[外语类试卷]雅思（阅读）模拟试卷34及答案与解析.doc

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1、雅思（阅读）模拟试卷 34及答案与解析 一、 Reading Module (60 minutes) 0 The Sun A Mixed Blessing A People in Western countries have very mixed feelings about the sun. On the one hand it evokes memories of beaches, summer holidays and playful times. Childrens books often personify the sun as a smiling, happy face typic

2、ally contrasted with angry, moody rain clouds. In fact, the sun has such positive connotations that the descriptor sunny refers not only to a state of weather but also to cheery, cheerful, or joyous moods and dispositions amongst humans. On the other hand, many people fear the sun because of its ass

3、ociation with cosmetic degeneration that can cause people to look much older than they actually are. Even more seriously, many people see the sun as a killer this is because excessive sun exposure can lead to skin cancer which has a very high mortality rate. So is the sun our friend or a foe? The an

4、swers are complex and contradictory. B Lets start with the worst news about the sun. It is a carcinogen. As the National Toxicology Program Report on Carcinogens from the Department of Health and Human Services reports, broad-spectrum UV radiation and solar radiation (what is known as sun rays ) are

5、 thought to contribute to most of the estimated 1.5 million skin cancers diagnosed in the United States each year. This gives the sun the unfavorable distinction of being the leading carcinogen in the United States ahead of genetic mutations, bad diets, cigarettes, alcohol, chemical exposure and oth

6、er lifestyle factors. Of these diagnoses, 8,000 sufferers will perish from the condition. The primary cause of this mortality is monastic melanoma moles that become cancerous and then spread mutated cells into the lymph nodes and eventually through the rest of the body. C Even if you are lucky enoug

7、h to avoid skin cancer, the sun can still have damaging effects on your skin. This is known as premature aging, so-called because sun damage mimics the skins natural aging process, but does so at a much earlier age. The sun causes premature aging by breaking down and mutating collagen a fibrous, glu

8、e-like substance that supports and connects tissue and is responsible for the firmness, suppleness, elasticity and overall appearance of the skin. Skins collagen production slows and eventually stops due to aging anyway, but sun exposure accelerates this process. It also mutates collagen cells, prod

9、ucing visible abnormalities on the skin. The slowing collagen production appears as wrinkles, sagging and fine lines, while the mutated cells can take the form of a leathery skin texture, facial ruddiness and blemishes known as liver spots. Together these can dissolve signs of youth and vitality fro

10、m a persons looks an image that contrasts starkly with the smooth, tanned and youthful-looking models we often associate with summer! D The sun does have a lot of positive things to offer humans, however. Firstly, it staves off Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), an appropriate acronym for a mood dis

11、order caused by insufficient exposure to light as such, it is typically associated with winters and is sometimes called winter blues or winter depression. SAD, once treated with skepticism by health experts but now widely acknowledged to be a legitimate condition, can create a number of distressing

12、problems. Sufferers may oversleep and find it difficult to be roused in the morning, crave comfort foods high in carbohydrates, lack energy, find it difficult to concentrate and may withdraw from social exposure. Together these symptoms can lead to depression, pessimistic feelings of hopelessness an

13、d an inability to find pleasurable activities. Researchers are not yet sure of the exact physical mechanism that causes SAD, but they do know that exposure to bright life is an effective remedy. The sun definitely has a palliative effect here. E In other ways, the health-improving effects of the sun

14、 can be even more powerful. These effects typically relate to Vitamin D, of which the sun is a great source for two reasons. Firstly, it is completely free, and secondly, our bodies have natural mechanisms that prevent an overdose from internally generated Vitamin D from the sun. Although this vitam

15、in can be sourced from milk, cod liver oil and supplements, solar radiation is still the primary source for most humans. Its preventative role is important: Vitamin D seems to protect against prostate, breast, colon, kidney and ovarian cancers, benefit bone health, as well as reduce overall mortalit

16、y and the occurrence of cardiovascular events mortality from strokes and heart attacks is up to forty percent higher in some countries during winter months, a connection linked to lack of sun exposure. In fact, skin cancer rates rise with proximity to the equator amongst light-skinned people, but th

17、e prognosis of most other cancers is exactly the opposite. Indeed, the overall benefits of sun exposure outweigh the risks when it comes to cancer, even though the sun is a well-documented carcinogen. F Ultimately, moderation and protection may be the key when it comes to sun exposure. This is true

