21. The word “homogenizing” (Line 1, Paragraph 1) most probably means
    
    [A] identifying.[B] associating.    
    
    [C] assimilating.     [D] monopolizing.
    
    22.   According to the author, the department stores of the 19th-century
    
    [A] played a role in the spread of popular culture.
    
    [B] became intimate shops for common consumers.
    
    [C] satisfied the needs of a knowledgeable elite.
    
    [D] owed its emergence to the culture of consumption.
    
    23. The text suggests that immigrants now in the U.S.
    
    [A] are resistant to homogenization.
    
    [B] exert a great influence on American culture.
    
    [C] are hardly a threat to the common culture.
    
    [D] constitute the majority of the population.
    
    24. Why are Arnold Schwarzenegger and Garth Brooks mentioned in Paragraph 5?
    
    [A] To prove their popularity around the world.
    
    [B] To reveal the public’s fear of immigrants.
    
    [C] To give examples of successful immigrants.
    
    [D] To show the powerful influence of American culture.
    
    25. In the author’s opinion, the absorption of immigrants into American society is
    
    [A] rewarding.[B] successful.
    
    [C] fruitless.   [D] harmful.
    
    一、详读重点
    
    根据上述要求详细阅读的内容，作者以红色标出了重点。首先是宏观方面：从文章结构而言，本文主要阐述一个概念homogenization（同化），属于常见的“一枝独秀型”结构，即主要说明一个核心概念。文章首句In spite of “endless talk of difference, American society is an amazing machine for homogenizing people就是全文的中心。除了这一句之外，其他段落的首末句也值得关注。从态度而言，作者在首句用amazing（令人惊叹的）、第二段首句（hardly poisonous）与全文末句（hardly suggest a dark and deteriorating social environment）使用双重否定表明移民成功融入美国社会。
    
    从微观方面而言，第二段首句(but)、倒数第二段末句(yet)与末段末句(but)三处的转折对应三道题，加上文章首句也对应一道题，这样四道题——1、3、4、5题所对应的原文就确定了。剩下的第二题也很容易根据问题中的关键词19th-century定位第一段。
    
    由此可见，只要阅读时抓住了重点，就能迅速地定位各个问题所对应的原文。
    
    二、略读细节与跳读修饰
    
    一方面为了加快速度，另一方面为了提高准确率，对于细节与修饰部分可以较快地阅读甚至跳过。在第一段中，第二句难以理解，但是由于放在文章的主题之后，应该属于对首句主题的细节性说明。所以，阅读的时候如果看不懂不要较真儿，因为它只是一个论据，而且通常不考。
    
    在第二段中，段末包含数字年代的两个句子属于并列性的细节，应该速读甚至跳读。第三段与第四段是对第二段末句所说的三个同化指标——language, home ownership and intermarriage 的详细说明，属于明显的细节，阅读时应该速读。如此阅读不仅抓住了重点，而且节约了时间。
    
    综上所述，只要详读重点、略读细节与跳读修饰，就能做到正确率与速度双丰收。所以，考研阅读的最高境界是：精读要考的，略读次要的，不管无关的。

【上一页】