剑桥雅思阅读真题难句解析

第五章　剑桥雅思阅读真题难句解析

【真题原句】 The concept of the rocket，or rather the mechanism behind the idea of propelling an object into the air，has been around for well over two thousand years.

【详细解析】 这句话的重点就是要理解主体结构，or rather the mechanism behind the idea of propelling an object into the air是插入语，因此在快速阅读的时候只要关注The concept of the rocket has been around for well over two thousand years（火箭的概念已经存在超过两千年了）就可以了。可以这样说，快速阅读的精髓就在于把握句子的主干成分。

【真题原句】 An intellectual breakthrough，brilliant though it may be，does not automatically ensure that the transition is made from theory to practice.

【详细解析】 这句话和前面一句的结构如出一辙，都是通过插入语来断开句子的主体。这边的brilliant though it may be是一个倒装结构，也就等于though it may be brilliant。这个插入语对于整句话来说几乎没有任何影响，而主句An intellectual breakthrough does not automatically ensure that the transition is made from theory to practice连在一起阅读，就会更好地理解。其中文释义为：智力上的突破并不能直接自动确保理论到实践的转换。

【真题原句】 Despite the fact that rockets had been used sporadically for several hundred years，they remained a relatively minor artefact of civilisation until the twentieth century.【详细解析】 这句话中间的Despite the fact that的结构是需要我们来模仿学习的，有些读者会发现Although或者Though是最为常见的引导让步状语从句的结构，但是我们发现如果用Despite the fact that会使得句子更为多样化，因此这句结构在日常的口语或者是写作当中也可以反复使用。除此之外，表示“尽管”这个用法的还有while这个词，while是最正式的用法。

【真题原句】 Prodigious efforts，accelerated during two world wars，were required before the technology of primitive rocketry could be translated into the reality of sophisticated astronauts.

【详细解析】 在这句话中的主语Prodigious efforts是指巨大的努力，通常我们如果说起巨大的努力的英文的表达的时候会用a lot of efforts或者是much efforts，但是这里就有一个词prodigious，同义词是enormous，表示非常巨大的意思。在阅读中，我们要养成习惯来区分词的不同含义，从而能够灵活运用。除此之外，本句又出现插入语结构了！在同样的一篇文章中反复出现插入语结构，可见在英文的句子表达中，插入语结构的频繁程度非常高。对于读者来说，要排除插入语对于理解上的干扰，从而完整理解句子的意思。这句话里面还有一个从句是before the technology of primitive rocketry could be translated into the reality of sophisticated astronauts。特别要关注的是translate这个词。一般来说，translate表示翻译的意思，但是在这句话里面完全跟“翻译”无关了。Translate还有一个意思就是转换，因此这里的意思是“在原始火箭的技术转化为复杂太空探索的现实之前”。一词多义的现象也是我们在阅读中要密切关注的。

【真题原句】 It is strange that the rocket was generally ignored by writers of fiction to transport their heroes to mysterious realms beyond the Earth，even though it had been commonly used in fireworks displays in China since the thirteenth century.

【详细解析】 这句话里面包含两个从句：一个是It is strange that，还有一个是even though。从句本身的结构对于读者来说还是比较容易理解的，但是从句里面的内容我们还是要仔细理解的。首先我们来看一下It is strange that中的内容：火箭通常被小说作家所忽视，他们并没有在小说中写到火箭把小说中的主角送到地球以外的神秘领域。其中fiction表示小说，realm表示领域。因此，要完整理解句子，词汇的掌握是非常关键的！even though从句里的内容是：火箭从13世纪以来在中国就被广泛应用在烟火展示中。大家会发现在两个从句中都是rocket放在句首的被动语态。被动语态的刻意使用也是英文中一个行文特点，其目的是要突出作者的强调部分。因此，要充分理解句子的目的，就要学会识别被动语态。

【真题原句】 For example，one graphic illustration to which children might readily relate is the estimate that rainforests are being destroyed at a rate equivalent to one thousand football fields every forty minutes—about the duration of a normal classroom period.

【详细解析】 这句长句的难度在于其中包含了两个从句形式。第一个是to which定语从句，第二个是the estimate that同位语从句，也就是说that后面的内容都是对于estimate的解释。准确识别从句对于阅读理解的准确程度来说至关重要，而且对于写作能力的提高也有很大帮助！在这句话中有一个词readily。很多英语学习者对于ready这个词都很熟悉，但是对于readily这个词的用法却很陌生。readily在英文中的同义词就是easily。

【真题原句】 In the face of the frequent and often vivid media coverage，it is likely that children will have formed ideas about rainforests—what and where they are，why they are important，what endangers them—independent of any formal tuition.

【详细解析】 我们要学习的第一个词组是in the face of，这个词组的使用频率非常高。后面的it is likely that同样也是英文中最常用的句型之一，尽管在意思上等于it is possible that，但是后者在正视文体中不常见。这句话中还出现了三个并列的名字性从句“what and where they are，why they are important，what endangers them”，这同样符合了英文中的平行结构，同样也作为补充内容出现。表示词组和句型的选择对于英文句子的复杂与否起决定性作用。多读这种类型的句子对于以后阅读复杂文章打下良好基础。

【真题原句】 These misconceptions do not remain isolated but become incorporated into a multifaceted，but organised，conceptual framework，making it and the component ideas，some of which are erroneous，more robust but also accessible to modification.

【详细解析】 又是一句长句。这句话当中的两个but，第一个not...but...的结构，第二个是用在单词意思的转折上。同时这句话中也出现了分词作伴随状语的结构“making it and the component ideas”。更加复杂的是，这句话最后还出现了some of which的定语从句结构。同时结尾的地方还有了but also的结构。其实这句话汉化了以后大家还是不能很好理解，因为没有上下文，但是对于句子结构的识别和理解是更为重要的，只有做到这一点加上上下文的作用，才能够完整理解句子的含义。

【真题原句】 Despite the extensive coverage in the popular media of the destruction of rainforests，little formal information is available about children’s ideas in this area.

【详细解析】 记住despite后面接的是名词或者名词词组，绝对不能是句子。如果要加的是句子就必须改成“Despite the fact that...”。

【真题原句】 These observations are generally consistent with our previous studies of pupils’views about the use and conservation of rainforests，in which girls were shown to be more sympathetic to animals and expressed views which seem to place an intrinsic value on non－human animal life.

【详细解析】 又是一句超长的长句。我们仔细看一遍就会发现这句话中间出现了两次定语从句的形式。由于双定语从句的使用，原本的三句话合成到一句话中。但是我们在阅读理解的时候仍然可以把这句话拆开来阅读，分开理解清楚再合成，不会影响句子本身的逻辑。

【真题原句】 While two fifths of the students provided the information that the rainforests provide oxygen，in some cases this response also embraced the misconception that rainforest destruction would reduce atmospheric oxygen，making the atmosphere incompatible with human life on Earth.

【详细解析】 这句话依然是多种语法结构并存的范例。首先while是英文中表示“尽管，虽然”的让步含义的首选用词，使用频率超过although和though。而且，这句话里面还会有provided the information that的同位语从句结构。跟之前分析过的句子一样，that后面的内容其实就是information的具体说明。句子最后的making the atmosphere incompatible with human life on Earth的分词作状语的补充说明目的也在之前分析过的句子中出现过。所以，从这句话中可以看出，要理解复杂句的关键就是识别出句子的结构，也就是把标志词，连接词或者分词找出来，然后各个击破！

【真题原句】 Short－day plants that flower in spring in the temperate zone are adapted to maximising seedling growth during the growing season.

【详细解析】 定语从句是雅思阅读的一大特色。在这句话中，主语是short－day plants，之后就是一个定语从句that flower in spring in the temperate zone。其中，flower是一个动词，表示“blossom”（开花）的意思。整句话的谓语部分则是are adapted to maximising seedling growth during the growing season。其中be adapted to是一个固定词组结构，表示“适应”的意思，因此后面就出现了maximising。尽管这是一句相对较短的句子，但是其句型和词汇的用法值得学习。

【真题原句】 Long－day plants are adapted for situations that require fertilization by insects，or a long period of seed ripening.

【详细解析】 这句话跟上面一句话有些相似，同样是定语从句结构。句子的主体成分是long－day plants are adapted for situations，之后的定语从句that require fertilization by insects就是来解释situations。句子最后的or a long period of seed ripening其实是和situations that require fertilization by insects并列的成分。

【真题原句】 Bamboos are perennial grasses that remain in a vegetative state for many years and then suddenly flower，fruit and die.

【详细解析】 这句话理解的关键除了定语从句之外，词汇也会造成比较大的障碍。整句话的主句部分就是Bamboos are perennial grasses，其中perennial在植物学上是指“多年生的”。之后that开始一直到结尾都是定语从句，其中vegetative在植物学上表示“生长的”。句子最后的suddenly flower，fruit and die相对而言比较容易理解，也就是“突然开花、结果、死亡”。

【真题原句】 The simultaneous production of masses of bamboo seeds（in some cases lying 12 to 15 centimetres deep on the ground）is more than all the seed－eating animals can cope with at the time，so that some seeds escape being eaten and grow up to form the next generation

【详细解析】 这句话相对较长。首先，句子的主语是the simultaneous production of masses of bamboo seeds（in some cases lying12to 15 centimetres deep on the ground），主要是讲竹子同时生长，甚至深达地底12—15厘米。难点在于之后的谓语部分内容is more than all the seed－eating animals can cope with at the time，其实这是一个否定用法，more than的作用也就是not的作用。而句子最后的so that表示结果的从句内容非常简单。

【真题原句】 The second reason light is important to organisms is that it is essential for photosynthesis.

【详细解析】 这句话非常短，但是却包含两个从句结构，首先，The second reason light is important to organisms中light is important to organisms就是reason的定语，这里省略了that或者why。另外一个从句则非常明显，也就是表语从句that it is essential for photosynthesis。其中photosynthesis是一个常用的植物学专有名词，即“光合作用”。

【真题原句】 The decline of Europe’s forests over the last decade and a half has led to an increasing awareness and understanding of the serious imbalances which threaten them.

【详细解析】 定语从句的结构总体来说难度并不高。句子的主语是The decline of Europe’s forests over the last decade and a half，后面的has led to an increasing awareness and understanding of the serious imbalances which threaten them整个都是谓语部分。而句子的结尾附加了一个定语从句结构，which threaten them，短小精悍。其实整句话的重点就在最后的定语从句了，在阅读的时候关键要把握句子的中心信息。在一句话中，定语从句出现在句末往往是重点信息。

【真题原句】 Finally，forests offer those condemned to spend five days a week in an urban environment an unrivalled area of freedom to unwind and take part in a range of leisure activities，such as hunting，riding and hiking.

【详细解析】 这句话其实是一句简单句，句子的主语是forests，之后的谓语动词是offer，而在offer后面的宾语较长，整个those condemned to spend five days a week in an urban environment都是宾语成分。其中condemned to spend five days a week in an urban environment是定语，修饰those，完整的形式应该是those who are condemned to spend five days a week in an urban environment。而offer的具体内容是an unrivalled area of freedom to unwind and take part in a range of leisure activities，such as hunting，riding and hiking。其实这句话可以简化成A offer B something。

【真题原句】 However，their effects are probably accentuated by climatic factors，such as drought and hard winters，or soil imbalances such as soil acidification，which damages the roots.

【详细解析】 这句话也是定语从句出现在句末的形式。句子一开始their effects are probably accentuated by climatic factors中accentuate就是emphasize的意思，表示“着重，强调”。这里有一个平行结构climatic factors和soil imbalances是并列的内容，而两个such as就是前面两个名词的具体实例。第二个such as后面的soil acidification对于很多人来说是生词，但是如果大家学过acid的话，大致可以把意思猜出来，如果一时想不起来呢，就要看最后的定语从句，也就是解释soil acidification的，当定语从句出现在句末的时候，要特别关注。

【真题原句】 Hence，there is a real concern throughout Europe about the damage to the forest environment which threatens these three basic roles.

【详细解析】 hence是一个常见的因果标志词，相似用法的连接词还有therefore，thus，consequently等。除了标志词之外，这句话的另外一个句式是结尾的定语从句，同样是突出句子重点信息。这里的which指代的是之前的the damage to the forest environment。在这篇有关于森林保护的文章中，三处出现了定语从句位于句末的现象，这种用定语从句突出句子重点的用法值得大家借鉴，在英文写作中也可以有意识运用。

【真题原句】 Given that there is a living to be made at night and given that alternative daytime trades are thoroughly occupied，natural selection has favoured bats that make ago of the night－hunting trade.

