谢忠明：如何确定作者的观点或态度

谢忠明：全国著名“考级王”，恩波“谢忠明课堂”首席辅导专家，“3+2”教学模式创始人。专门从事大学英语测试学研究，功底深厚，方法独特，深受学员爱戴。对历年试题了如指掌，多本全国畅销四、六级专著作者。

如何确定作者的观点或态度
(How To Determine The Author's View Or Attitude)

一篇文章不可避免地反映了作者的观点、态度和情绪。能否正确把握作者的观点和态度也是体现阅读能力的重要方面。一般来说，对作者的总的态度和倾向，必须在通读全文、掌握了主题思想和主要事实后，方能作出判断。在判断作者观点态度时，我们应注意以下几个问题：

一、有时作者先介绍了某一种观点，却接着在后面提出了相反的观点，因此，要正确判断作者的态度或观点，必须将上下文联系起来看，要注意文章中所陈述的内容并非都代表了作者的观点。
例一：
Directions: Decide whether or not each of the following statements approves of the book written by Professor Baker.
1) Professor Baker's publisher has stated that this new book will soon take the place of all the old standard works in this field; in view, however, of both the style and content of Professor Baker's book, I find this claim most difficult to accept.
2) When I first opened the package containing a copy of Professor Baker's latest book and read its title, I must admit I felt a sudden sinking of the heart; yet once I had gathered courage to begin my reading, I found the work so far beyond my wildest hopes that I actually missed supper rather than put the volume down unfinished.
在1)文中，作者在前面引用了出版者的赞扬之辞，而后接着表明难以接受此说法，在说明他对此书持否定态度。
在2)文中，作者先说刚看到此书书名时很失望，然后用“yet”表示转折，以至到最后爱不释手，表明他赞许此书。

二、有时，作者通过使用词汇的手段，暗示了自己对文中某一具体问题所持的态度和观点。这时，我们要特别仔细琢磨文中所用词汇的特点，弄明白作者的态度是赞成还是反对，是肯定还是否定。
例二：
Directions: Decide which of the following statements was written by a person in favor of small-town life.
1) Possibly there are those who derive pleasure from turning back the clock and seeking out the virtues we fondly imagine to have been associated with life in small towns in bygone days. Yet the most superficial reading of contemporary accounts dealing with such an existence makes it quite clear that full enjoyment of life's true pleasures would be much more appreciated.
2) It is true that city-dwellers and suburbanites can enjoy certain facilities that may be denied to the inhabitants of small towns. What they miss, however, far outweighs such advantages, which, in any case, the vast majority rarely has the time or energy to take advantage of.
在1)文中，作者在谈到喜欢小城镇生活的人时用了“Possibly there are...”(可能有这样的人)来表示不肯定的语气，在谈到小城镇生活的长处时用了“...we imagine to have been associated with...(据我们想像……与相连系)”来减弱其客观性，暗示未必是真是如此。可见该作者不赞同小城镇的生活。
在2)文中，作者在谈到城市生活的方便时用了“certain”一词以表示其有限性，并用“may be denied to the inhabitants of small towns(小城镇的居民也许没有)”来表示不肯定。然而在谈到城市生活所失去的东西时用了“far outweighs such advantages”(大大超过了这些好处)来加以强调。可见这篇文章的作者是赞同小城镇生活的。
例三：
Directions: Read the following passage and select the best answer to the question.
Television is now playing a very important part in our lives. But television, like other things, has both advantages and disadvantages. Do the former outweigh the latter?
In the first place, television is not only a convenient source of entertainment, but also a comparatively cheap one. For a family of four, for example, it is more convenient as well as cheaper to sit comfortably at home, with almost unlimited entertainment available, than to go out in search of amusement elsewhere. They do not have to pay for expensive seats at the theatre, the cinema, or the opera, only to discover, perhaps, that the show is disappointing. All they have to do is press a button, and they can see plays, films, operas, and shows of every kind, not to mention political discussions and the latest exciting football match. Some people, however, maintain that this is precisely where the danger lies. The television viewer takes no initiative. He makes no choice and exercises no judgment. He is completely passive and has everything presented to him without any effort on his part.
Television, it is often said, keeps one informed about current events, allows one to follow the latest developments in science and politics, and offers an endless series of programmes which are both instructive and entertaining. The most distant countries and the strangest customs are brought right into one's sitting-room. It could be argued that the radio performs this service just as well; but on television everything is much more living, much more real. Yet here again there is a danger. We get so used to looking at it, so dependent on its flickering(忽隐忽现) pictures, that it begins to dominate our lives.
There are many other arguments for and against television. The poor quality of its programmers is often criticized. But it is undoubtedly a great comfort to many lonely elderly people. And does it corrupt (使变坏) or instruct our children? I think we must realize that television in itself is neither good nor bad. It is the use to which it is put that determine its value to society.
Which of the following can best describe the view of the author?
(A) Television has not only advantages but also disadvantages.
(B) The advantages of television outweigh its disadvantage.
(C) Television has neither advantages nor disadvantages.
(D) It is not clearly seen in the passage.
从全文来看，虽然作者既提到优点也提到缺点，但是主要倾向是肯定优点，在谈到缺点时用了“some people”，表示了持这种看法的人有限。因此(B)项符合题意。
在阅读理解测试中，要求确定作者的态度或观点的问题，通常有以下几种形式：
1. The author gives the impression that __________________ .
2. The author's view is __________________ .
3. The author thinks that __________________ .
4. The author suggests that __________________ .
5. Which of the following can best describe the attitude of the author towards...
6. What is the tone of the passage?
7. The tone of the passage can be best described as __________________ .
8. According to the author __________________ .