托福听力中的修辞题通常出现在课堂演讲(lectures)部分，在2个长对话，4个课堂演讲中，一般占5至6题。
新托福听力修饰题出题形式：
修辞题通常都是以特殊疑问词开头的特殊疑问句, 例如:
Why does the professor say this?
A: To encourage the students to think about the issue under a bigger context.
B: To elicit an answer from the students.
C: To compare two different things figuratively to engage his students.
D: To describe an imaginative situation.
How dies the professor illustrate his point about ___?
A: By comparing X to Y
B: By giving an example of X
Why does the professor say so?
A: To point out a flaw
B: To repeat a point
C: To define an important term
D: To exemplify a key point
新托福听力修饰题解题技巧:
1. 听原文时即可适时判断谈话人的真实意图，谈话人某句讲话修辞手法运用明显之时，往往就是考点出现之处。
2. 熟悉常用修辞手段，如比喻(又分明喻，暗喻等)， 夸张，比拟，例证，借代，反问， 反复，设问等等。
3. 注意根据上线问和谈话气氛来综合回答问题，不要脱离主题凭空猜测谈话人的修辞意图。例如:
Professor: Through much of the last century, America’s faith in freedom and democracy was a rock in a raging sea. Now it is a seed upon the wind, taking root in many nations.
Narrator:
Listen again to a part of the lecture. Then answer the question.
Professor: …Now it is a seed upon the wind, taking root in many nations.
Why does the professor say this?
A: To encourage the students to think about the issue under a bigger context.
B: To elicit an answer from the students.
C: To compare two different things figuratively to engage his students.
D: To describe an imaginative situation.
解析:
该题是询问为何使用某种修辞手法.从谈话节选段落中我们很容易看出, 教授使用的是暗喻的方法. 该段落大概的意思是: 在上个世纪的大部分时间里, 美国式民主和自由的信仰如石沉大海,波澜不惊: 而今, 却如清风拂絮, 撒落人间.暗喻的方式是为了形成对比, 从而激起听者的想象力, 活跃课堂谈话的气氛.
综上所述正确答案为C.
Narrator: Listen again to part of the discussion. Then answer the question.
Professor: Although that’s a theoretical danger---none of our monkeys showed any untoward side effects---that could occur.
Why does the professor say so?
A: To point out the advantage.
B: To repeat a point
C: To define an important point.
D: To exemplify a key point
解析:
在看到题目的时候,注意不要脱离修辞谈具体，想想原材料中的具体的情形. 另外有的干扰选项会脱离原文，即前面所说的不结合上下文和气氛进行臆断。所以要多多注意. 还有的选项是利用其他修辞手段的特征，混淆正确选项。所以在这方面也要多多注意.
该题正确选项为A
总之, 在把握新托福听力修饰题的时候要多多注意材料中出现的修辞方法, 例如比喻，夸张，比拟，接待，反问等. 排除干扰项, 选出正确答案.这样才能在考试中掌握更多的托福听力题型。
