2017年6月英语四级第2套真题句子解析： But carrots got their biggest boost during the two world wars, when food shortages forced people to eat them, and governments told everyone how healthy carrots were.

get one's boost (获得推动/提升)

got their biggest boost

"get a boost" 是常见固定搭配,表示"获得推动力、得到提升、受到促进"。"boost" 作名词时指推动力、激励、增长。"biggest boost" 强调程度最大的推动。这个搭配在描述事物发展、popularity增长时极为常用,如 "The economy got a boost from exports"(经济因出口得到提振)。注意 "boost" 既可作名词也可作动词,本句中是名词用法。该搭配的核心语义是"外力推动下的增长或改善",常与 "from" 搭配说明推动来源,但本句用 "during" 说明时间背景。

• ✓ The project got a boost from the new funding. ✗ The project got a push from the new funding. 虽然 "push" 也有推动之意,但 "get a boost" 是更地道、更常用的固定搭配,强调积极的促进作用。
• ✓ Sales got their biggest boost during the holiday season. ✗ Sales got their biggest boosting during the holiday season. "boost" 在此作名词,不能用动名词形式 "boosting"。

force sb. to do sth. (迫使某人做某事)

forced people to eat them

"force sb. to do sth." 是核心搭配,表示"迫使、强迫某人做某事",强调外力压迫下的非自愿行为。该结构中 "force" 是使役动词,后接宾语 + 不定式。本句中 "food shortages"(食物短缺)作主语,将其拟人化为施力者,"forced people to eat them"(迫使人们吃胡萝卜)突出战时物资匮乏导致的别无选择。这个搭配在表达被动、无奈的情境时极为常用,如 "The storm forced us to cancel the trip"(暴风雨迫使我们取消旅行)。注意区分 "force" 与 "make":"force" 强调强制性和外力,"make" 语气相对中性。

• ✓ The deadline forced me to work overtime. ✗ The deadline forced me work overtime. "force sb. to do" 中的 "to" 不可省略,这是固定结构。
• ✓ They were forced to leave by the war. ✗ They were forced leaving by the war. 被动语态中仍保持 "to do" 结构,不能用动名词。

during + 时间段(在...期间)

during the two world wars

"during" 是介词,表示"在...期间",后接时间段名词,强调某事发生在该时间范围内。"during the two world wars"(在两次世界大战期间)明确指出胡萝卜流行的历史背景。注意 "during" 与 "in" 的区别:"during" 强调整个时间段内发生的事,"in" 更侧重时间点或较短时段。"during" 后必须接具体的时间段(如 "during the meeting", "during summer"),不能接时间点。本句用 "during" 突出战争这一持续时期对饮食习惯的长期影响。

• ✓ He fell asleep during the lecture. ✗ He fell asleep in the lecture. 表示"在讲座进行的期间"应用 "during","in" 更多表示"在讲座里(地点)"或泛指时段。
• ✓ We met several times during the project. ✗ We met several times during five months. "during" 后接具体事件或时期名称,单纯的时长数字应用 "for"(for five months)。

when引导时间背景与并列因果

when food shortages forced people to eat them, and governments told everyone how healthy carrots were

本句中 "when" 引导的部分交代了 "got their biggest boost" 的时间背景与原因,展现出时间与因果的双重逻辑关系。"when" 引出的两个并列动作 "forced"(迫使)和 "told"(告知)通过 "and" 连接,共同构成胡萝卜流行的两大推手:一是物质匮乏的客观强制,二是政府宣传的主观引导。这种 "when A, and B" 结构在叙事性文本中常用,既标明时间,又暗含因果(正是因为A和B,所以前文的事发生了)。注意此处 "when" 并非单纯的时间状语,而是将时间、原因、背景融为一体的复杂表达。

• ✓ Sales increased when prices dropped and advertising improved. ✗ Sales increased because when prices dropped and advertising improved. "when" 已含有时间与因果双重含义,前面不需再加 "because"。

food shortages (食物短缺)

food shortages

"food shortages" 是名词短语,表示"食物短缺、粮食匮乏",是 "shortage"(短缺、不足)的常见搭配之一。"shortage" 作可数名词时常与具体物资名词搭配,如 "water shortage"(水资源短缺)、"labor shortage"(劳动力短缺)。本句中复数形式 "shortages" 暗示战时食物短缺是持续的、多方面的现象。该词组在历史、经济、社会问题类文章中高频出现,是描述资源匮乏的标准表达。注意 "shortage" 强调"不足、缺少",与 "lack"(缺乏)语义相近但 "shortage" 更正式,常用于客观描述物资供需失衡。

• ✓ The country faced severe food shortages. ✗ The country faced severe food lackings. "lacking" 不是名词,表示短缺应用 "shortage" 或 "lack"。

tell sb. sth. / tell sb. how... (告诉某人某事/如何...)

