再次呼唤可爱的斑竹大牛们Sixty-five million years ago, according to some scientists 再次which

leonnong

Sixty-five million years ago, according to some scientists, an asteroid bigger than Mount Everest slammed into North America, which, causing plant and animal extinctions, marks the end of the geologic era known as the Cretaceous Period.
(A) which, causing plant and animal extinctions,
marks
(B) which caused the plant and animal extinctions
and marks
(C) and causing plant and animal extinctions that
mark
(D) an event that caused plant and animal
extinctions, which marks
(E) an event that caused the plant and animal
extinctions that mark

OA is E
我想问，为什么D错呢？which不能修饰an event吗？
OA的解释是which应该修饰extinctions,所以marks应该改为mark.
但是我觉得既然D里用了marks，自然就会修饰extinctions了，而会跳跃修饰an event.而且an event marks the end of the geologic era known as the Cretaceous Period逻辑上也说得同呀~
另外附上RON说的一段话
from what we've seen - if you have "which" following "noun1 + preposition + noun2", then "which" can refer to noun1 only if noun2 is grammatically ineligible. otherwise it automatically refers to noun2.
see here:

the gmat tends to write sentences in which "which" stands for the ELIGIBLE noun that's closest to the comma.
by "eligible", i mean that the noun has to AGREE IN TERMS OF SINGULAR/PLURAL with the FOLLOWING VERB.

here's an example:

the box of nails, which is on the counter, is to be used on this project.

in this case, "which" CANNOT refer to "nails", since the verb "is" is singular. therefore, the nearest eligible noun is "box (of nails)". so, "which" unambiguously stands for that.
虽然RON说的结构是有介词的情况，但是他强调的eligible是根据单复数形式来判断，而刚刚我说的那道题目为什么不能这样呢？是不是因为不是noun1 + preposition + noun2这种结构呢？所以不能按照RON的方法去判断？？
求讨论

leonnong

没事先顶顶。。。

babybearmm

首先，Ron说的情况是"noun1 + prep + noun2"
而你的D是：an event that caused plant and animal extinctions, which marks
我highlight的地方是个that-clause
所以不符合Ron说的情况

其次，咱跳出来，逆向思维。假如你认为"marks ..."也是修饰"an event"，那就是有两个noun modifier并列修饰"an event"。那这句话该怎么说？想想看...
是不是该写成以下的平行结构：
... an event that caused x and y extinctions, and that marks (the end of C period)
换句话说，就是
an event (that clause1), and (that clause2).
[参见这里 http://www.manhattangmat.com/forums/the-usage-of-whose-t14144.html]
就说，按你的理解，就应该是平行结构，而不会写成comma+which的修饰结构。

再者，从逻辑上分析，结合科学常识，请问：
What kind of event can mark the end of a geological era?
我们知道一个geological era的重要标志(markers)，就是plants and animals，而不是什么行星撞地球的事件。
所以，上面那个问题的答案，是"plant and animal extinctions"（其中extinctions对应上end of the period），而不是"an event".
这就是从逻辑出发，后面"which ..."修饰"extinctions".

btw:
"但是我觉得既然D里用了marks，自然就不会修饰extinctions了，而会跳跃修饰an event"
你这里犯了循环论证的逻辑错误。你想说：你假设D正确，那么D既然用了marks，自然就是修饰"an event"，所以D正确。
就是由一个错误的假设出发，循环论证，然后进一步证实错误的假设。
解决办法就是跳出来，做题的思路不要是——假设某选项正确，然后justify它。
而是把这句子的意思理解了，看看应该怎么样correctly and effectively express the intended meaning.
比如当你联想到科学常识就想到是extinctions mark the end of the era.
或者就算你理解错意思，你也能判断D不能表达你理解的意思（因为照你的理解，应该用平行结构）

Sixty-five million years ago, according to some scientists, an asteroid bigger than Mount Everest slammed into North America, which, causing plant and animal extinctions, marks the end of the geologic era known as the Cretaceous Period.
(A) which, causing plant and animal extinctions,
marks
(B) which caused the plant and animal extinctions
and marks
(C) and causing plant and animal extinctions that
mark
(D) an event that caused plant and animal
extinctions, which marks
(E) an event that caused the plant and animal
extinctions that mark

