2016年12月英语四级第2套真题句子解析： As a result, their math grades overtook those of the other students by the end of the first semester—and the gap between the two groups continued to widen during the two years we followed them.

as a result (连接短语)

As a result

"As a result" 是典型的因果逻辑连接短语,用于引出前文所述原因导致的结果。在学术写作和正式语境中极为常见,相当于 "consequently" 或 "therefore",但语气更客观、更适合叙述性文本。注意其位置灵活:可置于句首(如本句,后接逗号)、句中(前后用逗号隔开)或句末(前接逗号)。中文学习者需注意两点:一是不要写成 "as the result"(冠词多余),二是要与 "result in"(导致)和 "result from"(起因于)这两个动词短语区分——"as a result" 是副词性短语,不直接连接因果关系的两个事物。

• ✓ As a result, sales increased. ✗ As the result, sales increased. 该短语不加冠词 the。
• ✓ The policy resulted in higher costs. As a result, we changed it. ✗ The policy as a result higher costs. "as a result" 是副词短语,不能直接连接主语和宾语;表达 X 导致 Y 应用 "result in" 或 "lead to"。

overtake (动词:超越)

overtook

"Overtake" 的核心含义是 "赶上并超过",既可用于物理空间的超车(如 "overtake a vehicle"),也可用于抽象层面的超越,如本句中成绩、排名、数量的反超。本句用的是过去时 "overtook"(不规则变化:overtake-overtook-overtaken)。在学术语境中,"overtake" 常暗含 "从落后到领先" 的逆转意味,强调动态的赶超过程,比单纯的 "exceed"(超过、超出)更生动。中文学习者易混淆 "overtake" 与 "overcome":前者是 "超越(对手/数值)",后者是 "克服(困难/障碍)"。

• ✓ China's economy overtook Japan's in 2010. ✗ China's economy overcame Japan's in 2010. 超越对手用 overtake,克服困难用 overcome。

those of (指代性短语)

those of the other students

"Those of" 是英语中避免重复的标准指代结构,此处 "those" 指代前文的 "math grades",完整理解为 "the math grades of the other students"。这种用 "those"(复数)或 "that"(单数)加 "of" 结构来替代前文名词的手法,在比较句中极为常见,既简洁又清晰。中文学习者常见错误有二:一是漏掉 "of",直接说 "those the other students"(语法错误);二是在不需要对比或指代不明时滥用,导致指向模糊。判断标准:"those" 必须能在上下文中找到明确的先行词(本句是 "their math grades"),且通常出现在比较或对比语境中。

• ✓ The population of Beijing exceeds that of Shanghai. ✗ The population of Beijing exceeds of Shanghai. 指代前文名词时,"that/those" 不可省略。
• ✓ Her scores were higher than those of her classmates. ✗ Her scores were higher than the other classmates. 比较的是 scores,需用 "those of" 指代 "the scores of"。

by the end of (时间介词短语)

by the end of the first semester

"By the end of" 表示 "到……结束时(为止)",强调在某时间段结束的那个时间点之前或之时,动作已完成或状态已达成。常与完成时态搭配(如本句的过去完成意味,虽用的是一般过去时 "overtook",但隐含 "到期末时已超越" 的完成性)。需与 "at the end of"(在……末尾/结尾,侧重时间点本身)和 "in the end"(最终、终于,表结果)区分。"By the end of" 后通常接具体时间段(如 "the year", "the day", "the semester"),在学术叙述中用于标记研究时间节点极为常见。

• ✓ By the end of 2023, we had completed the project. ✗ At the end of 2023, we had completed the project. "by" 强调 "不晚于、到……时已","at" 仅指时间点,语义不同。
• ✓ In the end, we succeeded. / By the end of the trial, results were clear. ✗ By the end, we succeeded.(若无 "of + 时间段",应用 "in the end") "by the end" 后需接 "of + 具体时间段";表示 "最终" 用 "in the end"。

the gap between (名词短语:……之间的差距)

the gap between the two groups

"The gap between" 是学术写作中描述差异、差距的核心表达,"gap" 可指数值差距、能力差距、认知差距等抽象概念。"Between" 后接比较的双方(本句是 "the two groups"),若多于两方可用 "among"。该结构常与 "widen"(扩大)、"narrow"(缩小)、"close"(弥合)等动词搭配。中文学习者需注意:"gap" 本身是可数名词,表示单一差距用 "a gap" 或 "the gap",表示多种差距用 "gaps";且 "gap" 强调 "分离、距离",不同于 "difference"(可指任何不同)和 "disparity"(常带负面色彩,指不公平的差距)。

