雅思閱讀練習題

 A

Birds have many unique design features that enable them to perform such amazing feats of endurance. They are equipped with lightweight, hollow bones, intricately designed feathers providing both lift and thrust for rapid flight, navigation systems superior to any that man has developed, and an ingenious heat conserving design that, among other things, concentrates all blood circulation beneath layers of warm, waterproof plumage, leaving them fit to face life in the harshest of climates. Their respiratory systems have to perform efficiently during sustained flights at altitude, so they have a system of extracting oxygen from their lungs that far exceeds that of any other animal. During the later stages of the summer breeding season, when food is plentiful their bodies are able to accumulate considerable layers of fat, in order to provide sufficient energy for their long migratory flights.

B

The fundamental reason that birds migrate is to find adequate food during the winter months when it is in short supply. This particularly applies to birds that breed in the temperate and Arctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere, where food is abundant during the short growing season. Many species can tolerate cold temperatures if food is plentiful, but when food is not available they must migrate. However, intriguing questions remain.

C

One puzzling fact is that many birds journey much further than would be necessary just to find food and good weather. Nobody knows, for instance, why British swallows, which could presumably survive equally well if they spent the winter in equatorial Africa, instead fly several thousands of miles further to their preferred winter home in South Africa Cape Province. Another mystery involves the huge migrations performed by arctic terns and mud flat-feeding shorebirds that breed close to Polar Regions. In general, the further north a migrant species breeds, the farther south it spends the winter. For arctic terns this necessitates an annual round trip of 25,000 miles. Yet, en route to their final destination in far-flung southern latitudes, all these individuals overfly other areas of seemingly suitable habitat spanning two hemispheres. While we may not fully understand birds' reasons for going to particular places, we can marvel at their feats.

D

One of the greatest mysteries is how young birds know how to find the traditional wintering areas without parental guidance. Very few adults migrate with juveniles in tow, and youngsters may even have little or no inkling of their parents' appearance. A familiar example is that of the cuckoo, which lays its eggs in another species nest and never encounters its young again. It is mind boggling to consider that, once raised by its host species, the young cuckoo makes its own way to ancestral wintering grounds in the tropics before returning single-handed to northern Europe the next season to seek out a mate among its own kind. The obvious implication is that it inherits from its parents an inbuilt route map and direction-finding capability, as well as a mental image of what another cuckoo looks like. Yet nobody has the slightest idea as to how this is possible.

E

Mounting evidence has confirmed that birds use the positions of the sun and stars to obtain compass directions. They seem also to be able to detect the earth's magnetic field, probably due to having minute crystals of magnetite in the region of their brains. However, true navigation also requires an awareness of position and time, especially when lost. Experiments have shown that after being taken thousands of miles over an unfamiliar landmass, birds are still capable of returning rapidly to nest sites. Such phenomenal powers arc the product of computing a number of sophisticated cues, including an inborn map of the night sky and the pull of the earth's magnetic field. How the birds use their 'instruments’ remains unknown, but one thing is clear: they see the world with a superior sensory perception to ours. Most small birds migrate at night and take their direction from the position of the setting sun. However, as well as seeing the sun go down, they also seem to sec the plane of polarized light caused by it, which calibrates their compass. Traveling at night provides other benefits. Daytime predators are avoided and the danger of dehydration due to flying for long periods in warm, sunlit skies is reduced. Furthermore, at night the air is generally cool and less turbulent and so conducive to sustained, stable flight.

F

Nevertheless, all journeys involve considerable risk, and part of the skill in arriving safely is setting off at the right time. This means accurate weather forecasting, and utilizing favorable winds. Birds are adept at both, and, in laboratory tests, some have been shown to detect the minute difference in barometric pressure between the floor and ceiling of a room. Often birds react to weather changes before there is any visible sign of them. Lapwings, which feed on grassland, flee west from the Netherlands to the British Isles, France and Spain at the onset of a cold snap. When the ground surface freezes the birds could starve. Yet they return to Holland ahead of a thaw, their arrival linked to a pressure change presaging an improvement in the weather.

