英语版特约主持

英语高级教师 向家祥

本期选取一篇新闻报道（文章来源：VOA Special English，Development Report，02 May 2009），内容新颖，知识性强，符合英语阅读的第一要求——获取新信息，是对今年湖南高考新题型的一次训练。语法知识抓住文章中的Sb. is said to do sth.句型进行解析、拓展。

1

读短文，答问题

1.What is “Gone Rural” Project？(回答字数不超过15个单词)

2.What do the Swazi women do at home for the project？(回答字数不超过20个单词)

3.According to Lomtandaso Hlope, how can the women benefit from the project？(回答字数不超过15个单词)

Every three weeks, a truck drives to a rural community in the Kingdom of Swaziland. The purpose of the trip is to buy the hand-made products of local women and place new orders. The Swazi women make and sell woven baskets, placemats for dinner tables and other objects for the home. The women gained their weaving skills long ago. Traditionally, women in the African nation work with long grasses to make the thatched roofs that cover houses.

The manufacture of goods is important for the women because they can do this at home. Many care for a number of children, including those whose parents died of AIDS. Swaziland is said to have the highest known rate of infection for the virus that causes the disease.

But life is brighter for the women weavers today than it was seventeen years ago. In 1992 a business project called Gone Rural was launched by the Swazi government. Today, more than seven hundred women take their goods to Gone Rural for sale. One of their main materials is Lutindzi grass, which grows only in mountain areas. Gone Rural also has some products available in other materials. The project now has sales of five hundred thousand dollars worth of goods each year. The goods are sold in more than thirty countries around the world.

Lomtandaso Hlope was one of the first seven hundred women to weave for Gone Rural. Years ago, she and other women from her community went to the Gone Rural office in the town of Malkerns. They showed their goods to Jenny Thorne, who established Gone Rural. Miz Thorne happily accepted what they made. Lomtandaso Hlope and her friends have been selling to Gone Rural ever since. Their community is among thirteen that sell to the group. She has educated her own children and grandchildren with the money earned from her work.

【问题答案】

1.It is a business project launched by the Swazi government in 1992.

解析：关键信息词：business，Swazi government，1992。答题时必须抓住这些关键词。答案在第三段第二句话。

2.They make woven baskets, placemats for dinner tables and other objects for the home and sell them to the project.

解析：关键信息词：woven baskets, placemats, other objects, sell。直接在第一段可以找到答案。

3.She has educated her own children and grandchildren with the money earned from her work.

解析：关键信息词：educated，children and grandchildren。文章最后一句即为答案。

2

读短文，学语法

Swaziland is said to have the highest known rate of infection for the virus that causes the disease. (L7) 据说Swaziland是爱滋病毒感染率最高的国家。

【知识点睛】

该句是本文中最重要、最实用、也是高考试题中常考的一个句型。句型结构为：Sb. is said to do sth.意为“据说……”。下面对这一句型作具体分析。

从形式上一看就知道，这是动词say的被动语态结构，其主动结构可以说成：

People say that Swaziland has the highest known rate of infection for the virus that causes the disease.

句中that引导宾语从句，从句中谓语动词要用一般现在时第三人称单数has。

该句还有一个更为常用的被动结构：

It is said that Swaziland has the highest known rate of infection for the virus that causes the disease.

该句为上一句的被动结构，句中that引导主语从句，it作形式主语，从句中谓语动词要用一般现在时第三人称单数has。

注意：该句型中的动词不定式一般式to do sth.表通常情况。如果谈过去的事情或已经发生的事情，则须改用不定式完成式to have done sth.

例：Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) is said to have bought birds kept in cages in order to have the pleasure of setting them free.

“达芬奇买鸟”当然早已成历史，但现在人们依然还在谈论此事，故主句用一般现在时被动语态is said。但其后的不定式一定要用完成式，不可以用to buy。

【思维拓展】

适用于这一句型的常用动词还有：

Sb. is thought…＝It is thought that…(据认为)

Sb. is believed…=It is believed that…(据相信)

Sb. is expected…=It is expected that…（据估计/预测）

Sb. is reported…=It is reported that…（据报道）

Sb. is considered…=It is considered that…（据认为）

Sb. is announced…=It is announced that…(据宣布)

例：1. Schools across China are expected to hire 50,000 college graduates this year as short-term teachers, almost three times the number hired last year, to help reduce unemployment pressures.

据估计，今年全中国的学校将招聘50,000名大学毕业生作短期教师，以缓解失业压力，这个数字差不多是去年的受聘人数的3倍。

2. The floods are reported to have left about two thousand people homeless.据报道，洪灾已造成2000人无家可归。

【难点突破】

难点一：“Sb. is said to do sth.”句型中的动词不定式的形式的变化。从以上例句可以看出，此处的动词不定式通常有两种形式：一般式(to do)和完成式(to have done)，有时还会有主动和被动形式之分。解题关键在于准确判断动作的时间先后和动词与相关名词之间的逻辑关系。

请做下面的试题：

1. Charles Babbage is generally considered____the first computer.

A. to invent B. inventing

C. to have invented D. having invented

2. Police are now searching for a woman who is reported to since the flood hit the area last Friday.

A. have been missing B. have got lost

C. be missing D. get lost

3. The flue is believed ______ by viruses that like to reproduce in the cells inside the human nose and throat.

A. causing B. being caused

C. to be caused D. to have caused

答案解析：

1. C.第一台电脑的发明是过去的事情，故用动词不定式完成式。

2. A.人员失踪在先，消息报道在后，故用动词不定式完成式。

3. C.动词cause与主语名词the flue应属被动关系，故用不定式被动形式。D项如果改为to have been caused也可。

难点二：“It is said that”句型与what引导的名词性从句、as引导的非限制性定语从句之间的区别。解题关键在于看清句子结构。

请看下面的试题：

1. is reported in the newspapers, talks between the two countries are making progress.

A. It B. As C. That D. What

2. The other day, my brother drove his car down the street at is thought to be a dangerous speed.

A. it B. which C. what D. that

答案解析：

1. B．as作关系代词，引导非限制性定语从句，位于句首，as指代逗号后面的主句的内容。如改为It，则句子结构是：It is reported in the newspapers that talks between the two countries are making progress.

2. C．what引导宾语从句，作介词at的宾语。从句部分还可以改为what I thought was/to be a dangerous speed。