由于Summary这一题型在三大题型要素中都不是简单的黑/白关系,我们应当承认,摘要题是雅思阅读中特点颇为复杂,考察颇为全面的一种题型。但正如上文讲到,Summary的解题要能够做到“突出重点,各个击破”,那么它的重点又是什么呢?

其实,Summary所表现出的多样性这并不意味其随意性。事实上,我们不论是从理论还是实践中都应该并且能够在这种分支众多的题型中找出一根最粗的主干。

一、有序or无序?

我们来看第二要素:In/Out of Order。对于这一题型的顺序性,雅思官方用了两个单词来进行描述——not necessarily。尽管从词义上说,这表明该题型内部各题最终对应的文章信息点符合行文顺序(in passage order)还是呈现混乱状态(out of passage order)都是正常的。也就是说,这种说法意味着Summary题目会有相当客观比例的题目是乱序的。

但真实情况并非如此。

首先,从实践来说,无论是剑桥雅思官方的6本出版物剑1直至最新的剑7中我们所接触到的Summary题目,还是像笔者这样常年“以考带研”的培训界人士多次考场实践所遭遇到的Summary题目,都可以明确地传递这样的信息:摘要题的编写能够体现篇章的总体行文结构。虽然有时存在特定题空对其他题空构成所对应passage中具体信息点位置的“穿越”,但不会对实质上的in passage order造成巨大的干扰。唯一的整体例外是剑5 Test 3关于钢化玻璃的那篇Flawed Beauty。

实践中的体验来自于内在机制的运作。理论上讲,如果一个summary不能将哪怕是一部分的篇章结构和要点体现出来,它是没有理由被称为summary的。相对于原文因果倒置、主次不分、时间混乱的一段文字,不可能有效地达到概括的目的。其结果就是我们所往往碰到的题目顺序与行文结构一致的情形。

{结论} Summary总体是是有序的。

请看下例(剑2 Test 1):

Questions 10-13

The island will be partially protected from storms by … (10)… and also by … (11) … Further settlement caused by … (12) … will be prevented by the use of … (13) …

请看文章段落。

TEXT The airport, though, is here to stay. To protect it, the new coastline is being bolstered with a formidable twelve kilometers of sea defences. The brunt of a typhoon will be deflected by the neighbouring island of Lantau (10题考点所在); the sea walls (11题考点所在) should guard against the rest. Gentler but more persistent bad weather – downpours of the summer monsoon (12题考点所在) – is also being taken into account. A mat-like material called geotextile (13题考点所在) is being laid across the island to separate the rock and sand layers. That will stop sand particles from being washed into the rock voids, and so causing further settlement. This island is being built never to be sunk.

这是一组只有四题的Local的Summary,只对应文章中最后一个段落。虽然很断,但很清楚,原文中所标明的考点位置仍然明确地体现出了原题空与空之间、句与句之间的逻辑关系和顺序。这一现象其实在大量的Summary题目中都存在。

二、主旨or细节?

再说第一要素Gist/Detail。尽管由于近年来Local的Summary比较活跃,题目所考察的信息有时候相当具体。但作为一段连续文字、完整句子构成的段落,语句之间没有任何关联式无论如何让人难以想象的事情。

应当指出,说Summary是偏Gist的题型,或者体现出对Gist考察的题型,并不等于最后填空的答案就是文章大意。这是两个概念。和Heading直接以段落主题为主要信息考察点,并且答案常常就是段落TS的改写不一样的是,Summary对于主旨性,结构性信息的考察更多体现在过程中。我们用于填写的或者选择的答案往往只是单词或词组,这意味着他们本身并不足以体现出大意,但一两个点睛的信号词(signposts)则可以清楚地表明题目各考察点的逻辑关系在原文中的对应,从而让我们得以到达最后一步,极大地提高解题过程的速度和准确性。

{结论} Summary的考点词也许是细节的,但分析定位出这些考点需要的辅助信息往往仍然是结构性的。

我们再次利用上面的例子来进行说明。

Questions 10-13

The island will be partially protected from storms by … (10)… and also by … (11) … Further settlement caused by … (12) … will be prevented by the use of … (13) …

TEXT The airport, though, is here to stay. To protect it, the new coastline is being bolstered with a formidable twelve kilometers of sea defences. The brunt of a typhoon will be deflected by the neighbouring island of Lantau (10题考点所在); the sea walls (11题考点所在) should guard against the rest. Gentler but more persistent bad weather – downpours of the summer monsoon (12题考点所在) – is also being taken into account. A mat-like material called geotextile (13题考点所在) is being laid across the island to separate the rock and sand layers. That will stop sand particles from being washed into the rock voids, and so causing further settlement. This island is being built never to be sunk.