记叙文讲述的是发生在当前或过去或将来事情的经过。简而言之，记叙文就是讲故事，包括人物或故事情节。常见的记叙文根据其用途可分为文学记叙文和说明记叙文：文学记叙文以虚构为主，如趣闻逸事、传说、寓言、传奇故事、短篇小说、科幻小说等；说明记叙文以事实为依据，包括历史、传记、新闻报道、日记等。无论哪一种记叙文作者都要交代何人何时何地为什么、怎么样、干了何事等等，这也就是我们常说的“5Ws and 1H”。这是我们在阅读记叙文时要首先了解的，接着按照线索弄清事情的来龙去脉，就能理解整个故事。
特别值得注意的是：记叙文的叙事顺序有顺叙和倒叙两种，有时候作者为了吸引读者会采用倒叙的方法，即不按照事情发展的先后顺序来叙述，而是从最重要、最能引人入胜的事件开始，然后再回过头来追叙故事的开端和经过。阅读时要学会从事情本身的发展去理解故事情节而不要只看事件在文中出现的先后位置。
另外，讲故事必定有其目的：或证明某一理论，或阐明某一概念，或赞美某种美德，或谴责某种罪恶等等。我们在阅读时要通过作者的重要细节描写联系故事情节去领会作者的意图，对作者重墨泼就的细节描写要重点关注。
概括起来一句话：读记叙文的关键是抓情节。 抓住了故事情节，就理解了文章的脉络，其他的就迎刃而解了。
下面请阅读一篇记叙文，看看你能不能抓住故事的主要情节。
Compassion is a desire within us to help others．With effort, we can translate compassion into action．An experience last weekend showed me this is true．I work part-time in a supermarket across from a building for the elderly．These old people are our main customers, and it’s not hard to lose patience over their slowness．But last Sunday, one aged gentleman appeared to teach me a valuable lesson．This untidy man walked up to my register(收款机) with a box of biscuits．He said he was out of cash(现金), had just moved into his room, and had nothing in his cupboards．He asked if we could let him have the food on trust．He promised to repay me the next day．
I couldn’t help staring at him．I wondered what kind of person he had been ten or twenty years before, and what he would be like if luck had gone his way．I had a hurt in my heart for this kind of human soul, all alone in the world．I told him that I was sorry, but store rules didn’t allow me to do so．I felt stupid and unkind saying this, but I valued my joB．
Just then, another man, standing behind the first, spoke up．If anything, he looked more pitiable．“Charge it to me,” was all he saiD．
What I had been feeling was pity．Pity is soft and safe and easy．Compassion, on the other hand, is caring in action．I thanked the second man but told him that was not allowed either．Then I reached into my pocket and paid for the biscuits myself．I reached into my pocket because these two men had reached into my heart and taught me compassion.
解析：故事采用顺叙的叙事方法，主要情节发展如下：One aged gentleman begged me to have the food on trust and promised to repay the next day.---- I told him the store rules didn’t allow me to do so.---- Another man wanted me to charge the food to him.----I paid for the biscuits myself. 作者用第一人称讲述自己亲身经历的这段故事，让人觉得亲切可信，同时也增强了文章的感染力。作者说自己通过这段故事学会了compassion（同情），事实上也是在号召读者多伸出同情之手，共建和谐社会。
抓住了故事的情节，了解了作者的写作意图。再来做理解题，就容易多了。请看看下面几道理解题：
41．The aged gentleman who wanted to buy the biscuits ______.
A．promised to obey the store rules
B．forgot to take any money with him
C．hoped to have the food first and pay later
D．could not afford anything more expensive
42．Which of the following best describes the old gentleman?
A．kind and lucky B．poor and lonely
C．friendly and helpful D．hurt and disappointed
43．The writer acted upon the store rules because ______.
A．he wanted to keep his present job
B．he felt no pity for the old gentleman
C．he considered the old man dishonest
D．he expected someone else to pay for the old man
44．What does the writer learn from his experience?
A．Wealth is more important than anything else.
B．Helping others is easier said than done.
C．Experience is better gained through practice.
D．Obeying the rules means more than compassion.
（参考答案：CBAB）
