1This has created “a paradox” in that recruiting first-generation students, but then watching many of them fail, means that higher education has “continued to reproduce and widen, rather than close” an achievement gap based on social class, according to the depressing beginning of a paper forthcoming in the journal Psychological Science.
主干主语：This；谓语：has created；宾语：a paradox
结构主句后接 in that 引导的原因状语从句，从句主语为动名词短语 recruiting...fail（含 but then 连接的并列结构），谓语 means，后接 that 宾语从句；rather than close 为插入对比；according to... 为全句状语，forthcoming in... 修饰 paper。
译文这造成了一种“悖论”：招收第一代大学生，却眼看着其中许多人失败，意味着高等教育“继续在复制并扩大，而非缩小”基于社会阶层的成绩差距——一篇即将发表于《心理科学》期刊的论文，开篇就令人沮丧地指出了这一点。
考点in that 引导原因状语从句，相当于 because · rather than 连接并列动词，表对比取舍
2But the article is actually quite optimistic, as it outlines a potential solution to this problem, suggesting that an approach (which involves a one-hour, next-to-no-cost program) can close 63 percent of the achievement gap (measured by such factors as grades) between first-generation and other students.
主干主语：the article；系动词：is；表语：optimistic
结构as 引导原因状语从句；suggesting 为现在分词作伴随状语，后接 that 宾语从句；which 定语从句修饰 approach；两个括号分别为插入定语和过去分词短语作后置定语，measured by... 修饰 gap。
译文但这篇文章其实相当乐观，因为它勾勒出解决该问题的一种可能方案，指出一种方法（仅需一小时、几乎零成本的项目）就能缩小第一代大学生与其他学生之间63%的成绩差距（以分数等因素衡量）。
考点suggesting that 分词短语作伴随状语 · 括号内 which 定语从句与过去分词短语作插入修饰
3Their thesis – that a relatively modest intervention could have a big impact – was based on the view that first-generation students may be most lacking not in potential but in practical knowledge about how to deal with the issues that face most college students.
主干主语：Their thesis；谓语：was based on；宾语：the view
结构破折号内 that 从句为 thesis 的同位语；view 后 that 引导同位语从句；not...but... 并列结构；about how to... 介词短语修饰 knowledge，内含 that 定语从句修饰 issues。
译文他们的论点——相对温和的干预就能产生巨大影响——基于这样一种看法：第一代大学生最缺的或许不是潜力，而是应对大多数大学生都会面临的问题的实用知识。
考点破折号内 that 从句作同位语 · not A but B 强调对比结构
4“Because US colleges and universities seldom acknowledge how social class can affect students’ educational experiences, many first-generation students lack insight about why they are struggling and do not understand how students ‘like them’ can improve.”
主干主语：many first-generation students；谓语：lack...and do not understand
结构Because 引导原因状语从句，内含 how 宾语从句；主句含并列谓语 lack 与 do not understand，分别接 about why 宾语从句和 how 宾语从句；like them 为插入定语。
译文“由于美国高校很少承认社会阶层会如何影响学生的教育经历，许多第一代大学生既不清楚自己为何挣扎，也不明白‘像他们这样的学生’该如何改进。”
考点because 原因状语从句前置 · 并列谓语后接多个疑问词引导的宾语从句