Lesson 02 : Paraphrasing / Sentence Simplification¶
Questions in Homework 01¶
Question 01
Stone carvers engraved their motifs of skulls and crossbones and other religious icons of death into the gray slabs that we still see standing today in old burial grounds.
- The word motifs is closest in meaning to _______.
- A) tools
- B) prints
- C) signatures
- D) designs
D) designs
根据句中 and 可以看出这个词和 icons 意思相近，所以选择更为接近的 designs。
Question 02
During ascent from a depth of 10 meters, the volume of air in the lungs will double because the air pressure at the surface is only half of what it was at 10 meters. This change in volume may cause the lungs to distend and even rupture.
- The word rupture is closest in meaning to _______.
- A) get damaged
- B) contract
- C) burst
- D) cease to function
C）burst
根据前一个词 distend 可以知道肺会扩张，最后破裂，与 burst 意思相近。
Question 03
Therefore, in the 1950s and 1960s, the baby boom hit an antiquated school system. Consequently, the "custodial rhetoric" of the 1930'sand early 1940's no longer made sense; that is, keeping youths aged sixteen and older out of the labor market by keeping them in school could no longer be a high priority for an institution unable to find space and staff to teach younger children aged five to sixteen.
- The word antiquated is closest in meaning to _______.
- A) obsolete
- B) flexible
- C) intricate
- D) conventional
A）obsolete
根据后文意思可以看出这个词的大概意思为古老的，与 obsolete 相似。
Question 04
In addition, there were performers and since considerable importance was attached to avoiding mistakes in the enactment of rites, religious leaders usually assumed that task.
- The word enactment is closest in meaning to _______.
- A) establishment
- B) performance
- C) authorization
- D) endorsement
B）performance
由前文可以看出表演者们尽力避免一些仪式失误，即为表演上的失误，选 B。
Tips for Sentence Simplification Questions¶
- Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.
Lexically（词法上）¶
- Substitutes or replacements with synonymous words or phrases.
Syntactically（句法上）¶
Intra-clause¶
- Subject（主语）
- Predicate（谓语）
- Object（宾语）
- Complement（补语）
Inter-clause¶
- Subordinate Clause（下级从句）
- Main Clause
- Conj. / Relative Pronouns
Examples¶
Example 01
One distinctive feature of the planet Jupiter is the Great Red Spot, a massive oval of swirling reddish-brown clouds.Were Earth to be juxtaposed with the Great Red Spot, our planet would be dwarfed in comparison, with a diameter less than half that of the Great Red Spot.The Spot's clouds, most likely tinted red as a result of the phosphorus that they contain, circulate in a counterclockwise direction.
- A) The diameter of the Great Red Spot is incomparable to that of the Earth.
- B) If the diameter of the Great Red Spot were doubled, it would equal that of the Earth.
- C) The diameter of the Earth is compared unfavorably with that of the Great Red Spot.
- D) Because the Earth is close to the Great Red Spot, it is influenced by its huge size.
C) The diameter of the Earth is compared unfavorably with that of the Great Red Spot.
主要是分析这句话的结构，大致意思为：如果地球和大红斑并置，相比之下，我们的星球将相形见绌，直径不到大红斑的一半。只有 C 符合意思。
Example 02
The extreme seriousness of desertification emanates from the far-flung areas of land and the colossal numbers of people affected, as well as from the formidable challenge of reversing or even slowing the process.Once the soil has been removed by erosion, only the passage of centuries or millennia will enable new soil to form. In areas where considerable soil still remains, though, a rigorously enforced program of land protection and cover-drop planting may make it possible to reverse the present deterioration of the surface.
- A) Desertification is a significant problem because it is so hard to reverse and affects large areas of land and great numbers of people.
- B) Slowing down the process of desertification is difficult because of population growth that has spread over large areas of land.
- C) The spread of deserts is considered a very serious problem that can be solved only if large numbers of people in various countries are involved in the effort.
- D) Desertification is extremely hard to reverse unless the population is reduced in the vast areas affected.
