1. 寻找主题句:
抓住段落或文章主题的捷径之一就是在段落或文章中寻找主题句。主题句是指能表达或概况段落主题或文章主要内容的句子， 通常是一个简洁、完整、具有概况性的句子，较多出现在说明文和议论文中，而其他句子则围绕着主题句展开进行说明解释或扩展。
主题句在文中的位置:
1)开门见山：提出主题----细节支撑阐明主题
2)段末点睛：细节描述----归纳要点---概括主题
3)段中点旨：细节描述---归纳主题---进一步解释
4)无主题句:考生需根据文章中所叙述的事实或提供的线索来概括和总结文章的大意
2. 捕捉关键词：
略读是概括和归纳文章或段落大意的基本方法。略读时要快，把注意力集中在关键词（即实词）上，非关键词（即虚词）则一带而过。注意出现频率高的词可能是蕴涵中心思想的关键词，分析归纳筛选出最能表达主旨或这这意图 的关键词，继而确定文章的主旨大意。
3. 仔细推敲选项：
1）主旨大意题的干扰项的特点有：
①以偏概全：只阐述了文章的部分内容，也就是文章的局部信息；
②无中生有或似是而非：有的干扰项中的关键词语好像在文章中谈到了，但认真分析之后你会发现这类干扰项的内容与文章的内容毫无联系。
③主题扩大：归纳概括的范围过大，超过文章实际讨论的内容；
④张冠李戴：命题者有意地把属于A的特征放在B的身上，构成一个干扰项。在我们不注意的情况下，会造成错选答案。
2）主旨大意题的正确选项特征
①含有抽象名词和概括性词语的选项往往是正确答案；
②较全面、有针对性地表达文章中心思想的选项一般是答案项。

A
 (陕西省宝鸡中学2014年高考模拟)For most of us, the rain that falls on our roof runs off into the ground or the sewer(下水道) system. But if you want to save a little water and reuse it on your lawns or plants—or even use it for laundry, dishes, or other needs—collecting rainwater from your gutter’s downspouts(檐槽的水落 管) is a no-brainer.
 According to John C. Davis, writing in E / The Environmental Magazine, just about any homeowner can collect rainwater, given that the roof and gutters do most of the work. And since an inch of rain falling on a 2,000-square-foot roof produces some 1,200 gallons of water, you can harvest enough to water you r lawn or garden.
 Plants and grass actually do better when fed rainwater instead of tap  water, which is usually treated with substances that can hold back plant growth. Using rainwater can also extend the life of pipes, since the salts added to tap water may gradually damage the pipes. However, homeowners should set up a water purification system if they do plan to use rainwater for inside needs.
 Rainwater harvesting can also be good for the local community, as it reduces the erosion, flooding, and pollution associated with heavy rainfall, and reduces dependence on  public water supplies. So some states fund rainwater collection systems in their local communities.
 Many varieties of rain barrel(桶) systems, starting at just $100, are available for home use. A typical setup is simply a rain barrel positioned under a gutter’s downspout. Skillful homeowners can make their own water harvesting systems, but buying one is a lot easier. Most garden centres offer a range of choices as well as tips.
1. The underlined word “no-brainer” in Para. 1 probably means something that ______.
 A. is hard to deal with  B. is very easy
 C. is of no real value  D. deserves more attention
2.From Paragraphs 3 and 4, we can learn _______.
 A. how to set up a water harvesting system    B. how a rain barrel system works
 C. some advice on saving tap water          D. the benefits of using rainwater
3.What is the topic of the passage ?
 A. Basic gardening skills.                B. Water-saving techniques.
 C. Wastewater treatment systems.          D. Roof rainwater collection.
B
(黑龙江省大庆铁人中学2014学年高三月考)I’ve loved my mother’s desk since I was just tall enough to see above the top of it as mother sat doing letters. Standing by her chair, looking at the ink bottle, pens, and white paper, I decided that the act of writing must be the more wonderful thing in the world.
Years later, during her final ill ness, mother kept different things for my sister and brother. “But the desk,” she’d said again, “it’s for Elizabeth.”
I never saw her angry, never saw her cry. I knew she loved me; she showed it in action. But as a young girl, I wanted heart-to-heart talks between mother and daughter.
They never happened. And a gulf opened between us. I was “too emotional(易动感情的)”. But she lived “on the surface”.
As years passed I had my own family. I loved my mother and thanked her for our happy family. I wrote to her in careful words and asked her to let me know in any way she chose that she did forgive me.
I posted the letter and waited for her answer. None came.
My hope turned to disappointment, then little interest and, finally, peace— it seemed that nothing happened. I couldn’t be sure that the letter had even got to mother. I only knew that I had written it, and I could stop trying to make her into someone she was not.
Now the present of her desk told, as she’d never been able to, that she was pleased that writing was my chosen work. I cleaned the desk carefully and found some papers inside —a photo of my father and a one-page letter, folded and refolded many times.
Give me an answer, my letter asks, in any way you choose. Mother, you always chose the act that speaks louder than words.
4.The passage shows that ______.
