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Abilità per l'esame: key word transformation e parafrasi

Nome:Data:

Esercitazione indipendente di abilità avanzate per l'esame, non un test ufficiale: riscrivi frasi con una key word data, poi scegli la parafrasi più vicina di frasi sottili e idiomatiche.

Key word transformation

Completa la seconda frase in modo che abbia lo stesso significato della prima. Scrivi solo le parole mancanti, compresa la key word in maiuscolo. La key word fa parte della tua risposta.

She had barely sat down when the phone rang. KEY WORD: HARDLY. Complete: ___ when the phone rang.
It is rumoured that the director will resign next month. KEY WORD: RUMOURED. Complete: The director ___ next month.
Although I greatly admire her courage, I think the plan is unwise. KEY WORD: MUCH. Complete: ___ her courage, I think the plan is unwise.
The company missed the deadline because it did not have enough staff. KEY WORD: ACCOUNTED. Complete: A shortage of staff ___ the company's failure to meet the deadline.
He never imagined that his casual remark would cause such offence. KEY WORD: LITTLE. Complete: ___ that his casual remark would cause such offence.
I'd rather you didn't mention the matter to anyone. KEY WORD: PREFER. Complete: I ___ mention the matter to anyone.
The results were exactly the opposite of what the team had predicted. KEY WORD: CONTRARY. Complete: The results turned out ___ what the team had predicted.
However hard the engineers tried, they could not repair the fault. KEY WORD: MATTER. Complete: ___ the engineers tried, they could not repair the fault.

Significato più vicino

Scegli la frase dal significato più vicino all'originale.

Her remark was not so much rude as tactless.
- a) Her remark was more tactless than rude.
- b) Her remark was equally rude and tactless.
- c) Her remark was neither rude nor tactless.
- d) Her remark was more rude than tactless.
He could scarcely have chosen a worse moment.
- a) He chose the best possible moment.
- b) The moment he chose was extremely badly timed.
- c) He chose a moment that was only slightly unfortunate.
- d) He avoided choosing a moment at all.
But for the storm, the match would have gone ahead.
- a) The match went ahead despite the storm.
- b) There was no storm, so the match went ahead.
- c) Because of the storm, the match did not go ahead.
- d) The match will go ahead if the storm ends.
The committee is unlikely to look kindly on late applications.
- a) Late applications will probably be treated unfavourably.
- b) The committee welcomes late applications.
- c) The committee has not yet decided about late applications.
- d) Late applications are never submitted to the committee.
I wouldn't put it past him to take the credit.
- a) I am sure he would never take the credit.
- b) He has already taken the credit.
- c) I think he is quite capable of taking the credit.
- d) I do not mind if he takes the credit.
Her explanation did little to allay our fears.
- a) Her explanation made us much more afraid.
- b) Her explanation removed all our fears.
- c) Her explanation failed to reassure us much.
- d) Her explanation was not about our fears.

Soluzioni

Key word transformation

hardly had she sat down / she had hardly sat down / she'd hardly sat downHardly all'inizio di una frase richiede l'inversione: l'ausiliare had prima del soggetto she. Anche She had hardly sat down, senza inversione, è corretto.
is rumoured to be resigning / is rumoured to resignLa struttura impersonale è is rumoured + to-infinitive; per un evento futuro programmato, to be resigning è la scelta più naturale.
much as i admire / much as i do admire / as much as i admireMuch as I admire è una struttura concessiva che significa although I admire greatly. As much as I admire è un'alternativa meno formale.
accounted forAccount for significa spiegare o essere la ragione di qualcosa. Mantieni la key word al passato, come data.
little did he imagine / little did he think / little did he dream / little did he expect / little did he suspectLittle all'inizio della frase, con il significato di per niente, richiede l'inversione con did: Little did he imagine (o think, expect).
would prefer you not to / 'd prefer you not to / would prefer you didn't / 'd prefer you didn't / would prefer you did not / 'd prefer you did not / would prefer it if you didn't / 'd prefer it if you didn't / would prefer it if you did not / 'd prefer it if you did notPrefer someone not to do something, oppure prefer it if someone didn't, esprime la stessa preferenza.
to be contrary to / contrary to / quite contrary to / directly contrary to / completely contrary to / entirely contrary to / to be quite contrary to / to be directly contrary to / to be completely contrary to / to be entirely contrary toContrary to significa in opposizione a; turn out può essere seguito da to be o da un sintagma aggettivale.
no matter how hardNo matter how hard significa however hard, e richiede how prima di hard.

Significato più vicino

a) Her remark was more tactless than rude.Not so much X as Y significa che Y lo descrive meglio di X.
b) The moment he chose was extremely badly timed.Could scarcely have chosen a worse significa che era quasi il momento peggiore possibile.
c) Because of the storm, the match did not go ahead.But for significa if it had not been for, quindi la tempesta ha fermato la partita.
a) Late applications will probably be treated unfavourably.Not to look kindly on significa trattare con disapprovazione, e unlikely to aggiunge l'idea di probabilità.
c) I think he is quite capable of taking the credit.L'espressione idiomatica not put it past someone to significa ritenere quella persona capace di fare qualcosa di sbagliato.
c) Her explanation failed to reassure us much.Did little to allay significa che li ha ridotti a stento, quindi non ci ha rassicurati molto.