名師解讀劍八雅思閱讀真題
TEST 1
READING PASSAGE 1
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 1-13, which are based on Reading Passage 1 below.
A Chronicle of Timekeeping
Our conception of time depends on the way we measure it
A According to archaeological evidence, at least 5, 000 years ago, and long before the advent of the Roman Empire, the Babylonians began to measure time, introducing calendars to co-ordinate communal activities, to plan the shipment of goods and, in particular, to regulate planting and harvesting. They based their calendars on three natural cycles: the solar day, marked by the successive periods of light and darkness as the earth rotates on its axis; the lunar month, following the phases of the moon as it orbits the earth; and the solar year, defined by the changing seasons that accompany our planets revolution around the sun.
B Before the invention of artificial light, the moon had greater social impact. And, for those living near the equator in particular, its waxing and waning was more conspicuous than the passing of the seasons. Hence, the calendars that were developed at the lower latitudes were influenced more by the lunar cycle than by the solar year. In more northern climes, however, where seasonal agriculture was practised, the solar year became more crucial. As the Roman Empire expanded northward, it organised its activity chart for the most part around the solar year.
C Centuries before the Roman Empire, the Egyptians had formulated a municipal calendar having 12 months of 30 days, with five days added to approximate the solar year. Each period of ten days was marked by the appearance of special groups of stars called decans. At the rise of the star Sirius just before sunrise, which occurred around the all-important annual flooding of the Nile, 12 decans could be seen spanning the heavens. The cosmic significance the Egyptians placed in the 12 decans led them to develop a system in which each interval of darkness was divided into a dozen equal parts. These periods became known as temporal hours because their duration varied according to the changing length of days and nights with the passing of the seasons. Summer hours were long, winter ones short; only at the spring and autumn equinoxes were the hours of daylight and darkness equal. Temporal hours, which were first adopted by the Greeks and then the Romans, who disseminated them through Europe, remained in use for more than 2, 500 years.
D In order to track temporal hours during the day, inventors created sundials, which indicate time by the length or direction of the suns shadow. The sundials counterpart, the water clock, was designed to measure temporal hours at night. One of the first water clocks was a basin with a small hole near the bottom through which the water dripped out. The falling water level denoted the passing hour as it dipped below hour lines inscribed on the inner surface. Although these devices performed satisfactorily around the Mediterranean, they could not always be depended on in the cloudy and often freezing weather of northern Europe.
E The advent of the mechanical clock meant that although it could be adjusted to maintain temporal hours, it was naturally suited to keeping equal ones. With these, however, arose the question of when to begin counting, and so, in the early 14th century, a number of systems evolved. The schemes that divided the day into 24 equal parts varied according to the start of the count: Italian hours began at sunset, Babylonian hours at sunrise, astronomical hours at midday and great clock hours, used for some large public clocks in Germany, at midnight. Eventually these were superseded by small clock, or French, hours, which split the day into two 12-hour periods commencing at midnight.
F The earliest recorded weight-driven mechanical clock was built in 1283 in Bedfordshire in England. The revolutionary aspect of this new timekeeper was neither the descending weight that provided its motive force nor the gear wheels that transferred the power; it was the part called the escapement. In the early 1400s came the invention of the coiled spring or fusee which maintained constant force to the gear wheels of the timekeeper despite the changing tension of its mainspring. By the 16th century, a pendulum clock had been devised, but the pendulum swung in a large arc and thus was not very efficient.
G To address this, a variation on the original escapement was invented in 1670, in England. It was called the anchor escapement, which was a lever-based device shaped like a ships anchor. The motion of a pendulum rocks this device so that it catches and then releases each tooth of the escape wheel, in turn allowing it to turn a precise amount. Unlike the original form used in early pendulum clocks, the anchor escapement permitted the pendulum to travel in a very small arc. Moreover, this invention allowed the use of a long pendulum which could beat once a second and thus led to the development of a new floor-standing case design, which became known as the grandfather clock.
H Today, highly accurate timekeeping instruments set the beat for most electronic devices. Nearly all computers contain a quartz-crystal clock to regulate their operation. Moreover, not only do time signals beamed down from Global Positioning System satellites calibrate the functions of precision navigation equipment, they do so as well for mobile phones, instant stock-trading systems and nationwide power-distribution grids. So integral have these time-based technologies become to day-to-day existence that our dependency on them is recognised only when they fail to work.
