評論(review)是TOEIC多益第七部分「閱讀理解」(Reading Comprehension)的常考閱讀文體。評論的對象經常是商店、商品、服務。面對變化多端的評論對象，考生除了增進主題字彙外，還能如何準備呢？
評論結構
雖然考生無法預測評論的對象，可是許多評論都擁有類似的結構。藉由熟悉評論的結構，考生可以更容易理解評論的重點，也更容易回答閱讀理解題。
讓我們用以下的範例，分析評論的結構：
Restaurant Review: Smokin' Burger
Have you ever entered a burger shop with hunger and excitement, but in the end were disappointed by an ordinary bun stuffed with a dry and tasteless patty? The newly opened Sumptuous Burger will never let you down. You will be pleasantly surprised by the relaxed atmosphere the moment you walk into the restaurant. The service is fast and friendly. The burger is cooked to order. Best of all, you can have your burger exactly the way you like it with over 100 ingredients guaranteed fresh. Smokin' Burger is a must-visit for burger enthusiasts looking for the ultimate burger.
Smokin' Burger
1320 Third Street
Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310) 469-7285
既然評論的目的是評價商店、商品、服務，評論經常包括以下的要素：
1. 評價：評論會對商店、商品、服務提出正面或負面的評價。舉例來說，上面的評論大力推薦Smokin' Burger。
2. 使用經驗/產品細節：評論會提到使用經驗或產品細節，以作為正負面評價的依據。舉例來說，上面的評論提到Smokin' Burger的氣氛很輕鬆，服務迅速有禮貌，消費者可以客製化漢堡等等。
評論閱讀與解題技巧
Step 1: 快速判斷評論的對象。
讓我們看以下的評論：
Great Business Leaders of the Past
FRANK BICKERSTAFF
Sun Valley Press, $15.95
Frank Bickerstaff is well-known for his profiles of business leaders. This is his latest publication on the subject, and here he looks at prominent businesspeople from – you guessed it – the USA once again. Famous names such as Henry Ford, Bill Gates, Jack Welch (the youngest-ever CEO of General Electric), Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller, and W.K.K. Kellogg are covered. Bickerstaff certainly goes into detail about the characteristics needed to become successful in business. Qualities such as the ability to learn from mistakes, motivate people, and take risks are thoroughly investigated. However, I can't help but feel he missed a chance to look beyond the borders of the United States and search for inspiration elsewhere. Overall, it is a good read for those who are new to the subject, but lacking in appeal for those who are already familiar with the top ten he chose.
Brad Ellington
評論一開頭提到《過去的偉大商業領袖》(Great Business Leaders of the Past)與價錢，所以我們可以判斷評論的對象是一本書。
Step 2: 閱讀題目。留意題目是否涉及到評價與產品細節。
1. What is indicated about Great Business Leaders of the Past?
(A) It is the second book Frank Bickerstaff has written.
(B) It describes business leaders from around the world.
(C) It contains interviews with successful businesspeople.
(D) It discusses personalities required for business success.
2. How does Brad Ellington probably feel about the book?
(A) It is badly written.
(B) It is exciting to read.
(C) It is reasonably priced.
(D) It is a little disappointing.
第一題詢問關於《過去的偉大商業領袖》，文中提及哪件事？所以我們必須留意評論者Brad Ellington對於書本內容的敘述。第二題詢問Brad Ellington對於書本的看法，所以我們必須留意他對書本的評價。
Step 3: 仔細閱讀評論。利用評論的結構回答問題。
在閱讀過題目，確認必須尋找的資訊後，我們接下來就是耐心閱讀評論，以回答問題。評論中提到《過去的偉大商業領袖》是Frank Bickerstaff描述商業領袖的最新著作。這並不表示《過去的偉大商業領袖》是Frank Bickerstaff的第二本著作，所以第一題的(A)為非。評論提到Frank Bickerstaff描述的商業領袖皆來自美國，所以第一題的(B)為非。接下來評論提到Frank Bickerstaff仔細地描述了有助於商業成功的人格特質，正好就是第一題的(D)選項，所以第一題的答案為(D)。
至於第二題，評論中提到「可是我不禁覺得他錯過離開美國本土而在其它地方尋找靈感的機會。」(However, I can't help but feel he missed a chance to look beyond the borders of the United States and search for inspiration elsewhere.)，以及「整體來說，這本書對於首次接觸這個主題的人來說值得一讀，可是這本書對於那些已經很熟悉他所選擇的前十商業領袖的讀者來說，則缺少吸引力。」(Overall, it is a good read for those who are new to the subject, but lacking in appeal for those who are already familiar with the top ten he chose.) 根據這兩句話，我們可以判斷Brad Ellington覺得《過去的偉大商業領袖》有點令人失望，因此第二題的答案為(D)。
總結
在本篇文章中，我們解釋如何利用評論的結構，讀懂評論的內容。希望學員能夠應用在平常的練習與正式的考試中。請持續關注我們的學習文章，一起戰勝多益喔！