SAT英文词汇难点解析

1. Our company is five hundred strong. ≠ 我们公司是500强。

strong一词，说来容易，其实艰难。因为该词意义超过10个，比较复杂。下列句子中strong的用法十分特殊，值得细究：

1)The crowd at the rally was 200 strong.

2)Iraq indicated that it would establish its own army 800,000.

3)Some army troops nearly 100,000 are stationed in that country.

4)Our team of volunteers is 50 strong and still growing.

平心而论，以上4句中strong的这一用法不太常见，但是SAT2022年的试卷上竟然考查这一小点！所以，考生在备考时切不可存有侥幸心理！切记题无巨细，皆须复习！

在这一用法中，strong一定是放在一个具体的数字之后，而绝不是数字之前，意为having a certain number。所以， Our company is five hundred strong. ≠ 我们公司是500强。而是，“我们公司有500人。”

1. to that end ≠ 到那一端

SAT中有太多真题考查过渡词或词组，最频繁出现的是however, moreover, consequently, furthermore, as a result, in short, therefore等等。这些词或词组本身几乎都没有什么难度，关键在于考生要充分理解上下文。

一个有趣的现象是，笔者注意到，to that end这一过渡词组已经是多份试题中的正确答案。但是，不无遗憾的是，不少考生由于不熟悉to that end而与正确答案失之交臂。那么，to that end究竟何意呢？试看：

1)He wants to cut costs, and to that end is looking at ways of cutting the company’s operations.

2)Power requires the ability to play with appearances. To this end, you must learn to wear many masks and keep a bag full of deceptive tricks.

3)To this end, I am more than willing to make any sacrifices.

以上3句中，最重要的是如何吃透end一词的意思。end用作名词，词义繁多，在to that end中， end意为aim/purpose。所以，to that end ≠ 到那一端，而是“为了达到那个目的”。