赵洪波,北京新东方学校国外考试北美项目讲师,主讲GMAT阅读逻辑,TOEFL iBT口语。曾获“比较新东方学校优秀教师”称号,并获得美国哥伦比亚大学颁发的Teacher-Leader Professional Development专业教师培训证书。北京航空航天大学外国语言学及应用语言学(翻译)硕士。已出版《GMAT高频核心词汇》一书,一经上市便热卖,受到老师和学生的一致追捧。
GMAT阅读考查考生理解观点逻辑关系的能力,即要求考生评价文中某一观点的优点、缺点或重要性。
例如,在美国历史上,女性经常从事低工资、低技能的工作,经济学家提出了三种理论来解释这种社会现象。先提出A解释,说不能有效解释这种现象;然后提出B解释,将B解释也否定了;最后提出C解释,认为是合理的解释,可以有效解释女性经常从事低工资、低技能的工作这种社会现象。
考试要求考生对A、B、C三种解释进行评价:A解释是负评价。B解释是大负小正评价,整体是将B否定的,所以是大负的评价。那为什么B解释会得到小正评价呢?因为相对于A解释,作者后提出B解释,说明B有优于A解释的地方,所以B解释得到小正评价。C解释得到正评价。
请看下面的文章:
During the 1950’s and 1960’s, the primary economic development strategy of local governments in Europe was to attract manufacturing industries. Unfortunately, this strategy was usually implemented at another community’s expense…
In the 1970’s the strategy shifted from this zero-sum game to one called “high-technology development”. Although this approach was preferable to victimizing other geographical areas by taking their jobs, it also had its shortcomings...
Recently, local governments have increasingly come to recognize the advantages of yet a third strategy: the promotion of homegrown small businesses...
文章的逻辑结构可以提炼为:
P1: 1950’s and 1960’s...manufacturing industries...Unfortunately –...
P2: 1970’s...high-technology development...Although...preferable +...shortcomings –…
P3: Recently...advantages+…homegrown small businesses…
上面文章对于第一段谈到的经济发展战略manufacturing industries是负评价,由Unfortunately看出来;对第二段谈到的经济发展战略high-technology development是大负小正评价,由Although, preferable和 shortcomings看出来;对第三段谈到的经济发展战略homegrown small businesses是正评价,由advantages看出来。了解逻辑关系对于了解阅读出题重点和快速阅读有重要意义。
请看下面的题目:
The author of the passage mentions which of the following as an advantage of high technology development?
A It encourages the modernization of existing manufacturing facilities.
B It promotes healthy competition between rival industries.
C It encourages the growth of related industries.
D It takes full advantage of the existing workforce.
E It does not advantage one local workforce at the expense of another.
【解析】根据题干high-technology development定位到文章第二段,根据题干advantage定位到文中Although this approach was preferable to victimizing other geographical areas(尽管这种方法优于牺牲其他地理区域),即高科技是不牺牲其他地理区域的,故答案选E。
阅读思维
GMAT 阅读中,若一个自然段出现两个观点,即使它们是并列关系,从出题惯例和文章逻辑出发,考生应将阅读重心向后转移,第一个观点可以快速浏览或跳读。
请看下面的文章:
The general density dependence model can be applied to explain he founding of specialist firms...At low density levels, each founding increases legitimation, reducing barriers to entry and easing subsequent foundings. Competition occurs because the resources that firms seek—customers, suppliers, and employees—are limited, but as long as density is low relative to plentiful resources, the addition of another firm has a negligible impact on the intensity of competition. At high density levels, however, competitive effects outweigh legitimation effects, discouraging foundings. The more numerous the competitors, the fiercer the competition will be
and the smaller will be the incentive for new firms to enter the field.
文章的逻辑结构可以提炼为:
...can be applied to +...At low density levels...At high density levels, however...The more...the fiercer...the smaller...
文中前面谈到At low density levels,后面谈到At high density levels,根据上面的方法,At low density levels…intensity of competition的文字可以直接跳读。另外,从At high Density levels后面的强转折词however也可以看出后面是考查重点。