OG 103

tastingworld

各位NN, help:

I don't quite understand the explaination of OG 103.

Ａ．为什么ｗｏｒｄｙ？怎样判断是否wordy?

C. them 为什么指代skills? 可否大致说一下代词指代的语法点，谁指代谁，我在这总晕菜。

D. I think this choice is right. Why is it awkward and unidiomatic verbal modifier?

E. 为什么这个them不指代skills? (还是指代的问题，汗）

多谢指教

tastingworld

对不起，第一次贴，这是题目和解答

103. Students in the metropolitan school district lack math skills to such a large degree as to make it difficult to
absorb them into a city economy becoming ever more dependent on information-based industries.
(A) lack math skills to such a large degree as to make it difficult to absorb them into a city economy
becoming
(B) lack math skills to a large enough degree that they will be difficult to absorb into a city's economy that
becomes
(C) lack of math skills is so large as to be difficult to absorb them into a city's economy that becomes
(D) are lacking so much in math skills as to be difficult to absorb into a city's economy becoming
(E) are so lacking in math skills that it will be difficult to absorb them into a city economy becoming

Answer to Question 103
In A, lack is modified by a wordy and awkward construction, to such a large degree as to make it difficult to.
B is similarly flawed, and to a large enough degree that is unidiomatic. C is ungrammatical because it uses
lack as a noun rather than as a verb: the phrase beginning Students... becomes a dangling element, and them
refers illogically to skills rather than students. Additionally, A, B, and C fail to use one or both of the "-ing" forms
are lacking and becoming; these forms are preferable to lack and becomes in describing progressive and
ongoing conditions. D uses the "-ing" forms, but so much... as to be difficult to absorb is an awkward and
175
unidiomatic verbal modifier. Choice E is best.