托福阅读文章大多是由ETS的阅读测试专家将美国最新的科学杂志中的学术论文根据考试要求进行重新改写而来。改写方式分为两种：一是为了出题，在原文中加上对应答案选项的语言重现;二是对原材料尽心大量删减与压缩。因此托福阅读往往是用最小的篇幅来承载最多的信息，这也就为考生理解文章带来两大拦路虎，即词汇和长难句。其中托福阅读长难句是较难突破的，几乎所有考生都对此深感迷茫。
长难句可分为复杂修饰成分，大段插入语，倒装和省略四种类型。复杂修饰成分可细分为修饰性从句、介词短语、非谓语和形容词或副词短语四种类型。我们的托福阅读长难句精析专题将会以TPO为例，逐一为大家拨云驱雾，攻克长难句的难关。
TPO1：Groundwater 《地下水》
1. The same thing happens to this day, though on a smaller scale, wherever a sediment-laden river or stream emerges from a mountain valley onto relatively flat land, dropping its load as the current slows: the water usually spreads out fanwise, depositing the sediment in the form of a smooth, fan-shaped slope.
难句类型：分词结构做状语
难词释义：
emerge v. 出现，显露
sediment n.沉淀物，沉积物
deposit v.使沉积，使沉淀
fanwise adv. 呈扇形地
短语释义：
sediment-laden 载满沉积物的
spread out 向四周展开
fan-shaped slope 扇形斜面
难句结构拆分
主干部分：The same thing happens
插入语： though on a smaller scale 两逗号内为插入内容，译为虽然规模小
分词修饰表伴随: wherever (sediment-laden) river or stream emerges (from a mountain valley onto relatively flat land), dropping its load as the current slows
句中分词结构是 dropping its load as the current slows, 其逻辑主语与wherever所引导句子的主语相同，即 a sediment-laden river or stream, 该现在分词表示的动作与其逻辑主语构成主动关系，整个分词短语表示伴随情况，可译为：无论何地只要有沉积河或者溪流从山谷中出现流入相对平坦的地面，并随着水流变慢而将携带物留下。
分词修饰表伴随：the water(usually)spreads out(fanwise), depositing the sediment (in the form of a smooth, fan-shaped slope).
句中的分词结构为depositing the sediment (in the form of a smooth, fan-shaped slope)，现在分词的逻辑主语是主句主语the water，现在分词与其逻辑主语是主动关系，整个分词短语表示伴随情况，可译为：水通常呈扇形分散，使沉积物以扇形、平滑的斜坡的形式沉积。
参考译文：现代也有冰水沉积，尽管规模相对较小。凡是有携带沙石的河流或者溪流从山谷流至相对平坦的地面时，砂石就随着水流速度的减慢逐渐沉淀;水流通常呈扇形扩散，它们所携带的沙石也会沉淀为光滑的扇形斜面。
2. In lowland country almost any spot on the ground may overlie what was once the bed of a river that has since become buried by soil; if they are now below the water’s upper surface (the water table), the gravels and sands of the former riverbed, and its sandbars, will be saturated with groundwater.
难句类型：复杂从句结构
难词释义：
gravel n.碎石
Saturate v.使饱和
难句结构拆分
主干：(almost any) spot (on the ground) may overlie what was once the bed (of a river);if they are now below the water’s upper surface, they will be saturated with groundwater.
主干是由分号隔开的两个并列句。前一个分句中含有一个宾语从句what was once the bed of a river,可译为：曾经是河床的地方。分号后的句子是由条件状语从句组成。
定语从句：the bed of a river that has since become buried by soil
可译为：被土壤覆盖而变成现在的样子的河床，该定语从句镶嵌在第一个分句的宾语从句当中。
条件状语从句：if they are now below the water’s upper surface (the water table), the gravels and sands of the former riverbed, and its sandbars, will be saturated with groundwater.
分号后面是由条件句构成，主句的主语为the gravels and sands of the former riverbed, and its sandbars,可译为: 以前的河床中的碎石和沙粒以及河床的沙堤，its指代former riverbed.
参考译文: 低地区域上的任何位置可能就是曾经的河床，后续被土壤覆盖而变成现在的样子。如果那些过去的河床和沙洲现在位于地下水位之下，一定会有大量的地下水浸在它们的沙子和砾石之间。
今天先以Ground Water这篇文章为例，对长难句进行剖析。文中长难句是授课过程中学生经常会问到的，如果大家对于该篇文章还有其他有疑惑的地方，请关注前程百利并联系我们。托福阅读长难句精析，我们on the way~
您还可能关注：
