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劍橋雅思閱讀11(test1)答案精講

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劍橋雅思閱讀部分的題目可以進行一些分類總結,因爲考試的常見內容一般都會在下次考試中出現的。下面就是今天小編給大家帶來的劍橋雅思閱讀11原文和答案的內容,希望能夠幫助同學們備考雅思考試。

劍橋雅思閱讀11(test1)答案精講

劍橋雅思閱讀11原文(test1)

READING PASSAGE 1

You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 1-13, which are based on Reading Passage 1 below.

Crop-growing skyscrapers

By the year 2050, nearly 80% of the Earth’s population will live in urban centres. Applying the most conservative estimates to current demographic trends, the human population will increase by about three billion people by then. An estimated 109 hectares of new land (about 20% larger than Brazil) will be needed to grow enough food to feed them, if traditional farming methods continue as they are practised today. At present, throughout the world, over 80% of the land that is suitable for raising crops is in use. Historically, some 15% of that has been laid waste by poor management practices. What can be done to ensure enough food for the world’s population to live on?

The concept of indoor farming is not new, since hothouse production of tomatoes and other produce has been in vogue for some time. What is new is the urgent need to scale up this technology to accommodate another three billion people. Many believe an entirely new approach to indoor farming is required, employing cutting-edge technologies. One such proposal is for the ‘Vertical Farm’. The concept is of multi-storey buildings in which food crops are grown in environmentally controlled conditions. Situated in the heart of urban centres, they would drastically reduce the amount of transportation required to bring food to consumers. Vertical farms would need to be efficient, cheap to construct and safe to operate. If successfully implemented, proponents claim, vertical farms offer the promise of urban renewal, sustainable production of a safe and varied food supply (through year-round production of all crops), and the eventual repair of ecosystems that have been sacrificed for horizontal farming.

It took humans 10,000 years to learn how to grow most of the crops we now take for granted. Along the way, we despoiled most of the land we worked, often turning verdant, natural ecozones into semi-arid deserts. Within that same time frame, we evolved into an urban species, in which 60% of the human population now lives vertically in cities. This means that, for the majority, we humans have shelter from the elements, yet we subject our food-bearing plants to the rigours of the great outdoors and can do no more than hope for a good weather year. However, more often than not now, due to a rapidly changing climate, that is not what happens. Massive floods, long droughts, hurricanes and severe monsoons take their toll each year, destroying millions of tons of valuable crops.

The supporters of vertical farming claim many potential advantages for the system. For instance, crops would be produced all year round, as they would be kept in artificially controlled, optimum growing conditions. There would be no weather-related crop failures due to droughts, floods or pests. All the food could be grown organically, eliminating the need for herbicides, pesticides and fertilisers. The system would greatly reduce the incidence of many infectious diseases that are acquired at the agricultural interface. Although the system would consume energy, it would return energy to the grid via methane generation from composting non-edible parts of plants. It would also dramatically reduce fossil fuel use, by cutting out the need for tractors, ploughs and shipping.

A major drawback of vertical farming, however, is that the plants would require artificial light. Without it, those plants nearest the windows would be exposed to more sunlight and grow more quickly, reducing the efficiency of the system. Single-storey greenhouses have the benefit of natural overhead light: even so, many still need artificial lighting. A multi-storey facility with no natural overhead light would require far more. Generating enough light could be prohibitively expensive, unless cheap, renewable energy is available, and this appears to be rather a future aspiration than a likelihood for the near future.

One variation on vertical farming that has been developed is to grow plants in stacked trays that move on rails. Moving the trays allows the plants to get enough sunlight. This system is already in operation, and works well within a single-storey greenhouse with light reaching it from above: it is not certain, however, that it can be made to work without that overhead natural light.

Vertical farming is an attempt to address the undoubted problems that we face in producing enough food for a growing population. At the moment, though, more needs to be done to reduce the detrimental impact it would have on the environment, particularly as regards the use of energy. While it is possible that much of our food will be grown in skyscrapers in future, most experts currently believe it is far more likely that we will simply use the space available on urban rooftops.

Questions 1-7

Complete the sentences below.

Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.

Write your answers in boxes 1-7 on your answer sheet.

Indoor farming

1 Some food plants, including __________, are already grown indoors.

2 Vertical farms would be located in __________, meaning that there would be less need to take them long distances to customers.

3 Vertical farms could use methane from plants and animals to produce __________.

4 The consumption of __________ would be cut because agricultural vehicles would be unnecessary.

5 The fact that vertical farms would need __________ light is a disadvantage.

6 One form of vertical farming involves planting in __________ which are not fixed.

7 The most probable development is that food will be grown on __________ in towns and cities.

Questions 8-13

Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 1?

In boxes 8-13 on your answer sheet, write

TRUE if the statement agrees with the information

FALSE if the statement contradicts the information

NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this

8 Methods for predicting the Earth’s population have recently changed.

9 Human beings are responsible for some of the destruction to food-producing land.

10 The crops produced in vertical farms will depend on the season.

11 Some damage to food crops is caused by climate change.

12 Fertilisers will be needed for certain crops in vertical farms.

13 Vertical farming will make plants less likely to be affected by infectious diseases.

READING PASSAGE 2

You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 14-26, which are based on Reading Passage 2 below.

THE FALKIRK WHEEL

A unique engineering achievement

The Falkirk Wheel in Scotland is the world’s first and only rotating boat lift. Opened in 2002, it is central to the ambitious £84.5m Millennium Link project to restore navigability across Scotland by reconnecting the historic waterways of the Forth & Clyde and Union Canals.

The major challenge of the project lay in the fact that the Forth & Clyde Canal is situated 35 metres below the level of the Union Canal. Historically, the two canals had been joined near the town of Falkirk by a sequence of 11 locks — enclosed sections of canal in which the water level could be raised or lowered — that stepped down across a distance of 1.5 km. This had been dismantled in 1933, thereby breaking the link. When the project was launched in 1994, the British Waterways authority were keen to create a dramatic twenty-first-century landmark which would not only be a fitting commemoration of the Millennium, but also a lasting symbol of the economic regeneration of the region.