18、of other carcinogens such as alcohol as well studies suggest that binge drinkers and teetotalers experience higher levels of many health problems than people who drink moderate amounts of alcohol on social occasions. Healthy access to the sun involves wearing broad-spectrum sunscreen before every ex

19、posure (even in winter)and not staying in the sun any longer than is necessary, which is about five minutes for adequate Vitamin D exposure. With these simple steps, the sun once again becomes our friend and not our foe. Questions 1-6 Reading Passage 1 has six paragraphs, A-F. Which paragraph contai

20、ns the following information? Write the correct letter, A-F, in boxes -6 on your answer sheet. 1 A description of the physical process that makes someone look older 2 Recommendations for how to be safe in the sun 3 Examples of emotional ailments that contact with the sun can treat 4 Evidence that th

21、e sun can lower death rates 5 An explanation of how a single word can have contrasting connotations 6 Several causes of cancer 7 Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D. Write your answer in box 7 on your answer sheet. Which of the following is NOT given as a symptom of premature aging? （ A） Loose s

22、kin （ B） Organ problems （ C） Redness on face （ D） Rough, dry feel to skin 8 Sun exposure can result in SAD. （ A）真 （ B）假 （ C） NOT GIVEN 9 Experts no longer consider SAD to be a health problem. （ A）真 （ B）假 （ C） NOT GIVEN 10 Artificial sources of light are not very good at treating SAD. （ A）真 （ B）假 （ C

23、） NOT GIVEN 11 The sun cannot give us too much Vitamin D. （ A）真 （ B）假 （ C） NOT GIVEN 12 Most people get their Vitamin D from the sun. （ A）真 （ B）假 （ C） NOT GIVEN 13 The sun can both cause and prevent cancer. （ A）真 （ B）假 （ C） NOT GIVEN 13 A New Planet Is Discovered Humans have long been fascinated by

24、the possibility of extra-terrestrial life. Novels, films and folk-tales have encouraged curiosity and speculation about what might be out there in space. More recently, scientists have joined in on the collective wonderment after the first discovery by astronomers of a new planet Giles 581g that cou

25、ld almost certainly support such organisms. In fact, Steven Vogt one of the two astronomers credited with discovering the planet has declared that the chances of fife on this planet are 100 percent and that he has almost no doubt about it. A Although we currently know very little about Giles 581g, a

26、 couple of its features strongly indicate that this planet might harbor the existence of organisms. Firstly, Giles 581g is located at almost exactly the right distance from its red dwarf parent star (Giles 581 )in order to sustain liquid water, which is the only known criterion for organic formation

27、. Planets that orbit too close to or too far away from their stars do not have a suitable climate; this can only be found in a slender strip of solar space around each star known to astronomers as a habitable zone. Around our star the Sun Earth is the only planet that occupies this zone, although it

28、 nearly stretches to Venus and Mars. Giles 581g is also the right size for organic life. It is about 3.1 to 4.3 times the size of Earth, and this relatively low mass means it should be made mostly of rock. Planets that grow beyond 10 times the size of Earth tend to become gaseous and uninhabitable,

29、without the solid or liquid infrastructure necessary for organisms. B Giles 581g is part of a string of planets in the Giles 581 solar system. Two of Giles 581gs siblings Giles 581e and Giles 581 b orbit too close to their parent star to support any kind of life on them. Giles 581c skims the near si

30、de of the habitable zone, but scientists suggest that it does not have enough of a toehold in this zone to provide a stable infrastructure for organic formations roughly the same goes for Giles 581d, which has a stronger presence in the habitable zone on its far side, but may not be hot enough for l

31、iquid water opinion is not completely settled on this matter, says James Casting of Pennsylvania State University. Casting, who has studied the two Giles 581 planets on the outer edges of the habitable zone, suggests thatGliese581gissmack dab in the middle of the zone which, along with its size and

32、composition, makes it the most exciting and realistic prospect for extra-terrestrial life yet. C The comparisons between the Earth and Giles 581g should not be overstated, however. Even if Giles 581 g can sustain organisms, it would be a very different place to live. The main difference is that Gile

