1. As a result, it appeared to scientists on earth that the stars had moved.(P.4)因此,在地球上的科学家看来,恒星好像是移动了.

　　He found it hard to get along with the other boys.(P.2)他发现自己很难与其他的男孩相处.

　　问:老师,上面两个句子中的it用法是否相同?

　　答:不尽相同.第一句中的it代替that引导的真正的主语从句,在句中作形式主语,它常用于下列句型中,充当形式主语:

　　1)It is said(reported, believed, expected,thought, etc.)that...

　　2)It seems /appears (to sb.)that...

　　3)It is necessary(important, possible, strange, etc.)that...

　　4)It is a pity/shame that....例如:

　　It is said that he found in music the peace which was missing in a world full of wars and killings.(P.3)据说,他在音乐中找到了在一个充满战争与杀戮的世界上所失去的和平.

　　It is necessary that we pay close attention to SARS.对SARS予以密切关注很有必要.

　　第二句中的it指代其后的不定式短语,在句中作形式宾语.它往往用在find, think, consider, suppose, feel, make等动词后,代替真正宾语(不定式短语),且常接形容词或名词作其宾补.例如:

　　The dusty air makes it difficult to get a clear picture of space.(P.10)大气中的尘埃使得获取太空的清晰图像成了一件难事.

　　He felt it a pity to miss watching the news.他因没能看上那条新闻感到很遗憾.

　　2. By the time he was fourteen years old, he had learned maths all by himself. (P.2)到十四岁时,他就已经自学了数学.

　　问:我们以前学过时间状语从句要用when, while, before, after等从属连词来引导,难道像by the time这样的短语也能引导时间状语从句吗?

　　答:引导时间状语从句除了用when,while, before, after等从属连词外,一些短语如the moment(minute, instant), every time, the next time, the last time, by the time等,以及immediately, directly, instantly等词都可以引导时间状语从句.例如:

　　Every time I saw him, he always devoted himself to his work.每次我见到他的时候,他都在全身心地工作.

　　The young lady rushed into the room immediately she heard the noise. (P.16)那位少妇一听见响声,就冲入了房间.

　　I'll play directly I have finished my homework.一做完作业我就去玩.

　　3. Einstein lived the rest of his life quietly in the USA. (P.2)爱因斯坦在美国安静地度过了他的余生.

　　问:显而易见,句中的lived并非不及物动词,因为它后面带着宾语the rest of his life,请问,live用作及物动词时,其意义何在?须注意什么?

　　答:live既可作及物动词也可作不及物动词.作不及物动词时,含"生存,居住"之义;作及物动词时,意为"过活,生活",常常接life作其同源宾语,类似的词还有die, smile,dream等.例如:

　　The Chinese people are living a happy life.中国人如今过上了幸福生活.

　　Liu Hulan died a glorious death.刘胡兰死得光荣.

　　4. Such was Albert Einstein, a simple man. (P.3)爱因斯坦就是这样的人,一个纯朴的人.

　　问:此句中的such不知作何用法,请解释一下好吗?

　　答:好的.我们以前学过such作形容词,词意为"如此的",它既能修饰可数名词又能修饰不可数名词.而此句中的such并非形容词,而是指示代词,置于句首时,构成倒装结构:Such+be+主语.意为"这样/这些就是……",其谓语动词的数取决于后面主语的数.例如:

　　Such is his teaching style.这就是他的教学风格.

　　Such are our thoughts.这些就是我们的所思所想.

　　Such are his habits.这些就是他的爱好.

　　5. It's too wet to go walking around London. (P.7)太潮湿了,不宜在伦敦周围散步.

　　问:too...to...结构永远含否定意义吗?与它同义的词组还有哪些?

　　答:同学们万万不可形成这样的思维定势,而应视具体的句子来判别其肯定或否定含义.例如:

　　He got up too late to catch the first bus to Hangzhou.他起得太迟了,没赶上开往杭州的头班车.

　　She worked too hard to be admitted into Beijing University.她学习十分刻苦,结果考上了北京大学.

　　与其同义的词组或表达方式还有so...as (not) to...和adj./adv. +enough +(not) to....所以,以上两句可改为:He got up so late as not to /late enough not to catch the first bus to Hangzhou.

　　She worked so hard /hard enough to be admitted into Beijing University.

　　6. Do come in. (P.13)进来!

　　问:本句中的do是助动词吗?

　　答:do是助动词,还有does和did等形式,常用于否定句和疑问句中.用于肯定句时,表示强调,常译为"务必,的确".若强调的是现在时,则用do或does;若强调的是过去时,则用did,其后均须跟动词原形,并且要将其重读.

　　例如:

　　Do come earlier tomorrow.明天务必要早点来.

　　Her niece did see a snake yesterday.她侄女昨天的确看见过一条蛇.

　　7. It's time I went and picked up my little girl from school.(P.13)到我去学校接我的小女儿的时间了.

　　问:根据动作发生的时间是将来,应该用将来时态,不知为什么却用的是过去时态?

　　答:It's (high)time (that)...这个句型中要用虚拟语气,其谓语动词可用过去式或should +动词原形.例如:

　　It's time (that) we watered the flowers.我们该给这些花浇水了.

　　It's (high) time (that) your baby should go to bed.你的宝贝该睡觉了.

　　8. The problem with looking into space from the earth is that there is a lot of dust in the earth's air.从地球上观察太空存在一个问题,那就是地球的大气中有大量的尘埃.

　　问:句中的介词with可以用of或about来代替吗?

　　答:不可以.the problem with...可以说是一个固定结构,一般不用其它介词来代替;with用在这里表"就……而言、在……方面",可以构成the problem with sth. / sb.和the problem with doing sth..例如:

　　The main problem with me is that I have not learned enough words by heart.我的主要问题是我还没有记住足够的单词.

　　The problem with studying physics is that he is too poor at maths.学习物理上的问题,是他的数学太差了.

　　(文/李英旭《英语通》高二版2004年第2期；版权归英语辅导报社所有，独家网络合作伙伴新浪教育，未经许可，不得以任何形式进行转载。)