BBC news 2009-11-25 加文本

1.Earlier the inquiry’s Chairman Sir John Chilcot said his final report wouldn’t shy away from making criticisms of individuals, if they were warranted.

shy away避开,回避

例句：It is impossible for him to shy away from the problems.
       他要避开这些问题是不可能的。

2. It’s not clear how the crew member lost his life but it seems there was an attempt to confront the armed pirates as one of them was captured by the ship’s crew and handed to local authorities.

it形式主语

为了整个句子的平衡， 主语从句经常后置， 并用it充当形式主语(此时， that引导的主语从句若不放在句首， 可以省略引导词that)。例如： What she did is not yet known. 她干了什么尚不清楚。// Whoever comes is welcome. 不论谁来都欢迎。// It is a pity (that) we haven’t contacted for ages. 很遗憾， 我们几年没联系了。// It has not been decided where the meeting is to be held. 在哪里开会还没决定。// It doesn’t matter whether she will come or not. 她是否来这无关紧要。

　　注意：不要混淆it 作形式主语指代主语从句与it引导强调句型的情况：

　　it作形式主语代替主语从句主要是为了平衡句子结构， 主语从句的连接词没有变化； it引导的强调句则是对句子某一部分进行强调， 无论强调的是什么成分， 都可用连词that(被强调部分指人时也可用who/whom) // 区分it 作形式主语指代主语从句与it引导强调句型的有效技巧是： 将“It be ... that ...”中的it be和that去掉后， 句子仍然成立的是强调句， 句子不能成立的是that引导的主语从句。例如： It was my suggestion that made him confident of success. 正是我的建议使他对成功有了自信。