新SAT官方新樣題閱讀第二篇解析

命運鏈

新SAT考試中，五篇文章中有一篇是雙篇對比(paired passages)，重點考察學生分析多篇文本的能力（Analyzing multiple texts）。這篇文章題材屬于Science這一類，考察重點是“動物是否擁有類似人類的思維能力”這一老生常談的話題，北京新東方美本本地項目劉瓊歌老師發現在舊SAT中也有類似的文章（2008年1月短雙“是否應該以人類動機解讀黑猩猩的行為”）。

在題目設計上，五個題目依次考察了文章結構（text structure）,隱含語義（implicit meanings：draw reasonable inferences and logical conclusions from text）, 雙篇對比求同（Analyzing multiple texts: synthesize information and ideas from paired texts），雙篇對比求異（Analyzing multiple texts: synthesize information and ideas from paired texts）和雙篇邏輯關系（Analyzing multiple texts: analyzing claims and counterclaims）這五個考點。

劉瓊歌老師經過對比分析發現，這五個題目在考點設計上與舊SAT類似，只是選項由舊SAT的五個減為四個，且答錯不再倒扣分數。整體上說，新SAT的文章復雜度和題目難度并沒有顯著增強。

【文章大意】

這兩篇文章通過觀察和實驗研究鳥類是否擁有與人類類似的認知能力。

Passage 1第一段心理學家Morgan提出一條原則“如果有更加簡單的解釋，就不應該認為動物行為體現了類似人類的思維過程�！钡诙�段則指出，人類似乎很“想”證明動物跟人一樣“聰明”。從第三段至文章結尾，Gray做了一個觀察實驗(observation)，發現New Caledonian crows有制作工具的能力。

Passage 2記述了作者對ravens感知環境能力的實驗。作者發現ravens擁有區分new objects和background的能力，而且偏愛可食用的(edible)的東西。作者認為是ravens的好奇心(curiosity)導致它們能夠感知周圍環境的全部內容。

這兩篇文章的共同焦點在于tool-making ability和curiosity能夠證明鳥類擁有與人類類似的思維和感知能力。

【題目解析】

Question 20.Within Passage 1, the main purpose of the first two paragraphs (lines 1–8) is to

A. offer historical background in order to question the uniqueness of two researchers’ findings.

B. offer interpretive context in order to frame the discussion of an experiment and its results.

C. introduce a scientific principle in order to show how an experiment’s outcomes validated that principle.

D. present seemingly contradictory stances in order to show how they can be reconciled empirically.

答案：B

解析：Passage 1第一段從科學的角度指出，人類不能輕易下判斷說動物行為體現了類似人類的思維能力。然而，從感性的角度來看，人類似乎又一直有一種期待，希望能找到證據證明其它動物跟人類一樣“聰明”（第二段）。這兩段內容為下文Gary的觀察實驗提供了一個解析的語境，即鳥類擁有tool-making的能力能不能證明鳥類有跟人類一樣的思維能力。

考點: 文章結構（text structure）

Question 21.According to the experiment described in Passage 2, whether the author’s ravens continued to show interest in a formerly new object was dictated primarily by whether that object was

A. edible.

B. plentiful.

C. conspicuous.

D. natural.

答案：A

解析：由Passage 2第二段最后一段（In subsequent trials, when the previously novel items were edible, they became preferred and the inedible objects became “background” items, just like the leaves, grass, and pebbles, even if they were highly conspicuous.）可以看出，如果同樣是之前見過的東西，ravens偏愛edible objects，不能食用的就當做background忽略。

難度：易

考點: 隱含語義（implicit meanings：draw reasonable inferences and logical conclusions from text）

Question 22.The crows in Passage 1 and the ravens in Passage 2 shared which trait?

A. They modified their behavior in response to changes in their environment.

B. They formed a strong bond with the humans who were observing them.

C. They manufactured useful tools for finding and accessing food.

D. They mimicked the actions they saw performed around them.

答案：A

解析：由Passage 1第四段開頭(Their tools are hooked sticks or strips made from spike-edged leaves, and they use them in the wild to winkle grubs out of crevices.)可以看出，自然狀態下的crows用帶鉤的小枝把蟲子從洞穴里剔出來。而Gary和同事做實驗的時候，他們用一天時間讓crows習慣在一個樹洞里找meat（Over the course of days, he and crow researcher Gavin Hunt had gotten wild crows used to finding meat tidbits in holes in a log.），然后在旁邊放上針葉植物。實驗證明，crows在這個新環境里依然有tool-making的能力。

Passage 2很明顯，作者一直有意地在ravens周圍放置不同的物品，以此觀察ravens的反應。因此，兩篇文章的共同之處在于，crows和ravens都能根據環境的變化調整自己的行為。

考點: 雙篇對比求同（Analyzing multiple texts: synthesize information and ideas from paired texts）

Question 23.One difference between the experiments described in the two passages is that unlike the researchers discussed in Passage 1, the author of Passage 2

A. presented the birds with a problem to solve.

B. intentionally made the birds aware of his presence.

C. consciously manipulated the birds’ surroundings.

D. tested the birds’ tool-using abilities.

答案：B

解析：由Passage 1第四段段尾“hid behind a blind”得知，Gary和同事在做觀察研究時會隱蔽起來，不讓crows發現。而Passage 2第一段開頭就可以看出，作者沒有隱蔽，而是有意讓ravens意識到他的存在。比如第一句（For one month after they left the nest, I led my four young ravens at least once and sometimes several times a day on thirty-minute walks.）和第3-4句（In the first sessions, I tried to be teacher. I touched specific objects—sticks, moss, rocks—and nothing that I touched remained untouched by them.）

考點: 雙篇對比求異（Analyzing multiple texts: synthesize information and ideas from paired texts）

Question 24. Is the main conclusion presented by the author of Passage 2 consistent with Morgan’s canon, as described in Passage 1?

A. Yes, because the conclusion proposes that the ravens’ behavior is a product of environmental factors.

B. Yes, because the conclusion offers a satisfyingly simple explanation of the ravens’ behavior.

C. No, because the conclusion suggests that the ravens exhibit complex behavior patterns.

D. No, because the conclusion implies that a humanlike quality motivates the ravens’ behavior.

答案：D

解析：Passage 2的結論在最后一句。作者認為ravens擁有跟人類一樣的特點——好奇心(curiosity)。而Passage 1第一段Morgan’s canon則警告不能隨便給出這種解讀。因此，這兩種觀點是不一致的，因為Passage 2的結論正是Morgan警告人們不要飯的錯誤。

考點: 雙篇邏輯關系（Analyzing multiple texts: analyzing claims and counterclaims）（北京新東方）