Question

两个英语句子的分析问题：

1. We need therefore to know how much the climate can vary of its own accord in order to interpret with confidence the extent to which recent changes are natural as opposed to being the result of human activities.
2.
Over long periods of time, substances whose physical and chemical properties change with the ambient climate at the time can be deposited in a systematic way to provide a continuous record of changes in those properties overtime, sometimes for hundreds or thousands of years.

Answer 1

1。 因此，我们要了解气候本身自我调节的能力范围，才能够明确地知道，相对于人为活动造成的影响，自然在近来的气候变化中起到了多大的作用。

句子主干 We need therefore to know ，therefore是插入语

宾语从句 how much the climate can vary on its own accord （作know的宾语），问题中的vary of its own accord 应该楼主打错了，是 on its own accord ，on one's own accord “自动地”

目的状语从句 in order to interpret with confidence the extent （ the extent 作interpret 的宾语 with confidence是插入语，“明确地”“确定地”）

定语从句 the extent to which recent changes are natural （先行词 the extent，to the extent 到达……的程度 ，这是一个固定搭配，所以which前面要加to)

as opposed to being the result of human activities（ as opposed to 相对于…… to是介词，后面跟宾语，所以be变成being的形式。句子中是将being the result of human activities 和前面的 are natural 拿来作比较，两个是同等地位）

2. 有些物质的物理性质和化学性质会随着周遭的气候发生变化。这些物质能在很长的一段时间里系统有序地沉淀下来，从而使得它们的物理性质和化学性质长时间地显示出变化，这个时间可能是几百年，也可能是几千年。

定语从句 substances whose physical and chemical properties change with the ambient climate at the time (先行词 substances 后面这么长一段就只是修饰主语substances的，substances的谓语在后面）

can be deposited in a systematic way （ 主语substance的谓语 in a systematic way 作be deposited 的方式状语）

结果状语 to provide a continuous record of changes in those properties overtime （those properties 就是指上面的physical and chemical properties overtime是副词，作这个短语中的动词provide的方式状语，表示“超长时间地”）

Answer 2

1.
We (主语）need (谓语）therefore（句子的连词） to know how much the climate can vary of its own accord (不定式短语做宾语其中how much...是从句，做know的宾语） in order to interpret....（目的状语，其中to which...是定语从句修饰extent）。
2.
Over long periods of time（状语）, substances （主语）whose physical and chemical properties change with the ambient climate at the time（定语从句，修饰substances) can be deposited(谓语） in a systematic way （状语）to provide a continuous record of changes in those properties overtime（主语补足语）, sometimes for hundreds or thousands of years（时间状语）.
此句不定式原本是做宾补的，但因为句子是被动句，宾语变成了主语，所以成了主补。