GMAT阅读考查重点不在词汇上，而是句子结构和句与句、段与段之间的逻辑关系。其中复杂修饰成分的GMAT阅读长难句是干扰考生选择答案的很大障碍，非常浪费时间，容易造成理解上的偏差，打断阅读思路。在阅读GMAT阅读长难句过程中，如果能将这些复杂修饰成分进行调整、删减、压缩，使之变得简单，阅读速度和准确率都会有所提高的。
从广义上来说，从句、分词、不定式、插入语、介词短语等都可以看作GMAT阅读长难句的复杂修饰成分，带有这些复杂修饰成分的GMAT阅读长难句都比较长，读起来拗口。在遇到这类句子时，我们不必细细梳理，而要先抓住句子主干。有些成分根本就对我们做题没有任何影响，倘若浪费太多时间去分析句子的某一处，岂不是浪费宝贵时间!这实际上就是一个去粗取精，去伪存真的过程。
1. 首先，我们要明确GMAT阅读长难句究竟在哪里断开，找到有用的，抛弃无用的。先来看看下面这个句子：Even in the best of circumstances, fierce competition from larger, more established companies makes it difficult for small concerns to broaden their customer bases: when such firms have nearly guaranteed orders from a single corporate benefactor, they may truly have to struggle against complacency arising from their current success.
2.在阅读GMAT阅读长难句时要注意辨别这些复杂修饰成分，找出真正的GMAT阅读长难句的主语和谓语。很显然，这句话应该在冒号处断开，冒号后是对前半句的解释，所以在读在这句话时，我们不必把太多精力放在前半句上，而要着重理解GMAT阅读长难句的后半句，这才是与文章内容相关的部分。整句话的复杂修饰成分包括介词短语in the best of circumstances, from larger, more established companies，以及不定式to broaden their customer bases，和现在分词arising from their current success.
再来看一个复杂修饰成分为GMAT阅读长难句从句的例子：Civil rights activists have long argued that one of the principal reasons why Blacks, Hispanics, and other minority groups have difficulty establishing themselves in business is that they lack access to the sizable orders and subcontracts that are generated by large companies.
3.原句中的定语从句、宾语从句对句意表达的作用不大，可以略过不读。通过对复杂修饰成分的加工处理，这个GMAT阅读长难句变得十分简单：One of the principal reasons is that they lack access to the sizable orders and subcontracts. GMAT阅读的复杂修饰成分往往放在一个比较复杂的句子框架中，例如下面这句话Although the samurais had been reduced to idleness by years of peace, encouraged to engage in scholarship and martial exercises or to perform administrative tasks that took little time, it is not surprising that their tastes and habits grew expensive.
GMAT长难句的典型结构
1、长成分
1)长从句做主语、宾语及其他成分
a、主语从句
b、宾语从句
2)长状语
3)层层修饰
4)并列成分
2、常见倒装搭配
(1)及物动词加介词：固定词组的固定搭配中，经常出现倒装情况，如：bring A to B，写作：bring to B A
例：Yet Waltzer’s argument , however deficient , does point to one of the most serious weaknesses of capitalism-namely , that it brings to predominant positions in a society people who ,no matter how legitimately they have earned their material rewards , often lack those other qualities that evoke affection or admiration.
类似的情况：throw over , insert into , import into , infer from, establish for , advocate as 等
(2)及物动词加副词
例：make possible …
3、省略的几种情况
(1)重复的成分
(2)让步转折的省略：如although (but)
(3)定语从句引导词的省略which
(4)定语从句的引导词和系动词同时省略，变成后置定语
如：qualities(such as “the capacity for hard work”) essential in producing wealth
4、 短语被分割
如：such as, so that , too to , more than , from A to B , between A and B
5、多重否定
如：Despite these vague categories , one should not claim unequivocally that hostility between recognizable classes cannot be legitimately observed .
6、GMAT阅读难句分析举例
Such large, impersonal manipulation of capital and industry greatly increased the numbers and importance of shareholders as a class , an element in national life representing irresponsible wealth detached from the land and the duties of the landowners; and almost equally detached from the responsible management of business.
[句子主干]Such large, impersonal manipulation of capital and industry greatly increased …shareholders as a class, (which was) an element…
[语法难点]本句是典型的非限定性定语从句，难点在其主语和宾语都有较长的短语和of结构限定，并且分句是由两个and相连的3个部分组成的。分句an element…landowners 又带有两个定语从句，一个是(which was)representing… ，另一个是(which was)detached…。
可见，定语从句的难点在于经常省略“引导词+be”的结构，从而在理解上容易和分词结构相混淆。
[句子翻译] 对资本和企业的这种大规模的非个人操纵大大增加了股东作为一个阶级的数量和重要性。这个阶层作为国计民生的一部分，代表了非个人责任的财富与土地及土地所有者应尽义务的分离，而且也几乎与责任管理相分离。
