В этом уроке мы будем говорить о навыках, необходимых для эффективной работы с текстом, а также о стратегиях, которые должны привести вас к успеху в день сдачи.

Основная мысль

Вам нужно определить и понять основную мысль текстового отрывка или лекции. Это важно для последующей работы над заданиями. Уж поверьте, если вам не удастся сделать это, у вас не получится ничего. Сосредоточьтесь и будьте внимательны.

Итак, прочитайте нижеследующий текст о коллегии выборщиков и подчеркните слова, которые употребляются в нем чаще всего.

The Electoral College

Among the democracies of the world, the United States is distinguished by the manner in which its people select the country's head of state. Neither a parliamentary system like that of the United Kingdom or Japan, nor a system of direct popular vote as in France or South Korea, the Electoral College used in the United States is complex, anachronistic, and a handicap to the democratic process. Some people argue that the elimination of the College is necessary to bring the United States into the world of modern democracy, with an energetic, involved electorate and presidents who are in touch with the needs and wants of the citizens who vote for them.


The great complexity of the current system has the unfortunate consequence of blinding most citizens to its workings. In effect, the Electoral College makes the presidential election into a two-stage process. Each of the fifty states is allotted a number of electoral votes corresponding to the size of that state's Congressional delegation: two for each state's two Senators, and a variable number for each state's Representatives, for a total of about five hundred and fifty. As a result states with small populations like Alaska and Vermont may have only three or four electors, while large states like California, Texas, or New York may have dozens. On election day, each state holds its own presidential vote, making the race into fifty little mini-elections. Within each state, a given presidential candidate will win or lose based on the popular vote, and the winner will be awarded all of that state's electors. The ultimate victor is the candidate who wins the largest number of electoral votes nationwide.

Why was such a complex and problematic system ever imposed in the first place? The answer lies in the origins of the American federal system. When the country was established, there was relatively little sense of national identity. People identified themselves as citizens of their states first, as Americans second. Each state functioned a lot like an independent country, and so it made sense to make decisions that affected the entire nation at the state level. Furthermore, even in its earliest days, the United States was a very large country, stretching over sixteen hundred kilometers of coastline. Communication and transportation systems between disparate parts of the country were extremely poor, and so running campaigns nationally, rather than on a state-by-state basis, would have been quite difficult. So the Electoral College was provided as a solution.

But neither of these factors is any longer the case. Americans have developed a very strong sense of national identity and demand to play a direct role in the selection of their leaders. Mass media and powerful party organizations make national political campaigns easy to conduct. But there are further problems with the Electoral College system. Because presidential candidates know that they only need electoral votes, not popular votes, they avoid campaigning in small states, or states where they know their opponents are likely to win, creating a gulf between themselves and a significant fraction of the electorate. Furthermore, many members of political minorities don't bother to vote at all, because they know that the candidate they support won't win in their state anyway. Both situations have the effect of reducing citizen representation, and form obstacles to a healthy democracy. The final problem with the electoral system is by far the largest one. Because of its "winner-take-all" nature, the Electoral College can actually elect a candidate who received fewer popular votes than the opposition, altogether thwarting the purpose of holding an election in the first place. This unfortunate circumstance has in fact come about several times in the nation's history, most recently in the 2000 election of George W. Bush.

Its original justifications outmoded, its operations inscrutable, and its effects at odds with the goals of a democracy, the Electoral College is an institution that some would like to abandon. In its place, the United States should adopt a modern system of electing the President, one that will promote, not discourage, the full participation of all citizens. Such a method will remind our presidential candidates that it is the peoples' voices that matter most.

Теперь ответьте на несколько вопросов:

1. С вашей точки зрения, к какому типу текста принадлежит этот отрывок?
(A) Описательно-объяснительный
(B) Классификационно-пояснительный
(C) Сравнение и контраст
(D) Текст, который изобилует аргументацией и направлен на решение конкретной проблемы

2. Какое из высказываний, приведенных ниже, лучше всего передает основную идею текста?
(A) The Electoral College system is not as good as the parliamentary system or the system of direct popular vote.
(B) The process of electing a president in the United States is very complicated due to the existence of the Electoral College.
(C) Because of the many problems it creates for America's democratic political system, the Electoral College should not continue as part of the election process.
(D) The history of the Electoral College begins with the origins of the American federal system.

3. Выберите предложение, которое подтверждает основную мысль отрывка про коллегию выборщиков.
(A) Each of the fifty states is allotted a number of electoral votes corresponding to the size of that state's Congressional delegation.
(B) Even in its earliest days, the United States was a very large country, stretching over sixteen hundred kilometers of coastline.
(C) Because of its "winner-take-all" nature, the Electoral College can actually elect a candidate who received fewer popular votes than the opposition.
(D) Those who would cling to the Electoral College can be motivated by self-interest only, or by a misguided sense of tradition.

ОТВЕТЫ:

1 (D) Задача автора этого текста - предложить какое-то решение, чтобы изменить выборную систему, которая существует в США в настоящее время. Именно по этой причине правильным ответом является вариант (D). Автор подкрепляет свою точку зрения многочисленными примерами из американской истории и современной действительности (то есть, данный текст изобилует аргументацией).

2. (C) Because of the many problems it creates for America's democratic political system, the Electoral College should not continue as part of the election process.

3. (C) Because of its "winner-take-all" nature, the Electoral College can actually elect a candidate who received fewer popular votes than the opposition.

Продолжение следует...