GRE閱讀一向被中國(guó)的GRE考生視為畏途。這一現(xiàn)象完全在情理之中。GRE閱讀文章涉及的詞匯量大，包含較多的專業(yè)詞匯。句子長(zhǎng)而復(fù)雜，找出全句的主干耗時(shí)費(fèi)力。加上陌生的概念與背景知識(shí)，令GRE學(xué)習(xí)者談閱讀而色變。所幸考試中無(wú)須將文章完全理解也能做對(duì)大部分題，甚至是所有的題，因?yàn)槲恼潞蟮暮芏鄦?wèn)題涉及文章的主題、結(jié)構(gòu)、套路與作者態(tài)度等需要從宏觀上把握的題，真正繁難的細(xì)節(jié)題并不多。從宏觀上把握文章，抓住文章的“主體結(jié)構(gòu)”是關(guān)鍵。 GRE閱讀文章的常見(jiàn)“主體結(jié)構(gòu)”有三種：
1. 結(jié)論-解釋型(也叫論點(diǎn)-解釋型)
2. 新老觀點(diǎn)對(duì)比型
3. 現(xiàn)象解釋型(包含問(wèn)題-解決方案型)
首先是“結(jié)論-解釋型”文章。這類文章在開(kāi)始有一個(gè)判斷句，一般是文章的結(jié)論，也是文章的主題。這個(gè)判斷句的謂語(yǔ)部分通常包含系動(dòng)詞(is, remain, prove, turn out, appear等)或情態(tài)動(dòng)詞(can, may, should, must等)，而且含有表示態(tài)度的詞匯(如形容詞等)。例如，
Because of its accuracy in outlining the Earth's subsurface, the seismic-reflection method remains the most important tool in the search for petroleum reserves. In field practice, a subsurface is mapped by arranging a series of wave-train sources, such as small dynamite explosions, in a grid pattern…
文章首句指出：“由于‘地震反射法’(sr)在勾劃地球的地下層面這方面的準(zhǔn)確性，該方法一直是探尋石油儲(chǔ)備的最重要的工具?！边@是一個(gè)判斷句，為結(jié)論。其中remains為系動(dòng)詞，而most important為態(tài)度詞，表示作者對(duì)“地震反射法”持非常正面的評(píng)價(jià)。后文應(yīng)解釋“地震反射法”的具體過(guò)程。 第二句話對(duì)解釋進(jìn)行總的說(shuō)明：“在實(shí)地作業(yè)中，通過(guò)將一系列波列源，諸如小規(guī)模炸藥爆炸，排列成一個(gè)網(wǎng)格模式，從而將地下層面標(biāo)繪出來(lái)?！苯酉聛?lái)是“地震反射法”的詳細(xì)過(guò)程。
GRE閱讀文章的第二種常見(jiàn)結(jié)構(gòu)是“新老觀點(diǎn)對(duì)比型”。 這類文章在開(kāi)始提出老觀點(diǎn)，然后提出新觀點(diǎn)并進(jìn)行論述。通常新觀點(diǎn)是文章的主題。老觀點(diǎn)出現(xiàn)的標(biāo)志詞有：
1. 傳統(tǒng)觀點(diǎn)： has been, traditionally, until recently等
2. 大眾觀點(diǎn)：frequently, widely, many等
新觀點(diǎn)出現(xiàn)的標(biāo)志詞有：however, recently, now等。
例如，
Traditionally, pollination by wind has been viewed as a reproductive process marked by random events in which the vagaries of the wind are compensated for by the generation of vast quantities of pollen, so that the ultimate production of new seeds is assured at the expense of producing much more pollen than is actually used。
However, a number of features that are characteristic of wind-pollinated plants reduce pollen waste…。
文章首句指出：“傳統(tǒng)上，風(fēng)媒授粉過(guò)程一直被視為是一個(gè)以隨機(jī)事件為標(biāo)志的繁殖過(guò)程，其中風(fēng)的不確定性通過(guò)產(chǎn)生大量花粉而得以補(bǔ)償，因此，新種子的最終繁殖得以保證，而此舉的代價(jià)是所需產(chǎn)生的花粉要遠(yuǎn)遠(yuǎn)超過(guò)實(shí)際的使用量。”由第一個(gè)詞traditionally可知文章首句為老觀點(diǎn)(由于風(fēng)的不確定性，風(fēng)媒植物要產(chǎn)生大量花粉補(bǔ)償)，那么本文的結(jié)構(gòu)是“新老觀點(diǎn)對(duì)比型”。
第二段首句出現(xiàn)了GRE閱讀中的標(biāo)志性轉(zhuǎn)折詞however，說(shuō)明這句話就是新觀點(diǎn)：“但是，風(fēng)媒植物所獨(dú)有的一系列特征可減少花粉浪費(fèi)?！边@說(shuō)明風(fēng)媒植物除了可以產(chǎn)生大量花粉加以補(bǔ)償?shù)南麡O策略之外，還可以通過(guò)一些積極機(jī)制減少花粉損失，不一定需要產(chǎn)生大量花粉。
