托福阅读修辞目的题实例解析（一）

在托福阅读的十大题型中，修辞目的题(rhetorical purpose questions)是新托福阅读中难度较大的题型之一。这种题型对于国内考生来说较为陌生，在考场上时间紧张的情况下考生往往不知该在文中什么地方找答案。那么，对于这样一种类型的题目我们究竟该从何入手呢?在以下的一些例题中，我们就为大家进行详细的分析。

托福阅读修辞目的题例题

1. 关键词定位后，读定位词在句子。

2. 判断该词与段落主题是否有关系，无关系则为类比。

例题1：

Paragraph 5: Even the kind of stability defined as simple lack of change is not always associated with maximum diversity. At least in temperate zones, maximum diversity is often found in mid-successional stages, not in the climax community. Once a redwood forest matures, for example, the kinds of species and the number of individuals growing on the forest floor are reduced. In general, diversity, by itself, does not ensure stability. Mathematical models of ecosystems likewise suggest that diversity does not guarantee ecosystem stability—just the opposite, in fact. A more complicated system is, in general, more likely than a simple system to break down. (A fifteen-speed racing bicycle is more likely to break down than a child’s tricycle.)

Q:In paragraph 5, why does the author provide the information that “(A fifteen-speed racing bicycle is more likely to break down than a child’s tricycle)”?

A:To illustrate a general principle about the stability of systems by using an everyday example

To demonstrate that an understanding of stability in ecosystems can be applied to help understand stability in other situations

To make a comparison that supports the claim that, in general, stability increases with diversity

To provide an example that contradicts mathematical models of ecosystems

托福阅读修辞目的题练习题答案：4