Numerous ideas were submitted for the project, including concepts ranging from rolling eggs to tilting tanks, from giant see-saws to overhead monorails. The eventual winner was a plan for the huge rotating steel boat lift which was to become The Falkirk Wheel. The unique shape of the structure is claimed to have been inspired by various sources, both manmade and natural, most notably a Celtic double-headed axe, but also the vast turning propeller of a ship, the ribcage of a whale or the spine of a fish.

The various parts of The Falkirk Wheel were all constructed and assembled, like one giant toy building set, at Butterley Engineering’s Steelworks in Derbyshire, some 400 km from Falkirk. A team there carefully assembled the 1,200 tonnes of steel, painstakingly fitting the pieces together to an accuracy of just 10 mm to ensure a perfect final fit. In the summer of 2001, the structure was then dismantled and transported on 35 lorries to Falkirk, before all being bolted back together again on the ground, and finally lifted into position in five large sections by crane. The Wheel would need to withstand immense and constantly changing stresses as it rotated, so to make the structure more robust, the steel sections were bolted rather than welded together. Over 45,000 bolt holes were matched with their bolts, and each bolt was hand-tightened.

The Wheel consists of two sets of opposing axe-shaped arms, attached about 25 metres apart to a fixed central spine. Two diametrically opposed water-filled ‘gondolas’, each with a capacity of 360,000 litres, are fitted between the ends of the arms. These gondolas always weigh the same, whether or not they are carrying boats. This is because, according to Archimedes’ principle of displacement, floating objects displace their own weight in water. So when a boat enters a gondola, the amount of water leaving the gondola weighs exactly the same as the boat. This keeps the Wheel balanced and so, despite its enormous mass, it rotates through 180° in five and a half minutes while using very little power. It takes just 1.5 kilowatt-hours (5.4 MJ) of energy to rotate the Wheel — roughly the same as boiling eight small domestic kettles of water.

Boats needing to be lifted up enter the canal basin at the level of the Forth & Clyde Canal and then enter the lower gondola of the Wheel. Two hydraulic steel gates are raised, so as to seal the gondola off from the water in the canal basin. The water between the gates is then pumped out. A hydraulic clamp, which prevents the arms of the Wheel moving while the gondola is docked, is removed, allowing the Wheel to turn. In the central machine room an array of ten hydraulic motors then begins to rotate the central axle. The axle connects to the outer arms of the Wheel, which begin to rotate at a speed of 1/8 of a revolution per minute. As the wheel rotates, the gondolas are kept in the upright position by a simple gearing system. Two eight-metre-wide cogs orbit a fixed inner cog of the same width, connected by two smaller cogs travelling in the opposite direction to the outer cogs — so ensuring that the gondolas always remain level. When the gondola reaches the top, the boat passes straight onto the aqueduct situated 24 metres above the canal basin.

The remaining 11 metres of lift needed to reach the Union Canal is achieved by means of a pair of locks. The Wheel could not be constructed to elevate boats over the full 35-metre difference between the two canals, owing to the presence of the historically important Antonine Wall, which was built by the Romans in the second century AD. Boats travel under this wall via a tunnel, then through the locks, and finally on to the Union Canal.

Questions 14-19

Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 2?

In boxes 14-19 on your answer sheet, write

TRUE if the statement agrees with the information

FALSE if the statement contradicts the information

NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this

14 The Falkirk Wheel has linked the Forth & Clyde Canal with the Union Canal for the first time in their history.

15 There was some opposition to the design of the Falkirk Wheel at first.

16 The Falkirk Wheel was initially put together at the location where its components were manufactured.

17 The Falkirk Wheel is the only boat lift in the world which has steel sections bolted together by hand.

18 The weight of the gondolas varies according to the size of boat being carried.

19 The construction of the Falkirk Wheel site took into account the presence of a nearby ancient monument.

Questions 20-26

Label the diagram below.

Choose ONE WORD from the passage for each answer.

Write your answers in boxes 20-26 on your answer sheet.

How a boat is lifted on the Falkirk Wheel

READING PASSAGE 3

You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 27-40, which are based on Reading Passage 3 below.

Reducing the Effects of Climate Change

Mark Rowe reports on the increasingly ambitious geo-engineering projects being explored by scientists

A Such is our dependence on fossil fuels, and such is the volume of carbon dioxide already released into the atmosphere, that many experts agree that significant global warming is now inevitable. They believe that the best we can do is keep it at a reasonable level, and at present the only serious option for doing this is cutting back on our carbon emissions. But while a few countries are making major strides in this regard, the majority are having great difficulty even stemming the rate of increase, let alone reversing it. Consequently, an increasing number of scientists are beginning to explore the alternative of geo-engineering — a term which generally refers to the intentional large-scale manipulation of the environment. According to its proponents, geo-engineering is the equivalent of a backup generator: if Plan A — reducing our dependency on fossil fuels — fails, we require a Plan B, employing grand schemes to slow down or reverse the process of global warming.

B Geo-engineering has been shown to work, at least on a small localised scale. For decades, May Day parades in Moscow have taken place under clear blue skies, aircraft having deposited dry ice, silver iodide and cement powder to disperse clouds. Many of the schemes now suggested look to do the opposite, and reduce the amount of sunlight reaching the planet. The most eye-catching idea of all is suggested by Professor Roger Angel of the University of Arizona. His scheme would employ up to 16 trillion minute spacecraft, each weighing about one gram, to form a transparent, sunlight-refracting sunshade in an orbit 1.5 million km above the Earth. This could, argues Angel, reduce the amount of light reaching the Earth by two per cent.

C The majority of geo-engineering projects so far carried out — which include planting forests in deserts and depositing iron in the ocean to stimulate the growth of algae — have focused on achieving a general cooling of the Earth. But some look specifically at reversing the melting at the poles, particularly the Arctic. The reasoning is that if you replenish the ice sheets and frozen waters of the high latitudes, more light will be reflected back into space, so reducing the warming of the oceans and atmosphere.

