阅读理解长难句题的解题分析与备考策略

贺元秀

湖北

近几年的全国高考英语阅读试题中，除了考查学生的词汇量之外，还出现了越来越多的长难句理解题。碰到这类试题，有些学生虽然能够在原文中找到试题出处，但还是无法准确无误地选出答案。那么，应该怎样复习备考，提高这类试题的得分率呢？下面首先来分析一下近几年高考阅读理解中的长难句题，并依此提出备考此类试题的方法。

一、真题分析

【考例1】Why was Garzas move a success？（2016年全国卷I，B篇25题）

A. It strengthened her family ties.

B. It improved her living conditions.

C. It enabled her to make more friends.

D. It helped her know more new places.

主要答题依据：Today all three generations regard the move as a success， giving them a closer relationship than they would have had in separate cities.

分析：本句主干是一个主谓+复合宾语的简单句，随后带了一个V-ing形式作原因状语（其逻辑主语是the move），这个原因状语中又包含一个隐含虚拟语气的定语从句。第25题的题干与本句的主干意义一致，所以本题主要考查对原因状语的理解。结合虚拟语气的用法可知，原因状语意思是说，搬到一起后，他们之间的关系更亲密了。如果他们不曾搬家，而是住在各自的城市里，他们之间的关系就不会比现在更亲密。故本题选A。

【考例2】What did Crosby say about people in the 1960s？ （2016年全国卷I，B篇27题）

A. They were unsure of themselves.

B. They were eager to raise more children.

C. They wanted to live away from their parents.

D. They had little respect for their grandparents.

主要答题依据： “In the 1960s we were all a little wild and couldnt get away from home far enough or fast enough to prove we could do it on our own，” says Christine Crosby， publisher of Grand， a magazine for grandparents .

分析：本題主要考查对引号中句子的理解。这个句子的结构并不复杂，第一个分句是主系表结构；第二个分句是省略了主语的主谓宾结构，其后再加far和fast及动词不定式作状语。本句难就难在考查了一个特殊的语法结构 “cant/couldnt ...enough...”表示“越……越好”，所以引号中句子的意思是 “在20世纪60年代我们都有一点疯狂，为了证明我们可以独立，我们认为离家越远越好，越快越好。” 故本题选C。

【考例3】What made the authors getting up early worthwhile？（2015年全国卷I，B篇25题）

A. Having a swim.

B. Breathing in fresh air.

C. Walking in the morning sun.

D. Visiting a local farmers market.

主要答题依据：Swimming pools， wine tasting， and pink sunsets （at normal evening hours， not 4 in the afternoon） filled the weekend， but the best part—particularly to my taste， dulled by months of cold-weather root vegetables—was a 7 a.m. adventure to the Sarasota farmers market that proved to be more than worth the early wake-up call.

分析：这个句子是一个长句，但本句其实就是一个由but连接的转折并列句。第一个分句是一个主谓宾简单句“Swimming pools， wine tasting， and pink sunsets filled the weekend”；第二个分句是个主系表简单句“the best part was a 7 a.m. adventure”。第一个分句的主语后加了插入语对pink sunsets 补充说明；第二个分句的主谓之间也用破折号加入了插入语，表语“ a 7 a.m. adventure”后带了介词短语作定语和分隔式定语从句。定语从句“that proved to be more than worth the early wake-up call”中的that指代 adventure， 再根据adventure后的定语可知，这次冒险是指早起去Sarasota当地的农贸市场，因此本题答案选D。

【考例4】What was the author going to do that evening？ （2015年全国卷I，B篇27题）

A. Go to a farm.

B. Check into a hotel.

C. Eat in a restaurant.

D. Buy fresh vegetables.

主要答题依据： Delighted as I was by the tomatoes in sight， my happiness deepened when I learned that Browns Grove Farm is one of the suppliers for Jack Dusty， a newly opened restaurant at the Sarasota Ritz Carlton， where—luckily for me—I was planning to have dinner that very night.

分析：本句是一个复杂的主从复合句。主句为主谓结构的简单句“my happiness deepened”，其前面是一个as引导的倒装结构的让步状语从句，其后是when引导的时间状语从句，这个时间状语从句中又包含一个that 引导的主系表结构的宾语从句， 这个宾语从句中有一个介词短语for Jack Dusty作状语，其后接“a newly opened restaurant at the Sarasota Ritz Carlton”作Jack Dusty的同位语， 补充说明Jack Dusty是一家新开的餐馆，然后再由where引导非限制性定语从句补充说明我打算要在那天晚上在Jack Dusty这家新开的餐馆里吃饭， 故答案选C。

【考例5】 In the 18th and early 19th centuries， passenger pigeons_______. （2014年全国卷I，B篇24题）

A. were the biggest bird in the world

B. lived mainly in the south of America

C. did great harm to the natural environment

D. were the largest bird population in the US

主要答题依据： It was calculated that when its population reached its highest point， there were more than 3 billion passenger pigeons—a number equal to 24 to 40 percent of the total bird population in the United States， making it perhaps the most abundant bird in the world.

