第二,在實戰(zhàn)考試中,我們發(fā)現(xiàn)老GRE的填空題目仍然在新GRE考試中層出不窮。以2014年考試為例,在今年剛剛結束的9場考試中,重復老GRE考試題目的情況發(fā)生了8次,其中老雙空題改寫發(fā)生了2次,單選題改六選二發(fā)生了2詞,單選題直接照搬發(fā)生了4次。筆者5月份在妙峰山的住宿班,一位剛剛在美國參加完考試的同學看到筆者強化班講義的一道老GRE題目,也深情款款的看著筆者說,這是他5天前剛剛在美國GRE考試考場上看到的原題。因此我們預計這種老題改新題仍然將持續(xù)。
第三,新GRE考試在考查詞匯的核心解釋和題材時仍然和老GRE一致。如以前機經中出現(xiàn)sympathetic一次表示支持的(favorably inclined)含義,讓很多新GRE考試非常陌生,其實如果他能把老GRE考試做透,就會發(fā)現(xiàn)sympathetic這個詞義的考法很早就出現(xiàn)在了中國大陸地區(qū)90年代的考試中。又如今年5月10日的一道三空題目以cowbird把鳥蛋生在別人的鳥窩里為背景,原題如下:
The cowbird can seem a rather comical creature with a slow, awkward walk and often upraised tail. Less _________ is the cowbirds‘ habit of laying their eggs in the nests of other birds. The ________ nesters will usually accept the cowbird egg and raise the baby cowbird as their own. Unfortunately, cowbird eggs hatch sooner than the eggs of other species and the young cowbirds _________, using their size to their advantage in getting more food from the parents.
Blank (i) Blank (ii) Blank (iii)
A. amusing D. feckless G. grow quickly
B. painful E. resistant H. leave the nest
C. galling F. unwitting I. share their food
其實在老GRE題目當中,此種題材也早已考察過,題目如下:
If animal parents were judged by human standards, the cuckoo would be one of nature's more----creatures, blithely laying its eggs in the nests of other birds, and leaving the incubating and nurturing to them.
(A) mettlesome
(B) industrious
(C) domestic
(D) lackluster
(E) feckless
所以詞匯解釋和一些考察意向都未曾改變,也體現(xiàn)出了GRE考試的連續(xù)性和考試成績長期的穩(wěn)定性.
第四, 新GRE的句子結構仍然能找到老GRE的影子。
我們來對比以下兩道題目,第一道題目是GRE機經真題,第二道題目是老GRE的真題。
Medieval cathedrals still stand as marvels of architecture, but as far as modern science is concerned, medieval physics and chemistry are simply irrelevant, at best a dead end, at worst the very __ of what science is supposed to be. (2014.2.23機經題目)
A. exemplar
B. glorification
C. reflection
D. dilution
E. antithesis
Despite assorted effusions to the contrary, there is no necessary link between scientific skill and humanism, and, quite possibly, there may be something of a----between them. (老GRE真題)
(A) generality
(B) fusion
(C) congruity
(D) dichotomy
(E) reciprocity
這兩句話粗看沒有任何聯(lián)系,不過仔細觀察你就會發(fā)現(xiàn),這兩句話都是一種對于遞進關系的考查,前者是對irrelevant的向at worst方向的遞進,后者是no necessary link向quite possibly方向的遞進,而兩道題目的答案竟然也驚人的相似,都是表示矛盾對立的詞(E. antithesis和D. dichotomy)。
諸如此類的例子,在我們對于新GRE題目的實戰(zhàn)考試的觀察中層出不窮,屢見不鮮。因此,充分掌握好老GRE常考的句子結構和解題策略完全可以應對新GRE的填空題目。