【问】 下面是《英语世界》1988年第1期第269条答问：
 “问[269] 王晓文[太原机械学院英语教研室] 第一：我在假期授课中碰到一个不好解释的problem，即在New Concept English第三册第25课(P. 68 line 11)有如下句子：The Cutty Sark was one of the fastest sailing ships that has ever been built.我以为此句有误，其中斜体has应为have才对，很显然that-clause乃是修饰ships的。
 ▲答 我同意您的看法，即New Concept English的例句是错误的…fastest sailingships属于多数，应用have，假定说...one... has ever been built，那么等于说otherfastest ships have never been built(=only one fast ship has ever been built。那就不能用上fastest。”
 您是否也认为上句中的has是错误的，而必须改为have?
 【答】 上面答者的解释有失片面。实际上，NCE中的原句并不是错误的，而是很常见的。例如：
 Jasper White is one of those rare people who believes in ancient myths. (New Concept Eng-lish，Book 2，L. 28)
 让我们看看权威语言学家R.Quirk等人对这个问题的论述：
 “如果在one of+复数名词构成的名词短语的后面跟有一个定语从句的话，则定语从句中的动词的数是应该跟one相一致，还是应该跟复数名词相一致，就往往存在着一个进行选择的问题：
 He's one of those students who never get(s) a piece of work done on time. ”(CGEL)
 他是那些从不按时完成作业的学生之一。
 Jespersen则指出：“使用单数的动词和代词是受到one的诱惑而造成的”。
 选择动词的单数形式还是选择动词的复数形式，取决于我们的着眼点是事物的普遍性还是事物的特殊性。请比较：
 1. Charlatanry is one of the many words in English that are of French origin. (CGEL§10.43)
 Charlatanry是众多源于法语的英语单词之一。
 2. He is one of the few people in this country who have a knowledge of Japanese.
 他是这个国家少数懂日语的人之一。
 3. My worthy friend Sir Roger is one of those who is not only at peace within himself，butbeloved and esteemed by all about him. (Spectator No. 121，1711)
 我信赖的朋友劳格先生不仅是一个内心平和的人，而且也是一个受周围人爱戴和尊重的人。
 4. I am one of those people who by the general opinion of the world are counted both infa-mous and unhappy. (Spectator No. 203，1711)
 按照世上的一般观点，我是那种名誉不好而又不幸福的人之一。
 这里应当补充一点，就是我们发现大部分人还是偏向于使用复数动词的。例如，A.S.Hornby在评论He is one of those people who is responsible for this.这个句子时说：很难断定正确与否……不过，为了保险起见，最好把句中的who is改为who are。
 1. Every one of the boys in the class who has passed the test is to receive certificates.
 2. Mr. Gilmore is one of those men who appears to be friendly，however，it is veryhard to deal with him.(攻读硕士学位研究生入学考试英语试题，86A)
 但是有一点是没有分歧的，那就是当先行词为the…one of时，则定语从句中的谓语动词只能用单数。请看下面的试题：
 John is the only one of the students in the class that never admit making a mistakeeven when it is pointed out to him. (应将 admit 改为 admits)