1、理解因果关系因果关系是一个事件（即“因”）和第二个事件（即“果”）之间的作用关系。cause是导致第二个事件发生的原因，effect是原因产生的结果。因果关系在文本材料中有时直接呈现，有时间接呈现。对于直接呈现的因果关系，我们可以通过识别关键信息词快速确认。表示原因常见的连词有because, since, as, now that, for等，介词或短语介词有through, because of, due to, as a result of, owing to等；表示结果常见的连词有so, so that等，副词或副词短语有therefore, thus, as a result, co
2、nsequently等，短语动词有result in等。在课文CULTURE AND CUISINE中，有几处可以根据关键词快速锁定的因果关系的句子。例如：第二段中的This is probably not an authentic Chinese recipe, however, so it cannot tell us much about the Chinese (前因后果)及since the dish was also invented recently, it tells us that Americans are not afraid to try new foods (前因后果
3、)；第三段中的Tired, hungry, and not knowing a word of Chinese, we had no idea how to order, so the chef just began filling our table with the best food we had ever eaten (前因后果)；第五段中的These groups traditionally wandered the open range on horses. As a result, their traditional foods are what you can cook over an open fire (前因后果)。而对于间接呈现的因果关系，读者需通过句意，甚至是信息提炼与重组才能确认。因果关系有四种常见的模式：1. single causesingle effect (单因单果)；2. single causemultiple effects (一因多果)；3. multiple causessingle effect (多因一果)；4. causal chain (因果链)。在阅读过程中，同学们不妨将注意力从单句拓展到段落甚至篇章，感受其中的因果关系，增强对篇章结构的理解。
