一、问题型
Amtrak(美国铁路客运公司)was experiencing a downswing in ridership (客运量)along the lines comprising its rail system. Of major concern to Amtrak and its advertising agency DDB Needham，were the long-distance western routes where ridership had been declining significantly.
At one time，trains were the only practical way to cross the vast areas of the west. Trains were faster，luxurious，and quite convenient compared to other forms of transportation existing at the time. However，times change and the automobile became America's standard of convenience. Also，air travel had easily established itself as the fastest method of traveling great distances. Therefore，the task for DDB Needham was to encourage consumers to consider other aspects of train travel in order to change their attitudes and increase the likelihood that trains would be considered for travel in the west.
Two portions of the total market were targeted: 1) anxious fliers---those concerned with safety，relaxation，and cleanliness and 2) travel-lovers---those viewing themselves as relaxed，casual，and interested in the travel experience as part of their vacation. The agency then developed a campaign that focused on travel experiences such as freedom，escape，relaxation，and enjoyment of the great western outdoors. It stressed experiences gained by u sing the trains and portrayed western train trips as wonderful adventures.
Advertisements showed pictures of the beautiful scenery that could be enjoyed along some of the more famous western routes and emphasized the romantic names of some of these trains(Empire Builder，etc.).These ads were strategically placed among family-oriented TV shows and programs involving nature and America in order to most effectively reach target audiences. Results were impressive. The Empire Builder, which was focused on in one ad. enjoyed a 15 percent increase in profits on its Chicago to Seattle route.(2000年1月四级真题)
31. What's the author's purpose in writing this passage?
A) To show the inability of trains to compete with planes with respect to speed and convenience.
B) To stress the influence of the automobile on America's standard of convenience.
C) To emphasize the function of travel agencies in market promotion.
D) To illustrate the important role of persuasive communication in changing consumer attitudes.
本文首段提出了美国铁路客运量下滑的问题。第二段分析原因，铁路客运量下滑主要是由于火车在便捷性和快捷性方面分别无法与汽车和飞机相媲美。最后两段说铁路客运公司的广告机构DDB Needham 通过广告宣传攻势，竭力将火车打造成为西部旅行的重要交通工具。划线部分就是要读的主要信息，黑体字是主要的标志性词语。
这是一篇典型的问题型结构模式的文章，其特点是文章的安排遵循“提出问题——分析问题——解决问题”的模式。这种文章的主旨一般落在文章的末尾处，即重心在分析问题和解决问题处。就本文而言，主旨主要是通过广告宣传改变客户态度，故选D。
二、实验型
Communications technologies are far from equal when it comes to conveying the truth. The first study to compare honesty across a range of communications media has found that people are twice as likely to tell lies in phone conversations as they are in emails. The fact that emails are automatically recorded-and can come back to haunt (困扰)you appears to be the key to the finding.
Jeff Hancock of Cornell University in Ithaca, Mew York, asked 30 students to keep a communications diary for a week. In it they noted the number of conversations or email exchanges they had lasting more than 10 minutes, and confessed to how many lies they told. Hancock then worked out the number of lies per conversation foe each medium .He found that lies made up 14 per cent of emails，21 per cent of instant messages,27 per cent of face-to-face interactions and an astonishing 37 per cent of phone calls.
His results to be presented at the conference on human-computer interaction in Vienna, Austria, in April, have surprised psychologists. Some expected emailers to be the biggest liars, reasoning that because deception makes people uncomfortable, the detachment(非直接接触)of emailing would make it easier to lie. Others expected people to lie more in face-to-face exchanges because we are most practiced at that form of communication.
But Hancock says it is also crucial whether a conversation is being recorded and could be reread, and whether it occurs in real time. People appear to be afraid to lie when they know the communication could later be used to hold them to account, he says. This is why fewer lies appear in email than on the phone.
People are also more likely to lie in real time—in a instant message or phone call, say—than if they have time to think of a response, says Hancock. He fond many lies are spontaneous (脱口而出的)responses to an unexpected demand, such as: "Do you like my dress?"
Hankcock hopes his research will help companies work out the best ways for their employees to communicate. For instance, the phone might be the best medium for sales where employees are encouraged to stretch the truth. But, given his results, work assessment where honesty is a priority, might be best done using email.(2006年6月四级真题)
57.Hancock's study focuses on ____________.
A)the consequences of lying in various communications media.
B)the success of communications technologies in conveying ideas.
C)people are less likely to lie in instant messages.
D)people 's honesty levels across a range of communications media.
不难看出，本文讲的是一个实验，即人们通过不同的交流媒介进行交流时，其诚信度是不一样的。这种文章称为实验型文章，其结构模式比较特殊，主要体现在以下两点：
一、文中含有实验人的话、实验人的观点、实验人的期望的句子是要重点阅读的句子;含有表示实验结果的句子也是要重点阅读的句子，一般以to find, to show, to discover, to test等词为标志。本文划线的句子即要重点阅读的主题信息，黑体字是主要标志性词汇，与其它文章一样，支持性信息处采用了跳读。
二、文章一般开头提出实验的主旨，即实验的最终目的或最终结果，末尾提出实验的应用或实验的意义。如本文的主旨是不同交流媒介体现了不同的诚信度，实验的意义是要为公司员工的交流探索最佳的模式。
这种文章的主旨题通常也以考查实验目的或实验结果为主。由此，57题应该选择D。
以上就是笔者对于四级仔细阅读中主旨题解法的一些见解。广大考生只要在平时的阅读中加强略读和跳读能力的训练，相信是不会被这种题型难倒的。
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