Today on Inside the TOEFL Test,

今天的《托福考試內參》。

we're going inside the TOEFL iBT Listening section.

我們要進入托福iBT聽力部分。

Specifically, the inference questions.

具體來說，推理題。

Inference questions ask the listener

推斷問題問聽眾

to show an understanding of the meaning of something

悟性

when it is not directly stated in the lecture or conversation.

當講課或談話中沒有直接說出來時。

You can recognize inference questions

你可以認識推理題

because they use phrases like

因為他們使用的短語是

"What are the implications of ...?",

"......的影響是什麼？"。

"What does the professor imply...?"

"教授的意思是......？"

or "What can be inferred...?"

或 "可以推斷出什麼......？"

Let's look at a sample question from a literature lecture about

我們來看一個文學講座的例題，關於

detective novels, including a famous one called The Moonstone.

偵探小說，包括一部著名的《月光石》。

First, here is an excerpt from the lecture:

首先，以下是講座的節選。

PROFESSOR: Um, so in The Moonstone, as I said,

教授：嗯，所以在《月光石》中，正如我所說。

uh, Collins did much to establish the conventions

呃，柯林斯做了很多建立慣例

of the detective genre.

偵探類型的。

Uh, I'm not gonna go into the plot at length,

呃，我不打算長篇大論地說說劇情。

but, you know, the basic setup is ...

但是，你知道，基本的設置是... ...

um, there's this diamond of great uh ..

嗯，有這個鑽石的偉大呃... ...

of great value, uh, a country house,

價值不菲的，呃，一棟鄉村別墅。

uh, the diamond mysteriously disappears

呃，鑽石神祕地消失了

in the middle of the night,

在半夜裡。

um, the local police are brought in,

嗯，當地的警察被帶到了。

in an attempt to solve the crime,

以期破案。

and they mess it up completely, uh,

他們搞砸了完全，呃，

and then the true hero of the book arrives.

然後書中真正的英雄就來了。

That's Sergeant Cuff.

那是Cuff中士.

Now, Cuff, this extraordinarily important character um ...

現在，卡夫，這個特別重要的人物... ...

well, let me try to give you a sense of who Sergeant Cuff is,

好吧，讓我試著給你一個感覺 誰是Cuff中士。

by first describing the regular police.

首先介紹一下正規警察。

And uh this is the dynamic that you're going to see

呃，這是動態的，你會看到

throughout the history of the detective novel,

在偵探小說的歷史上，。

um, where you have the regular cops-who are well-meaning,

嗯，你有正規的警察，誰是善意的。

but officious and bumblingly inept-and uh they are countered

但是，惡意的和笨拙的無能，呃，他們是反擊的

by a figure who's eccentric, analytical, brilliant, and ...

由一個古怪的、分析性的、聰明的、... ...

and able to solve the crime.

並能破案。

So, uh first the regular police get called in

所以，呃，首先正規的警察被叫來了

to solve the mystery-

解開謎團

Um, in this case, detective, uh, Superintendent Seegrave.

嗯，在這種情況下，偵探，呃， 警司Seegrave。

When Superintendent Seegrave comes in,

當Seegrave警司進來的時候。

uh he orders his minions around, uh they bumble,

呃，他命令他的部下， 呃，他們跌跌撞撞。

and they actually make a mess of the investigation,

而他們居然把調查搞得一團糟。

uh which you'll see repeated-

呃，你會看到重複

um, you'll see this pattern repeated,

嗯，你會看到這種模式重複。

particularly in the Sherlock Holmes stories

尤其是在福爾摩斯的故事中

of a few years later where, uh, Inspector Lestrade,

幾年後 Lestrade探長在那裡

this well-meaning idiot, is always countered, uh,

這個善意的白痴，總是被反駁，呃，

by Sherlock Holmes, who's a genius.

夏洛克-福爾摩斯，他是個天才。

MICHAEL: Now, let's look at the question.

現在，讓我們看看這個問題。現在，讓我們來看看這個問題。

NARRATOR: What does the professor imply

旁白：教授的意思是什麼？

when he says this:

當他說這句話的時候。

PROFESSOR: Well, let me try to give you a sense of

教授：好吧，讓我試著給你一個感覺吧。

who Sergeant Cuff is, by first describing the regular police.

袖口警長是誰，先介紹一下正規警察。

MICHAEL: We can see that this is an inference question

我們可以看出這是一個推理問題。我們可以看到，這是一個推理問題

because it uses the word "imply" and asks the listener

因為它使用了 "暗示 "一詞，並詢問聽眾。

to understand the meaning of something

釋義

that is not directly stated by the professor.

那是教授沒有直接說的。

When the professor says this:

當教授說這。

PROFESSOR: Well, let me try to give you a sense of

教授：好吧，讓我試著給你一個感覺吧。

who Sergeant Cuff is, by first describing the regular police.

袖口警長是誰，先介紹一下正規警察。

MICHAEL: He is hinting that there is a difference

MICHAEL:他在暗示有一個區別

between the behavior of the regular police

在正規警察的行為之間

and that of Sergeant Cuff.

和卡夫中士的名字。

This contrast is supported in other parts of the passage.

這種對比在這段話的其他地方也得到了支持。

For example, the speaker describes the regular police

例如，演講者描述了正規警察

as "bumblingly inept."

作為 "笨拙無能"。

He also says it is common in detective novels for them

他還說，在偵探小說中，他們是很常見的。

to be countered by a specific character,

要用特定的字元來反駁。

in this case Sergeant Cuff, who is "brilliant".

在這種情況下，卡夫中士，他是 "天才"。

Taken together, we can see that the best answer is A,

綜上所述，我們可以看出，最佳答案是A。

Sergeant Cuff is unlike the regular police in The Moonstone.

袖口警長不同於《月光石》中的普通警察。

Here's a tip for improving your listening skills:

這裡有一個提高聽力能力的小竅門。

Listen to recordings of two speakers

聽取兩位發言者的錄音

with different viewpoints

眾說紛紜

about the same topic.

關於同一個話題。

What words do the speakers use to support their ideas?

發言者用什麼詞來支持自己的觀點？

Are the words mainly positive or negative?

詞語主要是褒義詞還是貶義詞？

Then look at how they imply positive or negative ideas

然後看看它們是如何暗示積極或消極的想法的

without saying them directly.

不直接說出來。

There are lots of ways to improve your English skills.

有很多方法可以提高你的英語能力。

Whatever you do, keep practicing.

不管你做什麼，都要繼續練習。

And good luck on your TOEFL test.

並祝你托福考試順利。