2025年12月英语六级第1套真题句子解析： New research looked at people who increased their exercise levels after their 40s beyond levels they had when they were younger and those individuals showed declines in their risk of early mortality which were similar to those of people who exercised consistently throughout their lives.

looked at (短语动词)

looked at

"looked at" 在此处是短语动词,表示 "研究、调查、考察"。在学术写作中,这是一个常见但较为非正式的表达方式,相当于 "examined"、"investigated" 或 "studied"。这个短语动词由动词 "look" 加介词 "at" 构成,但其整体含义并非字面意思 "看",而是引申为 "关注、研究"。在四六级和考研阅读中,"look at" 作为 "研究" 义出现的频率很高,尤其在描述科学研究、调查报告时。中文学习者容易只记住其基本义 "看",而忽略其在学术语境中的专门用法。

• ✓ The study looked at the effects of exercise. (研究考察了运动的影响) ✗ The study saw/watched the effects of exercise. 在学术语境中表示 "研究" 时,应使用 "look at" 而非 "see" 或 "watch"。

increased their exercise levels (动宾搭配)

increased their exercise levels

"increase + exercise levels" 是表示 "提高运动水平/运动量" 的标准搭配。"level" 在此处指 "水平、程度、量","exercise levels" 指运动的频率、强度或持续时间的综合量度。这个搭配在健康、医学类文章中高频出现。中文学习者可能会受母语影响,说成 "increase exercise" 或 "increase the amount of exercise",虽然语法正确,但 "increase exercise levels" 更地道、更简洁。类似的搭配还有 "activity levels"(活动水平)、"fitness levels"(健身水平)等。

• ✓ They increased their exercise levels significantly. ✗ They increased their exercise significantly. (虽可接受,但不够地道) 在正式的健康研究语境中,"exercise levels" 是更标准的表达。

beyond levels (比较结构)

beyond levels they had when they were younger

"beyond" 在此处表示 "超过、超出",引出比较基准。"beyond levels they had..." 构成比较结构,意为 "超过他们年轻时的水平"。"beyond" 作为介词,后接名词 "levels",该名词又带有定语从句 "they had when they were younger" 进行修饰,说明具体是什么 "levels"。这种 "beyond + 名词 + 定语" 的结构在表达 "超越某个参照标准" 时非常常见。中文学习者容易误用 "more than" 或 "over",但 "beyond" 在此语境中更强调 "突破、超越" 的含义,而非单纯的数量比较。

• ✓ Their performance went beyond expectations. ✗ Their performance went more than expectations. (不地道) 表示 "超越" 某个标准或预期时,"beyond" 比 "more than" 更恰当。

showed declines in (动宾搭配)

showed declines in

"show declines in" 是 "显示出...方面的下降" 的标准搭配。"show" 在此处不是 "展示" 的字面义,而是 "表现出、呈现出" 的意思,常用于描述研究结果、数据趋势。"decline" 作名词,表示 "下降、减少","in" 引出下降的具体方面(这里是 "risk of early mortality")。这个搭配在医学、社会科学研究中极为常见。中文学习者可能会说 "have declines" 或 "get declines",但 "show" 在学术语境中是最标准的动词选择,强调 "数据/研究显示" 的客观性。

• ✓ The data showed declines in unemployment rates. ✗ The data had/got declines in unemployment rates. 在描述研究结果、数据趋势时,"show" 是最标准的动词,体现客观呈现。

early mortality (专业术语搭配)

early mortality

"early mortality" 是医学和公共卫生领域的专业术语,指 "过早死亡、早死"。"mortality" 本身就是 "死亡率、死亡" 的正式/学术用语,"early" 限定其发生的时间,特指在预期寿命之前的死亡。这个搭配在健康研究文献中是固定用法。中文学习者可能会受母语影响说 "early death",虽然意思相近,但 "early mortality" 是学术写作的标准表达,更正式、更专业。类似的术语还有 "premature mortality"(同义)、"infant mortality"(婴儿死亡率)等。

• ✓ Smoking increases the risk of early mortality. ✗ Smoking increases the risk of early death. (可接受但不够正式) 在学术或医学语境中,"mortality" 比 "death" 更正式、更专业。

similar to (比较结构)

which were similar to those of people

"similar to" 是表示 "与...相似" 的标准比较结构。"similar" 是形容词,必须与介词 "to" 搭配使用,不能单独使用或与其他介词搭配。在本句中,"which were similar to those" 构成比较,"those" 是代词,指代前文的 "declines",避免重复。这个结构在学术写作中用于呈现对比发现时极为常见。中文学习者的典型错误是受母语影响说 "similar with" 或 "similar as",这在英语中是不成立的。

• ✓ The results were similar to previous findings. ✗ The results were similar with/as previous findings. "similar" 只能与 "to" 搭配,不能用 "with" 或 "as"。
• ✓ Their approach is similar to ours. ✗ Their approach is similar like ours. 不要混淆 "similar to" 和 "like",虽然都表示相似,但语法结构不同。

after their 40s (时间表达)

after their 40s

"after their 40s" 表示 "在他们40多岁之后",是描述人生年龄段的惯用表达。"40s" 指40到49岁这个十年,前面加 "after" 表示这个年龄段之后,即50岁及以上。英语中用 "one's + 整十数复数" 来表示某个十年年龄段,如 "in their 20s"(在20多岁时)、"during their 30s"(在30多岁期间)。中文学习者容易漏掉复数 "s",或者不理解为何要用所有格 "their"。这个表达在描述生命历程、健康变化等话题时非常常见。

