修辞目的题(rhetorical purpose questions)是新托福阅读中难度较大的题型之一。这种题型对于国内考生来说较为陌生，在考场上时间紧张的情况下考生往往不知该在文中什么地方找答案。下面小编给大家带来托福阅读修辞目的题解题技巧，供大家学习。
托福阅读修辞目的题(举例)
托福阅读中由于词汇题和事实信息题的出题频率和数量较高，使得大家往往把目光聚焦在对于单词本身和句子本身信息的理解，而对于句子和句子之间，甚至是段落与段落之间的逻辑关系理解较为弱化。托福阅读十种题型中的修辞目的题注重考察单词，短语或是句子在句子之内或句子之间起到的作用，这就要求大家平时阅读时，在涉猎原文细节信息的基础之上，要有意识地注意句子之间的逻辑关系以及段落的结构。通过练习培养严谨的句子逻辑关系和紧凑的文章构架，对于无论是写作还是口语都有着一定的帮助。
此次目的题参考的内容基本可以分为三类，其一，作者在句中提到一些单词或短语或是句子是为了举例说明之前的相关信息点，辅助读者更好地理解原文的信息。其二，作者提供相关信息目的在于解释说明某一现象或是事件，本质与举例说明较为类似，也是为了帮助读者更好地理解信息，其三，作者在提出某些重要的观点时，为了突出个别的信息点，而引入一些单词短语或句子，目的是为了强度。基于对修辞目的题作者写作目的本身的分析和理解，我们可以更好地解决相关题目。以下以第一种举例说明的情况为例，重点讲解如何解决此类题目。
我们来看一道题，此题出自TPO14--children and advertising中的第10题，题干问why does the author mention a show about a cartoon lion in which an advertisement appears featuring the same lion character?根据题干关键词定位到文中对应的句子，Host selling occurs, for example, when a children's show about a cartoon lion contains an ad in which the same lion promotes a breakfast cereal.读完句子看到句中的插入短语for example，知道此句式为例子，属于举例说明，我们都知道例子是用来证明之前的信息，所以向前反推，看到紧接其前这样的内容In the recent past, the role of celebrities in advertising to children has often been conflated with the concept of host selling. Host selling involves blending advertisements with regular programming in a way that makes it difficult to distinguish one from the other.这两句第一句解释了host selling，第二句提到host selling的影响，所以得知紧接其后的句子是为了例证这两点信息，即host selling的概念以及它产生的影响。得出正确选项To help explain what is meant by the term "host selling" and why it can be misleading to children。
再比如TPO16中trade and the ancient middle east一文中第12题考到In paragraph 5, why does the author mention the new trade route opened up by Vasco da Gama's fifteenth century voyage around Africa?根据题干关键词定位到原文句子：as occurred when European seafarers circumvented Middle Eastern merchants after Vasco da Gama's voyage around Africa in the late fifteenth century opened up a southern route.读句子as表示正如…得知此处为举例说明，例证之前的信息，看到前半句since the development of new international trade routes could undermine the monetary base and erode state power。得知提到Vasco da Gama's fifteenth century voyage around Africa目的是为了证明新的国际贸易路线的发展可能破坏货币基础并且侵蚀国家权力。得出答案为To present an instance in which Middle Eastern states lost money and power because of their reliance on long-distance trade。
再如TPO25 The surface of mars一文中的第6题In paragraph 3, why does the author compare Maxwell Mons on Venus to the Hawaiian shield volcanoes on Earth?根据题干关键词定位到原文句子It is no accident that Maxwell Mons on Venus and the Hawaiian shield volcanoes on Earth rise to about the same height (about 10 kilometers) above their respective bases-Earth and Venus has similar surface gravity.通过句中短语It is no accident that得知此处为举例论证，所以向前看，紧接其前的句子为The lower the gravity, the lesser the weight and the greater the height of the mountain.可知原文想要阐述的信息是地心引力和山脉高度直接的关系，而且地心引力越低则重量越低，随之山的高度越高，所以紧接其后比较Maxwell Mons on Venus 和the Hawaiian shield volcanoes on Earth完全是为了论证这个信息，由此容易选得正确选项为To help explain the relationship between surface gravity and volcano height。
通过以上的三个例子我们知道修辞目的题中，举例论证是常考点，常见的表示举例的提示性的单词或短语有：for example/for instance/such as/as/as a example of/one of…/this is the case…等。如果题干中关键词对应原文的句子里有相关的表示例证的单词，短语出现，则向前看前面的句子，答案也就随之浮现出来。所以在平时的阅读练习中，大家一定要注意句子之间逻辑关系，句与句之间不是互相独立的，而是紧密联系，互相支撑，构建段落，甚至是全文。
托福阅读：修辞目的题的解法
本质上讲：对作者意图的提问
形式上讲：
Why does the author mention/discuss …?
