空欄に入れるべき四つの文が、順不同で、下のA～Dに示されている。意味の通る文章にするのに最も適した配列を、それぞれ①～④のうちから一つ選べ。
A friend of mine, Brenda, was given a Picasso drawing in a simple frame. (□□□□) Brenda answered that she had found out that it was, in fact, an original.
Ａ It looked like a copy, however, so Brenda assumed it was a reproduction and hung it over her staircase.
Ｂ I said, “I see the Picasso reproduction has been promoted."
Ｃ It was an admirable and typical example of Picasso's “classical" period.
Ｄ When I visited her several weeks later, it was hanging over her living room fireplace.
①Ａ-Ｂ-Ｄ-Ｃ
②Ａ-Ｄ-Ｂ-Ｃ
③Ｃ-Ａ-Ｄ-Ｂ
④Ｃ-Ｄ-Ｂ-Ａ
A friend of mine, Brenda, was given a Picasso drawing in a simple frame. という文を A simple of mine was friend, given a Brenda, a drawing in frame Picasso. と書くことはできません。つまり１つの文には順番が決まっているわけです。英語は、positional な言語で、とくに語順を大切にします。その並べ方を決めているのが英語の文法です。さて、文法はなにも１つの文だけではなく、文が集まった文章でもあります。ふつう文法とは言いませんが、文章も順番がきまっていて、かってに変えることはできません。
いきなり英語の問題を解くのは難しいと言う人、または、どうも文整序問題が苦手な人は、以下の日本語の文整序問題を解いてみてください。これはセンター試験の問題を日本語にしただけですが、センターの場合は、正解を選択肢から選びますが、以下のは、順番をそのまま答えるようになっています。ですから、難易度は少し難しいでしょう。
日本語で文整序問題
――続く
空欄に入れるべき四つの文が、順不同で、下のA～Dに示されている。意味の通る文章にするのに最も適した配列を、それぞれ①～④のうちから一つ選べ。
A century ago, the rivers and ponds of China's Anhui Province were full of crocodiles. (□□□□) But they can't be returned to the wild, because nearly all their natural environment has vanished.
Ａ By last spring the breeding center had 3,700 of the two-meter-long crocodiles.
Ｂ Chinese authorities were alarmed and quickly set up a program to catch and breed them in this area.
Ｃ However, pollution and hunters had diminished their number to fewer than 5000 by 1981.
Ｄ Then the crocodile population recovered quickly.
①Ａ-Ｃ-Ｄ-Ｂ ②Ａ-Ｄ-Ｂ-Ｃ ③Ｃ-Ａ-Ｂ-Ｄ ④Ｃ-Ｂ-Ｄ-Ａ
(a) Until more liquid is produced, the skunk is defenseless.
(b) The bad-smelling odor of skunks is contained in a liquid which the animal produces and then discharges if it is frightened or in danger.
(c) The scent glands produce enough musk for six consecutive discharges.
(d) The liquid is called musk. It is produced by two glands near the base of the skunk's tail. [英検準１級]