雅思阅读考试主要考查考生们定位所需信息,理解并且掌握的能力。为了能够准确定位,很多考生片面强调了词汇的重要性,在备考雅思阅读考试的过程中仅仅关注了词汇量的提高,而忽略了语法的掌握和提高。这样在雅思阅读考试中,考生们虽然能够准确定位,却由于语法方面的问题,在理解原文对应内容时出现差错,本末倒置,主从句判断错误,最终断章取义,导致题目做错。

其实了解雅思的人都知道,雅思阅读考试中有很多长句,而考生如果语法方面有任何一点差错,或者不擅长于长句短读(迅速找出一个长句的主句即主谓宾/主系表),都会在雅思阅读考试中失利。因此考生们在备考的过程中,对于英语中的从句必须要有很好的掌握,而雅思阅读考试中出现频率最高的从句之一就是名词性从句。

在句子中起名词作用的句子叫名词性从句 (noun clauses)。名词性从句的功能相当于名词词组,它在复合句中能担任主语、宾语、表语、同位语、介词宾语等,因此根据它在句中不同的语法功能,名词性从句又可分别称为主语从句、宾语从句、表语从句、同位语从句、介词宾语从句等。下面朗阁专家就给考生们介绍一下这几个名词性从句及其在雅思阅读中的应用。

主语从句

在复合句中用作主语的从句称为主语从句 (subject clause)。引导主语从句的关联词有从属连词、疑问代词、疑问副词、缩合连接代词、缩合连接副词等。如:

★ That they were in truth sisters was clear from the facial resemblance between them.

很明显,她们的确是亲姊妹,她们的脸型很相似。(关联词是从属连词that)

★ Who should be responsible for the senior citizens has been widely discussed in our community.

谁应该对老年人负责这个问题在社区里被广泛讨论。(关联词是疑问代词who)

★ Where we can dispose of the increasing rubbish is a great headache to many governments.

在哪儿处置日益增多的垃圾对很多政府而言是件头痛的事。(关联词是疑问副词where)

★ Whoever pollutes the environment should be punished.

不论谁污染环境都应该受到惩罚。(关联词是缩合连接代词whoever)

★ Wherever you are is my home—my only home.

你所在的任何地方就是我的家——我唯一的家。(关联词是缩合连接副词wherever)

有时可以用it作为形式主语,将真实主语从句置于句末。如:

1. It is probable that the nocturnal trades go way back in the ancestry of all mammals.

很可能这种夜间的谋生可以追溯至所有哺乳动物的祖先。

2. It should be no surprise then that among mathematicians and architects, left-handers tend to be more common and there are more left-handed males than females.

在数学家和建筑学家中,左撇子更常见并且左撇子的男性比女性要多,这并不惊奇。

3. It is reported that millions of people die of water-related disease each year.

据报道每年有成千上百万人死于和水有关的疾病。

表语从句

在复合句中用作表语的从句称为表语从句 (predictive clause)。引导表语从句的关联词有疑问代词、疑问副词、缩合连接代词、从属连词等。如:

★ The problem is who they can rely on.

问题是他们能依赖谁呢。(关联词是疑问代词who)

★ The question is how they have achieved this.

问题是他们是如何完成的。(关联词是疑问副词how)

★ He looked just as he had looked ten years before.

他看起来还和十年前一样。(关联词是从属连词as)

★ Indeed acting as a tourist is one of the defining characteristics of being ‘modern’ and the popular concept of tourism is that it is organized within particular places and occurs for regularized periods of time.

确实作为一个游客是“现代”的定义性特点之一,并且旅游的普遍性观念是它在某个特定地点组织并且发生于规律性的时间段。(关联词是从属连词that)

宾语从句

在复合句中用作宾语的从句称为宾语从句 (object clause)。引导宾语从句的关联词有从属连词、疑问代词、疑问副词、缩合连接代词、缩合连接副词等。如:

★ Animal right activists claim that animal tests are cruel, inhumane and unnecessary.

动物权益保护声称动物实验很残忍、没人道和不必要。(关联词是从属连词that)

★ I know he has succeeded.

我知道他已经成功了。(在非正式文体中关联词that被省去)

★ It is hard to imagine what effects garbage will exert on our life.

很难想象垃圾将对我们的生活造成什么影响。(关联词是疑问代词what)

★ I will tell you why I came here.

我会告诉你我为什么来这儿。(关联词是疑问副词why)

★ I would like to see where you live.

我想去看看你住的地方。(关联词是缩合连接副词where)

宾语从句也可以用作介词的宾语,如:

★ It is the major contributor to why so many young females commit crimes in recent years.

这就是为什么近年来许多年轻妇女犯罪的主要原因。

★ But the origins of what is now generally known as modern architecture can be traced back to social and technological changes of the 18th and 19th centuries.

现代建筑学的起源可以追溯到18世纪和19世纪的社会和技术变化

有时介词可以被省去。如:

★ Nobody cares (for) what happened to the wildlife.

没有人关心那些野生生物发生了什么。

★ Be careful (as to) what he is doing.

你要注意他在做什么。

有时候全句可以用it作为形式主语,如:

★ He made it quite clear that he preferred reading to writing.

他很明确地说他更喜欢阅读而不是写作。

★ You may rely on it that they will help you.

你可以指望他们会帮助你。

(未完待续)