【超级干货】托福阅读长难句怎么办？

睿之父

在托福阅读中，大长句比比皆是，令人头疼，看到这样一句大长句：



Sometimes a closed question must be reopened as new evidence or new arguments based on old evidence come to http://light.In 1972 paleontologist Stephen Jay Gould and Niles Eldredge challenged conventional wisdom with an opposing viewpoint, the punctuated equilibrium hypothesis, which posits that species give rise to new species in relatively sudden bursts, without a lengthy transition period. These episodes of rapid evolution are separated by relatively long static spans during which a species may hardly change at all. (TPO30-2 The Pace of Evolutionary Change)

对于低龄备考的学员而言，一个一句话就能撑起一段的句子，满满的心塞，脑中不经开启这是什么意思，谁？到底做了什么？我什么都看不懂，这次又做不对题了。今天我们就来谈一谈长难句的故事。
长难句有一个标准的名称，也就是书面表达句式，托福阅读的文章都是学术类话题议论文或者说明文，口语化的表达肯定是不符合文体的，书面内容的陈述需要正式规范的表达呈现，因此出现较为复杂、内容信息量大，且信息之间相互联系的句子。各个子信息之间有明确的逻辑关系，使得句子结构层次清晰、句子信息意义明了。例句中两个句子属于从属连接，假说是反复出现的重点信息。
In 1972 paleontologist Stephen Jay Gould and Niles Eldredge challenged conventional wisdom with an opposing viewpoint, the punctuated equilibrium hypothesis, which posits that species give rise to new species in relatively sudden bursts, without a lengthy transition period.

在1972年古生物学家蒂芬查古德和尼尔斯艾用一个对立的观点来挑战了传统的智慧挑战了，即中断的平衡假说，这一假说假定物种使得新物种出现在相对突然的爆发中，并没有一个长期的过渡。
虽然对于大部分的读者来讲长句更难理解，但是不得不说，正式的文体表达出长句，句式更为紧密，信息量更为充足，行文思维更为流畅。我们可以对比一下假设，把上面的例句拆解成短句或者简单句，拆解版本如下：
In 1972 paleontologist Stephen Jay Gould and Niles Eldredge challenged conventional wisdom. They used an opposing view point. This opposing view point is the punctuated equilibrium hypothesis. This hypothesis posits that species give rise to new species in relatively sudden bursts. They give rise to new species without a lengthy transition.

虽然句子长度变短、结构简化，相对更理解，但是表达冗余啰嗦，反而不利于理解。
理解了长难词出现的缘由，也就明白正式文体的阅读为什么绕不过长难句。那么如何处理长句子，化繁为简，在有效的时间内最快理解句子的信息？结合学生们在学习中的实际困难，我们发现理解长句子的困难有以下两点：

• 第1畏难心理，看到长句子两眼一抹黑或者直接躺平拒绝理解；
  
• 第2经验不足，读来读去进去了，只见树木不见森林。
  

两种因素并不是独立存在，而是相互影响，心理上的负面情绪会抑制能力的发挥，同时经验和能力的不足会加重畏难心理，给学习长难句造成一定的阻力。
要想解决长难句，首先，心理上要放轻松自信，不要害怕，也不要觉得只要是长句子就是难句子，其实长和难并不是同义词。有一部分长难句只是长，并没有那么难；再次，如果我们能够理清长难句常用的句式划分层次，把握其中的规律，难也就迎刃而解了。
找到原因，我们来分享长难句的经验，从常见的长难句类型和分析方法来入手。先看第1类句型，也就是定语从句，一个句子由主句和定语从句构成，主句和从句属于从属关系，两个句子一般是由关系代词或者是关系副词进行连接，例句如下：
In 1972 paleontologist Stephen Jay Gould and Niles Eldredge challenged conventional wisdom with an opposing viewpoint, the punctuated equilibrium hypothesis, which posits that species give rise to new species in relatively sudden bursts, without a lengthy transition period. (TPO30-2 The Pace of Evolutionary Change)

Greater productivity and rising demands provided entrepreneurs with profits that could be reinvested to take advantage of new technologies to further expand capacity, or to seek alternative investment opportunities. (TPO26-1The Industrial Revolution)

In view of this behavior, it has been suggested that chemicals present in fresh buck rubs may help physiologically induce and synchronize fertility in females that visit these rubs. (TPO28-3 Buck Rubs and Buck Scrapes)

总结常见的关系代词和关系副词，一般是that/ which/where/when。一般情况下，关系代词或者关系副词是主从句连接的纽带，也是主句和从句分开的界限。以关系代词that/which为例，在理解的时候，我们可以把一个长句拆成两个句子，同时理清楚关系代词that/which所指的内容。按照以下原则就可以明确所指内容

• 1.关系代词的所指内容出现在关系代词之前的，明确关系代词之前出现的名词/代词；
  

• 2.关系代词和所指内容数量一致，也就是单复数要保持一致，筛选出数量一致的名词/代词；
  

• 3.关系代词距离所指内容不会太远，筛选掉距离最远的名词/代词；
  

• 4.所指内容在句子含义上要能够讲得通，筛选出意义合情合理的名词/代词 (如果4符合，那么可以直接跳过3)
  

按照这个原则，我们就能够很快找到关系代词所指的内容，也就可以把一个较长的句子断成两个相对，短一点的，容易理解句子。操作如下：
In view of this behavior, it has been suggested that chemicals present in fresh buckrubs may help physiologically induce and synchronize fertility in femalesthat visit these rubs. (TPO28-3 Buck Rubs and Buck Scrapes)

• 1.明确关系代词之前出现的名词：behavior/it/chemicals/buck/rubs/ fertility/females，注意rubs是that之前的rubs，不是之后的rubs
  
