四级阅读理解难，难在长难句。如何破解长难句，是做好四级阅读理解的关键一环。破解长难句通常采用方法是找准主谓宾去除定状补，笔者认为，抓住长难句特点进行庖丁解牛是破解四级阅读理解长难句的又一制胜法宝。 四级阅读理解长难句有以下六大特点：
1、 主语拉长
一般来讲，汉语主语比较简短。相比之下，英语中主语一旦拉长，就会增加读者的理解难度。
解决方法：有效分解主谓成分，断开之后各个击破。例如：
The streams, lakes, meadows(草地）, mountain ridges and foreststhatmake the Poconos an ideal place for balck bears have alsoattractedmore people to the region. （2005.6）
首先，把原句子分解为两个简单独立的句子
：
（1）The streams, lakes, meadows(草地）, mountain ridges andforeststhat make the Poconos an ideal place forbalckbears溪流、湖泊、草地、山脉、森林，使得Pocono成为黑熊理想的栖息地
（2）have also attracted more people to theregion.吸引了越来越多的人们来到这里。
其次，句子整合翻译：
溪流、湖泊、草地、山脉、森林，这些不仅使得Pocono成为黑熊理想的栖息地，而且吸引了越来越多的人们来到这里。
2、分词短语打头，句子呈现三段（或三段以上）的长句式
分词短语（包括现在分词和过去分词）做状语，这一句式比较常见，读者阅读时由于要区分短语和主语之间的逻辑关系，所以理解上有难度。并且分词短语本身往往由于掺入了插入语成分，理解上就更为困难。
解决方法：理清主动和被动关系。一般来说现在分词与主语之间是主动关系；而过去分词与主语之间是被动关系。
例如：
Operating out of a century-old schoolhouse inthevillage of Long Pond, Pennsylvanis, the Conservancy’s Bud Cook is working withlocalpeople and business leaders to balance economicgrowthenvironmental protection. （2005.6）
翻译：
在宾西法尼亚州的朗庞德村庄有一栋上百年历史的校舍，大自然保护协会的成员巴德-库克就在这里办公，他与当地人民和商业领导合作，以努力平衡好经济发展与环境保护之间的关系。
注意：介词短语位于句首类似分词短语形式。例如：
In a time of low academic achievement by children intheUnited States, many Americans are turning to Japan, a country of highacademicachievement and economic success, for possibleanswers.（2005.1）
翻译：
有一段时间，美国的儿童学业表现不尽如人意，许多人于是转向日本，想从中寻求可能的解决办法，因为日本不仅经济实力强，而且学术成就也很高。
特别注意不定式to
位于句首表目的，一定是考试重点。例如：
原文：To prepare children for successful careers infirstgrade and beyond,
Japanese schools do not teach reading, writing, andmathematics,but rather skills such as persistence, concentration,and theability to n as a mr of a group. （2005.1）
翻译：为了使孩子能在一年级和以后有良好的表现，日本的学校并不教授阅读、写作、和算数，而是教孩子们诸如毅力、注意力和群体合作能力等技巧。
考题：
In Japan’s preshcool education, the focus is on
A. preparing children academically B. developingchildren’sartistic interests
C. tapping children’s potential D. shapingchildren’scharacter作者: 幽幽草 时间: 2007-5-23 16:43 标题: 大学英语四级阅读理解长难句的六大特点(2)
Scratchy throats, stuffy noses and body aches all spellmisery,but being able to tell if the cause is a cold or flu(流感） maymake adifference in how long the misery lasts. （2005.1）
原文：Finally, other people may give us instrumental support—financial aid, material resources, and needed services—that reduces stress by helping us resolve and cope with our problems.
考题： Helping a sick neighbor with some repair work is an example of
A. instrumental support B. informational support
C. social companionship D. the strengthening of self-respect
（1） Cold symptoms such as stuffy nose, runny nose and scratchy throat typically develop gradually, and adults and teens often do not get a fever. （2005.1）
（2）And in general, flu symptoms including fever and chills, sore throat and body aches come on suddenly and are more severe than cold symptoms. （2005.1）
翻译：一般来说，流感症状包括发烧、发冷、喉咙发痒、浑身疼痛，比普通感冒的症状来得突然和猛烈。
☆注意：举例有时可以换成短语，如介词短语、不定式短语等等；还可以换成有两个破折号引起的插入语成分。例如：
It is 37 years later. Stokoe—now devoting his time to writing and editing books and jounals and to producing video materials on ASL and deaf culture—is having lunch at a café near the Gallaudet campus and explaining how he started a revolution.(2004.6)
To make matters worse for the government, it soon emerged that the Princess’s trip had been approved by the Foreign Office, and that she was in fact very well-informed about both the situation in Angola and the British government’s policy regarding landmines. (2004.6)
(1) To make matters worse for the government
(2) It soon emerged that the Princess’s trip had been approved by the Foreign Office.
(3) It soon emerged that she was in fact very well-informed about both the situation in Angola and the British government’s policy regarding landmines.
解决方法：分清主从句，理清句子逻辑关系至关重要。通常采用图表法。例如：
（1）Then there is the general, all covering apology, which avoids the necessity of identifying a specific act that was particularly hurtful or insulting, and which the person who is apologizing should promise never to do again. (2006.1)
结构图：
★①——☆①
○——○——
★②——☆②
说明：
○——○=then there is the general, all covering apology
★①=which avoids the necessity of identifying a specific act
★②= and which the person should promise never to do again