• ✓ The gap between rich and poor is widening. ✗ The gap between rich and poor are widening. "gap" 是单数名词,动词用单数形式。

continue to do (动词短语:继续做某事)

continued to widen

"Continue to do" 表示 "继续去做某事",强调持续进行某个动作或状态。"Continue" 后可接不定式 "to do" 或动名词 "doing",二者在多数情况下可互换,但 "to do" 略侧重 "接下来继续做","doing" 略侧重 "一直在做"。本句 "continued to widen" 强调差距在后续时间里持续扩大。需注意 "continue" 是及物或不及物动词均可:不及物时直接加 "to do/doing"(如本句),及物时可接名词宾语(如 "continue the discussion")。中文学习者易漏掉 "to" 或误用其他介词。

• ✓ They continued to work / continued working. ✗ They continued work.(及物用法需加冠词或限定词,如 "continued the work") "continue" 后接动词需用 "to do" 或 "doing" 形式。

widen (动词:扩大、变宽)

widen

"Widen" 是 "wide"(宽的)的动词形式,表示 "变宽、扩大",既可用于物理空间(如 "widen a road"),也可用于抽象概念(如本句的 "widen the gap",扩大差距)。作不及物动词时,主语自身变宽(如 "The gap widened");作及物动词时,主语使宾语变宽(如 "They widened the road")。本句中 "the gap...continued to widen" 是不及物用法,差距自行扩大。反义词是 "narrow"(变窄、缩小)。学术写作中,"widen" 常用于描述趋势、差异、影响范围的扩大,是描述动态变化的高频词。

during (介词:在……期间)

during the two years

"During" 是时间介词,表示 "在……期间、在……过程中",后接时间段名词(如 "during the meeting", "during the two years")。需与 "for" 区分:"for" 强调时间长度(如 "for two years",持续两年),"during" 强调时间范围内(如 "during the two years",在这两年期间)。本句 "during the two years we followed them" 表示在跟踪研究的这两年时间范围内。中文学习者常误用:一是 "during" 后接时间点(应用 "at" 或 "on"),二是与 "while" 混淆("while" 是连词,后接句子,如 "while we followed them")。

• ✓ We met during the conference. / We talked for two hours. ✗ We met for the conference.(表示 "在会议期间" 应用 during) "during" 表示时间范围,"for" 表示时间长度。
• ✓ During the meeting, I took notes. / While I was in the meeting, I took notes. ✗ During I was in the meeting, I took notes. "during" 是介词,后接名词;若后接句子需用连词 "while"。

破折号的语义功能

—and the gap

本句中的破折号(em dash,—)用于引入补充信息,对前文 "成绩反超" 这一结果做进一步阐述,说明差距不仅出现,还在持续扩大。破折号在此起到强调和延伸的作用,语气比逗号更突出,比分号更紧密。在学术写作中,破折号常用于:1) 插入解释性信息,2) 强调额外观点,3) 引出总结或例证。本句中,破折号后的内容与前文形成递进关系,增强了论述的力度。中文学习者需注意:破折号前后通常不加空格(英式)或各加一个空格(美式,本句采用),且其功能不同于连字符(hyphen,-)或 en dash(–)。

• ✓ The results were clear—the intervention worked. ✗ The results were clear- the intervention worked.(应用 em dash,不是 hyphen) 破折号用于分隔或强调,与连字符功能不同。

省略关系代词的定语修饰

the two years we followed them

"The two years we followed them" 中,"we followed them" 修饰 "the two years",完整形式应为 "the two years (that/which) we followed them during" 或 "the two years during which we followed them"。关系代词 "that" 或 "which" 在口语和非正式书面语中常被省略。这是英语中极为常见的简化手法,尤其当关系代词在介词宾语位置时。本句的结构是:"the two years" 是先行词,"during which we followed them" 是完整的定语从句,其中 "which" 指代 "the two years" 并作介词 "during" 的宾语。在口语和非正式书面语中,介词 "during" 可后置,关系代词 "which/that" 被省略,形成 "the two years we followed them (during)"。中文学习者需识别这类省略,以免误解句子结构。