The author mentions/discusses … in order to ______.
The author uses … as an example of_____.
等等
做这类题目时有些同学往往会出现黑人问号，我怎么知道作者怎么想的!
其实，这类题目和托福其他题目一样，都是有套路的。至少，托福阅读里的修辞目的题是不会要求考生们对锅里的鱼眼里“诡异的光”进行理解的。
言归正传，那么做这类题目的套路究竟是什么呢?
首先我们要知道托福文章结构有一个规律，就是claim(观点)+detail(s)，换句话说就是给出一个观点，然后用一个或者若干个细节或者例子来支撑前面的观点。
不论是从文章整体架构，段落结构，还是更微观的行文结构来看，一般来说这个规律都成立。而修辞目的题实质上就是出题人把一个detail拎出来问你，作者为什么要提到这个detail。到这里，问题的关键就变成了找到这个detail对应的claim究竟在哪里。
最简单的模型就是，claim后面就一个detail支撑，这种情况下，自然detail前面紧挨着的那句话就是作者的观点，即提到这个detail的目的是为了说明前面的这个观点。
然而有时候，作者会用不止一个detail来支撑最前面的claim，模型视图如下
Claim+ detail 1 + detail 2 + detail 3
这种时候，如果出题人把detail 3拎出来问你它的目的，显然答案就不是为了支持紧挨着它的前面那句话了，而应该是遥相支持前面的前面的前面的那个claim。
根据以上原理，我们总结出了一个做题步骤，帮助大家高效地找到这个claim。
简言之，
1. 找出题目中的关键词
2. 用关键词定位原文
3. 按照原句 -- 前面1~2句 -- 段落第一句的顺序找到claim
4. 根据原文claim找到对应选项
可以看出，步骤1和2是在文章中找到题目里提到的detail的位置，当然，如果文中已经给你highligh出来了的话这两个步骤就省掉了
而步骤3才是在找claim
下面，我们来进行一个实操应用：
In paragraph 1, what is the author's purpose in providing examples of how organisms are destroyed?
○To emphasize how surprising it is that so many fossils exist
○To introduce a new geologic theory of fossil preservation
○To explain why the fossil record until now has remained incomplete
○To compare how fossils form on land and in water
很明显，这道题需要我们自己去找到detail的位置，所以我们要从第1个步骤开始做起：找出题目中的关键词
examples of how organisms are destroyed(生物被摧毁的例子)
第2步，我们要拿着关键词到段落里面去找detail对应的原句，即哪里有提到生物被摧毁的例子
Paragraph 1: When one considers the many ways by which organisms are completely destroyed after death, it is remarkable that fossils are as common as they are. Attack by scavengers and bacteria, chemical decay, and destruction by erosion and other geologic agencies make the odds against preservation very high. However, the chances of escaping complete destruction are vastly improved if the organism happens to have a mineralized skeleton and dies in a place where it can be quickly buried by sediment. Both of these conditions are often found on the ocean floors, where shelled invertebrates (organisms without spines) flourish and are covered by the continuous rain of sedimentary particles. Although most fossils are found in marine sedimentary rocks, they also are found in terrestrial deposits left by streams and lakes. On occasion, animals and plants have been preserved after becoming immersed in tar or quicksand, trapped in ice or lava flows, or engulfed by rapid falls of volcanic ash.
我们看下来后会发现有且仅有红色部分是一些摧毁生物的具体例子，清道夫、细菌、化学侵蚀等等，至此我们完成了第2步，定位出了detail对应的原句。
第3步，到这句话的前面找它对应的claim，这道题里，它前面只有一句话，那让我们来验证一下这是不是这个detail所支撑的观点呢?
