语法实例讲解之雅思阅读长难句

比如 (剑桥7， The disastrous Hanshin earthquake in 1995 killed 6,400 people, toppled elevated highways, flattened office blocks and devastated the port area of Kobe. )

这句话中有4套主谓结构，分别是Hanshin earthquake killed, Hanshin earthquake toppled, Hanshin earthquake flattened and Hanshin earthquake devastated。因为这4个谓语动词共用一个主语Hanshin earthquake,所以作者在写这个句子的时候只让Hanshin earthquake出现一次。

复合句：其实也就是通常说的主从句结构。这样的句子里有两套或两套以上主谓结构，并且这些主谓结构之间属于从属关系。剑桥阅读的阅读中有太多这样的例子。

比如 (剑桥7， Japanese scholars have been mystified for ages about why these tall, slender buildings are so stable. )

这句话中有2套主谓结构，一个是主句中的Japanese scholars have been mystified, 另外一个是由why引导的宾语从句中的buildings are so stable. 宾语从句中的主谓结构从属于主语，因为它是作为整个句子的宾语部分而存在。

二、了解让句子变长的原因

相信很多学生对此有同感：阅读文章里的长句读着读着就迷失了，读了结尾就不知道开头在哪了。而写作文时要秀一下长句却往往心有意而力不足。接着我们就来看看是什么让英语句子变长了?真的总是如学生抱怨的那样，太多从句了吗?

比如：(剑桥7， Yet in 826, with only pegs and wedges to keep his wooden structure upright, the master builder Kobodaishi had no hesitation in sending his majestic Toji pagoda soaring fifty-five metres into the sky-nearly half as high as the Kasumigaseki skyscraper built some eleven centuries later.)

这个句子虽然看似很长，但其实是一个简单句。主语是the master builder Kobodaishi，谓语和宾语是had no hesitation in doing sth, 所以主干意思就是Kobodaishi建筑大师毫不犹豫去做了某件事情。至于yet in 826这是一个时间状语, with only pegs and wedges to keep his wooden structure upright 这也是with引导的一个伴随状语，nearly half as high as the Kasumigaseki skyscraper built some eleven centuries later这个补语，用来补充说明fifty-five metres into the sky究竟是有多高。由这个例子，我们可以得出一些附属句子成分像状语和补语会让句子变长。

再来看一个句子，比如(剑桥5，Much attention has focused on erosion along major trails, but perhaps more important are the deforestation and impacts on water supplies arising from the need to provide tourists with cooked food and hot showers. )

这个句子里有2套主谓结构，一个是 attention has focused on, 另外一个是 more important are deforestation and impacts 并且这2套主谓结构由but相连，属于一个并列句。对剩下成分进行分析，我们发现，erosion后面有个短语along major trails, 这个是用来修饰限定erosion的，即主要步道沿路的侵蚀，impacts on water supply后面也有一个修饰成分arising from the need to provide tourists with cooked food and hot showers. 因为需要给游客提供熟食和热水澡而引发的对水供给造成的影响。

简而言之，讲到长句，学生们不需要直接把它们与从句等同起来。句子变长，还有一部分原因是因为句子中嵌入了很多附属成分比如说状语，定语和补语。我们可以利用这个规律，在读长句时有意识地先把这些附属成分先略去不看，先把主干(即主谓)找出来，那我们对句子的理解肯定也能做到八九不离十了。

三、了解一些不常见的句子结构

一些有着特殊结构的句子也成了阅读中的拦路虎。

1. 强调句

比如：(剑桥7，It was only thirty years ago that the building industry felt confident enough to erect office blocks of steel and reinforced concrete that had more than a dozen floors.)

理解强调句的时候可以先将其还原成正常语序的句子，便于理解。 The building industry felt confident enough to erect office blocks of steel and reinforced concrete that had more than a dozen floors only thirty years ago. 建筑行业才开始有信心去建立办公大楼，办公大楼是钢筋混凝土结构，办公大楼超过12层，尽仅仅30年前。重新组合一下这些短句的顺序，就变成建筑行业是从30年前才开始有信心建造超过12层楼高的钢筋混凝土结构的办公大楼。

2. 倒装句

比如：(Down came the “white only” notices in buses, hotels, trains, restaurants, sporting events, rest rooms and on park benches that once could be found everywhere throughout the South.)

