歷年GRE考試試題閱讀部分難句精選100句
51. The best evidence for the layered-mantle thesis is the well-established fact that volcanic rocks found on oceanic islands，islands believed to result from mantle plumes arising from the lower mantle，are composed of material fundamentally different from that of the mid-ocean ridge system， whose source，most geologists contend，is the upper mantle.
對于地幔分層論點來說，最好的證據乃這樣一個確認的事實，即在那些海洋島嶼――這些島嶼據信是源于由下層地幔升上來的地幔柱狀溶巖流――上發現的火山巖石，是由與海洋中部山脊系統的物質根本不同的物質構成的，而這一海洋中部山脊系統的成因，大多數地質學家論辯道，為上部地幔。
難句類型：復雜修飾、插入語
解釋：本句前面的主干并不算難，即the evidence is the fact that,難就難在fact之后說明fact 的同位語從句。此從句中既有大段插入語，又有從句，較為難讀。同位語從句的主語是volcanic rocks，主語后面的found on oceanic islands是分詞修飾volcanic rocks的;islands后面又有一個說明islands的同位語islands believed to result from mantle plumes arising from the lower mantle,此同位語實際起到一個分隔主謂的同位語的作用。其后是謂語動詞are composed/of fundamentally different from that of the midocean ridge system, whose source, most geologists contend, is the upper mantle。
句中有一些專有詞匯。如果拋開文章不說，單看這一個句子，則句首的layered mantle thesis就難以理解。但是如果讀者能夠讀懂句子的大致意思，看到layered mantle thesisr最有力證據就是其材料fundamentally different from the upper mantle,這應該可以推測出，既然不同于上層地幔，則這個理論一定是在說地幔有不同的層面。
意群訓練：The best evidence for the layered-mantle thesis is the well-established fact that volcanic rocks found on oceanic islands，islands believed to result from mantle plumes arising from the lower mantle，are composed of material fundamentally different from that of the mid-ocean ridge system， whose source，most geologists contend，is the upper mantle.
52. Some geologists，however，on the basis of observations concerning mantle xenoliths， argue that the mantle is not layered，but that heterogeneity is created by fluids rich in incompatible elements percolating upward and transforming portions of the upper mantle irregularly，according to the vagaries of the fluids pathways.
但是，某些地質學家，以對地幔捕虜巖體所作的觀察為依據，指出地幔并非是分層排列的，相反，地幔的異質性是由那些富含不相容成分的流質構成的，這些成分趨向于流體而非固體的狀態，自下而上滲透擴散，并依照這些流質流向的任意性，不規則地將上部地幔的某些部分予以改變。
難句類型：復雜修飾、插入語
解釋：本句的主句中有一個長插入語however,on the basis of observations concerning mantle xenoliths,割裂了主謂，但句子的主要難度還是在that引導的賓語從句中，從句中有由but 所連接的兩個句子，一起延續到句末。首選是rich in incompatible elements修飾fluids;后面又有一個同位語和一個分詞結構，都是修飾incompatible elements的，最后還有一個狀語來修飾那個分詞結構，層層修飾，比較復雜。
意群訓練：Some geologists，however，on the basis of observations concerning mantle xenoliths， argue that the mantle is not layered，but that heterogeneity is created by fluids rich in incompatible elements percolating upward and transforming portions of the upper mantle irregularly，according to the vagaries of the fluids pathways.
53. Fallois proposed that Proust had tried to begin a novel in 1908, abandoned it for what was to be a long demonstration of Saint-Beuves blindness to the real nature of great writing , found the essay giving rise to personal memories and fictional developments ,and allowed these to take over it a steadily developing novel.
