相对于往年的选材，这次考试的题材较为生僻，大部分考生可能只对阅读的第一篇“维生素对人体的作用”有一些背景知识。这就要求考生平时多接触不同题材的文章了解各方面知识，如相关科普知识、经济、生活和社会文化等。本次考试的passage one 是一篇关于维生素对人类健康作用的文章，从结构上分析是典型的新老观点型文章。文章一开始提出一种老观点，认为服用的维生素人体难吸收，对人类健康无益。然后作者给出新看法，也就是服用适量的维生素是有益的，而整篇文章也就围绕这一新看法展开。Passage two 探讨了妇女工作对婚姻和家庭的影响。文章也是给出了两种不同的观点，但是作者并没有简单地肯定或否定某一方的观点，而是认为双方都有可取之处，这是一种复杂的态度。这在以往的六级试题中是少见的，在笔者的记忆中这种复杂态度的文章只在1999年1月份的六级试题（passage one）中出现过。值得注意的是，在国外的一些标准化考试（如 GRE 等）这一类的文章是很常见的。这在一定程度反映了六级阅读今后的发展趋势：与国外的标准化考试接轨。Passage three 探讨了人类本性（human nature）的问题，也是新老观点型的文章。结构非常简单，难点主要在于文章的内容考生可能不很熟悉。Passage four 介绍了一种新的医疗技术（virtual reality）。这类介绍新技术、新发明的科普文章结构都较简单，主要围绕新技术和新发明作用、原理、优点、意义和影响来展开。大家可以看一看 2002年1月六级考题的passage one,熟悉一下这种文章的套路。总体来看，六级阅读的文章集中在科技知识、经济生活和人文社会三个方面，可以有意识地加强一下这几个方面的背景知识。一定的背景知识有助于考生理解文章的内容。但需要强调的是，考生答题时要严格根据文章的内容作答，千万不可根据自己所掌握的背景知识想当然地答题，这是在做阅读题中一定要把握的一点。
①对实验结果和数据分析结论的考查，如passage one的23题，passage two 的27题。
②对强对比内容的考查，如passage two 的28、29题。
③对特殊标点的考查，如passage four 的39题，笔者对历年六级试题总结发现：只要一句话中出现两个破折号，这句话就经常成为考点。
④对段末句的考查，如passage four的40题。细节题的解题关键在于定位，只要找到题干在文章中的位置，一般不会出错。而在六级阅读中定位是比较容易的，因为阅读顺序和出题顺序基本上是一致的。有一点需要指出，就是考生要善于把握题干中的隐藏信息。比如本次考试passage three 的32 和35题，这两道题实际上是对文中新老观点的考查，但题干中并没有出现标志时间的词，而是通过时态来隐讳表明，如果考生没有注意到这一点解题就会出现困难，特别是第35题。推断题的难度比以前有明显提高，例如passageone的21题和passage four 的36题，就要求考生对文章首句的隐藏含义有深刻的理解，要能够真正地read between lines，才会答对这两道题。再比如passage three 的33 题，考查作者引用名人观点的作用，难度也较大，它要求考生在读文章的时候，不仅要看懂文章的意思，更能准确理解作者的写作意图，明白作者的行文逻辑。词义推测题本次考试考了两道，分别是passage two的26题和passage three 的34题，解题的关键是根据上下文的逻辑关系来推断，难度不大。
Questions 26 to 30 are based on the following passage.
Some futurologists have assumed that the vast upsurge(剧增)of women in the workforce may portend a rejection of marriage. Many women, according to this hypothesis, would rather work than marry. The converse(反面)of this concern is that the prospects of becoming a multi-paycheck household could encourage marriage. In the past, only the earnings and financial prospects of the man counted in the marriage decision. Now, however, the earning ability of a woman can make her more attractive as a marriage partner. Data show that economic downturns tend to postpone marriage because the parties cannot afford to establish a family or are concerned about rainy days ahead. As the economy rebounds, the number of marriages also rises.
Coincident with the increase in women working outside the home is the increase in divorce rates. Yet, it may be wrong to jump to any simple cause-and-effect conclusions. The impact of a wife"s work on divorce is no less cloudy than its impact on marriage decisions. The realization that she can be a good provider may increase the chances that a working wife will choose divorce over an unsatisfactory marriage. But the reverse is equally plausible. Tensions grounded in financial problems often play a key role in ending a marriage. Given high unemployment, inflationary problems, and slow growth in real earnings, a working wife can increase household income and relieve some of these pressing financial burdens. By raising afamily"s standard of living, a working wife may strengthen her family"s financial and emotional stability.