【详细解析】 这句话比较复杂。首先是一个条件状语从句开头，given that也就相当于if的用法。之后and后面又有given that的从句。在两个从句中第一个there is a living to be made at night，就是指昼伏夜出，另外的alternative daytime trades are thoroughly occupied的理解需要有语境。由于这篇文章是跟蝙蝠有关，所以这个内容的意思就是“蝙蝠无法参与到白天的各种行为活动中去”。两个条件句结束之后，就是主句的内容natural selection has favoured bats that make a go of the night－hunting trade，在主句中natural selection has favoured bats相对比较好理解。后面的make a go是一个英文中的习惯用法，意思是achieve a success。在这句话中trade并不是“贸易”的意思，而是指activity。把这句话的句型结构和词组用法都搞清楚以后，整句话的意思就比较清晰了。

【真题原句】 In the time when the dinosaurs dominated the daytime economy，our mammalian ancestors probably only managed to survive at all because they found ways of scraping a living at night.

【详细解析】 句子一开始是非常巧妙的定语从句In the time when，引出恐龙时代的描述。而在主句中包括了一个原因状语从句，从句中的内容是they found ways of scraping a living at night，这里有一个非常巧妙的词汇就是scrape a living。这里的scrape的意思是succeed or manage with difficulty，所以scrape a living的意思就是“勉强度日”。整句话的基本意思就是说“在恐龙时代，哺乳动物的祖先只有在晚上才得以生存”。

【真题原句】 Fish and dolphins that live in extremely muddy water cannot see because，although there is light，it is obstructed and scattered by the dirt in the water.

【详细解析】 这句话又是复合从句的体现。句子的一开始主语是fish and dolphins，之后是定语从句that live in extremely muddy water，而句子的谓语则是cannot see。之后的从句很有意思，是一个叠加式的从句结构。because从句中又插入了一个although从句。在从句中插入从句作为插入语不多见。这句话非常短，但是竟然有三个从句。这种短小精悍的从句用法值得大家在英文写作中借鉴应用。

【真题原句】 In any event，whether or not the reason is the energy expense，it seems to be the case that，with the possible exception of some weird deep－sea fish，no animal apart from man uses manufactured light to find its way about.

【详细解析】 这句话同样是复合从句的结构。首先是whether从句whether or not the reason is the energy expense，内容上比较容易理解。之后又出现了一个常用的从句形式it seems to be the case that。在从句中又附加了with加名词的结构作为插入语。由此可见，在英文中句式非常多变，要准确理解句子就需要把各种句式识别出来，分别理解，然后再组合在一起。这样一来，句子的理解就不会产生障碍了。

【真题原句】 New Caledonian crows are tenacious predators，and the only birds that habitually use a wide selection of self－made tools to find food.

【详细解析】 定语从句的用法在IELTS阅读考试的文章中也是很常见的。这里又是复合句加定语从句的结构，new Caledonian crows are tenacious predators这句话是一句简单句。而and之后的内容其实是补充说明的作用。在这里用了一个定语从句来说明这一点。

【真题原句】 One of the wild crows’cleverest tools is the crochet hook，made by detaching a side twig from a larger one，leaving enough of the larger twig to shape into a hook.

【详细解析】 这句话非常巧妙地融合了定语从句和分词作伴随状语的结构。这句话的主句是one of the wild crows’cleverest tools is the crochet hook，之后的made by detaching a side twig from a larger one其实是一个定语从句结构，完整的形式是which is made by detaching a side twig from a larger one，另外还有一个分词作伴随状语的结构leaving enough of the larger twig to shape into a hook。

【真题原句】 They strip out a piece of this rib，removing the leaflets and all but one thorn at the top，which remains as a ready－made hook to prise out insects from awkward cracks.

【详细解析】 跟前面一句话有相似的地方，只不过是分词作伴随状语和定语从句的位置互换了一下。除此之外，这篇有关crow（乌鸦）的文章相关词汇也是阅读理解的一大障碍。因此，大家要多准备一些动物类相关词汇，以解决有关动物类不同文章的理解问题。

【真题原句】 The tool has a broad base，sharp tip，a row of tiny hooks along one edge，and a tapered shape created by the crow nipping and tearing to form a progression of three or four steps along the other edge of the leaf.

【详细解析】 句子的一开始是在描述crow使用工具的特点。the tool has a broad base，sharp tip，a row of tiny hooks along one edge，and a tapered shape，后面紧接着一个定语created by the crow，其完整形式是which is created by the crow。之后的nipping and tearing则是分词作伴随状语的结构。最后的to form a progression of three or four steps along the other edge of the leaf是之前分词作伴随状语所产生的结果。这句话其实跟前面两句话也有相似的地方。

【真题原句】 No one knows if that’s also the case for New Caledonian crows，but it’s highly unlikely that their toolmaking skills are hardwired into the brain.

【详细解析】 这句话是but连接的复合从句形式。前半句中，是if从句，但这个并不是条件句，而是whether的用法。而but之后的内容中有个非常经典的从句，就是it’s highly unlikely that，这个句式就等同于it’s impossible that，是一个写作中使用频率很高的句子。

【真题原句】 Interestingly，biologists have noticed that most padanus probes are cut from the left side of the leaf，meaning that the birds clip them with the right side of their beaks—the crow equivalent of right－handedness.

【详细解析】 这句话又是复合从句的结构。首先是biologists have noticed that的宾语从句结构，之后又一个分词作伴随状语的结构meaning，紧接着又附加了一个宾语从句meaning that the birds clip them with the right side of their beaks—the crow equivalent of right－handedness。这种宾语从句套宾语从句的结构跟前文分析过的嵌入式定语从句的结构非常相似，也是值得大家在写作中借鉴的方法。

【真题原句】 The study reported here was conducted in the Prince William Hospital in Brisbane，Australia，where，prior to this time，few active steps had been taken to measure，understand or manage the occurrence of absenteeism.

【详细解析】 这句话不算长，但是插入语的使用也是非常明显的，“prior to this time”就是插入语把定语从句的where和主语分开来了。插入语的刻意使用充分体现了作者的意图。在阅读插入语出现在定语从句的时候，要关注插入语本身的含义以及插入语后面的内容，也就是主语的内容。

【真题原句】 A prevalent attitude amongst many nurses in the group selected for study was that there was no reward or recognition for not utilising the paid sick leave entitlement allowed them in their employment conditions.Therefore，they believed they may as well take the days off—sick or otherwise.

【详细解析】 第一句话内容很多，而且有一些阻碍理解的地方。其实第一句的主语就是A prevalent attitude后面都是修饰内容，包括后面的定语修饰成分selected for study。后面从句里面出现了双重否定的结构“no reward or recognition for not utilizing”，如果能把这个双重否定识别出来，那么基本上这句话就可以看懂。后面一句也就是引出的结果，其中的they may as well也就等于they had better。这样一来把词汇和句型的障碍扫除之后，句子理解也就不出现问题了。因此，在阅读长句的时候一定要把握句子的主干部分。这样，理解速度会有飞速提高。

【真题原句】 In an attempt to reduce the level of absenteeism amongst the 250 Registered an Enrolled Nurses in the present study，the Prince William management introduced three different，yet potentially complementary，strategies over 18 months.

【详细解析】 这句话中的in an attempt to也就等于口语中的in order to。由于书面语的关系，很多的常用词都会变成书面语。所以从阅读中可以学到非常多的书面语和正式表达方式，这点对于写作来说也是有帮助的。而且在句中又出现了yet来转折形容词含义的用法，这个用法我们也要有意识学习。

【真题原句】 Characteristic patterns of potential‘voluntary absenteeism’such as absence before and after days off，excessive weekend and night duty absence and multiple single days off were communicated to all ward nurses and then，as necessary，followed up by action.

【详细解析】 这句长句的难点在于such as后面的三个例子比较长，造成理解有一定困难，其实句子的主体结构就是Characteristic patterns were communicated to all ward nurses and then，as necessary，followed up by action。内容上和结构上而言非常简单。因此，大家在阅读长句的时候要把不必要的信息先略过，先把握主题，然后再去细节理解。

【真题原句】 Many of the nurses had not realised the impact their behaviour was having on the organisation and their colleagues but there were also staff members who felt that talking to them about their absenteeism was‘picking’on them and this usually had a negative effect on management—employee relationships.

【详细解析】 跟前面分析过的一样，长句的理解也是需要理解主题。前半句和后半句其实就是用but连接。而后面加了一个定语从句以后再用and来连接。因此这句长句就是一句复合句，只要把复合句中的每个部分分别理解就可以了。

【真题原句】 Although there has been some decrease in absence rates，no single strategy or combination of strategies has had a significant impact on absenteeism per se.

【详细解析】 大家看完这句话以后一定会被最后的per se所迷惑，从而不会马上去看前面让步状语从句的意思。其实，遇到难词的时候，就是要跳过这些难词，把握整体的意思。per se的同义词是by itself，中文意思是“本质上来说”。如果不去管这个词，整句的意思非常清楚：“尽管这样做会降低一些缺勤率，但是没有单一的或者是组合的策略会对缺勤这件事情本身有很大影响。”也就是说没有单一或组合策略会改变缺勤的状况。所以在理解句子的时候一定要摆脱干扰，而把握句子主题的含义，这样就能做到快速精准的理解。

【真题原句】 Similar to many international hotel chains，however，AHI has experienced difficulties in Australia in providing long－term profits for hotel owners，as a result of the country’s high labour－cost structure.In order to develop an economically viable hotel organisation model，AHI decided to implement some new policies and practices at SAH.

【详细解析】 转折和因果是英文中很常见的逻辑结构。从以上这句话中我们可以看出一开始就有however作插入语，然后句中又有as a result表示结果。而在第二句中又有in order to表示结果。因此在阅读英语文章的时候，要特别关注其中的连接词和内在的逻辑关系。同时，在英文写作的时候也要运用这些逻辑关系和连接词，以使英文作文呈现出严密的逻辑和丰富的结构。

【真题原句】 The hotel also recognised that it would need a different approach to selecting employees who would fit in with its new policies.

【详细解析】 尽管这句话比较短，但是却体现了英文多样性的特点，也就是复合句式的特点。这个句子中就有宾语从句和定语从句的结合，看似简单的句子隐含着两大从句的结构，对于那些不擅长英文写作的同学来说，这种简单有效的结构是值得模仿的。

【真题原句】 Although there may be some limitations with highly technical jobs such as cooking or maintenance，wherever possible，employees at SAH are able to work in a wide variety of positions.

【详细解析】 让步状语从句出现的时候理解的关键是主句。这句话尽管从句的内容较多，其实也可以忽略，而专注理解主句的意思即可。另外这句话中有个插入语wherever possible也可以忽略。因此，在读长句的时候一定要把握主句和从句的关系，在时间不足的情况下，一定要先把握主句的内容，如果还有时间再去看从句和插入语的内容，这是有效提高阅读速度的方法。

【真题原句】 The prime objective of the benchmarking process was to compare a range of service delivery processes across a range of criteria using teams made up of employees from different departments within the hotel which interacted with each other.

【详细解析】 这句话的理解关键是句中using这个词。长句的理解关键就是断句。最后的which从句其实并不是关键，因为定语的部分已经是文章结尾部分了，对整体的理解影响不大。因此整句话的关键就在于句中的using。在这句话里using是作为伴随状语出现的，而伴随状语是英语中除了各种从句之外最常用的语法现象了。所以，在阅读长句时除了要辨别主从句之外就是要识别分词作伴随状语，尤其是前面未加标点符号的形式。

【真题原句】 Employee feedback is reviewed daily and suggestions are implemented within 48 hours，if possible，or a valid reason is given for non－implementation.

【详细解析】 又是插入语结构。插入语在英文中的应用是极为常见的。尤其是在一些长篇文章中。其作用是使文章中的长句有中断有节奏，同时也能起到一些强调的作用。读者在阅读长句时可以不管插入语而直接阅读重要信息即可。在这句话中，or并不是简单表示“或”的意思，而是引出另外一种情况，有otherwise的含义。

【真题原句】 A13－year study of early childhood development at Harvard University has shown that，by the age of three，most children have the potential to understand about 1，000words—most of the language they will use in ordinary conversation for the rest or their lives.

