2006-02-23 | 阅读应试技能指导（四）文章的类型（2）
(二)应用文
应用文近两年也有所选用，现将常见的应用文举例并分析如下。这里不再做详细分类。
一篇调查/实验报告往往包括下列几部分：
提出要调查/实验的问题
调查/实验对象描述
调查/实验过程描述
调查/实验结果与发现
对调查/实验结果与发现的分析
指出调查/实验结果与发现的意义
这几部分出现次序的具体安排可以有所不同，报告的结构没必要千篇一律。
调查/实验报告至今尚未考到，现从别处援用二例加以分析。考生可以自己寻找一些例子练习。
【例45】
In the United States,it is important to be punctual for an appointment,a class,a meeting,etc. This may not be true in all countries,however. An American professor discovered this difference while teaching a class in a Brazilian university. The two-hour class was due to begin at 10 a.m. and end at 12 p.m. On the first day,when the professor arrived on time,no one was in the classroom. Many students came after 10 a.m. Several arrived after 10:30 a.m. Then two students came after 11 a.m. Although all the students greeted the professor as they arrived,few apologized for their lateness. Were these students being rude ? He decided to study the students’ behaviour.
The professor talked to the American and Brazilian students about lateness in both an informal and formal situation: lunch with a friend,and a university class,respectively. He gave them an example and asked them how they would react. If they had a lunch appointment with a friend,the average American student defined lateness as 19 minutes after the agreed time. On the other hand,the average Brazilian student felt the friend was late after 33 minutes.
In an American university,students are expected to arrive at the appointed hour. In contrast,in Brazil,neither the teacher nor the students always arrive at the appointed hour. Classes no only begin at the scheduled time in the United States,but they also end at the scheduled time. In the Brazilian class,only a few students left the class at noon; many remained past 12:30 to discuss the class and ask more questions. While arriving late may not be very important in Brazil,neither is staying late.
The explanation for these differences is complicated. People from Brazilian and Northern American cultures have different feelings about lateness. In Brazil,the students believe that a person who usually arrives late is probably more successful than a person who is always on time. In fact,Brazilians expect a person with status or prestige to arrive late,while in the United States,lateness is usually considered to be disrespectful and unacceptable. Consequently,if a Brazilian is late for an appointment with a North American,the American may misinterpret the reason for the lateness and become angry.
As a result of his study,the professor learned that the Brazilian students were not being disrespectful to him. Indeed,they were simply behaving the appropriate way for a Brazilian student in Brazil. Eventually,the professor was able to adapt his own behaviour to feel comfortable in the new culture.
【综合分析】本文是一个社会调查报告。第一段倒数第二句用一个设问提出了要调查的问题，第二、第三段是调查对象描述与调查过程描述以及结果与发现，第四段是对调查结果与发现的分析，第五段指出调查结果与发现的意义。
1. Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
［A］ In the United States,the teacher usually dismisses the class as scheduled.
［B］ Brazilian professors tend to be late for class.
［C］ Brazilian students leave the classroom immediately after class.
［D］ American classes tend to start at the appointed hour.
【分析】选择项［C］是正确答案。从该题的四个选择项表达的内容来看，该题提问的是本文的调查结果与发现，考生在寻找答案时应该围绕这一方面进行。
2. In Brazil,people connect lateness for an appointment with .
［A］ laziness ［B］ higher status ［C］ rudeness ［D］ lower breed
【分析】选择项［B］是正确答案。从该题的问题及四个选择项表达的内容来看，该题提问的是本文对调查结果与发现的分析。
3. We can conclude from the passage that .
［A］ the American attitude towards lateness is better than the Brazilian one
［B］ the Brazilian students should change their habit
［C］ the American professor was very angry with his students’ behaviour
［D］ the difference of attitude towards lateness between the American and Brazilian people is a cultural one
【分析】选择项［D］是正确答案。从该题的四个选择项表达的内容来看，该题提问的是本文对调查结果与发现的分析。
4. Finally,the professor .
［A］ managed to change his students’ habit
［B］ found the Brazilian way of life better
［C］ managed to change his own habit
［D］ gave up the teaching post and lived comfortably again
【分析】选择项［C］是正确答案。从该题的问题及四个选择项表达的内容来看，该题提问的是本文最后一段所提到的这位美国教授进行这项调查的意义。
【例46】
There is evidence that the usual variety of high blood pressure is,in part,a familial disease. Since families have similar genes as well as similar environments,familial diseases could be due to shared genetic influences,to shared environmental factors,or to both. For some years,the role of one environmental factor commonly shared by families,namely dietary salt (i. e. sodium,chloride),has been studied at Brookhaven National Laboratory. These studies suggest that frequent excess salt intake can lead to high blood pressure in man and animals. Some individuals,however,and some rats consume large amounts of salt without developing high blood pressure. No matter how strictly all environmental factors were controlled in these experiments,some salt-fed animals never developed high blood pressure whereas a few rapidly developed very serious high blood pressures followed by early death. These marked variations were interpreted to result from differences in genetic constitution.
By mating in successive generations only those animals that failed to develop high blood pressure from salt intake,a resistant strain (the “R” strain) has been evolved in which consumption of large quantities of salt fails to influence the blood pressure significantly. In contrast,by mating only animals that quickly develop high blood pressure from salt,a sensitive strain (“S” strain) has also been developed.
The availability of these two strains permits investigations not possible formerly. They provide a likely laboratory model on which to investigate some clinical aspects of the human types of high blood pressure. More important,there might be the possibility of developing methods by which genetic likelihood of human beings to develop high blood pressure can be defined without waiting for its appearance. Radioactive sodium 22 was an important “tool” in working out the characteristics of the sodium chloride metabolism.
