本文以《新视野大学英语2》教材第二单元课文B《The Humanities: Out of Date?》为具体案例,深入剖析如何以课文为依托,改编形成大学英语四级考试阅读理解中的信息匹配题(文后附有10条statements)。这一完整案例,清晰呈现了将课本核心内容精准转化为高价值应试训练素材的有效方法,充分实现了对课本学习资源的深度二次开发。
Text B The Humanities: out of date ?
A. When the going gets tough, the tough take accounting. When the job market worsens, many students calculate they can't major in English or history. They have to study something that boosts their prospects of landing a job.
B. The data show that as students in the U.S. have increasingly shouldered the ever-rising cost of tuition, they have defected from the study of the humanities to applied science and "hard" skills that they bet will lead to employment. In other words, a college education is more and more seen as a means for economic betterment rather than a means for human betterment. This is a trend that is likely to persist and even accelerate.
C. Over the next few years, as labor markets struggle, the humanities will probably continue their long slide in succession. There already has been a nearly 50 percent decline in the portion of liberal arts majors over the past years, and it is logical to think that the trend is bound to continue or even accelerate. Once the dominant pillar of university life, the humanities now play little roles when students take their college tours. These days, labs are more vivid and compelling than libraries.
D. Here, please allow me to stand up for and promote the true value that the humanities add to people's lives. Since ancient times, people have speculated about the mystery of those inner forces that drive some people to greatness and others to self-destruction. This inner drive has been called many things over the centuries. The famous psychologist, Sigmund Freud, called it the "unconscious mind" or, more familiarly, "instinct".
E. From the beginning of time, this inner aspect of our being, this drive that can be constructive or destructive, has captured our imagination. The stories of this amazing struggle have formed the basis of cultures the world over. Historians, architects, authors, philosophers, and artists have captured the words, images, and meanings of this inner struggle in the form of story, music, myth, painting, architecture, sculpture, landscape, and tradition. These men and women developed artistic "languages" that help us understand these aspirations and also educate generations. This vast body of work from ancient times, the very foundation of civilization, forms the basis of the study of the humanities.
F. Studying the humanities improves our ability to read and write. No matter what we do in life, we will have a huge advantage if we can read complex ideas and understand their meaning. Likewise, we will immensely benefit if we can write a clear and elegant analysis of those ideas.
G. Studying the humanities makes us familiar with the language of emotion and the creative process. In an information economy, many people have the ability to produce a useful product. Yet, very few people have the ability to create a spectacular brand. Most importantly, studying the humanities invests us with great insight and self-awareness, thereby releasing our creative energy and talent in a positive and constructive manner.
H. Perhaps the best argument in favor of the humanities is the scope of possibilities that are widely open to us. Did you know that Sally Ride, the first American woman getting into space, had a degree in the humanities, aside from physics? Martial arts actor Bruce Lee also majored in the humanities. Famous people who studied the humanities make a long list. It's easy to see that the humanities can prepare us for many different careers and jobs we can undertake, whether medicine, business, science, or entertainment. If we study only mathematics, it's likely we will be a candidate only for jobs as a mathematician. If we include studying the humanities, we can break through many barriers and are limited only by our effort and imagination.
I. Of course, nowadays, if we study the humanities alone, we are liable to miss many opportunities. Each one of us needs to become as technically and professionally skilled as possible to meet the needs of modern life. In fact, increasingly a pairing of technical knowledge and inner insight is seen as the ideal in the establishment of a career. If I were the Dean of Admissions at a medical school and two people applied to our school, both having the required basic science courses, one a philosophy major and the other solely a pre-med student, the philosophy applicant would be chosen.
J. In summary, the humanities help to create well-rounded human beings with insight and understanding of the passions, hopes, and dreams common to all humanity. The humanities, the ancient timeless reservoir of knowledge, teach us to see things differently and broaden our horizons. They are as useful and relevant in our modern age as they have always been. Doesn't it make sense to spend some time in the company of the humanities, our outstanding and remarkable treasure of knowledge?
课文作为题源:结构与内容的精准对应
课文《The Humanities: Out of Date?》是一篇逻辑架构明晰的议论文,这类文体凭借严谨的论证脉络,成为四级信息匹配题极为青睐的题源类型。匹配题的10个题干并非主观臆造,而是紧扣课文10个段落(A-J)的核心要义,经过精准提炼而成。
以下为具体对应关系的呈现:
- 第一段:
聚焦就业压力下学生的专业选择倾向,当经济形势严峻、就业市场遇冷,多数学生出于求职考量,会放弃人文学科,转而选择有助于提升就业竞争力的专业。 - 第二段:
以数据为支撑,揭示学生因学费负担加重,纷纷从人文学科转向应用科学及“硬技能”领域,大学教育愈发被视为经济改善的工具,这一趋势预计持续加剧。 - 第三段:
预判未来数年,受劳动力市场疲软影响,人文学科将持续走下坡路,过去一代人文专业占比已下降近50%,且这一趋势大概率延续,曾经作为大学核心支柱的人文学科,在校园选择中已逐渐被边缘化。 - 第四段:
为人文学科正名,强调其对个人生活的深层价值。自古以来,人们便不断探寻推动个体走向卓越或自我毁灭的内在力量,心理学家弗洛伊德将其定义为“潜意识”或“本能”。 - 第五段:
阐述人类内在驱动力的两面性,以及其对文化构建的深远影响。古今中外,史学家、艺术家等通过故事、艺术等形式,记录并传承这种内在挣扎,这些积淀构成了人文学科研究的文明根基。 - 第六段:
点明学习人文学科能显著提升读写能力。无论身处何种行业,能够精准解读复杂思想,并以清晰优雅的文字输出分析,都将为个人职业发展带来显著优势。 - 第七段:
指出人文学科能让人掌握情感与创造的语言。在信息经济时代,技术产品易复制,而品牌打造难,人文学科赋予的洞察力与自我认知,能正向激发创造活力,打造独特价值。 - 第八段:
列举詹姆斯・卡梅隆、萨莉・赖德等众多名人案例,论证人文学科为职业发展提供广阔可能,能助力突破学科局限,职业选择不再受限,仅受个人努力与想象力制约。 - 第九段:
强调单一人文学科学习存在局限,需与专业技术结合。当下,技术与人文洞察的融合成为职业理想标配,以医学院校招生为例,同等条件下,兼具哲学背景的申请者更具优势。 - 第十段:
总结人文学科的核心价值,即培育兼具洞察力与共情能力的全面发展者,作为承载人类情感与智慧的知识宝库,持续滋养个体成长。
基于课文B改编的英语四级信息匹配题(10 Statements)
Directions: In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it. Each statement contains information given in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraph from which the information is derived. You may choose a paragraph more than once. Each paragraph is marked with a letter. Answer the questions by marking the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2.
