Long Texts 長篇閱讀
進階分段 + 主旨。
- 長文不用逐字讀：skim 首尾拿主旨，中間認結構字。
- 結構字是路標：however、in contrast、as a result 標示轉折因果。
- 標註系統：圈人名、格日期、底線意見——答題時立即找到。
文體小知識：Handle long passages.
§課文原文 Passage
1Many people believe that money brings happiness, and the belief is not entirely foolish. Money pays the rent, buys medicine and funds education, so of course the poor become happier as their income rises. The trouble begins later. Studies show that once basic needs are met, extra money adds surprisingly little joy. A banker earning ten times a teacher's salary is not ten times as cheerful. What really matters, the research insists, are relationships with family and friends, together with physical and mental health. People who chase wealth at the cost of their loved ones often end up with a rich but lonely life, which is not a happy one.
2Long passages like this one appear throughout the DSE reading paper, and they intimidate candidates who try to understand every single sentence. The professionals do something different. They skim the introduction and conclusion for the writer's main idea, then study how each paragraph is organised: does it give an argument, an example, a counter-example or a detail? A well-structured article usually announces its own structure. Words such as 'however', 'in contrast' and 'as a result' are signposts; annotate them as you read, and the organisation of the whole text becomes visible at a glance.
3Annotation also helps you organize information for the toughest question types. Circle names, box dates and underline opinions, then match them against the questions afterwards. When a question asks what the writer means by a phrase, return to that paragraph and read two sentences before and after it; the surrounding detail, not the phrase itself, usually holds the answer.
4So the lesson of the passage applies to the exam as well as to life. Chasing every single word, like chasing every single dollar, leaves you exhausted and no happier. Focus on what matters — the main idea, the structure, the evidence — and let the rest support it from the background.
§逐句中文翻譯 Sentence-by-sentence translation
Many people believe that money brings happiness, and the belief is not entirely foolish.
許多人相信金錢帶來快樂，而這個想法並非全然愚蠢。
Money pays the rent, buys medicine and funds education, so of course the poor become happier as their income rises.
金錢能支付租金、購買藥物和資助教育，貧窮的人收入增加時自然更快樂。
The trouble begins later.
問題在其後才出現。
Studies show that once basic needs are met, extra money adds surprisingly little joy.
研究顯示，一旦基本需要得到滿足，額外的金錢所增添的快樂少得出奇。
A banker earning ten times a teacher's salary is not ten times as cheerful.
薪金是教師十倍的銀行家，快樂程度並非十倍。
What really matters, the research insists, are relationships with family and friends, together with physical and mental health.
研究堅持，真正重要的是與家人朋友的關係，以及身心健康。
People who chase wealth at the cost of their loved ones often end up with a rich but lonely life, which is not a happy one.
為追求財富而犧牲摯愛的人，最終往往過着富有卻孤獨的生活——那並不快樂。
Long passages like this one appear throughout the DSE reading paper, and they intimidate candidates who try to understand every single sentence.
像這樣的長篇文章在文憑試閱讀卷中隨處可見，令企圖逐句讀懂的考生望而生畏。
The professionals do something different.
高手卻有不同的做法。
They skim the introduction and conclusion for the writer's main idea, then study how each paragraph is organised: does it give an argument, an example, a counter-example or a detail?
他們先略讀開頭和結尾以掌握作者的主要思想，再研究每段的結構：它提出論點、例子、反例還是細節？
A well-structured article usually announces its own structure.
結構嚴謹的文章通常會自行展示其結構。
Words such as 'however', 'in contrast' and 'as a result' are signposts; annotate them as you read, and the organisation of the whole text becomes visible at a glance.
「however」、「in contrast」和「as a result」等字眼都是路標；閱讀時加以標註，全文的組織便一目了然。
Annotation also helps you organize information for the toughest question types.
標註亦有助你為最難的題型整理資訊。
Circle names, box dates and underline opinions, then match them against the questions afterwards.
圈出人名、框起日期、在意見之下畫線，其後再與題目對照。
When a question asks what the writer means by a phrase, return to that paragraph and read two sentences before and after it; the surrounding detail, not the phrase itself, usually holds the answer.
當題目問及作者某個用語的意思時，回到該段，閱讀前後各兩句；答案通常藏在上下文細節之中，而非那個用語本身。
So the lesson of the passage applies to the exam as well as to life.
因此，這篇文章的寓意既適用於考試，也適用於人生。
Chasing every single word, like chasing every single dollar, leaves you exhausted and no happier.
追逐每個字眼，就如追逐每一塊錢一樣，只會令你筋疲力竭，卻不見得更快樂。
Focus on what matters — the main idea, the structure, the evidence — and let the rest support it from the background.
