主要考查对文章进行概括或总结的能力，要求在阅读短文时，能够提炼文章的中心思想，体会作者的主要写作意图，充分运用逻辑概括能力，透过字里行间获取文章最具代表性的观点、论点及作者的情感倾向。

（一）出题形式：主旨大意题命题形式主要有三大类：一类是概括中心思想（main idea）型；一类是确定文章标题或主题（topic / title / headline）型；还有一类是询问文章的写作目的（purpose）。

1） What would be the best title for the text？

2） What is the topic of the text？

3） Which of the following best expresses the main idea？

4） The best title / headline for this passage might be ______.

5） The author’s main purpose in writing the passage is ______.

6） Which of the following statements is best supported by the text？

7） Which of the following best summarizes the passage？

8） The main idea / The general idea / The main theme of this passage is ______.

9） The title that best expresses the main idea of the passage is ______.

（二）答案位置：大部分文章都有主题句（topic sentence），主题句表达了文章的中心思想（main idea），找到了主题句，也就抓住了文章的主旨大意。因此，“主题句定位法”是解答主旨大意题的一种行之有效的方法。主题句呈现形式通常有以下几种：

1）在开头出现；

2）在结尾出现；

3）在开头和结尾同时出现，首尾呼应；

4）有些文章的中心思想贯穿全文，并没有用一句话明确表达出来，这就要求学生学会归纳概括。

（三）实战演练

1. The easy way out isn’t always easiest. I learned that lesson when I decided to treat Doug, my husband of one month, to a special meal. I glanced through my cookbook and chose a menu which included homemade bread. Knowing the bread would take tine, I started on it as soon as Doug left for work. As I was not experienced in cooking, I thought if a dozen was good, two dozen would be better, so I doubled everything. As Doug loved oranges, I also opened a can of orange and poured it all into the bowl. Soon there was a sticky dough (面团) covered with ugly yellowish marks. Realizing I had been defeated, I put the dough in the rubbish bin outside so I wouldn’t have to face Doug laughing at my work. I went on preparing the rest if the meal, and, when Doug got home, we sat down to Cornish chicken with rice. He tried to enjoy the meal but seemed disturbed. Twice he got up and went out side, saying he thought he heard a noise. The third time he left, I went to the window to see what he was doing. Looking out, I saw Doug standing about three feet from the rubbish bin, holding the lid up with a stick and looking into the container. When I came out of the house, he dropped the stick and explained that there was something alive in our rubbish bin . Picking up the stick again, he held the lid up enough for me to see. I felt cold. But I stepped close and looked harder. Without doubt it was my work. The hot sun had caused the sough to dough to double in size and the fermenting yeast (酵母) made the surface shake and sigh as thought it were breathing . It looked like some unknown being from outer space. I could see why Doug was shaken. I had to admit what the “living thing” was and why it was there. I don’t know who was more embarrassed (尴尬) by the whole thing –Doug or me.

The writer’s purpose in writing this story is ___________

a. to tell an interesting experience.

b. To show the easiest way out of a difficulty.

c. To describe the trouble facing a newly married woman

d. To explain the difficulty of learning to cook from books

Key:a