句子简化题是托福阅读的必考题。要求考生从四个选项中选出最接近原句主要意思的一个。原句通常在文中以加粗的黑体呈现。
句子简化题重点考察了考生以下三个方面的能力：
一、快速找到原句及选项句的主要信息;
二、较好的句法及语法知识;
三、句子同义复述(在不改变原句意义前提下)。
句子简化题的基本解题步骤为：
1、读原句，找出主要信息及主要逻辑;
2、读选项，找出各句主要信息及主要逻辑;
3、比对，找出最接近原句选项，排除干扰选项，排除次要信息及错误逻辑。
要解答好句子简化题，关键是要弄清楚原句及各选项之间的关系。
因为各选项是由原句改写而来的，我们需要把握原句与改写句之间 “变” 与 “不变”的关系。
首先，我们来说说“不变”。 何谓“不变”? 哪些内容“不变”呢?
在句子简化题中，不变指的是改写后的句子，与原句相比，有一些方面是不能改变的。这些方面就是：一、主要信息;二、主要逻辑。
先谈一下主要信息。由于句子简化题的原句通常都是较为复杂的长难句及复合句，即除了主要信息外，还包含很多的补充信息及次要信息，因而我们要善于区分哪些是主要信息，哪些是次要信息。要解决好这个问题，要求对语法现象中的主句从句有一定的把握。
我们以下面的题目为例：
In 1972 paleontologists Stephen Jay Gould and Niles Eldredge challenged
conventional wisdom with an opposing viewpoint, the punctuated equilibrium
hypothesis, which posits that species give rise to new species in relatively
sudden bursts, without a lengthy transition period.
Which of the following best expresses the essential information in the
highlighted sentence? Incorrect answer choices change the meaning in important
ways or leave out essential information.
A)The punctuated equilibrium hypothes is challenged gradualism, which holds
that species evolve in relatively suddenbursts of brief duration.
B)The punctuated equilibrium hypothes is developed by Stephen Jay Gould and
Niles Eldredge was challenged in 1972.
C)In 1972 Stephen Jay Gould and Niles Eldredge challenged gradualism by
positing that change from one species to another can not occur without a lengthy
transition period.
D)The punctuated equilibrium hypothesis, in opposition to gradualism, holds
that transitions from one species to another occur in comparatively sudden
burst.
按照解题步骤，先看原句，原句的总体信息包含四点：
(1)In 1972 Stephen Jay Gould and Niles Eldredge challenged conventional
wisdom;
(2)Stephen Jay Gould and Niles Eldredge bring out an opposing
viewpoint;
(3) The opposing viewpoint is called the punctuated equilibrium
hypothesis;
(4) The punctuated equilibrium hypothesis posits that species give rise to
new species in relatively sudden bursts, without a lengthy transition
period.
原句的主要信息在(3)与(4)，即提出的opposing viewpoint是什么?punctuated equilibrium hypothesis
是什么?
接下来我们去逐个分析选项的信息。
A选项后面的gradualism定语从句错误，因为该定语从句定义的是原句的punctuated equilibrium
hypothesis，而非选项的gradualism，与原句主要信息冲突;
B选项与原句的第(1)点信息冲突，原句说的是Stephen Jay Gould and Niles Eldredge
“challenge”,而非Stephen Jay Gould and Niles Eldredge “ was challenged ”;
C 选项错在后半部分“cannot occur without a lengthy transition period
”，双重否定等于肯定，即”occur with a lengthy transition period”，这与原句第(4)点冲突;
最后看D选项的信息，总共两点：
(1)The punctuated equilibrium hypothesis is in opposition to
gradualism;
(2) The punctuated equilibrium hypothesis holds that transitions from one
species to another occur in comparatively sudden burst.
这两点与原句第(3)(4)点的主要信息刚好对应，因此选C.
需要注意的是，上面例题中的错误选项的错误很容易找到，是因为其信息与原句的主要或次要信息对应错误，在实际考试中，有些选项的信息与原句能够对应，但由于其对应的是原句的次要信息，在这种情况下，我们也需要将其排除，从而选择更好地与原句主要信息对应的选项。
我们前文中还提到了在句子简化题中，正确选项与原句之间，还有一个重要的方面不能改变，那就是主要逻辑。原句往往包含因果、转折、让步、对比等重要逻辑关系，在进行转化或简化时，这种逻辑关系不能失去，否则选项就与原句的主要信息与主要逻辑产生冲突。
我们以下面的题目为例：
The extreme seriousness of desertification results from the vast areas of
land and the tremendous numbers of people affected, as well as from the great
difficulty of reversing or even slowing the process.Which of the following best
expresses theessential information in the highlighted sentence? Incorrect answer
choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential
information.
A) Desertification is a significant problem because it is so hard toreverse
and affects large areas of land and great numbers of people.
B) Slowing down the process of desertification is difficult because of
population growth that has spread over large areas of land.
C) The spread of deserts is considered a very serious problem that can be
solved only if large numbers of peoplein various countries are involved in the
effort.
D) Desertification is extremely hard to reverse unless the population is
reduced in the vast areas affected.
按照解题步骤，先看原句的主干The extreme seriousness…result from.. vast areas
of…tremendous numbers of… as well as thegreat difficulty
of…，原句中有一个重要的信号词，即谓语动词“result from”，表明了主要的因果逻辑关系，即 result from 前面部分是果，result
from后面部分是因。
选项A的后部分because ….刚好对应原句的因，because 前部分刚好对应果。所以选A。
B选项错在把原句的两个因，结合为一个因，有出入;
C选项错在没有提及原句的因果关系，内容不切题;
D选项错在没有提及原句因果关系，内容不切题。
正如上面例题所示，原句中的因果、转折等主要逻辑关系是隐性的而非选性的，所以考生要善于发现一些重要的信号词如表示因果的result in，be
attributable to，reflect, given; considering; concerning等，表对比的before; prior to;
after等。
接着，我们说说“变”。“变”是指在在句子简化或转换时，正确选项可以对原句作出一些改变。“变”主要体现在：
(1)语法/结构可变 ;
(2)次要对象可省略;
(3)可以进行指代替换 。
如上面例题The extreme seriousness of desertification results from the vast areas
of land and the tremendous numbers of people affected , as well as from the
great difficulty of reversing or even slowing the process.原句的语法结构是主谓结构的简单句，The
extreme seriousness… results from..而正确选项Desertification is a significant problem
becauseit is so hard to reverse and affects large areas of land and great
numbers ofpeople. 是带原因状语从句的主从复合句。
如上面例题In 1972 paleontologists Stephen Jay Gould and Niles Eldredge
challenged conventional wisdom with an opposing viewpoint, the punctuated
equilibrium hypothesis, which posits that species give rise to new species in
relatively sudden bursts, without a lengthy transition period.原句提到了4点信息，而正确选项The
punctuated equilibrium hypothesis, in opposition to gradualism, holds that
transitions from one species to another occur in comparatively sudden
burst省略了次要信息In 1972 paleontologists Stephen Jay Gould and Niles Eldredge等。
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