识别表意手段，把握主旨大意

浙江 袁宏阳

在各省历年高考英语试卷中，阅读理解题占据很大比例，堪称“半壁江山”，老师也经常对学生强调阅读理解题的重要性：“得阅读者，得天下”。阅读理解题旨在考查学生基于词汇和语法等基本语言知识，在不同类型的语篇中，依托具体主题语境，运用阅读策略，建构主题意义，积极思考并解决问题的能力。而主旨大意题是高考英语阅读理解中常见的命题形式，也是阅读理解题中的重难点题型，旨在考查学生分析和概括语篇、归纳和总结全文主旨的能力。主旨大意题包括选择最佳标题、概括文章大意、段落大意和判断作者写作目的等几个类型。常见的命题形式有：What can be a suitable title for the text? What does the first/second/last paragraph mainly talk about? What is the text mainly about? What is the main idea of the text? What’s the purpose of the passage?

一、表意手段与主旨大意

语篇通过段落架构和语言表征传递信息、表达意义、实现目的。在语言发展过程中，文体特征不同的语篇，往往具备特有的表意手段。学生要能够阅读和理解语篇，并识别语篇为恰当表意而采用的手段。而主旨大意题，则是在考查学生对语篇的较高层次内容的理解程度，不仅要求学生知道语篇“说了些什么”，还要求学生能“高屋建瓴”地概括“主要说了些什么”。韩宝成、梁海英倡导整体外语教学，引导学生从“聚焦于意”入手，把握语篇的主旨大意，而后“聚焦于型”，分析语篇的要式结构，最后“聚焦于形”，明晰不同语篇为达成不同的表意目的，所采用的不同手段。不同文体特征的语篇，通过不同的表意手段来传递主旨大意。我们在整体教学法的启发下，可以“反其道而行之”，从表意手段角度切入，分析语篇表意手段，从而把握主旨大意。笔者在阅读理解习题讲解中，尝试向学生传授这样的方法，收效良好。下面，笔者以部分英语高考真题为例，剖析例证。

二、识别表意手段，把握主旨大意

阅读理解试题的语篇体裁以记叙文、说明文和议论文为主，这三种文体分别有着典型的篇章组织和语言运用手段。教师可以总结不同文体语篇的表意手段特征，并将其应用于梳理和把握主旨大意。

（一）识别篇章组织手段

语篇结构能帮助作者有效实现表达目的，也能帮助读者准确理解语篇逻辑。而不同文体的语篇，有着不同的典型结构特征和组织手段。我们可以通过识别不同文体语篇中的篇章组织手段，正确理解作者如何谋篇布局，实现表意，从而把握语篇的主旨大意。

1.记叙文

记叙文是一种记叙事物和描绘人物的状态、过程及发展的文体，通常按照时间跨度、空间顺序、上下顺序来展开。梳理好语篇中的时间节点、先后顺序，就可以正确厘清结构，从而提炼出主旨大意。例如，2020 年全国卷Ⅱ，D 篇（语篇根据例证需要进行节选，下同）：

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...

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...

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...

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

分析：全文以时间顺序，讲述了作者在不同的时间节点（下划横线部分）和图书相关的经历：小时候就喜欢读书；工作在图书馆；有了孩子以后，一家人去图书馆读书；作为小说家，作者呼吁其他作家支持图书馆，宣传图书馆。纵观全文组织结构，可知全文围绕“作者对图书馆的爱”展开，讲述一名热情的读者“对图书馆的爱”。因此，答案D“我对图书馆的爱”为最佳标题。

2.说明文

说明文通过揭示概念来说明事物的特征、本质及其规律性，让学生收获科学知识或正确思想。说明文通常采用以下结构形式：总进式（总—分、总—分—总、分—总）、递进式、并列式和对照式，说明对象的形态、特征、性质、种类、功能等。例如，2022 年全国乙卷，C 篇：

Can a small group of drones（无人机）guarantee the safety and reliability of railways and,at the same time,help railway operators save billions of euros each year? That is the very likely future of applying today’s“eyes in the sky”technology to making sure that the millions of kilometers of rail tracks and infrastructure（基础设施）worldwide are safe for trains on a 24/7 basis.