• ✓ The years (during which / that...during) we lived there were happy. ✗ 误将 'we lived there' 理解为独立句子,而非修饰 'the years'。 时间名词后的定语从句中,关系代词和介词常被省略。

math grades (学术语境中的 "成绩")

math grades

"Grades" 在学术语境中特指 "成绩、分数、等级",是可数名词,常用复数表示多次考核的成绩(如 "math grades" 指数学科目的多次成绩),单数 "grade" 则可指单次成绩或年级。需与 "score"(更侧重具体分数值,如 "a score of 95")、"mark"(英式英语中的成绩,如 "exam marks")区分。在美式学术英语中,"grades" 是最常用的表述。本句 "their math grades" 指实验组学生的数学成绩,用复数暗示持续评估而非单次测验。

semester (学期)

semester

"Semester" 是美式英语中的 "学期",通常一学年分为两个 semesters(fall semester 和 spring semester),每个约 15-18 周。需与 "term"(更通用,可指学期、学季或任意学习周期)和 "quarter"(学季制,一学年四个 quarters)区分。英式英语多用 "term"。本句 "the first semester" 指第一学期,用于标记研究的时间节点,是学术研究常用的时间单位。

follow (在研究语境中:跟踪、追踪)

followed

"Follow" 在本句中不是日常意义的 "跟随",而是学术研究术语,表示 "跟踪观察、持续追踪(受试者/对象)",常见于纵向研究(longitudinal study)的描述。"We followed them" 意为 "我们对他们进行了跟踪研究","for/during + 时间" 说明跟踪时长。这是 "follow" 的专业用法,在医学、教育、心理学研究中极为常见,如 "follow patients for five years"(跟踪患者五年)。中文学习者需识别这一术语含义,避免误解为物理跟随。

• ✓ We followed the participants for two years.(跟踪研究) ✗ 误解为 '我们跟在参与者后面走了两年'(物理跟随)。 在研究语境中,"follow" 是 "跟踪观察" 的术语。

代词 them 的回指识别

them

"Them" 在本句中回指研究中的两组学生。从上下文看,"their math grades" 中的 "their" 指实验组学生,"the other students" 指对照组学生,而 "we followed them" 中的 "them" 在纵向研究的语境下,指代的是研究跟踪的所有对象,即两组学生的总体。这是学术研究描述的典型用法:研究者跟踪所有参与研究的受试者,而非仅跟踪其中一组。中文学习者需注意在复杂句中追溯代词指代对象时,要结合语境和逻辑关系判断,而不仅仅看最近的名词。

• ✓ 识别 'them' 指代研究中的两组学生(所有被跟踪的研究对象)。 ✗ 误以为 'them' 仅指离它最近的 'the other students'(对照组)。 需结合研究语境判断代词指代范围,'follow' 的对象通常是所有研究参与者。

比较结构中的省略与对应

their math grades overtook those of the other students

本句的比较结构 "A overtook B" 中,A 是 "their math grades",B 是 "those of the other students"。英语比较句中常用 "those/that" 指代前文名词以避免重复,中文学习者需识别这种对应关系:"those" = "the math grades",完整理解为 "the math grades of the other students"。难点在于:1) 识别 "those" 的指代对象,2) 理解比较的是同类事物(都是 grades,不是拿 grades 和 students 比)。错误理解可能导致误认为在比较学生本身而非成绩。掌握这一结构对读懂学术写作中的比较论述至关重要。

• ✓ 比较的是 'their grades' 和 'the grades of the other students'。 ✗ 误以为在比较 'their grades' 和 'the other students'(类型不匹配)。 比较结构要求对应项类型一致,"those" 是替代词。

时态的叙事功能:一般过去时串联多个事件

overtook continued

本句使用一般过去时("overtook", "continued")叙述研究中的事件序列,是英语学术写作中典型的时态用法。"Overtook" 描述第一学期末的状态,"continued" 描述后续两年的趋势,两个过去时动词在时间上有先后和延续关系,但都用一般过去时而非过去完成时,因为重点在叙述事实而非强调时间先后的完成性。中文学习者易过度使用过去完成时或混淆时态,需理解:在过去时间框架内叙述多个事件,只要时间顺序通过上下文已清晰,通常一律用一般过去时,除非特别需要强调 "更早的过去"。

• ✓ Their grades overtook... and continued to widen.(都用一般过去时) ✗ Their grades had overtaken... and continued to widen.(过度使用过去完成时) 叙述过去事件序列时,时间顺序已明确时通常用一般过去时,不必用过去完成时。