1have been 后没有省略内容,这个句子是个宾语从句,从句的正常语序是 they must have been dependent on regular rainfall.由how引导就把dependent on regular rainfall提前了.
2.use to do sth表示过去常做某事,to 后面跟动词原型(如果是is,am,are之类的be动词,则是use to be)
这句子省略了,你可以这样看More people own houses these days than they used to own years ago.
The traffic is even worse than it used to be.(你看前面用的是is,所以to后面接be )