劍橋雅思閱讀8原文翻譯及答案(test4)
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劍橋雅思閱讀8原文(test4)
READING PASSAGE 1
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 1-13, which are based on Reading Passage 1 on the following pages.
Questions 1-5
Reading Passage 1 has six sections, A-F.
Choose the correct heading for sections B-F from the list of headings below.
Write the correct number, i-ix, in boxes 1-5 on your answer sheet.
List of Headings
I The influence of Monbusho
ii Helping less successful students
iii The success of compulsory education
iv Research findings concerning achievements in maths
v The typical format of a maths lesson
vi Comparative expenditure on maths education
vii The key to Japanese successes in maths education
ix The role of homework correction
Example Answer
Section A iv
1 Section B
2 Section C
3 Section D
4 Section E
5 Section F
LAND OF THE RISING SUM
A Japan has a significantly better record in terms of average mathematical attainment than England and Wales. Large sample international comparisons of pupils’ attainments since the 1960s have established that not only did Japanese pupils at age 13 have better scores of average attainment, but there was also a larger proportion of ‘low’ attainers in England, where, incidentally, the variation in attainment scores was much greater. The percentage of Gross National Product spent on education is reasonably similar in the two countries, so how is this higher and more consistent attainment in maths achieved?
B Lower secondary schools in Japan cover three school years, from the seventh grade (age 13) to the ninth grade (age 15). Virtually all pupils at this stage attend state schools: only 3 per cent are in the private sector. Schools are usually modern in design, set well back from the road and spacious inside. Classrooms are large and pupils sit at single desks in rows. Lessons last for a standardised 50 minutes and are always followed by a 10-minute break, which gives the pupils a chance to let off steam. Teachers begin with a formal address and mutual bowing, and then concentrate on whole-class teaching.
Classes are large — usually about 40 — and are unstreamed. Pupils stay in the same class for all lessons throughout the school and develop considerable class identity and loyalty. Pupils attend the school in their own neighbourhood, which in theory removes ranking by school. In practice in Tokyo, because of the relative concentration of schools, there is some competition to get into the ‘better’ school in a particular area.
C Traditional ways of teaching form the basis of the lesson and the remarkably quiet classes take their own notes of the points made and the examples demonstrated. Everyone has their own copy of the textbook supplied by the central education authority, Monbusho, as part of the concept of free compulsory education up to the age of 15. These textbooks are, on the whole, small, presumably inexpensive to produce, but well set out and logically developed. (One teacher was particularly keen to introduce colour and pictures into maths textbooks: he felt this would make them more accessible to pupils brought up in a cartoon culture.) Besides approving textbooks, Monbusho also decides the highly centralised national curriculum and how it is to be delivered.
D Lessons all follow the same pattern. At the beginning, the pupils put solutions to the homework on the board, then the teachers comment, correct or elaborate as necessary. Pupils mark their own homework: this is an important principle in Japanese schooling as it enables pupils to see where and why they made a mistake, so that these can be avoided in future. No one minds mistakes or ignorance as long as you are prepared to learn from them.
After the homework has been discussed, the teacher explains the topic of the lesson, slowly and with a lot of repetition and elaboration. Examples are demonstrated on the board; questions from the textbook are worked through first with the class, and then the class is set questions from the textbook to do individually. Only rarely are supplementary worksheets distributed in a maths class. The impression is that the logical nature of the textbooks and their comprehensive coverage of different types of examples, combined with the relative homogeneity of the class, renders work sheets unnecessary. At this point, the teacher would circulate and make sure that all the pupils were coping well.
E It is remarkable that large, mixed-ability classes could be kept together for maths throughout all their compulsory schooling from 6 to 15. Teachers say that they give individual help at the end of a lesson or after school, setting extra work if necessary. In observed lessons, any strugglers would be assisted by the teacher or quietly seek help from their neighbour. Carefully fostered class identity makes pupils keen to help each other — anyway, it is in their interests since the class progresses together.
This scarcely seems adequate help to enable slow learners to keep up. However, the Japanese attitude towards education runs along the lines of ‘if you work hard enough, you can do almost anything’. Parents are kept closely informed of their children’s progress and will play a part in helping their children to keep up with class, sending them to ‘Juku’ (private evening tuition) if extra help is needed and encouraging them to work harder. It seems to work, at least for 95 per cent of the school population.
F So what are the major contributing factors in the success of maths teaching? Clearly, attitudes are important. Education is valued greatly in Japanese culture; maths is recognised as an important compulsory subject throughout schooling; and the emphasis is on hard work coupled with a focus on accuracy.
