一、Reading

Did the Italian explorer Christopher Columbus really discover America？ It's believed that travelers from China got there first. They crossed the Pacific to Mexico in the fifth century. In fact, Columbus landed in the Bahamas in 1492 and never got to North America. America was not even named after Christopher Columbus. It was named after Amerigo Vespucci, who landed in America in the late fifteenth century.

二、解析

■ Did the Italian explorer Christopher Columbus really discover America？

• 句型：一般疑问句
• 助动：Did
• 主：the Italian explorer Christopher Columbus
• 状：really
• 谓：discover
• 宾：America？

■ It's believed that travelers from China got there first.

• 形主：It
• 系：is
• 表：believed
• 主：that travelers from China got there first. （名从）
  • 引导词：that
  • 时态：一般过去时
  • 主：travelers
  • 定：from China
    • 介：from
    • 宾：China
  • 谓：got
  • 地状：there
  • 时状：first.

It is believed + that：一般相信...

■ They crossed the Pacific to Mexico in the fifth century.

• 时态：一肌过去时
• 主：They
• 谓：crossed
• 宾：the Pacific
• 目状：to Mexico
  • 介：to
  • 宾：Mexico
• 时状：in the fifth century.
  • 介：in
  • 宾：the fifth century.

fifth：a.第5的。

■ In fact, Columbus landed in the Bahamas in 1492 and never got to North America.

• 时态：一般过去时
• 状：In fact,
• 主：Columbus
• 谓：landed
• 地状：in the Bahamas
• 时状：in 1492
• 连：and
• 状：never
• 谓：got to
• 宾：North America.

the Bahamas：巴哈马群岛

■ America was not even named after Christopher Columbus.

• 时态：一般过去时
• 主：America
• 状：not even
• 谓：was named after
• 宾：Christopher Columbus.

be named after：以...命名

■ It was named after Amerigo Vespucci, who landed in America in the late fifteenth century.

• 时态：一般过去时
• 主：It
• 谓：was named after
• 谓：Amerigo Vespucci,
• 非限定从：who landed in America in the late fifteenth century.
  • 引导词、主：who
  • 谓：landed
  • 地状：in America
  • 时状：in the late fifteenth century.
    • 介：in
    • 定：late
    • 宾：the fifteenth century.

三、语法

（1）it is + 过去分词 + that 引导的名词性从句的句型变化。

以上语法详见教材讲解。