转折关系词语（transitional words）是把握文章大意的一个重要的手段。尤其在做阅读题时，表示转折关系的关联词语很可能就是答案的信息点。例如，在第一段中，作者以traditionally开头，提出了一个观点。但是，在第二段的开头，如果出现however这个词，通常情况下，作者的观点进行了转变，这也就表明however 后面的内容才是作者真正的观点所在。这样的两段也正印证了上面所说的一种让步关系。所以，表示转折关系的词语对文章的整体结构起着至关重要的作用，考生在写作中要正确使用表示转折关系的关联词语。

下面举一个GRE阅读的例子，来具体讲一下转折关系的重要性：

Traditionally, pollination by wind has been viewed as a reproductive process marked by random events in which the vagaries of the wind are compensated for by the generation of vast quantities of pollen, so that the ultimate production of new seeds is assured at the expense of producing much more pollen than is actually used. Because the potential hazards pollen grains are subject to as they are transported over long distances are enormous, wind-pollinated plants have, in the view above, compensated for the ensuing loss of pollen through happenstance by virtue of producing an amount of pollen that is one to three orders of magnitude greater than the amount produced by species pollinated by insects.

However, a number of features that are characteristic of wind-pollinated plants reduce pollen waste. For example, many wind-pollinated species fail to release pollen when wind speeds are low or when humid conditions prevail. Recent studies suggest another way in which species compensate for the inefficiency of wind pollination. These studies suggest that species frequently take advantage of the physics of pollen motion by generating specific aerodynamic environments within the immediate vicinity of their female reproductive organs………

…………………

这是一篇曾经考过的GRE阅读题目，这篇文章也属于典型的“新观点推翻旧观点”的文章。首先，文章的首句以traditionally为特征词提出旧观点，在首段后半部分对旧观点进行了阐述。在第二段的首句马上用however转折了旧观点，指出旧观点的缺陷，并举一例；然后作者以recent为特征词提出了新观点，这也正是作者赞同的观点，并予以相关详尽的论述，新观点为下文的论证中心。

再看下面一道题：

The author of the passage is primarily concerned with discussing

(A) The current debate on whether the morphological attributes of wind-pollinated plants are evolutionary adaptations

(B) The kinds of airflow patterns that permit wind-pollinated plants to capture pollen most efficiently

(C) The ways in which the reproductive processes of wind-pollinated plants are controlled by random events

(D) A recently proposed explanation of a way in which wind-pollinated plants reduce pollen waste

(E) A specific morphological attribute that permits one species of wind-pollinated plant to capture pollen

这道题主要考查的是对文章的整体大意的理解，如果说没有however这个词，这道题的答案应该在文章的开头段中去找，特别是开头段的首句，通常情况，这是最能概括出文章大意的一句话。但是，这篇文章在第二段有了转折，这就表明作者真正的观点应该在这里，所以说，转折性的词语在阅读中起着重要的作用，它是一个典型的标志性词语。找出这个信息，这道题的答案就很容易了，正确答案应该选D.

综上所述，不管任何语言，转折词（transitional words）都扮演着一个重要角色，就是：承先启后，使句子紧凑，段落相吸，对文章结构，有良性作用。但是有些人几乎没有采用转折词的习惯，结果文句松散，上下文七零八乱，应该避免。我们可以清晰地看出转折关系的词语的重要性。虽然，词语并不是很大，但它会使文章的整个意思发生重大的转变，所以，我们应该正确对待这类词语，不应该忽视了它们的作用。

下面是对这类表转折关系的词语进行的汇总，供参考：

 However

 by contrast although

 at the same time but

 in contrast nevertheless

 notwithstanding on the contrary

 on the other hand otherwise

 regardless still

 though yet

 despite the fact that even so

 even though for all that

 however in spite of

 Instead

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