错误做法，然后以此作为铺垫，通过转折等方式引出作者自己的看法，接着用充分的事实依据来论证自己的观点或说明真实的情况。此时，主题句位于文章中间，且主题句的前面通常会出现but、however、in fact等信号词。

【典题链接】（2018·全国甲卷阅读D篇）

We've all been there： in a lift， in line at the bank or on an airplane， surrounded by people who are， like us， deeply focused on their smartphones or， worse， struggling with the uncomfortable silence.

What's the problem？ It's possible that we all have compromised conversational intelligence. It's more likely that none of us start a conversation because it's awkward and challenging， or we think it's annoying and unnecessary. But the next time you find yourself among strangers， consider that small talk is worth the trouble. Experts say it's an invaluable social practice that results in big benefits.

Dismissing small talk as unimportant is easy， but we can't forget that deep relationships wouldn't even exist if it weren't for casual conversation. Small talk is the grease（潤滑剂） for social communication， says Bernardo Carducci， director of the Shyness Research Institute at Indiana University Southeast. “Almost every great love story and each big business deal begins with small talk，” he explains. “The key to successful small talk is learning how to connect with others， not just communicate with them.”

In a 2014 study， Elizabeth Dunn， associate professor of psychology at UBC， invited people on their way into a coffee shop. One group was asked to seek out an interaction（互动） with its waiter; the other， to speak only when necessary. The results showed that those who chatted with their server reported significantly higher positive feelings and a better coffee shop experience. “It's not that talking to the waiter is better than talking to your husband，” says Dunn. “But interactions with peripheral （边缘的） members of our social network matter for our well-being also.”

Dunn believes that people who reach out to strangers feel a significantly greater sense of belonging， a bond with others. Carducci believes developing such a sense of belonging starts with small talk. “Small talk is the basis of good manners，” he says.

35. What is the best title for the text？

A. Conversation Counts

B. Ways of Making Small Talk

C. Benefits of Small Talk

D. Uncomfortable Silence

【點石成金】C   本文是一篇议论文，文章先是列举了一些可以闲谈但却没人闲谈的具体场景，并指出人们不愿闲谈的原因可能在于他们的消极或抗拒心理。然后通过转折，在第2段提出论点，即闲谈会带来巨大好处，然后通过引用专家言论和实验结果来证明闲谈的积极效果。

3. 主题句在末段

有些文章先表述细节、摆出事实或交代论据，经过层层推进，最后归纳要点、印象、建议或结果，这是典型的归纳法写作方式。此时，主题句位于末段，它起着概括上文、画龙点睛的作用，通常位于therefore、as a result、in short、to conclude等表示总结的信号词之后。当然，很多时候这类信号词并不会直接出现，而是蕴含在文章的逻辑之中，需要考生自己体会出来。例如：

【典题链接】（2019·全国甲卷阅读C篇）

Marian Bechtel sits at West Palm Beach's Bar Louie counter by herself， quietly reading her e-book as she waits for her salad. What is she reading？ None of your business！ Lunch is Becht-el's “me” time. And like more Americans， she's not alone.

A new report found 46 percent of meals are eaten alone in America. More than half （53 percent） have breakfast alone and nearly half （46 percent） have lunch by themselves. Only at dinnertime are we eating together anymore， 74 percent， according to statistics from the report.

“I prefer to go out and be out. Alone， but together， you know？” Bechtel said， looking up from her book. Bechtel， who works in downtown West Palm Beach， has lunch with coworkers sometimes， but like many of us， too often works through lunch at her desk. A lunchtime escape allows her to keep a boss from tapping her on the shoulder. She returns to work feeling energized.“Today， I just wanted some time to myself，” she said.

Just two seats over， Andrew Mazoleny， a local videographer， is finishing his lunch at the bar. He likes that he can sit and check his phone in peace or chat up the barkeeper with whom he's on a first-name basis if he wants to have a little interaction （交流）. “I reflect on how my day's gone and think about the rest of the week，” he said. “It's a chance for self-reflection. You return to work recharged and with a plan.”

That freedom to choose is one reason more people like to eat alone. There was a time when people may have felt awkward about asking for a table for one， but those days are over. Now， we have our smartphones to keep us company at the table. “It doesn't feel as alone as it may have before all the advances in technology，” said Laurie Demeritt， whose company provided the statistics for the report.

31. What is the text mainly about？

A. The trend of having meals alone.

B. The importance of self-reflection.

C. The stress from working overtime.

D. The advantage of wireless technology.

【点石成金】A   本文是一篇说明文。文章给出了美国人一日三餐独自用餐的统计数据，根据该统计，尽管午餐和晚餐的独自用餐人数不到一半，但独自吃早餐的人数已经过半。此外，文章还列举了两个例子来说明人们对独自用餐的喜爱。文章的最后一段总结了人们选择这一用餐模式的原因（具有选择的自由）和可行性（不再有以前独自用餐时的尴尬心理），这也正是本文主旨所在。

4. 主题句首尾呼应

文章先在首段提出主题，然后围绕该主题展开细节性的描述，最后在末段再次点题，构成首尾呼应。须注意的是，前后主题句并非简单重复，后者通常是对前者的引申和发展。

【典题链接】（2020·全国甲卷阅读D篇）

I have a special place in my heart for libraries. I have for as long as I can remember. I was always an enthusiastic reader， sometimes reading up to three books a day as a child. Stories were like air to me and while other kids played ball or went to parties， I lived out adventures through the books I checked out from the library.

