时事新闻类阅读材料在近年高考中屡屡涉及。这类材料往往语言地道、内容时新。

一、材料特点

阅读材料的组成有一个共同的特点，即都是由标题(Headlines)、导语(Introductions)、背景(Background)、主体(Main body)和结尾(Ends)五部分构成。此类文章主题突出，文章的第一句话或第一自然段往往就是对整篇文章的高度概括，因此读懂首句或首段至关重要。下面分别叙述这五个部分在阅读理解中的作用：

标题是新闻报道中心思想高度而又精辟的概括，必然是命题者考虑设题的重点。这类阅读理解材料常不给出标题，而要考生选择标题。因此，同学们平时在看英语报刊或者在做时事新闻类阅读理解题时要特别注意研究标题和英语标题的特点。

知事抓导语。导语位于新闻报道的首段，高度概括新闻事实，5W(When, Where, Who, What, Why) 包括其中。因此，抓导语便对新闻事件有了大体把握，对做阅读理解试题就是抓住了“牛鼻子”。

欲知详情，读新闻背景和主体。新闻背景交待新闻事实的起因，主体则对导语概括的新闻事实进行详细叙述。

探求结果到结尾。结尾往往是新闻事件的结果或动态展望，也是中心思想的概括并常常与新闻导语相呼应，命题者也乐于在此设题。

二、命题特点

此类阅读材料的命题在新闻背景和主体部分设题较多，有时可能会省去一两个部分，要求考生依据五个部分之间的必然联系去推知未知的要素。

命题形式主要有事实细节题、词义猜测题、推理判断题和识图题等，其中事实细节题和计算题占多数。

三、备考策略

要想做好时事新闻类阅读理解题，考生必须要善于捕捉新闻细节，根据问题善于找到相关句并能分析理解长难句，善于根据上下文猜测单词、短语的含义，善于归纳、概括、推理、判断及简单计算，才能做好这部分试题。

最后给家里有电脑的同学提个建议：你可以利用电脑收听“美国之音”，那上面的材料都是最新的时事材料，同时也是最地道的美国英语。具体方法是，首先连接因特网，然后在地址栏输入“VOA慢速英语”，你就可以收听“美国之音”的新闻节目。这种既能提高英语听力，又能提高英语阅读能力，真是一举两得的事，有条件的同学不妨一试。

四、实战真题(福建卷阅读理解题)

NEWS BRIEF

●Prime Minister Tony Blair faced new allegations (指控) on Thursday that he misled Parliament and the public in making the case for the war in Iraq after he disclosed his chief legal adviser's written opinion raising questions about the legality (合法) of the war.

●US Forest Service officials are reminding people to stay off Forest Service roads that are closed. The fine for disobeying the rule of road closures is a maximum of $ 5, 000 fine and/or six months in prison. Those who enter the area and cause road damage may also be required to pay for repairs.

●In a second study presented at the meeting, scientists from the UK and Denmark showed that even a few days of high temperatures can severely reduce production of crops such as wheat, soybeans, rice and groundnuts, if it occurs when the plants are flowering.

●A bomb exploded in Thailand's mainly Muslin south on Sunday, killing two police men and wounding three others, a day after Thailand’s queen condemned those behind a 15-month wave of violence (暴力).

●Mechanicsburg 3, West York l: Ken Stamper and Rusty Bowman had seven kills each, and Ryan Warfield had six to lead the Wildcats past the Bulldogs, 25-11, 25-15, 15-25, 25-23, in a non-league match.

72. The news brief covers _______.

A. war, law, violence, culture and agriculture

B. sports, war, violence, politics and climate

C. politics, culture, violence, climate and sports

D. violence, sports, politics, law and agriculture

73. From the news brief, we can learn that _______.

A. the Bulldogs defeated the Wildcats by 3-1 in a non-league match

B. Forest Service roads are closed for repairs before they are opened again

C. quite a few violent accidents happened in Thailand before the latest one

D. the British people think the decision made by Blair about the war is of legality

74. according to the U. S. Forest Service of ficials, those who enter the area and dam age the closed roads _______.

A. shall have to pay a $ 5,000 fine for the repairs to them

B. shall be fined or put in prison, and may pay for the repairs

C. shall be fined $ 5,000 and kept in prison for six months

D. shall pay a fine and repair the roads as a punishment

75. The study of the scientists from the UK and Denmark is about _______.

A. the importance of climate and the growth of crops

B. the damage caused by high temperatures to some crops

C. the relationship between crops flowering and high temperatures

D. the effect of high temperatures on the production of some crops

【答案与解析】这一篇新闻摘要，内容涉及了法律、政治、农业、体育运动和暴力。

72. D。通读全文，根据文章各段内容可知答案。

73. C。根据第4条新闻中的a 15-month wave of violence可知，泰国的暴力事件很多。

74. B。根据第2条新闻可以看出，对进入Forest Service roads的人有3种惩罚措施。

75. D。英国和丹麦的科学家研究的是高温对农作物的产量的影响。