核心问题
——What happened to the priceless works of art? —— ____.
A. They were destroyed in the earthquake
B. The earthquake was destroying them
C. They destroyed in the earthquake
D. The earthquake destroyed them(北京高考,03 春 - 34)
标准答案为 A。我承认它的正确性,但是,我不明白选项 D 有什么错误。
词典解答
这道题如按语法题来理解,则选项 D 也是正确的,因为它完全符合语法。这道题如按修辞题来理解,则只有选项 A 是正确的。因为从已知信息、未知信息和信息焦点的角度来看,the priceless works of art 在下句中已成为已知信息,应放在句首作为话题,成为谈话的出发点,并用代词 they 来代替,而 were destroyed in the earthquake 是新信息,应放在句尾这一信息焦点的位置上。选项 D 的弊病在于把新信息放在句首,而把已知信息(them)放在句尾了(参见 end-focus )。
[附注]给中学生出此类题似乎不够合适。