托福閱讀句子要點題又稱托福閱讀句子簡化題，顧名思義是對長難句的簡化篩出句子最精華的要點，一般出題形式是在文章中高亮標(biāo)示出一個句子，要求考生選擇與原文基本信息最接近的選項，這類題目的提問方式一般為：“Which is the following best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence? Incorrect answer choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.”
句子簡化題的出題思路一般分為兩類：一是對長難句的化繁為簡，即原句比較長，邏輯關(guān)系復(fù)雜，選項只保留了原句的主要信息，而省略了原句的次要信息(如同位語、例子)等;二是對相對簡單的句子的同義改寫，即原句難度不大，邏輯關(guān)系簡單，選項是原句的同義改寫。從做題方法上來說，對于第二種出題思路的題目，考生應(yīng)該采用通讀的辦法，在理解原句意思的基礎(chǔ)上再答題。而針對第一種出題思路的題目，考生一般把握住原句的幾個關(guān)鍵點就可以見微知著，找到破解句子簡化題的良方。
對于句子簡化題，有一些題目如果句子不長，我們做題的基本原則就是：同義替換。找到原句中的關(guān)鍵詞在選項當(dāng)中進行同義替換。如：
In evolutionary history, the development of language set humans apart from the rest of the animal kingdom. Which sentence below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in the passage? Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.
A. Humans evolved as the most powerful species after they are developed language.
B. The creation of human language has its origins in the language of animals.
C. The emergence of language distinguished early humans from other animals.
D. Humans and animals developed completed different systems of communication.
先來看題干：Which sentence below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in the passage? Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.
該題要求從選項中選擇一個能夠表達(dá)原文陰影句子核心信息的句子。很多同學(xué)采用翻譯的方法做題，即首先翻譯原句，然后逐個翻譯四個選項。這種做法不僅浪費時間，而且對我們讀句子的能力要求極高。更好的做法是，首先判斷句子的核心信息。這是考題當(dāng)中為數(shù)不多的原句比較簡單的句子釋義題，原句的核心概念在于強調(diào)區(qū)分(apart from)。因此找到同義替換，即是C 項當(dāng)中的distinguished。但是大多數(shù)題目的原文不會是一個簡單句，多數(shù)是帶有邏輯關(guān)系的復(fù)雜句。那么簡單的同義替換技巧就無法操作了。如何快速解決這種題型呢?我們主要分兩個部分來解析。
其實，我們在讀原句的時候并不需要完整的徹底的攝取信息，相反，我們通過快速瀏覽，只需要關(guān)注兩個關(guān)鍵點：一是原句當(dāng)中的表示程度，頻率的詞，二是原句當(dāng)中的邏輯關(guān)系。并不需要吸收所有信息，只需要快速瀏覽將所關(guān)注的信息點抓住即可，這樣便節(jié)省了大量的時間。
還可以對比原句與選項，邏輯關(guān)系與原文一致者為正確選項，對比原句中出現(xiàn)的例子與選項，不包含例子內(nèi)容的選項為正確選項。如：
The highlighted sentence: Inequalities of gender have also existed in pastoralist societies, but they seem to have been softened by the absence of steep hierarchies of wealth in most communities, and also by the requirement that women acquire most of the skills of men, including, often, their military skills.
Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in the passage? Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information. (TPO 14 Pastoralism in Ancient Inner Eurasia)
A. Despite the fact that wealth is relatively evenly distributed in pastoral societies, gender inequality still exists because only men can acquire military skills and social status.
B. Inequalities of gender existed in pastoralist societies until most communities began to require women to possess the same skills as men and take part in the military.
C. Inequalities of gender in pastoralist societies were caused by steep hierarchies of wealth and differences in military training between men and women.
D. In pastoral societies, gender inequality is comparatively mild because wealth is relatively evenly distributed and women have to learn most of the same skills that men do.
很多考生看到原句中出現(xiàn)的轉(zhuǎn)折邏輯詞but，就會想到用邏輯吻合的技巧來解答。由于英語中的轉(zhuǎn)折關(guān)系與讓步關(guān)系可以相互轉(zhuǎn)換，因而很多考生看到選項A出現(xiàn)的despite，會誤以為其是正確答案，掉入前面提到的在邏輯轉(zhuǎn)換時題目設(shè)置的陷阱中。所以，考生在利用技巧一解題時，遇到邏輯吻合的選項后，一定要對比一下該選項與原句的主句意思是否一致。在本題中，原句主句的重點在but之后，即“they seem to have been softened”，而選項A的主句是“gender inequality still exists”，兩者的意思明顯不一致，因而A不是正確選項。事實上，如果考生快速瀏覽原句，會發(fā)現(xiàn)后面句子出現(xiàn)了舉例的標(biāo)志詞including，所舉的例子就是military skills。根據(jù)這個例子，考生可以暫且排除A、B、C三個選項。然后再對比選項D與原句的意思是否一致，最后考生可以得出正確答案正是選項D。
最后我們來回顧一下ETS對句子簡化題的出題要求，簡單來說，托福閱讀句子要點題的關(guān)鍵就在于找到原文考查句子和選項各自的關(guān)鍵信息再進行比對。一般來說題目中干擾選項的錯誤主要體現(xiàn)在兩個方面：一是從根本上改變了原句意思，二是漏掉了原句中包含的重要信息。我們在進行托福閱讀句子要點題的備考時一定要注意結(jié)合方法技巧進行有的放矢的真題訓(xùn)練并做好反思總結(jié)，循序漸進提高對這類題型的應(yīng)對能力。
