The possibility that mass extinctions may recur periodically has given rise to such hypotheses as that of a companion star with a long-period orbit deflecting other bodies from their normal orbits, making some of them fall to Earth asmeteors and causing widespread devastation upon impact. (TPO15, 46)

　　recur /rɪ'kɜː/ v. 再發(fā)生，復(fù)發(fā)

　　periodically adv.定期地，周期性發(fā)生地

　　hypothesis /haɪ'pɑθəsɪs/ n. 假說，假設(shè)

　　deflect /dɪ'flɛkt/ v. (使某物)運動轉(zhuǎn)向;使某人改變原來的計劃

　　meteor /'miːtɪə/ n. 流星

　　devastation /ˌdevə'steɪʃn/ n. 毀壞，荒廢

　　impact /ɪm'pækt/ n. 撞擊，沖擊;影響

　　such sth as/that...：(像後面提及的)那樣的, 這樣的

　　我是分界線，大家先測試一遍速讀是否理解

　　The possibility (that mass extinctions may recur periodically) has given rise to such hypotheses as that (of a companion star)(with a long-period orbit) (deflecting other bodies from their normal orbits), (making some of them fall to Earth as meteors) and (causing widespread devastation upon impact). (TPO15, 46)

　　托福閱讀長難句100句分析：

　　這個句子的主干很簡單：

　　The possibility has given rise to such hypotheses

　　注意這里的such sth as/that...：(像後面提及的)那樣的, 這樣的

　　例如：

　　Such a disaster as her car being stolen had never happened before.

　　Such poets as Keats and Shelley wrote Romantic poetry.

　　修飾一：(that mass extinctions may recur periodically)，從句，解釋possibility

　　中文：大量物種滅絕可能會周期性發(fā)生

　　修飾二：(of a companion star) ，介詞短語

　　中文：一顆伴星

　　修飾三：(with a long-period orbit) ，介詞短語

　　中文：有長周期軌道

　　修飾四：(deflecting other bodies from their normal orbits)，非謂語動詞

　　中文：使其它天體偏離正常軌道

　　修飾五：(making some of them fall to Earthas meteors)，非謂語動詞

　　中文：使一些天體作為流星落入地球

　　修飾六：(causing widespread devastationupon impact)，非謂語動詞

　　中文：在撞擊時造成大范圍破壞

　　托福閱讀長難句100句參考翻譯：

　　大量物種滅絕可能會周期性發(fā)生的可能性引起了像這樣一個假說：一顆有長周期的伴星使其它天體偏離正常軌道，使一些天體作為流星落入地球，并在撞擊時造成大范圍破壞。

　　這個句子的主要修飾成分就是從句、非謂語動詞、介詞短語，大家務(wù)必想清楚，每一個修飾成分修飾的是什么，才能看清楚這個句子的結(jié)構(gòu)。