A) Desertification is a significant problem because it is so hard to reverse and affects large areas of land and great numbers of people.
根据句意这个干旱化来自于广袤的土地和大量人口，是一个并列关系，根据这个就可以排除 BCD。
New words¶
| Words | Part of Speech | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| motifs | n. | 设计 | syn. designs |
| set in motion | / | 引发 | syn. act as a catalyst / trigger for |
| catalyze | v. | 催化 | syn. trigger |
| tract | n. | 1) 地形，大片土地 2) 通道（尤指器官） 3) 小册子 |
digestion tract 呼吸道 |
| tractor | n. | 拖拉机 | -tract 表示拖，拉 |
| traction | n. | 牵引力 | in traction 正在进行牵引治疗 gain traction 得到认可 |
| attract | v. | 吸引 | at- 表示一而再再而三 |
| retract | v. | 收回 | re- 表示回 |
| protract | v. | 延长 | |
| contract | v. | 收缩 | |
| subtract | v. | 减去 | sub- 表示往下 |
| detract | v. | 减损 | |
| abstract | n./adj. | 摘要/抽象的 | |
| intractable | adj. | 棘手的 | in- 表示否定 |
| obsolete | adj. | 老式的 | |
| rupture | v. | 破裂 | |
| endorsement | n. | 认可 | |
| derive from | / | 源于 | syn. arise / result / originate / spring / emanate from |
| entail | v. | 包含 | syn. incorporate, involve |
| kin | n. | 亲属 | |
| kinship | n. | 亲属关系 | |
| be akin to | / | 类似于 | |
| exogamy | n. | 异族通婚 | ex- 表示外面 -gamy 表示婚姻 adj. exogamous |
| endogamy | n. | 同族结婚 | en- 表示里面 adj. endogamous |
| monogamy | n. | 一夫一妻制 | adj. monogamous |
| polygamy | n. | 一夫多妻制 | adj. polygamous |
| polyandrous | adj. | 一妻多夫的 | -andr 表示人 |
| android | n. | 人形机器人 | |
| bigamy | n. | 重婚罪 | adj. bigamous |
| be devoid of | / | 没有，全无 | syn. be void of |
| null and void | / | 无效的 | syn. invalid |
| void | n. | 空白 | |
| vacation | n. | 假期 | vac- 表示空的 |
| vacant | adj. | 空缺的 | n. vacancy |
| vacuous | adj. | 空洞的 | |
| vacuum | adj. | 真空的 | |
| evacuate | v. | 疏散 | e- 表示出去 -ate 表示动词 n. evacuation |
| vanish | v. | 消失 | van- 表示空的 |
| vanity | n. | 虚荣心 | |
| evanescent | adj. | 短暂的 | syn. fleeting, transient, transitory |
| vulnerable | adj. | 易受影响的 | syn. susceptible |
| glucose | n. | 葡萄糖 | |
| glycogen | n. | 糖原 | |
| hyperglycemia | n. | 高血糖 | |
| hypoglycemia | n. | 低血糖 | |
| magnate | n. | 大亨 | magn- 表示大 |
| magnanimous | adj. | 大气的，宽宏大量的 | syn. generous n. magnanimity |
| magniloquent | adj. | 夸张的 | -loquent 表示说话 |
| eloquent | adj. | 口若悬河的，口才好的 | |
| magnum opus | / | 鸿篇巨著，巨作 | |
| magnitude | n. | 重要性 | 1 order of magnitude 一个数量级 |
| ingenious | adj. | 最初的 | adj. original |
| chromosome | n. | 染色体 | chrom- 表示颜色 -some 表示……体 |
| monochrome | adj. | 单色的 | |
| polychrome | adj. | 多色的 | |
| disinterested | adj. | 公正的，客观的 | |
| at stake | / | 岌岌可危的 | syn. at risk, in danger |
| felicity | n. | 幸福安康 | |
| dwarf | v. | 使相形见绌 |