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课件网) Pronouns 代词 Rapa Nui, or Easter Island, in the South Pacific, is famous for its giant statues called moai. These statues are an important part of the Rapanui culture, but many mysteries surround the Rapanui and their statues. Everyone who has ever studied the moai has his or her own theories about how and why these statues were carved, but no one knows the exact answers to these questions because so much of their culture has been lost. The population of Rapa Nui at its peak was between 6,000 - 10,000. However, by 1877, due to many factors including disease, warfare, and slavery, the population of the island had fallen to just 111. Since then the population has grown, and today it is just under 6,000 people. The Rapanui have overcome many difficulties and the near loss of their culture. The moai statues, however, are one reminder of their long cultural history. Possessive adjectives are followed immediately by a noun. Many mysteries surround the Rapanui and their statues. poss. adj. + noun Whose statues The Rapanui’s Use a plural generic noun to avoid problems with masculine or feminine pronouns. Students have their own theories of why the statues were carved. A student has his / her / his or her own theories of why the statues were carved. Easier solution Correct, but complex In formal English, use a singular pronoun to refer to an indefinite pronoun. Everyone who has ever studied the Rapanui has his or her own theories about the statues, but no one knows the answers. With informal English, a plural pronoun is usually used. Everyone who has ever studied the Rapanui has his or her own idea about why the statues were carved. Everyone who has ever studied the Rapanui has their own idea of why the statues were carved. FORMAL INFORMAL Practice 1 Choose the correct completions. The huge statues are famous for their / theirs large eyes staring up into the sky. Tourists often take his or her / their pictures next to the moai. The population of Rapa Nui is a mix of different nationalities. It is / They are 60% Rapanui and about 40% people from other countries such as Chile. 4. Everyone has their / her theories about why the moai were carved. One can't help but have many questions about the gigantic moai. Who built and later moved them Why did they face away from the sea Did the islanders believe each moai itself had special powers Was each one a statue of a famous person Researchers know the answer to some of these questions, but others remain a mystery. Almost all of the moai came from a single site inside an extinct volcano crater. Each statue represents an important person. The carvers needed large amounts of timber to move the massive moai. It's possible they placed them on on logs and rolled them to their destinations. Because there were so many statues, this required a lot of trees. Some scientists to speculate that the Rapanui themselves possibly played a role in the deforestation ... ...
