BBC news 2009-12-18 加文本

1.With the deadline for agreement of the climate summit in Copenhagen approaching, President Nicolas Sarkozy of France has warned the failure will be a catastrophe for everyone involved.

With the deadline approaching是复合宾语结构。

with结构属于独立主格结构，但在结构上，with结构由介词with或without引导，名词前有冠词、形容词、所有格代词或其它词类所修饰，结构较松散；而独立主格结构没有with或without引导，结构严密，名词前可用可不用修饰语。在句法功能上，with结构可以作定语，独立主格结构则不能；独立主格结构通常在句中作状语，但也可以作主语，而with结构则不能。

独立主格在口语中不常用，往往由一个从句代替，而with结构较口语化，较常用。例如：

There were rows of white houses with trees in front of them.（"with+复合宾语"结构，在句中作定语）

A strong man working a whole day could not jump this high.（名词+现在分词构成的独立主格结构，作主语）

The boy said，turning to the man，his eyes opened wide and his hand raised.（独立主格结构，表示伴随状况或行为方式，作状语）

Then last night，I followed him here，and climbed in，sword in hand.（名词+介词短语构成的独立主格结构，作状语，表示伴随情况）

board， she went out to get something to eat.（without+代词+过去分词，作为原因状语）
 
2.The documents suggest that unless that changes, we’ll be likely to face a three-degree rise.

if和unless都是引导条件状语从句的连词，考生应尤其注意unless的用法，因为它表示反面条件，相当于if not“如果不”、“除非”。如：
In debating, one must correct the opponent’s facts, deny the relevance of his proof, or deny that what he presents as proof, if relevant, is sufficient.

3.Defense officials in Washington say at no stage did insurgents manage to take control of the drone, that Pentagon said it’s working to improve the security of its surveillance systems.

at no stage中含有否定词no,所以要用倒装结果。

在正式文体中，never, seldom, rarely, little, hardly, scarcely, no sooner, no longer, nowhere 等含有否定意义的副词若位于句首，则其后要用部分倒装：

I shall never forgive him. / Never shall I forgive him. 我永远不会宽恕他。

He seldom goes out for dinner. / Seldom does he go out for dinner. 他很少出去吃饭。

She hardly has time to listen to music. / Hardly does she have time to listen to music. 她几乎没时间听音乐。

He little realizes how important this meeting is. / Little does he realize how important this meeting is. 他不甚明白这个会议的重要性。

We had no sooner reached the airport than the plane took off. / No sooner had we reached the airport than the plane took off. 我们刚到机场,飞机就起飞了。

4.The stoppage would have affected up to a million passengers.

would have与过去事实相反的虚拟语气。例如：

Your math instructor would have been happy to give you a make-up examination had you gone and explained that your parents were ill at the time.

如果你跟老师解释一下当时你父母病了，你的数学导师可能会很乐意给你补考的。