Drones are already being used to examine high-tension electrical lines...

That includes huge savings in maintenance costs and better protection of railway personnel safety...

By using the latest technologies,drones could also start providing higher-value services for railways,detecting faults in the rail or switches,before they can cause any safety problems...

31.Which is the most suitable title for the text?

A.What Faults Can Be Detected with Drones

B.How Production of Drones Can Be Expanded

C.What Difficulty Drone Development Will Face

D.How Drones Will Change the Future of Railways

分析：本文是说明文，采用总进式（总—分）结构，说明无人机技术可以保证铁路安全和性能，节省费用。第一段是导入，综述无人机在铁路运营方面的应用前景。之后每段的第一句为主题句，分别介绍了无人机在铁路运营中的部分功能和作用；无人机降低铁路维护成本和维护铁路职员生命安全的优势；无人机为铁路运营所做的服务。综合分析，全文主要介绍了无人机在铁路方面的应用前景。因此，答案D“无人机将如何改变铁路的未来”为最佳标题。

3.议论文

议论文是一种剖析事物、论述事理、发表意见、提出主张的文体，内容主要有论点、论据、论证三部分，通常采用三段式的结构：提出问题（引论）——分析问题（本论）——解决问题（结论）。在论证的过程中，文章会给出分论点，因此，议论文也通常以总进式（总—分、总—分—总、分—总）谋篇布局。例如，2021 年6 月天津卷，D 篇：

Art is everywhere...

Art can connect culture with commercial products in a way that not many other things can，art generates money and holds significant emotional and cultural value within communities...

Furthermore,the arts can bring communities together,reducing loneliness and making people feel safer...

The arts clearly have a pretty positive impact on physical and psychological health...

Children who are involved with the arts make greater achievements in their education...

Vital to human life,art is celebrated and used by nations across the world for various purposes.Life without art would be boring and dead still,for art is a part of what makes us human.

55.What is the best title for this passage?

A.How Art Cures Our Hearts

B.Art: A Blessing to Humankind

C.How Art Benefits Communities

D.Art: A Bridge Between Cultures

分析：文章以第一段提出问题（引论），第二、三、四、五段分析问题（本论），最后一段解决问题（结论），为总—分—总式结构。文章第一段提出“艺术无处不在”引出话题；第二段：艺术能让文化和商品相结合；第三段：艺术能让人际关系更紧密；第四段：艺术促进身心健康；第五段：艺术促进孩子的教育成就的实现；最后一段：艺术是人类的一部分。由此可见，文章主要是围绕艺术对人类的意义展开讨论的。因此，答案B“艺术：人类的财富”为最佳标题。

（二）识别语言运用手段

不同类型和不同主题意义的语篇，有着相应不同的语言运用手段。识别不同类型语篇的语言运用手段，可以有助于学生理解语言的意义、跨越零碎的语义习得障碍，聚焦于主题意义探究目的，从语言表征角度，在字里行间里抽丝剥茧，剖析出语篇的主旨大意。

1.记叙文

记叙文以描写叙述为主，主要记载人物、事件和其发展过程等，其主旨往往藏在字里行间，需要透过分析文中的人物、事件来进行提炼。记叙文所表达的主旨大意，通常由语篇中的核心词、频现词来体现，或者由表达一定情感态度或主题意义的显性词汇来体现，比如love,kind,positive,wonderful 等等。例如：2022 年全国甲卷，C 篇：

As Ginni Bazlinton reached Antarctica,she found herself greeted by a group of little Gentoo penguins（企鹅）longing to say hello.These gentle,lovely gatekeepers welcomed her and kick-started what was to be a trip Ginni would never forget.

