新托福阅读之指代关系题解析

指代关系题(Reference)：考查读者认定代词与篇章中其他词语的指代关系的能力。

例题1：

Passage: “…These laws are universal in their application, regardless of cultural beliefs, geography, or climate. If pots have no bottoms or have large openings in their sides, they could hardly be considered containers in any traditional sense. Since the laws of physics, not some arbitrary decision, have determined the general form of applied-art objects, they follow basic patterns, so much so that functional forms can vary only within certain limits…”

The word they in the passage refers to

A. applied-art objects

B. the laws of physics

C. containers

D. the sides of pots

正确答案是A。

例题2：

Passage：“…The first weekly newspaper in the colonies was the Boston Gazette,established in 1719, the same year that marked the appearance of Philadelphia’s first newspaper, the American Mercury, where the young Benjamin Franklin worked. By 1760 Boston had 4 newspapers and 5 other printing establishments; Philadelphia, 2 newspapers and 3 other presses; and New York, 3 newspapers. The distribution, if not the sale, of newspapers was assisted by the establishment of a postal service in 1710, which had a network of some 65 offices by 1770, serving all 13 colonies…”

The word which in the passage refers to

A. distribution

B. sale

C. newspaper

D. postal service

正确答案是D。