G

In one instance a Welsh Manx shearwater carried to America and released was back in its burrow on Skokholm Island, off the Pembrokeshire coast, one clay before a letter announcing its release! Conversely, each autumn a small number of North American birds arc blown across the Atlantic by fast-moving westerly tail winds. Not only do they arrive safely in Europe, but, based on ringing evidence, some make it back to North America the following spring, after probably spending the winter with European migrants in sunny African climes.

Questions 14-20

Reading passage 2 has seven paragraphs, A-G

Choose the correct heading for each paragraph from the list of headings below. Write

the correct number, i-x, in boxes 14-20 on your answer sheet.

List of headings

i. The best moment to migrate

ii. The unexplained rejection of closer feeding ground

iii. The influence of weather on the migration route

iv. Physical characteristics that allow birds to migrate

v. The main reason why birds migrate

vi. The best wintering grounds for birds

vii. Research findings on how birds migrate

viii. Successful migration despite trouble of wind

ix. Contrast between long-distance migration and short-distance migration

x. Mysterious migration despite lack of teaching

14 Paragraph A

15 Paragraph B

16 Paragraph C

17 Paragraph D

18 Paragraph E

19 Paragraph F

20 Paragraph G

Questions 21-22

Choose TWO letters, A-E.

Write the correct letters in boxes 21 and 22 on your answer sheet.

Which TWO of the following statements are true of bird migration?

A Birds often fly further than they need to.

B Birds traveling in family groups are safe.

C Birds flying at night need less water.

D Birds have much sharper eye-sight than humans.

E Only shorebirds are resistant to strong winds.

Questions 23-26

Complete the sentences below using NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the

passage.

Write your answers in boxes 23-26 on your answer sheet.

23 It is a great mystery that young birds like cuckoos can find their wintering grounds without ________.

24 Evidence shows birds can tell directions like a ________by observing the sun and the stars.

25 One advantage for birds flying at night is that they can avoid contact with ______.

26 Laboratory tests show that birds can detect weather without ________signs.

文章題目：

鳥類遷徙

篇章結構

體裁論說文

題目鳥類遷徙

結構A段：鳥類獨特的結構特征

B段：鳥類遷徙的原因

C段：鳥類遷徙到更遠目的地的謎團

D段：幼鳥遷徙到傳統(tǒng)越冬之地的迷思

E段：鳥類遷徙途中方向辨別的探究

F段：鳥類如何尋找正好的遷徙時間

G段：威爾士馬恩島海鷗預測天氣變化的例子

試題分析

Question 14-20

題目類型：List of headings

Question 21-22

題目類型：details of paragraphs

Question 23-26

題目類型：Passage filling

題號定位詞文中對應點題目解析

14 Design features that enable them to perform such amazing feats A段第一句A段開門見山提出鳥類特有的結構特征支持它們遷徙。之后就細化介紹了它們的特殊結構。

是個典型總分結構。所以第一句就是主題句，

因此，本題答案為iv。

15 Fundamental reason that birds migrate B段第一句B段開始提出了本段主題，之后給出了遷徙原因的解釋。

因此，本題答案為 v。

16 Puzzling fact; much further C段第一句C段也是直接提出主題，然后用例子進行解釋的結構。C段提出了鳥類飛到更遠的地方過冬令人不解，接著用英國的燕子和北極燕鷗和水禽的遷徙例子來具體說明了人們的驚訝。

Puzzling對應答案中的unexplained;much further對應答案中rejection of closer

因此，本題答案為 ii。

17 Greatest mysteries; how young birds D段第一句D段第一句是主題句，整段接著用杜鵑的例子來具體化了此疑問。

Young bird體現(xiàn)了答案中的lack of teaching

因此，本題答案為 x。

18 Mounting evidence; birds use the positions; to obtain compass direction; detect the earth’s magnetic field E段第一句第二句E段第一句提出了鳥類使用太陽和星星辨別方向有很多證據(jù)。第二句說同時鳥類似乎還可以預測地球磁場。這都在說鳥兒怎么飛。