【综合分析】本文是一个医学实验报告。第一段第二句提出实验要回答的问题；本段其他部分是对实验结果的描述和分析，本段最后一句概括地解释了实验的结果；第二段是实验过程描述。
第三段指出了这一研究的意义：本段第一句是一个概括，第二句指出第一方面的意义，第三句指出第二方面的意义。
1. Which of the statements best expresses the main idea of this passage ?
［A］ When salt is added to their diets,rats and human beings react in the same way.
［B］ The near future will see a cure for high blood pressure.
［C］ The medical field is desperately in need of research.
［D］ A tendency toward high blood pressure may be a genetic factor.
【分析】选择项［D］是正确答案。请考生参阅第一段最后一句对实验结果的概括解释。在一篇调查/实验报告中，最重要的部分当然是对调查/实验的结果的分析或解释。
2. The study of the effects of salt on high blood pressure was carried out .
［A］ because members of the same family tend to use similar amounts of salt
［B］ to explore the long-term use of a sodium-based pressure
［C］ because it was proven that salt caused high blood pressure
［D］ because of the availability of chemically pure salt
【分析】选择项［A］是正确答案。请考生参阅第一段第二、第三句。注意：选择项［C］是不正确的——既然已经证明就无需再做实验。
3. It can be implied that the main difference between “S” and “R” rats is their .
［A］ need for sodium 22 ［B］ amount of salt intake
［C］ reaction to salt ［D］ type of blood
【分析】选择项［C］是正确答案。该题提问的是实验过程和结果，因此，其答案不仅应该在描述实验过程的第二段中找，而且还要在描述实验发现的第一段中找(第一段第五、第六句)。
4. Among the results of the research discussed in this passage,the most beneficial might be .
［A］ the early identification of potential high blood pressure victims
［B］ development of diets free of salt
［C］ an early cure for high blood pressure
［D］ control of genetic agents that cause high blood pressure
【分析】选择项［A］是正确答案。该题提问的是实验的意义，因此应该到最后一段中寻找答案。正如在综合分析时所指出的，最后一段提到了两个方面的意义。该题提问部分用了最高级(the most beneficial)，对应原文中more important 之后的部分，即：实验结果的第二方面意义。
(三) 书评
书评往往包括以下部分：
书中所涉及领域内的发展状况(主要问题)
书的作者的主要观点或写作目的
书的主要写作特点
书的结构(章节安排及其意义)
应该指出的是，这些部分在文中的位置可以根据个人的写作风格而有所不同。
【例47】
Rumor has it that more than 20 books on creationism/evolution are in the publishers pipelines. A few have already appeared. The goal of all will be to try to explain to a confused and often unenlightened citizenry that there are not two equally valid scientific theories for the origin and evolution of universe and life. Cosmology,geology,and biology have provided a consistent,unified,and constantly improving account of what happened. “Scientific” creationism,which is being pushed by some for “equal time” in the classrooms whenever the scientific accounts of evolution are given,is based on religion,not science. Virtually all scientists and the majority of nonfundamentalist religious leaders have come to regard “scientific” creationism as bad science and bad religion.
The first four chapters of Kitcher’s book give a very brief introduction to evolution. At appropriate places,he introduces the criticisms of the creationists and provides answers. In the last three chapters,he takes off his gloves and gives the creationists a good beating. He describes their programmes and tactics,and,for those unfamiliar with the ways of creationists,the extent of their deception and distortion may come as an unpleasant surprise. When their basic motivation is religious,one might have expected more Christian behaviour.
Kitcher is a philosopher,and this may account,in part,for the clarity and effectiveness of his arguments. The nonspecialists will be able to obtain at least a notion of the sorts of data and argument that support evolutionary theory. The final chapters on the creationists will be extremely clear to all. On the dust jacket of this fine book,Stephen Jay Gould says,“This book stands for reason itself.” And so it does-and all would be well were reason the only judge in the creationism/evolution debate.
(1996年考题)
【综合分析】在第一段，文章简述了书中所涉及领域内的发展状况及主要讨论的问题，在第二段文章谈及书的作者的主要观点或写作目的，第三段揭示的是书的主要写作特点及书的结构。
67. “Creationism” in the passage refers to .
［A］ evolution in its true sense as to the origin of the universe
［B］ a notion of the creation of religion
［C］ the scientific explanation of the earth formation
［D］ the deceptive theory about the origin of the universe
【分析】选择项［D］是正确答案。主要参考第一段第五、第六句和第二段第四、第五句。这些句子含有本文作者和Kitcher对造物主义的批判和揭露。可见本题实际上是提问本文主要讨论的问题。
68. Kitcher’s book is intended to .
［A］ recommend the views of the evolutionists
［B］ expose the true features of creationists
［C］ curse bitterly at his opponents
［D］ launch a surprising attack on creationists
【分析】选择项［B］是正确答案。本题提问Kitcher 写书的目的，这与第67题的答案相一致。
69. From the passage we can infer that .
［A］ reasoning has played a decisive role in the debate
［B］ creationists do not base their argument on reasoning
［C］ evolutionary theory is too difficult for non-specialists
［D］ creationism is supported by scientific findings
【分析】选择项［B］是正确答案。本题与第67、第68题提问的内容紧密相关。
70. This passage appears to be a digest of .
［A］ a book review ［B］ a scientific paper
［C］ a magazine feature ［D］ a newspaper editorial
【分析】选择项［A］是正确答案。正如综合分析时所指出的，本文是一篇书评。从本文作者的论述来看，作者对Kitcher 的书推崇备至，认为他的书不仅内容可取，其写作特点也很突出(第三段第一句)，其笔锋锋芒毕露。
(四
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