Other relevant points relate to the supportive attitude of a class towards slower pupils, the lack of competition within a class, and the positive emphasis on learning for oneself and improving one’s own standard. And the view of repetitively boring lessons and learning the facts by heart, which is sometimes quoted in relation to Japanese classes, may be unfair and unjustified. No poor maths lessons were observed. They were mainly good and one or two were inspirational.
Questions 6-9
Do the following statements agree with the claims of the writer in Reading Passage 1?
In boxes 6-9 on your answer sheet, write
YES if the statement agrees with the claims of the writer
NO if the statement contradicts the claims of the writer
NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this
6 There is a wider range of achievement amongst English pupils studying maths than amongst their Japanese counterparts.
7 The percentage of Gross National Product spent on education generally reflects the level of attainment in mathematics.
8 Private schools in Japan are more modern and spacious than state-run lower secondary schools.
9 Teachers mark homework in Japanese schools.
Questions 10-13
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
Write the correct letter in boxes 10-13 on your answer sheet.
10 Maths textbooks in Japanese schools are
A cheap for pupils to buy
B well organized and adapted to the needs of the pupils.
C written to be used in conjunction with TV programmes.
D not very popular with many Japanese teachers.
11 When a new maths topic is introduced，
A students answer questions on the board.
B students rely entirely on the textbook.
C it is carefully and patiently explained to the students.
D it is usual for students to use extra worksheets.
12 How do schools deal with students who experience difficulties?
A They are given appropriate supplementary tuition.
B They are encouraged to copy from other pupils.
C They are forced to explain their slow progress.
D They are placed in a mixed-ability class.
13 Why do Japanese students tend to achieve relatively high rates of success in maths?
A It is a compulsory subject in Japan.
B They are used to working without help from others.
C Much effort is made and correct answers are emphasized.
D there is a strong emphasis on repetitive learning.
READING PASSAGE 2
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 14-26, which are based on Reading Passage 2 below.
Biological control of pests
The continuous and reckless use of synthetic chemicals for the control of pests which pose a threat to agricultural crops and human health is proving to be counter-productive. Apart from engendering widespread ecological disorders, pesticides have contributed to the emergence of a new breed of chemical-resistant, highly lethal superbugs.
According to a recent study by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), more than 300 species of agricultural pests have developed resistance to a wide range of potent chemicals. Not to be left behind are the disease-spreading pests, about 100 species of which have become immune to a variety of insecticides now in use.
One glaring disadvantage of pesticides’ application is that, while destroying harmful pests, they also wipe out many useful non-targeted organisms, which keep the growth of the pest population in check. This results in what agroecologists call the ‘treadmill syndrome’. Because of their tremendous breeding potential and genetic diversity, many pests are known to withstand synthetic chemicals and bear offspring with a built-in resistance to pesticides.
The havoc that the ‘treadmill syndrome’ can bring about is well illustrated by what happened to cotton farmers in Central America. In the early 1940s, basking in the glory of chemical-based intensive agriculture, the farmers avidly took to pesticides as a sure measure to boost crop yield. The insecticide was applied eight times a year in the mid-1940s, rising to 28 in a season in the mid-1950s, following the sudden proliferation of three new varieties of chemical-resistant pests.
By the mid-1960s, the situation took an alarming turn with the outbreak of four more new pests, necessitating pesticide spraying to such an extent that 50% of the financial outlay on cotton production was accounted for by pesticides. In the early 1970s, the spraying frequently reached 70 times a season as the farmers were pushed to the wall by the invasion of genetically stronger insect species.
Most of the pesticides in the market today remain inadequately tested for properties that cause cancer and mutations as well as for other adverse effects on health, says a study by United States environmental agencies. The United States National Resource Defense Council has found that DDT was the most popular of a long list of dangerous chemicals in use.
In the face of the escalating perils from indiscriminate applications of pesticides, a more effective and ecologically sound strategy of biological control, involving the selective use of natural enemies of the pest population, is fast gaining popularity — though, as yet, it is a new field with limited potential. The advantage of biological control in contrast to other methods is that it provides a relatively low-cost, perpetual control system with a minimum of detrimental side-effects. When handled by experts, bio-control is safe, non-polluting and self-dispersing.
The Commonwealth Institute of Biological Control (CIBC) in Bangalore, with its global network of research laboratories and field stations, is one of the most active, non-commercial research agencies engaged in pest control by setting natural predators against parasites. CIBC also serves as a clearing-house for the export and import of biological agents for pest control world-wide.
