🔍 Three men in a basket 三人同篮

新概念英语第二册 Lesson 91 · 语法精读与固定搭配分类

NCE Book 2 · Lesson 91（课本印刷页 414-417）· 5 个生词和短语 · 课文 10 句

一全文逐句语法解读

本课是一则军营趣闻。语言点集中在 过去时的被动语态（was ordered / were called in）、can / could 表能力与可能性、make for、make out、keep track of 等固定表达，以及 for 引导的原因分句。

句子	语法点
A pilot noticed a balloon which seemed to be making for a Royal Air Force Station nearby.	定语从句 which 引导修饰 a balloon · seem to be doing sth. 似乎正在做某事 · make for 朝……方向移动 · a Royal Air Force Station 一个皇家空军基地 · nearby 附近的
He informed the station at once, but no one there was able to explain the mystery.	inform sb. 通知某人 · at once 立刻 · no one there 那里没有人（there 作后置定语）· be able to do sth. 能够做某事 · explain the mystery 解释这个谜
The officer in the control tower was very angry when he heard the news, because balloons can be a great danger to aircraft.	the officer in the control tower 控制塔上的军官（介词短语作定语）· 时间状语从句 when 引导 · 原因状语从句 because 引导 · be a great danger to 对……是极大的危险 · aircraft 单复数同形

句子	语法点
He said that someone might be spying on the station and the pilot was ordered to keep track of the strange object.	宾语从句 that 引导 · might be spying on 可能正在侦察（might + 进行式，表推测）· spy on 侦察 · 被动语态 was ordered to do sth. 被命令做某事 · keep track of 跟踪，掌握……的动向 · the strange object 那个奇怪的物体
The pilot managed to circle the balloon for some time.	manage to do sth. 设法做成某事 · circle 绕……盘旋 · for some time 有一段时间

句子	语法点
He could make out three men in a basket under it and one of them was holding a pair of binoculars.	make out 辨认出，看出 · three men in a basket 篮子里的三个人（介词短语作定语）· one of them 他们中的一个 · a pair of binoculars 一副双筒望远镜（binoculars 只用复数）
When the balloon was over the station, the pilot saw one of the men taking photographs.	时间状语从句 when 引导 · see sb. doing sth. 看见某人正在做某事 · take photographs 拍照

句子	语法点
Soon afterwards, the balloon began to descend and it landed near an airfield.	soon afterwards 不久之后 · begin to do sth. 开始做某事 · descend 下降 · land near an airfield 降落在一个机场附近
The police were called in, but they could not arrest anyone, for the basket contained two Members of Parliament and the Commanding Officer of the station!	被动语态 were called in 被叫来 · arrest anyone 逮捕任何人 · 并列连词 for 表示原因（因为）· Members of Parliament 议会下院议员 · the Commanding Officer 指挥官
As the Commanding Officer explained later, one half of the station did not know what the other half was doing!	非限制性定语从句 as 引导（正如……那样）· 宾语从句 what 引导作 know 的宾语 · one half … the other half … 一半……另一半…… · 结尾点出「自己人侦察自己人」的笑点

短语	用法与例句
make for	朝……方向移动：a balloon which seemed to be making for …。
inform sb.	通知某人：He informed the station at once。
at once	立刻：He informed the station at once。
be able to do sth.	能够做某事：no one there was able to explain the mystery。
spy on	侦察：someone might be spying on the station。
keep track of	跟踪，掌握……的动向：keep track of the strange object。
manage to do sth.	设法做成某事：The pilot managed to circle the balloon。
make out	辨认出，看出：He could make out three men in a basket under it。
a pair of binoculars	一副双筒望远镜：was holding a pair of binoculars。
be called in	被叫来：The police were called in。

被动语态

was ordered to do sth. / were called in

seem to be doing sth.

似乎正在做某事

see sb. doing sth.

看见某人正在做某事

for 引导的原因分句

they could not arrest anyone, for the basket contained …

make for / make out 辨析：make for 意为「向……移动、走向」，如 The balloon seemed to be making for a Royal Air Force Station.；make out 意为「辨认出、看清」，常与 can / could 连用，如 He could make out three men in a basket under it.。二者形近义远，要分清。
might be doing 表推测：He said that someone might be spying on the station. might + 动词进行式，表示对「此刻正在发生的事」的推测。同类还有 must be doing（一定正在做）、can't be doing（不可能正在做）。
for 表原因的用法：The police were called in, but they could not arrest anyone, for the basket contained two Members of Parliament …。这里的 for 是并列连词，意为「因为」，用于补充说明理由，语气比 because 弱，前面通常有逗号。