D The concept of releasing aerosol sprays into the stratosphere above the Arctic has been proposed by several scientists. This would involve using sulphur or hydrogen sulphide aerosols so that sulphur dioxide would form clouds, which would, in turn, lead to a global dimming. The idea is modelled on historic volcanic explosions, such as that of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines in 1991, which led to a short-term cooling of global temperatures by 0.5℃. Scientists have also scrutinised whether it’s possible to preserve the ice sheets of Greenland with reinforced high-tension cables, preventing icebergs from moving into the sea. Meanwhile in the Russian Arctic, geo-engineering plans include the planting of millions of birch trees. Whereas the region’s native evergreen pines shade the snow and absorb radiation, birches would shed their leaves in winter, thus enabling radiation to be reflected by the snow. Re-routing Russian rivers to increase cold water flow to ice-forming areas could also be used to slow down warming, say some climate scientists.

E But will such schemes ever be implemented? Generally speaking, those who are most cautious about geo-engineering are the scientists involved in the research. Angel says that his plan is ‘no substitute for developing renewable energy: the only permanent solution’. And Dr Phil Rasch of the US-based Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is equally guarded about the role of geo-engineering: ‘I think all of us agree that if we were to end geo-engineering on a given day, then the planet would return to its pre-engineered condition very rapidly, and probably within ten to twenty years. That’s certainly something to worry about.’

F The US National Center for Atmospheric Research has already suggested that the proposal to inject sulphur into the atmosphere might affect rainfall patterns across the tropics and the Southern Ocean. ‘Geo-engineering plans to inject stratospheric aerosols or to seed clouds would act to cool the planet, and act to increase the extent of sea ice,’ says Rasch. ‘But all the models suggest some impact on the distribution of precipitation.’

G ‘A further risk with geo-engineering projects is that you can “overshoot”,’ says Dr Dan Lunt, from the University of Bristol’s School of Geophysical Sciences, who has studied the likely impacts of the sunshade and aerosol schemes on the climate. ‘You may bring global temperatures back to pre-industrial levels, but the risk is that the poles will still be warmer than they should be and the tropics will be cooler than before industrialisation.’ To avoid such a scenario, Lunt says Angel’s project would have to operate at half strength; all of which reinforces his view that the best option is to avoid the need for geo-engineering altogether.

H The main reason why geo-engineering is supported by many in the scientific community is that most researchers have little faith in the ability of politicians to agree — and then bring in — the necessary carbon cuts. Even leading conservation organisations see the value of investigating the potential of geo-engineering. According to Dr Martin Sommerkorn, climate change advisor for the World Wildlife Fund’s International Arctic Programme, ‘Human-induced climate change has brought humanity to a position where we shouldn’t exclude thinking thoroughly about this topic and its possibilities.’

Questions 27-29

Reading Passage 3 has eight paragraphs A-H.

Which paragraph contains the following information?

Write the correct letter, A-H, in boxes 27-29 on your answer sheet.

27 mention of a geo-engineering project based on an earlier natural phenomenon

28 an example of a successful use of geo-engineering

29 a common definition of geo-engineering

Questions 30-36

Complete the table below.

Choose ONE WORD from the passage for each answer.

Write your answers in boxes 30-36 on your answer sheet.

GEO-ENGINEERING PROJECTS

Procedure Aim

put a large number of tiny spacecraft into orbit far above Earth to create a 30 __________ that would reduce the amount of light reaching Earth

place 31 __________ in the sea to encourage 32 __________ to form

release aerosol sprays into the stratosphere to create 33 __________ that would reduce the amount of light reaching Earth

fix strong 34 __________ to Greenland ice sheets to prevent icebergs moving into the sea

plant trees in Russian Arctic that would lose their leaves in winter to allow the 35 __________ to reflect radiation

change the direction of 36 __________ to bring more cold water into ice-forming areas

Questions 37-40

Look at the following statements (Questions 37-40) and the list of scientists below.

Match each statement with the correct scientist, A-D.

Write the correct letter, A-D, in boxes 37-40 on your answer sheet.

37 The effects of geo-engineering may not be long-lasting.

38 Geo-engineering is a topic worth exploring.

39 It may be necessary to limit the effectiveness of geo-engineering projects.

40 Research into non-fossil-based fuels cannot be replaced by geo-engineering.

List of Scientists

A Roger Angel

B Phil Rasch

C Dan Lunt

D Martin Sommerkorn

劍橋雅思閱讀11原文參考譯文(test1)

PASSAGE 1參考譯文:

作物生長的“摩天大廈”

到2050年,近80%的地球人口將在城市中心生活。依據當前的人口統計趨勢進行最保守的估計,那時人類將增加了約30億人。如果繼續像現在這樣使用傳統的農耕方法,那麼需要大約10億公頃新土地(大約比巴西國家面積大出20%)來生產足夠的食物以供給他們。如今,縱觀全世界,超過80%適合種糧食作物的土地在使用中。從歷史經驗來看,這其中大約15%因不合理的管理使用行爲而被荒廢。我們能夠做些什麼以確保有足夠的食物來供養世界人口呢?

由於室內種植番茄和其他作物已經時興一段時間了,所以室內種植的概念並不新奇。

新的問題是迫切需要按比例擴大這一技術來供養另外的30億人。很多人相信通過使用尖端技術,一種全新的室內農業方式是有必要的。“垂直農場”就是這樣的一個提議。這一概念是在多層建築中,糧食作物在環境可控的條件下生長。它們位於城市中心,意味着它們將大幅度減少把作物運送給消費者的運輸量。垂直農場需要高效而低廉,從而方便建設和安全操作。支持者們稱,如果成功實施,垂直農場會帶來城市復甦的希望,持續提供安全多樣的食物供應(通過整年生產所有穀物),並且最終修復由於水平農業而造成損害的生態系統。

人類用了一萬年去學習如何種植大部分作物,雖然如今我們視這些作物的種植爲理所當然。在這期間,我們在大部分我們耕作的土地上大肆掠奪,經常將青蔥自然的生態地帶變成半乾旱沙漠地帶。在同一時間範圍內,我們進化成爲城市物種,其中60%的人口如今縱向分佈居住在城市中。這意味着,對大多數人而言,我們人類享有自然的庇護,而我們將生產糧食的作物暴露於戶外的嚴苛環境,除了寄希望於一年風調雨順之外,再也無能爲力。然而,通常由於快速變化的氣候,情況並不常常如人意。每年都會出現大洪水、持續乾旱、颶風以及強烈的季風奪取收成,數百萬噸珍貴的作物被毀掉。