CIBC successfully used a seed-feeding weevil, native to Mexico, to control the obnoxious parthenium weed, known to exert devious influence on agriculture and human health in both India and Australia. Similarly the Hyderabad-based Regional Research Laboratory (RRL), supported by CIBC, is now trying out an Argentinian weevil for the eradication of water hyacinth, another dangerous weed, which has become a nuisance in many parts of the world. According to Mrs Kaiser Jamil of RRL, ‘The Argentinian weevil does not attack any other plant and a pair of adult bugs could destroy the weed in 4-5 days.’ CIBC is also perfecting the technique for breeding parasites that prey on ‘disapene scale’ insects — notorious defoliants of fruit trees in the US and India.
How effectively biological control can be pressed into service is proved by the following examples. In the late 1960s, when Sri Lanka’s flourishing coconut groves were plagued by leaf-mining hispides, a larval parasite imported from Singapore brought the pest under control. A natural predator indigenous to India, Neodumetia sangawani, was found useful in controlling the Rhodes grass-scale insect that was devouring forage grass in many parts of the US. By using Neochetina bruci, a beetle native to Brazil, scientists at Kerala Agricultural University freed a 12-kilometre-long canal from the clutches of the weed Salvinia molesta, popularly called ‘African Payal’ in Kerala. About 30,000 hectares of rice fields in Kerala are infested by this weed.
Questions 14-17
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C, or D.
Write the correct letter in boxes 14-17 on your answer sheet.
14 The use of pesticides has contributed to
A a change in the way ecologies are classified by agroecologists.
B an imbalance in many ecologies around the world .
C the prevention of ecological disasters in some parts of the the world .
D an increase in the range of ecologies which can be usefully farmed.
15 The Food and Agriculture Organisation has counted more than 300 agricultural pests which
A are no longer responding to most pesticides in use.
B can be easily controlled through the use of pesticides.
C continue to spread disease in a wide range of crops.
D may be used as part of bio-control’s replacement of pesticides.
16 Cotton farmers in Central America began to use pesticides
A because of an intensive government advertising campaign.
B in response to the appearance of new varieties of pest.
C as a result of changes in the seasons and the climate.
D to ensure more cotton was harvested from each crop.
17 By the mid-1960s, cotton farmers in Central America found that pesticides
A were wiping out 50% of the pests plaguing the crops.
B were destroying 50% of the crop they were meant to protect.
C were causing a 50% increase in the number of new pests reported.
D were costing 50% of the total amount they spent on their crops.
Questions 18-21
Do the following statements agree with the claims of the writer in Reading Passage 2?
In boxes 18-21 on your answer sheet, write
YES if the statement agrees with the claims of the writer
No if the statement contradicts the claims of the writer
NOT GIVEN if it impossible to say what the write thinks about this
18 Disease-spreading pests respond more quickly to pesticides than agricultural pests do.
19 A number of pests are now born with an innate immunity to some pesticides.
20 Biological control entails using synthetic chemicals to try and change the genetic make-up of the pests’ offspring.
21 Bio-control is free from danger under certain circumstances.
Questions 22-26
Complete each sentence with the correct ending, A-I, below.
Write the correct letter, A-I, in boxes 22-26 on your answer sheet.
22 Disapene scale insects feed on
23 Neodumetia sangawani ate
24 Leaf-mining hispides blighted
25 An Argentinian weevil may be successful in wiping out
26 Salvinia molesta plagues
A forage grass.
B rice fields.
C coconut trees.
D fruit trees.
E water hyacinth.
F parthenium weed.
G Brazilian beetles.
H grass-scale insects.
I larval parasites.
READING PASSAGE 3
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 27-40, which are based on Reading Passage 3 below.
Collecting Ant Specimens
Collecting ants can be as simple as picking up stray ones and placing them in a glass jar, or as complicated as completing an exhaustive survey of all species present in an area and estimating their relative abundances. The exact method used will depend on the final purpose of the collections. For taxonomy, or classification, long series, from a single nest, which contain all castes (workers, including majors and minors, and, if present, queens and males) are desirable, to allow the determination of variation within species. For ecological studies, the most important factor is collecting identifiable samples of as many of the different species present as possible. Unfortunately, these methods are not always compatible. The taxonomist sometimes overlooks whole species in favour of those groups currently under study, while the ecologist often collects only a limited number of specimens of each species, thus reducing their value for taxonomic investigations.
