李传伟一、问题形式
举例说明概述题，也叫例证题，被ETS称为“修辞目的题”(rhetorical purpose question)，基本形式如下：
The author uses X as an example of…
Why does the author mention X?
The author discusses X in paragraph 2 in order to…
二、解题技巧
举例的目的在于反映概述，所以这类题的一般解题技巧是：绕过例子看概述，对概述进行同义替换的就是正确答案。具体技巧如下：
1． 例子说明概述
举例说明概述题经常对应原文的举例for example。做题时可以先根据问题中的关键词确定例子的位置，再阅读例子前的那个句子，这个句子一般就是例子所说明的概述，也就是答案对应的地方。例如，
…sensitivity to physical laws is thus an important consideration for the maker of applied-art objects. It is often taken for granted that this is also true for the maker of fine-art objects. This assumption misses a significant difference between the two disciplines. Fine-art objects are not constrained by the laws of physics in the same way that applied-art objects are. Because their primary purpose is not functional, they are only limited in terms of the materials used to make them. Sculptures must, for example, be stable, which requires an understanding of the properties of mass, weight distribution, and stress. Paintings must have rigid stretchers so that the canvas will be taut, and the paint must not deteriorate, crack, or discolor. These are problems that must be overcome by the artist because they tend to intrude upon his or her conception of the work. For example, in the early Italian Renaissance, bronze statues of horses with a raised foreleg usually had a cannonball under that hoof. This was done because the cannonball was needed to support the weight of the leg…”
Why does the author discuss the bronze statues of horses created by artists in the early Italian Renaissance ?