选段意题(List of Headings)是雅思阅读五大题型之一，所占比重较大，很多考生觉得很难，需要读很多段落，在阅读篇幅较长、时间紧张的情况下，学生很容易产生焦躁情绪，于是乎选段意的题目成为很多学生眼中的烫山芋，费力还不讨好。但是，这种题真的这么难解决吗?

　　该题让人感觉难的原因之一，是学生不会读段落。传统的首末句找段意思的方法只适用于较少的段落，更多的段落会出现段中转折、或者需要通读整段总结短意思；原因二：很多学生先读段落，再回到选项库里寻找合适的题目，但有些选项对段落实质内容的高度“抽象”总结，很难一下子对应上。那么既然知道了原因，这种题究竟该这么解决呢?

　　选段意不要急着去读段落，而是先把选项中的各个标题给分析透彻。原因很简单，如果先读段落再总结段意，一是自己很难一下子抓住该段所有内容，二是即使自己辛辛苦苦地分析清楚了，总结出一个段意，回到选项中去找的时候不能立即对应上(尤其当选项为“抽象”总结时)。例如，下段(选自剑6 Test 2 Reading 1)

　　In fact, Newman believes the main reason for adopting one sort of transport over another is politics:"the more democratic the process, the more public transport is favored."He considers Portland, Oregon, a perfect example of this. Some years ago, federal money was granted to build a new road. However, local pressure groups forced a referendum over whether to spend the money on light rail instead. The rail proposal won and the railway worked spectacularly well. In the years that have followed, more and more rail systems have been put in, dramatically changing the nature of the city. Newman notes that Portland has about the same population as Perth and had a similar population density at the time.

　　List of Headings

　　i. Avoiding an overcrowded centre

　　ii. A successful exercise in people power

　　iii. The benefits of working together in cities

　　iv. Higher incomes need not mean more cars

　　v. Economic arguments fail to persuade

　　vi. The impact of telecommunications on population distribution

　　vii. Increases in travelling time

　　viii. Responding to arguments against public transport

　　该段比较长，仅首句、二句读了之后有点不知所以然，下面讲了一件具体的事情，但是回过头来对选项，不易与"A successful exercise in people power"直接对应起来，"successful exercise"与"people power"都是一个抽象总结。

　　好，那么我们就先分析选项。先分析选项的好处是以一个概括的东西去对应一个展开的东西，只要后者有一点对应上前者中的关键词，即可作为候选项，筛选范围大大降低，这时只需去段落中验证选项小标题中出现的其余关键词即可，省时省力。仍然以该段为例，咱们来分析选项，分析什么呢?划出各个小标题的关键词，并且尽可能多的记住所有选项中的关键词及各选项关键词的不同之处。

　　List of Headings

　　i. Avoiding an overcrowded centre

　　ii. A successful exercise in people power

　　iii. The benefits of working together in cities

　　iv. Higher incomes need not mean more cars

　　v. Economic arguments fail to persuade

　　vi. The impact of telecommunications on population distribution

　　vii. Increases in travelling time

　　viii. Responding to arguments against public transport

　　A successful exercise in people power 该选项中people power 人民的力量，exercise为延伸义，实施、试验，可替换为example,猜测原文可能对应具体的事情或者做法。同样，第三项中的benefit也是抽象总结，文中可能描述具体的benefit是什么;第六项中的impact也是类似的道理，都是虚词，猜测原文应该出现具体的影响是什么。各个选项就不一一分析了。

　　把各个选项关键词分析透彻后，回到文中。再读上面这一段，去刻意对应选项中的关键词，因为我们知道，正确选项通常不是原词重现，多为同义转换。

　　"In fact, Newman believes the main reason for adopting one sort of transport over another is politics:" the more democratic the process, the more public transport is favored."这里有两个关键词，如果抓到了，就很容易对应上了。即使不认识第二个词，相信politics大家都看得懂。而且下文"He considers Portland, Oregon, a perfect example of this."显然是举例论证首二句，因此没必要再细看这个例子。分析过的选项里跟"politics"能沾边的为第二项中的"people power",然后往下文扫一下，印证有无出现"successful exercise"这个意思，"The rail proposal won and the railway worked spectacularly well." 中间的副词spectacularly 如果不认识可以跳过去，程度副词去掉不影响主要意思，"rail proposal""worked well",印证"successful exercise"因此可以确定答案为第二项。

　　所以，做List of Headings题要首先将选项分析透，然后读文章，利用“找对应、找印证”的方法来解题，正确率大大提高。但是多数同学都急于先看文章，不能沉下心来分析选项，反而事倍功半。俗话说，磨刀不误砍柴工，何必“费力不讨好”呢!