To collect as wide a range of species as possible, several methods must be used. These include hand collecting, using baits to attract the ants, ground litter sampling, and the use of pitfall traps. Hand collecting consists of searching for ants everywhere they are likely to occur. This includes on the ground, under rocks, logs or other objects on the ground, in rotten wood on the ground or on trees, in vegetation, on tree trunks and under bark. When possible, collections should be made from nests or foraging columns and at least 20 to 25 individuals collected. This will ensure that all individuals are of the same species, and so increase their value for detailed studies. Since some species are largely nocturnal, collecting should not be confined to daytime. Specimens are collected using an aspirator (often called a pooter), forceps, a fine, moistened paint brush, or fingers, if the ants are known not to sting. Individual insects are placed in plastic or glass tubes (1.5-3.0 ml capacity for small ants, 5-8 ml for larger ants) containing 75% to 95% ethanol. Plastic tubes with secure tops are better than glass because they are lighter, and do not break as easily if mishandled.
Baits can be used to attract and concentrate foragers. This often increases the number of individuals collected and attracts species that are otherwise elusive. Sugars and meats or oils will attract different species and a range should be utilised. These baits can be placed either on the ground or on the trunks of trees or large shrubs. When placed on the ground, baits should be situated on small paper cards or other flat, light-coloured surfaces, or in test-tubes or vials. This makes it easier to spot ants and to capture them before they can escape into the surrounding leaf litter.
Many ants are small and forage primarily in the layer of leaves and other debris on the ground. Collecting these species by hand can be difficult. One of the most successful ways to collect them is to gather the leaf litter in which they are foraging and extract the ants from it. This is most commonly done by placing leaf litter on a screen over a large funnel, often under some heat. As the leaf litter dries from above, ants (and other animals) move downward and eventually fall out the bottom and are collected in alcohol placed below the funnel. This method works especially well in rain forests and marshy areas. A method of improving the catch when using a funnel is to sift the leaf litter through a coarse screen before placing it above the funnel. This will concentrate the litter and remove larger leaves and twigs. It will also allow more litter to be sampled when using a limited number of funnels.
The pitfall trap is another commonly used tool for collecting ants. A pitfall trap can be any small container placed in the ground with the top level with the surrounding surface and filled with a preservative. Ants are collected when they fall into the trap while foraging. The diameter of the traps can vary from about 18 mm to 10 cm and the number used can vary- from a few to several hundred. The size of the traps used is influenced largely by personal preference (although larger sizes are generally better), while the number will be determined by the study being undertaken. The preservative used is usually ethylene glycol or propylene glycol, as alcohol will evaporate quickly and the traps will dry out. One advantage of pitfall traps is that they can be used to collect over a period of time with minimal maintenance and intervention. One disadvantage is that some species are not collected as they either avoid the traps or do not commonly encounter them while foraging.
Questions 27-30
Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 3?
In boxes 27-30 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
27 Taxonomic research involves comparing members of one group of ants.
28 New species of ants are frequently identified by taxonomists.
29 Range is the key criterion for ecological collections.
30 A single collection of ants can generally be used for both taxonomic and ecological purposes.
Questions 31-36
Classify the following statements as referring to
A hand collecting
B using bait
C sampling ground litter
D using a pitfall trap
Write the correct letter, A,B,C or D, in boxes 31-36 on your answer sheet.
31 It is preferable to take specimens from groups of ants.
32 It is particularly effective for wet habitats.
33 It is a good method for species which are hard to find.
34 Little time and effort is required.
35 Separate containers are used for individual specimens.
36 Non-alcoholic preservative should be used.
Questions 37-40
Label the diagram below.
Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 37-40 on your answer sheet.
劍橋雅思閱讀8原文參考譯文(test4)
PASSAGE 1 參考譯文：
數(shù)學(xué)崛起之地
A.就數(shù)學(xué)的平均成績而言，日本的紀錄要比英格蘭和威爾士好得多。20世紀60年代以來，就學(xué)生數(shù)學(xué)成績所做的大量國際樣本比較研究證實，13歲的日本學(xué)生平均分數(shù)更高，同時也證實了英國表現(xiàn) “不佳”的學(xué)生比例更大，而且，順便說一句，英國學(xué)生分數(shù)的變化也比日本學(xué)生大得多。兩個國家在教育上的國民生產(chǎn)總值比例十分相近，那日本是如何實現(xiàn)這一更高、更穩(wěn)定的數(shù)學(xué)成績的呢?