Psychological factors also should be considered. For example, a wife blocked from a career outside the home may feel caged in the house. She may view her only choice as seeking a divorce. On the other hand, if she can find fulfillment through work outside the home, work and marriage can go together to create a stronger and more stable union.
Also, a major part of women"s inequality in marriage has been due to the fact that, in most cases, men have remained the main breadwinners. With higher earning capacity and status occupations outside of the home comes the capacity to exercise power within the family. A working wife may rob a husband of being the master of the house. Depending upon how the couple reacts to these new conditions, it could create a stronger equal partnership or it could create new insecurities.
文章解析：本文是一篇对比文，文章讨论了女性的外出工作对婚姻的两种相反的影响。首段前两句表明专家观点：工作女性的剧增可能预示着拒绝婚姻，后半段又提出转折，工作女性的剧增可能鼓励婚姻。第二段两种相反观点继续讨论女性的外出工作对婚姻影响。第三段支持两种相反观点的两种相反的心理因素。最后一段，随着工作女性的经济能力的提高，女性在家庭的地位上升可能导致两种相反结果。近年考试对比型的文章出现频繁，包括两种观点的议论文和两种事物的说明文，特点是平行论述，没有主次之分，作者不发表态度和结论，一般两种观点的开头可当作文章主旨。 26. The word “portend” (Line 2, Para.1) is closest in meaning to “_____”.A) defy B) signal C) suffer from D) result from
词义题 从文章第一句话大部分考生都不难理解portend是预示的意思。但是要知道正确选项B）signal也有显示的意思，需要背到字典上signal动词形式的第三个意思。要求考生不能局限于一词一义，而要熟练掌握大纲词汇的每一个解释。A) defy不服从, 反抗 C) suffer from忍受, 遭受 D) result from由……产生。27. It is said in the passage that when the economy slides,_____.
A) men would choose working women as their marriage partners
B) more women would get married to seek financial security
C) even working women would worry about their marriages
D) more people would prefer to remain single for the time being
细节题 题干的the economy slides等于原文的economic downturns。定位在Data show that economic downturns tend to postpone marriage because the parties cannot afford to establish a family or are concerned about rainy days ahead.数据显示经济低迷时期人们倾向推迟婚姻，因为双方不能承担一个家庭或者担心更窘迫的日子。只有D)符合原文意思。A B C 都是“无中生有”和“答非所问”。28. If women find fulfillment through work outside the home,_____.
A) they are more likely to dominate their marriage partners
B) their husbands are expected to do more housework
C) their marriage ties can be strengthened
D) they tend to put their career before marriage
细节题 找到原文On the other hand, if she can find fulfillment through work outside the home, work and marriage can go together to create a stronger and more stable union.轻松选出答案C)。正确答案就把形容词stronger转化为动词strengthen。毫无难度。29. One reason why women with no career may seek a divorce is that_____.
A) they feel that they have been robbed of their freedom
B) they are afraid of being bossed around by their husbands
C) they feel that their partners fail to live up to their expectations
D) they tend to suspect their husbands?loyalty to their marriage
细节题 文章顺序和题目顺序有颠倒。定位在28题之前a wife blocked from a career outside the home may feel caged in the house. She may view her only choice as seeking a divorce. 考查内在逻辑的因果关系。一个妻子被阻止外出可能会感觉被关在房子里。所以她可能认为惟一的选择就是离婚。She may view her only choice as seeking a divorce.等于题干的women with no career may seek a divorce. A wife blocked from a career outside the home may feel caged in the house.相当于A) they feel that they have been robbed of their freedom. 她们感到被剥夺了自由。30. Which of the following statements can best summarize the authors view in the passage?
A) The stability of marriage and the divorce rate may reflect the economic situation of the country.
B) Even when economically independent, most women have to struggle for real equality in marriage.
C) In order to secure their marriage women should work outside the home and remain independent
D) The impact of the growing female workforce on marriage varies from case to case.
主旨题 因为这种平行的对比型文章作者不发表态度和结论，所以不可能有作者态度题只能理解为文章主旨题。A) 婚姻的稳定性和离婚率会影响国家经济。文章只提及国家经济会影响婚姻。颠倒黑白，排除。B)即使经济独立，大多数女性不得不为婚姻中真正的平等而奋斗。文章从未提及，无中生有。C)为了保卫婚姻，女性应当外出工作保持独立。以偏盖全。只有D) The impact of the growing female workforce on marriage varies from case to case. 女性的外出工作对婚姻的影响是一例与一例不一样的。只有D)才准确表达出文章的两种平行的相反观点。
