托福閱讀部分是考生最有希望拿高分甚至是滿分的科目，而長難句作為閱讀部分的一大障礙，也讓諸多考生在此處失分。那么長難句的“難”體現在哪里呢?

主要有三點：1.句子長，長度超過30單詞的長句在每篇文章中保持在10句左右;2.概念難，句中往往含有很多“詭異”的陌生學術概念;3.結構異，英文中的特定語法結構如倒裝，強調，修飾語后置等等。

快速理解復雜長難句是托福閱讀考試得分最重要的能力。比較近10年來的考試難度，最明顯的趨勢就是句子結構的復雜冗長程度明顯遞增。縱觀文章閱讀考察的幾個層次可發現：比句子微觀的單詞含義理解，只要認真準備就不是難點;比句子宏觀的段落含義理解，弄懂主旨往往不難。而相對地，長難句的閱讀相對需要更多技巧，考場上經常出現反復多遍閱讀仍不能理解句子大意的情況，從而成為了閱讀理解和得分的瓶頸。

接下來我們從句子結構、翻譯、分句等方面來進行一些長難句實例解析。

1. The end of the nineteenth century and the early years of the twentieth century were marked by the development of an international Art Nouveau style, characterized by sinuous lines, floral and vegetable motifs, and soft evanescent coloration.

(特殊結構 marked by...——以...為標志、characterized by...——特征是)

19 世紀末與 20 世紀早期以一種國際新藝術風格的發展為標志，這一藝術風格的特征是：線條彎曲，以花卉和果蔬為主題，顏色柔和飄逸。

分句 1: The end of the nineteenth century and the early years of the twentieth century were

分句 2: marked by the development of an international Art Nouveau style

分句 3: characterized by sinuous lines, floral and vegetable motifs, and soft evanescent coloration.

2 和 3 并列 ，1 和 2、3 嵌套

2. Although its influence continued throughout the mid 1920’s, it was eventually to be overtaken by a new school of thought known as Functionalism that had been present since the turn of the century.

(特殊結構 known as...——被稱為)

盡管其影響在整個20世紀20年代中期繼續存在，但最終還是被世紀之交以來就存在的新的思想流派 —— 功能主義所替代。

分句 1: Although its influence continued throughout the mid 1920’s

分句 2: it was eventually to be overtaken by anew school of thought known as Functionalism

分句 3: that had been present since the turnoff the century.

1 和 2 并列， 2 和 3 嵌套

3. This new design concept, coupled with the sharp postwar reactions to the styles and conventions of the preceding decades, created an entirely new public taste which caused Art Nouveau types of glass to fall out of favor.

(特殊結構 coupled with...——加上)

這一新的設計概念，加上戰后對過去數十年風格與傳統的強烈反應，產生了一種全新的公眾品味,使得新藝術類型的玻璃不再受人歡迎。

分句 1: This new design concept

分句 2: coupled with the sharp postwar reactions to the styles and conventions of the preceding decades, created an entirely new public taste

分句 3: which caused Art Nouveau types of glass to fall out of favor.

1 和 2 并列 ，2 和 3 嵌套

4. Although leaders are often thought to be people with unusual personal ability. decades of research have failed to produce consistent evidence that there is any category of “natural leaders.”

(同位語從句 evidence that...)

盡管領袖常被人認為是個人能力非比尋常的人，但是數十年的研究迄今未能提供一致的證據表明存在任何“天然領袖”類型。

分句 1: Although leaders are often thought to be people with unusual personal ability

分句 2: decades of research have failed to produce consistent evidence

分句 3: that there is any category of “natural leaders.”

1 和 2 并列 ，2 和 3 嵌套

5. Furthermore, although it is commonly supposed that social groups have a single leader, research suggests that there are typically two different leader ship roles that are held by different individuals.

(復合句)

而且，盡管一般人認為社會團體只有一位領袖，但是研究表明通常存在由不同個體擔任的兩個不同的領導角色。

分句 1: Furthermore, although it is commonly supposed that social groups have a single leader

分句 2: research suggests

分句 3: that there are typically two different leader ship roles that are held by different individuals.