F認為，P在1908年試圖開始寫一部小說，又為了寫一部批判S-B的 偉大作品的真正本質的視而不見的長篇的證明而放棄了這部小說，其后又發現這一論文又勾起了其個人記憶及小說情節的萌生，使得后者取而代之形成了一部穩定展開的小說。
難句類型：復雜修飾、抽象詞
解釋：本句來自歷來被GRE考生尊稱為所有GRE文科文章中難度第一的普魯斯特的追憶似水年華，這篇文章的難度遠遠高于現在計算機考試的題目。普魯斯特是公認的意識流小說的先驅，據筆者推測，本文的原作者必定是研究普魯斯特的大家，因此其文章必然帶有思維的跳躍，、不連貫性、時空顛倒等意識流手法：經過ETS的改編后，雖然可讀性略有嗇，然積重難返、無法救藥，于是墮落成一篇流水帳文章。從本句的結構來看，也可以表現作者的這種敘事風格：本句從that引導的賓語從句開始，實際上是以普魯斯特的意識流向為線索，以列舉的方式描述其動機的變化，從一開始的寫別的小說，其英文為Prout had tried to, abandoned,found,and allowed..。但是因為abandoned之后的狀語for的結構復雜、用詞抽象，所以這個結構不太容易被看出來。Blindness在此不是指真盲，而是指缺乏辨認能力difficult to discern, make out,or discover,視而不見。Give rise to 這個詞組的意思是引起，使發生。
意群訓練：Fallois proposed that Proust had tried to begin a novel in 1908, abandoned it for what was to be a long demonstration of Saint-Beuves blindness to the real nature of great writing , found the essay giving rise to personal memories and fictional developments ,and allowed these to take over in a steadily developing novel.
54. The very richness and complexity of the meaningful relationships that kept presenting and rearranging themselves on all levels，from abstract intelligence to profound dreamy feelings， made it difficult for Proust to set them out coherently.
各種有意義的聯系在所有的層次上，自抽象的理性至深刻的夢幻般的情感，層出不窮并不斷重新組合排列;正是這些有意義的聯系的豐富性和復雜性，致使普魯斯特難于將它們錯落有致地安排好。
難句類型：復雜修飾、插入語、抽象詞
解釋：請原諒筆者在此所做中文翻譯的艱澀難懂，為了讓讀者能夠更好地理解句子的結構，本書盡量把中文翻譯與英文原文的語序相對應，而且盡可能的不用意譯。為了達到這個目的，可以說絞盡腦汁，但本句之難懂也全非筆者之故，原文作者使用了大量的抽象詞。本句仍然來自于上面說過的這篇關于普魯斯特的文章。句中的主語是The very richness and complexity,其后的修飾成分長達三行，of the meaningful relationships that kept presenting and rearranging themselves on all levels from abstract intelligence to profound dreamy feelings,其中還夾雜著插入語，有效地分開了主語和謂語。其實本句雖然結構也比較復雜，但是不見得比前面的句子復雜得多，其真正的難點，還在于句子中大量的抽象詞的使用。由于筆者在附錄中所提到的原因，抽象詞可以嚴重地占據大腦資源，因此帶有大量的抽象詞的結構復雜的句子就更為難懂，比如本句就是一個很好的例子，復雜修飾與抽象詞狼狽為奸，句意另人難以理解。
意群訓練：The very richness and complexity of the meaningful relationships that kept presenting and rearranging themselves on all levels，from abstract intelligence to profound dreamy feelings， made it difficult for Proust to set them out coherently.
55. But those of who hoped, with Kolb, that Kolbs newly published complete edition of Prousts correspondence for 1909 would document the process in greater detail are disappointed.
但是我們當中的那些希望K新出版的P1909年書信的全集能夠更加詳細的記錄下這一過程的人都大失所望。
難句類型：復雜修飾、插入語
解釋：本句中從句套從句，致使主語those of us與謂語的距離很遠，而且中間的成分又極多，使得句子很難讀懂。修飾主語those of us的定語從句who hoped之中又套了一個賓語從句，賓語從句的主語complete edition又被一前一后的兩個定語所修飾，之后才依次是賓語從句的謂語、賓語：主句的系動詞、表語。
意群訓練：But those of us who hoped, with Kolb, that Kolbs newly published complete edition of Prousts correspondence for 1909 would document the process in greater detail are disappointed.