My first job was working at the Ukiah Library when I was 16 years old. It was a dream job and I did everything from shelving books to reading to the children for story time.

As I grew older and became a mother， the library took on a new place and an added meaning in my life. I had several children and books were our main source（来源） of entertainment. It was a big deal for us to load up and go to the local library， where my kids could pick out books to read or books they wanted me to read to them.

I always read， using different voices， as though I were acting out the stories with my voice and they loved it！ It was a special time to bond with my children and it filled them with the wonderment of books.

Now， I see my children taking their children to the library and I love that the excitement of going to the library lives on from generation to generation.

As a novelist， I've found a new relationship with libraries. I encourage readers to go to their local library when they can't afford to purchase a book. I see libraries as a safe haven（避风港） for readers and writers， a bridge that helps put together a reader with a book. Libraries， in their own way， help fight book piracy（盗版行为） and I think all writers should support libraries in a significant way when they can. Encourage readers to use the library. Share library announcements on your social media. Frequent them and talk about them when you can.

35. Which can be a suitable title for the text？

A. Reading： A Source of Knowledge

B. My Idea about Writing

C. Library： A Haven for the Young

D. My Love of the Library

【點石成金】D   本文是一篇记叙文，属于“总—分—总”结构。文章开头就点明作者对图书馆有种特殊的情感，紧接着讲述了图书馆在不同阶段带给自己的意义与快乐。作者从儿童时期到青少年时期，直至当了母亲和祖母，她和家人都有图书馆相伴，对阅读的喜爱在她的家族代代相传。最后作者号召大众要尽力支持图书馆，并就此提出了具体建议，这一部分将对图书馆的内心喜爱升华到了具体行为，也是对文章开头的呼应。

5. 无主题句

一篇文章没有主题句，并不代表它没有中心思想，只是说文章主题隐含在全文之中。此时，考生须对文中的事实细节进行通盘考虑、适度推理，并用自己的话归纳出文章主题，既不能以偏概全，也不能过于宽泛。

【典题链接】（2017·全国乙卷阅读C篇）

Some of the world's most famous musicians recently gathered in Paris and New Orleans to celebrate the first annual International Jazz Day. UNESCO （United Nations Educational， Scientific and Cultural Organization） recently set April 30 as a day to raise awareness of jazz music， its significance， and its potential as a unifying（联合） voice across cultures.

Despite the celebrations， though， in the U.S. the jazz audience continues to shrink and grow older， and the music has failed to connect with younger generations.

It's Jason Moran's job to help change that. As the Kennedy Center's artistic adviser for jazz， Moran hopes to widen the audience for jazz， make the music more accessible， and preserve its history and culture.

“Jazz seems like it's not really a part of the American appetite，” Moran tells National Public Radio's reporter Neal Conan. “What I'm hoping to accomplish is that my generation and younger start to reconsider and understand that jazz is not black and white anymore. It's actually color， and it's actually digital.”

Moran says one of the problems with jazz today is that the entertainment aspect of the music has been lost.“The music can't be presented today the way it was in 1908 or 1958. It has to continue to move， because the way the world works is not the same，” says Moran.

Last year， Moran worked on a project that arranged Fats Waller's music for a dance party， “just to kind of put it back in the mind that Waller is dance music as much as it is concert music，” says Moran. “For me， it's the recontextualization. In music， where does the emotion （情感） lie？ Are we， as humans， gaining any insight（感悟） on how talk about ourselves and how something as abstract as a Charlie Parker record gets us into a dialogue about our emotions and our thoughts？ Sometimes we lose sight that the music has a wider context，” says Moran，“so I want to continue those dialogues. Those are the things I want to foster.”

31. Which of the following can be the best title for the text？

A. Exploring the Future of Jazz

B. The Rise and Fall of Jazz

C. The Story of a Jazz Musician

D. Celebrating the Jazz Day

【点石成金】A   本文是一篇说明文，并无明确的主题句。通读全文可知，联合国教科文组织为提高人们对爵士乐的重视而设立国际爵士日，但实际成效甚微。有人认为爵士乐的展现方式已经过时，只有与时俱进，做出相应的改变，才能引起年轻一代的共鸣，吸引更多的听众。综合以上具体内容可知，本文从爵士乐的现状与存在问题出发，对它的前景作了一番展望。

三、总结

用直选法解答主旨大意题虽然省时省力，但需要以充足的词汇量、完善的语法体系，以及对全文的充分理解为基础。实际操作中，建议大家结合以下方法：

（1）排除法。過于笼统、以偏概全、牵强附会是干扰项的主要特点，如果某个选项太宽泛或太细致，或看似合理但在原文中找不出依据，那就很有可能是错误选项。

（2）逆推法。将自己想象成作者，从四个选项出发，想象一下如果自己以这些选项为主题写文章会写哪些内容，然后把它们与原文对比，契合度最高的就最有可能是原文的主旨大意。

（3）后置法。考查全文主旨的题目一般设置在最后一题，但偶尔也会设在第一题。无论它出现在什么位置，考生都要将它作为最后一题去做，因为做其他题目对理解文章的主旨或多或少有些帮助。