GWD-26-20

rosemary628

In 1981 children in the United States spent an average
        of slightly less than two and a half hours a week doing
        household chores; by 1997 they had spent nearly six hours a week.

 

A.      chores; by 1997 they had spent nearly six hours
        a week

B.       chores; by 1997 that figure had grown to nearly
        six hours a week

C.      chores, whereas nearly six hours a week were
        spent in 1997

D.      chores, compared with a figure of nearly six hours a week in 1997

E.       chores, that figure growing to nearly six hours a week in 1997

nn能不能解释下这几个选项的错误啊？这种题目我总是出错。多谢了！

答案是B

x-tester

大家对A的理解貌似都错了吧。。They指代的是广泛意义的「children in U.S.」（句子如果不是此意，应该就用children who ... in 1981这样的句式），我们平时也这样说，也不见得GMAC的人会在这里作出反人类的诠释。

我觉得Ron大神的解释更靠谱一点：
The meaning of the problem (which is clear to me - and, apparently according to the gmat people, clear to everyone else too) is that the kids were spending that many hours per week by 1997.

if you say "they had spent six hours a week by 1997", all this means is that they had gotten to 6 hrs/wk AT SOME POINT before 1997. it doesn't mean that they're still working that much.

也就是说，在这里过去完成时似乎让句子产生了“在1997年之前他们就已经一星期干6小时”了这样的感觉（即「过去已经完成了」），这个是不正确的，应该是“干活时长慢慢增长，到了1997年已经涨到了6小时一星期”这样才对。

Ron给了另外的例子，给大家参考下：

in 1980 forty percent of East High School class graduated; 67% of the class had graduated by 1997.
--> wrong. this would mean that half of the 1980 class had graduated at any time prior to 1997.

in 1980 forty percent of East High School class graduated; by 1997 the figure had grown to 67%.
--> correct. this would mean that 67% of the '97 class graduated (which is what we mean).

rosemary628

自己再顶！

msuzengli

非NN,欢迎拍砖.

In 1981 children in the United States spent an average
        of slightly less than two and a half hours a week doing
        household chores; by 1997 they had spent nearly six hours a week.
            

A.      chores; by 1997 they had spent nearly six hours
        a week (they 指代有问题, 如果指代children的话会令句子出现逻辑错误: 1997年还是1981年那帮孩子吗?)

B.       chores; by 1997 that figure had grown to nearly
        six hours a week

C.      chores, whereas nearly six hours a week were
        spent in 1997 (无逻辑或语法上的错误, 但相比选项B, 被动表达不如主动, 并改变句子重心)

D.      chores, compared with a figure of nearly six hours a week in 1997 (compared with没有与a figure对应的逻辑主语)

E.       chores, that figure growing to nearly six hours a week in 1997 (growing无法表达出完成的状态)

rosemary628

多谢ls!!

xiaoniuren

D

clarry

非NN,欢迎拍砖.

In 1981 children in the United States spent an average
of slightly less than two and a half hours a week doing
household chores; by 1997 they had spent nearly six hours a week.

A.      chores; by 1997 they had spent nearly six hours
a week (they 指代有问题, 如果指代children的话会令句子出现逻辑错误: 1997年还是1981年那帮孩子吗?)

B.       chores; by 1997 that figure had grown to nearly
six hours a week

C.      chores, whereas nearly six hours a week were
spent in 1997 (无逻辑或语法上的错误, 但相比选项B, 被动表达不如主动, 并改变句子重心)

D.      chores, compared with a figure of nearly six hours a week in 1997 (compared with没有与a figure对应的逻辑主语)

关于这个解释我有点异议。下面是一道Prep原题，答案选E

In the United States, while the number of foreign-born residents and their children is higher than ever, the percentage of the population they represent is not; in 1910 this group made up 35 percent of the population when compared to 20 percent in 2000.

(A) population when compared to 20 percent in 2000
(E) population, compared with 20 percent in 2000

这里的E选项显然没有逻辑主语的对应。
我认为这个D选项的错误在于
1. a figure of nearly six hours a week的表述不地道
2. 原句想强调的是后者，也就是1997年的数字；而单纯用compared blabla重心改变到前半句。- 注意：后面的那个例子正好说明了这个问题。
所以我认为不能从compared的逻辑主语或者最近的名词来判断正确与否（这个叫过去分词作伴随吧？），而要用句子的重心来判断。

E.       chores, that figure growing to nearly six hours a week in 1997 (growing无法表达出完成的状态)

-- by 会员 msuzengli (2009/6/15 1:25:00)

gracezz

顶楼上，我觉得有道理耶～～

chaneldl

CDE都不能选,改变了原句意思.
原句不是在讲1997年发生的事情,而是讲到1997年为止的事情,

既然用了by结构,就应该用完成时,那不用过去完成时用什么?难道用现在完成时?1997年已经过去很多年了

超超琪琪格

五楼正解！

KIMMI0330

那么过去完成时怎么解释呢。。