English Intensive Reading 吉林大学远程教育学院
Introduction Text Language Points Grammar
				Lesson 3    Language Points  ( Page 6)
			The rock capped a high cliff… Meaning: The rock formed the top of a high cliff… 岩石下面是陡峭的悬崖… cap (v.): to form a cap over 覆盖，笼罩 1. Clouds capped the hills. 阴云笼罩山峰。 2. High mountains are sometimes capped with snow. 高山上经常白雪皑皑。 sheer (adv.): straight up or down 垂直地，陡峭地 1. The ground dropped away sheer at our feet. 我们眼前的地面垂直地陷落下去。 2. A cliff rises sheer from the beach. 悬崖矗立在海滩上。 Had he been awake, it might well have made him giddy to look below. Meaning: If he had not been asleep he would have felt dizzy when he happened to look below. 要是他醒过来，朝下面望一望，准得头晕目眩。 This is an unreal conditional clause. In formal English “if + subject + auxiliary” can be replaced by inversion of auxiliary and subject with “if” omitted. 这是一个虚拟条件句。在正式文体中，如果条件从句中包含有were, had, should或could等助动词，可以把if省略掉，主语和助动词倒装。 1. Had we made (= If we had made) adequate preparations, we might have succeeded. 要是准备充分我们是可能成功的。 2. Should there be a flood, what should we do? 万一发生水灾我们怎么办？ 3. Were it not for their assistance, we would be in serious difficulty. 要不是他们的协助，我们会陷入困境。 4. Could the dead man have spoken, he would have identified his murderer. 如果死人会说话，他会认出谁是谋害他的人。 might well：to be likely to 可能 1. She might well ring me tonight. 她今晚可能给我打电话。 2. It might well rain. 可能要下雨。