请教：OG-63

sheila1201

63. Health officials estimate that 35 million Africans are in danger of contracting trypanosomiasis, or "African sleeping sickness," a parasitic disease spread by the bites of tsetse flies.

(A)  are in danger of contracting

(B)  are in danger to contract

(C)  have a danger of contracting

(D)  are endangered by contraction

(E)   have a danger that they will contract

Choice A, which is both idiomatic and concise, is best. In choice B, to contract is wrong because the phrase are in danger must be followed by of, not by an infinitive. The phrase have a danger is unidiomatic in C. In D, the phrase by contraction trypanosomiasis requires of after contraction; even if this correction were made, though, the passive construction in D would be unnecessarily wordy and also imprecise, because it is the disease more than the act of contracting it that poses the danger. In E, have a danger is again unidiomatic, and the to that clause following the phrase is, within the structure of the sentence, ungrammatical and awkward.

我觉得(E)that后是danger的同位语从句，为什么说它ungrammatical呢？望指点！

andrew_li

In the explanation above, it has been clearly stated that the phrase are in danger must be followed by of.

sheila1201

薄冰语法上讲解同位语从句时举了一个例句：

"There is a real danger that Oxford will not retain its world position." said Dr. BS.

这里的danger不就做了同位语从句的先行词吗？恳请指点！

andrew_li

in danger of is an idiom while the danger in your example is just a normal noun.

sweetstar

A显然优于E.be in danger of 习语

对E的质疑。

have a danger that they will contract。 that 在ETS正确答案中因被省略?

35 million Africans/a danger?

swlfx

E选项读着就有点别扭，不过楼主问的似乎也很有道理，请哪位牛牛再解释一下啊。

berryfox

be in danger of 习惯用语，即使后面不用of,前面也是be ,而非have，再退一步说，即使E的动词换成了BE，也不选它，因为A更加简洁。