1 和 2 并列 ，2 和 3 嵌套

6. Expressive leaders are less concerned with the overall goals of the group than with providing emotional support to group members and attempting to minimize tension and conflict among them.

(特殊結構 less...than...——較少...較多...)

善于表達的領袖較少注重團體的整體目標，較多注重為團體成員提供情感支持，并盡力減少內部紛爭和沖突。

分句 1: Expressive leaders are less concerned with the overall goals of the group

分句 2: than with providing emotional support to group members

分句 3: and attempting to minimize tension and conflict among them

1 和 2、3 并列， 2 和 3 并列

7.Equally important is the fact that the execution of multiple—step tasks is accomplished in a series—parallel sequence.

(倒裝句)

同樣重要的是一個事實：多步任務是按照系列—平行序列完成的。

分句 1: Equally important is the fact

分句 2: that the execution of multiple — step tasks is accomplished in a series — parallel sequence

1 和 2 嵌套

8. But these factors do not account for the interesting question of how there came to be such a concentration of pregnant ichthyosaurs in a particular place very close to their time of giving birth.

(Of 結構作定語: of how there came to be such a concentration of pregnant ichthyosaurs...)

但這些因素并不能解釋這個有趣的問題：為何在一個特定的地點會如此集中地出現即將臨產的懷孕魚龍群。

分句 1: But these factors do not account for the interesting question

分句 2: of how there came to be such a concentration of pregnant ichthyosaurs in a particular place very close to their time of giving birth

分句 1 是嵌套分句，分句 2 是 of 結構作后置定語修飾說明 question 的內容。

9. In the seventeenth century the organ, the clavichord, and the harpsichord became the chief instruments of the key board group, a supremacy they maintained until the piano supplanted them at the end of the eighteenth century.

(同位語 a supremacy)

17 世紀時風琴、敲弦琴和撥弦琴成為鍵盤樂器類的主要成員，這種至高無上的地位一直由它們保持，直到 18 世紀末被鋼琴所取代。

分句 1: In the seventeenth century the organ, the clavichord, and the harpsichord became the chief instruments of the key board group,

分句 2: a supremacy they maintained until the piano supplanted them at the end of the eighteenth century

分句 2 是分句 1 的同位語從句，用來修飾說明分句 1 中的 the chief instruments of the keyboard group

10. A series of mechanical improvements continuing well into the nineteenth century, including the introduction of pedals to sustain tone or to soften it, the perfection of a metal frame and steel wire of the finest quality, finally produced an instrument capable of myriad tonal effects from the most delicate harmonies to an almost orchestral fullness of sound, from a liquid, singing tone to a sharp, percussive brilliance.

(介詞結構 from...to...作定語)

持續到19 世紀的一系列機械上的改進，包括引入踏板以維持音調或使其柔和，改善金屬框架，以及使用最佳性能的鋼絲，最終產生了一種具備無數音調效果的樂器 —— 這些效果涵蓋了從最精致的和聲到幾乎全部的管弦樂音響，從明快流暢的吟唱音調到尖銳的打擊樂器的恢弘氣氛。

分句 1: A series of mechanical improvements continuing well into the nineteenth century

分句 2: including the introduction of pedals to sustain tone or to soften it

分句 3: the perfection of a metal frame and steel wire of the finest quality

分句 4: finally produced an instrument capable of myriad tonal effects

分句 5: from the most delicate harmonies to an almost orchestral fullness of sound

分句 6: from a liquid, singing tone to a sharp, percussive brilliance

本句的真正的主句結構其實是由分句1和分句4構成，即 A series of mechanical improvements continuing well into the nineteenth century finally produced an instrument capable of myriad tonal effects;

分句2和分句3并列修飾，說明分句1中的 A series of mechanical improvements;

而分句5和分句6并列，修飾說明了分句4中的 an instrument capable of myriad tonal effects