这句话因为把down放句首了，用了倒装的结构，正常顺序应该是the “white only” notices came down in buses, hotels, trains, restaurants, sporting events, rest rooms and on park benches that once could be found everywhere throughout the South. ‘in buses, hotels, trains, restaurants, sporting events, rest rooms and on park benches’这个介词短语作为后置定语修饰notices。介词短语后面还有一个that引导的定语从句修饰notices。对倒装完成没有概念的同学看到这句话后说不定还会觉得这个句子写错了。

3. the more..., the more... 句型, 翻译成越...，越...

比如：(剑桥6，In fact, Newman believes the main reason for adopting one sort of transport over another is politics: ‘ The more democratic the process, the more public transport is favored.’)

事实上，Newman认为采取偏向采用某种交通工具的主要原因是政治：“过程越民主，公共交通就越受欢迎。”)

4. 宾语+宾补

比如：(剑桥7，Food production has kept pace with soaring population mainly because of the expansion of artificial irrigation systems that make possible the growth of 40% of the world’s food.)

主干是food production has kept pace with soaring population 粮食生产跟上了人口飙升的步伐，后面跟了一个because of artificial irrigation短语作原因状语，并且在irrigation systems后面还跟了一个定语从句that make possible the growth of 40% of the world’s food 来修饰irrigation systems。在这个定语从句里， make possible the growth of 40% of the world’s food这个就是宾语加宾语补足语的结构，the growth of 40% of the world’s food 是宾语，possible是补充说明宾语的结果，合起来就是make the growth of 40% of the world’s food possible。但是为了不让只有一个单词possible作补语看起来太单薄，就将它和he growth of 40% of the world’s food换了位置。但是学生在读句子的时候，应该要自动帮它们还原。

总结：

总的来说，考生们很习惯地把阅读中的理解障碍归因于词汇量不够，但是如果对句子结构不熟练的话，一样会存在阅读困难，因为学生往往发现无法将每个词的意思窜连成意思合理的句子。本文尝试将雅思长难句中经常出现的难点给学生作了一个总结，首先学生需要了解英语句子的基本句子结构，在分析长句时，把主谓结构都先找出来，分清楚哪些是主句主谓结构，哪些是从句主谓结构，了解从句的功能。其次，不要受一些附属结构的影响，像是定语、状语、补语，这些成分可以在分析完主谓结构后再加入进去理解。最后，要注意一些特殊句型，特殊句型的数量并不多，平时的备考中不需要花很多时间就可以学习完。考生们在备考雅思阅读时，应该要重视句子分析的能力，当这种能力变成一种习惯的时候，长句就不再会是阅读拦路虎了。

雅思阅读全真模考题:智力的开端

The beginning of intelligence

A No one doubts that intelligence develops as children grow older. Yet the concept of intelligence has proved both quite difficult to define in unambiguous terms and unexpectedly controversial in some respects. Although, at one level, there seem to be almost as many definitions of intelligence as people who have tried to define it, there is broad agreement on two key features. That is, intelligence involves the capacity not only to learn from experience but also to adapt to one's environment. However, we cannot leave the concept there. Before turning to what is known about the development of intelligence, it is necessary to consider whether we are considering the growth of one or many skills. That question has been tackled in rather different ways by psychometricians(心理测量师)and by developmentalists.

B The former group has examined the issue by determining how children's abilities on a wide range of tasks intercorrelate, or go together. Statistical techniques have been used to find out whether the patterns are best explained by one broad underlying capacity, general intelligence, or by a set of multiple, relatively separate, special skills in domains such as verbal and visuospatial ability. While it cannot be claimed that everyone agrees on what the results mean, most people now accept that for practical purposes it is reasonable to suppose that both are involved. In brief,the evidence in favour of some kind of general intellectual capacity is that people who are superior (or inferior) on one type of task tend also to be superior (or inferior) on others. Moreover, general measures of intelligence tend to have considerable powers to predict a person's performance on a wide range of tasks requiring special skills. Nevertheless, it is plain that it is not at all uncommon for individuals to be very good at some sorts of task and yet quite poor at some others.