B.日本的初中教育為時三年，從7年級(13歲)到9年級(15歲)。幾乎所有這個階段的學(xué)生都選擇國立學(xué)校：只有3%在私立機構(gòu)就讀。學(xué)校通常都設(shè)計得很現(xiàn)代化，遠離馬路，占地面積也很大。教室空間很大，學(xué)生使用的是成排的獨立課桌。每堂課的持續(xù)時間是標準化的50分鐘，然后是10分鐘的休息時間，可以讓學(xué)生們放松一下。教師上課以正式的問候和互相鞠躬開始，之后注意力就集中在整堂課的教學(xué)上了。
上課的班級較大——通常約40人——且不根據(jù)智力水平分班。學(xué)生在校期間的所有課程都在同一個班級，因此他們有相當(dāng)強烈的班級認同感和忠誠意識。學(xué)生在自己的社區(qū)上學(xué)，從理論上排除了學(xué)校排名。實際上在東京，因為學(xué)校相對比較集中，在某些特定區(qū)域會存在一些進入“更好的” 學(xué)校的競爭。
C.傳統(tǒng)的教學(xué)方式是課堂的基礎(chǔ)，學(xué)生們安安靜靜地對老師指出的重點和給出的示例做筆記。每個 學(xué)生都有自己的課本，由中央教育機構(gòu)文部省(Monbusho)提供，這也是15歲以下的公民享有免費義務(wù)教育理念的一部分?？傮w來說，這些課本體積較小，制作成本可能比較低，但排版精美，結(jié)構(gòu)合理。(有一位老師特別熱衷于在數(shù)學(xué)課本中引入色彩和插圖：他覺得這樣的課本更容易被在卡通文化背景下長大的學(xué)生所接受。)除了批準使用課本，文部省還負責(zé)制定高度集中化的全國統(tǒng)一課程及其執(zhí)行方式。
所有的課堂都遵循相同的模式。一上課，學(xué)生先把家庭作業(yè)的答案寫在黑板上，然后由老師講評、 糾正，必要時進行詳細解釋。學(xué)生自己批改作業(yè)：這在日本的學(xué)校教育中是一條重要原則，因為這樣做可以讓學(xué)生認識到自己在哪里犯了錯誤，為什么會犯錯誤，從而避免今后再犯同樣的錯誤。沒有人在意你的錯誤或者無知，只要你能從中有所收獲。
D.討論完家庭作業(yè)之后，教師就開始講解本堂課的主題，速度很慢，有很多重復(fù)和詳細解釋。所有例子都在黑板上演示;課本上的一些問題先在課堂上由大家一起完成，另外一些問題隨后再單獨布置給每個學(xué)生。數(shù)學(xué)課上，老師只在極少數(shù)情況下才會發(fā)一些額外的練習(xí)冊。給人的印象是，課本的邏輯性，其中對各種例子的全面涵蓋，再加上學(xué)生水平整齊劃一，使得練習(xí)冊無用武之地。布置完作業(yè)，教師就會在教室里轉(zhuǎn)一轉(zhuǎn)，以確保所有學(xué)生都沒有進一步的問題。
E.值得注意的是，在從6歲到15歲的整個義務(wù)教育期間，學(xué)生可能都是在能力不一的大班里一起學(xué)習(xí)數(shù)學(xué)。教師們說他們會在課堂結(jié)束時或者放學(xué)后給學(xué)生個別輔導(dǎo)，必要的話還會額外再留作業(yè)。 在被觀摩的課堂上，任何有困難的學(xué)生都能得到老師的幫助，或者他們會悄悄請同桌幫助。精心培養(yǎng)出的班級認同感讓學(xué)生熱衷于互相幫助——無論如何，班級的共同進步與他們休戚相關(guān)。
這樣的幫助似乎并不能讓后進的學(xué)生跟上班級進度。但是，日本人對待教育的態(tài)度所遵循的原則是“只要你足夠努力，你就幾乎無所不能”。父母能夠及時了解到孩子的進步，在幫助孩子跟上班級進度方面起了不少作用，必要時他們會把孩子送到“聚酷(私立夜校補習(xí)班)”，并鼓勵他們刻苦學(xué)習(xí)。這種做法好像至少對95%的在校生都能起到作用。
F.那么什么是日本數(shù)學(xué)教學(xué)成功的主要因素呢?顯然，態(tài)度是很重要的。在日本文化中，教育極受重視;數(shù)學(xué)被視作整個學(xué)校教育過程中一門重要的必修科目;刻苦努力和精益求精是重中之重。
