GMAT句子改错题(sentence correction),是整个GMAT考试中对考生英语语法能力考查要求最高的题型,也往往是中国学生最为头疼的一类题目。没有扎实的语法基础和一定的逻辑分析能力,想要做好句子改错题难度极高。如何提升GMAT句子改错题的解题能力?下面小编就为大家整理了一些经典例题,结合实例分析为大家讲解GMAT句子改错题的解题思路和方法技巧。
实例题目:
In late 1997, the chambers inside the pyramid of the Pharaoh Menkaure at Giza were closed to visitors for cleaning and repair due to moisture exhaled by tourists, which raised its humidity to such levels so that salt from the stone was crystallizing and fungus was growing on the walls.
(A) due to moisture exhaled by tourists, which raised its humidity to such levels so that salt from the stone was crystallizing
(B) due to moisture that tourists had exhaled, thereby raising its humidity to such levels that salt from the stone would crystallize
(C) because tourists were exhaling moisture, which had raised the humidity within them to levels such that salt from the stone would crystallize
(D) because of moisture that was exhaled by tourists raising the humidity within them to levels so high as to make the salt from the stone crystallize
(E) because moisture exhaled by tourists had raised the humidity within them to such levels that salt from the stone was crystallizing
选项分析:
(A)due to moisture exhaled by tourists, which raised its humidity to such levels so that salt from the stone was crystallizing
【错误1】 代词指代:“raising”之后的“its”本应指代“chambers”,但GMAT语法中,代词必须指代在句子中出现的且与之数量形式一致的名词性结构,所以“its”和“chambers”之间无法建立指代关系。
【错误2】 固定搭配:“such levels so that” “such”和“so”只使用其一即可,且“so that”相邻使用后面连接目的而不是结果,因此表意不合理。
(B)due to moisture that tourists had exhaled, thereby raising its humidity to such levels that salt from the stone would crystallize
【错误1】 代词指代:见(A)中【错误1】。
【错误2】 平行结构:相比(E),“the stone would crystallize”和后面紧跟的“and fungus was growing on the walls”语法功能上一致(均为主谓结构),但逻辑含义不对等(两者时态不一,且时态差异不存在合理解释)。
【错误3】 修饰成分:“thereby raising……”本意上应该修饰“moisture”,但实际上这种修饰关系难以实现,因为其为典型的“S(主语)+V(谓语), doing”的结构,这种结构可以做“had exhaled”这一动作的伴随状语,表示伴随“had exhaled”同时发生的附属动作,但无法作为定语跳跃修饰“moisture”,因此无法建立明确的修饰关系。
(C)because tourists were exhaling moisture, which had raised the humidity within them to levels such that salt from the stone would crystallize
【错误1】固定搭配:“such that”相邻无法与“so that”表达相同的意思,GMAT语法中无此搭配。
【错误2】 平行结构:见(A)中【错误2】。
(D)because of moisture that was exhaled by tourists raising the humidity within them to levels so high as to make the salt from the stone crystallize
【错误1】 平行结构:见(A)中【错误2】
【错误2】 句子意思:本意上“chambers were closed”的原因应如(E)中所述,“because moisture exhaled by tourists had raised the humidity……”,大意为“因为游客呼出的潮气提高了湿度(这样一件事)”,而本选项“because of moisture that was exhaled by tourists raising the humidity”的because of后面不再是一个主谓结构,而仅仅是一个以“moisture”为核心的名词性结构(“that was exhaled by tourists”和“raising”都是其修饰语),所以语法上直译过来含义为“因为游客呼出的提高湿度的潮气(原因的重心落在“气上)”,表意逊于(E)。
(E)because moisture exhaled by tourists had raised the humidity within them to such levels that salt from the stone was crystallizing
【正确】 “them”正确地指代了“chambers”,“stone was crystallizing”和“fungus was growing on the walls”正确地用“and”平行在一起,“such levels that……”正确地只用了“so(such)……that……”的固定搭配。
【大意】 在1997年末,法老Menkaure的金字塔中的墓室对外关闭,因为游客呼出的潮气提高了墓室中的湿度,以至于岩石在结晶,真菌正在墙壁生长。
解题思路:
(A)和(B)代词“its”无法指代“chambers”,立即排除。
(C)“such that”相邻使用属于必错搭配,立即排除。
(D)“the stone crystallize”和“and fungus was growing on the walls”语义上不平行,排除。
所以应选择(E)。