C Furthermore the influences that affect verbal skills are not quite the same as those that affect other skills. This approach to investigating intelligence is based on the nature of the task involved, but studies of age-related changes show that this is not the only, or necessarily the most important, approach. For instance, some decades ago, Horn and Cattell argued for a differentiation between what they termed 'fluid' and 'crystallised' intelligence. Fluid abilities are best assessed by tests that require mental manipulation of abstract symbols. Crystallised abilities, by contrast, reflect knowledge of the environment in which we live and past experience of similar tasks; they may be assessed by tests of comprehension and information. It seems that fluid abilities peak in early adult life, whereas crystallised abilities increase up to advanced old age.

D Developmental studies also show that the interconnections between different skills vary with age. Thus in the first year of life an interest in perceptual patterns is a major contributor to cognitive abilities, whereas verbal abilities are more important later on. These findings seemed to suggest a substantial lack of continuity between infancy and middle childhood. However, it is important to realize that the apparent discontinuity will vary according to which of the cognitive skills were assessed in infancy. It has been found that tests of coping with novelty do predict later intelligence. These findings reinforce the view that young children's intellectual performance needs to be assessed from their interest in and curiosity about the environment, and the extent to which this is applied to new situations, as well as by standardised intelligence testing.

E These psychometric approaches have focused on children’s increase in cognitive skills as they grow older. Piaget (著名儿童教育学家) brought about a revolution in the approach to cognitive development through his arguments (backed up by observations) that the focus should be on the thinking processes involved rather than on levels of cognitive achievement. These ideas of Piaget gave rise to an immense body of research and it would be true to say that subsequent thinking has been heavily dependent on his genius in opening up new ways of thinking about cognitive development. Nevertheless, most of his concepts have had to be so radically revised, or rejected, that his theory no longer provides an appropriate basis for thinking about cognitive development. To appreciate why that is so, we need to focus on some rather different elements of Piaget’s theorising.

F The first element, which has stood the test of time, is his view that the child is an active agent of learning and of the importance of this activity in cognitive development. Numerous studies have shown how infants actively scan their environment; how they prefer patterned to non-patterned objects, how they choose novel over familiar stimuli, and how they explore their environment as if to see how it works. Children's questions and comments vividly illustrate the ways in which they are constantly constructing schemes of what they know and trying out their ideas of how to fit new knowledge into those schemes or deciding that the schemes need modification. Moreover, a variety of studies have shown that active experiences have a greater effect on learning than comparable passive experiences. However, a second element concerns the notion that the development proceeds through a series of separate stages that have to be gone through step-by-step, in a set order, each of which is characterized by a particular cognitive structure. That has turned out to be a rather misleading way of thinking about cognitive development, although it is not wholly wrong.

Questions 14-17

Choose the correct letter, A, B, C, or D.

Write your answers in boxes 27-30 on your answer sheet

14 Most researchers accept that one feature of intelligence is the ability to

A change our behaviour according to our situation.

B react to others' behaviour patterns.

C experiment with environmental features.

D cope with unexpected setbacks.

15 What have psychometricians used statistics for?

A to find out if cooperative tasks are a useful tool in measuring certain skills

B to explore whether several abilities are involved in the development of intelligence

C to demonstrate that mathematical models can predict test results for different skills

D to discover whether common sense is fundamental to developing children's abilities

16 Why are Horn and Cattell mentioned?

A They disagreed about the interpretation of different intelligence tests.

B Their research concerned both linguistic and mathematical abilities.

C They were the first to prove that intelligence can be measured by testing a range of special skills.

D Their work was an example of research into how people's cognitive skills vary with age.

17 What was innovative about Piagct's research?

A He refused to accept that children developed according to a set pattern.

B He emphasised the way children thought more than how well they did in tests.

C He used visually appealing materials instead of traditional intelligence tests.

D He studied children of all ages and levels of intelligence.

Questions 18-22

Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 3?

In boxes 31-36 on your answer sheet, write

YES if the statement is true

NO if the statement is false

NOT GIVEN if the information is not given in the passage

18 A surprising number of academics have come to the same conclusion about what the term intelligence means.

19 A general test of intelligence is unlikely to indicate the level of performance in every type of task.

20 The elderly perform less well on comprehension tests than young adults.

21 We must take into account which skills are tested when comparing intelligence at different ages.

22 Piaget's work influenced theoretical studies more than practical research.

Questions 23-26

Complete the summary using the list of words, A-1, below.

Write your answers in boxes 37-40 on your answer sheet.