51. The best evidence for the layered-mantle thesis is the well-established fact that volcanic rocks found on oceanic islands，islands believed to result from mantle plumes arising from the lower mantle，are composed of material fundamentally different from that of the mid-ocean ridge system， whose source，most geologists contend，is the upper mantle.
對于地幔分層論點來說，最好的證據乃這樣一個確認的事實，即在那些海洋島嶼――這些島嶼據信是源于由下層地幔升上來的地幔柱狀溶巖流――上發現的火山巖石，是由與海洋中部山脊系統的物質根本不同的物質構成的，而這一海洋中部山脊系統的成因，大多數地質學家論辯道，為上部地幔。
難句類型：復雜修飾、插入語
解釋：本句前面的主干并不算難，即the evidence is the fact that,難就難在fact之后說明fact 的同位語從句。此從句中既有大段插入語，又有從句，較為難讀。同位語從句的主語是volcanic rocks，主語后面的found on oceanic islands是分詞修飾volcanic rocks的;islands后面又有一個說明islands的同位語islands believed to result from mantle plumes arising from the lower mantle,此同位語實際起到一個分隔主謂的同位語的作用。其后是謂語動詞are composed/of fundamentally different from that of the midocean ridge system, whose source, most geologists contend, is the upper mantle。
句中有一些專有詞匯。如果拋開文章不說，單看這一個句子，則句首的layered mantle thesis就難以理解。但是如果讀者能夠讀懂句子的大致意思，看到layered mantle thesisr最有力證據就是其材料fundamentally different from the upper mantle,這應該可以推測出，既然不同于上層地幔，則這個理論一定是在說地幔有不同的層面。
意群訓練：The best evidence for the layered-mantle thesis is the well-established fact that volcanic rocks found on oceanic islands，islands believed to result from mantle plumes arising from the lower mantle，are composed of material fundamentally different from that of the mid-ocean ridge system， whose source，most geologists contend，is the upper mantle.
52. Some geologists，however，on the basis of observations concerning mantle xenoliths， argue that the mantle is not layered，but that heterogeneity is created by fluids rich in incompatible elements percolating upward and transforming portions of the upper mantle irregularly，according to the vagaries of the fluids pathways.
但是，某些地質學家，以對地幔捕虜巖體所作的觀察為依據，指出地幔并非是分層排列的，相反，地幔的異質性是由那些富含不相容成分的流質構成的，這些成分趨向于流體而非固體的狀態，自下而上滲透擴散，并依照這些流質流向的任意性，不規則地將上部地幔的某些部分予以改變。
難句類型：復雜修飾、插入語
解釋：本句的主句中有一個長插入語however,on the basis of observations concerning mantle xenoliths,割裂了主謂，但句子的主要難度還是在that引導的賓語從句中，從句中有由but 所連接的兩個句子，一起延續到句末。首選是rich in incompatible elements修飾fluids;后面又有一個同位語和一個分詞結構，都是修飾incompatible elements的，最后還有一個狀語來修飾那個分詞結構，層層修飾，比較復雜。
意群訓練：Some geologists，however，on the basis of observations concerning mantle xenoliths， argue that the mantle is not layered，but that heterogeneity is created by fluids rich in incompatible elements percolating upward and transforming portions of the upper mantle irregularly，according to the vagaries of the fluids pathways.
53. Fallois proposed that Proust had tried to begin a novel in 1908, abandoned it for what was to be a long demonstration of Saint-Beuves blindness to the real nature of great writing , found the essay giving rise to personal memories and fictional developments ,and allowed these to take over it a steadily developing novel.