因此，本題答案為 vii。

19 Setting off at the right time F段第一句F段第一句話提出安全飛行需要找到最好的出發(fā)的時間，第二句說那意味著要正確的天氣預測，利用風向。也就是說第二句只是說明如何找到好的出發(fā)時間，說要iii 不能選。

因此，本題答案為 I。

20 One instance; are blown across; fast-moving westerly tail winds; arrive safely G段第一句和第二句和第三句。G段第一句說威爾士馬恩島海鷗是一個例子(那說明是承接上文的例子，而上面一段說的是正確預測天氣和利用風向來找到好的飛行時間)。所以這要么是預測天氣成功，要么是利用風向成功。后面第二句說到了西尾風。第三句說不僅成功，還飛去了非洲。

因此，本題答案為 viii。

21 Many birds journey much further than would be necessary just to find food C段第一句C段第一句明確提到許多鳥類的遷徙旅程遠遠長于它們?yōu)榱藢ふ沂澄锖秃锰鞖馑�必需飛行的距離。這也是C段的主題句。

因此，本題答案為 A。

22 Traveling at night; other benefits; danger of dehydration E段第九十兩句E段接近結尾的第九十兩句非常明確的提到了夜間飛行的好處：避免天敵和脫水。

因此，本題答案為C。

其它選項B在文中沒有提到和家人一起飛行;D也沒有提到，文章只是在第E段提到的是鳥類有比人類更高級的感官知覺they see the world with a superior sensory perception to ours。E也沒有在文中明確提出，并且一般有絕對詞的答案可以率先排除。

23 One of the greatest mysteries; without parental guidance; a familiar example is that of the cuckoo D段第一句話和第三句話先用cuckoo定位到D段。

Cuckoo是該段主題幼鳥依靠自己遷徙到越冬之地的迷思的一個例子。

提干部分是對D段第一句話的paraphrase。

因此，本題答案是文中的parental guidance。

24 Mounting evidence; position of sun and stars to obtain compass directions E段第一句話用tell direction和by observing the sun and the stars定位到E段第一句話。

因此，本題答案是文中的compass。

25 Traveling at night; other benefits; daytime predators are avoided E段第九十兩句通過第22題其實已經(jīng)可以直接做出這個題了。E段接近結尾的第九十兩句非常明確的提到了夜間飛行的好處：避免天敵和脫水。

因此，本題答案為predators。

26 React to weather changes before there is any visible sign of them F段第四句用laboratory tests; detect weather定位到本句。

因此，本題答案為visible。

參考譯文：

鳥類遷徙

A

鳥類有許多獨特的結構特征，使得它們表現(xiàn)出令人驚嘆的耐久力。鳥類擁有極輕的體重、中空的骨骼、復雜的羽毛，這些為快速飛行提供了上升力和推動力。同時，鳥類還擁有比人類發(fā)明的任何導航系統(tǒng)都要優(yōu)越的導航體系。此外，它精密的熱保護結構會保證其溫暖防水羽毛之下的血液循環(huán)的暢通，以便它們能夠適應最惡劣的氣候環(huán)境。鳥類必須具備極為髙效的呼吸系統(tǒng)才能適應高空的持久飛行，因此，它們從肺部提取氧氣的呼吸系統(tǒng)比任何其他物種的都高效得多。在食物豐富的夏季繁殖季后期，它們的體內會儲存大暈脂肪層，為它們長途遷徙飛行提供充足的能量。

B

鳥類遷徙主要是為了在冬季食物短缺時尋找到足夠的食物。尤其是那些生長在北半球溫帶和北極圈地區(qū)的鳥類，因為這些地方只有在短暫的生長季節(jié)才會有充足的食物。在食物充足的情況下，很多鳥類都能忍受寒冷的天氣，但當食物缺乏時，它們就不得不遷徙。然而，目前還存在一些令人不解的問題。

