Ⅱ.重點(diǎn)句型詳解

They lived on the earth tens of millions of years ago, long before humans came into being...

千百萬年前它們(恐龍)就在地球上生活，比人類的出現(xiàn)要早得多……

long before 早在……之前很久

before可做連詞，連接時(shí)間狀語從句，做介詞，連接時(shí)間點(diǎn)或做副詞。long before 連接的時(shí)間狀語從句用一般現(xiàn)在時(shí)呼應(yīng)主句的一般將來時(shí)；一般過去時(shí)呼應(yīng)主句的一般過去時(shí)或過去將來時(shí)。

拓展：(1)before long “不久以后”，相當(dāng)于 soon after/shortly after, 既可以指將來，也可以指過去，所以與過去時(shí)或?qū)頃r(shí)連用，在句中做狀語，不可以引導(dǎo)從句。

(2)long ago (現(xiàn)在的)很久以前。

(3)“It will be long before＋從句(一般現(xiàn)在時(shí))”與 “It was long before＋從句(一般過去時(shí))”的意思是“過很久才……”，強(qiáng)調(diào)經(jīng)過的時(shí)間長。

(4)“It will not be long before＋從句(一般現(xiàn)在時(shí))”與“It was not long before＋從句(一般過去時(shí))”，意思是“沒過很久就……”，強(qiáng)調(diào)經(jīng)過的時(shí)間短。

注意：以上短語、句型中的 long均可以改用普通的時(shí)間名詞或短語，表達(dá)不同的時(shí)間長度。

①Long before, there was a big museum here.

很久以前，這里有一座大博物館。

②I had heard of him long before I came here.

早在我來這兒很久以前我就聽說過他的情況。

③Before long he went to Canada to go on with his further education.不久以后他就去加拿大繼續(xù)深造了。

④It was not long before she came. 沒多久她就來了。

⑤It will be long before we see each other again.

我們很久以后才會再見面。

[即境活用]The book was published ______ it was written.

A．soon before　　　B．long before ? ? ? ?C．before long ? ? ? ?D．soon after

解析：句意為“書寫完后不久就出版了”，故選 soon after。

答案：D