【详细解析】 这句话的句式结构又是我们在前面几篇文章所分析过的，也就是复合从句结构。这是一句宾语从句加同位语加定语从句的结构。在理解这种类型的句子时候先把整句话的主语搞清楚，然后理解宾语从句中的主体部分，最后是把握定语从句。其实，在写作的时候也要应用类似的结构来表达ideas，先用宾语从句引出主干部分，再用定语从句来解释细节。所以说阅读是提高写作的最佳方法。

【真题原句】 Despite substantial funding，results have been disappointing.

【详细解析】 尽管这句话非常简单，但是其中的用法还是值得我们学习的。首先是让步结构的使用。让步状语结构除了突出后面的主句以外，还有一个对比作用。在这句话中就是substantial funding和disappointing results的对比。一般来说，让步状语从句中的内容可以忽略而只关注主句，而在despite加名词或者名词词组的结构中，despite所引出的内容是不可以忽略的，和主句有同等重要的作用。因此，以后在读到这种结构的时候，千万要注意前后的衔接和同步理解。另外这句话中的results have been disappointing表示结构一直是令人失望的，深层次含义是产生了很多结果，但是没有一个是成功的。所以在英文阅读的时候，短句的深入阅读理解要比长句的理解更为重要。

【真题原句】 The four－year pilot study included 380 families who were about to have their first child and who represented a cross－section of socio－economic status，age and family configurations.

【详细解析】 复合定语从句又一次出现了。在前面几篇文章的分析中我们已经看到过这种结构。作者用了两个who引导的定语从句，其目的在于把不同的表达内容分开来，同时又要考虑句子的简洁，因此这里就出现了复合定语从句结构。

【真题原句】 In fact，the average child on the programme was performing at the level of ihe top 15 to 20 per cent of their peers in such things as auditory comprehension，verbal ability and language ability.

【详细解析】 这句话的理解关键在于最后的三个例子auditory comprehension，verbal ability and language ability。其中auditory comprehension表示听力理解，verbal ability表示口头表达能力，最后的language ability字面意思是语言能力，其实际含义则是逻辑表达语言的能力。从中我们可以看出，词汇的理解在整个句子理解中起到的关键作用。从阅读中提高词汇是扩大词汇量的最好的方法之一。

【真题原句】 Most important of all，the traditional measures of‘risk’，such as parents’age and education，or whether they were a single parent，bore little or no relationship to the measures of achievement and language development.

【详细解析】 插入语在这句话中又再次使用了。这句话的主语是the traditional measures of‘risk’，谓语则是bore little or no relationship to the measures of achievement and language development。因此整句话就是the traditional measures of‘risk’bore little or no relationship to the measures of achievement and language development。中间的插入语such as parents’age and education，or whether they were a single parent都是主语中risk的解释，在阅读时一带而过即可，关键是要理解后面的动词bore little or no relationship to。

【真题原句】 When teachers use picture books，they are simply continuing a long－established tradition that is accepted without question.

【详细解析】 这句话的结构又是常见的状语从句加定语从句结构。记得之前的几篇文章的分析过程中提到过状语从句（或者宾语从句）加定语从句的结构是英文中最常见的结构之一，也是大家在写作中要不断模仿的句子。在任何一篇英文文章中都可以很轻松地找到这种句式。

【真题原句】 And for the past two decades，illustrations in reading primers have become increasingly detailed and obtrusive，while language has become impoverished—sometimes to the point of extinction.

【详细解析】 在英文中连接两个对比意思的句子的时候，while是最为正式和常用的一个。当然while在句中的时候等于but的意思，而当while放在句首则表示although的意思。两者的用法有一些区别，但是while都是用来表示对比含义的。因此在写作中使用while的时候就要有意识使用while来表示转折含义，而不是一味使用but这个被overused的单词。

【真题原句】 Amazingly，there is virtually no empirical evidence to support the use of illustrations in teaching reading.On the contrary，agreat deal of empirical evidence shows that pictures interfere in a damaging way with all aspects of learning to read.Despite this，from North America to the Antipodes，the first books that many school children receive are totally without text.

【详细解析】 把这三句话放在一起列出来的目的是让大家了解逻辑转换在句子之间的运用。首先是on the contrary这个词组。虽然从字面含义上看表示“正相反”，但是其使用的方法是：只有前面一句话中有否定词或者否定含义表达的时候之后才能用on the contrary。另外上文的最后一句话开头的despite this也就等同于however或者是but这样的逻辑转折。所以在阅读整个段落的三到四句话的时候，一定要关注句子之间的逻辑关系，是转折，是递进还是因果。只有做到逻辑清楚才能做到对整个段落的完整理解。

【真题原句】 It is hard to wean children off picture books when pictures have played a major part throughout their formative reading experiences，and when there is competition for their attention from so many other sources of entertainment.

【详细解析】 这里又出现了两个when引导的从句。之所以用两个when分别引出两句话是因为作者要表达儿童很难摆脱图画书吸引的两个原因。因此，两个when从句看似是表示“当……的时候”，其实深层次含义是表示原因的。所以说通过阅读深入理解句子含义是提高阅读能力的根本方法。

【真题原句】 Academic journals ranging from educational research，psychology，language learning，psycholinguistics，and so on cite experiments which demonstrate how detrimental pictures are for beginner readers.

【详细解析】 尽管这句话的内容比较多，但是如果充分理解句子结构的话这句话也不难理解。其实这句话的主语就是academic journals，后面的ranging from educational research，psychology，language learning，psycholinguistics，and so on都是分词作伴随状语所引出的具体例子，可以忽略，cite experiments则是句子的真正主干，后面的which定语从句则是补充说明experiments的具体内容。因此整句话就变成了Academic journals cite experiments which demonstrate how detrimental pictures are for beginner readers.长句就变成了一句非常简单的句子，理解起来就很流畅了。长句短读，去除不必要的例子，是加快阅读速度同时做到准确理解的关键。

【真题原句】 Typically，children do not end up on the streets due to a single cause，but to a combination of factors：a dearth of adequately funded schools，the demand for income at home，family breakdown and violence.

【详细解析】 这句话的结构是典型的not...but...结构，而且也符合了英文中的平行结构的原则。文中的结构为do not...due to a single cause，but to a combination of factors（不是由于单一的原因，而是各种因素的综合）。通过这句话我们可以发现而完全理解一句话最主要的是把握句子中的主干结构，要首先识别句子的连接词或者说是信号词，这样才能够快速理解句子，把握大意。而其他的小细节可以通过精读来领悟。但是要做到快速阅读理解就是要快速识别句子的主体结构。

【真题原句】 Many children may choose entrepreneurship because it allows them a degree of Independence，is less exploitative than many forms of paid employment，and is flexible enough to allow them to participate in other activities such as education and domestic tasks.

【详细解析】 这句话第一眼看上去稍显复杂。一方面是因为句子长，另一方面是因为句子中的谓语部分看上去有很多个。其实我们仔细看一篇就很容易理解：首先这句话的主句很短，就是Many children may choose entrepreneurship，其中entrepreneurship就是指开设公司，entrepreneur是个法语词，相似的eur后缀的还有amateur。后面的because引导的就是一个从句而已。看起来复杂是因为这个从句中的内容有三个部分，也就是it allows...，is less exploitive...，and is flexible...，即我们常见的because it A，B and C的结构。所以阅读的时候一定要细心，不能见到长句就不愿意读下去。关键是要做到把长句切分成短句，分别理解。

【真题原句】 Being an entrepreneur is not for everyone，nor for every street child.Ideally，potential participants will have been involved in the organisation’s programs for at least six months，and trust and relationship－building will have already been established.

【详细解析】 第一句中的not for...nor for的结构很容易理解。第二句话中的最后部分trust and relationship－building will have already been established中的将来完成时的被动语态在之前的阅读文章中比较少见。其实，在阅读中并不需要完全去搞清楚时态和语态的细微差异，因为在快速阅读中，理解内容是更为重要的。对于读者来说，如果不管这句话的时态和语态，光从意思上理解很容易。从整体理解而且，内容理解是第一位的，如果能够做到快速理解句子内容，那么可以再多花些时间去把句子中的时态语态吃透。反之，则会干扰对于句子本身内容的理解，就变成“只见树木，不见森林”了。

【真题原句】 There are tremendous advantages to involving parents or guardians in the program，where such relationships exist.Home visits allow staff the opportunity to know where the participants live，and to understand more about each individual’s situation.

【详细解析】 这两句虽然非常简单，但是从中我们也可以学到一些东西。第一句中的where引导的定语从句内容很短。很多人认为定语从句的内容一定要多，从句一定要长。其实，定语从句的内容只要表达意思到位即可，短小精悍更是难得。像第一句话中的这种定语从句能够把意思完全表达出来已经到位了，而这样的表达方式在我们的写作中也是要模仿的。从句的运用不是使句子变得复杂，而是使句子变得清晰和准确，所以从阅读文章的句子可以学到：句子的变化要多，但是不在于长度而在于精确性。第二句话又是平行结构的运用，Home visits allow staff the opportunity to know...，and to understand...。英文中句子中和句子间的平行结构是最为广泛使用的结构之一。除此之外，第二句中的know where the participants live也是非常简洁有效的宾语从句，简短准确。以上两句话尽管看上去简单，但是有很多值得我们学习的东西。

【真题原句】 This phenomenon can be partly attributed to the common counterproductive approach to study（making extreme efforts to memorise，tensing muscles，inducing fatigue），but it also simply reflects the way the brain functions.

【详细解析】 看似是一句长句，其实也就是This phenomenon can be partly attributed to...，but it also的句式。在快速阅读的时候一定要把握句子的主干，括号里的内容甚至是从句里的内容都可以暂时忽略，把句子看明白之后再去把握细节。

【真题原句】 EducatingPsycheby Bernie Neville is a book which looks at radical new approaches to learning，describing the effects of emotion，imagination and the unconscious on learning.

【详细解析】 这句话非常工整，是典型的英文的结构，开头的EducatingPsycheby Bernie Neville is a book已经是一句完整句了，然后叠加定语从句which looks at radical new approaches to learning修饰书的内容，最后再叠加分词作伴随状语describing the effects of emotion，imagination and the unconscious on learning进一步引出细节。这种行文方式完全反映了英文的特点，在写作中我们也要模仿这种结构，也就是通过定语从句（或者其他从句）和分词作伴随状语使得句子信息细节化的方法。

【真题原句】 If we think of a book we studied months or years ago，we will find it easier to recall peripheral details—the colour，the binding，the typeface，the table at the library where we sat while studying it—than the content on which we were concentrating.If we think of a lecture we listened to with great concentration，we will recall the lecturer’s appearance and mannerisms，our place in the auditorium，the failure of the air－conditioning，much more easily than the ideas we went to learn.

【详细解析】 这两句话是典型的英文中平行结构的例子：完全相同的条件状语从句，完全相同的从句间的比较结构。甚至连主语都是一致的。除了平行结构之外，短小精悍的定语从句也是反复使用，比如a book we studied，the library where we sat，the content on which we were concentrating，a lecture we listened to，the ideas we went to learn。两句话里连续使用了五个用法相同的定语从句，可见平行结构的用法贯穿于始终。这两句话确实是经典之作，值得我们仔细品味。

【真题原句】 Just as a doctor calls on the full power of autocratic suggestion by insisting that the patient take precisely this white capsule precisely three times a day before meals，Lozanov is categoric in insisting that the suggestopedic session be conducted exactly in the manner designated，by trained and accredited suggestopedic teachers.

【详细解析】 修辞手法在这句话里面得到了充分运用。这句话中有一些专有名词和一些难词，但是只要能够理解句子一开始的a doctor和three times a day before meals，以及主句的Lozanov is categoric in insisting that就知道了Lozanov这个人所做的事情就像医生让病人一天三次餐前服药那样是强制性的，如果能够理解这个句子主旨，一些细节信息即使不看也能够略知一二了。所以，快速阅读的另外一个方法就是通过修辞关系来理解句子意思。

【真题原句】 Most literate women learnt to read in primary school，and the fact that a woman has had an education may simply indicate her family’s wealth or that it values its children more highly.

