三、定语从句
定语从句在四级英语测试中占有一定的比重，大约在词汇语法题的7.4%，平均每次都有一题，实际测试中有时多达三道题，如1996年6月，98年6月和2000年6月都有三倒考查定语从句的题。在我们讲四级英语测试对定语从句的考查之前，先让我们看以下几题：
Test yourself
1) Living in the central Australian desert has its problems, ____
obtaining water is not the least.(1998.1)
A.for which B.to which C.of which D.in which
2) A survey was carried out on the death rate of new-born babies in that region, ____were surprising. (1999.1)
A.as results B.which results C.the results of it D.the results of which
3) We need a chairman ____.(1998.6)
A.for whom everyone has confidence B.in whom everyone has confidence
C.who everyone has confidence of D.whom everyone has confidence on
4) The British are not so familiar with different cultures and other ways of doing things, ___ is often the case in other countries.(1998.6)
A.as B.what C.so D.that
5) The course normally attracts 20 students per year, ____ up to half will be from overseas.(1998.6)
A.in which B.for which C.with which D.of whom
6) Beer is the most popular drink among male drinkers, ____overall
consumption is significantly higher than that of women.(2000.6)
A.whose B.which C.that D.what
7) We were struck by the extent ____ which teacher's decisions served the interests of the school rather than those of the children.(1996.6)
A.to B.for C.in D.with
8) Melted iron is poured into the mixer much ____ tea is poured into a cup from a teapot. (1996.6)
A.in the same way like B.in the same way which
C.in the same way D.in the same way as
9) I've never been to Beijing, but it is the place ____.(1999.6)
A.where I'd like to visit B.in which I'd like to visit
C.I most want to visit D.that I want to visit it most
10) ___ might be expected, the response to the question was very
mixed.(1996.6)
A.As B.That C.It D.What
Explanation and Expansion
A． 参考答案: 1) C 2) D 3) B 4) A 5) D 6) A 7) A
8) D 9) C 10) A
B． 评析
从以上各题可以看出，定语从句的考查还是集中在关系词的选择，与1，2，3级不同，四级考试中的定语从句虽然也有关系词最一般的用法，但更多的是对特殊关系词的考查。总的说来有以下几点需要注意
① 关系词的使用一看先行词，二看关系词在从句中的作用，在此基础上熟记几个常用的固定句式，如：
the same … as
such … as
当看到先行词前有the same 或such修饰时，可直接从选项中找as，选择就变得比较简单，如8。在这种情况下，考生用不着考虑先行词是人还是物。如
Our company won't employ such graduates as you recommend.
I'm determined to buy such a flat as you are now living in.
② 上面有两道题涉及到关系词在句中做定语。同学们应该熟悉关系词做定语时的各种变体。
做定语的关系词可有以下变体，试比较：
the office whose windows are broken
the office the windows of which are broken
the office of which the windows are broken
上面的2）题就属于the windows of which这种形式。
先行词是人时，同样也可有这三种形式，如：
the professor whose car was stolen
the professor the car of whom was stolen
the professor of whom the car was stolen
当然考试中也有最一般形式的考查，如上面的6），只要能够看出关系词做定语修饰overall consumption就不难判断答案为whose。
③ 注意"介词 + which/whom"的结构做关系词
从四级考试对定语从句的测试来看，主要考查的是介词的选择。"介词 + which/whom"主要有以下几种情况
A． 介词是句中短语搭配的一部分，如3）。表示"信任某人"要用have confidence in somebody，所以做定语，应该用a chairman in whom … has confidence。
B． "部分 + of + 整体名词"的结构，该结构，做关系词也就是 "部分名词 + of which/whom"的结构。
该结构的使用应注意两点，一是注意定语从句与并列句的分别，如：
He invited two scientists to his birthday party, many of _____ were
his old classmates.
A.whom B.them C.which D.that
这里很自然地会有many of whom 与many of them的选择。
二是注意该结构可以有变体，即"of whom/which + 部分名词"，上面的5）题就是一例，可以写成up to half of whom。
C． 另一种介词是表示最高级范围的介词，四级考题中已经有两个这种考题，如上面的1）题，其实该句表示的是obtaining water is not the least of its problems， 所以用of which，2000年6月又有一道与此基本完全相同的题：
Living in the western part of the country has its problems, ____ obtaining fresh water is not the least.
A.with which B.for which C.of which D.which (2000.6)
D． 更多的是看关系词与先行词之间的关系，如：
He has composed many pieces of music popular with young people, of which this is an example.
这里用of which因为，正常的结构是an example of the music。
E． 有时介词与先行词构成短语，如7）题，to which源于to … extent的短语搭配。1997年1月也有一道题考查该短语搭配。
It is useful to be able to predict the extent ________which a price
change will affect supply and demand.
A.from B.with C.to D.for (1997.1)
④ 注意as引导的非限制性定语从句的用法
as引导非限制性定语从句时，可置于句首，也可置于句尾，表示"正如……"。如上面的4）和10）两题。
一般as引导定语从句时，其先行词为整个主句。which引导非限制性定语从句，其先行词也可以是主句或主句中的一部分。但，as从句表示的行为经常是在主句行为之前，而which引导的定语从句表示的却在主句之后，表示连续发生的事情或结果等。如：
He promised to help me, which he did.
He was often late for work, which cost him his job.
⑤ 注意先行词为时间、地点或原因时，关系词的选用。如果用when, where 或why，关系词在从句中应该是做状语，否则的话则应该用which/that等。如上面9）中，先行词在从句中visit的宾语，关系词不能用where，而只能是that/which。再如：
I will never forget the days that I spent with my friends in the country.
⑥ 关系词做代替的成分在从句中不能再次出现。
⑦ 注意定语从句与同位语从句的区别。如：
There are signs ____ restaurants are becoming more popular with families.
A.that B.which C.in which D.whose (2000.6)
由于signs与后面的restaurants没有修饰和被修饰关系，所以whose不对，如果是定语从句，关系词代替signs，而从句中不需要该词。所以这里不是定语从句而是同位语从句，从句表示sign的内容。
⑧ 适当注意that和which的不同，什么情况下只能用that，什么情况下只能用which。
⑨ 注意从句与其它成分的区别，如下题：
As _________announced in today's papers, the Shanghai Export Commoditier Fair is also open on Sundays.
A.being B.is C.to be D.been (1997.1)
这里涉及到从句与非谓语动词的区别，如果是非谓语动词的话，则是保留了连词的非谓语动词做状语，根据announce与句子主语之间的关系，应该什么都不填，这里还是定语从句。答案为B。
Self-practice
上面他们一起分析了四级英语测试中对定语从句的考查特点和重点，也清楚了应该注意的一些事项和可用的一些方法技巧，下面请同学们《语法分册》217-218页模拟题。
