雅思阅读：用抽象名词回指和下指，突破衔接的局限(下)

The evidence of climate change is there for us all to see: rising sea levels and associated flooding with the loss of homes at low land levels are becoming more frequent. (C14)

解析：当篇章内部某一部分内容的存在能帮助读者地理解另一部分内容，那它们之间就存在“衔接”。正是因为抽象名词(如evidence)本身就是极具概括性的词，它能起到“总”的作用，预示下文的内容，下指rising sea levels and associated flooding with the loss of homes at low land levels are becoming more frequent。

示例二

Naturalists have also begun to expose the serious problems arising from discarded plastic waste. Birds and animals can die gruesome deaths through being trapped or caught up in plastic bags or ropes, while the long process required for these plastics to decay means that they remain a threat for many years to come. Worse, there is now beginning to be evidence of sea creatures ingesting smaller globules of disintegrating plastic, which harms them and all the other creatures in their particular food chain. (C14)

解析：除了同一个句子内部，更常见的是在段落的段首中心句中使用抽象名词，如上文的problems，此时该词覆盖的范围极广，涵盖了the death of birds and animals, the harm to sea creatures and all other creatures等，这也是抽象名词的下指用法体现。

总结

对比抽象名词的回指和下指功能，其实不外乎“总分”或“分总”，是不是简单易学呢?