【详细解析】 前半句话比较简单，相对而言内容也好理解。但是后半句话相对而言就比较复杂了。粗看一下有两个从句，而且这两个的从句也不符合平行原则，当我们仔细看过一遍之后会发现其实这里面包含两个种类的从句，首先是the fact that a woman has had an education主语从句，而后面的that从句则是may simply indicate her family’s wealth or that...，that是宾语从句，动词是indicate。如果把这两个从句识别出来，那么句子的理解也就很流畅了。

【真题原句】 Now a long－term study carried out in Nicaragua has eliminated these factors by showing that teaching reading to poor adult women，who would otherwise have remained illiterate，has a direct effect on their children’s health and survival.

【详细解析】 这也是一句很有特点的英文句子，从结构上来看，非常符合英文行文的特点。句子的主语是a long－term study，后面的carried out in Nicaragua则是定语，用来修饰句子的主语的。谓语部分是has eliminated these factors by showing that...。在从句中句子的主干成分是teaching reading to poor adult women has a direct effect on their children’s health and survival，当中有个非限定性定语从句who would otherwise have remained illiterate做插入语成分。经过对上面句子的拆解分析之后，大家对于这句话的理解也就非常清楚了。如果有时间，大家可以像这样对长句作拆分，这样有助于识别长句中的句子组成成分。

【真题原句】 During this period，researchers from the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine，the Central American Institute of Health in Nicaragua，the National Autonomous University of Nicaragua and the Costa Rican Institute of Health interviewed nearly 3，000women，some of whom had learnt to read as children，some during the literacy crusade and some who had never learnt at all.

【详细解析】 乍看上去是很长的一句话，细看一下就会发现其中的玄机。在这句话中有很多专有名词，如果把专有名词去掉，那么整句话就会简化成During this period，researchers interviewed nearly 3，000women，后面附加的定语从句some of whom had learnt to read as children，some during the literacy crusade and some who had never learnt at all则是对前面nearly 3，000women作进一步的具体分类。所以，大家碰到长句千万不要慌张，而是要耐心去除句子中不重要的信息，把握句子的主体成分，另外附加的信息大多是通过定语从句或者分词作状语体现出来的，所以对于这种形式的语法特征要敏感。

【真题原句】 They are working with the same group of 3，000women，to try to find out whether reading mothers make better use of hospitals and clinics，opt for smaller families，exert more control at home，learn modern childcare techniques more quickly，or whether they merely have more respect for themselves and their children.

【详细解析】 平行结构在这句话中得到了充分体现。句子的主干部分是They are working with the same group of 3，000women，to try to find out whether reading mothers...，or whether they merely have...。中间的动词词组make better use of hospitals and clinics，opt for smaller families，exert more control at home，learn modern childcare techniques more quickly都是完全相同的结构，也就是我们所说平行结构。本来很长的一句话，只要去除了平行结构的几组动词宾语结构，整个句子将会变得非常清楚，所以我们要学会去除非重点信息，从而做到快速理解句子。

【真题原句】 Such expansion，which was to take the English language west to America and east to India，was supported by scientific developments such as the discovery of magnetism（and hence the invention of the compass），improvements in cartography and perhaps the most important scientific revolution of them all—the new theories of astronomy and the movement of the－Earth in relation to the planets and stars，developed by Copernicus（1473－1543）.

【详细解析】 这句话是讲有关于英语发展的。看上去是一句超长句，但是仔细分析一下却变得非常简单。句子的主体就是Such expansion was supported by scientific developments。中间的which was to take the English language west to America and east to India是作为补充说明成分的，不用去多管。最后的such as所引出的很多名词词组结构只不过是一些例子而已。只要把握住例子中的核心名词即可。所以在IELTS考试中或者其他英语考试中，长句反而容易理解，只要在阅读句子的时候不被附属信息所干扰即可。

【真题原句】 This growing concern about intellectual property rights was a feature of the period—it reflected both the humanist notion of the individual，rational scientist who invents and discovers through private intellectual labour，and the growing connection between original science and commercial exploitation.

【详细解析】 这又是一句看似很长很难的句子。其实这句话包含了两个部分。第一部分的This growing concern about intellectual property rights was a feature of the period是个简单句，很容易理解。破折号后面的具体解释内容比较长。但是主要的成分也就是both the humanist notion and the growing connection。其他的部分要么是同位语补充说明，要么是定语从句修饰。

【真题原句】 It lacked the grammatical resources required to represent the world in an objective and impersonal way，and to discuss the relations，such as cause and effect，that might hold between complex and hypothetical entities.

【详细解析】 这是原文中选取的一句话。因为没有上下文，句首It的指代内容不要去管它。我们要关注的是句子的结构。其实原句里面的主体结构就是It lacked the grammatical resources。后面从required to开始都是定语内容，用来修饰grammatical resources的。句中require有两个部分：to represent the world in an objective and impersonal way和to discuss the relations，最后的such as是举例说明的部分，用作插入语，而最后的that might hold between complex and hypothetical entities，则是之前的the relations的定语。其实在长句中插入语和定语从句混合使用的结构是很常见的。在阅读理解的时候，要先忽略插入语和定语从句，读懂句子的主干，然后再理解其他部分。这样才能有效做到快速阅读和理解。

【真题原句】 What makes a language endangered is not just the number of speakers，but how old they are.

【详细解析】 not...but...结构是英文中使用频率最广的一种句型。在这里not...but...不仅可以连接词组，而且可以连接从句。除此之外，主语从句的应用也是特点之一。主语从句＋“not...but...”的用法是英文句式中的主流结构，也是我们要在写作和口语中加以运用的。另外要特别说明的是not...but...结构强调的重点是but后面的内容。

【真题原句】 But Salikoko Mufwene，who chairs the Linguistics department at the University of Chicago，argues that the deadliest weapon is not government policy but economic globalisation.

【详细解析】 这句话选自同样一篇文章，跟上面一句话一样，not...but...结构得到了第二次的使用。而且用法也相同，强调的重点是economic globalization。这句话的特别还在于插入语结构的使用，用定语从句插入语也是英文中经常使用的结构之一。由此可见，英文句子一般不会单一运用某种句型或者是词组，很多用法都是综合应用的。这也反映出英文句式多变的特点。

【真题原句】 At the very least，there is a loss of data for the study of languages and their evolution，which relies on comparisons between languages，both living and dead.

【详细解析】 句子不是很长的一句话，关键就是理解其句式结构。前半句there is a loss of data for the study of languages and their evolution词汇上不难，句式上也就是常见的there be句型。后面的从句的理解关键是看出which的指代内容。在这句话里面，which就是指代前面的the study of languages and their evolution。最后的both living and dead则是之前languages的修饰内容。经过以上对于句子的拆分，我们可以很容易发现句子的理解会快很多。所以不论在日常的英语阅读或者是考试时候的阅读理解，都需要学会拆分句子的理解方式，最后再把句子合成起来，这样就能做到精确理解。

【真题原句】 There are examples of languages that have survived in written form and then been revived by later generations.But a written form is essential for this，so the mere possibility of revival has led many speakers of endangered languages to develop systems of writing where none existed before.

【详细解析】 there be句型＋定语从句的结构在之前的文章分析中出现过，这里的再次出现说明其广泛的应用。另外，but和so的连续使用能够突出行文的变化。在英文中，转折、因果和递进的三大类连接词是运用最多的。这一点在口语和写作中也要学会模仿和运用。因为英文的特点就是讲究逻辑。而逻辑表达并不像中文那样是依靠句子间的内在含义完成的，而是需要各种连接词来衔接。所以，在阅读中，要充分理解作者的意图和文章的主旨，关键就是要读懂句子间连接词所表达的真正含义。除了连接词之外，上文两句话都运用了定语从句。但是定语从句都不是很长，并不像很多中国学生认为的深不可测。如果大家翻阅一下英文刊物或者小说，定语从句的运用很频繁，但是却不是非常复杂，往往是短小精悍的。这些言简意赅的表达方式我们不仅要看得懂，更要学会运用。从而真正提高自身的英语写作水平和口语水平。

【真题原句】 As the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development recognized，these regions are fragile（i.e.highly vulnerable to abnormal pressures）not just in terms of their ecology，but also In terms of the culture of their inhabitants.

【详细解析】 阅读中碰到很多生词是不可避免的事情，但是关键是如何来理解生词。比如说上面这句话中的fragile对大家来说可能以前没有学过，但是文章中给出了生词的解释highly vulnerable to abnormal pressures。所以说解决生词的问题并不是一味去背生词表或者词汇书，而是要多种方法结合起来。这句话中还值得我们学习的是not just in terms of...，but also in terms of...的结构。像这样的表达方式在口语和写作中都可以加以运用。

【真题原句】 When hill－farmers，for example，can make more money in a few weeks working as porters for foreign trekkers than they can in a year working in their fields，It is not surprising that many of them give up their farm－work，which is thus left to other members of the family.

【详细解析】 这句话又是复合从句形式。for example作为插入语可以忽略，首先是比较容易的when从句，从句中包含一个复合结构，make more money in a few weeks working as porters for foreign trekkers than they can in a year working in their fields，后半部分than they can in a year working in their fields其实完整的结构应该是than they can make money，因为和之前的表达方式相同，所以省略。主句的开头是It is not surprising that，it作形式主语。真正的主语是that many of them give up their farm－work。句子的最后又添加了which定语从句，来修饰farm－work。由此可见，这句话里面的结构是很复杂的，有时间状语从句、比较结构、it作形式主语以及定语从句。如果能够把这些结构看出来、搞清楚，这句话理解起来难度并不是很大。

【真题原句】 And a growing number of adventure tourism operators are trying to ensure that their activities benefit the local population and environment over the long term.

【详细解析】 这句话虽然不长，但是也有很多值得我们学习的方面。agrowing number of是中国学生不怎么会用的一个词组。很多学生会用more and more而不是agrowing number of。其实两者的意思是一致的，区别就在于前者是非正式表达，后者是正式表达。另外一个表达方式是over the long term，这个词组其实和in the long term很相像。但是区别在于over the long term注重的是现在到将来的一段时间，而in the long term表示将来的一段时间。所以在阅读的时候要注意词的细微差别。

【真题原句】 There has also been a renaissance in communal cheese production in the area，providing the locals with a reliable source of income that does not depend on outside visitors.

【详细解析】 这句话又包含了很多结构，首先是there be句型的现在完成时态，难度不高。后面的providing the locals with a reliable source of income则是分词作伴随状语的结构。其实这种结构已经在之前的文章中多次出现。另外，这句话还包含了一个定语从句。其实定语从句是应用最广泛的从句，而在定语从句中，关系代词that或者which作主语则是最常见的。这个语言现象大家要注意学习。

【真题原句】 There are reports of igloos losing their insulating properties as the snow drips and refreezes，of lakes draining into the sea as permafrost melts，and sea ice breaking up earlier than usual，carrying seals beyond the reach of hunters.

【详细解析】 这句话又是平行结构的充分体现。There are reports of后面连续跟着两个名词＋动词ing形式接as句型。最后的and sea ice breaking up earlier than usual，carrying seals beyond the reach of hunters则是省略of的结构，也是符合平行结构的。在阅读中，平行结构的出现频率很高，大家要学会识别这种形式，并且把这种结构运用在英文写作中。

【真题原句】 Nobody knows the Arctic as well as the locals，which is why they are not content simply to stand back and let outside experts tell them what’s happening.

【详细解析】 这句话中的as well as并不是常用的“and”的意思，只不过是as...as的结构而已。后半句的从句比较有特点，which is why是两个从句合在一起的结构。其中，which就是指代前面的整个句子，why则是表语从句。最后的tell them what’s happening是宾语从句的结构。非常短的一句话中包含了三个从句。这种短句的复杂结构值得我们好好学习和模仿。

【真题原句】 While the Inuit may not actually starve if hunting and trapping are curtailed by climate change，there has certainly been an impact on people’s health.

【详细解析】 while是让步状语从句中使用最广泛的一个连接词，甚至超过了although。while放在句首表示“尽管”的意思，而放在句中就表示“但是”的意思了，表示转折。但不管放在句子中的哪个位置，能够连接前后对比的信息。在国外学术论文中，这个词也是极为常见的。因此，用好while，可以使你的写作出现一些亮点。

【真题原句】 In Nunavut’s‘igloo and email’society，where adults who were born in igloos have children who may never have been out on the land，there’s a high incidence of depression.

