核心问题
The machines we use today are much better than ____ we used ten years ago. A. which B. these C. them D. those 我猜答案为 D。但是,those 与 we used ten years ago 是个什么关系呢?
词典解答
those 可起替代作用:替代带定冠词的复数名词。在上句中是替代 the machines。those 除可用介词短语、分词来修饰之外,还可用定语从句来修饰。以 those 为中心词时,可使用的关系代词有 that, which, who 和零关系代词(即关系代词在定语从句中充当宾语时可以省略)。上面的试题就是在 those 之后省略了在定语从句中充当宾语的 which 或 that: ... than those[which/that] we used ten years ago。类例:
These flowers are better than those (which) we planted last year. (= 'the flowers which') 这些花要比我们去年种的花好看。