其他關(guān)乎成功的因素包括班級對后進生的支持態(tài)度，班級內(nèi)沒有競爭，積極強調(diào)為自己而學(xué)習(xí)以及提高自身的水平等?！爸貜?fù)乏味的課堂和死記硬背事實性知識”不時被引用來描述日本的課堂， 這種觀點也許是不公平也不公正的。觀摩中并沒有看到糟糕的數(shù)學(xué)課，基本上都不錯，且其中一兩堂課還讓人感到很有啟發(fā)性。
TEST 4 PASSAGE 2 參考譯文：
生物防蟲法
為了控制害蟲，人們不停地大肆使用人工合成的化學(xué)藥物，而事實證明，這一行為適得其反，給農(nóng)作物和人類健康帶來了威脅。除了造成大規(guī)模的生態(tài)失調(diào)，殺蟲劑還催生了一種具有抗藥性的新型超級致命病菌。
聯(lián)合國糧食及農(nóng)業(yè)組織(FAO)最近的一項研究顯示，超過300種的農(nóng)業(yè)害蟲已經(jīng)對多種強效殺蟲劑產(chǎn)生了抗藥性。更嚴重的是，在傳播疾病的害蟲中，約有100種已經(jīng)對多種正在使用的殺蟲劑產(chǎn)生了免疫力。
使用殺蟲劑的一個很明顯的缺點在于，盡管它能殺掉害蟲，但是它也無意中毀掉了許多有用的有機生物，這些生物能夠控制害蟲數(shù)量的增長。這就導(dǎo)致了農(nóng)業(yè)生態(tài)學(xué)家所說的“跑步機綜合征”。人們知道，因為許多害蟲都具有強大的繁殖潛力和基因多樣性，所以它們能夠抵抗各種合成的化學(xué)藥品，它們生育的后代則擁有與生俱來的抗藥性。
“跑步機綜合征”的巨大破壞力在中美洲棉農(nóng)的遭遇中得到了展現(xiàn)。20世紀40年代早期，人們正陶醉在以化學(xué)藥品為基礎(chǔ)的密集型農(nóng)業(yè)所帶來的繁榮之中。為了確保增產(chǎn)，農(nóng)民們瘋狂地使用農(nóng)藥。在20世紀40 年代中期，一年要用8次殺蟲劑。到了20世紀50年代中期，由于3種新型抗藥害蟲的數(shù)量突然猛增，用藥次數(shù)增至一季度28次。
到20世紀60年代中期，情況變得越發(fā)令人不安，又出現(xiàn)了4種新害蟲，使得噴灑農(nóng)藥的費用占到了棉花生產(chǎn)費用的50%。20世紀70年代初，擁有更強基因的害蟲繼續(xù)人侵農(nóng)田，農(nóng)民被逼到了絕境，農(nóng)藥噴灑作業(yè)頻繁到了一季度70次。
美國環(huán)保機構(gòu)的一項研究顯示，當(dāng)今市場上的大部分農(nóng)藥的致癌性、引發(fā)基因突變的特性和其他危害健康的性質(zhì)仍未經(jīng)過足夠的檢測。美國國家資源保護委員會發(fā)現(xiàn)，在一長串投入使用的危險化學(xué)藥品當(dāng)中，DDT(過去常用的一種無色農(nóng)藥)的應(yīng)用最為廣泛。
濫用農(nóng)藥所帶來的危害日益加劇。面對這種情況，一種更加行之有效而健全的生態(tài)策略，即生物防蟲法，就越來越受歡迎。這種策略主要是有選擇性地使用害蟲的天敵。盡管迄今為止，這一新領(lǐng)域潛力有限，但是受歡迎程度還是與日俱增。與其他方法相比，其優(yōu)勢在于它擁有相對低廉的成本、永久的控制系統(tǒng)和程度最低的毒副作用。經(jīng)過專家處理，生物防蟲法是安全無污染的，且昆蟲能夠自行消散。
位于班加羅爾的英聯(lián)邦生物防治研究所(CIBC)是從事害蟲的生物防治研究工作最活躍的非營利性研究機構(gòu)之一，擁有遍布全球的研究實驗室和野外站，它致力于研究通過投放寄生蟲的天敵來實施生物控制。同時，它也是一個全球性的蟲害防治生物制劑進出口信息交換機構(gòu)。
銀膠菊曾經(jīng)嚴重影響印度和澳大利亞的農(nóng)業(yè)和人類健康。CIBC引入了一種專吃銀膠菊種子的墨西哥象鼻蟲，并成功地控制住了這種令人討厭的銀膠菊的蔓延。無獨有偶，一種水葫蘆給世界上許多地方的人們都造成了困擾和麻煩。鑒于此，受CIBC資助的位于海得拉巴的區(qū)域研究實驗室(RRL)正在試驗用一種阿根廷象鼻蟲消滅這種危險的雜草。據(jù)RRL的Kaiser Jamil女士透露：“阿根廷象鼻蟲不會咬噬其他植物。一對成年的蟲子在4~5天之內(nèi)就能將這種雜草消滅掉?！爆F(xiàn)在，CIBC正在完善一項繁殖寄生蟲的技術(shù)來對付一種disapene scale昆蟲，這種害蟲在美國和印度是臭名昭著的果樹脫葉劑。