GRE閱讀文章的第三種常見(jiàn)結(jié)構(gòu)是“現(xiàn)象解釋型”。文章開(kāi)始提出一個(gè)現(xiàn)象，然后解釋現(xiàn)象。解釋是主題。有多個(gè)解釋時(shí)，作者一般對(duì)前面的解釋持負(fù)面評(píng)價(jià)，對(duì)最后的解釋持正面評(píng)價(jià)。提出現(xiàn)象時(shí)的標(biāo)志詞有：phenomenon, fact; problem, difficulty, puzzle, question等。例如，
What causes a helix in nature to appear with either a dextral ("right-handed,"or clockwise) twist or a sinistral ("left-handed," or counterclockwise') twist is one of the most intriguing puzzles in the science of form…What mechanisms, control handedness and keep left-handedness rare?
It would seem unlikely that evolution should discriminate against sinistral snails if sinistral and dextral snails are exact mirror images, for any disadvantage that a sinistral twist in itself could confer on its possessor is almost inconceivable. But left- and right-handed snails are not actually true mirror images of one another…
But this evolutionary mechanism combining dissymmetry, anatomy, and chance does not provide an adequate explanation of why right-handedness should have become predominant…
Here, the evolutionary theory must defer to a theory based on an explicit developmental mechanism that can favor either right- or left-handedness…Thus, the path to a solution to the puzzle
of handedness in all snails appears to be as twisted as the helix itself。
1. 結(jié)論-解釋型(也叫論點(diǎn)-解釋型)
2. 新老觀點(diǎn)對(duì)比型
3. 現(xiàn)象解釋型(包含問(wèn)題-解決方案型)
首先是“結(jié)論-解釋型”文章。這類文章在開(kāi)始有一個(gè)判斷句，一般是文章的結(jié)論，也是文章的主題。這個(gè)判斷句的謂語(yǔ)部分通常包含系動(dòng)詞(is, remain, prove, turn out, appear等)或情態(tài)動(dòng)詞(can, may, should, must等)，而且含有表示態(tài)度的詞匯(如形容詞等)。例如，
Because of its accuracy in outlining the Earth's subsurface, the seismic-reflection method remains the most important tool in the search for petroleum reserves. In field practice, a subsurface is mapped by arranging a series of wave-train sources, such as small dynamite explosions, in a grid pattern…
文章首句指出：“由于‘地震反射法’(sr)在勾劃地球的地下層面這方面的準(zhǔn)確性，該方法一直是探尋石油儲(chǔ)備的最重要的工具?！边@是一個(gè)判斷句，為結(jié)論。其中remains為系動(dòng)詞，而most important為態(tài)度詞，表示作者對(duì)“地震反射法”持非常正面的評(píng)價(jià)。后文應(yīng)解釋“地震反射法”的具體過(guò)程。 第二句話對(duì)解釋進(jìn)行總的說(shuō)明：“在實(shí)地作業(yè)中，通過(guò)將一系列波列源，諸如小規(guī)模炸藥爆炸，排列成一個(gè)網(wǎng)格模式，從而將地下層面標(biāo)繪出來(lái)?！苯酉聛?lái)是“地震反射法”的詳細(xì)過(guò)程。
GRE閱讀文章的第二種常見(jiàn)結(jié)構(gòu)是“新老觀點(diǎn)對(duì)比型”。 這類文章在開(kāi)始提出老觀點(diǎn)，然后提出新觀點(diǎn)并進(jìn)行論述。通常新觀點(diǎn)是文章的主題。老觀點(diǎn)出現(xiàn)的標(biāo)志詞有：
