迅速破解托福阅读EXCEPT题目

托福阅读考试中，每篇文章会有两个甚至以上的EXCEPT题目出现，很多地方也叫它选非题或者否定题。顾名思义，就是在四个选项中选出一个不一样的选项出来作为答案。什么叫不一样的选项呢？我们不妨换个角度来理解，那剩下的三个选项都是在原文当中有据可循的细节表达。

简言之，EXCEPT题目的破解关键在于选项的一一核对，把三个和原文表达一致的选项排除出去，将剩下的那个和原文表达不一致的选项作为答案即可。那么，正确答案大概有几种模式呢？这是本文着力理清的关键问题，我们先就两种答案模式进行讲解。

第一种，无中生有。这是最常见的一种答案模式，也就是说这个选项在原文中根本没有任何的呈现，那么当之无愧的，此选项就会是EXCEPT题目的答案。我们一起看个例子：

The Ogallala aquifer is a sandstone formation that underlies some 583,000 square kilometers of land extending from northwestern Texas to southern South Dakota. Water from rains and melting snows has been accumulating in the Ogallala for the past 30,000 years. Estimates indicate that the aquifer contains enough water to fill Lake Huron, but unfortunately, under the semiarid climatic conditions that presently exist in the region, rates of addition to the aquifer are minimal, amounting to about half a centimeter a year.          

According to paragraph 2, all of the following statements about the Ogallala aquifer are true EXCEPT:

A. The aquifer stretches from South Dakota to Texas.

B. The aquifer’s water comes from underground springs.

C.Water has been gathering in the aquifer for 30,000 years.

D. The aquifer’s water is stored in a layer of sandstone.

这个题目的正确答案是B选项。首先A选项在原文中有明确的表达，地下水层是从Texas到South Dakota的，有些同学会觉得很奇怪，为什么A选项把两者的顺序颠倒了不算错误呢？因为一个aquifer的延展是没有方向的，前后颠倒并没有错误，就好像说京沪铁路就是从北京到上海的线路，并非是我们坐动车从上海去北京这样有方向指向性的表达，所以A没有任何问题。再看C选项，用30000年定位回原文，很明确的表达会被我们找到，并且C选项用gather代替了原文的accumulate，进行了同义词替换，所以C选项也可以排除。最后的D选项其实定位回去是原文中的第一句话，The Ogallala aquifer is a sandstone formation，这就说明它是stored in a layer of sandstone。现在，我们看B选项，原文中说Water from rains and melting snows，地下水层的水来自雨雪水，并不是B选项的spring泉水。泉水根本是无中生有，原文没有提及。故选B。

第二种，错误改写。这样的答案往往是对原文的信息进行了错误改写，毫无疑问，这也是对原文信息的背离。再看一个例子。

Architecture is the art and science of designing structures that organize and enclose space for practical and symbolic purposes. Because architecture grows out of human needs and aspirations, it clearly communicates cultural values. Of all the visual arts, architecture affects our lives most directly for it determines the character of the human environment in major ways.

According to paragraph 1, all of the following statements about architecture are true EXCEPT:

A. Architecture is visual art.

B. Architecture reflects the cultural values of its creators.

C. Architecture has both artistic and scientific dimensions.

D. Architecture has an indirect effect on life.

这个题的难度不高，但是非常典型。答案选D。首先看A，原文中说，Of all the visual arts,在所有的视觉艺术中，建筑是怎样的艺术，那毫无疑问，建筑是视觉艺术。然后B选项，it clearly communicates cultural values，建筑传达了文化价值，和B选项表达的建筑表达了文化价值一致。比较难的是C选项，dimension这个单词是维度的意思，大家可以自动脑补3D电影的意思。那么，C说建筑有艺术和科学两个维度，对应原文信息了吗？