33、s 581g orbits much closer to its star than the Earth does to the Sun. Because Giles 581 is only one percent as bright as the Sun, it exudes little warmth, and its habitable zone lies much closer than the Suns. At this closer distance, planets in the zone get locked into strong gravitational pulls th

34、at tend to slow their circular movements over time. Eventually, they become stuck with one side constantly facing the star just as the Moon always shows the Earth the same face. Because of this, it is likely that Giles 581g experiences permanent daytime on the side facing the star and permanent shad

35、ow on the other side. It is estimated therefore that average temperatures on the star side would be about 71 degrees C and average temperatures on the other much chillier: -34 . Nevertheless, Steven Vogt suggests that Giles 581g probably has a comfortable area along the midpoint, known as the termin

36、ator. Any life here would always see the star sitting on the horizon and consequently experience eternal sunrise or sunset. D Even if there is no life on Giles 581g, its discovery reveals that habitable planets are quite common, with around 10 to 20 percent of red dwarves and sun-like stars boasting

37、 them. Giles 581 is one of just nine stars at that particular distance which astronomers have searched with high enough precision to uncover a planet in the habitable zone. While the odds may prove to be slightly lower than 10 percent, the evidence of life or at least, the high possibility of life i

38、s still overwhelming. There are at least a few hundred billion stars in our galaxy, which means that around 20 to 40 billion planets have the potential for the development of organisms. E And so, the search for life continues. Unfortunately, Giles 581g is not particularly amenable to observation. Th

39、e next step in finding out the chances of life on the planet would be to measure its light spectrum, a process that would reveal molecular oxygen if indeed it exists. The glare from the parent star makes this impossible to do with current instruments, however. Another way to gather information would

40、 be to transport a vessel to and from the planet. The technology currently exists to do this, but at 20 light years from earth, it would take 200 years for astronomers to receive the result. Luckily, new information may just be a few years away. Astronomers suggest that many rocky planets are likely

41、 to be found in habitable zones during the coming years, and some of these will provide a better platform for research with current instruments. Questions 14-18 Reading Passage 2 has five paragraphs, A-E. Which paragraph contains the following information? Write the correct letter, A-E, in boxes 14-

42、18 on your answer sheet. 14 A reason why we cannot learn much more about Giles 581g in the near future 15 An estimate of the number of planets in habitable zones 16 An explanation for why Giles 581g may not rotate 17 Giles 581gs location in relation to other planets 18 A pre-requisite for the beginn

43、ing of life 18 Complete the diagram below. Choose the correct letter A-E from the box below. Write your answers in boxes 19-23 on your answer sheet. A Gliese581c B Gliese581d C Gliese581e D Gliese 581g E Earth 24 To what can Giles 581g be compared because of its lack of circular motion? 25 What is t

44、he name for the central meridian on Giles 58 lag where there is no darkness? 26 What do astronomers now realize are not rare occurrences? 26 READING WATS A In many developed countries literacy skirts are under siege. This is true even in societies where access to primary education is universal and g

45、overnments invest heavily in education. New Zealand, for example, was reading the world in literacy rates in 1970, but tumbled to thirteenth place in 2001 and then again to twenty-fourth just a few years tater. Test scores in the USA also stumped ten percent during the 1990s despite the country ridi

46、ng an economic boom for much of the decade. In some cases these statistics reverse trends that were in motion for over a century and a haft. The steady, graduate expansion of literacy across social groups and classes was one of the greatest successes of the period of industrialization that began in

47、the mid-1850s. B This reversal of fortunes has lead to widespread contention over the pedagogy of teaching Literacy. What was once a dry and technical affair the esoteric business of linguists and policy analysts rapidity escalated into a series of skirmishes that were prayed out in high-visibility

48、forums: Newspapers ran special features, columns and letters-to-the-editor on the literacy crisis; politicians successfully ran their national campaigns on improving reading test scores; and parents had their say by joining Parent Teacher Associations (PTAs) and obi groups. C The arguments around re

49、ading pouted into two different classroom methodologies: constructivism and behaviorism. The constructivist methodology grew from a holistic conception of knowledge creation that understood reading and writing to be innate, humanistic and interpretative practices that suffered when they were spliced and formalized within rigid doctrines, strict ruts and universal skill-sets. Constructivists associate words with meanings; each word might be thought of as a Chinese ideogram. Students