A. mother cared much about her daughter in words
B. mother was too serious about everything her daughter had done
C. mother was cold on the surface but kind in her heart to her daughter
D. mother wrote to her daughter in careful words
5.The underlined word “gulf” in the fourth paragraph means ______.
A. different ideas between the mother and the daughter
B. deep understanding between the old and the young
C. free talks between mother and daughter
D. part of the sea going far in land
6.What’s the best title of the passage?
A. My letter to Mother                B. Mother and Children
C. Talks between Mother and Me       D. My mother’s Desk
 
C
(安徽省池州一中2014届高三月考)The Mandarin Chinese word for “cha” is pronounced “t'e” in certain Chinese dialects. Also the Malay word for the leaf is“the”. This word “the” was used to describe both the drink and the leaf. The Japanese character for tea is written exactly the same as the Chinese, though pronounced with a slight difference; so these may be the origins of our word tea in the western world.
Tea may have been discovered in 2737 BC by Shen Nong, a Chinese E mperor of the San Huang Period(3,000 - 2,700 BC). He was a scholar, the father of agriculture and the inventor of Chinese herbal medicine. One summer day, while visiting a distant place, he and the court stopped to rest and his servants began to boil water for the court to drink. Dried leaves fro m the nearby bush fell into the boiling water, and made it a brown liquid. The Emperor was interested in the new liquid, drank some, and found it very refreshing. The tree was a wild tea tree, and so, tea was created.
The first samples of tea reached England between 1652 and 1654. Tea was referred to as the China drink, tcha, chaw, tay, tee, and tea and was at first regarded more as a medicine than a fashionable drink. The original English pronunciation of the word tea was “tay” and can be traced back to around 1655 when the Dutch introduced b oth word and beverage(饮料)to England. The pronunciation “tee” also originated in the 1600's but only gained pre dominance(主导地位)after the late 18th century.
By 1650 the Dutch were actively involved in trade throughout the Western world. D uring that year Peter Stuyvesant brought the first tea to America to the colonists(殖民地定居者)in the Dutch settlement of New Amsterdam (later re-named New York).
1.The following information is true EXCEPT ________.
A. The Japanese write the character for tea the same way as we Chinese.
B. It was a Chinese Emperor who first found tea very refreshing.
C. The word “the” was used to describe only the leaf.
D. Tea was discovered quite by chance in history.
2.Paragraph 2 mainly tells us  ________.
A. that Shen Nong, was a famous inventor of Chinese herbal medicine
B. why the Emperor was brave and dared to run risks
C. whether Shen Nong liked drinking boiled water outside the court
D. the way in which tea was created outdoors 
3.From Paragraph 3 we know ________.
A. that the leaf tea should be put in hot water for drinking 
B. that tea was called the China drink, tcha, chaw, tay, tee, t'e and tea in England
C. what the early situation of tea was like in the Western world  
D. that tea was first brought to America in the late 16th century
D
(山东省淄博第五中学2014届高三质检)Life is to be enjoyed. There’s no p oint in giving up something you enjoy unless you get something back that’s even better. When people eat more healthfully, exercise, quit smoking, and manage stress better, they find that they feel so much better that it reconstructs the reason for making these changes from fear of dying to joy of living.  The latest studies show that when you exercise and eat right:
YOUR BRAIN receives more blood flow and oxygen, so you become smarter, think more clearly, have more energy, and need less sleep. Two studies showed that just walking for three hours per week for only three months caused so  many new neurons (神经细胞) to grow that it actually increased the size of people’s brains!
YOUR FACE receives more blood flow, so your skin glows more and wrinkles less. You look younger and more attractive. In contrast, an unhealthy diet, chronic emotional stress and smoking reduce blood flow to your face so you age more quickly. Smoking accelerates aging because nicotine causes your arteries (动脉) to narrow down, which decreases blood flow to your face and makes it wrinkle earlier. This is why smokers look years older than they really are.
YOUR GENES change. In May, a study was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences showing that changing your lifestyle changes your genes.
YOUR TELOMERES (染色体端粒) get longer. Telomeres are the ends of our chromosomes (染色体) that control how long we live. As telomeres become shorter, then cells age more quickly, thus shortening your life.
 Besides, one of the most interesting findings in the study was that the mothers’ awareness of stress was more important than what was really occurring in their lives. The researchers gave the women a questionnaire and ask ed them to rate on a three-point scale how stressed they felt each day, and how out of control their lives felt to them. The women who were aware that they were under heavy stress had significantly shortened and damaged telomeres compared wit h those who felt more relaxed. On the contrary, some of the women who felt relaxed despite raising a disabled child had more normal-appearing telomeres.
In other words, if you feel stressed, you are stressed; if you feel fine, you are  fine.
4.The best title for the passage would be _________.  
A. Eat better, live better   B. Feel better, live longer
C. Less stress, fewer diseases        D.  Smoke more, age sooner
5.The underlined words “your skin glows” in Paragraph 3 are closest in meaning to _________.
A. your skin becomes white as there is plenty of sunshine
B. your skin becomes smooth as there is much blood in it
C. your skin looks pink as you are healthy
D. your skin becomes soft as you exercise enough
6.In the author’s opinion, when you exercise and eat right, you will experience some changes EXCEPT ________.