OA is E
我想问，为什么D错呢？which不能修饰an event吗？
OA的解释是which应该修饰extinctions,所以marks应该改为mark.
但是我觉得既然D里用了marks，自然就会修饰extinctions了，而会跳跃修饰an event.而且an event marks the end of the geologic era known as the Cretaceous Period逻辑上也说得同呀~
另外附上RON说的一段话
from what we've seen - if you have "which" following "noun1 + preposition + noun2", then "which" can refer to noun1 only if noun2 is grammatically ineligible. otherwise it automatically refers to noun2.
see here:

the gmat tends to write sentences in which "which" stands for the ELIGIBLE noun that's closest to the comma.
by "eligible", i mean that the noun has to AGREE IN TERMS OF SINGULAR/PLURAL with the FOLLOWING VERB.

here's an example:

the box of nails, which is on the counter, is to be used on this project.

in this case, "which" CANNOT refer to "nails", since the verb "is" is singular. therefore, the nearest eligible noun is "box (of nails)". so, "which" unambiguously stands for that.
虽然RON说的结构是有介词的情况，但是他强调的eligible是根据单复数形式来判断，而刚刚我说的那道题目为什么不能这样呢？是不是因为不是noun1 + preposition + noun2这种结构呢？所以不能按照RON的方法去判断？？
求讨论

-- by 会员 leonnong (2012/3/30 15:52:59)

leonnong

谢谢baby的再次帮助，对语法部分我是完全理解了，但是逻辑...我现在还是始终觉得an event起标记作用没什么问题也，如果说extinctions可是作为标记的话，那么extinctions本身不就是一个event吗？嗯...baby最后的批评让我作为一个学数学的人汗颜呀~哈哈，自我辩解一下，我是因为想到RON说which可以按单复数形式选择跳跃修饰对象，所以看这选项一个是单数名词一个是复数，就自然想这题考得就是跳跃修饰，就选了！~55555.。。不过真的很佩服baby姐的逻辑思维能力呀~
题外话：baby本科是学什么的呀？

babybearmm

“如果说extinctions可是作为标记的话，那么extinctions本身不就是一个event吗？”
结合原句，原句的"an event"是属于同位语，所以这个event就是指代行星撞地球。

那个逻辑问题，我没有别的意思哈，是觉得你的想法挺有趣的，提的问题也很incissive。你学数学的太好啦，我是学生物的，正好跟你探讨下，最近愈发迷恋数学、统计、逻辑.....就说为啥统计学上我们先定义H0(null hypothesis)，然后通过算statistics来看能否reject H0，而不是说直接证明H0. 同理，美国的司法体系，是先做无罪假定(Presumption of Innocence, i.e. null hypothesis)，然后根据证据看看能否将该人定罪(reject the Presumption of Innocence)，如果不能，那么最后的结论，是说“不能将其定罪”(fail to reject the Presumption of Innocence)，而不是说“证明其无罪”(prove innocence)。(reference http://www.intuitor.com/statistics/T1T2Errors.html)基于这个道理，你可以假设D选项正确，看能不能推出矛盾。如果能，那么就是证明其有罪——错误。如果不能，就是"fail to reject the Presumption of Innocence"——也就是说你不能(fail to)证明D是错误的，但是并不足以证明“D是正确的”。而你之前假设D选项正确，然后推出D选项正确，逻辑就不对了。

另外，Ron说的这个，是说对于一个正确的句子，读者可以从which后面的单复数，来帮助理解作者要表达的意思。但最终目的都是读者的comprehension和作者的correctly and effectively expression. 且，Ron确实说的是"Noun 1 + prep + Noun 2"，没有说中间是that-从句的。

谢谢baby的再次帮助，对语法部分我是完全理解了，但是逻辑...我现在还是始终觉得an event起标记作用没什么问题也，如果说extinctions可是作为标记的话，那么extinctions本身不就是一个event吗？嗯...baby最后的批评让我作为一个学数学的人汗颜呀~哈哈，自我辩解一下，我是因为想到RON说which可以按单复数形式选择跳跃修饰对象，所以看这选项一个是单数名词一个是复数，就自然想这题考得就是跳跃修饰，就选了！~55555.。。不过真的很佩服baby姐的逻辑思维能力呀~
题外话：baby本科是学什么的呀？

-- by 会员 leonnong (2012/3/30 23:07:43)

leonnong

嗯嗯，理解baby的意思，其实就是反证法，正面不好推，就先假设他不成立或者成立，看看能否推出矛盾的地方。。学习了！~原来数学的思路也可以应用在英语上，哈哈。。。哎哟，看咱们跟美帝国主义的教育差距不小啊，在这边，学数学除了闷还是闷。。baby现在却兴趣盎然。真的越来越激励我去实现我的American dream了~哈哈，谢谢baby