• ✓ She started her business in her 30s. ✗ She started her business in her 30. / She started her business in 30s. 必须用复数形式 "30s" 且前面需要所有格 "her"。

those individuals (指代与代词使用)

those individuals

"those individuals" 在此处是明确的指代表达,"those" 指代前文提到的 "people who increased their exercise levels after their 40s beyond levels they had when they were younger"。使用 "those" 而非 "these" 是因为指代的对象在前文已出现,有一定距离感。"individuals" 与 "people" 同义,但在学术写作中交替使用以避免重复,"individuals" 相对更正式。这种用代词和同义词避免重复的技巧在英语写作中非常重要。中文学习者容易过度重复同一词汇,或者不理解 "those" 与 "these" 的指代区别。

• ✓ Some students passed; those students received awards. (指代前文提到的) ✗ Some students passed; these students received awards. (these 通常指近距离或后文将提到的) "those" 用于指代前文已提到且有一定距离的对象;"these" 用于指代近距离或即将提到的对象。

throughout their lives (时间范围表达)

throughout their lives

"throughout their lives" 表示 "在他们的整个一生中、终生","throughout" 是介词,表示 "贯穿、遍及" 的意思,强调时间或空间的全程覆盖。这个表达在描述持续性行为、长期模式时非常常用。中文学习者可能会混淆 "throughout"、"through" 和 "during":"through" 强调从头到尾的穿越过程,"during" 只表示在某段时间内(不强调全程),而 "throughout" 特别强调 "整个期间、始终"。在本句中,用 "throughout" 强调这些人一生都保持运动习惯,与前面 "40岁后才增加运动" 的人形成对比。

• ✓ She worked throughout the night. (整晚都在工作) ✗ She worked during the night. (只表示在晚上的某段时间工作,不强调整晚) "throughout" 强调全程、始终,"during" 只表示在某时间段内,不强调是否覆盖全程。

句子整体逻辑结构 (对比与因果)

New research looked at people who increased their exercise levels after their 40s and those individuals showed declines in their risk which were similar to those of people who exercised consistently throughout their lives

本句的逻辑核心是呈现一个研究发现:通过对比两组人(40岁后才增加运动的人 vs. 一生都保持运动的人),发现前者的早死风险下降程度与后者相似。句子用 "and" 连接两个并列的主要信息:研究对象(looked at people who...)和研究结果(those individuals showed...)。结果部分又用关系代词 "which" 引出更具体的对比(similar to those of people who...)。整个句子的信息推进逻辑是:研究对象 → 研究发现 → 发现的具体对比内容。这种 "对比两组、呈现相似结果" 的逻辑结构在医学、社会科学研究报道中极为典型。理解这个逻辑层次对于抓住句子主旨至关重要。

代词 those 的双重指代 (语法难点)

those individuals those of people

本句中 "those" 出现两次,但指代对象不同,这是中文学习者容易混淆的地方。第一个 "those individuals" 中的 "those" 指代前文的 "people who increased their exercise levels...",是完整的名词性指代。第二个 "those of people" 中的 "those" 指代 "declines"(前文提到的 "declines in their risk of early mortality"),是为了避免重复而使用的替代词,相当于 "the declines"。这种在同一句中用同一个代词指代不同对象的情况在英语中很常见,但对中文学习者来说需要根据上下文仔细判断。理解这两个 "those" 的不同指代是读懂本句对比逻辑的关键。

• ✓ 理解第一个 those = people who...,第二个 those = declines ✗ 误以为两个 those 指代相同的对象 需要根据语法位置和上下文判断代词的具体指代对象。

长距离修饰的理解 (阅读难点)

people who increased their exercise levels after their 40s beyond levels they had when they were younger

这个名词短语的修饰层次非常复杂:"people" 是中心词,后面跟了一个很长的定语 "who increased their exercise levels after their 40s beyond levels they had when they were younger"。在这个定语中,"beyond levels" 后面又跟了一个定语 "they had when they were younger" 来修饰 "levels"。这种多层嵌套的修饰结构在英语长难句中很典型,但对中文学习者来说,阅读时容易因为修饰语太长而丢失主干、混淆层次关系。正确的理解顺序应该是:先找到中心词 "people",再理解他们做了什么(increased exercise levels),然后理解增加的程度(beyond levels they had...),最后理解这个参照标准的时间(when they were younger)。掌握从中心词向外层层剥离修饰语的阅读策略,对于应对考试中的长难句至关重要。

• ✓ 先找中心词 people,再层层剥离修饰成分 ✗ 从头到尾线性阅读,导致读到后面忘了主语是什么 对于长距离修饰,应该先定位核心结构,再补充修饰细节。

risk of 搭配 (固定搭配)

risk of early mortality

"risk of" 是表示 "...的风险" 的固定搭配,"of" 后接具体的风险内容(名词或动名词)。这个搭配在医学、健康、金融、安全等领域极为高频。中文学习者的常见错误包括:1) 受中文 "...的风险" 影响,误用 "risk for";2) 不确定 "of" 后面该接什么形式,比如是否要加冠词。正确的用法是 "risk of + 名词/动名词",如 "risk of disease"、"risk of dying"、"risk of infection"。当风险内容是特定的、可数的事物时,可以加冠词,如 "risk of a heart attack";当风险内容是抽象的、不可数的概念时,通常不加冠词,如本句的 "risk of early mortality"。

• ✓ the risk of cancer, the risk of losing money ✗ the risk for cancer, the risk to lose money "risk" 后面必须用介词 "of",后接名词或动名词,不能用 "for" 或不定式。