【详细解析】 大家粗看这句话会发现又有很多的从句形式，其实这句话的主句很简单，就是there’s a high incidence of depression。在阅读理解的时候只要把握主句就可以了。但是，从句的学习也不可忽视。三个从句，第一个是where定语从句，修饰society。第二个是who定语从句，修饰adults。最后一个who定语从句，修饰children。定语从句的镶嵌式的结构之前大家已经看到很多次了，而且这些句子都不是长句。所以英文的特点就是通过从句不断延伸。

【真题原句】 Unprecedented construction of tens of thousands of monumental engineering projects designed to control floods，protect clean water supplies，and provide water for irrigation and hydropower brought great benefits to hundreds of millions of people.

【详细解析】 这句话的难点在于把握句子的主语和谓语部分。整句话中的动词非常多，因此会让大家搞不清楚句子的主干成分在哪里。其实整句话的主干是Unprecedented construction of tens of thousands of monumental engineering projects brought great benefits to hundreds of millions of people。中间的designed to control floods，protect clean water supplies，and provide water for irrigation and hydropower都是定语的成分，完整的句式应该是“which were designed to...”，修饰monumental engineering projects。

【真题原句】 Some water experts are now demanding that existing infrastructure be used in smarter ways rather than building new facilities，which is increasingly considered the option of last，not first，resort.

【详细解析】 这句话是宾语从句内嵌定语从句的结构。这种结构是英文中最为常见的结构了，也是很多雅思和托福考试中经常出现的句式。为了能够使大家的阅读和写作能力同步提高，最好是能记忆一些这种类型的句子，这样以后在阅读中遇见就很容易理解，而在写作中就能从容运用了。

【真题原句】 Nevertheless，it may be the only way to address successfully the pressing problems of providing everyone with clean water to drink，adequate water to grow food and a life free from preventable water－related illness.

【详细解析】 这句话中出现的结构就是以前分析过的平行结构。句子的整体比较简单，造成句子偏长的原因是三个名词词组所构成的平行结构。providing everyone with后面加了三个词组：clean water to drink，adequate water to grow food以及a life free from preventable water－related illness。

【真题原句】 Although population，industrial output and economic productivity have continued to soar in developed nations，the rate at which people withdraw water from aquifers，rivers and lakes has slowed.

【详细解析】 又是一句复合结构的句子。让步状语从句难度不高，关键是后面的定语从句，可能会妨碍大家理解句子。其实如果不去管定语从句，主句就是the rate has slowed。at which people withdraw water from aquifers，rivers and lakes都是rate的定语，也就是具体的修饰内容。其实which定语从句是百搭的，任何的复合形式中都可以插入定语从句。

【真题原句】 A violent eruption can blow the top few kilometres off a mountain，scatter fine ash practically all over the globe and hurl rock fragments into the stratosphere to darken the skies a continent away.

【详细解析】 这句话看上去字数较多，生词也比较多，但是却符合英文中的平行结构的原则，blow the top，scatter fine ash以及hurl rock fragments三个主要的动词词组很容易识别出来，而在动词词组后面的附加成分在阅读的时候不是最重要的，只是作伴随说明的作用。

【真题原句】 But the classic eruption—cone－shaped mountain，big bang，mushroom cloud and surges of molten lava—is only a tiny part of a global story.

【详细解析】 在阅读这句话的时候，破折号中间的内容其实也可以略过不看，因为这些内容都是在描述the classic eruption。最后的is only a tiny part of a global story才是这句话真正想要说明的内容。

【真题原句】 Look at maps of volcanoes，earthquakes and island chains like the Philippines and Japan，and you can see the rough outlines of what are called tectonic plates—the plates which make up the earth’s crust and mantle.

【详细解析】 这句话的结构很清晰：Look at...，and you can see...。除了这个句式之外，这句中还包含两个从句，rough outlines of what are called tectonic plates以及the plates which make up the earth’s crust and mantle。尽管是复合从句结构，但是对于句子意思的理解来说不构成任何难度，只要把专业词汇解决了就能够理解句子的意思。因此，在阅读长句的时候，不要过分关注句式的种类，只要不影响整体理解，就可以忽略从句的类型。

【真题原句】 During quiet periods，volcanoes cap themselves with their own lava by forming apowerful cone from the molten rocks slopping over the rim of the crater；later the lava cools slowly into a huge，hard，stable plug which blocks any further eruption until the pressure below becomes irresistible.

【详细解析】 对于一句话中有很多生词的句子来说，关键是把握句子中的最主要的成分。在句子的第一部分，volcanoes cap themselves with their own lava就是句子的主体。后面的by forming apowerful cone from the molten rocks slopping over the rim of the crater则是附属的具体说明。如果是快速阅读，那么附属部分的内容可以先忽略不看。对于后半句来说，later the lava cools slowly则是句子的主体，into a huge，hard，stable plug which blocks any further eruption until the pressure below becomes irresistible则是附属部分。而且在附属部分中既有很多生词，也有which定语从句和until从句结构。这两大因素对于句子理解过程都是很大的障碍。所以在阅读的时候要做到快速和准确的理解，先要把握句子的主干成分，充分理解句子的大意，然后再去看附属部分的内容深刻理解。掌握阅读句子的步骤是阅读理解中的重要技能。

【真题原句】 Unprecedented construction of tens of thousands of monumental engineering projects designed to control floods，protect clean water supplies，and provide water for irrigation and hydropower brought great benefits to hundreds of millions of people.

【详细解析】 长句理解的关键是把握句子的主干。这句话中的动词过多会造成理解困难，但是句子的主语还是很清楚，即Unprecedented construction of tens of thousands of monumental engineering projects。那么句子的谓语动词究竟是哪个呢？句子中的动词包括designed，control，protect，provide和brought。通过分析我们发现，designed其实是作为定语修饰projects，完整的结构应该是projects which were designed。而后面的control floods，protect clean water supplies，and provide water for irrigation and hydropower则是并列的平行结构，都是用来表示design的目的。而句子的真正谓语动词则是brought。如果要把这句话简化一下就是construction projects brought great benefits to hundreds of millions of people。由此可见，读懂长句的关键是识别句子中的主语和谓语动词，另外要识别用作定语的动词结构和表示目的的不定式结构。

【真题原句】 Some water experts are now demanding that existing infrastructure be used in smarter ways rather than building new facilities，which is increasingly considered the option of last，not first，resort.

【详细解析】 这句话中包含了两个从句结构，其中的demand that的宾语从句还包含有虚拟语气的用法，所以从句中的句子是existing infrastructure be used in smarter ways。另外，rather than也是英文中极为常见的用法，同样的用法还有instead of，这两个词组也是英文写作中的常用词组。这句话的另外一个从句是which定语从句，也就是指代之前的building new facilities。无论是雅思考试还是英文报刊杂志的文章，定语从句的运用是最为频繁的。所以大家一定要学会识别定语从句，并把各种定语从句的用法使用到自己的写作中去。

【真题原句】 Although population，industrial output and economic productivity have continued to soar in developed nations，the rate at which people withdraw water from aquifers，rivers and lakes has slowed.

【详细解析】 让步状语从句也是英文中极为常见的结构，除了although之外，while也可以放在句首，起到同样的作用。而且while在文体上要比although正式。这句话的难点是主句中的定语从句，其实如果不看which从句的内容，主句可以简化成the rate has slowed。which就是指代rate，而后面的people withdraw water from aquifers，rivers and lakes都是说明具体的rate内容。跟上面一句话一样，简化句子结构可以快速理解句子的本质。

【真题原句】 But since 1980，the amount of water consumed per person has actually decreased，thanks to a range of new technologies that help to conserve water in homes and industry.

【详细解析】 除了用because of表示原因以外，thanks to也是一个常用词组，但是要注意的是thanks to表示正面的、积极的原因，如果要表示负面原因就要用due to。这句话中也用到了定语从句that help to conserve water in homes and industry。连续的几句话中都有定语从句，由此可见，在雅思真题的大多数文章中定语从句是最常用的结构。

【真题原句】 At the height of the Roman Empire，nine major systems，with an innovative layout of pipes and well－built sewers，supplied the occupants of Rome with as much water per person as is provided in many parts of the industrial world today.

【详细解析】 要理解这句话的关键同样也是把握主语和谓语动词。在这句话中，主语是nine major systems，后面的with an innovative layout of pipes and well－built sewers则是伴随状语作补充说明。谓语部分则是supplied the occupants of Rome with much water。之后还加了个as...as的结构作为比较。这种叠加式的行文结构是英文的标志性特点。大家在写作中也要多运用叠加式句子拓展方法，写出内容和句式都很丰富的好英文。

【真题原句】 For many environmentalists，the world seems to be getting worse.They have developed a hit－list of our main fears：that natural resources are running out；that the population is ever growing，leaving less and less to eat；that species are becoming extinct in vast numbers，and that the planet’s air and water are becoming ever more polluted.

【详细解析】 这段内容的第一句难度不高。关键是第二句话很长，很多人会觉得长句难以理解。其实仔细看过这句话后就会发现其实这句话中有很多that引导的从句。主句是They have developed a hit－list of our main fears，后面的4个that从句是fear的同位语，也就是fear的具体内容。所以说遇到长句不用担心，如果能把句式分析清楚那么整体理解难度就会下降。

【真题原句】 One form of pollution—the release of greenhouse gases that causes global warming—does appear to be a phenomenon that is going to extend well into our future，but its total impact is unlikely to pose a devastating problem.

【详细解析】 破折号之内的内容是插入语的作用，其中还包含了一个定语从句greenhouse gases that causes global warming。定语从句无所不在。主句是One form of pollution does appear to be a phenomenon。之后又是一个定语从句that is going to extend well into our future。短短的一句话用了两个定语从句，值得大家学习。最后的but转折内容比较容易理解，这里还有一个常用词组pose a problem。

【真题原句】 Yet opinion polls suggest that many people nurture the belief that environmental standards are declining and four factors seem to cause this disjunction between perception and reality.

【详细解析】 这句话和上面一句很像，也是双从句结构。首先是opinion polls suggest that的宾语从句，然后是many people nurture the belief that的同位语从句。其中还有一个经典词组nurture the belief。当然最后还有一个反义词组perception and reality。一句话中大家可以学到句子的组织和词汇的运用。读出好英文的同时也有助于大家写出好英文。

【真题原句】 Despite the intuition that something drastic needs to be done about such a costly problem，economic analyses clearly show it will be far more expensive to cut carbon dioxide emissions radically than to pay the costs of adaptation to the increased temperatures.

【详细解析】 这句话难度较高。一开始是despite引出的让步状语形式，第一个从句是intuition that，同位语从句，后面的内容都是用来解释intuition（直觉）。主句部分economic analyses clearly show是宾语从句，省略that。在从句中还有比较内容far more expensive to cut carbon dioxide emissions radically than to pay the costs。因为是平行结构，所以要用两个不定式以保证前后形式的统一。

【真题原句】 Or to put it another way，the temperature increase that the planet would have experienced in 2094 would be postponed to 2100.

【详细解析】 to put it another way就等于常用的in other words，表示“换句话说”。后面的句子中其实还是一个定语从句的结构。主体部分是the temperature increase would be postponed to 2100。句子中的that the planet would have experienced in2094是用来修饰限定the temperature increase。

【真题原句】 Yet the cost of reducing carbon dioxide emissions，for the United States alone，will be higher than the cost of solving the world’s single，most pressing health problem：providing universal access to clean drinking water and sanitation.

【详细解析】 这句话看似比较长，其实就是两方面的cost在做对比。the cost of reducing carbon dioxide emissions和后面的the cost of providing universal access to clean drinking water and sanitation，其他的文字都是在做限定或者修饰的作用。for the United States alone就是插入限定的作用，solving the world’s single，most pressing health problem是说明问题的紧迫性。在理解句子的时候首先是要把握句子的主干，然后再理解细节，这样就能真正理解全句的含义。

【真题原句】 Annual flooding brought in new，nutrient－rich soil to the delta region，replacing what had been washed away by the sea，and dispensing with the need for fertilizers in Egypt’s richest food－growing area.

