一、Hyperbole(夸张)

试比较以下托福听力短对话的两种回答方式：

Have you asked your brother to do the dishes?

1) Yes, many times.(很多遍了。)

2) Yes, a thousand times.(无数次了。)

很明显，第一种回答方式不如第二种生动，因为a thousand times(无数次)使用了Hyperbole(夸张)的修辞手法。Hyperbole一词源于希腊语的huperbole，意思是exceed(超过)，是一种故意夸大其词(overstatement)或言过其实的修辞手法；其特点是对表达对象进行有违常识或不合逻辑的夸张性描写，以达到强烈的修辞效果。如：a river of tears(泪河)、a mountain of coal(煤山)、oceans of people(人海)...Hyperbole(夸张)在托福听力中的运用也可谓炉火纯青。

比如：

1) You are my life saver.(你是我的“救命恩人”。)

2) You are 100% right.(你“百分之百”的正确。)

3) My back killed me.(我的腰痛的厉害。)

4) You make me feel guilty.(你让我感觉像是在犯罪。)

5) I haven't seen you for ages.(好久不见了呀!)

6) I could sleep for a whole year.(我太困了。)

7) We'really tired to death.(我们快累死了。)

当然，除了托福听力，Hyperbole(夸张)的修辞手法在英语语言文学中的经典范例不胜枚举：

1)One father is more than a hundred schoolmasters.(George Herbert)(一个父亲的作用大于100个教师。)

2)It's a crime to stay inside on such a beautiful day.(今天阳光明媚，躲在家中实在太遗憾了。)

3)Adrop of ink may make a million think.(George GByron)(一滴墨水写成的文字可让千万人思索。)

二、Simile(明喻)

试比较以下两种托福听力表达方式：

1)He spent a lot of money.(他花了大笔的钱。)

2)He spent a lot of money,like water.(他花钱如流水。)

很明显，第二种表达方式比第一种更加生动和形象。因为like water(如流水)使用了Simile(明喻)的修辞手法，这样以来，无疑使语言更加精彩和完美，听力考试也不再单纯是一门考试，而变成了一种享受。Simile(明喻)一词源于拉丁语similes,其意为like(象)。他借助人们的想象力，使用一定的比喻词如：like,as等加以连接，从而清楚的表明两种事物之间的相似之处，使得表达更加新鲜有趣。其典型形式是A is like B. Simile(明喻)的修辞手法在托福听力中的运用可谓炉火纯青。

比如：

1.Like引导

1)He sweats like a pig.(他像猪一样流汗。)

2)They slept like babies.(他们像婴儿一样熟睡着。)

3)Living without anaimis like sailing without a compass.(John Ruskin)(生活没有目标犹如航行没有指南针。)

4)Records fell like ripe apples on a windy day.(E.B.White)(被打破的记录犹如刮风天成熟的苹果——纷纷坠落。)

2.As引导

1)She is as beautiful as a flower.(她像花一样的美丽。)

2)“I am as light as a feather, I am as happy as am angel, I am as merry as a schoolboy. I am as giddy as a drunkenman...”(CharlesDickens)(我像羽毛一样轻，我像天使一样幸福，我像小学生一样快活，我像喝醉了酒的人一样飘飘然……)

3)The first time I read an excellent book, it is to me as if I had gained a new friend.

(我头一回读到一本好书，对我来说好象交了一位新朋友。)

注意：As引导的as...as结构在英语中得到了广泛应用，若能在口语交流或各种作文考试(如：TWE等)中用上一个，定会得到意想不到的效果，常用的as结构有：

(as) firm as a rock坚如磐石

(as) light as a feather轻如鸿毛

(as) close as anoyster守口如瓶

(as) mute as a fish噤若寒蝉

(as) strong as a horse强壮如牛

(as) cool as a cucumber泰然自若

(as) sober as a judge十分清醒

(as) sure as a gun千真万确

上面是托福听力常见修辞总结，希望对大家有所帮助。