为什么要往前看两句，往后看两句？为什么是两句？⼀句可以么？三句可以么？如果前面有三句，保险起见需不需要把第三句也看了？如果没有两句，只有⼀句，那要不要把上⼀段的最后⼀句或者下⼀段的第⼀句也看了？…

细节题的阅读范围⼀直是该题型的重点：在有限的时间范围内，尽可能减少不必要的细节信息输⼊，既节

约时间，也有助于提⾼正确率。

那么阅读范围到底应该怎么判断？

归根结底两个字——逻辑。

⼀般来说，我推荐学⽣在两种情况下考虑往前找，否则，应该定位后先往后看。

第⼀种：指代

以TPO04-2 的第12 题为例：

According to paragraph 5, which of the following has been used as evidence to suggest that Upper Paleolithic people were capable of complex thought and conscious awareness of their environment?

根据题⼲中的UP 和capable of complex thought and conscious awareness 定位到句⼦：

If this is true, it would mean that Upper Paleolithic people were capable of complex thought and were consciously aware of their environment.

句⼦设置了⼀个条件：如果this 是正确的，那么…

这道题就可以简化成指代题，只要找到this 指代的事情，答案就出来了。

往前找，我们可以看到上⼀句话的内容：

He believes that as far back as 30.000 B.C., hunters may have used a system of notation, engraved on bone and

stone, to mark phases of the Moon.

我们会发现，this 指代的就是：hunters may have used a system of notation, engraved on bone and stone, to

mark phases of the Moon

⽽答案正是：They may have used engraved signs to record the phases of the Moon.

第⼆种：因果/转折/递进/总分

同样以TPO04-2 中的题为例：

According to paragraph 4, which of the following may best represent the attitude of hunters toward deer and

reindeer in the Upper Paleolithic period?

根据前⽂没有出现过的deer 和reindeer 为定位词，定位到句⼦：

That is, mammoths, bovines, and horses are portrayed more often than deer and reindeer.

从这句话中我们可以看到⼀个比较关系：猛犸象等⽣物比题⼲中的的deer and reindeer 被描绘的次数更多。⽽“that is”，“也就是说”，是⼀个进⼀步解释说明的信号词，那么我们的原因就在上⼀句话了：

In addition, the paintings mostly portray animals that the painters may have feared the most because of their size, speed, natural weapons such as tusks and horns, and the unpredictability of their behavior.

从这句话中，我们会发现动物被描绘的次数是和作者对该动物的恐惧程度成正比，⽽恐惧的原因往往是因为动物的size, speed, natural weapons, and the unpredictability of their behavior。

看到这里，会有同学提出⼀个问题——“老师，这句话有in addition，我需要往前看么？”

当然可以。

但是在已有⼀个答案的情况下，再往上看句⼦的时候就可以快速略读，优先看主⼲信息，判断是否和题目中的deer and reindeer 有关。

For example, wild cattle (bovines) and horses are portrayed more often than we would expect by chance, probably because they were larger and heavier (meatier) than other animals in the environment.

那么往前的阅读范围就结束了。

往后看的阅读范围原则只有⼀句话：读到第⼀句与题目⽆关的句⼦结束。

结语

托福阅读改⾰后，⼀篇阅读⽂章字数不变，⽽题目减少四个，必然会有更多的⼤篇幅阅读范围的题目出现。这个时候，能够清楚辨别句间逻辑关系的学⽣在考试中占据了⾼分优势。