Researchers investigating the development of intelligence have shown that 23 skills become more significant with age. One good predictor of 24 intelligence is the degree to which small children are 25 about their surroundings and how much interest they show on finding themselves in an 26 setting.

A adult B practical C verbal

D spatial E inquisitive F uncertain

G academic H plentiful I unfamiliar

文章题目：早期的智商研究

篇章结构

体裁

议论文

题目

早期的智商研究

结构

（一句话概括每段大意）

A段：智商概念的定义

B段：研究智商的方法和结果

C段：智商对口语方面和其他方面的不同影响

D段：不同技巧会随着年龄而变化的原因

E段：Piaget关于儿童认知发展的观点

F段: Piaget理论的两个方面对比

试题分析

Question 14-26

题目类型：

题号

定位词

文中对应点

题目解析

One feature,

ability

A段第三，四句Two key features,

Not only…but also, to adapt to one’s environment

A段第三句说有两种特点，后一句用并列结构说不仅…而且包括适应环境的能力,其中adapt, environment，同义替换选项A的change behavior, situation

因此，本题答案为A

Psychometricians,

Statistics, for

B段第二句Statistical techniques,

Explained by

B段第二句说心理测量师用统计技术来解释一种广泛的能力或一系列独立特殊的技能，与选项B中to explore, several abilities对应

因此，本题答案为B

Why, Horn, Cattell

C段第二，三句For instance,

Studies of age-related changes

C段第三句提到了Horn 和Cattell, 是举例子，所以往前一句找到例子支持的观点，即第二句，说与年龄相关的智商的变化说明这不是唯一或最重要的方法，与选项D中vary with age 同义替换

因此，本题答案为D

Innovative,

Piaget research

E段第二句Revolution,

His argument

E段第二句focus on thinking processes rather than on levels of achievements,他认为焦点应该集中在儿童思维的过程而不是认知水平，与选项B的the way children thought more than how well they did 同义替换

因此，本题答案为B

Number of academics, same conclusion, term

A段第二句

Yet, concept, difficult to define, controversial

A段第二句说，智商这个概念很难准确地定义也存在争议，选项说come to the same conclusion,与原文意思相反，错

因此，本题答案为NO

General test, unlikely, level of performance, every type of task

B段第五，六句General measures, wide range of tasks, nevertheless, good and yet poor

B段最后两句说，测量可预测出一个人在任务中的表现，然而也可能有人在某些方面很出色，但在其他方面很吃力，选项与原文语义相符

因此，本题答案为YES

Elderly, comprehension test, less than, young adults

C段第三至六句Fluid ability peak in early adult, whereas, crystallised ability increase to old age

C段例子中说流动智商和固定智商的测量依据不同，一个是大脑控制符号的能力，一个是对理解和信息测试；最后一句说流动智商在刚成年达到顶峰，而固定智商随年龄的增加而增长；选项说elderly perform less well on comprehension,与原文意思相反，错

因此，本题答案为NO

Which skills, comparing at different ages

D段第一句Studies show,

Interconnections,

Different skills, vary with age

D段首句说研究表明不同技巧之间的关联随年龄的变化而变化，最后一句说研究结果加强了这种看法，选项与原文相符

因此，本题答案为YES

Piaget’s work, theoretical study, more than, practical research

E段第二句至段尾

E段第二句开始说，Piaget提出了革命性的观点，并引发了大量的研究，而选项中的比较是原文没有的

因此，本题答案为NOT GIVEN

Skills, more significant,

age

D段第一，二句

D段第一句说研究表明不同技巧随着年龄变化，第二句转折说之后对口头能力方面的影响更大whereas verbal abilities are more important later on

因此，本题答案为C

Good predictor, degree, small children

D段第五句

D段第五句说发明出了通过创新来预测成年之后的智商测试 tests of coping with novelty do predict later intelligence, later同义替换 adult

因此，本题答案为A

Small children, surroundings

D段最后一句

D段最后一句并列的前半句，young children’s ……from their interest in and curiosity about the environment, interest and curiosity 同义替换 inquisitive

