新SAT閱讀考試歷史篇章詞匯艱澀、句子復雜、話題陌生、結構模糊，是絕大多數考生在考場上樹立自信和斬獲高分的一大攔路虎。為了幫助考生們更好地迎戰即將到來的SAT考試，筆者將微觀解析這類篇章詞匯和句子的幾大顯著特點。

就詞匯而言，歷史篇章話題比較特殊，因而用詞相對專業。
通常文章中會涉及到國家政府、行政、立法和司法相關的政治術語，如jurisdiction, legislation, impeachment, inquisitor, the House, the Senate, congress等，這類詞匯在理解時，除了簡單地翻查字典，了解對應的中文意思外，還需要適當拓展，了解單詞背后的含義。
以the House、the Senate和congress為例，在美國，the House實際上是the House of Representatives的省略，指美國的眾議院，the Senate指美國的參議院，congress指美國國會；但單從字面上翻譯，這三個詞的意思還是很難掌握，到底何為眾議院，何為參議院，何為國會；美國國會是美國立法機關，行使立法權，由參議院和眾議院兩院構成，議案（bill）一經提出，需經過委員會審議、全院大會審議等程序，一院通過后，送交另一院，依次經過同樣的程序；法案經兩院通過后交總統簽署；若總統不否決，或雖否決但經兩院2/3議員重新通過，即正式成為法律。
除此之外，歷史篇章年代相對久遠，故而部分詞匯比較古老。
一些文章在語言表達上仍沿用古英語的詞匯，如hither相當于現代英語的here，只是hither不能用作名詞，“Here is good”而不是“Hither is good”；又如hath，have第三人稱單數現在式，讀文章時直接等同于has理解。
對于歷史篇章的特殊詞匯，除了上課認真聽教師講解相關詞匯背景知識外，更重要的是平時做題時認真整理自己的生詞本，利用零碎時間記憶生詞，事半功倍。
就句式而言，歷史篇章的長句和難句偏多。
長句復雜的語法結構較為突出地體現在如下兩方面：從句混合疊加及并列省略結構共存。
從句混合疊加句子示例如下：
It is wrong, I suggest, it is a misreading of the Constitution for any member here to assert //that for a member to vote for an article of impeachment means //that that member must be convinced //that the President should be removed from office. （可汗學院 閱讀習題匯編Passage 4）
如句子中的分隔符“//”所示，本句實則由三個賓語從句疊加而成。
If we consider the peculiar situation of the United States, and what are the sources of that diversity of sentiment //which pervades its inhabitants, we shall find great danger to fear //that the same causes may terminate here in the same fatal effects //which they produced in those republics. (可汗學院 閱讀習題匯編Passage 27)
如句子中的分隔符“//”所示，本句中包含兩個定語從句和一個賓語從句。
以上兩句話均為從句疊加的長句，考試篇章中若此類句子出題，閱讀時切記耐心讀句，根據從句引導詞劃分句子結構，尋找句子主干，理解主謂賓，理清句子信息的邏輯關系，最后理解從句的次要信息。
并列省略結構共存的句子，示例如下：
Hence it is that we find that the method of measuring what we see happening by what are called ethical standards, and of proposing to attack the phenomena by methods thence deduced, is so popular. (可汗學院 閱讀習題匯編Passage 30)
句中雙橫線表示并列成分，省略了相同的短語“the method of”。
Let the word go forth from this time and place, to friend and foe alike, that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans—born in this century, tempered by war, disciplined by a hard and bitter peace, proud of our ancient heritage, and unwilling to witness or permit the slow undoing of those human rights to which this nation has always been committed, and to which we are committed today at home and around the world. （可汗學院 閱讀習題匯編Passage 70）
句中雙橫線標明的是這句話的第一個并列結構，用來修飾“a new generation of Americans”；句中波浪線部分指出了句子的第二個并列結構，用來說明“the human rights”。
以上兩句話為并列和省略結構并存的長句，考試篇章中若此類句子出題，閱讀時可根據并列標志詞“and”找到前后的并列成分，加以比較，確定省略部分。
除長句外，歷史篇章中不規則的難句也是隨處可見。
難句之所以難，是因為語句慣常添加插入語和采用倒裝句式。
在歷史篇章中，插入成分通常為句子添加條件狀語或者起到解釋說明前文的作用，示例如下：
Here the great conservator of woman’s love, if permitted to assert itself, as it naturally would in freedom against oppression, violence, and war, would hold all these destructive forces in check, for woman knows the cost of life better than man does, and not with her consent would one drop of blood ever be shed, one life sacrificed in vain. (RSAT OG 2-4)
句中if permitted to assert itself添加了假設條件，“如果守護者能夠堅持自己權力的話”。
In proportion as the mind is accustomed to trace the intimate connexion of interest, which subsists between all the parts of a Society united under the same government—the infinite variety of channels which serve to circulate the prosperity of each to and through the rest—in that proportion will be little apt to be disturbed by solicitudes and apprehensions which originate in local discriminations. （可汗學院 閱讀習題匯編Passage 28）
句中插入成分the infinite variety of channels解釋說明the intimate connexion of interest。
考試篇章中此類句子出題時，若插入語表示條件，通常標志詞是if或者as，可以將插入語當作條件狀語從句理解，翻譯時放在整句話的開頭；若插入語解釋說明前文，只需要找到插入語解釋的對象理解即可。
另外，倒裝句主要體現在否定倒裝，示例如下：
Not with her consent would one drop of blood ever be shed, one life sacrificed in vain. (RSAT OG 2-4)
句中雙橫線表明的是倒裝成分，正常語序是One drop of blood would not ever be shed with her consent, one life (would not ever be) sacrificed in vain.
No sooner would this become evident than the Northern Hive would excite the same ideas and sensations in the more southern parts of America which it formerly did in the southern parts of Europe. （可汗學院 閱讀習題匯編Passage 29）
句中雙橫線表明的是倒裝成分，正常語序是This would no sooner become evident than the Northern Hive would excite the same ideas and sensations in the more southern parts of America which it formerly did in the southern parts of Europe.
Nor does it appear to be a rash conjecture that its young swarms might often be tempted to gather honey in the more blooming fields and milder air of their luxurious and more delicate neighbors. （可汗學院 閱讀習題匯編Passage 29）
句中雙橫線表明的是倒裝成分，正常語序是It nor does appear to be to be a rash conjecture that its young swarms might often be tempted to gather honey in the more blooming fields and milder air of their luxurious and more delicate neighbors.
對于這類不規則的倒裝句，通常在倒裝結構前后尋找句子的主干成分，還原成正常語序再加以理解。
以上便是筆者對新SAT閱讀歷史篇章詞句特點的總結，希望對廣大考生有所幫助。