【详细解析】 分词作伴随状语的现象在雅思考试真题中也是反复出现的。主句是Annual flooding brought in new，nutrient－rich soil to the delta region。后面的replacing和dispensing with都是伴随发生的事情。大家在写作中也要有意识运用分词作伴随状语的形式。除此之外，what had been washed away by the sea是宾语从句。语法结构的多样化也是英文写作得到高分的关键。最后的dispense with的意思是“免除，省却，无需”，其英文解释是“get rid of，dispose of，throw away，throw out，do away with，abolish”。

【真题原句】 But when the Aswan dams were constructed in the 20th century to provide electricity and irrigation，and to protect the huge population centre of Cairo and its surrounding areas from annual flooding and drought，most of the sediment with its natural fertilizer accumulated up above the dam in the southern，upstream half of Lake Nasser，instead of passing down to the delta.

【详细解析】 这句话是长句，因此理解的关键是把主句和从句识别出来。首先是when从句。从句的主体是when the Aswan dams were constructed in the 20th century，后面的内容则是表示目的的不定式结构，to provide electricity and irrigation，and to protect the huge population centre of Cairo and its surrounding areas from annual flooding and drought是两个目的。非常清晰。而主句的主体部分是most of the sediment accumulated。句子里的with its natural fertilizer是附加说明的作用，后面的up above the dam in the southern，upstream half of Lake Nasser，instead of passing down to the delta同样也是附加说明的作用。因此，理解长句的时候一定要把握主从句以及句子中的主体部分和附加说明部分。

【真题原句】 Another problem is that agricultural wastes include fertilizers which stimulate increases in plant growth in the lagoons and upset the ecology of the area，with serious effects on the fishing industry.

【详细解析】 这句话没有上一句长，但是这句中也有各种从句。Another problem is that是表语从句，引出具体问题内容。fertilizers which stimulate increases in plant growth in the lagoons and upset the ecology of the area中的which从句则是限定fertilizers的类型，或者说是具体描述fertilizers。最后的with是附加说明的作用。短短的一句话中有三个主流语法现象。这种短句中包含两到三个语法现象的句子形式是英文中最流行的用法，也是大家在英语写作中要模仿和运用的结构。

【真题原句】 According to Siegel，international environmental organisations are beginning to pay closer attention to the region，partly because of the problems of erosion and pollution of the Nile delta，but principally because they fear the impact this situation could have on the whole Mediterranean coastal ecosystem.

【详细解析】 这句话看似是一句长句，其实结构非常简单。According to Siegel，international environmental organisations are beginning to pay closer attention to the region是主句，而后面的附加了两个原因，partly because of和but principally because，部分原因和主要原因。因此，句子的重要信息是在principally because的内容里。阅读的时候一定要把握句子信息的重点，才能准确理解作者意图和文章重点。

【真题原句】 There are reports of igloos losing their insulating properties as the snow drips and refreezes，of lakes draining into the sea as permafrost melts，and sea ice breaking up earlier than usual，carrying seals beyond the reach of hunters.

【详细解析】 这句话是讲爱斯基摩人同自然环境做斗争的。这句话是一句长句。但是仔细观察会发现这句话其实是平行结构。There are reports of后面连续跟了三个同样的结构igloos losing their insulating properties，lakes draining into the sea as permafrost melts以及sea ice breaking up earlier than usual。而最后的carrying seals beyond the reach of hunters则是之前的sea ice breaking up earlier than usual的伴随状语结构，表示结果。

【真题原句】 They can turn down applications from scientists they believe will work against their interests，or research projects that will impinge too much on their daily lives and traditional activities.

【详细解析】 这句话的特点是定语从句。They can turn down applications from scientists还是一句简单句，而they believe will work against their interests前面省略了that或者which。因为先行词是用作believe的宾语，所以可以省略。后半句的or research projects是和applications平行的内容。而半句的定语从句that will impinge too much on their daily lives and traditional activities不能省略that，因为that在这句话中是充当主语。

【真题原句】 In other words，they gave no indication of an appreciation of either the range of ways in which rainforests are important or the complex social，economic and political factors which drive the activities which are destroying the rainforests.

【详细解析】 这句话的特点也是定语从句。大家会看到在这句话中有三个which定语从句。一开始的部分In other words，they gave no indication of an appreciation相对比较容易理解。之后就出现了一个either...or...的词组。也就是either the range of ways or the complex social，economic and political factors。而在either...or...两个名词词组后面又分别附加了定语从句结构。the range of ways后面附加了一个定语从句，而factors除了第一层的定语从句之外，从句内部又附加了一个定语从句activities which are destroying the rainforests。所以在看定语从句之前，先要把句子整体结构搞清楚，否则从句多了会越看越乱。

【真题原句】 Environmental education offers an arena in which these skills can be developed，which is essential for these children as future decision－makers.

【详细解析】 尽管这不是一句长句，但是其中竟然也有两个which定语从句，由此可见IELTS考试对于定语从句的考点是非常多的，如果考生能够准确识别并且理解定语从句，对于分数提高有很大帮助，而且学会定语从句然后在写作中加以灵活运用对于写作分数提高也会有帮助。第一个which定语从句是对arena的补充说明作用，而第二个which从句则是对前面整句话Environmental education offers an arena in which these skills can be developed的完整指代。其实定语从句的指代功能在很多文章中都出现过，目的是加强句子间的连贯性，同时体现语言多样性和加强句子的节奏感。

【真题原句】 First mechanisation，then mass use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides，then monocultures，then battery rearing of livestock，and now genetic engineering—the onward march of intensive farming has seemed unstoppable in the last half－century，as the yields of produce have soared.

【详细解析】 这句话跟以前分析过的句子不一样的地方在于主语比较复杂。First mechanisation，then mass use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides，then monocultures，then battery rearing of livestock，and now genetic engineering几个发展过程被一一列了出来，First...then...then...then...and now...这五个阶段罗列在句首，而破折号后面的the onward march of intensive farming就是之前这五个阶段的总结。句子的最后还有个表示原因的as从句。

【真题原句】 Breaking away from industrial agriculture as the solution to hunger may be very hard for some countries，but in Britain，where the immediate need to supply food is less urgent，and the costs and the damage of intensive farming have been clearly seen，it may be more feasible.

【详细解析】 首先来看这句话前半句，也就是but之前的内容，主语是Breaking away from industrial agriculture as the solution to hunger。谓语部分则是may be very hard for some countries。前半句非常清晰，容易理解。再看but后面的内容，in Britain是个主导内容，而之后的where定语从句都是来说明Britain的具体发生的事情，其中之一是the immediate need to supply food is less urgent，另外一个则是the damage of intensive farming have been clearly seen。这两个内容说完之后，则是句子的主体it may be more feasible。其中it是指代句首的Breaking away from industrial agriculture as the solution to hunger。

【真题原句】 He is recommending the immediate introduction of a‘Greener Food Standard’，which would push the market towards more sustainable environmental practices than the current norm，while not requiring the full commitment to organic production.

【详细解析】 这句话中的逻辑关系也是非常明显，句子的主体是He is recommending the immediate introduction of a‘Greener Food Standard’。之后的which定语从句的作用是递进或者因果，起到层次推进的作用，最后的while则是表示转折。这种英文句子中逻辑关系多变的行文方式是一大特点，大家在写作中也要注意模仿和借鉴。

【真题原句】 Natural soil fertility is dropping in many areas because of continuous industrial fertiliser and pesticide use，while the growth of algae is increasing in lakes because of the fertiliser run－off.

【详细解析】 在本篇的难句解析中，我提到过while放在句首表示although的意思。在这里while是放在句中的，表示but的意思。由此可见，while是英文中使用频率非常广的一个连接词。既可以放在句首表示让步，也可以放在句中表示转折和对比，这个词也是大家在写作中要经常用到的一个关键转折词。

【真题原句】 World food output per head has risen by 4 per cent between the 1970s and 1980s mainly as a result of increases in yields from land already in cultivation，but also because more land has been brought under the plough.

【详细解析】 这句话的最大特点是因果关系的表述方式。句子的主体是World food output per head has risen by 4 per cent between the 1970s and 1980s。之后叠加两个原因。mainly as a result of表述主要原因，用了as a result of引出具体的原因。but also because则引出另外一个非主要的原因，在这句话中则是用了从句的形式。两个原因叠加表述，并且一个使用名词词组，后面一个是使用从句。这种英文行文的方式值得大家好好学习。同时可以在英文口语和写作中充分使用。

【真题原句】 All these activities may have damaging environmental impacts.For example，land clearing for agriculture is the largest single cause of deforestation；chemical fertilisers and pesticides may contaminate water supplies；more intensive farming and the abandonment of fallow periods tend to exacerbate soil erosion；and the spread of monoculture and use of high－yielding varieties of crops have been accompanied by the disappearance of old varieties of food plants which might have provided some insurance against pests or diseases in future.

【详细解析】 上面这段文字除了All these activities may have damaging environmental impacts这句话之外，后面的内容其实是一句话，只是用分号分开而已。而一长句的主要就是在解释第一句话，给出很多的例子。大家仔细观察一下就会发现，这些句子其实都是主语＋动词＋名词的结构，这些句子分号隔开叠加在一句话中其实就是英文中的平行结构的修辞方法。只有最后一句the spread of monoculture and use of high－yielding varieties of crops have been accompanied by the disappearance of old varieties of food plants which might have provided some insurance against pests or diseases in future稍微复杂一些，因为最后加了一个定语从句具体说明old varieties of food plants的作用。

【真题原句】 And more farmers in poor countries will have the money and the incentive to manage their land in ways that are sustainable in the long run.

【详细解析】 “in...way”这个词组是一个常用词组，表示“以……的方式”，但是当way前面的修饰词太长的时候就要用定语从句，这句话就是一个典型的案例。manage their land in ways that are sustainable in the long run表示“以一种长期可持续发展的方式来耕作他们的土地”。这种in ways that/which来具体描述方法的句型在英文写作中也要有意识使用。

【真题原句】 In less enlightened countries，and in the European Union，the trend has been to reduce rather than eliminate subsidies，and to introduce new payments to encourage farmers to treat their land in environmentally friendlier ways.

【详细解析】 这句话中的“in...ways”的用法就比较清晰in environmentally friendlier ways表示“以更加环保的方式”。

【真题原句】 The United States，where the most careful measurements have been done，discovered in 1982 that about one－fifth of its farmland as losing topsoil at a rate likely to diminish the soil’s productivity.

【详细解析】 定语从句作插入语补充说明也是英文中很有特色的形式，其实这句话能够简化成The United States discovered in 1982 that的结构。最后的that宾语从句中的内容才是句子真正要表达的信息。

【真题原句】 This change is no more evident than in Western society today，when notions of health and health promotion are being challenged and expanded in new ways.

【详细解析】 在这句话中有两个很有意思的地方，第一个是no more...than的词组。整句话This change is no more evident than in Western society today的意思是“这个变化在目前的欧洲社会再明显不过了”。所以no more...than的意思是“再……不过”或者是“没有比……更”。后面的when的定语从句就是对主句中内容的解释说明。

【真题原句】 That is，good health has been connected to the smooth mechanical operation of the body，while ill health has been attributed to a breakdown in this machine.

【详细解析】 while是一个非常“活”的词。在这句话中while的用法也就是but或者in contrast这类对比词。其实，while还可以放在句首表示although。总的来说while基本上是英文写作或者说是雅思写作的必备词之一。be attributed to是另外一个句中重点。这个词组也是因果标志词，也就等于常见的result from。

【真题原句】 Specific behaviours which were seen to increase risk of disease，such as smoking，lack of fitness and unhealthy eating habits，were targeted.

【详细解析】 这句话的主题其实很短，也就是Specific behaviours were targeted。而具体的behaviours的内容就要依靠定语从句来解释说明了。而在定语从句中还有such as举例。这种通过定语从句和such as结合来举例的方法是英文中常用的方法。

【真题原句】 Creating health meant providing not only medical health care，but health promotion programs and policies which would help people maintain healthy behaviours and lifestyles.

【详细解析】 not only...but的结构用来引出两方面的内容，但是作者强调的一定是but后面的内容。因此大家会发现这句话中but后面有很长一段，主要是因为加了个which定语从句作为解释和补充说明。

【真题原句】 While this individualistic healthy lifestyles approach to health worked for some（the wealthy members of society），people experiencing poverty，unemployment，underemployment or little control over the conditions of their daily lives benefited little from this approach.

