【实例解析】托福阅读推理题的答题方法（二）

在托福阅读中，推理题的题干中常出现infer, imply , most likely 或probably 等词语。对于推理题，正确选项的信息不是直接在文中表露出来，而是隐藏在文章中，需要考生自己从表面内容中推理出。在以下内容中，我们就为大家带来一些托福阅读推理题的实例解析。

例一：Both the number and the percentage of people in the United States involved in　nonagricultural pursuits expanded rapidly during the half century following the Civil War,　with some of the most dramatic increases occurring in the domains of transportation,　manufacturing, and trade and distribution. The development of the railroad and telegraph　systems during the middle third of the nineteenth century led to significant improvements　in the speed, volume, and regularity of shipments and communications, making possible a　fundamental transformation in the production and distribution of goods.

What can be inferred from the passage about the agricultural sector of the economy after　the Civil War?

(A) New technological developments had little effect on farmers.

(B) The percentage of the total population working in agriculture declined.

(C) Many farms destroyed in the war were rebuilt after the war.

(D) Farmers achieved new prosperity because of better rural transportation.

例二：After the peak year of 1957, the birth rate in Canada began to decline. It continued　falling until in 1966 it stood at the lowest level in 25 years. Partly this decline reflected the　low level of births during the depression and the war, but it was also caused by changes in　Canadian society. Young people were staying at school longer, more women were　working, young married couples were buying automobiles or houses before starting　families, rising living standards were cutting down the size of families. It appeared that　Canada was once more falling in step with the trend toward smaller families that had　occurred all through the Western world since the time of the Industrial Revolution.

It can be inferred from the passage that before the Industrial Revolution

(A) families were larger

(B) population statistic were unreliable

(C) the population grew steadily

(D) economic conditions were bad

例三：

Accustomed though we are to speaking of the films made before 1927 as "silent", the film　has never been, in the full sense of the word, silent. From the very beginning, music was　regarded as an indispensable accompaniment; when the Lumiere films were shown at the　　first public film exhibition in the United States in February 1896, they were accompanied　by piano improvisations on popular tunes. At first, the music played bore no special　relationship to the films; an accompaniment of any kind was sufficient. Within a very short　time, however, the incongruity of playing lively music to a solemn film became apparent,and film pianists began to take some care in matching their pieces to the mood of the film.

What can be inferred that the passage about the majority of films made after 1927?

(A) They were truly "silent".

(B) They were accompanied by symphonic orchestras.

(C) They incorporated the sound of the actors' voices.

(D) They corresponded to specific musical compositions.

例四：Eighteenth-century houses showed great interior improvements over their　predecessors. Windows were made larger and shutters removed. Large, clear panes　replaced the small leaded glass of the seventeenth century. Doorways were larger and　more decorative. Fireplaces became decorative features of rooms. Walls were made of　　plaster or wood, sometimes elaborately paneled. White paint began to take the place of　blues, yellows, greens, and lead colors, which had been popular for walls in the earlier　years. After about 1730, advertisements for wallpaper styles in scenic patterns began to　appear in colonial newspapers.

What does the author imply about the use of wallpaper before 1730?

(A) Wallpaper samples appeared in the architectural manuals.

(B) Wallpaper was the same color as the wall paints used

(C) Patterned wallpaper was not widely used.

(D) Wallpaper was not used in stone house.

例五：This was before the steam locomotive, and canal building was at its height. The　companies building the canals to transport coal needed surveyors to help them find the　coal deposits worth mining as well as to determine the best courses for the canals. This　job gave Smith an opportunity to study the fresh rock outcrops created by the newly dugcanal. He later worked on similar jobs across the length and breadth of England, all the　while studying the newly revealed strata and collecting all the fossils he could find. Smith　used mail coaches to travel as much as 10,000 miles per year. In 1815 he published the　first modern geological map, “A Map of the Strata of England and Wales with a Part ofScotland,” a map so meticulously researched that it can still be used today.

Which of the following can be inferred from paragraph 2 about canal building?

(A) Canals were built primarily in the south of England rather than in other regions.

(B) Canal building decreased after the steam locomotive was invented.

(C) Canal building made it difficult to study rock strata which often became damaged in　the process.

(D) Canal builders hired surveyors like Smith to examine exposed rock strata.