分析：本句是一個由that引导的主语从句的复合句。that引导的主语从句中包含一个由when引导的时间状语从句的复合句， 这个复合句的主句是there be 句型， 其主语“more than 3 billion passenger pigeons”后由破折号引出同位语a number， 然后再接定语从句 “which is equal to 24 to 40 percent of the total bird population in the United States ”的省略形式（省略了which is） 作a number的后置定语，最后这个there be 句型后又跟了一个V-ing形式的结果状语。根据这个句子的意思及仔细比较四个选项， 可知本题选D。

【考例6】What is the authors attitude towards the experts mentioned in Paragraph 3？ （2014年全国卷I，C篇30题）

A. Tolerant. B. Doubtful.

C. Respectful. D. Supportive.

主要答题依据： This upsets me to no end because while all the experts are busy debating about which option is best， the people who want to improve their lives are left confused by all of the conflicting information.

分析：本句是一个包含because原因状语从句的复合句。because原因状语从句是一个包含while引导的时间状语从句的复合句，这个复合句的主句主语和谓语之间插入了who 引导的定语从句，主句的谓语使用的是leave sb/sth adj.（使……处于某种状态）的被动语态。本句可翻译为：当所有的专家忙于争辩哪个是最好的选择时，那些想要改善自己生活的人依然被诸多相互矛盾的信息困扰着，这让我感到无限沮丧。因此作者对专家们的态度是怀疑的，故本题选B。

二、特点归纳

1.简单句中包含有复杂的修饰成分。

【考例】Swimming pools， wine tasting， and pink sunsets（at normal evening hours， not 4 in the afternoon） filled the weekend， but the best part—particularly to my taste， dulled by months of cold-weather root vegetables— was a 7 a.m. adventure to the Sarasota farmers market that proved to be more than worth the early wake-up call. （2015年全国卷I，B篇）

分析：第二个分句的主语“the best part”后带修饰成分“particularly to my taste， dulled by months of cold-weather root vegetables”，表语“a 7 a.m. adventure”后，带修饰成分“ to the Sarasota farmers market和that proved to be more than worth the early wake-up call”。

2. 两个句子成分之间被插入语等分隔。

【考例】 Delighted as I was by the tomatoes in sight， my happiness deepened when I learned that Browns Grove Farm is one of the suppliers for Jack Dusty， a newly opened restaurant at the Sarasota Ritz Carlton， where—luckily for me—I was planning to have dinner that very night.（2015年全国卷I，B篇）

分析：先行词Jack Dusty和定语从句“where—luckily for me—I was planning to have dinner that very night”之间插入同位语“a newly opened restaurant at the Sarasota Ritz Carlton”。

3.从句套从句，环环相扣。

【考例】 It was calculated that when its population reached its highest point， there were more than 3 billion passenger pigeons—a number equal to 24 to 40 percent of the total bird population in the United States， making it perhaps the most abundant bird in the world.（2014年全国卷I，B篇）

分析：主语从句中包含一个主从复合句。

4.某些特殊句式或特殊语法现象。

【考例】 Today all three generations regard the move as a success， giving them a closer relationship than they would have had in separate cities.（2016年全国卷I，B篇）

分析：本句考查了V-ing形式作状语和虚拟语气的用法。

三、备考策略

快速把握句子主干是理解难句的关键。我们必须学会分析句子结构，把握句子主干，准确理解句子意思，以利于提高阅读速度。要理解这些复杂的句子，我们最好把它们简化 为基本句式。因此，我们首先必须扎实掌握句法的基本知识。英语句法的基本知识主要包括以下几个方面。

1. 英语句子的主要成分有：主、谓、宾、表、定、状、补。

2. 英语句子的类型主要包括简单句、并列句和复合句。

1）简单句主要有5种基本句型。

①主+谓 It snowed all night.

②主+谓+宾I cant support this heat.

③ 主+系+表He remains a worker.

④ 主+谓+双宾（间宾+直宾）He told us an interesting story.

⑤ 主+謂+复合宾语（宾语+宾补）We made him monitor.

