托福口語練習需要注意邏輯關系

從交流角度出發(fā)，說話者在發(fā)言的過程中使用的“信號彈”被證明能大大提高聽者對所聽內(nèi)容的理解或把握度。新托?？谡Z六個問題的后四個都屬于綜合題(Integrated Speaking Tasks)，能否對閱讀和聽力材料的重要信息進行合理轉(zhuǎn)述是評分的一項重要指標。其中的Task4，是要求用聽力中的具體例子來解釋閱讀中所涉及的某一抽象概念?？脊僭谠u分時，會以此為要求，著重關注考生是否在錄音中按要求完成了“解釋”這一任務。作為考生，當然就要故意去釋放一些“信號彈”，引導考官快速理解自己的答案，識別出答案中符合要求的部分，進而給出相應得分，這才算是力氣用在了刀刃上。那么如何做到這一點，到底什么是信號彈?讀到這里，相信大家都已經(jīng)有了答案，那就是邏輯詞的使用，包括表示句與句之間讓步轉(zhuǎn)折、因果、遞進、舉例、解釋、條件、比較和對比等關系的詞。由此就產(chǎn)生出相應的幾大狀語從句。需要提出的是，由于Task4話題會有不同，那么答題過程中用到各種狀語從句的概率也就不同，切不可一概而論。下面，通過兩個不同類型的Task4考題實例，講解以上從句的用法，以此體現(xiàn)以狀語從句在新托福口語答題中的重要作用。

For thousands of years, humans have been able to domesticate, or tame, many large mammals that in the wild live together in herds. Once tamed, these mammals are used for agricultural work and transportation. Yet some herd mammals are not easily domesticated. A good indicator of an animal’s suitability for domestication is how protective the animal is of its territory. Non-territorial animals are more easily domesticated than territorial animals because they can live close together with animals from other herds. A second indicator is that animals with a hierarchical social structure, in which herd members follow a leader, are easy to domesticate, since a human can function as the “leader.”

聽力材料：

So we’ve been discussing the suitability of animals for domestication . . . particularly animals that live together in herds. Now, if we take horses, for example . . . in the wild, horses live in herds that consist of one male and several females and their young. When a herd moves, the dominant male leads, with the dominant female and her young immediately behind him. The dominant female and her young are then followed immediately by the second most important female and her young, and so on. This is why domesticated horses can be harnessed one after the other in a row. They’re “programmed” to follow the lead of another horse. On top of that, you often find different herds of horses in the wild occupying overlapping areas—they don’t fight off other herds that enter the same territory. But it’s exactly the opposite with an animal like the uh, the antelope . . . which . . . well, antelopes are herd animals too. But unlike horses, a male antelope will fight fiercely to prevent another male from entering its territory during the breeding season, OK—very different from the behavior of horses. Try keeping a couple of male antelopes together in a small space and see what happens. Also, antelopes don’t have a social hierarchy—they don’t instinctively follow any leader. That makes it harder for humans to control their behavior.

問題：

The professor describes the behavior of horses and antelope in herds. Explain how their behavior is related to their suitability for domestication.

參考答案：

According to the lecture, herd animals can be easily domesticated if they have a hierarchical social structure and are not territorial, and that this is why it is easier to domesticate horses than antelopes. As in the example of horses, their hierarchical social structure makes them willing to follow one another and thus allows a human being to act as their leader. It is also because horses are not territorial that they can be harnessed together without fighting. By comparison, although antelopes are herd animals too, they cannot be easy to domesticate. As a matter of fact, male antelopes fight if they are together, which means they are territorial, and because antelopes do not have a social hierarchy, humans can’t control them by acting as their leader.

答案分析：

該Task4為動物類話題，從閱讀到聽力，材料都很學術化。對于這種題目，我們組織答案時用得較多的通常是兩種狀語從句：條件和原因。

第一句話對聽力材料主要內(nèi)容的總結(jié)和概括是通過if條件狀語從句實現(xiàn)的。條件狀語從句常用于開頭或結(jié)束陳述結(jié)論，為的是給結(jié)論提供合理的情境支撐。在結(jié)論給出之后，便要提供細節(jié)作為論證理由。這個時候，又要使用到原因狀語從句。事實上，多數(shù)考生在口語答題中都沒有少用原因狀語從句。大家在進行托?？谡Z練習的時候，發(fā)現(xiàn)很多考生的錄音中頻繁出現(xiàn)because，so等詞。似乎已經(jīng)成為了口頭禪，而并非是用得恰到好處。要記住，凡事過猶不及，我們應該在回答中體現(xiàn)的是豐富多樣的邏輯關系，而非從頭至尾讓考官只聽到原因，結(jié)果，原因，結(jié)果。就算要表示因果關系也可以有變化的方法。如第一句中that is why…的使用，實際上等同于“so”，該名詞性從句的使用不僅體現(xiàn)了句型的靈活多樣，還起到了強調(diào)原因的作用。

按照答題要求，在論據(jù)陳述的過程中，需要引用聽力中的例子。很多情況下聽力材料會給出兩個相反的例子，于是舉例、讓步、對比，等邏輯關系一一派上了用場。如范例回答中的第二句(舉例)，第四句(對比、讓步)。最后一句話再次用到了條件和原因狀語從句，由此可見這兩大句型在解答此類話題的實用之處。

例二、

閱讀材料：

Verbal and Nonverbal Communication

When we speak with other people face-to-face, the nonverbal signals we give—our facial expressions, hand gestures, body movements, and tone of voice—often communicate as mush as, or more than, the words we utter. When our nonverbal signals, which we often produce unconsciously, agree with our verbal message, the verbal message is enhanced and supported, made more convincing. But when they conflict with the verbal message, we maybe communicating an entirely different and more accurate message than what we intend.

聽力材料針對閱讀中的非口頭語言在交流中的兩種作用舉了兩個具體的例子做解答。我們直接通過答案來揭曉這兩個例子。

問題：

Explain how the examples from the professor’s lecture illustrate the relationship between verbal and nonverbal communication.

參考答案：

The professor gives two examples to illustrate, respectively, how nonverbal communication helps to convince others of what we say and also how it betrays us by tipping others off on our real intentions. The first example is about his favorite uncle’s surprise visit. When he answered the door and found his uncle, he got so excited that his eyes got really wide and at the same time he broke into a huge smile, even jumped like a boy, totally unconsciously. As a result, his uncle felt warmly welcome by him. The second example is about his daughter. When he showed his daughter how to use the hammer, he hurt his thumb. Though he tried to hide his pain by telling his daughter he was ok, her daughter seemed not to believe because his shaking hands and trembling voice made his words less trustable.

答案分析：

該題屬于心理學話題，聽力中的例子非常生活化，在組織答案特別是講述例子時我們除了會用到條件，原因狀語從句外，還會用上另外一種：時間狀語從句。

講述第一個例子，when he answered the door…, 以及at the same time…, 都是時間狀語從句的典型應用。講述第二個例子中, when he showed his daughter…, 也是同樣的句型?？梢?，時間狀語從句是在回憶故事來龍去脈時必不可少的一項武器。此外，該范例回答中，還用到了兩處結(jié)果狀語從句(As a result, his uncle…, 以及he got so excited that…), 一處讓步狀語從句(though he tried to…)，一次原因狀語從句(because his shaking hands and trembling voice…)。