GMAT/留學申請專業顧問 Donz 之資訊交流園地

今天同學一次問了兩個 SC 問題: 

第一個問題如下 (FB 原文: https://goo.gl/ETf38m)

節省版面，我們將 PP 原題的兩個類似題的爭議選項拿出來檢驗

(PP1 #52.    (27251-!-item-!-188;#058&003145)

In addition to her work on the Miocene hominid fossil record, Mary Leakey contributed to archaeology with her discovery of the earliest direct evidence of hominid activity and painstakingly documenting East African cave paintings.

(A) Leakey contributed to archaeology with her discovery of the earliest direct evidence of hominid activity and painstakingly documenting

(D) Leakey'scontributions to archaeology include her discovery of the earliest direct evidence of hominid activity and her painstaking documentation of

Answer: D   

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(PP1 #129.  (31370-!-item-!-188;#058&004475)

In addition to her work on the Miocene hominid fossil record, Mary Leakey contributed to archaeology through her discovery of the earliest direct evidence of hominid activity and through her painstaking documentation of East African cave paintings.

(A) Mary Leakey contributed to archaeology through her discovery of the earliest direct evidence of hominid activity and through her painstaking documentation of

(D) Mary Leakey's contributions to archaeology include her discovery of the earliest direct evidence of hominid activity and painstakingly documenting

Answer: A   

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這兩題非常的有趣，看似選項內容很接近，卻有著不同的答案。其實仔細觀察，這兩題選項內容其實有些微不同。

在這裡有兩個點要注意:

1. In addition to + N1, N2 + V....   N1 和 N2 並沒有硬性的平行規定，所以上面兩題的藍色部分並不算是有影響性的考點。

2. 而兩題的 (A), (D) 都使用了名詞 discovery，後面自然是使用名詞的 documentation 會比動名詞 documenting 來的好上許多。所以這綠色部分自然成為關鍵的判斷選項，兩題答案都使用了 documentation。

第二個問題如下 (FB 原文: https://goo.gl/HMdj2L)   

124.  (31091-!-item-!-188;#058&004372)

Whereas the use of synthetic fertilizers has greatly expanded agricultural productivity in many parts of the world, an increase in their use can create serious environmental problems such as water pollution, and their substitution for more traditional fertilizers may accelerate soil structure deterioration and soil erosion.

(A) an increase in their use can create serious environmental problems such as water pollution, and their substitution for more traditional fertilizers

(D) the increased usage of these fertilizers can create serious environmental problems such as water pollution, while if substituted for more traditional fertilizers, this substitution

Answer: A

這題的句意來解，並不是特別好判斷。主要是 increase in use 才是 create problem 的主詞，而並非 increased usage，但基本上這種句意在考場的確很難當下馬上判斷出來。我們可以往後使用連接詞判斷: 
這題的主詞是 the use of synthetic fertilizers，產生了三個動作 (以下簡寫): expand productivity, create problem, accelerate soil deterioration 

這三種動作的屬性我已經在上面標示的相當清楚，expand productivity 屬於優點 (+)，而 create problem (-) 和 accelerate soil deterioration (-) 屬於缺點。

也因此，使用答案 A 的連接詞方式: Whereas +, - and -  

將優缺點用 Whereas 對比隔開，同為缺點則用 and 連接會來的正確許多: -  

答案 D 的連接方式則為 Whereas +, - while -  

同為缺點使用對比性的 while 相對是不佳的連接詞使用方式

所以這題答案 (A)