全面分析新SAT语法与ACT英语

　　ACT考试由美国大学测验组织机构ACT主办。ACT考试均不是单纯的语言考试，而是对学生综合能力的测试。考试重视学生对基础课程的掌握并检查学生一般学术能力，难度贴近高中生。必考科学为四个部分：英语、数学、阅读、科学，全部为选择题，共215道。总分36分，考试时间共175分钟。

　　ACT考试不分I和II。它包括四个部分：数学、英语、阅读、科学推理。这里值得一提的是科学推理，这部分整合高中、初中物理，化学，生物，语文，英语口语，笔试等学科，综合在一张卷子上，以推理题目的形式出现。出题方式比较灵活，考验对高中知识的掌握和逻辑能力。「ACT Plus Writing」则为上述四个科目外再加上一个30分钟的作文测试。所有美国4年制学院及大学均接纳ACT的成绩。正因为ACT是一个以课程为本的考试，许多要求SAT Subject Tests成绩的大学，都会完全或部份豁免ACT考生有关的要求。

　　新SAT语法与ACT英语的比较分析

　　相同点一：标点符号Conventions of Punctuation

　　标点符号在现行SAT语法考试中占比相对较少，一般是会结合Run-on Sentence/Comma splice考察。但是在SAT改革文件中，官方明确强调要考标点符号，这一点与ACT文章改错要求没有太大差别。我们可以拿两道例题来比较一下：

　　新SAT官方样题Sample Writing and Language Set I

　　[5] The name Kingman was selected for its two (2) parts,“king” and “man”; Cantonese for “scenery” and “composition. ”

　　2. A) NO CHANGE

　　B) parts: “king” and “man”

　　C) parts “king” and “man”;

　　D) parts; “king” and “man”

　　ACT Prep Guide

　　Around this time the polka music and button accordion played by German immigrant rail-Road (14)workers; left their mark on waila.

　　14. F. NO CHANGE

　　G. workers

　　H. workers;

　　J. workers,

　　由此对比可以看出，标点符号部分的考察两种考试是非常类似的。

　　相同点二：标准英语书面语/基本语法点 Standard English Conventions

　　无论ACT，现行SAT，还是改革后SAT，基本语法考察点是一致的。诸如：主谓一致、时态、代词、平行结构、比较级、固定搭配等。如下面改革后SAT官方样题:

　　When any one of these changes(1) occur, it is likely the result of careful analysis are conducted by transportation planners.

　　A) NO CHANGE

　　B) occur, they

　　C) occurs, they are

　　D) occurs, it is

　　这道题选择的C，考察的就是主谓一致和代词的指代。而这个知识点在新老SAT中都是会重点考察的。但是值得关注的是，改革后SAT相对弱化了单纯语法部分的考察。在官方出具的改革文件中，语法部分，也就是Standard English Conventions这一部分在改革后占有比重为45%，即44道题中有20道会考察基础语法知识点。而在现行SAT考试中，几乎90%的题目都是考察的语法知识点。所以比重这一点在新老SAT中还是有较大差别的。

　　而在ACT文章改错题目中，语法知识点被叫做Usage、Mechanics，包括：标点符号考察，语法用法考察，句子结构考察，在75道文章改错题目中占有40道，占比53%，与改革后SAT语法知识点的考察占比45%差不多。所以基础部分的练习可以完全参考ACT文章改错和现行SAT语法题目。试比较一道ACT文章改错题目：

　　As the dancers step to the music, they (8)were also stepping in time to a sound that embodies (9)their unique history and suggests the influence of outside cultures on their music.