C

―個令人不解的現(xiàn)象是，很多鳥類的旅程距離遠遠長于它們?yōu)閷ふ沂澄锖秃锰鞖馑�必須飛行的距離。例如，沒人知道為什么本可以在非洲赤道區(qū)過冬的英國燕子非要不遠千里飛到南非的開普省過冬。另一個謎團則是關于北極燕鷗以及在北極附近灘涂區(qū)哺育生活的水禽的大規(guī)模遷徙活動。通常，鳥類生活繁殖的地方越偏北，其冬季遷徙的地方就越偏南。對于北極燕鷗來說，它們每年的旅程長達25,000英里，但是，在飛往遙遠的位于南緯度地區(qū)的目的地的途中，所有這些鳥類都會飛越許多地跨兩個半球，看上去適合棲息的地區(qū)。雖然我們可能無法完全理解鳥類前往特定地區(qū)的原因，但是，我們也對鳥類游歷世界的能力感到無比驚訝。

D

最大的謎團之一是幼鳥是如何在沒有父母引導的情況下找到傳統(tǒng)越冬之地的。成年的鳥類很少帶領幼鳥一起遷徙，雛鳥甚至很少或者從沒見過其父母。以布谷鳥(杜鵑)為例，它們將蛋產在其它鳥類的巢中，然后再也不會回去看望幼仔。讓人驚訝的是，當小杜鵑在宿主家里長大后，它便會自己飛到其祖先在熱帶地區(qū)的越冬地，然后獨自飛回北歐，尋找和自己同種類的配偶。這有力地說明了杜鵑能夠從其父母那里繼承內罝的遷徙路線圖和方向定位的能力，以及其他杜鵑鳥的外在長相的精神意象。然而，還沒有人知道這究竟是怎么一回事。

E

越來越多的證據(jù)顯示，鳥類能夠利用太陽和星辰的方位來辨別方向。同時，它們似乎還能偵測地球磁場，這可能是由于鳥類腦部具有微小的磁性晶體的緣故。不過，真正的導航還需要對位置和時間的認知，特別是在迷路的時候。實驗表明，當鳥兒被帶出數(shù)千英里，跨越陌生的大陸板塊之后，它們仍能迅速地回到自己的巢址。這種驚人的能力是對大量復雜的線索進行精密計算的結果，包括天生的夜空星圖和地球磁場的拉力。鳥類是如何運用它們的“工具”的，我們還不得而知，但有一點是顯而易見的：它們用比人類更高級的感官知覺來觀察這個世界。大部分幼鳥在夜間進行遷徙，并通過日落的位置辨別方位。但是，當它們觀察日落時，似乎還能觀測到日落帶來的偏極光，從而矯正它們的方位。夜間飛行還有其他好處。鳥類可以避開晝行食肉動物，并減少溫暖日照下長時期飛行帶來的脫水危險。此外，夜間的空氣通常較為涼爽，很少有空氣湍流，這有利于持續(xù)穩(wěn)定的飛行。

F

然而，所有的旅程都暗含著危險，要想安全到達，其中一個要訣就是在正確的時間出發(fā)。這意味著要能準確地預測天氣，并能合理地利用風向。鳥類從出生伊始就精通此道了。實驗室測試還發(fā)現(xiàn)，有些鳥類甚至能夠辨別出房間中天花板和地面之間氣壓的細微差別。通常，鳥類在有明顯征兆前就能感應到即將發(fā)生的天氣變化�；翌^麥雞，一種生活在草原的鳥類，能夠在寒流到來前從荷蘭向西飛到不列顛群島、法國和西班牙。當?shù)乇斫Y冰時，它們可能會餓死在冰雪消融之前，鳥兒們會再回到荷蘭，它們是通過氣壓變化來預測天氣轉變的。

G

以威爾士馬恩島海鷗為例，它們被帶到美國，然后再被釋放，但是，在宣布被釋放的消息之前，它們就已經(jīng)飛回自己的住所一一彭布羅克郡海岸線外的斯科克霍爾姆(Skokholm)島了!相反地，每個秋天都會有少量的北美鳥類被快速移動的西尾風刮到大西洋的另一邊。它們不僅安全地到達了歐洲，而且越來越多的證據(jù)顯示，其中一些可能還和歐洲候鳥們一起去了陽光充沛的非洲地區(qū)過冬，然后才在次年春天飛回北美。

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