Verbal Review-18

yunshishow

18 With only 5 percent of the world's population, United Stataes citizens consume 28 percent of its nonrenewable resources, drive more than one-third of its automobiles, and use 21 times more water per capita than Europeans do.
A with
B As
C Being
D Despite having
E Although accouting for
这题答案选E，Although从句不是应该和后面的主句结构平行么？但在这里并不平行。还有就是B选项错在哪里？

六月未名

OG解释：

The word or phrase that begins this sentence should establish the contrast between the size of the United States population and the activities of its citizens. Choices D and E are the only ones that establish the contrast, and only E, the best choice, expresses meaning accurately with the phrase Although accounting for. With in choice A and Despite having in choice D confusingly suggest that United States citizens somehow possess, rather than constitute, 5 percent of the world’s population. Choices B and C lose the contrast between the opening phrase and the main clause, and As is unidiomatic in B.

这道题题目的意思是将美国公民所占世界人口的比例与其行为进行一个对比，即有让步的意思，A、B和C三个选项都无此意义。
还有选项A和D意思表达不对，会让人误以为是美国公民拥有5 percent of the world's population，而不是占据。
B选项，如果楼主想选的话，是如何解释as的呢？肯定不能做连词，如果做介词的，是想表达作为的意思吗？那united states citizens和5 percent明显是不能放在一块的概念。
E选项中，although直接加动名词，相当于一个从句，主语即为主句的主语，这是一定程度上的省略，完整的话可以是：
althoug United States citizens account for 5 percent of the sorld's population, United States citizens consume……
如果这样表达就有些重复累赘了，所以省了。。。

yunshishow

谢谢耐心解答哈。也就是说Although前后并不需要强求形式上的平行。还有就是，个人觉得As在这里可以理解为作为：作为世界上5%的人口，美国公民......我觉得这句话没有什么错误，只是没有像Although那样表示前后对比。

六月未名

从中文上看确实没什么不对，但从英文上看就有点不对劲了，就类似于那种汤姆的脸长得和波比很像这类题，从中文上看没错，可英文上比较对象就不对等了。。。
Unitied States citizen是一个具体名词，而5 percent of population是一个抽象的百分比，人总不能和百分比作为同等概念放在一块吧。。。

yunshishow

谢谢楼上哈，每个语法点你都讲得好清楚。