今天要聊的是一道修辞目的题。新托福阅读中修辞目的题常考的是例子的功能，但也会考察段落结构。下面的这道题就是考段落结构的：
4.What is the organizational structure of paragraph 3?
○It makes a general claim about Spartina and then provides specific evidence to defend that claim against objections to the claim.
○It presents a general characterization of Spartina and then describes particular features on which this characterization is based.
○It reports a widely held view about Spartina and then considers evidence both for and against that view.
○It presents a general hypothesis about Spartina and then lists specific evidence that disputes that hypothesis.
【Paragraph 3】Spartina is an exceedingly competitive plant. It spreads primarily by underground stems; colonies form when pieces of the root system or whole plants float into an area and take root or when seeds float into a suitable area and germinate. Spartina establishes itself on substrates ranging from sand and silt to gravel and cobble and is tolerant of salinities ranging from that of near freshwater (0.05 percent) to that of salt water (3.5 percent). Because they lack oxygen, marsh sediments are high in sulfides that are toxic to most plants. Spartina has the ability to take up sulfides and convert them to sulfate, a form of sulfur that the plant can use; this ability makes it easier for the grass to colonize marsh environments. Another adaptive advantage is Spartina’s ability to use carbon dioxide more efficiently than most other plants.
［题目解析］
很多同学拿到此题时，以为此题需要看完整段话，需要弄懂每句话才可以搞定此题的答案。但试想想考试的过程中，一题大概只有1.5分钟左右的时间思考答题。在这么短的时间内，看完整段话和选项不太容易。那么有没有什么更实用的答题方式呢？
首先，让我们先来分析下这个题目。根据题干提问方式“What is the organizational structure of paragraph 3？”，便可看出此题考察的是段落结构。这主要是考察段落中句子间是怎么衔接起来的。所以此题的重点不在于段落句子究竟在讲什么内容，而在于句子间的衔接方式。
根据句子间的衔接，我们发现段落首句介绍Spartina是一种有竞争力的植物，第2-3句介绍它的生长方式，接着第4-6句介绍它的两个适应环境的优势。首句的“competitive plant”是整体介绍，第5-6句讲的两个优势是具体特征。所以此题选B。
另外，此题我们还可以根据选项描述的段落结构特征去验证段落中句子间的逻辑。选项A中的against objections，选项C中的against that view，选项D中的disputes that hypothesis，均有反对观点。这说明在文章段落中会有转折关系，但我们在第三段中并未找到转折关系的逻辑词。所以选项A，C，和D都排除，此题只能选B。
由此可见，修辞目的题主要考察两类：例子的功能和段落的结构。例子的功能主要在于确定例子所论证的观点，而段落结构主要在于确定句子间的逻辑关系。