垂直農業的支持者們認爲這一系統有許多潛在的優勢。例如,可以整年生產作物,因爲它們生長在人工控制的、最理想生長環境中。不會由幹早、洪水或害蟲引起與氣候有關的作物減產。所有作物可以有機自然地生長,不再需要除草剤、殺蟲劑及肥料。系統將大大減少農業接觸中一些傳染性疾病的發生概率。雖然系統會消耗能量,但是它能通過作物不可食用部分的堆肥裏生成的沼氣將能量返還給系統網絡。它也將通過減少拖拉機、犁和航運運輸的需求從而大幅度減少化石能源的使用。

然而,垂直農業的一個主要缺點在於作物需要人造光。沒有人造光,那些距離窗戶最近的作物將暴露在更多太陽光下並且更快地生長,從而降低系統效率。單層溫室有天然的頂部光源的優勢:即便如此,很多溫室依然需要人造光。沒有天然頭頂光源的多層設施則需要更多的人造光。 產生足夠的光成本會過分昂貴,除非有成本低廉的可再生能源可以利用,而這是更像是一種對未來的展望,而並非有在不久的將來實現的可能性。

垂直農場的一個已經發展成型的變化是在層疊式托盤上種植作物,這些層疊式托盤可以在鐵軌上移動。移動托盤可以讓植物可以獲得足夠的陽光。這種系統已經在運行狀態中了,並且在頂部有光照的單層溫室中運行良好:但是不確定是否在沒有頭頂自然光的情況下使它正常工作。

垂直農業試圖解決我們在爲增長的人口生產足夠食物時必然面對的問題。儘管如此,如今需要採取更多措施來減少它會對環境產生的有害影響,尤其是好比能源的使用。儘管未來有可能我們的很多食物將在“摩天大廈”中生長,然而在將來,我們的很多食物有可能是被種植在高樓大廈裏,大部分專家現在相信利用在城市鄉鎮的屋頂上的可用空間來種植可能性更大。

TEST 1 PASSAGE 2參考譯文:

法爾柯克水輪

一個獨一無二的工程學成就

蘇格蘭的法爾柯克水輪是世界上首個也是唯一一個船隻升降轉輪。法爾柯克水輪啓用於2002年,它對於千禧廊道項目至關重要(這個項目斥巨資8450萬英鎊),該水輪通過重新連接福斯克萊德運河和聯盟運河間曾經的航路從而來恢復蘇格蘭的適航性。

這項工程的最大的挑戰性在於福斯克萊德運河的位置是處低於聯盟運河35米的地方。以往,兩條運河經由11個船閘,交匯在福爾柯克小鎮附近,這些船閘在1.5公里的距離內逐步向下,這是運河的封閉部分,其中的水位可以升高或降低。這一設施於1933年被拆除,從而切斷了運河間的聯繫。當項目在1994年啓動吋,英國航道管理局希望建立一座引人注目的21世紀里程碑式建築,這將不僅僅是對千禧廊道的一個合適的紀念,同時還是這一地區經濟復興的持久象徵。

這一項目收到了人們許多的設計想法,其中包括從滾動裝置到傾斜槽,從巨大的蹺板到高架單軌。最終勝出的一個項目策劃是建造巨大的旋轉鋼製船舶升降設備,也就是後來的法爾柯克水輪。號稱這一裝置的獨特形狀受到了各種資源的啓發,人工的和天然的都有,尤其是著名的凱爾特雙頭斧、巨大的船隻轉動螺旋漿、以及鯨魚的胸膛或是魚類的脊椎。

法爾柯克水輪不同的部分被建造和安裝起來,就像一個大型的玩具建築裝置似的,就在距離法爾柯克400公里的德比郡巴特利工程鍊鋼廠。那裏的團隊仔細裝配了1200噸鋼鐵部件,費力地將細小到僅爲10毫米的零件精確組裝在一起來確保完美的最終合成。在2001年夏天,這一設備先被拆分且用35輛貨車託至法爾柯克,然後所有部件在地面上再次用螺栓連接在一起,最終通過起重機將五個部分起吊起到應有位置。水輪旋轉時將承擔巨大並且持續變化的壓力,因此爲了使裝置更加牢固,鋼鐵部件通過螺栓連接而非焊接在一起。超過45000個螺栓孔被它們的螺栓所匹配填充,每個螺栓都由人工手動旋緊。

水輪由兩組相對的斧形懸掛臂組成,連接在一條固定的中心柱上,它們之間相距約25米。有兩個完全相對的充滿水的“貢多拉”,每個的容量爲360,000公升,它們連接於懸臂的末端。無論是否攜帶船隻,貢多拉的重量總是一致。這是因爲,按照阿基米德的位移原理,漂浮的物體會在水中排出和他們自身相同的重量;因此當船隻進入貢多拉時,離開貢多拉的水同船隻重量完全一致。因此這使水輪保持平衡,所以雖然質量上巨大,但是它在五分半鐘的時間裏旋轉180度卻基本不怎麼消耗能量。只要1.5千瓦時(5.4兆焦耳)的能量就能旋轉水輪——差不多相當於燒開八小壺家用水壺中的水所需的能量。

需要被吊起的船隻在福斯克萊德運河的高度進入到運河港池,然後進入水輪中較低的貢多拉里。兩個水力鋼閘門被升起,從而把貢多拉封鎖於運河港池之中,然後抽出閘門間的水。用於阻止在貢多拉停靠時水輪臂移動的液壓夾具被移除了,得以讓水輪運轉。在中心機房,十個液壓發動機開始旋轉中心軸。中心軸連接水輪的外臂,外臂開始以每分鐘1/8轉的速度旋轉。隨着水輪轉動,貢多拉通過一個簡單的齒輪裝置保持直立垂直。兩個寬八米的齒輪圍繞着一個寬度相同的固定內部齒輪旋轉,它們被兩個以相反方向轉向外部齒輪的較小齒輪連接——從而確保貢多拉一直保持直立水平。當貢多拉到達頂部時,船隻徑直穿過位於運河港池上方24米處的溝渠。

