关于完成时, 两道真题对比

GWD-10-Q31:

Leaching, the recovery of copper from the drainage water of mines, as a method of the extraction of minerals, it was well established as early as the eighteenth century, but until about 25 years ago miners did not realize that bacteria take an active part in the process.

A. as a method of the extraction of minerals, it was well established

B. as a method of the extraction of minerals well established

C. was a well-established method of mineral extraction

D. was a well-established method of extracting mineral that was

E. had been a method of mineral extraction, well established

Answer: (C)

现在一看见过去完成时就犯怵, 还请NN出来解释以下具体怎么区分.

先声明，我不是ＮＮ

前两天刚看玩ＯＧ，对完成式有了些认识（不过可能记错了噢），现就这两道题讨论一下：

第一题Leaching　had been a method of mineral extraction，如果用完成式的话，就所leaching现在已经不再是一种矿物提炼方法了，这是不对的。

第二题was discharged in 1783 because she had become　too ill to serve.　生病是发生在1783年之前的事，并且跟现在早没关了

过去完成时应该是和过去时是做比较吧，记得好像是。

第一题我觉得如果用完成时的话，不是和现在比，而是和but until about 25 years ago miners did not realize that bacteria take an active part in the process这句中的25 year ago比，如果是这样理解的话第一题算是尚可以解释。

但是第二题就不能理解了，had become too ill如果是用了完成时，就是发生在was discharge之前，不和逻辑啊，应该是因为become ill才discharge，这两个应该没有什么先后关系，感觉用一般过去时多痛快啊。

继续请教！

第二题，是因为病的很厉害才被解雇的啊，为什么不和逻辑

17.   Native American burial sites dating back 5,000 years indicate that the residents of Maine at that time were part of a widespread culture of Algonquian-speaking people.

(A) were part of a widespread culture of Algonquian-speaking people

(B) had been part of a widespread culture of people who were Algonquian-speaking

(C) were people who were part of a widespread culture that was Algonquian-speaking

(D) had been people who were part of a widespread culture that was Algonquian-speaking（A）

(E) were a people which had been part of a widespread, Algonquian-speaking culture

Choice A is best because it correctly uses the simple past tense, the residents... at that time were, and because it is the most concise. In B and D, the replacement of were with the past perfect had been needlessly changes the original meaning by suggesting that the Native Americans had previously ceased to be part of the widespread culture. All of the choices but A are wordy, and in C, D, and E the word people redundantly describes the residents rather than the larger group to which the residents belonged. These choices are also imprecise because they state that the culture, rather than people, spoke the Algonquian language. Choice E displays inconsistent tenses and an error of pronoun reference, people which.

这是OG关于过去完成时的解释，楼主琢磨一下

就像版主说的，因为病的厉害才解雇的，那如果用了完成时，很明显就是在解雇之前病的厉害这个事情就已经结束了，再解雇不是不和逻辑了吗？

有点钻牛角尖了，但是这个完成时真的很想搞清楚，麻烦版主了。

再引OG一道题吧

55.   A recent study has found that within the past few years, many doctors had elected early retirement rather than face the threats of lawsuits and the rising costs of malpractice insurance.

(A) had elected early retirement rather than face

(B) had elected early retirement instead of facing

(C) have elected retiring early instead of facing

(D) have elected to retire early rather than facing（E）

(E) have elected to retire early rather than face

Because the sentence describes a situation that continues into the present, choices A and B are incorrect in using the past perfect had elected, which denotes an action completed at a specific time in the past

我是这么理解：先生病得很厉害（并且仍在继续）－－所以被解雇。不管怎样肯定是先有生病这个事情发生。

可版主自己引的例子里面不是也说是completed at a specific time in the past吗？那怎么还可以继续呢？