专业技术人员以英语为工具，主要通过阅读获取相关学科和专业的信息，因此，全国专业技术职称英语等级考试也主要是考阅读理解。从考试题型来看，主要是多项选择题。该题型在职称英语等级考试中占15题，45分(占总分的45％)。另外，全国专业技术职称英语等级考试中还采用了阅读判断、概括大意与完成句子、补全短文和选择填空等题型，它们实质上也是考核阅读能力的题型。由此可见，为了通过全国专业技术职称英语等级考试，必须掌握最基本的阅读技能，努力提高阅读理解能力。
全国职称英语等级纲就阅读理解能力的考核目标作了如下规定：
读者应能综合运用英语语言知识和阅读技能来理解本专业的或一般内容的英语书面材料。阅读能力主要包括下列几个方面：
1．掌握所读材料的主旨和大意；
2．了解阐述主旨的事实和细节；
3．利用上下文猜测某些词汇和短语的意义；
4．既理解个别句子的意义，也理解上下文之间的意义关系；
5．根据所读材料进行判断和推论；
6．领会作者的观点、意图和态度。
根据纲规定的考核目标，我们归纳出相应的六种阅读理解题的类型，并具体地探讨如何答好这些阅读理解题。
1．掌握所读材料的主旨和大意
掌握所读材料的主旨和大意是正确理解全文的关键。对主题思想的提问是阅读理解测试的必考题。但提问方式及用词都有差异，这类题常见提问方式可归纳如下：
1. The main idea of this passage is _______
2. This passage tellsus_______
3. Which of the following statements best expresses the main ideaof the passage?
4. Which of the following sentences best summarizes theauthor's main point?
5. Which of the following best states the theme of thepassage?
6. The subject matter of this selection is ______
7. Thepassage mainly discusses_______
8. This passage illustrates ______
9. This paragraph centers / focuses on ______
10. This passage mainly deals with______
11. This passage is chiefly concerned with ______
12. The author'spurpose in writing this passage is _______
13. What is the passage mainlyabout?
14. What is the best title of the passage?
15. The major pointdiscussed in the passage is转自学易网 www.studyez.com转自学易网 www.studyez.com
解答这一类题目的基本方法如下：
A．找出主题句。首先要读标题，因为标题往往是主题句中的核心词或概括性的词。抓住全文中心思想的最快捷的途径就是找出主题句。主题句一般位于文章或段落的开始，然后围绕主题展开论述。因为许多作者喜欢采用从一般到个别的论证或叙述方式，即演绎法(deduction)。这是一种很常见的文章或段落的写作形式。若作者采用归纳法(induction)，即从个别到一般来论证或叙述，主题旬就会位于段末。除此之外，主题句还有可能位于段落的中间。找到主题句后，就应以它为标准，在解题时，凡是与主题句意思最接近的选项必然是正确的答案。
例1
In rock music there is a distinct and almost overwhelming beat．No singlebeat is characteristic of the music today. But each song has an easilyrecognizable rhythm．As you listen to a son9，your foot usually starts to pick upthe beat．Before lon9，your entire body seems to be moving with it．Your headpounds with the beat，and there is no room for thought．Only the surge of themusic is important．In its own way，rock music is as dominant as the rockGibraltar. Its message is an evergrowing emotional one．
在这一段文章中 “In rockmusic there is a distinct and almost overwhelming beat.”为主题句。beat则是句子的信息核心。该词在第2、4、6句里重复出现，而第3句中的“rhythm”(节奏)跟“beat”(强烈的节奏)意思基本一致，这就保证了主题平稳而持续的发展。请注意：第8、9句作者重申并总结了主题句，而不是说段末是主题句。
例2
The vegetable and fruit and flower merchantsare surrounded by baskets of purple eggplants， green peppers，strings of tinysilvery onions，heads of bitter Indian spinach．and a dozen Indian vegetables forwhich I don’t even know the English names．I had forgotten about the profusion offruit in India—it is only during the brief intense summer that you see muchvariety of fruit in Moscow. In Russia，as winter approaches all vegetables exceptfor potatoes and the pervasive cabbage in soup seem to disappear from themenus．
主题句在中间的第二句“I had forgotten about the profusion of fruit in India—it isonly during the brief intense summer that you see much variety of fruit inMoscow.”
例3
People live in cities today thinkthat meat is something that comes wrapped in cellophane．from thesupermarket，potatoes come by the pound in plastic or paper bags，and feathergrows in hats. The city dwellers’ views are quite different from the views oftheir ancestors, who knew that? meat is hunted down in the forest，potatoes areplanted and weeded，and only birds can produce1eathers. Yet, whether people todayrealize it or not，they are still as dependent on animals and plants for theirexistence as their ancestors were．
主题句为最后一句 “Yet，whether people todayrealize it or not，they are still as dependent on animals and plants for theirexistence as their ancestorswere.”
以上为叙述的方便并考虑到篇幅的限制，只选单段短文为例。实际上阅读理解题中大部分是多段短文。但主题句一般出现在起始段。
B．概括和归纳出主题思想。实际上，在阅读理解测试部分有的文章是没有主题句的。这是由于文章的体裁不同或是由于阅读的短文是从篇幅较长的文章中节选的。这时就要靠读者自己进行概括或归纳隐含的主题思想了。概括主题可以从归纳每段的要点开始(大部分阅读理解短文都是由数段组成)，最后将各段要点集中概括并归纳出全文的主题思想。下面不妨考察几个例子：　
例4
Abus driver must answer questions while guiding a bus through heavy traffic. Allday long, the driver answers the same questions without becoming angry. Everyfew minutes a bus driver has to ask passengers to step to the rear of the bus.In spite of traffic snarls and thoughtless passengers who cause delays, a busdriver is expected to cover his or her route onschedule.
这一段的隐含主题句可概括为“Driving a bus is hard work.”转自学易网 www.studyez.com
例5
A green I-538 form is usedby international students in order to obtain permission from the Immigration andNaturalization Service to transfer from one university to another in the UnitedStates. If you are planning to transfer, remember that you must obtain thepermission before leaving the university where you are currently studying. Youmust complete the form I-538, have it signed by the foreign student advisor, andsubmit it to the District Office of the Immigration and Naturalization Servicetogether with the form I-20 from the new school and the small, white form I-94that was affixed to your passport when you entered the country.
Submitting the signed 1-538 and other documents does not insure permission totransfer. Only an official of Immigration can decide each case. Students whohave not completed one term of study at the school that issued them their firstI-20 are not advised to file for permission to transfer until they havecompleted one term.转自学易网 www.studyez.com转自学易网 www.studyez.com
这篇短文的隐含主题旬可归纳为“What should an international student d0．if he or she wants to transfer from oneuniversity to another in the United States.