阅读能力是外语学习者必须掌握的一项基本技能，也是高等教育自学考试公共英语科考查的重点之一。在历年的考题中，阅读理解已成为必不可少的重要组成部分。许多考生在做阅读理解时，通常只是依靠读懂短文的大意，或孤立地对照某个细节来确定短文后面的问题的答案。有的考生干脆只凭印象答题，缺少必要的分析、判断和推理，成绩不理想也就不足为怪了。因此，了解自考公共英语阅读理解的特点，掌握一定的阅读理解技巧，对考生来说显得尤为重要。
  近年来，自考公共英语阅读理解以说明文居多，内容涉及科技、文化、教育以及社会生活等各方面。考生要正确理解文章，除掌握足够的词汇、较扎实的语法知识和一定的背景知识外，还应熟悉英语文章的结构特点。英语语篇一般直接切入正题，然后层层展开。以说明文为例，其常用的推展方式有以下四种：1）按时间或空间顺序说明2）举例说明3）通过比较进行说明4）从不同的方面和角度来说明。

  其他的文体，如叙述体、新闻体和论证体虽然与说明体的写作结构不同，但都有自己特定的程式。了解这些程式有助于考生在平时的学习中注意培养英语语篇的思维习惯，对从宏观上把握文章的脉络和主旨，进一步领会作者的观点大有裨益。下面结合1998年下半年自学考试英语（二）试卷中的第一篇阅读理解短文谈谈如何从分析写作结构入手做好阅读理解题。

Passage 1

What's the best way for you, as an employer, to deliver bad news to an employee? First of all, you have to break the news yourself, face to face with the recipient（接受者）. You can't write memos to tell people they will not get raises this year or that they have made an error or are not performing as well as expected. You have to show them how you feel about the matter and that you are personally sorry and sympathize with them. If you indicate that you are ready to listen to their reactions to your bad news, you will undoubtedly save yourself from their wrath. Above all, you must be ready for an emotional reaction from the recipient of bad news. Give people time to digest your news and to control the emotion they invariably feel. Although it is never easy to break bad news, if you follow these steps, you will at least soften the blow.

21）The author's main idea is that _______ .

（A）bad news is hard to impart

（B）all employers have to criticize their employees

（C）there are ways of softening the impact of bad news

（D）people respond emotionally to bad news

22）The author's main idea is expressed ________ .

（A）in the first sentence

（B）in the last sentence

（C）in the middle of the paragraph

（D）nowhere

23）The author's main idea is supported by ________.

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