以下是一些有效實施生物防蟲法的案例。20世紀60年代末期，斯里蘭卡繁茂的椰子樹林遭到了吞噬葉子的hispides的侵害，結(jié)果這種害蟲被一種引自新加坡的寄生蟲幼蟲成功地控制住了。在印度，當(dāng)?shù)匾环N名叫Neodumetia sangawani的天敵昆蟲對于控制羅茲島的草絨蟻非常有效，后者在美國的很多地方大量吞唾飼草。此外，喀拉拉邦農(nóng)業(yè)大學(xué)的科學(xué)家利用一種叫做布奇水葫蘆象甲的巴西甲蟲治理了一條12公里長的運河，消滅了大片大片被喀拉拉邦人叫做耳槐葉萍的槐葉萍，在那里約有30, 000公頃的稻田都受到了這種雜草的侵害。
TEST 4 PASSAGE 3 參考譯文：
采集螞蟻樣本
收集螞蟻可以很簡單，將一只只單獨行動的螞蟻撿起放入玻璃罐中即可。這個過程也可以很復(fù)雜，比如完成對一個地區(qū)所有物種的詳細調(diào)查，并且判斷它們的相對豐富度。到底使用哪種方法將取決于采集的最終目的。如果出于分類學(xué)的目的(也就是歸類)，可以通過鎖定一個蟻巢中包含所有蟻種(包括主要的和次要的工蟻，也包括可能存在的蟻后和蟻王)的一系列樣本來確定物種的變種。如果是以生態(tài)學(xué)研究為目的，最重要的因素就是盡可能多地采集現(xiàn)有不同物種的可辨認樣本。然而遺憾的是，這兩種方法通常不兼容。分類學(xué)家們有時傾向于采集研究中的種群標本而忽視了整個物種，而生態(tài)學(xué)家們經(jīng)常只是搜集每個物種的一定數(shù)量的樣本，因此也就降低了這些樣本的分類研究價值。
為了盡可能廣泛地搜集物種，我們必須運用多種方法。這些方法包括手工采集法、誘餌采集法、落葉層抽樣法和陷阱采集法。手工采集法就是去螞蟻可能出現(xiàn)的所有地方搜集，包括地面、石頭下、原木或地面的其他物體上、地面上的朽木里或樹上、植被里、樹干上以及樹皮下。有可能的話，采集應(yīng)當(dāng)從蟻巢或覓食螞蟻群開始搜集，而且至少采集20至25只螞蟻。這樣就確保了所有螞蟻個體都屬同一物種，從而也提高了詳細研究的價值。由于有些物種主要在夜間活動，所以采集不應(yīng)僅限于白天。標本采集可以使用抽吸器 (通常稱之為吸蟲管)、鉗子、質(zhì)量好的濕油漆刷、或者如果知道螞蟻不咬人的話，可直接用手采集。單只昆蟲可以放在濃度為75%至95%酒精的塑料管或玻璃管(1.5-3.0毫升容量用于小螞蟻，5-8毫升容量用于較大的螞蟻)中。塑料管較輕，且萬一處理不當(dāng)?shù)脑挷灰灼扑?，所以帶安全塞的塑料管比玻璃管更好?/p>
誘餌可用來吸引和聚攏覓食者。這種方法通常能夠增加采集的個體量，還能吸引那些難以捕捉的物種。我們應(yīng)該使用糖、肉或油，因為它們能引誘多個不同的物種。這些誘餌可以放置在地面上、樹干上或者大灌木叢中。放在地面上時，誘餌應(yīng)該被放在小紙板或其他平整、淺色的表面上，或者放在試管及小瓶中。 這樣更容易發(fā)現(xiàn)螞蟻，并且能在它們逃到周圍的樹葉堆中之前抓住它們。
許多螞蟻體型小，主要在地面上的樹葉層中間和其他廢物中覓食。用手采集這些螞蟻比較困難，最成功的采集方法之一就是聚集螞蟻們正在其中覓食的落葉，然后從中取出螞蟻。通常，我們將這些落葉放置在篩子上，下方是一個大漏斗。往往在對漏斗上方進行加熱時，隨著上面的葉子漸漸變干，螞蟻(和其他動物)就會向下移動，最終掉下來，從漏斗底部漏出，這樣就被收集到了置于漏斗下方的酒精中。這個方法特別適用于雨林和沼澤地區(qū)。使用漏斗時，可先用一張粗網(wǎng)篩一下落葉，然后再把落葉放置在漏斗上方，這是一種增加收集量的方法，因為這樣做能夠去掉大樹葉和小樹枝，從而把落葉集中起來。在漏斗數(shù)量有限的情況下，也能夠?qū)Ω嗟穆淙~進行取樣。
