英语四级考试阅读部分经常出现询问文章主旨的题目，让很多考生难以选择。所谓主旨，即文章主题思想(the Main Idea)。也称作中心思想，是作者在文章中要表达的核心内容，也是作者自始自终要说明的问题。能否抓住一篇文章的主题思想，体现了读者总结、概括和归纳事物的能力。把握了主题思想也有助于对文中。因此，可以说，找出主题思想是一项最重要的阅读技能。

　　一、抓主题思想。我们首先要学会识别文章中那些最根本、最具有概括力的信息。这种信息应能归纳和概括文中其它信息所具有的共性。

　　例如：

　　Directions: Choose the most general word.

　　(A) chemist (B) physicist

　　(C) scientist (D) biologist

　　该问题要求找出最有概括性的词。(C) scientist 符合题意，因为它包含了chemist, physicist和biologist，而(A)，(B)和(D)都指某一具体学科的科学家，不能概括其它的词。因此，scientist最有概括性。

　　例二：

　　Directions: Choose the most general sentence.

　　(A) The hotel offers complimentary coffee from 7 to 10 a.m. daily.

　　(B) There are many reasons why guests feel at home at the Glorictta Bay Inn.

　　(C) The coin-operated laundry room has an ironing board.

　　(D) There are a number of extra services at the Glorictta Bay Inn including babysitting.

　　(A)， (C)，(D)都是从不同的侧面说明旅馆的服务情况，相互间并无联系。而(B)却概括了(A)，(C)和(D)的共性的东西，即：为什么旅客住在这家旅馆 里有宾至如归的感觉。因此，(B)符合题意。倘若在一段文章中包含了以上(A)，(B)，(C)，(D)几条信息，那末，(B)就是该段中心思想。由于同 样的道理，如果在一篇文章中，作者分段叙述几方面的内容，那末，这些段落所围绕和要说明的问题就是该文的中心思想。

　　例三：

　　Directions: Choose the main idea of an article.(Following are the topic sentences of an article.)

　　1) A mounting body of evidence suggests that fighting violence with violence rarely deters a crime in progress and greatly increases the chances of changing a robbery into a violent attack on the victim.

　　2) One report shows that at least 100 thousand handguns are stolen from private owners each year,the vast majority during burglaries...

　　3) Moreover. a study of robberies in eight American cities states that in less than 4 percent of the crimes did the victim have the opportunity to use a weapon....

　　Which of the following best reflects the main idea of the article?

　　(A) What Happens to the Victim of Crime?

　　(B) Is Your Family Safe?

　　(C) Should You Arm Yourself Against Crime?

　　第一段和第三段提到了victims(受害者)，第二段中提到了入室行窃，但是这三段说明的共同问题是人们是否应拥有自己的武器来反对犯罪行为。因此只有选择(C)才能概括这三段所共同说明的问题，也就是此文的中心思想。

　　二、主题思想应能恰如其分地概括文中所阐述的内容。面不能太窄，即：不足以概括全部内容;但是面也不能太宽，即：包含了文中没有阐述的内容。

　　例四：

　　Directions: Read the following passage and choose the best central thought

　　Sugar history in the Hawaiian Islands is filled with pioneering.In sailing ship days,Hawaiian sugar growers were many months from sources of supplies and from markets.This isolation built up among the Hawaiian growers an enduring spirit of cooperation.Growers shared with one another improvements in production.Without government aid of any sort,they built great irrigation projects.Without government help,they set up their own research and experiment organization.Pioneering together over the years, they have provided Hawaii with its largest industry.

　　(A) In sailing days, Hawaiian sugar growers were many months away from supplies and markets.

　　(B) Hawaiian sugar growers built their great industry without government help.

　　(C) Hawaiian sugar growers have set up their own research organization and have shared improvements.

　　(D) By pioneering together, sugar growers have provided Hawaii with its largest industry.

　　(A)，(B)和(C)项只是文中提到的各项具体内容，作为主题思想面太窄了，只有(D)项才概括了全文要说明的问题，因此，(D)是该文的主题思想。

　　要求抓主题思想的另一种形式是为短文选择合适的标题，因为短文的标题常常也体现它所围绕的主题或讨论的中心。因此，为短文选择标题实际上也反映了对主题思想的掌握。