Questions 1-4
Reading Passage 1 has eight paragraphs, A-H.
Which paragraph contains the following information?
Write the correct letter, A-H, in boxes 1-4 on your answer sheet.
1 a description of an early timekeeping invention affected by cold temperatures
2 an explanation of the importance of geography in the development of the calendar in farming communities
3 a description of the origins of the pendulum clock
4 details of the simultaneous efforts of different societies to calculate time using uniform hours
Questions 5-8
Look at the following events and the list of nationalities below.
Match each event with the correct nationality, A-F.
Write the correct letter, A-F, in boxes 5-8 on your answer sheet.
5 They devised a civil calendar in which the months were equal in length.
6 They divided the day into two equal halves.
7 They developed a new cabinet shape for a type of timekeeper.
8 They created a calendar to organise public events and work schedules.
List of Nationalities
A Babylonians
B Egyptians
C Greeks
D English
E Germans
F French
Answers:
1 D 2 B 3 F 4 E 5 B 6 F 7 D 8 A
解析
篇章結構
體裁： 說明文
主題： 時間記錄的歷史
結構：
A段---人類計算時間的歷史
B段---緯度對于計時的影響
C段---月、日的劃分以及目光時的產生
D段---測量晝夜日光時的工具
E段---各國用機械鐘計時的不同方法
F段---早期機械鐘的發展
G段---機械鐘的改進和落地擺鐘的產生
H段---當代計時技術及其影響
解題地圖
難度系數：
解題順序：LABELLINGMATCHINGMATCHING
友情提示：遇到段落信息配對題，可以先放下做別的題，最后再來對付它!
必背詞匯
1. coordinate v. 協調，配合
The agencies are working together to coordinate policy on food safety.
各機構正在共同努力，以配合相關食品安全政策的實施。
I couldnt get my brain to function or coordinate my muscles.
我不能讓我的大腦活動或者與我的肌肉相協調。
2. successive adj. 連續的，相繼的
The team has had five successive victories. 球隊已經取得5次連續的勝利。
Successive governments have tried to deal with this issue. 歷屆政府都試圖解決這個問題。
3. artificial adj. 人工的，人造的
This product contains no artificial preservatives. 本產品不含任何人工防腐劑。
Prior to treatment water may be stored in natural or artificial basins.
治療前的水可以儲存在自然或人工的盆地內。
4. crucial adj. 決定性的，關鍵的
This aid money is crucial to the governments economic policies.
這項援助資金對政府的經濟政策來說是至關重要的。
Parents play a crucial role in preparing their child for school. 父母在準備孩子上學一事上起著重要的作用。
5. approximate v. 近似，接近
This figure approximates to a quarter of the UKs annual consumption.
這個數字接近英國年度消費額的四分之一。
Your story only approximates to the real facts. 你的故事僅僅是接近事實真相。
6. commence v. 開始
Work will commence on the new building immediately. 工作馬上在新的大樓開始。
She commenced her medical career in 1956. 1956年時，她就開始了她的醫藥事業。
7. accurate adj. 正確無誤的;精確的
It is difficult to get accurate figures on population numbers. 很難得到關于人口數量的準確數字。
The cutter is accurate to within a millimetre. 刀具可精確到一毫米之內。
認知詞匯
archaeological adj. 考古學的，考古學上的
advent n. 出現，到來
shipment n. 運輸，運送;運輸的貨物
solar adj. 太陽的
rotate v. 旋轉;輪換
phase n. 月相，月亮的盈虧;時期，階段
orbit v. 繞軌道而行 n. 軌道
accompany v. 伴隨發生;陪伴
equator n. 赤道
wax v. 月亮漸盈
wane v. 月亮漸虧
conspicuous adj. 顯而易見的，明顯的
latitude n. 緯度
clime n. 氣候帶;
地區
formulate v. 制定;規劃;確切表達
municipal adj. 市政的
cosmic adj. 宇宙的
interval n. 間隔;幕間休息
temporal adj. 時間的;現世的
equinox n. 晝夜平分時;春分;秋分
disseminate v. 傳播，散布
sundial n. 日晷
counterpart n. 對應的事物
denote v. 表示，象征
dip v. 下降，下沉;浸，蘸
inscribe v. 在上刻
scheme n. 計劃，方案 v. 密謀
astronomical adj. 天文學的;巨大的
supersede v. 取代，接替
split v. 分開;分裂
decending adj. 下降的;下行的
