老托福阅读真题及答案：PASSAGE 33

　　Researchers in the field of psychology have found that one of the best ways to make an important decision, such as choosing a university to attend or a business to invest in, involves the utilization of a decision worksheet. Psychologists who study optimization compare the actual decisions made by people to theoretical ideal decisions to see how similar they are. Proponents of the worksheet procedure believe that it will yield optimal, that is, the best decisions. Although there are several variations on the exact format that worksheets can take, they are all similar in their essential aspects. Worksheets require defining the problem in a clear and concise way and then listing all possible solutions to the problem. Next, the pertinent considerations that will be affected by each decision are listed, and the relative importance of each consideration or consequence is determined. Each consideration is assigned a numerical value to reflect its relative importance. A decision is mathematically calculated by adding these values together. The alternative with the highest number of points emerges as the best decision.

　　Since most important problems are multifaceted, there are several alternatives to choose from, each with unique advantages and disadvantages. One of the benefits of a pencil and paper decision-making procedure is that it permits people to deal with more variables than their minds can generally comprehend and remember. On the average, people can keep about seven ideas in their minds at once. A worksheet can be especially useful when the decision involves a large number of variables with complex relationships. A realistic example for many college students is the question "What will I do after graduation?" A graduate might seek a position that offers specialized training, pursue an advanced degree, or travel abroad for a year.

　　A decision-making worksheet begins with a succinct statement of the problem that will also help to narrow it. It is important to be clear about the distinction between long-range and immediate goals because long-range goals often involve a different decision than short-range ones. Focusing on long-range goals, a graduating student might revise the question above to "What will I do after graduation that will lead to successful career?"

　　1. What does the passage mainly discuss?

　　(A) A tool to assist in making complex decisions.

　　(B) A comparison of actual decisions and ideal decisions

　　(C) Research on how people make decisions

　　(D) Differences between long-range and short-range decision making

　　2. The word "essential" in line 7 is closest in meaning to

　　(A) introductory

　　(B) changeable

　　(C) beneficial

　　(D) fundamental

　　3. The word "pertinent" in line 9 is closest in meaning to

　　(A) relevant

　　(B) preceding

　　(C) insightful

　　(D) responsive

　　4. Of the following steps, which occurs before the others in making a decision worksheet?

　　(A) Listing the consequences of each solution

　　(B) Calculating a numerical summary of each solution

　　(C) Deciding which consequences are most important

　　(D) Writing down all possible solutions

　　5. According to decision-worksheet theory, an optimal decision is defined as one that

　　(A) has the fewest variables to consider

　　(B) uses the most decision worksheets

　　(C) has the most points assigned to it

　　(D) is agreed to by the greatest number of people

　　6. The author develops the discussion in paragraph 1 by means of

　　(A) describing a process

　　(B) classifying types of worksheets

　　(C) providing historical background

　　(D) explaining a theory

　　7. The author states that "On the average, people can keep about seven ideas in their minds at once (lines 17-18) to explain that

　　(A) most decisions involve seven steps

　　(B) human mental capacity has limitations

　　(C) some people have difficulty making minor as well as major decisions

　　(D) people can learn to keep more than seven ideas in their minds with practice

　　8. The word "succinct "in line 24 is closest in meaning to

　　(A) creative

　　(B) satisfactory

　　(C) personal

　　(D) concise

　　9. Which of the following terms is defined in the passage ?

　　(A) Proponents (line 5)

　　(B) Optimal (line 5)

　　(C) Variables (line 17)

　　(D) Long-range goals (line 25)

　　10. The word "it" in line 24 refers to

　　(A) worksheet

　　(B) problem

　　(C) distinction

　　(D) decision

　　11. The word "revise" in line 26 is closest in meaning to

　　(A) ask

　　(B) explain

　　(C) change

　　(D) predict

　　正确答案：ADADC ABDBB C

 

老托福阅读真题及答案：PASSAGE 33的延伸阅读——托福阅读一次通过秘诀

 

　　1 ，快速阅读：

　　平时进行大量的快速阅读。

　　可选的阅读材料有：时间，“新闻周刊”，经济学家，中国日报，21世纪等。

　　因为托福考试与时代紧密相连，具有一定的时效性，所以报刊文章为泛读的首选。阅读报刊文章应选择一般性的题材，如科普，社会问题，学术观点性的文章，而政治，军事，尖端科技的文章可以略过。采取的阅读方式为快速阅读。

　　2 ，难句突破：

　　在精读和做托福试题时，将复杂的难句摘抄出来，然后分析句子结构，彻底消化难点。虽然托福阅读中不可能有原句重现，但是难句的结构是基本不变的。

　　3 ，词汇强记：

　　词汇量不够，应进行词汇突击。托福考试的词汇量约为6000~8000词。词汇量小也是导致阅读理解速度慢的重要因素。

　　4 总结技巧：

注意分析阅读理解的套路，总结解题技巧。如果个人复习情况不佳，可以根据自己的实际情况选择合适的辅导班。