为了透彻理解TOEFL听力修辞语言的话外音，我们有必要对近年来TOEFL听力中出现的各种美语修辞手法做一个分析和总结，以有利于考生究其根本，从而顺利、快捷的解题。
Hyperbole (夸张)
试比较以下TOEFL听力短对话的两种回答方式：
Have you asked your brother to do the dishes?
1) Yes, many times. (很多遍了。)
2) Yes, a thousand times. (无数次了。)
很明显，第一种回答方式不如第二种生动，因为a thousand times (无数次)使用了Hyperbole (夸张)的修辞手法。Hyperbole一词源于希腊语的huperbole，意思是exceed (超过)，是一种故意夸大其词(overstatement)或言过其实的修辞手法;其特点是对表达对象进行有违常识或不合逻辑的夸张性描写，以达到强烈的修辞效果。如：a river of tears (泪河)、a mountain of coal (煤山)、oceans of people (人海)...Hyperbole (夸张)在TOEFL听力中的运用也可谓炉火纯青。
比如：
1) You are my lifesaver. (你是我的“救命恩人”。)
2) You are 100% right. (你“百分之百”的正确。)
3) My back killed me. (我的腰痛的厉害。)
4) You make me feel guilty. (你让我感觉像是在犯罪。)
5) I haven't seen you for ages. (好久不见了呀!)
6) I could sleep for a whole year. (我太困了。)
7) We're all tired to death. (我们快累死了。)
当然，除了TOEFL听力，Hyperbole (夸张) 的修辞手法在英语语言文学中的经典范例不胜枚举：
1) One father is more than a hundred schoolmasters. (George Herbert) (一个父亲的作用大于100个教师。)
2) It's a crime to stay inside on such a beautiful day. (今天阳光明媚，躲在家中实在太遗憾了。)
3) A drop of ink may make a million think. (George G Byron) (一滴墨水写成的文字可让千万人思索。)
Simile (明喻)
试比较以下两种TOEFL听力表达方式：
1) He spent a lot of money. (他花了大笔的钱。)
2) He spent a lot of money, like water. (他花钱如流水。)
很明显，第二种表达方式比第一种更加生动和形象。因为like water (如流水) 使用了Simile (明喻) 的修辞手法，这样以来，无疑使语言更加精彩和完美，听力考试也不再单纯是一门考试，而变成了一种享受。Simile (明喻) 一词源于拉丁语similes，其意为like (像)。他借助人们的想象力，使用一定的比喻词如：like, as等加以连接，从而清楚的表明两种事物之间的相似之处，使得表达更加新鲜有趣。其典型形式是A is like B. Simile (明喻) 的修辞手法在TOEFL听力中的运用可谓炉火纯青。
比如：(划线部分为明喻之处)
1. Like 引导
1) He sweats like a pig. (他像猪一样流汗。)
2) They slept like babies. (他们像婴儿一样熟睡着。)
3) Living without an aim is like sailing without a compass. (John Ruskin) (生活没有目标犹如航行没有指南针。)
4) Records fell like ripe apples on a windy day. (E.B. White) (被打破的记录犹如刮风天成熟的苹果——纷纷坠落。)
2. As 引导
1) She is as beautiful as a flower. (她像花一样的美丽。)
2) "I am as light as a feather, I am as happy as am angel, I am as merry as a school boy. I am as giddy as a drunken man..." (Charles Dickens) (我像羽毛一样轻，我像天使一样幸福，我像小学生一样快活，我像喝醉了酒的人一样飘飘然……)
3) The first time I read an excellent book, it is to me as if I had gained a new friend. (我头一回读到一本好书，对我来说好象交了一位新朋友。)
注意：As引导的as...as结构在英语中得到了广泛应用，若能在口语交流或各种作文考试 (如：TWE等) 中用上一个，定会得到意想不到的效果，常用的as结构有：
(as) firm as a rock 坚如磐石
(as) light as a feather 轻如鸿毛
(as) close as an oyster 守口如瓶
(as) mute as a fish 噤若寒蝉
(as) strong as a horse 强壮如牛
(as) cool as a cucumber 泰然自若
(as) sober as a judge 十分清醒
(as) sure as a gun 千真万确
以上就是小编推荐的TOEFL听力提高的法宝，如今的情况TOEFL听力已经成为无数考生取得TOEFL iBT高分的拦路虎。其中一个重要的原因是因为绝大多数考生有意、无意地忽视了对TOEFL听力词汇的学习。希望大家在以后的备考中每一方面都顾及到，不要顾此失彼。
· 小编推荐 ·