1. 傳統(tǒng)觀點(diǎn)： has been, traditionally, until recently等
2. 大眾觀點(diǎn)：frequently, widely, many等
新觀點(diǎn)出現(xiàn)的標(biāo)志詞有：however, recently, now等。
例如，
Traditionally, pollination by wind has been viewed as a reproductive process marked by random events in which the vagaries of the wind are compensated for by the generation of vast quantities of pollen, so that the ultimate production of new seeds is assured at the expense of producing much more pollen than is actually used。
However, a number of features that are characteristic of wind-pollinated plants reduce pollen waste…。
文章首句指出：“傳統(tǒng)上，風(fēng)媒授粉過(guò)程一直被視為是一個(gè)以隨機(jī)事件為標(biāo)志的繁殖過(guò)程，其中風(fēng)的不確定性通過(guò)產(chǎn)生大量花粉而得以補(bǔ)償，因此，新種子的最終繁殖得以保證，而此舉的代價(jià)是所需產(chǎn)生的花粉要遠(yuǎn)遠(yuǎn)超過(guò)實(shí)際的使用量。”由第一個(gè)詞traditionally可知文章首句為老觀點(diǎn)(由于風(fēng)的不確定性，風(fēng)媒植物要產(chǎn)生大量花粉補(bǔ)償)，那么本文的結(jié)構(gòu)是“新老觀點(diǎn)對(duì)比型”。
第二段首句出現(xiàn)了GRE閱讀中的標(biāo)志性轉(zhuǎn)折詞however，說(shuō)明這句話就是新觀點(diǎn)：“但是，風(fēng)媒植物所獨(dú)有的一系列特征可減少花粉浪費(fèi)?！边@說(shuō)明風(fēng)媒植物除了可以產(chǎn)生大量花粉加以補(bǔ)償?shù)南麡O策略之外，還可以通過(guò)一些積極機(jī)制減少花粉損失，不一定需要產(chǎn)生大量花粉。
GRE閱讀文章的第三種常見(jiàn)結(jié)構(gòu)是“現(xiàn)象解釋型”。文章開(kāi)始提出一個(gè)現(xiàn)象，然后解釋現(xiàn)象。解釋是主題。有多個(gè)解釋時(shí)，作者一般對(duì)前面的解釋持負(fù)面評(píng)價(jià)，對(duì)最后的解釋持正面評(píng)價(jià)。提出現(xiàn)象時(shí)的標(biāo)志詞有：phenomenon, fact; problem, difficulty, puzzle, question等。例如，
What causes a helix in nature to appear with either a dextral ("right-handed,"or clockwise) twist or a sinistral ("left-handed," or counterclockwise') twist is one of the most intriguing puzzles in the science of form…What mechanisms, control handedness and keep left-handedness rare?
It would seem unlikely that evolution should discriminate against sinistral snails if sinistral and dextral snails are exact mirror images, for any disadvantage that a sinistral twist in itself could confer on its possessor is almost inconceivable. But left- and right-handed snails are not actually true mirror images of one another…
But this evolutionary mechanism combining dissymmetry, anatomy, and chance does not provide an adequate explanation of why right-handedness should have become predominant…
Here, the evolutionary theory must defer to a theory based on an explicit developmental mechanism that can favor either right- or left-handedness…Thus, the path to a solution to the puzzle
of handedness in all snails appears to be as twisted as the helix itself。