Ever since her childhood,Ginni,now 71,has had a deep love for travel.Throughout her career（职 业）as a professional dancer,she toured in the UK,but always longed to explore further...

After taking a degree at Chichester University in Related Arts,Ginni began to travel the world...

In March 2008,Ginni boarded a ship with 48 passengers she’d never met before,to begin the journey towards Antarctica...

31.What is the text mainly about?

A.A childhood dream.

B.An unforgettable experience.

C.Sailing around the world.

D.Meeting animals in Antarctica.

分析：文章第一段以主人公Ginni 旅行的画面引出话题：Ginni 的旅行。文章以时间线索进行记叙（下划横线），频现trip,travel,tour,explore,journey（下划波浪线）等表“旅行”话题的词汇。综合分析，文章着重介绍了Ginni 难忘的南极洲奇遇。因此，答案B“一次难忘的经历”为最佳选项。

2.说明文

说明文是对事物的形状、性质、特征等进行的介绍，语言简练、准确，可以让读者明白其所说明的对象和内容。因此，说明文的语言较为客观，很少表露作者的情感倾向。例如，2022 年全国新高考Ⅰ卷D 篇，第四、五段：

Para.4:The team showed that this change in bite was connected with the development of agriculture in the Neolithic period.Food became easier to chew at this point.The jawbone didn’t have to do as much work and so didn’t grow to be so large.

Para.5: Analyses of a language database also confirmed that there was a global change in the sound of world languages after the Neolithic age,with the use of“f”and“v”increasing remarkably during the last few thousand years.These sounds are still not found in the languages of many hunter-gatherer people today.

34.What is Paragraph 5 mainly about?

A.Supporting evidence for the research results.

B.Potential application of the research findings.

C.A further explanation of the research methods.

D.A reasonable doubt about the research process.

分析：第四段说明了研究小组的结论：咬合的变化与新石器时代农业的发展有关。而第五段第一句 “对语言数据库的分析也证实，在新石器时代之后，世界语言的发音发生了全球性的变化”（下划横线），用证实性语言说明了第四段的结论。因此，第五段主要是列出可以使研究结果更加令人信服的证据。答案A“支持研究结果的证据”为正确选项。

3.议论文

议论文是通过摆事实、讲道理、辨是非的方法，来论证某种观点正确与否，肯定或否定某种主张。因此，议论文的语言特点是观点鲜明、语言精练、逻辑缜密，具有很强的说理性和论证性，以说服受众接受观点或采取行动。例如，2022 年全国甲卷，D 篇，第一段：

Sometime in the early 1960s,a significant thing happened in Sydney,Australia.The city discovered its harbor.Then,one after another,Sydney discovered lots of things that were just sort of there—broad parks,superb beaches,and a culturally diverse population.But it is the harbor that makes the city.

32.What is the first paragraph mainly about?

A.Sydney’s striking architecture.

B.The cultural diversity of Sydney.

C.The key to Sydney’s development.

D.Sydney’s tourist attractions in the 1960s.

分析：作者在本段第一句话就便用 “significant”一词，鲜明地表明观点；最后一句（下划波浪线），使用强调句式，突出强调观点“是港口造就了这座城市”。由此可见，该段主要介绍了悉尼发展过程中的关键，故C 项“悉尼发展的关键”正确。

三、结语

主旨大意题要求学生分析和概括全文主要意思，探析主题意义，明确作者写作意图。作者为了增强渲染、清晰说明、有力说服等，必然会在记叙文、说明文和议论文等不同文体的语篇中，采用必要的、规律性的表意手段，形成其文体下特有的篇章组织和语言运用特征。我们学习和总结出不同类型语篇中的表意手段，能有效地在避开碎片化、繁杂性的语言信息，在语篇段落和字里行间，快速厘清主要信息，明确作者的表达意图，从而正确把握主旨大意。