到達聯盟運河所需的剩下11米起吊距離通過一對水閘來實現。水輪不能被建在相差35米的兩條運河間升起船隻,是因爲具有重大歷史意義的安東尼牆存在,它由羅馬人在公元二世紀建造。船隻通過隧道在安東尼牆下方行駛,然後經過水閘,最終進入聯盟運河。

TEST 1 PASSAGE 3 參考譯文:

減少氣候變化的影響

Mark Rowe 就科學家正在探索並且越發受到關注的地球工程項目進行報道

A 我們對於化石燃料的依賴,以及我們已經釋放到大氣中的二氧化碳量,使得很多專家一致認爲嚴重的全球變暖已經不可避免。他們相信我們頂多能做的就是將其維持在合理的水平,而目前唯一可以考慮的做法是降低碳排放量。但儘管一些國家正在這方面做出巨大進步,大多數國家即使是控制增長速度也依然非常困難,更別說扭轉這一趨勢了。因此,越來越多的科學家開始探索地球工程的替代性——這個術語通常指目的性的大規模環境控制。根據其支持者,地球工程相當於一臺備用發電機:如果A計劃(減少我們對化石燃料的依賴)失敗,我們需要B計劃,即開展宏大的計劃來控制或扭轉全球變暖的進程。

B 地球工程己經被證明有效,至少在較小的地方範圍內。幾十年來,在莫斯科的勞動節閱兵在清澈的藍天下進行,就是因爲利用飛機載着乾冰、碘化銀以及水泥粉來驅散雲層。很多方案如今期望用相反的方式進行,以減少到達地球的太陽光。其中亞利桑那大學的Roger Angel教授提出的觀點最受人關注。他的方案將使用16兆之多的微型航天器,其中每個約重1克,從而在地球上方150萬公里的軌道上形成一個透明的、折射太陽光的遮光板。Angel說,這可以將到達地球的光照量減少2%。

C 大部分目前實施的地球工程,包括在沙漠種植森林,將鐵質沉澱入海促進藻類生長,都是側重於給地球整體降溫的目的。但其中一些特別關注阻止兩極的融化,尤其是北極。理由是如果你填滿高緯度的冰層以及冷凍水,更多光將被反射回太空,從而減緩海洋和大氣的變暖。

D 很多科學家提出向北極上方平流層釋放噴霧劑的想法。這包括使用硫或氫化硫噴霧,由此二氧化硫將形成雲層,這將轉而導致全球變暗。這一想法模仿了歷史上的火山爆發,例如1991年菲律賓皮納圖博火山的爆發,這次火山爆發導致全球氣溫在短期內下降了0.5攝氏度。科學家同樣細緻探討了是否可能用強化的高壓電纜保護格陵蘭的冰層,以防止冰山進人大海。同時在俄羅斯北極地區,地球工程方案包括種植數百萬棵樺樹。而這一地區本地生長的常青松樹遮擋雪並吸收輻射,樺樹將在冬天落葉,從而使輻射能夠被雪反射。一些氣候科學家說,改變俄羅斯河流方向來増加流到結冰區域的冷水同樣可以減緩地球變暖。

E 但這樣的計劃會被實施嗎?通常來說,參與研究的科學家對地球工程最爲謹慎。Angel說他的計劃“無法取代開發可再生能源這一唯一的永久解決方案。”美國太平洋西北國家實驗室的Phil Rasch博士對地球工程的作用同樣持謹慎態度:“我認爲我們所有人都同意如果有一天停止地球工程,地球將很快回到實施地球工程前的狀態,或許在十到二十年間。這當然是值得人們擔憂的。”

F 美國國家大氣研究中心已經表示將硫注入大氣的提議可能影響熱帶地區和南大洋的降雨模式。“注入平流層噴霧或製造雲層的地球計劃將會使地球冷卻,並將増加海上浮冰的範圍,”Rasch說。“但所有模式都意味着對降水的分佈產生一些影響。”

G 布里斯托大學地球物理科學學院的Dan Lunt博士說:“地球工程項目進一步的風險是可能會‘注入過多’”,他已經研究了遮光板和氣霧劑方案對氣候的影響。“你可能會將全球氣溫帶回到工業化前的水平,但風險在於極地將依然比其應有溫度更高而熱帶地區的溫度將低於工業化之前。”爲避免這樣的情況,Lunt說Angel的項目需要以一半力量來實施;這一切都符合他的觀點:最好的選擇是避免整體性的地球工程需要。

H 地球工程受到很多科學界人士支持的主要原因是多數研究者並不認爲政治家會認可並隨之帶來必要的碳排放減少。即使領先的環境組織也關注研究地球工程潛力的價值。根據世界野生動物基金會國際北極項目的氣候變化顧問Martin Sommerkorn博士的觀點,“人類干涉天氣變化已經把人類帶到了一種必須全面細緻探討這一話題及其可能性的境地。”

  劍橋雅思閱讀11原文解析(test1)

Passage1

Question 1

答案: tomatoes

關鍵詞: food plants, already grown indoors

定位原文: 第2段第1句“The concept of indoor farming is not new... ”由於室內種植番茄和其他作物已經時興一段時間了,所以室內種植的概念並不新奇。

解題思路: 找到了indoor farming ,同義替換題目的 grown indoors,自然可以找到tomatoes爲答案。

Question 2

答案: urban centres

關鍵詞: located in, less need to take them long distance to customers

定位原文: 第2段第6句“Situated in... ” 它們位於城市中心,這將大幅減少將食物運往消費者處所耗費的運輸量。

解題思路: situated in相當於題目中的located in, 而 drastically reduce the amount of transportation required to bring food to consumers 相當於題目中的 less need to take them long distances to customers,同義替換,自然可以找到答案爲urban centres.