F認為，P在1908年試圖開始寫一部小說，又為了寫一部批判S-B的 偉大作品的真正本質的視而不見的長篇的證明而放棄了這部小說，其后又發現這一論文又勾起了其個人記憶及小說情節的萌生，使得后者取而代之形成了一部穩定展開的小說。
難句類型：復雜修飾、抽象詞
解釋：本句來自歷來被GRE考生尊稱為所有GRE文科文章中難度第一的普魯斯特的追憶似水年華，這篇文章的難度遠遠高于現在計算機考試的題目。普魯斯特是公認的意識流小說的先驅，據筆者推測，本文的原作者必定是研究普魯斯特的大家，因此其文章必然帶有思維的跳躍，、不連貫性、時空顛倒等意識流手法：經過ETS的改編后，雖然可讀性略有嗇，然積重難返、無法救藥，于是墮落成一篇流水帳文章。從本句的結構來看，也可以表現作者的這種敘事風格：本句從that引導的賓語從句開始，實際上是以普魯斯特的意識流向為線索，以列舉的方式描述其動機的變化，從一開始的寫別的小說，其英文為Prout had tried to, abandoned,found,and allowed..。但是因為abandoned之后的狀語for的結構復雜、用詞抽象，所以這個結構不太容易被看出來。Blindness在此不是指真盲，而是指缺乏辨認能力difficult to discern, make out,or discover,視而不見。Give rise to 這個詞組的意思是引起，使發生。
意群訓練：Fallois proposed that Proust had tried to begin a novel in 1908, abandoned it for what was to be a long demonstration of Saint-Beuves blindness to the real nature of great writing , found the essay giving rise to personal memories and fictional developments ,and allowed these to take over in a steadily developing novel.
54. The very richness and complexity of the meaningful relationships that kept presenting and rearranging themselves on all levels，from abstract intelligence to profound dreamy feelings， made it difficult for Proust to set them out coherently.
各種有意義的聯系在所有的層次上，自抽象的理性至深刻的夢幻般的情感，層出不窮并不斷重新組合排列;正是這些有意義的聯系的豐富性和復雜性，致使普魯斯特難于將它們錯落有致地安排好。
難句類型：復雜修飾、插入語、抽象詞
解釋：請原諒筆者在此所做中文翻譯的艱澀難懂，為了讓讀者能夠更好地理解句子的結構，本書盡量把中文翻譯與英文原文的語序相對應，而且盡可能的不用意譯。為了達到這個目的，可以說絞盡腦汁，但本句之難懂也全非筆者之故，原文作者使用了大量的抽象詞。本句仍然來自于上面說過的這篇關于普魯斯特的文章。句中的主語是The very richness and complexity,其后的修飾成分長達三行，of the meaningful relationships that kept presenting and rearranging themselves on all levels from abstract intelligence to profound dreamy feelings,其中還夾雜著插入語，有效地分開了主語和謂語。其實本句雖然結構也比較復雜，但是不見得比前面的句子復雜得多，其真正的難點，還在于句子中大量的抽象詞的使用。由于筆者在附錄中所提到的原因，抽象詞可以嚴重地占據大腦資源，因此帶有大量的抽象詞的結構復雜的句子就更為難懂，比如本句就是一個很好的例子，復雜修飾與抽象詞狼狽為奸，句意另人難以理解。
意群訓練：The very richness and complexity of the meaningful relationships that kept presenting and rearranging themselves on all levels，from abstract intelligence to profound dreamy feelings， made it difficult for Proust to set them out coherently.
55. But those of who hoped, with Kolb, that Kolbs newly published complete edition of Prousts correspondence for 1909 would document the process in greater detail are disappointed.
但是我們當中的那些希望K新出版的P1909年書信的全集能夠更加詳細的記錄下這一過程的人都大失所望。
難句類型：復雜修飾、插入語
解釋：本句中從句套從句，致使主語those of us與謂語的距離很遠，而且中間的成分又極多，使得句子很難讀懂。修飾主語those of us的定語從句who hoped之中又套了一個賓語從句，賓語從句的主語complete edition又被一前一后的兩個定語所修飾，之后才依次是賓語從句的謂語、賓語：主句的系動詞、表語。
意群訓練：But those of us who hoped, with Kolb, that Kolbs newly published complete edition of Prousts correspondence for 1909 would document the process in greater detail are disappointed.