When one considers the many ways by which organisms are completely destroyed after death, it is remarkable that fossils are as common as they are.
(当一个人知道生物死后会被如此多的方式所完全分解毁灭，那他就会感叹世界上化石如此普遍有多不可思议)
看起来逻辑上可以成为生物被摧毁的例子所支撑的对象吧
那我们现在来做第4步，根据找出来的claim去选出最接近的选项
In paragraph 1, what is the author's purpose in providing examples of how organisms are destroyed?
○To emphasize how surprising it is that so many fossils exist
○To introduce a new geologic theory of fossil preservation
○To explain why the fossil record until now has remained incomplete
○To compare how fossils form on land and in water
选项1是不是就是我们找出来的claim的同义复述呀?答案就是它了!
All in all，只要把握好题型背后的原理，妈妈再也不用担心你做不好修辞目的题了!
托福阅读修辞目的题全解析
一、 什么是修辞?
首先要弄懂的问题是什么叫做修辞(rhetorical)?这里所指的修辞不同于咱们语文课上学的"比喻、拟人、排比、对偶、移情"等等，这些都是具体的修辞手法。托福阅读中的修辞含义更广，它包括举例子 "下定义、阐述、解释、对比、反驳、强调、批评"等。 根据官方指南(official guide)英文版第三版42页的说法，这里的修辞是指"有效写作或演讲的艺术"，也就是说，某个具体信息可能是为了给某个观点举例子，下定义，或者是为了阐述、解释、对比、反驳、强调、批评某个观点。而这里说的具体信息可能是一个词、一句话甚至是一个段落。
二、托福 阅读考察什么能力?
如果说事实信息题是问作者给出了哪个细节或信息的话，修辞目的题则是问为什么给出某个具体信息或细节。由此我们可以知道修辞目的题实际考察的同学们在阅读中"角色转换"的能力，也就是把自己想成是作者，揣摩作者写某个词、某句话，或某一段的意图能力。说到这儿同学们可能会说：考试的时候我很紧张，根本没有心思把自己想成是作者，再去猜他/她当时写的时候是怎么想的，是不是这道题我就做不对了?"。其实大可不必担心，因为作者写作是有一定的逻辑顺序在里面的，具体信息出现的位置也是有一定规律的，下面我将给大家分析一下托福阅读文章的结构，看完这个结构大家就会对作者的写作顺序有一个较明晰的了解。
三、托福阅读结构分析--作者写作意图的线索
托福阅读的题材多种多样，但总体而言议论文、说明文偏多，也有少数是记叙文，如名人生平等。但不管哪一种其文章结构都有基本的规律，即"板块式结构"。也就是说文章有总论点(Thesis Statement)，每段也有各自的论点，段落中的内容是为了阐述段落论点，最终是为了论证文章论点服务的。为一目了然，以下图表示文章结构：
由此可见，文章段落中具体的信息应该是为段落论点服务的，而其最终目的是文章的总论点。
四、托福 阅读题目分类
修辞目的题按提问对象分大致可分三类：一是问具体信息的目的、二是问段落目的、三是问段落组织结构。其中第一种出现的次数最多，其中又以举例目的题出现频率最高。因而以下重点介绍第一类的解法
五、找答案--三步走
举例目的题是修辞目的题中出现多、代表性强的一类。经过上述分析，相信大家已经对举例的目的有所了解，即：例子是为了证明论点的。而很多时候在具体信息，也就是例子之前还有一个具体的论点(statement)，因此例子的目的也就有三个层次：
1. 例子之前general statement
2. 段落的TS
3. 文章的TS
这也就意味着我们再解修辞目的题的时候有了寻找的目标和方向。也就是，当问到修辞的目的，尤其是具体信息的目的时，首先需要关注的就是具体信息之前的那句话，如果选项中没有则寻找其所在段落的中心句，(具体寻找中心句的方法请关注新东方教师讲解系列的其他文章)，如果还没有则需要回顾一下全文的中心句，再比照选项，选择意义相同的选项。
为了让大家进一步体会这个"三步走"战略，这里以Test Practice online 中的一道托福 阅读题为例实践一下我们的解法：
Paragraph 1 : The United States dancer Loie Fuller (1862-1928) found theatrical dance in the late nineteenth century artistically unfulfilling. She considered herself an artist rather than a mere entertainer, and she, in turn, attracted the notice of other artists。
Paragraph 5 : As her technological expertise grew more sophisticated, so did the other aspects of her dances. Although she gave little thought to music in her earliest dances, she later used scores by Gluck, Beethoven, Schubert, Chopin, and Wagner, eventually graduating to Stravinsky, Fauré, Debussy, and Mussorgsky, composers who were then considered progressive. She began to address more ambitious themes in her dances such as The Sea, in which her dancers invisibly agitated a huge expanse of silk, played upon by colored lights. Always open to scientific and technological innovations, she befriended the scientists Marie and Pierre Curie upon their discovery of radium and created a Radium Dance, which simulated the phosphorescence of that element. She both appeared in films-then in an early stage of development-and made them herself; the hero of her fairy-tale film Le Lys de la Vie (1919) was played by René Clair, later a leading French film director。