- When the job market worsens, students tend to choose majors that may help them land a job.
- The percentage of liberal arts majors has declined by nearly 50% in recent years, and this trend is likely to continue.
- The study of the humanities is based on a large amount of ancient works that record human inner struggles and form the foundation of civilization.
- Studying the humanities improves one's ability to read and write, which is an advantage in any situation.
- Studying the humanities helps one understand emotions and creativity, and actively stimulates creative energy.
- Famous people like Sally Ride and Bruce Lee studied the humanities, which shows that the humanities can prepare students for a wide range of careers.
- The combination of technical knowledge and inner insight is increasingly seen as the ideal for building a career.
- College education is increasingly viewed as a way to improve one's economic situation rather than a means for personal growth.
- The humanities help to create well-rounded individuals and broaden their horizons, remaining useful in the modern age.
- The author intends to explain the true value that the humanities add to people's lives.
匹配题第一题题干指出“就业市场不佳时,学生倾向选择有助于找工作的专业”,这直接对应课文A段原句:“When the job market worsens, many students calculate they can't major in English or history. They have to study something that boosts their prospects of landing a job.”
匹配题第二题关于“文科专业学生比例近年下降近50%”,对应课文C段:“There already has been a nearly 50 percent decline in the portion of liberal arts majors over the past years, and it is logical to think that the trend is bound to continue or even accelerate.”
匹配题第三题说明“人文学科研究基于大量记录人类内心挣扎的古代作品”,对应课文E段结尾:“This vast body of work from ancient times, the very foundation of civilization, forms the basis of the study of the humanities.”
匹配题第四题关于“提升读写能力”,对应F段主旨:“Studying the humanities improves our ability to read and write. No matter what we do in life, we will have a huge advantage...”
匹配题第五题关于“理解情感、激发创造力”,对应G段:“Studying the humanities makes us familiar with the language of emotion and the creative process... releasing our creative energy and talent in a positive and constructive manner.”
匹配题第六题列举“萨莉·赖德、布鲁斯·李等名人”,对应H段的举例:“Did you know that Sally Ride... had a degree in the humanities... Bruce Lee also majored in the humanities...”
匹配题第七题指出“技术知识与内在洞察力结合是理想选择”,对应I段观点:“...increasingly a pairing of technical knowledge and inner insight is seen as the ideal in the establishment of a career.”
匹配题第八题认为“大学教育被视为改善经济状况的方式”,对应B段核心:“...a college education is more and more seen as a means for economic betterment rather than a means for human betterment.”
匹配题第九题总结“人文学科帮助全面发展、拓宽视野”,对应J段:“...the humanities help to create well-rounded human beings... teach us to see things differently and broaden our horizons.”
匹配题第十题说明“作者想解释人文学科的真正价值”,对应D段开篇:“Here, please allow me to stand up for and promote the true value that the humanities add to people's lives.”
命题手法揭秘:从“课文句”到“题干”的转换技巧
匹配题的命题过程,正是对课文进行“二次开发”的核心技术。它主要运用了两种技巧:
第一是同义转述。例如,课文原句“a college education is more and more seen as a means for economic betterment”在题干中被转述为“College education is increasingly viewed as a way to improve one's economic situation.”。这里,“is more and more seen as”被转换成“is increasingly viewed as”,“a means for economic betterment”被转换成“a way to improve one's economic situation”。
第二是概括与提炼。例如,课文E段用多句话描述历史、艺术如何记录人类内心挣扎并形成文明基础。题干第三题则将其高度概括为一句话:“The study of the humanities is based on a large amount of ancient works that record human inner struggles and form the foundation of civilization.”
给你的直接启示:如何利用此范例进行备考
这个现成的例子告诉你,利用课本进行备考“二次开发”可以非常直接:
首先,你可以将每篇课文视为一套“潜在真题”。学完像Text B这样的课文后,自己扮演命题人,为每个段落写一句概括性陈述(就像匹配题的题干),然后打乱顺序进行自我测试。这是最精准的段落主旨理解训练。
其次,在课文中主动练习“定位”。信息匹配题的本质是快速定位。你可以直接拿课文练习:根据特定关键词(如“50 percent”、“Sally Ride”、“read and write”),在规定时间内找到它们所在的段落。这能直接提升你在考场上扫描和定位信息的速度与准确度。
最后,关注“同义转述”点。在复习时,特别留意课文中那些表达核心观点的句子。尝试用自己的话(或不同的英文表达)去重述它们。这正是在模拟命题过程,也能让你在考试中一眼识别出被“改头换面”的原文信息。
通过这种方式,课本中的每一篇课文都不再是孤立的学习材料,而变成了为你量身定制的、高质量的四级阅读训练题源。