Question 3

答案: energy

關鍵詞: methane

定位原文: 第4段第6句“Although the system…” 雖然系統會消耗能量,但是它能通過作物不可食用部分的堆肥裏生成的沼氣將能量返還給系統網絡。

解題思路: 定位methane後,通讀整句後會發現return energy的energy是methane產生的。

Question 4

答案: fossil fuel

關鍵詞: cut, agricultural vehicles

對應原文: 第4段第7句“It would also dramatically reduce fossil fuel…” 它將通過減少拖拉機、犁和航運運輸的需求從而大幅度減少化石能源的使用。

解題思路: tractors是agricultural vehicles 的同義替換,dramatically reduce 同義於consumption,得出答案。

Question 5

答案: artificial

關鍵詞: light, disadvantage

定位原文: 第5段第1句“A major drawback of…”但是,垂直農場最大的一個缺點是作物需要人造光。

解題思路: the major drawback 很好對應題目的disadvantage, 句子中又明確說明了artificial light,所以非常容易得出答案。

Question 6

答案: (stacked) trays

關鍵詞: one form, not fixed

定位原文: 第6段第1句“One variation on… ”和第6段最後一句,“it is not certain…”垂直農場的一個已經發展成型的變化是在stacked trays(層疊式托盤)上種植作物,這些stacked trays可以在鐵軌上移動。最後一句還提到:但是不確定是否在沒有頭頂自然光的情況下使它正常工作。

解題思路: one form 對應one variation,not fixed 和 it is not certain 是同義替換,找到grow plants in 後面的部分可以找到答案。這個題貫穿的信息在第6段一前一後,需要注意no more than two words 的要求,stacked 也可以不填寫。

Question 7

答案: (urban) rooftops

關鍵詞: the most probable development,towns and cities

定位原文: 最後一段最後一句“While it is possible that much…”然而在將來,我們的很多食物有可能是被種植在高樓大廈裏,大部分專家現在相信利用在城市鄉鎮的屋頂上的可用空間來種植可能性更大。

解題思路: the most probable development 同義於原文的far more likely, urban 同義替換原題的towns and cities,所以這個題也很容易得出答案。

Question 8

答案: Not Given

關鍵詞: population

定位原文: 第1段前兩句提到了population。只是說了到2050年,世界上近80%的人將居住在城市中心,根據人口統計保守估計,人口將增加到30億人。全文都在討論farming,並沒有再別處提到預測人口方法的其他話題了,因此,這個題目的答案是NG。

解題思路: 定位到原文第一段後,初步發現是NG,如果不確定,在快速瀏覽全文過後,可以發現第一段前兩句就是本題唯一的答題區域,不用在糾結改變或者沒有改變了,更可以快速確認答案。

Question 9

答案: True

關鍵詞: human beings, destruction, food-producing land

定位原文: 第1段的第4&5句。“At present,throughout the world……”超過80%的適合種植莊稼的土地在使用中,從歷史經驗上而言,這其中15%由於不恰當的管理操作導致荒廢。

解題思路:題目中 food-producing land 與文章第一段第四句中 the land that is suitable for raising crops 同義替換,其中15%的土地has been laid waste,這與題目中destruction的表達相一致,而根據文中表述,這15%由於 poor management practices而荒廢,這實際上指的就是題目中的human beings的原因。

Question 10

答案: False

關鍵詞: vertical farms,depend on season

定位原文: 第2段最後一句“If successfully implemented... ”如果成功實施,支持者們說,垂直農場會帶來城市復甦的希望, 持續提供安全多樣的食物供應(通過整年生產所有穀物),並且最終修復由於水平農業而造成損害的生態系統。

解題思路: 根據定位答題區域,可以得知,括號內的部分說到through year-round production of all crops,說明了垂直農場可以全年都使用,也就是不會受到季節的影響,這與題目中的信息相反。

Question 11

答案: True

關鍵詞: damage to food crops;

定位原文: 第3段的第5-6句“However,more often…” 然而,通常由於快速變化的氣候,情況並不如人願。每年都會出現大洪水、持續乾旱、颶風以及強烈的季風,數百萬噸珍貴的作物被毀掉。

解題思路: 定位區域提到了一些作物受到破壞的原因。說道很多valuable crops 受到破壞是由於句首提到的各種氣候現象,即前面所說的massive floods, long droughts, hurricanes and severe monsoons,這些都屬於上一句中的 rapidly changing climate。

Question 12

答案: False

關鍵詞: fertilizers, will be needed

定位原文: 第4段第4句“All the food…”所有作物有機自然地生長,不需要除草劑、殺蟲劑和化肥。

解題思路: 定位原文後,很容易發現題目和原文信息相反。注意到eliminating the need for是“不需要”的意思。

Question 13

答案: True

關鍵詞: less likely affected by infectious diseases

定位原文: 第4段第5句“The system…”系統將大大減少農業接觸中一些傳染性疾病的發生概率。

解題思路: 在12題之後,就可以清楚看到13題的答案。原文的greatly reduce the incidence of many infectious diseases 是題目的同義表達。

Test 1 Passage 2

Question 14

答案: False

關鍵詞: linked, for the first time

定位原文: 第1段的兩句內容“The Falkirk Wheel.. ” 蘇格蘭的法爾柯克水輪是世界上首個也是唯一一個船隻升降轉輪。法爾柯克水輪啓用於2002年,它對於斥資8450萬英鎊的千禧廊道項目至關重要,該水輪通過重新連接福斯克萊德運河和聯盟運河間曾經的航路來恢復蘇格蘭的適航性。

解題思路: 原文的reconnecting 是答題重點,既然是reconnecting,所以一定不是the first time

Question 15

答案: Not Given

關鍵詞: at first, the design of the Falkirk wheel,opposition

定位原文: 第3段。說的是很多人提交了關於這個項目的設計想法,最後巨大的旋轉鋼製船舶升降設備的計劃,也就是之後的法爾柯克水輪勝出。這一裝置對一無二形狀據說是受到了不同材料的啓發,既有人工的,又有天然的,尤其是著名的凱爾特雙頭斧、還有巨大的船隻轉動螺旋漿、以及鯨魚的胸膛或是魚類的脊椎。

解題思路: 這一段只是介紹了設計過程,並沒有提到設計時有什麼反對意見,初步可以斷定是NG,如果擔心遺漏掉答題定位區,可以暫時待定答案,瀏覽全文後可以發現,這是全文跟題目有關的唯一答題定位區,可以確定答案就是NG。

Question 16

答案: True

關鍵詞: put together, components were manufactured.

