摘要：考研英语中阅读理解占了总分数的40%，再加上翻译和新题型，将达到60%，可谓是占据了英语成绩的大半江山。得英语者得考研之天下，英语得阅读...

　　1.破折号

　　它的作用是：引进对前文的注释、说明，表示声音的延长或中断，表示意思的转折或话题的转换等。

　　两个破折号之间是补充说明成分，在阅读中可以当成是插入语，可以先不读。如果不能读懂破折号之前的句子的意思可借助破折号间的内容加以理解。

　　例如：（真题2013Text1）

　　1.Those labels encourage style-conscious consumers to see clothes as disposable——meant to last only a wash or two,although they don’t advertise that——and to renew their wardrobe every few weeks.

　　2.Cline argues. Americans, she finds, buy roughly 20 billion garments a year——about 64 items per person——and no matter how much they give away, this excess leads to waste.

　　3.Though several fast-fashion companies have made efforts to curb their impact on labor and the environment——including H&M, with its green Conscious Collection Line——Cline believes lasting change can only be effected by the customer.

　　这三个句子都是表示的对前面的注释说明，在阅读的时候可以先跳过不读。

　　2.引号

　　引用和讽刺两种作用：⑴引用某人的观点（是支持还是反对）；⑵用来反讽，讽刺。在考研英语中引用的目的：不论是正面还是反面引述都是为了说明核心概念、中心思想，否则就没有意义。

　　例如：（真题2014Text1）

　　1.In order to “changelives for the better” and reduce “dependency” George Osborne, Chancellor of theExchequer, introduced the “upfront work search” scheme.

　　2.On first hearing, this was the socially concernedchancellor, trying to change lives for the better, complete with “reforms” toan obviously indulgent system that demands too little effort from the newlyunemployed to find work, and subsidises laziness. What motivated him, we wereto understand, was his zeal for “fundamental fairness”— protecting thetaxpayer, controlling spending and ensuring that only the most deserving claimantsreceived their benefits.

　　第一个句子中的引号，表达的引用；第二个引号的作用是反讽，讽刺。由此可以推断作者对于“改革”的态度是否定的、讽刺的。

　　3.括号

　　括号是一种标号，它引括对前文的注释、说明、列举和评价等内容。有的是对前文中的一个词进行的，有的是对前文的一个句子进行的等。两种作用：补充说明、解释生词。

　　例如：（真题2006Text3）Their methods do not attempt to estimate the actual biomass (the amount of living biological matter) of fish species in particular parts of the ocean, but rather changes in that biomass over time. According to their latest paper published inNature, the biomass of large predators (animals that kill and eat other animals) in a new fishery is reduced on average by 80% within 15 years of the start of exploitation.

　　句子中两个括号都是解释括号前面生词的含义的。

　　4.问号

　　问号是语气语调的辅助符号工具，表示一句话完了之后的停顿。

　　用于疑问句、设问句和反问句结尾。疑问句末尾的停顿，用问号。反问句的末尾，也用问号。考研英语中，问号往往是反问，表达了作者对于文中话题的态度，多为否定、怀疑和批判。

　　例如：（真题2013Text2）Brendon Lynch, Microsoft’s chief privacy officer, blogged: “We believeconsumers should have more control.” Could it really be that simple?

　　30.The author's attitude towards what Brendon Lynch said in his blog is one of

　　[A] indulgence.[B] understanding.[C] appreciation.[D] skepticism.

　　根据最后一句的问号，我们可以推测出作者的态度是怀疑的，选D。

　　以上便是标点符号在考研英语阅读中的全部作用汇编了。对于阅读，2016考研的小伙伴不仅要搞清楚长难句的重点词汇、句型、句式和语法特征，有时候标点符号的作用也不可小觑。可能一个不起眼的标点符号就会成为打开长难句的解题思路。都教授希望考研的同学们能够重视起来。从各个角度来瓦解阅读的长难句，从而攻克阅读，取得考研成功。