A. brains becoming cleverer   B. faces having fewer wrinkles
C. arteries turning narrower           D. genes being changed
7. From the last but one paragraph we learn that _________.
A. mothers will have more damaged telomeres if they raise a disabled child
B. mothers don’t know how to handle stress effectively
C. some women were asked to fill out a questionnaire about educating children
D. mothers’ positive attitudes are the key to managing their stress

A.
【语篇解读】本文属于说明文，主要介绍了收集并利用雨水的可行性以及收集雨水的方法和好处。比如，人们可以利用雨水灌溉草坪，植物学；作用雨水可以延长管道寿命；可以有效减少暴雨而造成的洪涝灾害，而且还可以减少人们对公共供水的依赖。
1.【答案解析】B。从常识可以判断从房檐落水管里收集雨水是非常简单的事情，而且下文just about any homeowner can collect rainwater,也是一个很好的提示，故答案选B。
2.【答案解析】D。第三四段是讲述利用雨水可以灌溉植物草坪，可以延长管道寿命，对当地社区也有好处，可以减少因暴雨而造成的洪涝，所以文章三四段的中心内容是关于利用雨水的好处，故答案选D。
3.【答案解析】D。作者在文章第一段提出收集雨水的话题，然后在第二段介绍收集雨水的可行性，在第三四段介绍利用雨水的好处，最后是关于如何去收集雨水的一些建议，由此判断文章中心话题是雨水的收集，所以D选项正确。
B
【语篇解读】本文是一篇故事类短文。作者的母亲深深地爱着孩子们，但是她只是把爱表现在行动上，从来没用用语言表露过。而作者却希望能够和母亲面对面的谈心，希望能亲耳听到感人的话语，于是给母亲写了一封信，但是母亲直到去世也没有给作者回信，直到作者收拾母亲的书桌时，她才意识到母亲的爱一直都在。
4.【答案解析】C。作文中作者对母亲故事的讲述以及作者自己的意识I knew she loved me, she showed it in action和文章最后Mother, you always chose the act that speaks louder than words.可知母亲对孩子的爱深藏于内心，却只表现在行动上，而不是在语言上，故答案选C。
5.【答案解析】A。根据文章第三段I knew she loved me ,she showed it in action. But as a young girl, I wanted heart-to-heart talks between mother and daughter.可知作者和母亲的做法、想法是不同的，他们之间存在着代沟，故A选项正确。
6.【答案解析】D。文章开头提出自己小时候就喜欢母亲的书桌要，然后讲到母亲在去世前把书桌留给了作者，由此引出了母亲对儿女的爱，所以desk象征了母亲对孩子深深的爱，故D选项内容更能体现文章中心，答案选C。
C
【语篇解读】中国是茶的发源地，有关中国饮茶起源最普通的说法是认为茶是神农在野外釜锅煮水时，刚好有几片叶子本地飘进锅中，而后煮好的水，其色微黄，喝入口中生津止渴、提神醒脑，从此才有了茶的发现。本文作者介绍了茶在中国的起源，以及最初传到国外的情况。
1.【答案解析】C。从文章首段This word "the" was used to describe both the drink and the leaf.可知"the"既指叶也指茶饮料。所以选择C正确。
2.【答案解析】D。在文章第二段作者讲述了神农发现茶叶的故事，由此可知第二段中心内容是介绍茶的发现，故D选项正确。
3.【答案解析】C。文章第三段讲述了茶首次运到England的情况，包括当时西方人对茶的看法以及发音等，由此判断第三段的中以内容是关于茶最初传入西方国家的一些情况，故答案选C。
D
【语篇解读】最新研究表明适当的煅炼和正确的饮食和愉悦的心情能给人们带来很多的好处。比如一个人的大脑会有更多的血液流过，带来更多的氧气，这样人就会思维活跃，精力充沛；此外，面部也会减少皱纹，看上去更漂亮。而不恰当的饮食，不良情绪和吸烟却会加速一个人的衰老和死亡。
4.【答案解析】B。文章开头提出life is to be enjoyed,然后讲述健康的饮食，适当的煅炼和对压力的正确处理给人带来好处，最后进行总结概括In other words, if you feel stressed, you are stressed; if you feel fine, you are fine.由此可知B选项标题能够体现文章中心，故答案选B。
5.【答案解析】C。根据下文You look younger and more attractive.可以推测出如果一个人看上云年轻漂亮的话，皮肤应该是健康的颜色，由此可知C选项正确。
6.【答案解析】C。根据文章第三段Smoking accelerates aging because nicotine causes your arteries to narrow down.可知吸烟这种不健康的习惯会让动脉血管变窄，所以正确答案为C。
7.【答案解析】D。在本段中作者首先提出the most interesting findings was that the mothers' awareness of stress was more important.然后介绍了对此进行的调查结果，即女性对压力的意识和心情放松的程度影响着染色体端粒的正常与否，由此判断母亲积极乐观的态度是处理压力的关键，故答案选D。