It’s the weekend, and with nothing better to do—plus a desire to stave off dementia—I suddenly thought: Why not ask DeepSeek to generate a high-level English sentence for me to dissect? I decided to document my “super language intuition” method in real time.
So I typed: “Generate a C1-level English sentence.”
But oops—I forgot to enable Deep Thought mode. Within seconds, DeepSeek fired back:
“Despite the intricate complexities of quantum mechanics, which often elude even the most seasoned physicists, the fundamental principles governing subatomic particles remain a cornerstone of modern scientific inquiry.”
My brain short-circuited. This sentence looked like a minefield.
Why? Let’s break it down:
- 28 words in total. After filtering out basic terms, I only recognized about half.
- The remaining words were either “kinda familiar” or complete strangers—like walking into the wrong party. I half-joked that my luck must be peaking; maybe I should buy a lottery ticket.
To rally my spirits, I channeled my inner optimist: “Champions adapt; they don’t complain.” I started by highlighting the words I knew in red.
Reality check: My “known words” map looked like a battlefield where I’d strategically avoided all key combat zones—the sentence’s structural backbone.
No choice but to soldier on.
Step 1: Identify the Core Action
My gut said the verb “remain” was the linchpin. Why? The sentence starts with a classic “Despite…” clause:
“Despite the intricate complexities of quantum mechanics, which often elude even the most seasoned physicists…”
In English, such clauses often serve as decorative scaffolding. The real action hides after the comma.
Step 2: Word Guessing Games
With “remain” as anchor, I scanned its surroundings:
- “Cornerstone” paired with “modern scientific inquiry” screamed “foundation” or “essential part.”
- “Subatomic” clicked: sub- (below) + atomic = “smaller than atoms.”
- “Governing” (≈controlling) + “subatomic particles” ≈ “rules managing tiny particles.”
But “fundamental principles” stumped me. My imagination ran wild:
- “Research methods”?
- “Scientific theories”?
- “Core laws”?
I retreated tactically to the sentence’s opening for clues:
- “Quantum mechanics” slowly registered as a physics term.
- “Elude” in “which often elude… physicists” hinted at “escape understanding.”
Conclusion:
This is how “wide reading” works in practice. The process seems tedious when written out, but with practice, it becomes lightning-fast. Sure, this sentence was packed with niche scientific terms, but once you’ve cracked the structure, the rest is just dictionary work. For now, mission accomplished—though my vocabulary still needs CPR.