只有16%纯语法题：新SAT文法的未来该何去何从

近日，College Board发布了一套完整的Redesigned PSAT样题，笔者第一时间对题目做了分析。Redesigned PSAT的Writing and Language Test部分与Resigned SAT题目一致，几乎涵盖了Domain中涉及到的大部分知识点。从整体来看，44个题中，难度系数为“简单”的题占7个，16%，难度系数为“中等”的题占到了26个，59%，难度系数为“难”的题占到了11，25%。其中，纯语法知识可以做出来的题仅为7个，像以前常常考到的代词、时态、主谓一致，这套题目里涉及很少;需要考虑句间关系和语境中的词汇的题占14个，与分析篇章中的结构关系为导向的题占23个，数据分析题2个。

更值得一提的是在这套完整的文法题中，我们也看到了一些关于之前《特别说明》中没有给出的具体样题，比如Conventional expression的考法，“语境中词汇”的修辞作用。有些知识点对于中国的学生而言，还是相当有难度的，像是固定用法、词义辨析、style and tone和语境中的词汇。从同一能力知识点的难易变化来看，我们还可以分析出未来新SAT考试的横向知识模块能力素质塑造维度，以及纵向式知识水平的延伸维度，从而为学生提供配比程度更好的课程体系，加强前段课程的整合度，梯度和延展性。从官方目前给出的数据(Comparison of the Writing and Language Test：Content Specifications: Redesigned SAT and PSAT/NMSQT)来看，无论是题量配比还是难度，均与新SAT保持一致。

以下是文法部分的题目与解析：

Writing and Language Test

A Nod to Nodding Off

With 30 percent of United States workers not getting enough sleep at night, according to the Wall Street Journal, U S companies [Q1] lose a yearly sum of $63.2 billion annually due to the drop in employee productivity resulting from sleep deprivation. Sleep?deprived workers generally have lower morale and are less able to retain information than their better?rested colleagues.

[1] One of the [Q2] big reasons behind workers’ lack of sleep is the work itself. [2] To combat the problem of sleep deprivation in a demanding work environment, some companies have begun allowing workers to take naps. [3] The hours the average American [Q3] spend working have increased dramatically since the 1970s, making it hard for many workers to get a good night’s sleep. Although employees who sleep on the job are often considered lazy and unproductive, napping in the workplace has been shown to improve workers’ efficiency and quality of life. As long as companies continue to demand long hours from [Q4] workers, and managers should champion napping as a means to keep employees happy, healthy, and functional. [Q5]

Such a proposition may seem counterintuitive, but, in fact, allowing employees to nap could save companies hours of lost productivity. Studies reveal that napping improves memory and boosts wakefulness for the remainder of the day. [Q6] Napping can also have a positive effect on mood and overall job satisfaction, while constant drowsiness reduces reaction time and hampers one’s ability to concentrate. Employee naps might also lead to reduced health care costs for companies, since regular napping leads to long?term health benefits, [Q7] and it improves workers’ average weekly attendance.

Napping at work has already won corporate advocates in the worlds of technology, finance, and news media, and some businesses are beginning to set aside special nap rooms. A few companies, such as Google, have even invested in high?tech nap pods that block out light, play soothing music, and [Q8] gently waking nappers.

Zephrin Lasker, C E O of the mobile?advertising firm Pontiflex, has observed that employees are happier and more productive since he created a nap room in the company’s Brooklyn headquarters. Ryan Hodson of Kodiak Capital Group and Arianna Huffington of the Huffington Post Media Group have promoted napping [Q9] throughout their workers and have been effusive about the results. In light of the benefits not only to employees’ efficiency [Q10] and again to their health and sense of well?being, these executives’ enthusiasm is not surprising. [Q11] These executives are among the most successful leaders in their respective fields.

Question 1.

A. NO CHANGE (lose a yearly sum of $63.2 billion annually)

B. see an annual loss of $63.2 billion each year

C. lose $63.2 billion annually

D. have a yearly loss of $63.2 billion annually

答案：C

难度：medium

解析：此题考查Effective Language Use中的简洁表达，yearly和annually语义重复，最简洁清晰的答案为C。

Question 2.