另外还有特殊句式的简单句： there be句型、感叹句和祈使句。

2）并列句由并列连词连接的两个或两个以上的简单句就构成了并列句。根据简单句之间的关系可将并列句分为联合并列句、转折并列句、选择并列句和因果并列句。

联合并列句：Im easy to get along with others（主系表） and I really enjoy making friends.（主谓宾）

转折并列句：He likes sports（主谓宾） whereas Id rather collect stamps.（ 主谓宾）

选择并列句：Wear your coat（祈使句） or else you will catch a cold.（主谓宾）

因果并列句：All the classmates are friendly and kind（主系表）， so you dont need to worry about the difficulty.（主谓宾）（2014年天津卷）

3）复合句主要包括名词性从句、形容词性从句既定语从句、副词性从句既状语从句。

①名词性从句。

主语从句：What I want to tell you first （引导词+主谓宾）is the climate here. （2014年天津卷）

宾语从句：I want to tell you how important your help is （引导词+主系表（表语被how修饰提前））to my life. （2016年北京卷）

表语从句：The fact is that we have lost the game.（引导词+主谓宾）

同位语从句：Youve given me hope that I can follow my heart.（ 引导词+主谓宾） （2016年北京卷）

②定语从句。

限制性定语从句：Anyone who has ever been helped by a social worker（引导词作主语+谓宾） has Jane Addams to thank.（2016年全国卷I）

非限制性定语从句：However， now they are becoming an extended period of adole-

scence， during which many of todays students are not shouldered with adult responsibilities.（ 引导词+主谓宾） （2016年北京卷）

③状语从句。

由连词引导，根据其在句中的功能可分为时间、地点、原因、目的、方式、结果、条件、让步、比较等状语从句。

时间状语从句：As he grows（连词+主谓）you also age.（ 2016年天津卷）

原因状语从句：And because they felt good about themselves（连词+主系表）， others felt good about them. （ 2016年天津卷）

条件状语从句：However， if this is not available（连词+主系表）， students sit the exam on the first Monday of their course. （ 2016年天津卷）

3.英语句子中还有些非正常语序或结构特殊的句子，如省略句、倒装句和强调句等。

省略句： Though willing to get started（省略we are）， we cannot seem to do the job right. （ 2016年天津卷）

倒裝句：Only after a year of friendly discussion did Ms Garza finally say yes. （2016年全国卷I）

强调句：It is at the hotel that the coach picks up tourists. （ 2016年天津卷）

如果能够从宏观上系统掌握英语句法知识，在阅读中遇到长难句时就能熟练地化繁为简，提纲挈领地抓住长难句大意从而选出正确答案。

四、实战演练

Chimps（黑猩猩） will cooperate in certain ways， like gathering in war parties to protect their territory. But beyond the minimum requirements as social beings， they have little instinct （本能） to help one another. Chimps in the wild seek food for themselves. Even chimp mothers regularly decline to share food with their children，who are able from a young age to gather their own food.

In the laboratory， chimps dont naturally share food either. If a chimp is put in a cage where he can pull in one plate of food for himself or， with no greater effort， a plate that also provides food for a neighbor in the next cage， he will pull at random —he just doesnt care whether his neighbor gets fed or not. Chimps are truly selfish.

Human children， on the other hand， are naturally cooperative. From the earliest ages， they desire to help others， to share information and to participate in achieving common goals. The psychologist Michael Tomasello has studied this cooperativeness in a series of experiments with very young children. He finds that if babies aged 18 months see an unrelated adult with hands full trying to open a door， almost all will immediately try to help.

There are several reasons to believe that the urges to help， inform and share are not taught，but naturally possessed in young children. One is that these instincts appear at a very young age before most parents have started to train children to behave socially. Another is that the helping behaviors are not improved if the children are rewarded. A third reason is that social intelligence develops in children before their general cognitive（认知的）skills， at least when compared with chimps. In tests conducted by Tomasello， the human children did no better than the chimps on the physical world tests but were considerably better at understanding the social world.

The core of what childrens mind have and chimps dont is what Tomasello calls shared intentionality. Part of this ability is that they can infer what others know or are thinking. But beyond that， even very young children want to be part of a shared purpose. They actively seek to be part of a “we”， a group that intends to work toward a shared goal.

1. What can we learn from the experiment with chimps？

A. Chimps seldom care about others interests.

B. Chimps tend to provide food for their children.

C. Chimps like to take in their neighbors food.

D. Chimps naturally share food with each other.

2. Michael Tomasellos tests on young children indicate that they________.

A. have the instinct to help others

B. know how to offer help to adults

C. know the world better than chimps

D. trust adults with their hands full

3. The passage is mainly about ________.

A. the helping behaviors of young children

B. ways to train childrens shared intentionality

C. cooperation as a distinctive human nature

D. the development of intelligence in children