【详细解析】 之前已经讲过，while放在句首的作用是although。while放在句首的另外一个作用是强调主句的内容，也就是强调后半句的内容。跟前面的not only...but的结构一样，真正的重点在句子的后半部分。

【真题原句】 While lifestyle factors still remain important，health is being viewed also in terms of the social，economic and environmental contexts in which people live.

【详细解析】 这句话跟上面这句话的结构如出一辙，同样是强调主句，而且在主句的结尾部分在增加了一个简单短小的which从句。通过以上的两句话可见while放在句首的使用方法。大家在英文阅读中学到了这类句型以后一定要在英文写作中多多加以实践，最终能够运用自如才是真正的目的。

【真题原句】 Disenchantment with orthodox medicine has seen the popularity of alternative therapies in Australia climb steadily during the past 20 years.

【详细解析】 enchantment表示“着迷”的意思，很明显disenchantment就是“清醒，明白”的意思了。这句话就是英语中的非人称主语句，因为这句话的动词是see，本应该有人作主语的，但是这里是disenchantment with orthodox medicine作主语了。disenchantment with orthodox medicine表示澳洲人对于其正统医疗效果觉醒，内在含义就是他们不再执迷于西医的疗效。所以后面的句子提到了the popularity of alternative therapies in Australia climb steadily during the past 20 years，在过去20年中另类医学（中医）的受欢迎程度持续上升。

【真题原句】 Rather than resisting or criticising this trend，increasing numbers of Australian doctors，particularly younger ones，are forming group practices with alternative therapists or taking courses themselves，particularly in acupuncture and herbalism.

【详细解析】 rather than这个词组并不是一个表示比较的词组，而是表示否定的词组。句子的主语是increasing numbers of Australian doctors，所以句子一开始就表明他们的态度“不是抵制或者批评这种趋势”。中间有个插入语particularly younger ones。最后则是谓语部分，are forming group practices with alternative therapists以及taking courses themselves，particularly in acupuncture and herbalism。

【真题原句】 Those surveyed had experienced chronic illnesses，for which orthodox medicine had been able to provide little relief.

【详细解析】 主语those surveyed其实是一个定语从句，完整形式是those who are surveyed。句子中的chronic illnesses是指慢性病。最后的定语从句则对chronic illnesses进一步解释说明，orthodox medicine had been able to provide little relief，就是正统医疗（西医）几乎无法减轻病症。

【真题原句】 The cold，impersonal manner of orthodox doctors featured in the survey.An increasing exodus from their clinics，coupled with this and a number of other relevant surveys carried out in Australia，all pointing to orthodox doctors’inadequacies，have led mainstream doctors themselves to begin to admit they could learn from the personal style of alternative therapists.

【详细解析】 上面两句话中第一句feature作为动词使用，在句子中的意思是“非常显眼”，英文解释为highlight。feature的这种用法值得大家借鉴。第二句是一句长句，前半句An increasing exodus from their clinics，coupled with this比较容易理解。exodus表示“大批的离去”，coupled with则表示together with。and后面半句比较复杂，主语是a number of other relevant surveys，carried out in Australia则是定语，all pointing to orthodox doctors’inadequacies分词作伴随状语，而谓语部分是have led mainstream doctors themselves to begin to admit they could learn from the personal style of alternative therapists。所以句子可以简化成a number of other relevant surveys have led mainstream doctors themselves to begin to admit。而admit之后还有一个宾语从句they could learn from the personal style of alternative therapists。由此可见，定语加分词作伴随状语的叠加式结构是一种比较复杂的句式。因此，看清句子主体结构是看懂句子的基本环节。

【真题原句】 As researchers on aging noted recently，no treatment on the market today has been proved to slow human aging—the build－up of molecular and cellular damage that increases vulnerability to infirmity as we grow older.

【详细解析】 这句话中有两个从句。前半句的As researchers on aging noted recently是一个as从句。主句的no treatment on the market today has been proved to slow human aging也是一句简单句，破折号后面的内容其实是同位语，the build－up of molecular and cellular damage就是用来说明前面的human aging。除了定语从句之外，破折号同样可以用来解释说明。最后还有一个定语从句，that increases vulnerability to infirmity as we grow older则是用来具体说明damage的影响程度的。结尾的地方还有一个as从句。由此可见，英文的特点是环环相扣的，或者说是不断叠加的。

【真题原句】 But one intervention，consumption of a low－calorie yet nutritionally balanced diet，works incredibly well in a broad range of animals，increasing longevity and prolonging good health.Those findings suggest that caloric restriction could delay aging and increase longevity in humans，too.

【详细解析】 这两句话第一句同样也是同位语的结构one intervention表示“一种干预手段”，后面的consumption of a low－calorie yet nutritionally balanced diet则是具体解释这个手段，也就是“摄入低热量但营养均衡的食物”。句子的谓语则是works incredibly well in a broad range of animals。之后的increasing longevity and prolonging good health就是常见的分词作伴随状语作用，意思是“增加寿命和保持健康”。第二句话和第一句话尽管没有连接词，但是主语的Those findings其实也是承接了上一句的内容的。从句caloric restriction could delay aging and increase longevity in humans，too是简单句，比较容易理解，其含义是“卡路里控制也能延缓人类的衰老并使人长寿”。

【真题原句】 Unfortunately，for maximum benefit，people would probably have to reduce their caloric intake by roughly thirty per cent，equivalent to dropping from2，500 calories a day to 1，750.Few mortals could stick to that harsh a regimen，especially for years on end.

【详细解析】 以上文字中第一句话比较清晰。people would probably have to reduce their caloric intake表示减少卡路里摄入，by roughly thirty per cent说明减少的量，equivalent to dropping from2，500 calories a day to 1，750就是用更为细节的数字来说明数量。第二句话尽管比较短，但是理解起来比较难，主语Few mortals中mortal理解起来不容易。这个词在很多情况下是用作形容词的，而在这里是名词，也就等同于people。动词stick to表示“坚持”，英文的同义词就是follow。后面有个词harsh，也是英文中使用频率非常好的一个词，等同于tough。不过，regimen这个词在平时的阅读中并不多见，在这句话中的意思是“养生法（包括规律饮食等）”。句子最后的especially for years on end意思是“坚持到底”。所以整个第二句话的意思是“几乎没有人能够坚持如此艰苦地控制饮食的养生方法，很难坚持到底”。所以在IELTS考试中，反而是一些短句更难理解。

【真题原句】 No compound that would safely achieve the same feat in people has been found yet，but the search has been informative and has fanned hope that caloric－restriction（CR）mimetics can indeed be developed eventually.

【详细解析】 这句话是两个从句形式的复合，中间是有but这个转折词连起来的。前半句No compound that would safely achieve the same feat in people has been found yet中主语是no compound，这里的意思是“没有一种化合物（文中指的是人工合成药物）”，后面是定语从句that would safely achieve the same feat in people是用来具体说明compound的。其实，如果要把前半句简化一下就是No compound has been found yet。后半句是转折内容，the search has been informative and has fanned hope其实是简单句，意思是“这项调查是提供了有价值的信息并且给人希望”，最后的that从句是个同位语从句，就是用来说明hope的。

【真题原句】 Scientists first recognized the value of the practice more than 60 years ago，when they found that rats fed a low－calorie diet lived longer on average than free－feeding rats and also had a reduced incidence of conditions that become increasingly common in old age.

【详细解析】 叠加式句式结构是这句话的最大特点。句子以一个简单句开头，Scientists first recognized the value of the practice more than 60 years ago，后面承接了一个when定语从句，也就是具体说明more than 60 years ago发生的事情。在定语从句中有附加了一个宾语从句they found that。而在宾语从句中则是一个比较结构rats fed a low－calorie diet lived longer on average than free－feeding rats。其中，rats fed a low－calorie diet也是一个定语从句，完整形式是rats which were fed a low－calorie diet。之后再附加内容and also had a reduced incidence of conditions，主语也是rats fed a low－calorie diet。而句子的最后that become increasingly common in old age则是用来具体说明conditions。when定语从句中的意思是“科学家发现低卡路里饮食的老鼠要比不控制饮食的老鼠活得更长而且一些老年身体状况问题的几率会减少”。这句话的含义相对比较容易理解，但是句式的复杂程度远远超过了以往的任何句子。尽管句式复杂，层次和含义却非常清晰。大家要多领会这种行文方式，从而在自己的英语作文中写出漂亮的、逻辑清楚的句子。

【真题原句】 What is more，some of the treated animals survived longer than the oldest－living animals in the control group，which means that the maximum lifespan（the oldest attainable age），not merely the normal lifespan，increased.

【详细解析】 这句话的特点就是从句加插入语。What is more是一个连接词。英文写作中也相当常见。some of the treated animals survived longer than the oldest－living animals in the control group是一句简单句，表示比较。后面接连出现了两个从句，which means that，定语从句加宾语从句。在宾语从句中，the maximum lifespan（the oldest attainable age）increased中增加了一个插入语not merely the normal lifespan。短短的一句话也是有非常丰富的句式变化。

【真题原句】 Various interventions，such as infection－fighting drugs，can increase a population’s average survival time，but only approaches that slow the body’s rate of aging will increase the maximum lifespan.

【详细解析】 跟上面一句话很相似，也是定语从句加插入语的结构。句子一开头主语是Various interventions，然后是插入语such as infection－fighting drugs，后面紧接着谓语部分can increase a population’s average survival time。后半句but转折，主语是only approaches，that slow the body’s rate of aging则是定语，对于approaches作具体说明。will increase the maximum lifespan是后半句的谓语部分，简化一下就是only approaches will increase the maximum lifespan。由于only approaches在这里含义很不清楚，所以就要加定语来具体说明。所以说英文中从句的使用并不是有意而为之，而是为了使得句子内容更加清楚自然运用的。各种从句和插入语的使用不能影响到句子的流畅，这一点大家在写作中要引起重视。

【真题原句】 The caloric－restricted animals also look better on indicators of risk for age－related diseases.For example，they have lower blood pressure and triglyceride levels（signifying a decreased likelihood of heart disease），and they have more normal blood glucose levels（pointing to a reduced risk for diabetes，which is marked by unusually high blood glucose levels）.

【详细解析】 这两句话是有关于动物控制卡路里和年龄相关疾病之间关系的。第一句话比较容易理解，是讲“那些饮食控制的动物在一些老龄相关疾病的指标上看起来更好一些”，即控制饮食就不容易老年得病，这一点在动物实验上也能反映出来。后面一句比较长，主要是因为有括号中的解释内容。其实第二句的句式结构并不是非常复杂，一开始的they have lower blood pressure and triglyceride levels只有一个生词triglyceride，这个词是医学专有名词，“甘油三酯”。但是从前缀可以看出来tri－表示“三”的意思，可以大致猜出来这个词的含义。后面括号中的signifying a decreased likelihood of heart disease的signify表示show或者是mean的意思，而likelihood就等于possibility。之后and they have more normal blood glucose levels中也有个生词glucose，这个词的中文解释是“葡萄糖”，也是一个医学专有名词。最后括号中的内容就是解释normal blood glucose levels的。其中pointing to a reduced risk for diabetes又是专有名词diabetes（糖尿病），最后的定语从句就是来解释diabetes。

【真题原句】 Further，it has recently been shown that rhesus monkeys kept on caloric－restricted diets for an extended time（nearly 15 years）have less chronic disease.

【详细解析】 这句话是it作形式主语的结构。句子中rhesus monkeys是恒河猴（一种猕猴，多用于实验）。句子中看来好像有两个动词，kept和have，其实其中一个是定语从句的结构。rhesus monkeys kept on caloric－restricted diets for an extended time（nearly 15 years）整个都是主语，kept on caloric－restricted diets for an extended time（nearly 15 years）则是定语，完整的形式是rhesus monkeys which are kept on caloric－restricted diets for an extended time（nearly 15 years），意思是“长期卡路里控制的恒河猴”。最后的谓语have less chronic disease就非常清楚了。chronic disease在以前的文章中也分析过，表示“慢性病”。

【真题原句】 They and the other monkeys must be followed still longer，however，to know whether low－calorie intake can increase both average and maximum lifespans in monkeys.

【详细解析】 插入语的形式是这句话的一大特点。however放在句子中间是英文中司空见惯的形式了。可以说however是英文中最灵活的一个转折词了。这句话中的从句就是whether句式了。总体来说，这句话难度不高。

【真题原句】 Unlike the multitude of elixirs being touted as the latest anti－aging cure，CR mimetics would alter fundamental processes that underlie aging.We aim to develop compounds that fool cells into activating maintenance and repair.

