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04-May-2004, 10:09
| | Key Member | | Join Date: Nov 2003 Country: China
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Current Location: China First Language: Chinese Member Type: Student or Learner Thanks: 236
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| |  Reading comprehension
Dear teachers,
I found the following two sentences difficult to understand.
1. Within the primate order, humans are most closely related to the anthropoid apes ( the African chimpanzee and the gorilla and the Southeast Asian orang-utan and gibbon), and of these, to the chimpanzee and the gorilla.
The reason I feel puzzled is as follows:
According to the sentence ' the chimpanzee and the gorilla' are more general than anthropoid apes. That is, anthropoid apes are included in the chimpanzee and the gorilla.
But if the latter part 'and of these, to the chipanzee and the gorilla' could be rewritten as ' humans are most closely related to the chimpanzee and the gorilla' what 'does these' refer to? If it refers to 'anthropoid apes' that means 'the chimpanzee and the gorilla' should be included in anthropoid apes. So I think the two parts of the sentence contradicts with each other.
2. Childhood is longer, the closer the species is to humans.
I think the sentence belongs to 'the more/less.....the more/less' structure. So it should be 'The longer the childhood is, the closer the species is to humans.
I can't find the same structure in my grammar book. Why was it written this way? Is it also part of the structure?
I am looking forward to hearing from you.
Thank you in advance.
Jiang  |
04-May-2004, 11:15
| | Junior Member | | Join Date: Apr 2004 Country: Spain
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| |
1. Within the primate order, humans are most closely related to the anthropoid apes ( the African chimpanzee and the gorilla and the Southeast Asian orangutann and gibbon), and of these, to the chimpanzee and the gorilla.
According to the sentence ' the chimpanzee and the gorilla' are more general than anthropoid apes. That is, anthropoid apes are included in the chimpanzee and the gorilla.
You got this part backwards. The anthropoid apes is a more general term than the chipanzee and the gorilla, that is why they come behind and between parenthesis, because you are being given an example of two types of anthropoid apes. Therefore, there is no contradiction. |
06-May-2004, 22:54
|  | VIP Member | | Join Date: Nov 2002 Country: USA
Posts: 6,094
Current Location: New York First Language: American English Member Type: Academic Thanks: 0
Thanked 9 Times in 9 Posts
| | Re: Reading comprehension
Quote: |
Originally Posted by jiang Dear teachers,
I found the following two sentences difficult to understand.
1. Within the primate order, humans are most closely related to the anthropoid apes ( the African chimpanzee and the gorilla and the Southeast Asian orang-utan and gibbon), and of these, to the chimpanzee and the gorilla.
The reason I feel puzzled is as follows:
According to the sentence ' the chimpanzee and the gorilla' are more general than anthropoid apes. That is, anthropoid apes are included in the chimpanzee and the gorilla.
But if the latter part 'and of these, to the chipanzee and the gorilla' could be rewritten as ' humans are most closely related to the chimpanzee and the gorilla' what 'does these' refer to? If it refers to 'anthropoid apes' that means 'the chimpanzee and the gorilla' should be included in anthropoid apes. So I think the two parts of the sentence contradicts with each other. | The words in parenteses are there to help define the term "anthropoid apes" by giving examples. There are four apes listed in the parenthetical statement. The remainder of the sentence says "of these (anthropoid apes), humans are most closely related to two of the group -- chimpanzees and gorillas. Quote:
2. Childhood is longer, the closer the species is to humans.
I think the sentence belongs to 'the more/less.....the more/less' structure. So it should be 'The longer the childhood is, the closer the species is to humans.
I can't find the same structure in my grammar book. Why was it written this way? Is it also part of the structure?
| It is not written well. It attempts to say "The closer the species is to humans, the longer the childhood. It makes a statement with comparatives. :wink: |
07-May-2004, 00:38
| | Key Member | | Join Date: Nov 2003 Country: China
Posts: 1,941
Current Location: China First Language: Chinese Member Type: Student or Learner Thanks: 236
Thanked 3 Times in 3 Posts
| |
:D
Thank you very much for your explanation.
Jiang Quote: |
Originally Posted by queenmaabd 1. Within the primate order, humans are most closely related to the anthropoid apes ( the African chimpanzee and the gorilla and the Southeast Asian orangutann and gibbon), and of these, to the chimpanzee and the gorilla.
According to the sentence ' the chimpanzee and the gorilla' are more general than anthropoid apes. That is, anthropoid apes are included in the chimpanzee and the gorilla.
You got this part backwards. The anthropoid apes is a more general term than the chipanzee and the gorilla, that is why they come behind and between parenthesis, because you are being given an example of two types of anthropoid apes. Therefore, there is no contradiction. | |
07-May-2004, 00:38
| | Key Member | | Join Date: Nov 2003 Country: China
Posts: 1,941
Current Location: China First Language: Chinese Member Type: Student or Learner Thanks: 236
Thanked 3 Times in 3 Posts
| | Re: Reading comprehension
:D
Thank you very much for your explanation.
Jiang Quote: |
Originally Posted by MikeNewYork Quote: |
Originally Posted by jiang Dear teachers,
I found the following two sentences difficult to understand.
1. Within the primate order, humans are most closely related to the anthropoid apes ( the African chimpanzee and the gorilla and the Southeast Asian orang-utan and gibbon), and of these, to the chimpanzee and the gorilla.
The reason I feel puzzled is as follows:
According to the sentence ' the chimpanzee and the gorilla' are more general than anthropoid apes. That is, anthropoid apes are included in the chimpanzee and the gorilla.
But if the latter part 'and of these, to the chipanzee and the gorilla' could be rewritten as ' humans are most closely related to the chimpanzee and the gorilla' what 'does these' refer to? If it refers to 'anthropoid apes' that means 'the chimpanzee and the gorilla' should be included in anthropoid apes. So I think the two parts of the sentence contradicts with each other. | The words in parenteses are there to help define the term "anthropoid apes" by giving examples. There are four apes listed in the parenthetical statement. The remainder of the sentence says "of these (anthropoid apes), humans are most closely related to two of the group -- chimpanzees and gorillas. Quote:
2. Childhood is longer, the closer the species is to humans.
I think the sentence belongs to 'the more/less.....the more/less' structure. So it should be 'The longer the childhood is, the closer the species is to humans.
I can't find the same structure in my grammar book. Why was it written this way? Is it also part of the structure?
| It is not written well. It attempts to say "The closer the species is to humans, the longer the childhood. It makes a statement with comparatives. :wink: | |
07-May-2004, 20:12
| | VIP Member | | Join Date: Nov 2002 Country: USA
Posts: 6,094
Current Location: New York First Language: American English Member Type: Academic Thanks: 0
Thanked 9 Times in 9 Posts
| | Re: Reading comprehension
Quote: |
Originally Posted by jiang :D
Thank you very much for your explanation.
Jiang
| You're welcome, Jiang. :D | | Thread Tools | | | | Display Modes |  Linear Mode | 
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