其实，大家对于“读”的概念有一定的误解：许多同学认为读完这篇文章是需要每一个词都认识，每一句话的内容都是能够百分之百理解消化。但是，这样的阅读方法并不适用于广大托福考生，对于这样长度以及难度的文章，我们并不能做到”一目十行“。那么，既然我们不能一口气读懂整篇文章，什么才是行之有效的阅读方法呢？

1. 读标题

      首先，一篇文章的结构由标题，开头段，主体段以及结尾段组成。托福文章最人性化的一点就是三篇文章都有标题，很多同学读到这里会觉得：老师你这不是在说废话吗？不，很多人忽略了标题的作用。分析一下TPO所有文章的标题，大家会发现托福文章的标题形式一共三种：单一型，并列型以及限定条件单一型。这样的标题设计最大的作用在于，预告了本文的文章结构特点（因为篇幅关系，这个知识点此处不详细说明），通过固定的几类文章结构特点，我们可以预判此篇文章主要在讲什么。

      我们来看一个例子，OG上的第一篇文章：Applied Artsand Fine Arts。先来看一下这个标题，是并列型，即有两个讨论对象，这种标题类型的文章特点是全文有两个论述对象，且排名不分前后，也就是文章会用相同的篇幅去讨论这两个对象。其次，还会有两者相同点，不同点的比较。那么我们可以预判一下本文的主旨：比较Applied Arts and Fine Arts的特点。可是大家想要进一步知道：比较的特点是哪一些呢？标题能够传递的信息毕竟有限，所以我们需要其他的方法来深挖一下文章主旨。

2. 开头段和结尾段

      托福文章的行文结构分为三种：总分总，总分和分总。总即代表主旨所在，所以主要会在开头段和结尾段阐述。我们只需要精读这两个段落就可以了。还是以Applied Arts and Fine Arts这篇文章为例，现在我们来看一下开头段：

Although we now tend to refer to the various crafts according to the materials used to construct them—clay, glass, wood, fiber, andmetal—it was once common to think of crafts in terms of function, which led totheir being known as the "applied arts." Approaching crafts from the point of view of function, we can divide them into simple categories: containers, shelters and supports. There is no way around the fact that containers, shelters, and supports must be functional. The applied arts are thus bound by the laws of physics, which pertain to both the materials used in their making and the substances and things to be contained, supported, and sheltered. These laws are universal in their application, regardless of cultural beliefs, geography, orclimate. If a pot has no bottom or has large openings in its sides, it couldhardly be considered a container in any traditional sense. Since the laws of physics, not some arbitrary decision, have determined the general form ofapplied-art objects, they follow basic patterns, so much so that functional forms can vary only within certain limits. Buildings without roofs, for example, are unusual because they depart from the norm. However, not all functional objects are exactly alike; that is why we recognize a Shang Dynastyvase as being different from an Inca vase. What varies is not the basic formbut the incidental details that do not obstruct the object's primary function.

如果大家迅速浏览一下整个段乱，会发现本段只出现了applied arts这个概念，而没有关于fine arts的描述，那么这时候大家应该反应出来本文的结构是分总，即主旨在结尾段：

Even though the fine arts in the twentieth century often treatmaterials in new ways, the basic difference in attitude of artists in relation totheir materials in the fine arts andthe applied arts remains relatively constant. It wouldtherefore not be too great an exaggeration to say that practitioners of the fine arts work to overcome the limitations oftheir materials, whereas those engaged in theapplied arts work in concert with their materials.

迅速浏览完本段会发现，fine arts和applied arts这两个概念在最后一段的都有论述。并且这句话：Itwould therefore not be too great an exaggeration to say that practitioners ofthe fine arts work to overcome the limitations oftheir materials, whereas those engaged in the applied arts work in concert with their materials. （因此，毫不夸张地说，纯艺术工艺品的生产者需要克服原材料的限制进行生产，而从事实用性工艺品的生产者则依据材料的性质来进行生产。）大家看到主要的对比对象是材料的使用情况。

3. 文章小结题的introductory sentence

还有一个抓住文章主旨的小窍门是大家可以参考文章小结题所给的那一句话，即introdectory sentence，这句话的作用主要就是来概括全文的中心大意，我们还是来看Applied Arts and Fine Arts这篇文章的文章小结题：

Q：An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage is provided below. Complete thesummary by selecting the THREE answer choices that express the most important ideas in the passage. Some sentences do not belong in the summary because they express ideas that are not presented in the passage or are minor ideas in the passage. This question is worth 2 points.

This passage discusses fundamental differences between applied-art objects and fine-art objects.

以上就是汤姆教育老师为大家整理的内容，希望对大家的托福学习有所帮助！