【详细解析】 第一句话是难点。Unlike后面是一个词组，the multitude of elixirs being touted as the latest anti－aging cure，因此中间有一个being形式。the multitude of就等于many，表示“大量的”。后面的be touted as意思是“被吹捧成”。中间有个词elixir也是跟医疗有点关联的词，但是这个词并不常用，用来表示“灵丹妙药”或者“万能药”。因此unlike后面的内容理解的关键就是词汇，如果以上几个词能看懂，那么理解起来就很顺畅了。而第一句的主句CR mimetics would alter fundamental processes that underlie aging中CR mimetics就是指“卡路里控制的方法”，后面的内容比较简单，最后又加了一个定语从句that underlie aging，用来具体说明fundamental processes。第二句话We aim to develop compounds that fool cells into activating maintenance and repair中非常有特点的一个词是fool，非常形象的用法，也是一个修辞用法。如果用一个简单的词就是make，词组就转化成了make cells activate maintenance and repair。第二句话的意思是“我们的目标是研制出一种药物可以激活细胞从而起到维护和修复身体的作用”。医疗类文章中的难点是词汇，如果词汇大部分能看懂，文章理解就会更快。

【真题原句】 But while left－handedness tends to run in families，neither left nor right handers will automatically produce off－spring with the same handedness；in fact about 6 per

cent of children with two right－handed parents will be left－handed.

【详细解析】 又是常见的while让步状语从句的结构，也就等于although的用法。这个用法在以往很多的文章中都已经出现过了。除此之外，in fact的用法也要注意。尽管这个词组的内容非常简单，但是这个用法并不是每个人都理解。其实in fact是用来强调之前那句话的内容，并且给出实例的，相当于for example的作用。但是其强调作用是for example所不具备的。

【真题原句】 In the 1860s the French surgeon and anthropologist，Dr Paul Broca，made the remarkable finding that patients who had lost their powers of speech as a result of a stroke（a blood clot in the brain）had paralysis of the right half of their body.

【详细解析】 跟之前分析过的句子很相似，这句话同样也是同位语及嵌入式从句混搭使用的结构。这句话的主语是the French surgeon and anthropologist，后面的Dr Paul Broca就是同位语，用来说明这个人是谁，补充说明的作用。made the remarkable finding是句子的谓语。后面的that从句就是同位语从句，用来具体说明finding的内容的。而在同位语从句中又包含了一个定语从句patients who had lost their powers of speech as a result of a stroke（a blood clot in the brain），其中who had lost their powers of speech as a result of a stroke（a blood clot in the brain）都是用来描述patients的。而从句的谓语部分是had paralysis of the right half of their body。英文的句子特点就是从句套从句，要看懂句子的真正意思就要把句子拆开来，按照主句从句，主语谓语分别理解，最后就会形成句子的整体含义。大家也应该在写作中尝试使用这样的句式，读出好英文的同时能够写出好英文！

【真题原句】 He noted that since the left hemisphere of the brain controls the right half of the body，and vice versa，the brain damage must have been in the brain’s left hemisphere.

【详细解析】 尽管这句话很短，但是也体现出了上面一句话的从句套从句的特点。He noted that是一个简单的宾语从句。从句中出现了一个since从句，表示原因。除此之外，还有一个词组需要掌握，vice versa，这个词的意思是“反之亦然”。用好这个词能帮你在写作中省下很多力气，而且能使你的语言显得非常地道。由此可见，从阅读中掌握英文的特点，然后运用到写作和口语中去，是学习英文的捷径之一。

【真题原句】 Psychologists now believe that among right－handed people，probably 95 per cent have their language centre in the left hemisphere，while 5 per cent have right－sided language.

【详细解析】 while在句中表示转折的用法在以前的句子分析中也分析过，这句话也是这样的用法。while这个连接词在句首和句中的两个用法要完全掌握，对于快速理解句子非常有帮助。连接词是阅读理解中非常重要的一个环节。英文是一种讲究逻辑的语言，而且这种逻辑是依赖于连接词的，所以在阅读中识别连接词及其用法就成为阅读速度提高的关键。

【真题原句】 According to Brinkman，as the brain evolved，one side became specialised for fine control of movement（necessary for producing speech）and along with this evolution came right－hand preference.

【详细解析】 这句话中有两个表示“随着……的发展”的用法。在英文中，其实并没有“with the development of...”的用法。在这句话中，as the brain evolved就是表达这种意思，“随着大脑的进化”。因此，如果要表示“随着……”的话，一般是用as结构的。另外在句子的后半部分是along with this evolution came也是表达同样的意思。因此，在阅读中可以学到很多地道英文表达方式，在口语和写作中可以灵活运用。

【真题原句】 She has observed that if a left－handed person is brain－damaged in the left hemisphere，the recovery of speech is quite often better and this is explained by the fact that left－handers have a more bilateral speech function.

【详细解析】 这在句话中有很多从句形式。一开头的是宾语从句She has observed that。之后紧接着是if条件状语从句，if a left－handed person is brain－damaged in the left hemisphere，the recovery of speech is quite often better。最后的this is explained by the fact that则是同位语从句，用来具体说明fact。多样化的从句结构是英文的最大特点。

【真题原句】 Subliminally he says，language tells people to think that anything on the right can be trusted while anything on the left is dangerous or even sinister.

【详细解析】 又是常见的while放在句中表示转折和对比的用法。当然还要记住，while放在句首的时候是although的意思。

【真题原句】 But as the brain develops，a number of things can affect it.

【详细解析】 在这个短句中，我们要注意的是as the brain develops的用法。第一句话已经提到过，在英文中是没有with the development of的用法的，取而代之的是as...develops。由此可见，阅读是提高写作能力的好方法之一。

【真题原句】 The results of this research may be some consolation to left－handers who have for centuries lived in a world designed to suit right－handed people.

【详细解析】 在这样的一个短句中也有两个定语从句形式，其中一个是隐含的。第一个定语从句非常明显left－handers who have for centuries lived in a world designed to suit right－handed people，而在这个定语从句之中还包含着另一个定语从句，a world designed to suit right－handed people，其完整的形式是a world which is designed to suit right－handed people，中间的which is可以省略，这个用法在之前文章的分析中已经出现过多次。这种内嵌式的双重定语从句结构在各种类型的文章都出现过，大家在阅读时要特别留意这种句子结构。

【真题原句】 A few months ago Kim Schaefer，sales representative of a major global pharmaceutical company，walked into a medical center in New York to bring information and free samples of her company’s latest products.

【详细解析】 句子的开头也是同位语的形式作为主语，sales representative of a major global pharmaceutical company用来具体解释说明Kim Schaefer的。同位语的形式在各种英语文章中都是使用频率很高的形式。

【真题原句】 What was on offer that day was a pair of tickets for a New York musical.But on any given day，what Schaefer can offer is typical for today’s drugs rep—a car trunk full of promotional gifts and gadgets，a budget that could buy lunches and dinners for a small country，hundreds of free drug samples and the freedom to give a physician＄200 to prescribe her new product to the next six patients who fit the drug’s profile.

【详细解析】 第一句话又是之前刚刚分析过的主语从句结构。What was on offer that day是句子的主语。很巧合的是，后面那句话的主语还是从句what Schaefer can offer。之后有个词rep是representative的缩写。破折号后面的内容则是what Schaefer can offer的具体内容。最后还有个定语从句the next six patients who fit the drug’s profile。

【真题原句】 Selling pharmaceuticals is a daily exercise in ethical judgement.Salespeople like Schaefer walk the line between the common practice of buying aprospect’s time with a free meal，and bribing doctors to prescribe their drugs.

【详细解析】 第一句话中pharmaceutical就等于medicine的意思。而后面的exercise就是指job。理解第一句话的关键就是理解以上两个词。第二句话中，Salespeople like Schaefer walk the line比较容易理解，之后是between...and...的词组。其中一方面是the common practice of buying aprospect’s time with a free meal，也就是请医生吃一顿饭来推销药品的常见做法；另一方面是bribing doctors to prescribe their drugs，即贿赂医生来开医药代表推广的药品。整句话就是讲医药代表通过这两种方式来推销药品。

【真题原句】 They work in an industry highly criticized for its sales and marketing practices，but find themselves in the middle of the age－old chicken－or－egg question—businesses won’t use strategies that don’t work，so are doctors to blame for the escalating extravagance of pharmaceutical marketing？

【详细解析】 这句话顺接上面一句，一开头的They work in an industry highly criticized for its sales and marketing practices中they就是指sales rep。后半句but find themselves in the middle of the age－old chicken－or－egg question中chicken－or－egg question就是常说的“先有鸡还是先有蛋的问题”。这里的“鸡”和“蛋”就是指医药销售代表的做法和医生的自身问题。作者要质疑，上句提到的贿赂医生的行为究竟是谁来负责。之后的businesses won’t use strategies that don’t work进一步提出质疑。所以本句结束的时候出现了so are doctors to blame for the escalating extravagance of pharmaceutical marketing。把问题的责任引到了医生这里，医生是不是造成药品推广费用大幅提升的原因。be to blame for的意思就是be responsible for。要理解句子，除了词汇和句型之外，通过上下文理解也是非常重要的方法。

【真题原句】 Researchers，now analysing the results of data gathered in 1994，say arthritis，high blood pressure and circulation problems—the major medical complaints in this age group—are troubling a smaller proportion every year.

【详细解析】 这句话充分体现插入语的特点。主语是researchers，后面紧跟着的now analysing the results of data gathered in 1994就是插入语，作为补充说明的作用。之后的say才是真正的谓语动词。say后面是省略that的宾语从句结构，arthritis，high blood pressure and circulation problems是宾语从句中的主语，而后面破折号中间的the major medical complaints in this age group又是插入语补充说明的作用，其中的complaint是医学相关的意思，表示illness或disease的意思。从句的谓语部分则是最后的are troubling a smaller proportion every year。

【真题原句】 Improvements in childhood nutrition in the first quarter of the twentieth century，for example，gave today’s elderly people a better start in life than their predecessors.

【详细解析】 for example放在主语和动词之间的插入语用法，是英文中常见的句式结构之一。这样一来使得句式非常有节奏。同时又能突出句子的重点信息。

【真题原句】 According to Manton，slowing the trend has saved the United States government’s Medicare system more than＄200 billion，suggesting that the greying of America’s population may prove less of a financial burden than expected.

【详细解析】 这句话的开头比较容易理解，句式也较为简单。according to Manton中Manton是个人名，according to这个词组常用来引出某人的观点，这个用法需要大家重视。句子的主干部分是slowing the trend has saved the United States government’s Medicare system more than＄200 billion，之后的suggesting that分词作伴随状语同时引出宾语从句。最后的prove less of a financial burden跟之前分析过的相同，即“动词＋of＋名词”的结构。

【真题原句】 The group found that those elderly people who were able to retain a sense of independence were more likely to stay healthy in old age.

【详细解析】 尽管这句话比较短，但是也是一句双重从句的结构。the group found that是一句宾语从句，后面的those elderly people who定语从句则是具体用来说明those elderly people的。这种宾语从句加定语从句的结构在各种英文文章中都非常普遍。

【真题原句】 But independence can have drawbacks.Seeman found that elderly people who felt emotionally isolated maintained higher levels of stress hormones even when asleep.The research suggests that older people fare best when they feel independent but know they can get help when they need it.

【详细解析】 这段文字的第一句话相对比较简单independence can have drawbacks。第二句话则又出现了双重从句的结构。Seeman found that是宾语从句，elderly people who felt emotionally isolated是从句的主语，包含了一个定语从句。maintained higher levels of stress hormones是句子的谓语部分。最后的even when asleep则是一个省略they are的从句。因此。短短一句话中包含了三个从句结构。最后一句话也是同样的句式功能。The research suggests that是宾语从句。从句中older people fare best中fare并不是常见用法，表示“生活、过活”的意思。而后面出现了两个when从句when they feel independent以及when they need it。从以上的这些句子分析可见，多重从句结构合并在一句话中的句式结构是很常见的，提高阅读速度的关键在于分别看懂从句中的内容，然后按照从句间的逻辑关系综合理解。