托福写作分为独立写作和综合写作两大任务类型，相对于考察考生独立表达观点意见的独立写作，综合写作主要考察考生对阅读材料和听力材料的要点信息整合能力。多数考生的备考重点和多数培训课程的重点都在听力能力的训练以及听力材料的要点把握，而阅读材料部分经常被忽略。其实，托福综合写作的阅读部分重要性并不可小觑。下面我们结合TPO31真题，来看一看托福综合写作的阅读材料如何把握要点信息。
TPO 31 Sinosauropteryx 中华龙鸟
A fossil skeleton of a dinosaur called Sinosauropteryx, preserved involcanic ash, was discovered in Liaoning, China, in 1996. Interestingly, thefossil included a pattern of fine lines surrounding the skeletal bones. Some paleontologists interpret the lines as evidence that Sinosauropteryx had feathers. However, critics have opposed the idea that Sinosauropteryx was a feathered dinosaur, citing several reasons.
知识点：Reading开头段结构 — 背景介绍+ 提出观点。
背景：S恐龙的化石骨架周围，有一圈精致的线条，古生物学家们把这个线条解读为S恐龙的羽毛
观点：然鹅，批评家反对S恐龙是长羽毛的(即，作者认为， S恐龙没有羽毛)
写作总结：The readingpassage proposes that Sinosauropteryx did not have feathers.
First, the critics points out that the fine lines may not even represent functional structures of a living dinosaur, but rather structures that were formed after the animal’s death. After the animaldied and was buried in volcanic ash, its skin may have decomposed into fibers.The skin fibers then became preserved as lines in the fossil; the lines were misinterpreted as evidence of feathers.
知识点: Reading 中间段的中心句，通常位于段首，有时在段尾，偶尔没有。
内容：批评家认为这个线条是恐龙死后形成的。动物死后，皮肤会分解decompose成纤维fiber，形成了线条。
归纳：线条是皮肤纤维而不是羽毛。( 该段中心句在段尾 )
写作总结：First, the writer believes that the lines might be skin fibers that were formed after the animal’s death.
Second, even if the fine lines are remains of real structure of a Sinosauropteryx, scientists cannot tell with certainty what part of the dinosaur’s anatomy the structures were. Many dinosaurs had frills, ornamental fan-shaped structures growing out of some parts of their bodies. Some of the critics argue that the lines surrounding the skeleton are much more likely to be fossilized remains offrills than remains of feathers.
内容：科学家搞不清线条到底代表恐龙身体的哪块结构。许多恐龙有褶边，他们觉得这个线条更可能是褶边的残留。
归纳：线条是褶边的残留。 ( 该段中心句在段尾 )
写作总结：Second, the passage states that the lines were fossilized remains of frills instead of remnants of feathers.
A third objection is based on the fact that the usual functions of feathers are to help animals fly or regulate their internal temperature. However, the structures represented by the lines in the Sinosauropteryx fossil were mostly located along the backbone and the tail of the animal. This would have made the structures quite useless for flight and of very limited use in thermoregulation. This suggests that the lines do not represent feathers.
内容: 羽毛通常有两个功能：飞行和调节体温。然鹅，线条所代表的结构位于S恐龙的脊柱和尾巴，这样的位置会让羽毛的两个功能无用。所以线条不代表羽毛。
归纳：线条的位置会让羽毛的两个功能(飞行和控温)无用。(该段中心句在段尾)
写作总结：Third, the author asserts that the location of the lineswould have made the functions of feathers, which are to sustain flying andthermoregulation, quite useless.
我们在托福综合写作开始出现阅读材料的时候一定要注意笔记速记阅读中重要知识点，虽然阅读部分在之后还会再出现，但听力材料只能听一遍，我们需要把握住宝贵的听力时间，记录听力中要点与阅读中要点的对应细节，才能真正做到符合托福综合写作的考察要求，获得理想分数。