定位原文: 第4段第1句“The various parts of...” 法爾柯克水輪不同的部分被建造和安裝起來,就像一個大型的玩具建築裝置似的,在距離法爾柯克400公里的德比郡巴特利工程鍊鋼廠。

解題思路: constructed and assembled,其中constructed與題目中的manufactured爲同義替換,而assembled與題目中的put together爲同義替換,製造和組裝都在同一個地點,所以答案爲True。

Question 17

答案: Not Given

關鍵詞: bolted together by hand, the only boat lift

定位原文: 第4段最後一句“Over 45,000…” 超過45000個螺栓孔被它們的螺栓所匹配填充,每個螺栓都由人工手動旋緊。

解題思路: 本題有兩個論述點:一是:唯一一個, 二是:螺栓手動組裝。本題的答題定位區域只是論證了第二個點,並沒有提到第一個,所以答案是NG。

Question 18

答案: False

關鍵詞: the weight of the gondolas,varies, the size of boat

定位原文: 第5段第3句“These gondolas always weigh the same, whether or not they are carrying boats.”這些貢多拉的重量總是一樣的,不管它們是否攜帶船隻。

解題思路: 定位到原文很顯然能夠發現題目和原文的信息相反,因此很容易得出答案。

Question 19

答案: True

關鍵詞:The construction site,nearby ancient monument

定位原文: 第7段第2句“The Wheel could not be…”水輪不能被建在相差35米的兩條運河間升起船隻,是因爲具有重大歷史意義的安東尼牆存在。

解題思路: 第7段第2句說明了安東尼牆是ancient monument,定位句和原題完全符合。

Question 20

答案: gates

關鍵詞: a pair of, shut out water, canal basin

定位原文: 第6段第2句“Two hydraulic steel…”兩個水力鋼閘門被升起,從而把貢多拉封閉於運河港池之中,然後抽出閘門間的水。

解題思路: 原文中,出現的two爲a pair of 的同義替換;同時raised,此處與題目中的lift爲同義替換;而so as to...與題目中的in order to...爲同義替換,注意字數限制是 one word。

Question 21

答案: clamp

關鍵詞: take out, rotate

定位原文: 第6段第4句“A hydraulic clamp …”用於阻止在貢多拉停靠時水輪臂移動的液壓夾具被移除了,得以讓水輪運轉。

解題思路:此處removed 與 taken out 爲同義替換;同時 allowing the Wheel to turn 與題目甲的 enabling Wheel to rotate 也爲同義替換,注意題目要求是one word。

Question 22

答案: axle

關鍵詞:hydraulic motors

定位原文: 第6段第5句,“In the central machine room…” 在中心機房,十個液壓發動機開始旋轉中心袖。

解題思路: 原文中 then begins to rotate 同義替換題目中的drive

Question 23

答案: cogs。

關鍵詞:different-sized, upright

定位原文: 第6段7、8句“As the wheel rotates, the gondolas…”隨着輪子旋轉,貢多拉隨着齒輪裝置保持直立位置,兩個八米寬的cogs(齒輪)圍繞着一個寬度相同的固定內部齒輪旋轉,它們被兩個以相反方向轉向外部齒輪的較小齒輪連接——從而確保貢多拉一直保持水平。

解題思路: upright 可以保持定位,定位後可以得出答案。注意在第八句中對a simple gear system做了詳細的解釋,是cogs。同時one word 的要求得出答案必須是這個。

Question 24

答案: aqueduct

關鍵詞: top Wheel, moves directly

定位原文: 第6段第9句 “When the gondola...”, 當貢多拉到達頂部時,船隻徑直穿過位於運河港池上方24米處的溝渠。

解題思路:題目中的moves directly onto 與本句中的 passes straight onto 是同義表達,因此本題答案爲aqueduct。

Question 25

答案: wall

關鍵詞:travels through tunnel, Roman

定位原文:第7段的第2、3句“The Wheel could not be constructed…” 水輪不能被建在相差35米的兩條運河間升起船隻,是因爲具有重大歷史意義的安東尼牆存在。

解題思路:boats travel under this wall via a tunnel,可見此處的wall就是上句說到的Antonine Wall,因此本題答案爲wall。

Question 26

答案: locks

關鍵詞:11, Union Canal

定位原文:第7段第1句“The remaining…”剩下的11米靠a pair of locks 來實現。

解題思路:結尾處的achieved by means of a pair of locks 說明船隻由locks升起。

Test 1 Passage 3

Question 27

答案:D

關鍵詞:earlier natural phenomenon

定位原文:D段第3句“The idea is modelled…”這個想法模仿了歷史上的火山爆發,比如說1991年菲律賓皮納圖博火山爆發,這次火山爆發導致短期內全球氣溫下降了0.5攝氏度。

解題思路:題目說的早期的自然現象,D段此處說到historic volcanic explosions是屬於an earlier natural phenomenon的,因此選擇D。

Question 28:

答案:B

關鍵詞:example, a successful use

定位原文:B段第2句“For decades…”數十年來,在莫斯科舉行的勞動節閱兵一直在清澈的藍天下進行,就是利用飛機載着乾冰、碘化銀以及水泥粉來驅散雲層。

解題思路:題目說的是一個成功進行地球工程的例子。文章B段開頭提到Geo-engineering has been shown to work,說明後面如果出現具體事例,就是在列舉geo-engineering的成功,而之後關於May Day parades in Moscow的例子,正對應題目中的a successful use,一個實例驗證。因此本題答案爲B。

Question 29:

答案:A

關鍵詞:definition, geo-engineering

定位原文:A段第4句“Consequently, an increasing number of…” 因此,越來越多的科學家開始探索地球工程的替代性——這個術語通常指目的性的大規模環境控制。