• 2.筛选出数量一致的名词，that visit 不是that visits说明是复数，behavior/it/chemicals/buck/rubs/ fertility/females
  
• 3.筛选掉距离最远的名词，behavior/it/chemicals/buck/rubs/ fertility/females
  
• 4.筛选出意义合情合理的名词/代词到访的应该是有生命的内容 behavior/it/chemicals/buck/rubs/ fertility/females
  

所以that指代females。
之后我们拆成两句话：

• Females (female bucks) visit these rubs.雌性到访过这些刮痕。
  
• In view of this behavior, it has been suggested that chemicals present in fresh buck rubs may help physiologically induce and synchronize fertility in females.鉴于这种行为，有人提出，新鲜雄鹿摩擦中存在的化学物质有助于生理上诱导和同步这些雌性的生育能力。
  

除了定语从句，长难句也可以是并列复合句，最明显的标志就是并列连词and。我们先看以下几个例子。
Spartina establishes itself on substrates ranging from sand and silt to gravel and cobble and is tolerant of salinities ranging from that of near freshwater (0.05 percent) to that of salt water (3.5 percent). (TPO22-1 Spartina)

The rapid technical development of photography—the introduction of lighter and simpler equipment, and of new emulsions that coated photographic plates, film, and paper and enabled images to be made at much faster speeds—had some unanticipated consequences. (TPO22-2 The Birth of Photography)
处理并列复合句的时候，最简单的方法就是找清楚谁在跟谁相连接。以并列连词and为例，这就像是一个天平，我们需要找到天平两端的砝码，也就是连词连接的内容。找到之后一个并列长句可以写成两个子句，很容易理解内容。
那么该如何寻找呢？首先，我们来看一下天平也就是连词and后面的内容，对其定性区分一下名词，动词形容词副词还是分词；定性之后我们再看天平的前端，也就是在连词前面找到同一性质的内容注意；如果内容都符合同一个性质，那么就要再看意义是否符合。总结一下：

• 1.找到and之后的内容
  
• 2.判定1的性质
  
• 3.按照1的性质去and之前找同类伙伴
  

例如Spartina establishes itself on substrates ranging from sand and silt to gravel and cobble and is tolerant of salinities ranging from that of near freshwater (0.05 percent) to that of salt water (3.5 percent). (TPO22-1 Spartina)

• 1.找到and之后的内容，is tolerant of salinities
  
• 2.判定1的性质，通过is tolerant可以判断是动词，而且是第三人称单数一般现在时态
  
• 3.按照1的性质去and之前找同类伙伴，Spartina establishes itself on substrates ranging from sand and silt to gravel and cobble，and之前的动词有establishes和ranging，ranging是现在分词不符合，establishes第三人称单数一般现在时态符合
  

句子改写为

• Spartina establishes itself on substrates ranging from sand and silt to gravel and cobble;
  
• Spartina is tolerant of salinities ranging from that of near freshwater (0.05 percent) to that of salt water (3.5 percent).
  

米属草在沙、淤泥、砾石和卵石等基质上生长，并且能耐受近淡水（0.05%）至盐水（3.5%）的盐度。
今天讲解的最后一类是特殊句型，我们来看看强调句型。咱们来先看看以下几个句子。
●  It was here that the civilization known as Sumer emerged in its earliest form in the fifth millennium. (TPO26-3Sumer and the First Cities of the Ancient Near East)

● It was this that made the organization of irrigation, particularly the building of canals to channel and preserve the water, essential. (TPO26-3Sumer and the First Cities of the Ancient Near East)

●  It was these conditions that allowed an elite to emerge, probably as an organizing class, and to sustain itself through the control of surplus crops. (TPO26-3Sumer and the First Cities of the Ancient Near East)

要想理解强调句型的长难句，我们先学习一下什么是强调句型。

• 强调句型：It is…（被强调的成分）that/who….（原句中除被强调的部分之外的剩余成分）
  
• 功能：强调一个句子里面非动作性的内容，其中强调内容为人物的时候可以用that或者who，其他情况只用that。
  
• 例句：In 1898 Marie Curie discovered radium in the laboratory.
  

如何把一个句子变成强调句？这是改写方法：

• 1.确认好需要强调的内容，
  
• 2.将其放在that/who之后，
  
• 3.确认好除去被强调的部分后句子剩余的内容，
  
• 4.将3的内容放在that/who之后。
  

我们来改写一下例句，得到以下句子：

• It is Marie Curie that/who in 1898 discovered radium in the laboratory. （强调主语）
  
• It is radium that in 1898 Marie Curie discovered in the laboratory. （强调宾语）
  
• It is in 1898 that Marie Curie discovered radium in the laboratory. （强调时间状语）
  
• It is in the laboratory that in 1898 Marie Curie discovered radium. （强调地点状语）
  

不能看出原句加上一个强调句的句型也就是原句，穿了一套服装之后就换了一个模样，显得更为高级和复杂。那么反过来，我们阅读到的是强调句的内容，也就是改写之后的复杂的样子，只需要稍作还原就可以看到句子的真实面目，也就是把强调这个句式it is...that/who去掉，那么剩余的部分也就是原句的内容。我们操作一下这个句子
It was here that the civilization known as Sumer emerged in its earliest form in the fifth millennium.
去掉句型之后得到：Here the civilization known as Sumer emerged in its earliest form in the fifth millennium.
在这里，被称为苏美尔的文明最早出现于第五个千年。
按照以上处理方法，多做一些句子分析就可以轻松拿下长难句，之后阅读中理解畅通无阻，备考学生也就不用担心啦。
<hr/>如果你还在托福备考的迷茫期，扫码加入托福备考群，超多托福备考干货和解题技巧持续输出，等你来学~！
公主号【为途名校留学】