I. TOPIC OR SUBJECT
首先來看一看哪些問題是考察文章的主題的。
1. What is the main subject (topic) of the passage?
2. What is the passage about?
3. The passage is about ______.
4. What does the passage mainly discuss (illustrate, deal with)?
5. What is discussed (talked about) in the passage (paragraph)?
6. What is the general topic of the passage?
7. The passage centers on ______.
在這里我們要區(qū)分兩個(gè)概念：話題和主題；主題和主體思想。
一篇文章可能有一個(gè)話題，也可能有多個(gè)話題，但只能有且只有一個(gè)主題，所以簡(jiǎn)單的說，主題是一篇文章中最主要的一個(gè)話題。由于有這個(gè)區(qū)別，所以就要求我們分清主次，抓住文章的主要話題。
此外，主題是文章的論題范圍，而主題思想是觀點(diǎn)意見或者結(jié)論性的看法。
下面我們來看一篇文章，找出這篇文章中有幾個(gè)話題，哪一個(gè)是主題。
IA.
Although most universities in the United States are on a semester system, which offers classes in the fall and spring, some schools observe quarter system comprised of fall, winter, spring and summer quarters. The academic year, September to June, is divided into three quarters of eleven weeks each beginning in September, January, and March; the summer quarter, June to August, is composed of shorter sessions of varying length. Students may take advantage of the opportunity to study year around by enrolling in all four quarters. Most students begin their programs in the fall quarter, but they may enter at the beginning of any of the other quarter.
可以看出，這篇文章有兩個(gè)話題semester system 和quarter system。哪一個(gè)是主題哪？不難看出，地一個(gè)話題只是作為比較對(duì)比，目的是引出第二個(gè)話題，所以第二個(gè)話題是主題。
再看一篇文章首先分析文的結(jié)構(gòu)，可以看出該段落由兩個(gè)部分組成-鎂的提煉及方法、發(fā)展等和鎂的用途。再來分析一下5個(gè)選項(xiàng)。發(fā)現(xiàn)5個(gè)選項(xiàng)文章中都提到過，都是文章的話題，但仔細(xì)分析，A，B是關(guān)于海水的用途和處理，只在第一句話中提到，C選項(xiàng)light weight是物理性質(zhì)，不是化學(xué)性質(zhì)，E選項(xiàng)從屬于選項(xiàng)D，所以只有D是正確答案。
IB.
Magnesium is another mineral we now obtain by collecting huge volumes of ocean water and treating it with chemicals, although originally it was derived only from brines or from the treatment of such magnesium-containing rocks as dolomite of which whole mountain ranges are composed. In a cubic mile of seawater there are about four million tons of magnesium. Since the direct extraction method was developed about 1941. Production has increased enormously. It was magnesium from the sea that made possible the wartime growth of the aviation industry. For every airplane made in the United States (and in most other countries as well) contains about half a ton of magnesium metal. And it has innumerable uses in other industries where a lightweight metal is desired, besides its longstanding utility as an insulating material, and its use in printing inks, medicines, and toothpastes.
What is the main topic of this passage?
A. Uses of seawater
B. Treatment of seawater
C. Chemical properties of magnesium
D. Derivation and uses of magnesium
E. Aviation industry
最后一題供你們自己思考，答案是C。
IC.
The early settlers who came from the eastern United States were used to having lots of trees around. They found it hard to adapt to a treeless place like Nebraska. And they needed trees for building and for fuel.
So they started many tree-planting programs that went on for years and years. Finally, in 1872 a newspaperman named J.Sterling Morton had an idea. Why not have a special day set aside for planting trees? So Arbor Day was born, and on April 10, 1872. The first Arbor Day was celebrated. The government announced that it would give prizes to individuals and groups who planted the most trees. On that first day, more than one million
trees were planted in Nebraska.
With what topic is the passage mainly concerned?
A. The Nebraskan terrain
B. Early settlers
C. Arbor Day
D. Some uses for trees.
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