单调唱

首先，Ron说的情况是"noun1 + prep + noun2"
而你的D是：an event that caused plant and animal extinctions, which marks
我highlight的地方是个that-clause
所以不符合Ron说的情况

其次，咱跳出来，逆向思维。假如你认为"marks ..."也是修饰"an event"，那就是有两个noun modifier并列修饰"an event"。那这句话该怎么说？想想看...
是不是该写成以下的平行结构：
... an event that caused x and y extinctions, andthat marks (the end of C period)
换句话说，就是
an event (that clause1), and (that clause2).
[参见这里 http://www.manhattangmat.com/forums/the-usage-of-whose-t14144.html]
就说，按你的理解，就应该是平行结构，而不会写成comma+which的修饰结构。

再者，从逻辑上分析，结合科学常识，请问：
What kind of event can mark the end of a geological era?
我们知道一个geological era的重要标志(markers)，就是plants and animals，而不是什么行星撞地球的事件。
所以，上面那个问题的答案，是"plant and animal extinctions"（其中extinctions对应上end of the period），而不是"an event".
这就是从逻辑出发，后面"which ..."修饰"extinctions".

btw:
"但是我觉得既然D里用了marks，自然就不会修饰extinctions了，而会跳跃修饰an event"
你这里犯了循环论证的逻辑错误。你想说：你假设D正确，那么D既然用了marks，自然就是修饰"an event"，所以D正确。
就是由一个错误的假设出发，循环论证，然后进一步证实错误的假设。
解决办法就是跳出来，做题的思路不要是——假设某选项正确，然后justify它。
而是把这句子的意思理解了，看看应该怎么样correctly and effectively express the intended meaning.
比如当你联想到科学常识就想到是extinctions mark the end of the era.
或者就算你理解错意思，你也能判断D不能表达你理解的意思（因为照你的理解，应该用平行结构）

Sixty-five million years ago, according to some scientists, an asteroid bigger than Mount Everest slammed into North America, which, causing plant and animal extinctions, marks the end of the geologic era known as the Cretaceous Period.
(A) which, causing plant and animal extinctions,
marks
(B) which caused the plant and animal extinctions
and marks
(C) and causing plant and animal extinctions that
mark
(D) an event that caused plant and animal
extinctions, which marks
(E) an event that caused the plant and animal
extinctions that mark

OA is E
我想问，为什么D错呢？which不能修饰an event吗？
OA的解释是which应该修饰extinctions,所以marks应该改为mark.
但是我觉得既然D里用了marks，自然就会修饰extinctions了，而会跳跃修饰an event.而且an event marks the end of the geologic era known as the Cretaceous Period逻辑上也说得同呀~
另外附上RON说的一段话
from what we've seen - if you have "which" following "noun1 + preposition + noun2", then "which" can refer to noun1 only if noun2 is grammatically ineligible. otherwise it automatically refers to noun2.
see here:

the gmat tends to write sentences in which "which" stands for the ELIGIBLE noun that's closest to the comma.
by "eligible", i mean that the noun has to AGREE IN TERMS OF SINGULAR/PLURAL with the FOLLOWING VERB.

here's an example:

the box of nails, which is on the counter, is to be used on this project.

in this case, "which" CANNOT refer to "nails", since the verb "is" is singular. therefore, the nearest eligible noun is "box (of nails)". so, "which" unambiguously stands for that.
虽然RON说的结构是有介词的情况，但是他强调的eligible是根据单复数形式来判断，而刚刚我说的那道题目为什么不能这样呢？是不是因为不是noun1 + preposition + noun2这种结构呢？所以不能按照RON的方法去判断？？
求讨论

-- by 会员 leonnong (2012/3/30 15:52:59)

-- by 会员 babybearmm (2012/3/30 16:35:26)

解释的太好了。。。醍醐灌顶啊~！！

ssw920826

我也想找这道题。。。但是看楼上的帖子感觉断断续续的。。是不是丢了什么东西。。。。。><
也是感觉D 里面which可以跳跃修饰event啊~而且感觉意思上也没有什么出入

而且E里面两个that连用感觉怪怪的。。。

jeffery2541

太佩服baby了！你就是让我每每睡不着的原因啊！

spoon0212

解释的真好