GMAT/留學申請專業顧問 Donz 之資訊交流園地

做邏輯題目時，對於時間類型的題目，必須要有一定的熟悉度，但也要分析出兩種時間性的題目，

第一種是時間明確型:

For example:

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A sudden increase in the production of elephant ivory artifacts on the Mediterranean coast of North Africa occurred in the tenth century. Historians explain this increase as the result of an area opening up as a new source of ivory and argue on this basis that the important medieval trade between North Africa and East Africa began at this period.

Each of following, if true, provides some support for the historians’ account described above EXCEPT:

A. In East Africa gold coins from Mediterranean North Africa have been found at a tenth-century site but at no earlier sites.
B. The many surviving letters of pre-tenth-century North African merchants include no mention of business transactions involving East Africa.
C. Excavations in East Africa reveal a tenth-century change in architectural style to reflect North African patterns.
D. Documents from Mediterranean Europe and North Africa that date back earlier than the tenth century show knowledge of East African animals.
E. East African carvings in a style characteristic of the tenth century depict seagoing vessels very different from those used by local sailors but of a type common in the Mediterranean.

Ans: D

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題目大略是說，十世紀在北非的地中海岸大量增加的象牙製品，是因為十世紀的北非和東非的貿易產生的，選出非 support 的選項：

由於題目為時間明確型，腦中就會浮現時間列表:

               貿易未發生                   發生 (或改變)                未發生

        preceding (before)           10th century         following (after)

以下不翻譯，以時間做討論即可

(A) 10th century 有，但之前沒有  --> 符合時間軸 

(B) 10th century 以前沒有  --> 符合時間軸

(C) 10th 正好發生  --> 符合時間軸

(D) 10centry 以前有  -->  不符合時間軸，答案為此

(E) 10 century 有  --> 符合時間軸

我們再來討論第二種類型，時間不明確 (給範圍) 型:

For example:

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The spacing of the four holes on a fragment of a bone flute excavated at a Neanderthal
campsite is just what is required to play the third through sixth notes of the diatonic scale-the
seven-note musical scale used in much of Western music since the Renaissance.
Musicologists therefore hypothesize that the diatonic musical scale was developed and used
thousands of years before it was adopted by Western musicians.

Which of the following, if true, most strongly supports the hypothesis?

A. Bone flutes were probably the only musical instrument made by Neanderthals.
B. No musical instrument that is known to have used a diatonic scale is of an earlier date than the flute found at the Neanderthal campsite.
C. The flute was made from a cave-bear bone and the campsite at which the flute fragment was excavated was in a cave that also contained skeletal remains of cave bears.
D. Flutes are the simplest wind instrument that can be constructed to allow playing a diatonic scale.
E. The cave-bear leg bone used to make the Neanderthal flute would have been long enough to make a flute capable of playing a complete diatonic scale.

Ans: E
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上一次我們已經講解完此題，針對同學不瞭解的 (B) 來做討論，(B) 說在比尼得森更早之前沒有音符的紀錄，同學會認為 (B) 是 Support，但為何 OG 解釋是 weaken?

其實先不論時間，基本上這題重點在骨笛，並不是討論時間，所以這點已經先弱掉了。再來，為何時間上來說會是 Weaken 呢?

以我們上一題的觀感來解，此題說明某時間點之前沒看到，應該是 support 呀？

這是因為上一題，是有明確時間點，"the important medieval trade between North Africa and East Africa began at this period"

而此題所說的時間點為，是發生在某一時間點之前，"thousands of years before it was adopted by Western musicians"

而時間點不是一個範圍的時候，並不能以時間軸的"相反觀念"來做題。打個比方來說好了：

如果說我 25 歲開始準備 GMAT，有選項說24 歲沒看過我拿 OG，那就是 support。

但如果說，我 25 歲之前開始準備 GMAT，有選項說24 歲前沒看過我拿 OG，那就是 weaken。因為這個 statement 減少了我 25 歲前準備 GMAT 的可能性。

懂了嗎? 當時間點為一個範圍時間時，必須要有"正面的證據"，才可以做加強。這個雖然不需要鑽研，但還是需要先理解這樣的時間概念。