A. NO CHANGE (big reasons behind)

B. main things leading up to

C. huge things about

D. primary causes of

答案：D

难度：medium

解析：此题考查Effective Language Use中的Style and tone，即文体风格，选项需符合标准书面题英语的表达，也需体现出原文正式的风格。其他选项中的big，huge和thing都脱离了正式的文风。

Question 3.

A. NO CHANGE (spend)

B. have spent

C. spends

D. are spent

答案：C

难度：medium

解析：此题考查文法中的主谓一致，主语为单数American，选择C选项。

Question 4.

A. NO CHANGE (workers, and managers)

B. workers; managers

C. workers, managers,

D. workers, managers

答案：D

难度：medium

解析：此题体现对文法中的标点符号的考察，连接题目中的主从句需用逗号。B选项中的分号将主从句分隔，形成不完整句;C选项中managers后面的逗号使主语和谓语动词产生不该出现的分隔。

Question 5

To make this paragraph most logical, sentence 3 should be placed

(A) where it is now.

(B) before sentence 1.

(C) after sentence 1.

(D) after sentence 4.

答案：C

难度：hard

解析：此题考查篇章中的organization，要求将文中句子按照逻辑排序。第一句说明缺乏睡眠的原因是工作本身，第三句话进一步说明工作时间长所导致的睡眠不足问题。将第三句加在第一句后也可以承接第二句中因为员工无法有良好的睡眠，一些公司开始允许员工napping。

Question 6. (Follow link back to location in passage.)

At this point, the writer is considering adding the following sentence.

Even fifteen?minute power naps improve alertness, creativity, and concentration.

Should the writer make this addition here?

A. Yes, because it demonstrates that the benefits of napping can be gained without sacrificing large amounts of work time.

B. Yes, because it explains the methodology of the studies mentioned in the previous sentence.

C. No, because a discussion of the type of nap workers take is not important to the writer’s main point in the paragraph.

D. No, because it contradicts the writer’s discussion of napping in the previous sentences.

答案：A

难度：medium

解析：此题考查篇章development中的Focus，要求判断增加的句子对于文章提出的观点是否能提供支持。这句话阐述了nap对员工的益处，契合文章观点。

Question 7.

Which choice provides a supporting example that reinforces the main point of sentence 4 of paragraph 3?

A. NO CHANGE (and it improves workers’ average weekly attendance.)

B. including a lower risk of cardiovascular problems such as heart attack and stroke.

C. which are essential in an era of rising health care costs.

D. in addition to making employees more efficient.

答案：B

难度：hard

解析：此题考查篇章development中的support，要求选出支撑文章观点的例证，前一句中提到reduced health care costs，B选项提供相关支持。C和D选项对于reduced health care costs的支持无关。

Question 8.

A. NO CHANGE (gently waking)

B. gently wake

C. gently to wake

D. gentle waking of

答案：B

难度：medium

解析：此题考查句法中平行结构，选项需与前一句中的block, play词性一致，选择wake。

Question 9.

A. NO CHANGE (throughout)

B. among

C. between

D. into

答案：B

难度：easy

解析：此题考查文法中的惯用表达，“在人们之中”只能用among表达，throughout应为穿过，between用于两者之间。

Question 10.

A. NO CHANGE (and again to)

B. but it benefits

C. as also to

D. but also to

答案：D

难度：medium

解析：此题考查句法中平行及连词的使用，not only…but also。

Question 11.

The writer wants a concluding sentence that restates the main argument of the passage. Which choice best accomplishes this goal?

A. NO CHANGE (These executives are among the most successful leaders in their respective fields.)

B. Clearly, employers should consider reducing employees’ hours when they are overworked.

C. Companies should consider employee schedules carefully when implementing a napping policy.

D. More businesses should follow their lead and embrace napping on the job.

答案：D

难度：medium

解析：此题考查篇章中对于文章大意的总结，作者对于nap的观点非常明确：nap可以激发员工工作能力，也能减少疾病的发生，D选项总结作者观点和意图。