9. Why does the author mention Fuller's The Sea?
A.To point out a dance of Fuller's in which music did not play an important role
B.To explain why Fuller sometimes used music by progressive composers
C. To illustrate a particular way in which Fuller developed as an artist
D. To illustrate how Fuller's interest in science was reflected in her work
这是一道修辞目的题中问举例目的的题，这道题得答案如果没有"三步走"的解法指导一时间很难看出来。但根据"三步走"解法，大家便能在比较短的时间内找到答案。首先发现the sea 所在的段落中心句应该是第一句：As her technological expertise grew more sophisticated, so did the other aspects of her dances. 也就是说她除了舞蹈中的科技水平提高以外，其它方面也提高了。那这一段应该将具体哪几个方面有了提高。由此这一段又可以分成四个部分，也就是TS之后的四句话，每句话讲了她一个方面的提高。可以发现The Sea是出现在这一段除TS之外的第2句话中，而这句话前半部分给出了一个general statement, 即She began to address more ambitious themes in her dances。此时如果选项中有意思相同的就可以选出正确答案了，和可惜这道题的答案并不那么明显，所以我们继续走第二步，找段落TS。这一段的TS是这一段的第一句，即As her technological expertise grew more sophisticated, so did the other aspects of her dances. 发现题目中也没有明显与之对应的选项。那只剩下第三步，找文章的TS。这篇文章的TS比较明显，在第一段的后半部分(事实上第一段本身就很短，可以看做一个整体作为TS)。大家可以看出第一段是说Loie Fuller这个人不满足于19世纪晚期的戏剧性舞蹈，她认为自己是一位艺术家而不仅仅是位舞者。由此我们可以看出全文的中心应该是论证她为成为艺术家而努力，这和选项C的意思是吻合的。因而此题根据三步法，答案在第三个层面，及全文的TS， C 是正确选项。
综上，修辞目的题考察了考生的角色转换能力。通过对出题原理和作者写作逻辑的分析我们可以总结出"三步走"的解法规律，以在考场上用最短的时间找到正确答案。相信有了这个框架，大家一定能明白考场上修辞目的题得答案应该往哪儿找，从而层层考察，找出答案。
托福阅读10种题型剖析
新托福考试OG列出了阅读的10种题型：
1. Factual information questions (纯粹细节)
2. Negative factual information questions (否定细节)
3. Inference questions (推理题)
4. Rhetorical purpose questions (修辞目的题)
5. Vocabulary questions (词汇题)
6. Reference questions (指代题)
7. Sentence simplification questions (句子简化题)
8. Insert text question (句子插入题)
9. Prose summary (内容摘要题)
10. Fill in a table (表格归类题)
但实际上，新托福考试阅读当中还考了一些OG中没列举出来的题目：
一.段间关系概括题：这种题目要求考生概括出2个自然段间的逻辑关系。比如说《THE CAMBRIAN EXPLOSION》这篇文章的第6题。
6. Which of the following best describes the relationship between Paragraph2 and Paragraph3?
Paragraph2 puts forward several scientific claims, one of which is rejected in Paragraph3
Paragraph2 poses several questions, and Paragraph3offers a possible answer to one of them
Paragraph2 presents outdated traditional views, while Paragraph3presents the current scientific conclusions.