　　8. F. NO CHANGE

　　G. are also stepping

　　H. have also stepped

　　J. will also step

　　9. A. NO CHANG

　　B. they’re

　　C. it’s

　　D. its’

　　这两道ACT的题目考察的都是非常基础的时态以及代词的考点。由此可见，在这个层面，现行以及改革后SAT语法部分，以及ACT文章改错部分没有太大差别，可以互相参考。

　　相同点三：文章结构/逻辑关系 Organization/ Introductions, conclusions, and transitions

　　文章结构在改革后SAT中占有一定比重，而这一考点与ACT也是一致的。值得关注的是，在现行SAT考试中的Improving Paragraph 文章改进题中也有相应的考点，通常要求考生在某一个句子的开头插入一个单词或者词组，而考生需要关注上下两段或者两句的逻辑关系。我们拿三道题来比较一下。

　　新SAT官方样题Sample Writing and Language Set II

　　(4)Next, representatives from the local public health department might provide input in designing a network of trails and sidewalks to encourage people to walk more.

　　4. A) NO CHANGE

　　B) For instance,

　　C) Furthermore,

　　D) Similarly,

　　ACT Prep Guide

　　Today, after many birthdays and New Year’s Days, I now find meaningful the difference I once found confusing. (21)Otherwise, this difference points to significant underlying cultural values.

　　21. A. NO CHANGE

　　B. Though,

　　C. In fact,

　　D. Then,

　　现行SAT 08年1月真题Improving Paragraph部分

　　(5) And yet, even if one does not always accomplish what he or she sets out to do, one gains new knowledge from the attempt.

　　32. In context, which of the following is the best replacement for “And yet” in sentence 5?

　　(A) Nevertheless

　　(B) In other words

　　(C) However

　　(D) In contrast

　　(E) Supposedly

　　比较一下这三道题会发现，考察的是考生相同的能力，对于文章结构的把控。在适当位置填入相应逻辑关系词，保证文章上下句结构顺畅完整。

　　相同点四：词汇题

　　与托福阅读词汇题类似，改革后SAT文章改错与ACT文章改错部分都会考察单词用词是否恰当。在改革后SAT考试中，现行SAT中的填空题被取消，相对弱化了单纯词汇的考察，但是这并不意味着词汇在改革后SAT中完全不会出现。SAT官方正式改革文件关于文章改错部分的考试范围的Effective Language use中提到了 The student will revise text as needed to improve the exactness or content appropriateness of word choice，学生需要根据需求修改文章用词，改进单词的准确性和合适性。而在ACT文章改错题中，这种题型也占有一定比重。试比较以下两道题：

　　改革后SAT Sample Writing and Language Set 1

　　[7] Kingman, however, (4)vacated from that tradition in a number of ways, most notably in that he chose to focus not on natural landscapes, such as mountains and rivers, but on cities.

　　4. A) NO CHANGE

　　B) evacuated

　　C) departed

　　D) retired

　　ACT Prep Guide

　　Perhaps the celebration of New Year’s Day in Korean culture is (19) heightened because it is thought of as everyone’s birthday party.

　　19. A. NO CHANGE

　　B. raised

　　C. lifted

　　D. lighted

　　比较这两道题目，我们可以发现，改革后SAT与ACT在词汇这一部分考察是一样的。但是，值得关注的是，在ACT中有一种类型的词汇题，并不是单纯考察单词含义，而是需要结合整篇文章去推测应该用哪个单词，这个在改革后SAT的样题中并没有相应题目，但是这种考试形式在新SAT中也有可能会出现。我们来看一道例题：

　　Many people might be surprised to learn that the American way of computing a person’s age differs from the traditional Korean way. In Korean tradition, a person is considered to be already one year old at the time of his or her birth.

　　As a child growing up in two cultures, I found this (16) contest a bit confusing.

　　16. F. NO CHANGE

　　G. change

　　H. dispute

　　J. difference

　　这道题需要我们将文章第一段整体总结概括，选出相应的单词，而并不是通过单词所在句去判断。这种类型的词汇题在目前的改革后SAT官方样题中并没有出现，但是在正式的改革后SAT中也是会有一定概率出现，因为这种题型与改革后SAT强调考生需要根据文章去推断作者用词这一点并不矛盾。

　　相同点五：句子逻辑顺序题Logical sequence

　　新SAT要求考生能够判断某个句子应该放置在文章中的哪个合适的位置。这种考点在现行SAT语法的Improving Paragraph 修改文章题目中也有所考察。试比较三种题型：

　　改革后SAT Sample Writing and Language Set 1

　　[1] Kingman was keenly interested in landscape painting from an

　　early age. [2] In Hong Kong, where Kingman completed his schooling, teachers at that time customarily assigned students a formal “school name.” [3] His interest was so keen, in fact, that he was named after it. [4] The young boy who had been called Dong Moy Shu became Dong Kingman.