因此，本题答案为E

And, how much, setting

D段最后一句

D段最后一句的后半句，and the extent ……to new situations, new 同义替换 unfamiliar

因此，本题答案为I

参考译文：

早期的智商研究

A 没有人会质疑随着儿童的成长，他的智商也会相应地得到发展。对于“智商”这个概念，既是很难用准确的术语定义，也没有想到会在很多方面存在争议。尽管从某种水平上来讲，已经有很多关于智商的不同的定义，因为总是有很多人想要给它下定义.但是有两点是人们普遍赞同的。也就是说，智商不仅包括从经验中学习的能力还包括适应环境的能力。但是，它的概念远不止这些，在谈论关于智商的发展之前，有必要先考虑一下若干技巧的成熟，而这个问题被心理测量师和发展心理学家以不同的方式在进行着研究。(第31题,27题)

B 前者通过测试儿童在一系列不相关的任务的完成能力来进行研究。他们使用了统计技术来最好地解释是否存在一种广泛存在的能力，也就是普遍智商，或是一系列相对独立特殊的技能存在于像口头和视觉空间方面。但是并不是每个人都接受研究结果的含义，大多数人认为处于实践方面的意义，上述两者应该是并存的，这样的解释才是合理的。简而言之，一些支持普遍智商存在的证据体现在在一种任务的完成过程中表现出色(或逊色)的人往往在完成其它任务时也更胜一筹(或更差一些)。此外，普遍智商的测量可以在很大程度上预计出一个人在一系列其它需要特定技能的任务中的表现。然而，很显然，也有可能尽管有的人在某些方面很出色，但是在其它方面很吃力。(第28题,32题)

C 会对口语方面造成的影响和对其它方面的影响不太一样。研究智商的方法是基于任务本身的性质的，但是对于年龄相关的智商的变化表明这不是唯一的或是一定是最重要的方法。比方说，几十年前，Horn和Cattell—直在争论他们所谓的“流动智商”和“固定智商”之间的区分，流动智商是依据对大脑控制抽象符号的能力来测量的，而固定智商是通过针对理解和信息的测试来衡量的。似乎流动智商在人刚成年的时候达到顶峰(peak in)，而固定智商会随着年龄的增加而增长(advanced)。(第 29 题，33 题)

D 发展学的研究也表明不同的技巧之间的相互关联随着年龄的变化而变化。因此在人一岁的时候，对于感知类型方面表现出的兴趣是认知能力提高的一个重要因素，但是之后其对口头能力方面的影响更大。这些研究结果似乎表明婴儿和童年初期之间缺乏一个连续性。但是要意识到这种明显的不连续性会因测量的婴儿的能力的不同而变化。已经发明出了通过创新来预测成年之后(later)的智商的测试。一直以来，人们认为需要通过测验儿童对环境表现出来的兴趣和好奇心以及他们对于陌生环境能应用出来的程度以及标准智力测试的评估来衡量儿童的智力表现，而这些研究结果则加强了这种看法。(第37-40题)

E 这些心理测量的方法着重在儿童在年龄增长时所伴随的认知技巧的提高。皮亚杰(著名儿童教育学家)却在这个领域掀起了一场革命，他认为，焦点应该集中在儿童的思维(thought)过程而不是认知(did)的水平。(第30题)皮亚杰的观点引发了大量的研究，可以说是他开的先河才导致了后续人们对于思维认知发展方向的研究。然而因为他所提出的大多数的概念己经从根本上被改变了或是被否定了，以至于他的理论不再对儿童认知发展的研究提供合理的基础支持。(第35题 NOT GIVEN)

F 他理论的第一个方面经受住了时间的检验：儿童是积极学习的主体，而这对于认知发展是非常重要的。(第36题，他的理论并没有完全被认为一无是处discredited…)无数的研究已经表明婴儿就已经开始积极地观察周围的环境，他们倾向于选择有固定模式的事物，他们会因为家人的刺激而选择新鲜事物，他们积极地探索环境是为了弄明白周围的世界是怎么运转的。儿童的问题和对事物的评论生动地展示了他们一直在构建自己已知事物的模式，并且试图将新的知识融入到这个模式中，或是认为这个模式需要修正。此外，一系列的研究表明主动的经验要比被动的经验在学习方而有更大的影响。但是他理论的第二个方面：认为儿童认知的发展是分为若干独立的阶段，而且这些阶段要以固定的顺序逐一地经过，而每一个阶段都有一个特定的认知结构——被证明是一个在研究认真发展方而相当误导人的方法，尽管它并不是一无是处。

参考答案：

Version 20113 主题早期的智力发展

YES

NOT GIVEN

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