gear n. 齒輪，傳動裝置
coiled adj. 盤繞的，卷成圈的
fusee n. 均力圓錐輪
pendulum n. 鐘擺
arc n. 弧，弧形
anchor n. 錨v. 拋錨;主持
quartz n. 石英
beam v. 發射電波，傳送
calibrate v. 校準，測定
precision n. 精確;準確;細致
navigation n. 導航;領航
grid n. 輸電網;煤氣輸送網
integral adj. 必需的，不可或缺的;完整的
試題解析
Questions 1-4
題目類型：MATCHING
題目解析：
1. a description of an early timekeeping invention affected by cold temperatures
對于早期受到寒冷氣溫影響的計時發明的描述 定位詞 early timekeeping invention，cold temperatures 文中對應點 D段：Although these devices performed satisfactorily around the Mediterranean，they could not always be depended on in the cloudy and often freezing weather of northern Europe. 全文只有該句中提及寒冷氣溫。該句含義為盡管這些裝置在地中海地區十分好用，但在多云并常有嚴寒天氣的歐洲北部卻不能一直使用。與題干中描述的內容相符。
2. an explanation of the importance of geography in the development of the calendar in farming communities
參考譯文 對于農業社會中地理學對日歷發展的重要性進行的解釋 定位詞 geography，development of the calendar，farming communities 文中對應點 B段：該段一共五句話，從第二句開始每一句話都介紹了一個地理位置的變化對calendar的影響。分別是：And，for those living near the equator in particular,Hence，the calendars that were developed at the lower latitudes,In more northern climes，however，As the Roman Empire expanded northward,
3. a description of the origins of the pendulum clock
參考譯文 對于擺鐘起源的描述 定位詞 pendulum dock，origins 文中對應點 F段：定位詞第一次出現在F段，對應句為By the 16th century，a pendulum clock had been devised，but the pendulum swung in a large arc and thus was not very efficient，含義為到了16世紀，人們發明了擺鐘。但由于鐘擺擺動弧度很大，因此并不十分有效。此句中devised意為發明，與題干中的origins對應。
4. details of the simultaneous efforts of different societies to calculate time using uniform hours
參考譯文 關于不同國家為使用統一時間來計時而同時做出努力的細節 定位詞 simultaneous efforts，different societies，uniform hours 文中對應點 E段：此題需要在文章中掃描大量出現大寫字母、國家和地區處，對應E段中The schemes that divided the day into 24 equal parts varied according to the start of the count：Italian hours began at sunset，Babylonian hours at sunrise，astronomical hours at midday and great clock hours，used for some large public docks in Germany，at midnight，含義為人們計劃將一天分為24個等份，而這些計劃因為計時起點的不同而不同：意大利時間從日落開始算起，巴比倫時間從日出開始，天文學時間從中午開始，而德國一些大型公共時鐘使用的大鐘時間從午夜開始算起。
Questions 5-8
題目類型：MATCHING
題目解析：
題號 定位詞 文中對應點 5 civil calendar，months，equal 題目：They devised a civil calendar in which the months were equal in length. 譯文：他們發明了一種月份等長的民用日歷。 C段：，the Egyptians had formulated a municipal calendar having 12months of 30 days 該句提到埃及人制定了市政日歷，規定一年有12個月，每月有30天。所以答案為B。 6 day，two equal halves 題目：They divided the day into two equal halves. 譯文：他們將一天均分為兩部分。 E段：or French hours，which sprit the day into two 12-hour periods commencing at midnight. 即法國時間所取代，它將一天分成兩個12小時時段，從午夜開始算起。所以答案為F。 7 new cabinet shape 題目：They developed a new cabinet shape for a type of timekeeper. 譯文：他們為一種計時器設計了一個新的柜式外形。 G段：and thus led to the development of a new floor-standing case design 此句中的floor-standing case design就對應著cabinet shape，且該段第一行就出現了England這個代表國家的詞匯。所以答案為D。 8 organise，public events 題目：They created a calendar to organise public events and work schedules. 譯文：他們創造出了一種日光來安排公共事務和工作日程。 A段：the Babylonians began to measure time，introducing calendars to coordinate communal activities，to plan the shipment of goods and，in particular，to regulate planting and harvesting. 此句中的co-ordinate對應題干中的organise;communal activities對應public events。所以答案為A。
