• Superstition is a difficult question. We cannot quite say that superstition in Britain is dead. Its history is too long and too recent for that, and indeed you will find many remains of it in modern Britain, but they are only connected chiefly with vague beliefs of good luck and back luck. It is unlucky, for instance, to walk under a ladder, or to spill salt, or break a mirror, whereas a horse shoe brings good luck, and people jokingly touch wood to prevent the return of a past misfortune. There are still many strange country remedies against sickness which are obviously superstitions. Most of all, there is still a surprising amount of interest in fortune-telling, e.g. in the form of “horoscopes”(占星术) in newspapers and women’s magazines—thought for most people this is nothing more than an amusement, which they may well be slightly ashamed of.
___________. • 主旨是一篇文章或一个段落的核心，是作者写作意图
的体现，就学士学位英语考试而言，文章或段落的主 旨通常以主题句（topic sentence）的形式出现。
ห้องสมุดไป่ตู้
• 应试策略：
• （1）如果时间紧迫，就略读（skimming） 文章的开头、结尾及段落的首句和尾句， 因为这些地方最能体现文章的主旨大意。 主旨应该是宏观的，但又不能失之空泛。 例如
• Thus, modern Britain has largely emerged from superstition, and the future seems to consist not of devils, but of matter and machines.
• Q：The author’s purpose in writing this passage is to ________________.
英语阅读测试题型 分析与解题策略
Dave Wang
1: 主旨类
这类里题型主要是用来考查考生是否理解了文章或段落的主 旨和大意，也考查考生区别主要信息与次要信息的能力，其 提问方式常有以下几种：
• (1) What is the main idea (subject) of this passage? • (2) What does this passage mainly concern? • (3)The main point of the passage is ________________. • (4) Which of the following is the best title for the passage? • (5) The purpose of the writer in writing this passage is
• But real measure of superstition is fear. In this sense there is no superstition in Britain. Britain people as a whole do not believe in evil influences or evil spirits. Sickness and misfortune do not come from devils, but are the result of chance or foolishness or inefficiency. Devils belong only to history books. Devils exist only in the mind—usually the minds of others. Magic is simply an interesting word for performing tricks. Fairies (童话故事中的仙女) are pretty little winged creatures in “fairy stories” for children and any adult who believed in fairies or magic or devils would be considered slightly mad.
• emphasize the influence of superstition upon the British people
【讲解】答案为B。以上题目属于典型的主旨类型目，文章的结 尾段点明了全文的主旨：“Thus, modern Britain…but of matter and machines”（这样，当今英国人在很大程度上从迷信中摆脱出 来了，他们的未来似乎是由物质与机器而不再由妖魔鬼怪构 成。）因此此题答案应该选B项：表明英国人当今对迷信的态度。
• criticize British people’s superstitious beliefs
• show British people’s attitudes towards superstitious beliefs today
• describe various superstitious beliefs still practiced in modern Britain