told everyone how healthy carrots were

"tell sb. sth." 是基础动词搭配,表示"告诉某人某事"。本句使用 "tell sb. how..." 的变体,即告诉某人"某事如何、怎样"。"told everyone how healthy carrots were" 中,"how healthy" 引导的间接问句作 "told" 的宾语内容,表示政府告知民众胡萝卜有多健康。注意 "how + 形容词" 结构在间接引语中保持陈述语序("how healthy carrots were",而非疑问语序 "how healthy were carrots")。这种 "tell sb. how + adj./adv." 结构在说明、劝说、宣传类语境中极为常用,如 "He told me how important it was"(他告诉我这有多重要)。

• ✓ She told me how difficult the exam was. ✗ She told me how difficult was the exam. 间接引语中保持陈述语序,不用疑问语序倒装。
• ✓ They told us how useful the tool would be. ✗ They told to us how useful the tool would be. "tell" 是双宾动词,直接接人作宾语,不加 "to"(区别于 "say to sb.")。

healthy (健康的;有益健康的)

how healthy carrots were

"healthy" 在此作形容词,表示"有益健康的、健康的"。注意 "healthy" 有两个主要含义:一是描述人或生物"身体健康"(如 "a healthy child"),二是描述食物、习惯等"有利于健康、有营养"(如 "healthy food")。本句中 "healthy carrots" 属于后者,指胡萝卜是有益健康的食物。中文学习者易混淆 "healthy"(健康的、有益健康的)和 "health"(名词:健康),或误用 "healthful"(较古旧的"有益健康的"说法,现代英语中 "healthy" 已涵盖此义)。在现代用法中,"healthy" 可修饰食物、生活方式等,是更通用的选择。

• ✓ Eating vegetables is healthy. ✗ Eating vegetables is health. "health" 是名词,作表语需用形容词 "healthy"。
• ✓ This is a healthy diet. ✗ This is a healthful diet. 现代英语中 "healthy" 已取代 "healthful",后者显得古旧,日常应用 "healthy"。

并列结构:forced...and told... (两个并列动作)

forced people to eat them, and governments told everyone

本句在 "when" 引导的部分中使用并列连词 "and" 连接两个动作:"food shortages forced people to eat them" 和 "governments told everyone how healthy carrots were"。这种并列结构将两个独立的动作并置,共同构成同一时间背景下的两大推动因素。注意两个并列动作的主语不同("food shortages" 与 "governments"),但通过 "and" 连接后语义上形成合力,共同解释 "got their biggest boost" 的原因。这种 "A did X, and B did Y" 的并列结构在叙事和论证中常用,用于列举多个同时或相继发生的事件。注意逗号在 "and" 前是可选的,但当两个并列分句较长或主语不同时,加逗号有助于清晰性。

• ✓ Prices rose, and consumers started to complain. ✗ Prices rose and consumers started to complain (without comma when clauses are long). 当并列的独立分句较长或主语不同时,建议在 "and" 前加逗号以提高可读性。

代词 them 的指代 (指代 carrots)

eat them

代词 "them" 在此指代前文的 "carrots"(胡萝卜)。英语中代词用于避免重复,但需确保指代清晰。本句中 "them" 出现在句子后半部分,指代句首的 "carrots",跨度较大但语境明确。注意 "them" 是宾格代词,在此作 "eat" 的宾语。中文学习者需注意英语代词的格变化(主格 "they" vs. 宾格 "them"),且英语中代词使用频率远高于中文,不可逐字对应翻译(中文常重复名词,英语倾向用代词)。另外,当代词与先行词相距较远或中间出现其他名词时,需格外注意指代是否明确,避免歧义。

• ✓ I saw the carrots and bought them. ✗ I saw the carrots and bought they. 作宾语时用宾格 "them",不能用主格 "they"。

拟人化表达:food shortages forced... (物资短缺迫使...)

food shortages forced people

本句将 "food shortages"(食物短缺)作为主语,使用动词 "forced"(迫使),构成拟人化表达。从字面看,"shortages" 是抽象概念,本不能主动"迫使"他人,但此处通过拟人修辞,将物资匮乏这一客观现象人格化为一种"迫使人们行动的力量"。这种表达简洁有力,避免了冗长的因果解释(如 "because of food shortages, people were forced to..."),直接将原因转化为施动者,使叙述更生动、更具冲击力。拟人化在新闻、历史叙事中常见,用于强化事件的戏剧性与紧迫感,如 "The crisis forced the government to act"(危机迫使政府采取行动)。

biggest boost 的强调作用(最大的推动)

their biggest boost

"biggest" 是 "big" 的最高级,用于修饰 "boost",强调程度上的"最大、最强"。该表达突出两次世界大战时期对胡萝卜流行的推动作用达到了历史顶峰,暗示之前或之后都不及这一时期。最高级的使用在叙事与论证中具有强调与对比功能,将某一时期或事件从历史中凸显出来。注意 "biggest" 前的所有格 "their"(指 carrots 的)在语法上正确但略显非正式,正式书面语中可能写作 "the biggest boost for carrots" 或 "the greatest boost to carrots"。但该用法在现代英语中完全可接受,简洁自然。