Paragraph2 introduces a generalization that is illustrated by specific examples in Paragraph3
二.修辞手法题：这种题目是修辞目的的变体。OG中大多数题目只考察一个词组的修辞目的，而实际考试会对一句话甚至整段话的修辞目的进行考察。一个是考修辞对象，一个是考修辞的手段。比如说，《Meteorite Impact and Dinosaur Extinction》这篇文章第2题：
2. In paragraph 2, why does the author include the information that dinosaurs had flourished for tens of millions of years and then suddenly disappeared?
To support the claim that the mass extinction at the end of the Cretaceous is the best-documented of the dozen or so mass extinctions in the geological record
To explain why as many as half of the species on Earth at the time are believed to have become extinct at the end of the Cretaceous
To explain why paleontologists have always been intrigued by the mass extinction at the end of the Cretaceous
To provide evidence that an impact can be large enough to disturb the environment of the entire planet and cause an ecological disaster
三.段落结构题：这里题目考查的是文章段落的构架，可以算是新题型。比如：《THE ORIGINS OF THEATER》这篇文章的第9题，
9. Which of the following best describes the organization of paragraph 5?
The author presents two theories for a historical phenomenon.
The author argues against theories expressed earlier in the passage.
The author argues for replacing older theories with a new one.
The author points out problems with two popular theories.
四. 段落主题题：这种题目考查的是整个段落的主题，可以说是老托福阅读段落主题题的延续：
比如《Petroleum Resources》这篇文章的12题：
12.In paragraph 6, the author’s primary purpose is to
Provide examples of how oil exploration can endanger the environment
Describe accidents that have occurred when oil activities were in progress
Give an analysis of the effects of oil spills on the environment
Explain how technology and legislation help reduce oil spills
五. 双选题：其实不仅仅在听力考试之中有双选题，阅读考试之中也是有双选题的，只是ETS有可能觉得这点并不重要，因此没有通知偶们，例子请见：《The Geologic History of the Mediterranean》这篇文章第5题。
5. Select the TWO answer choice from paragraph 3 that identify materials discovered in the deepest part of the Mediterranean basin. To receive credit you must select TWO answers.
Volcanic rock fragments.
This silt layers
Soft, deep-sea mud
Crystalline salt
以及《THE RISE OF TEOTIHUACAN》这篇文章第11题：
11. Select the TWO answer choices that are mentioned in paragraph 5 as being features of Teotihuacán that may have attracted immigrants to the city. To receive credit, you must select TWO answers.
The prosperity of the elite
Plenty of available housing
Opportunities for well-paid agricultural employment
The presence of one or more religious shrines
除此以外，OG对于新托福考试阅读题型的呈现方法也与真实考试有一定距离，如：
一.细节题的阅读跨度：OG中大多数题目只考一段，但是实际考试会有一道题目考2段、甚至是3段的情况。比如《GROUNDWATER》这篇文章的第10题：
10. According to paragraphs 6 and 7, why is basalt unlike most crystalline forms of rock?
It is unusually solid
It often has high porosity.
It has a low proportion of empty space.
It is highly permeable.
二.句子改写题的句子复杂性：真实考题比OG中的句子改写题要长很多，而且逻辑关系也更复杂。
三.指代题：OG指代题考得不少，真实考试指代题考得很少。
四.选项长度:真题的选项长度长很多。
五.细节题题干关键字没有在原文直接给出。这让考生定位细节难度大幅度增加。不过说句公道话，其实在老托福考试就已经这样了，并不是在新托福考试之中独有的。比如《Depletion of the Ogallala Aquifer》这篇文章的第11题。
11.Paragraph 5 mentions which of the following as a source of difficulty for some farmers who try to conserve water?
Crops that do not need much water are difficult to grow in the High Plains.
Farmers who grow crops that need a lot of water make higher profits.
Irrigating less frequently often leads to crop failure.
Few farmers are convinced that the aquifer will eventually run dry.
六. 文章的复杂程度：这个也不用说了，OG的文章结构性非常明显，就好像看CCAV的新闻联播一样;真实考试的文章结构纠结多了，就好像看本届世界杯一样。比如：《The Long-Term Stability of Ecosystems》和《Colonizing the Americas via the Northwest Coast》这两篇文章。
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