由制成,可以用be made from和be made of两个词组来表达。但be made from一般指制成品已看不出原材料是什么,而be made of可以看出该物品由什么材料制成的。如:
1) Paper is made from some plants. (纸是由某些植物制成的。)
2) This beer is made from grain. (这种啤酒是用粮食酿制的。)
3) The houses were made of brick. (这类房子是砖造的。)
4) This toy is made of cotton. (这个玩具是布做的。)
4. Scientists know that the combination of extreme heat and pressure changes carbon into diamonds.
extreme在句中做形容词用,意思是极度的,如:
1) Extreme cold can wake a hibernating1 animal. (极度的寒冷能使正在冬眠的动物苏醒。)
2) They will have to endure extreme discomfort2 in winter. (冬季时,他们将不能不忍受极度的不适。)
changeinto意思是把转变为,如:
1) Water changes into vapour when heated. (水加热后转变为蒸气。)
2) Go to the bank and you can easily change these dollars into RMB. (你去银行就能比较容易地把这类USD换成人民币。)
5. Such heat and pressure exist only in the hot, liquid mass of molten rock deep inside the earth.
请注意such与so之间的不同使用方法。such后面接名词,而so后面接形容词或副词。如:
1) I don't believe he could make such a mistake. (我相信他不会犯如此的错误的。)
2) How can you go out on such a rainy day? (在这种雨天里,你如何能外出?)
3) He spoke3 so fast that I couldn't follow. (他说话太快,我听不懂。)
4) I'm so glad you could come. (你能来我真开心。)
mass在本句中的意思是(聚成一体的)团、块,譬如:
1) a mass of hot air(一团热气)
2) a mass of sand(一堆沙)
3) Rain occurs when a mass of warm air is laden4 with water. (一团云聚集很多的水蒸气就形成了雨。)
Mass也可以做形容词用,意思是群众的、很多的,如:
1) a mass meeting (群众大会)
2) mass education (大众教育)
3) mass media (大众传媒)
4) Mass production could very well cut the cosplayt. (大规模生产可以减少本钱。)
6. It is thought that millions of years ago this liquid mass pushed upward through cracks in the earth's crust.
It is thought that是一个非常常见的句型,类似的句型在英语中不少,譬如:
1) It is / was, has been, reported that
2) It is / was, has been, stated that
3) It is / was, has been, pointed5 out that
4) It is / was, has been, mentioned that
5) It is / was, has been, believed that
7. A. There are only four areas where very many diamonds have been formed.
B. The first known area was in India, where diamonds were found thousands of years ago.
定语从句可分为限定性定语从句和非限定性定语从句。A句是限定性定语从句,B句是非限定性定语从句。A、B两句中都是用关系副词where来引导定语从句,修饰表示地址的名词。请看下面的句子,注意限定性定语从句一般不需要逗号隔开:
1) Is there a shop around where we can get some fruit? (附近有哪些商店可以买到水果吗?)
2) This is the place where we met yesterday. (这是大家昨天碰头的地方。)
3) The small town, where he once worked, has turned to be a modern city. (他过去工作过的那座小城,已经变成现代化的城市了。)
8. In the 1600's(十七世纪)
In the 1720's(十八世纪二十年代)
In the 1800's(十九世纪)
请注意年代的表达办法,以上的年代也可以表达为in the 1600s; in the 1720s; in the 1800s.假如大家要表达在十七世纪初(中、末)期,则可以说in the early(mid, late) 1600's/1600s.
9. Diamonds became very popular with the kings and queens of Europe.
become / be popular with / among是一个常用词组,意思是受青睐,请看下面的句子:
1) These Chinese handicrafts are very popular with foreign friends. (这类中国工艺品非常受外国朋友的喜欢。)
2) His novels are popular among young people. (他的小说非常受青年的喜欢。)
3) Classical music is popular among more and more people. (古典音乐遭到愈加多的人的喜欢。)
10. India's supply of diamonds was finally running out after 2,500 yeas of mining the stones.
Supply在句子中做名词用,意思是提供。Supply常常可以做动词用,意思是供给,提供。请看下面的句子:
1) Economic stability6 can be reached if demand and supply are in balance. (假如供应求购关系平衡的话,就能达成经济的稳定。)
2) Many materials are in short supply. (很多材料提供不足。)
3) The increasing world population will put a strain on food supply. (不断增长的世界人口将对粮食提供带来重负。)
4) You have to supply him with an answer. (你得给他提供一个答案。)
5) Most towns are supplied with tap-water and electricity. (大部分城镇都有自来水和电力提供。)
run out是一个常用词组,意思是用完,用尽。请看例句:
1) Time is running out. We have to hurry. (时间马上就到了,大家得快点。)
2) My patience is running out. (我快要耐不住了。)
3) His luck seemed to have run out. (他的好运好像结束了。)
大家也可以用run out来表达类似的意思,但run out of的主语应该是某人。如:
1) They have run out of money, so they have to find a job. (他们钱用完了,所以得找一份工作。)
2) I have run out of ink. (我的墨水用完了。)
11. People would pick up handfuls of gravel7 from the bottom of the streams and sort out the diamonds.
-ful一般加在名词后面,构成形容词,如care-careful,help-helpful.而本句中的handful是一个名词,意思是一把,在单词部分,大家已经提到过,英语中有不少如此的词,如:
1) He gave me a basketful of beaches. (他给了我满满一篮子桃子。)
2) She put a spoonful of salt in the soup. (她往汤里撒了满满一勺盐。)
3) Tom is carrying an armful of books. (汤姆抱着一捆书。)
sort out是一个常用词组,意思是整理,分类,如:
1) Sort out those of bigger size and put them in a box. (把大点的整理出来,放在盒子里。)
2) It took quite a while to sort out all our luggage. (把大家所有些行李整理好花了不少时间。)
bottom在句子中做名词用,意思是底部。bottom还有尽头、末端的意思。请看例句:
1) There is some deposit8 in the bottom of the teapot. (茶壶底部有的沉淀物。)
2) At the bottom of the mountain, there is a beautiful village. (在山脚下有个漂亮的村子。)
3) I felt grateful to you from the bottom of my heart. (我衷心地感谢你。)
4) Bottoms up. (干杯。)
12. These diamonds were probably carried from where they were formed to India by great sheets of moving ice that covered parts of the earth 20,000 years ago.
where they were formed是where引出的名词性从句,作介词from的宾语。请看下面的句子:
1) He didn't say anything about where the accident took place. (他对事故在什么地方发生的只字未提。)
2) She hasn't made up her mind as to where she should go for the holiday. (她还没决定到什么地方去度假。)