托福句子简化题详解

2022-05-30 00:14:55

  

  因为把一个长难句简化为一个相对精炼的句子,这意味着“最主要的信息”和“完全的信息”这两个概念应该是一小一大,最主要的信息应该会比原句的信息略少一些,所以二者根本就不是同义句。因此,即便正确选项也肯定没有表达出原句的全部意思,因为它并不包含原句中的每一个细节信息。

  同时还要注意:句子简化题只是简化原句的部分意思,不能简化原句的主要逻辑。也就是说简化前后大的方向不会改变,仍要尽量保证原汁原味,只是删减了一些不必要的细枝末节而已。

  OG实例分析:

  PASSAGE EXCERPT: “These Kinetoscope arcades were modeled on phonogrAph parlors, which had proven successful for Edison several years earlier. In the phonograph parlors, customers listened to recordings through individual ear tubes, moving from one machine to the next to hear different recorded speeches or pieces of music. The Kinetoscope parlors functioned in a similar way. Edison was more interested in the sale of Kinetoscopes (for roughly $1,000 apiece) to these parlors than in the films that would be run in them (which cost approximately$10 to $15 each). He refused to develop projection technology, reasoning that if he made and sold projectors, then exhibitors would purchase only one machine-a projector-from him instead of several.”

  OG Practice Set 3: Early Cinema

  Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence from the passage? Incorrect answer choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.

  A. Edison was more interested in developing a variety of machines than in developing a technology based on only one.

  B. Edison refused to work on projection technology because he did not think exhibitors would replace their projectors with newer machines.

  C. Edison did not want to develop projection technology because it limited the number of machines he could sell.

  D. Edison would not develop projection technology unless exhibitors agreed to purchase more than one projector from him.

  首先通读原句,寻找逻辑。“He refused to develop projection technology, reasoning that…”,单词——reasoning,其中文释义为“以……为理由”。可知文中这句话包含因果关系。也就是说,正确选项表达的也应该是因果概念,所以排除选项A和D。于是我们在剩下的两个选项中做选择,继续筛选。

  除了最基本的“包含因果”这个条件,我们还要进一步核对选项“是否体现了与原文一致的正确的因果概念”。很明显“α reasoning that β”的意思是“β为原因,α为结果”。文中给出的“原因”是:

  if he made and sold projectors, then exhibitors would purchase only machine—a projector—from him instead of several.(如果爱迪生制造并且销售放映机,那么放映者就只会从他那里购买一台机器,而不会买很多。)

  接下来我们看一下C选项描述的原因——it limited the number of machines he could sell(这限制了他可能卖出的机器的数量)。与原文意思相符,所以这个选项是对的。那么B选项为什么错呢?因为它给出的原因是“he did not think exhibitors would replace their projectors with new machines”(爱迪生认为放映者不会更换所购买的机器)。可是对于这一点文中并没有提及,所以我们不能选。

  解题小贴士:

  1.原句中有怎样的逻辑关系,正确选项中就必须有怎样的逻辑关系。这意味着选项中如果出现了原句中所没有的逻辑关系,那么这个选项就必错。

  2.做句子简化题时一般不关注‘括号内’或者‘破折号间’的内容。因为这两个部分中的内容都是细枝末节,不涉及逻辑概念,所以简化的时候可以忽略。

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