请教一道阅读题！

violetsapphire

出自2001年08月真题第三篇阅读第二段   

Nevertheless, by the middle of the nineteenth century, the rapid expansion of scientific knowledge and of public awareness-if not understanding-of it had created a belief that the advance of science would in some unspecifiedmanner automatically generate economic benefits. The widespread and usually uncritical acceptance of this thesis led in turn to the assumption that the application of science to industrial purposes was a linear process, starting with fundamental science, then proceeding to applied science or technology, and through them to industrial use. This is probably the most common pattern, but it is not invariable.

第二行中的“it”指代的是什么？

(A) understanding

(B) public awareness

(C) scientific knowledge

(D) expansion

我选的是D，可答案是C，怎么想都想不通，请高人指点指点，谢谢！

kevinlee

我也觉得应该是D

melodybb1224

以下是引用violetsapphire在2005-3-10 13:36:00的发言：

出自2001年08月真题第三篇阅读第二段   

Nevertheless, by the middle of the nineteenth century, the rapid expansion of scientific knowledge and of public awareness-if not understanding-of it had created a belief that the advance of science would in some unspecifiedmanner automatically generate economic benefits. The widespread and usually uncritical acceptance of this thesis led in turn to the assumption that the application of science to industrial purposes was a linear process, starting with fundamental science, then proceeding to applied science or technology, and through them to industrial use. This is probably the most common pattern, but it is not invariable.

第二行中的“it”指代的是什么？

(A) understanding

(B) public awareness

(C) scientific knowledge

(D) expansion

我选的是D，可答案是C，怎么想都想不通，请高人指点指点，谢谢！

我试一下，说实话，这道题我刚刚也没敢回答，因为的确很困难，呵呵，所以说错了，大家别拍砖哈。

the rapid expansion    （of scientific knowledge and of public awareness-if not understanding-of it   ）  had created a belief that the advance of science would in some unspecifiedmanner automatically generate economic benefits.

expansion为句子的主语，had 为谓语。括弧中为expansion的定语。现在只看括弧中的内容。我把它变一下：the rapid expansion of scientific knowledge and the rapid expansion of public awareness if not understanding-of it 。。。

绿色的字为插入语，可以译为假设他们当时也不理解它/假设那些公众意识也不理解它。

所以现在的问题是不理解什么，用排除法A B D都说不通，只能是C。

翻译一下：科学知识和公众意识的迅速膨胀发展产生了一个信念。。。。。。。，假设他们当时还不理解科学知识。

[此贴子已经被作者于2005-3-11 13:21:30编辑过]

kevinlee

楼上这位姐姐说得有道理。

支持一下。

我爱水果

The whole paragraph is talking about scientific knowledge.  Therefore C should technically be the answer.  D is not correct because the word expansion usually refers to "something".  Alone by itself "expansion" would raise the question of "what type of expansion?"  This also works with "B" since public awareness also means "being" aware of something.

callasandy

it makes sense to me now.

homegirl

插入语是if not understanding，就是两个--之间的部分，我认为of it应该是直接连接of public awareness的，也就是说，and 后面补充全了应该是

and the rapid expansion of public awareness of scientific knowledge （it）

melodybb1224

以下是引用homegirl在2005-3-11 13:06:00的发言：

插入语是if not understanding，就是两个--之间的部分，我认为of it应该是直接连接of public awareness的，也就是说，and 后面补充全了应该是

and the rapid expansion of public awareness of scientific knowledge （it）

同意mm的说法，我当时笨了..................[em04]

[此贴子已经被作者于2005-3-11 13:22:51编辑过]

wzbh

我觉得应该是D.

violetsapphire

还是有一点点困惑，不过非常感谢楼上几位大侠指点.