專注於真正重要的東西——主旨、結構、證據——讓其餘的退居幕後作為輔助。
1重點摘要 Summary
分段 + 主旨。
2生字卡 Vocabulary
長。
段落。
結構。
主旨。
小節。
略讀。
標註。
組織。
3逐步講解 Steps
- 分段長文不必逐字細讀，正確策略是分段處理：先 skim 首段與尾段拿全文主旨，再為每個中段定性——用結構詞（however、in contrast、as a result）判斷該段的功能：論點？例子？反例？還是細節補充？定性之後，答題便能按圖索驥：問主旨回首尾段，問細節回相應中段，時間節省一半以上，準確度反而更高。
- 主旨每段煉成一句主旨，以課文為例：第一段——基本需要滿足之後，金錢買不到額外的快樂（薪酬十倍的銀行家並不快樂十倍）；尾段點題「Focus on what matters」（專注重要之事）。一句 summary 對應一段，全篇主旨串起來便是一張內容地圖；答 main idea 題時，這些句子就是現成答案，不必重新通讀全文，直接引用即可。
- 標註標註系統要固定而簡單：圈人名、框日期、底線意見句（The research insists...）。標註的目的是令答案可即時定位——答題時不用翻遍全文，循記號直接回到證據句。切勿標註過多：通篇螢光筆等於沒有標註；只標三類東西（人名、數字、觀點），每類一種記號。平日練習便用同一套系統，考場上自然駕輕就熟，不會浪費時間思索記號含義。
- 結構長文的骨架通常是 intro—body—conclusion：開頭立題，中段展開，結尾收束。「The trouble begins later」這類轉折句是路標——它標示文章由現象轉入問題，或由好處轉入壞處。辨認路標的方法：留意段首的 however、yet、later、in fact；轉折之後的段落往往是作者真正立場所在，也是推論題與立場題最愛出題的位置，宜多花心思細讀。
- 前後文「詞組意思」題的答案是讀出來的，不是猜出來的：回到該段，讀詞組的前後兩句——答案通常在上文下理，而不在詞組本身。方法三步：一，代入原意讀一次，看是否通順；二，找前後句的邏輯關係（因果、轉折、舉例）；三，用前後句的關鍵字組成簡短解釋。謹記：surrounding detail（周邊細節）才是答案所在，望文生義必錯。
- 跳過生字生字不要困住自己：一個字不明白，先跳過，用上文下理估計大意——作者舉例子、下定義、作對比的地方，通常會自動解釋生字。只有當整段文字都圍繞同一個生字運轉時，才值得停下來推敲。DSE 閱讀卷的設計原則是：核心答案不會只依賴單一生字；把時間花在結構與主旨，回報遠高於個別詞彙，這是長文時間管理的關鍵。
- 不要追每字記住文章自己的教訓：「Chasing every single word, like chasing every single dollar, leaves you exhausted」——追逐每個字，就像追逐每一分錢，只會令人精疲力竭。長文閱讀抓三樣：主旨、結構、證據句；其餘詞彙讓它們留在背景支持即可。養成這種閱讀觀，遇到三頁長文也不會慌，因為你知道自己在找什麼、到哪裏找。
5例題示範 Example
用「金錢與快樂」這篇長文做示範：三步拆解一篇 DSE 長文章——skim 首尾、認結構字、標註資訊。
- 第一步：skim 首尾定主旨：開頭承認錢有用（交租、買藥、學費），尾段點題「Focus on what matters」。
- 第二步：認結構字：「The trouble begins later」是轉折路標；however、in contrast、as a result 標示段落功能。
- 第三步：每段標用途：第一段論點（基本需要滿足後錢的快樂遞減）、第二段教方法、第三段教標註、第四段呼應主旨。
- 第四步：標註分工：圈人名、框起日期、底線意見句（The research insists...）。
- 第五步：遇到「詞組意思」題：回那段讀前後兩句——答案通常在上文下理，不是詞組本身。
- 答案：這篇長文自己示範了長文讀法。第一步 skim 首尾：開頭承認錢有用（交租、買藥、學費），結尾點題「Focus on what matters」——主旨是基本需要滿足後金錢的快樂遞減，真正重要是關係和健康。第二步認結構字：「The trouble begins later」是轉折路標，however、in contrast 標示段落功能，一邊讀一邊標註，結構一目了然。第三步標註：圈人名、框起日期、底線意見句（The research insists...）。第四步技巧轉移：做「詞組意思」題時回該段讀前後兩句，答案多數在上文下理。正如文中所講：追逐每個字和追逐每一分錢一樣令人筋疲力盡——抓主旨、結構、證據才是正路。
6常見錯誤 Mistakes
79 題快測 Quick check
Q1長文章怎樣讀？
Q2每段抓什麼？
Q3標註？
Q4結構？
Q5時間？
Q6技巧？
Q7What is the main idea?
Q8What matters more?
Q9What should people not do?
8重點回顧 Recap
- 長文不用逐字讀：skim 首尾拿主旨，中間認結構字。
- 結構字是路標：however、in contrast、as a result 標示轉折因果。
- 標註系統：圈人名、格日期、底線意見——答題時立即找到。
- 每段問自己一句：這段是論點、例子、反例還是細節？
- 「詞組意思」題：回那段讀前後兩句，答案在上文下理。