Pin TOEFL解析阅读混淆选项 (附细解题详解)
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当提及托福的阅读难题，一般会把难度归因于文章自身的复杂逻辑关系，其多重句意关系的关键是长而艰深的修饰语。从考生的角度来说，通常读懂文章与时限的双重压力是阅读扣分的主要因素。不过，每一期的学生多少会有即便自身阅读能力充足，却因为题目的混淆性而失分的情形。
以下以TPO之文章节录与其一细节题作为范例：
Cleisthenes' principal contribution to the creation of democracy at Athens was to complete the long process of weakening family and clan structures, especially among the aristocrats, and to set in their place locality-based corporations called demes, which became the point of entry for all civic and most religious life in Athens. Out of the demes were created 10 artificial tribes of roughly equal population. From the demes, by either election or selection, came 500 members of a new council, 6,000 jurors
for the courts, 10 generals, and hundreds of commissioners. The assembly was sovereign in all matters but in practice delegated its power to subordinate bodies such as the council, which prepared the agenda for the meetings of the assembly; and the courts, which took care of most judicial matters. Various committees acted as an executive branch, implementing policies of the assembly and supervising, for instance, the food and water supplies and public buildings. This wide-scale participation by the
citizenry in the government distinguished the democratic form of the Athenian polis from other, less liberal forms.
Question:
According to paragraph 4, one role of the new council was to
A. determine what issues came before the assembly
B. prepare the agenda for the courts
C. carry out the assembly’s policies
D. oversee the distribution of food and water
解析：
这个题目没有highlight提示，且段落、单一句构极长，于是选择回文定位council找到：
1. From the demes, by either election or selection, came 500 members of a new council, 6,000 jurors for the courts, 10 generals, and hundreds of commissioners.
2. The assembly was sovereign in all matters but in practice delegated its power to subordinate bodies such as the council, which prepared the agenda for the meetings of the assembly, and the courts, which took care of most judicial matters.
题目问council的角色，从第一个定位出的句子无法得知，于是采用第二句，此时部分考生看到council, which prepared the agenda for the meetings of the assembly, and the courts，以为assembly与courts平行，再加上看到prepared the agenda for导致选择B选项而错失分。
为避免落入该陷阱，应该把整句(定位第2句)速读一次，会发现courts是与council平行作为 "下放权力" 的第二例子；正确答案是A，其将prepared the agenda for the meetings of the assembly重述为determine what issues came=prepare agenda。
从这题可知 TOEFL 的细节题常有混淆选项，最重要的莫过于如何读题快又审慎，若想得知其中诀窍，欢迎到Pin TOEFL教室与顾问聊聊！
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