分辨断句，找出主谓语
首先，我们要明确长句究竟在哪里断开，找到有用的，抛弃无用的。先来看看下面这个句子：Even in the best of circumstances, fierce competition from larger, more established companies makes it difficult for small concerns to broaden their customer bases: when such firms have nearly guaranteed orders from a single corporate benefactor, they may truly have to struggle against complacency arising from their current success.
在阅读时要注意辨别这些复杂修饰成分，找出真正的主语和谓语。很显然，这句话应该在冒号处断开，冒号后是对前半句的解释，所以在读在这句话时，我们不必把太多精力放在前半句上，而要着重理解后半句，这才是与文章内容相关的部分。整句话的复杂修饰成分包括介词短语in the best of circumstances, from larger, more established companies，以及不定式to broaden their customer bases，和现在分词arising from their current success.
去掉复杂修饰成分
再来看一个复杂修饰成分为从句的例子：Civil rights activists have long argued that one of the principal reasons why Blacks, Hispanics, and other minority groups have difficulty establishing themselves in business is that they lack access to the sizable orders and subcontracts that are generated by large companies.
原句中的定语从句、宾语从句对句意表达的作用不大，可以略过不读。通过对复杂修饰成分的加工处理，这个句子变得十分简单：One of the principal reasons is that they lack access to the sizable orders and subcontracts.
明确句子结构框架
GMAT阅读的复杂修饰成分往往放在一个比较复杂的句子框架中，例如下面这句话Although the samurais had been reduced to idleness by years of peace, encouraged to engage in scholarship and martial exercises or to perform administrative tasks that took little time, it is not surprising that their tastes and habits grew expensive.
先明确句子大体框架再剥离复杂修饰成分。整个句子是镶嵌在although…it is not surprising 这个框架中的，但是由于中间插入成分多，容易打断考生思路，导致无法准确把握句意，同时运用了介词短语by years of peace，定语从句tasks that…以及过去分词encouraged to…，使整个句子看上去非常难懂，其实把框架单独提炼出来，句子就会变得苗条很多：Although the samurais had been reduced to idleness, it is not surprising that hteir tastes and habits grew expensive.
 

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