　　5. For the sake of the cohesion of this paragraph, sentence 3

　　should be placed

　　A) where it is now.

　　B) before sentence 1.

　　C) after sentence 1.

　　D) after sentence 4.

　　ACT Prep Guide

　　文章略

　　15. Upon reviewing this essay and finding that some information

　　has been left out, the writer composes the following sentence incorporating that information:

　　Those same German influences helped spawn a similar musical form in northern Mexico known as norteno.

　　This sentence would most logically be placed after the last sentence in Paragraph.

　　A. 1.

　　B. 2.

　　C. 3.

　　D. 4.

　　2010年1月SAT语法题目Improving Paragraph

　　文章略

　　35. In context, where should the following sentence be placed?

　　It presents problems of its own, however.

　　(A) Before sentence 2

　　(B) Before sentence 4

　　(C) Before sentence 8

　　(D) Before sentence 9

　　(E) Before sentence 12

　　相同点六：主旨题Proposition

　　改革后SAT要求考生能够准确识别出哪个选项可以清晰的表达段落主旨，而这个考点与ACT文章改错考点也是一致的，试比较：

　　改革后SAT Sample Writing and Language Set 1

　　His fine brushwork conveys detailed street-level activity: a peanut vendor pushing his cart on the sidewalk, a pigeon pecking for crumbs around a fire hydrant, an old man tending to a baby outside a doorway. His broader brushstrokes and sponge-painted shapes create majestic city skylines, with skyscrapers towering in the background, bridges connecting neighborhoods on either side of a river, and enormous ships maneuvering out of a busy harbor. To art critics and fans alike, these city scenes represent the innovative spirit of twentieth-century urban Modernism.

　　Which choice most effectively establishes the main topic of the paragraph?

　　A) Kingman is considered a pioneer of the California Style school of painting.

　　B) Although cities were his main subject, Kingman did occasionally paint natural landscapes.

　　C) In his urban landscapes, Kingman captures the vibrancy of crowded cities.

　　D) In 1929 Kingman moved to Oakland, California, where he attended the Fox Art School.

　　ACT Prep Guide

　　(33)Kevin and his parents believed that his constitutional rights had been violated.

　　33. Given that all of the choices are true, which one would most effectively introduce the main idea of this paragraph?

　　A. NO CHANGE

　　B. The principal said dungarees and blue jeans were the same thing, so Kevin should have known better.

　　C. If Kevin’s jeans had been dirty and torn, the principal might have been justified in expelling him.

　　D. These events occurred in a time of social unrest, and emotions were running high.

　　比较一下可以看出来，两种题型尽管有细微差别，但是考察的本质考点是一样的，都是考察的文章主旨。

　　相同点七：简化句子题Concision

　　改革后SAT要求考生能够发现文章用词是否简洁，避免不必要的啰嗦。能用简洁的表达就不用啰嗦的表达，这一点在现行SAT的Improving Sentence题目中也是一个偶尔会考到的题型。试比较：

　　改革后SAT Sample Writing and Language Set 2

　　If analysis of the traffic count indicates that there is more traffic than the (3)current road as it is designed at this time can efficiently accommodate the road right now, the transportation planner might recommend widening the road to add another lane.

　　3. A) NO CHANGE

　　B) current design of

　　C) road as it is now currently designed

　　D) current design of the road

　　ACT Prep Guide

　　For some people, traditional American Indian music is (1)associated and connected with high penetrating vocals accompanied by a steady drumbeat.

　　1. A. NO CHANGE

　　B. connected by some of them

　　C. linked by association

　　D. associated

　　比较两道题目会发现，两道题考察方向以及形式完全一致，都是考察句子的简洁，删除句子中的冗余或者重复的信息。

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