解題思路:本題問到關於地球工程的普遍定義,文章主題是圍繞geo-engineering展開,因此通常說來定義往往會出現在文中比較靠前的位置,讀到A段第一次出現geo- engineering 時,便出現了破折號和a term which generally refers to 這樣典型的表示下定義的表達,因此本題答案爲A。

Question 30:

答案:sunshade

關鍵詞:tiny spacecraft, reduce the amount of light reaching Earth

定位原文:B段第4、5、6句 “The most eye-catching…” Professor Roger Angel 提出了一個最引人注目的想法,他的方案是將採用16兆之多的微型航天器,其中每個約重爲1克,從而在地球上方150萬公里的軌道上形成一個透明的、折射太陽光的遮光板。

解題思路:題目中的 a large number of tiny spacecraft 出現在文章B段第五句,其中a large number of同義於16 trillion, tiny spacecraft 同義於minute spacecraft,之後題目在目的中提到減少到達地球的太陽光,這與B段第六句的reduce the amount of light reaching the Earth by two per cent一致,題目中的create相當於原文中的form。這組題目要求填入一個單詞,因此本題答案爲sunshade。

Question 31:

答案:iron

關鍵詞:in the sea

定位原文:C段第1句“The majority of geo-engineering…”大部分目前實施的地球工程,包括在沙漠種植森林,將鐵質沉澱入海促進藻類生長,都是側重於給地球整體降溫的目的。

解題思路:depositing iron in the ocean, 可見depositing 之後的名詞與place之後的名詞即31題所填內容對應。

Question 32:

答案:algae

關鍵詞:encourage, to form

定位原文:C段第1句“The majority of geo-engineering…”大部分目前實施的地球工程,包括在沙漠種植森林,將鐵質沉澱入海促進藻類生長,都是側重於給地球整體降溫的目的。同31題一起作答。

解題思路:to stimulate the growth of algae, 這部分內容與題目中to encourage _____ to from 一致,因此本題答案爲algae。

Question 33:

答案:clouds

關鍵詞:aerosol sprays

定位原文:D段的第1句和第2句“The concept…” 使用硫或氫化硫噴霧,由此二氧化硫將形成雲層,這將轉而導致全球變暗。

解題思路:本題說到釋放aerosol sprays,這一信息出現在文章D段第一句,而題目問的是這樣做是產生了什麼,33題空前的create與D段第二句中的form對應,因此本題答案爲clouds。

Question 34:

答案:cables

關鍵詞:strong, Greenland

定位原文:D段第4句“Scientists have also scrutinized…”科學家同樣細緻探討了是否可能用強化的高壓電纜保護格陵蘭的冰層,以防止冰山進入大海。

解題思路:題目中的strong與句中的reinforced對應,可見對應的內容爲 reinforced high-tension cables,根據one word 的要求,是填寫 cables。

Question 35:

答案:snow

關鍵詞:Russian Arctic, reflect radiation

定位原文:D段第 5、6句“Meanwhile…” 同時在俄羅斯北極地區,地球工程方案包括種植數百萬棵樺樹。而這一地區本地生長的常青松樹遮擋雪並吸收輻射,樺樹將在冬天落葉,從而使輻射能夠被雪反射。

解題思路:本題中提到的reflect radiation 在D段第六句中出現,通過分析enabling radiation to be reflected by the snow,可以看到其中名詞snow符合題目要求。

Question 36:

答案:rivers

關鍵詞:change the direction of

定位原文:D段第7句“Re-routing…”

解題思路:D段第7句說到Re-routing Russian rivers,可見是河流的方向被改變。一些氣候科學家說,改變俄羅斯河流方向來増加流到結冰區域的冷水同樣可以用來減緩地球變暖。

Question 37:

答案:B

關鍵詞:effects, may not be long-lasting

定位原文:E段第4句“And Dr. Phil Rasch …” Dr. Phil Rasch 認爲“我認爲我們所有人都同意如果有一天停止地球工程,地球將很快回到實施地球工程前的狀態,或許在十到二十年間。這當然是值得人們擔憂的。”

解題思路:題目說地球工程的效果可能不會長久,“And Dr. Phil Rasch of the US-based Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is equally guarded about the role of geo-engineering: “I think all of us agree that if we were to end geo-engineering on a given day, then the planet would return to its pre-engineered condition very rapidly, and probably within ten to twenty years. That's certainly something to worry about. ” 一旦停止地球工程,地球將很快回到之前的狀態,這說明地球工程的效果不會long-lasting,是用假設的觀點來表示“一旦停止就返回”而這一觀點是Phil Pasch表達的,因此本題答案爲B。

Question 38:

答案:D

關鍵詞:a topic worth exploring

定位原文: H段第3句“According to…”根據Martin 這個人提出的觀點,人類干涉天氣變化已經把人類帶到了一種必須全面細緻探討這一話題及其可能性的境地。

解題思路:本題所表達的觀點說地球工程是一個值得探討的話題,Martin的觀點即需要對這一話題進行細緻探討,當然是值得探討這與題目表達一致,而這是Martin Sommerkorn 提出的觀點,因此本題答案爲D。

Question 39:

答案:C

關鍵詞:limit the effectiveness

定位原文:G 段最後一句“To avoid…”爲了避免這樣的情況,Lunt說Angel的項目需要以一半力量來實施;這一切都符合他的觀點:最好的選擇是避免整體性的地球工程的需要。

解題思路:本題所表達的是有必要限制地球工程項目的效果。其中說到 operate at half strength,這與題目中limit the effectiveness一致,而這是Dan Lunt 的觀點,因此本題答案爲C。

Question 40:

答案:A

關鍵詞:non-fossil- based fuels, cannot be replaced

定位原文: E段第2句“Angel says that his plan is…”Angel說他的計劃“無法取代開發可再生能源這一唯一的永久解決方案。”

解題思路:本題所表述的觀點是非化石原料的研究不能被地球工程所取代。其中 no substitute 與 題目中 cannot be replaced 是同義替換,而 renewable energy 與題目中 non-fossil-based fuels同義替換,這一觀點是Roger Angle表達的,因此本題答案爲A。