陷阱是另一個常用的收集螞蟻的工具。陷阱可以是任何一個放在地面上的盛有防腐劑的小容器，容器的頂部應(yīng)與其周圍地表保持水平。當(dāng)螞蟻出來覓食時，掉進陷阱就被捉到了。陷阱瓶的直徑約為18毫米到10 厘米不等，使用數(shù)量也可以是幾個到幾百個不等。陷阱瓶的大小主要由個人喜好決定(雖然較大的瓶子通常比較好)，但其數(shù)量則由正在進行的研究所決定。由于酒精易揮發(fā)，瓶子很快就會干了，所以我們使用的防腐劑通常是乙二醇或丙二醇。陷阱采集法的一個優(yōu)勢在于，僅僅需要極少的維護和干預(yù)，它們就能夠持續(xù)使用一段時間。它的一個缺點是，因為有些物種要么會避開陷阱，要么外出覓食時通常碰不到陷阱，所以用這種方法就采集不到這些螞蟻。
劍橋雅思閱讀8原文解析(test4)
Passage 1
Question 1
答案： vii
關(guān)鍵詞： background, middle-years education
定位原文: B段第1句“Lower secondary schools…”
解題思路: 作為LIST OF HEADINGS的第一個題目，此題還是稍有難度的，因為需要通讀Section B的全部內(nèi)容才能看出這是在講日本中學(xué)的教育背景。如果單純用首句中的lower secondary schools來對應(yīng)題目中的middle-years education 也能夠得到答案，但是需要一定程度的大膽推測。正確答案為vii。
Question 2
答案： i
關(guān)鍵詞： Monbusho
定位原文： C段第2句“Monbusho, as part of...”最后一句“Monbusho also decides ...”
解題思路：可以推測出這一段在講Monbusho的影響。故正確答案為i。
Question 3
答案： v
關(guān)鍵詞： typical format
定位原文： D段第1句“Lessons all follow…”
解題思路： 讀首句就能夠判斷本題答案，題干中的format 與文中的pattern屬于同義轉(zhuǎn)述。故正確答案為v。
Question 4
答案： ii
關(guān)鍵詞： less successful students
對應(yīng)原文：E段第1小段第2句“...any stragglers…neighbor.”第2小段的第1句“Parents are kept…”
解題思路：本題稍有難度，對應(yīng)信息分布較廣。 Section E 中第一段的對應(yīng)句說的是后進生在學(xué)校里得到的幫助;第二段的對應(yīng)句則在討論家長如何幫助孩子跟上班級的進度。定位詞與文中的 stragglers屬于同義轉(zhuǎn)述。故正確答案為ii。
Question 5
答案： viii
關(guān)鍵詞： key, successes
定位原文：F段第1小段的第1句“So what are the major…”
解題思路： 開頭設(shè)問道：“那么什么是日本數(shù)學(xué)教學(xué)成功的主要因素呢?”下面緊接著回答： 顯然態(tài)度是重要的，然后具體解說態(tài)度如何重要。其中的contributing factors與key相對應(yīng)。故正確答案是viii。
Question 6
答案: YES
關(guān)鍵詞: English pupils, Japanese counterparts
定位原文: A段第2句“... have established that not only did Japanese…”
解題思路： 本題解題關(guān)鍵是搞清楚where后面引導(dǎo)的定語從句。在將英日兩國13歲學(xué)生的成績進行比較時，作者先說日本學(xué)生平均成績較高，接著說英國低分學(xué)生比較多，而且英國學(xué)生分數(shù)跨度比較大。如果不仔細看，此題目很可能選成NOT GIVEN。
Question 7
答案： NO
關(guān)鍵詞： Gross National Product
定位原文： A段最后1句話“The percentage of Gross…”
解題思路： 這個問句表明日本投入同樣的GNP卻能夠產(chǎn)生更好的數(shù)學(xué)成績，顯然，教育水平高低不能單純以GNP投入論之。此題也具有一定的迷惑性。
Question 8
答案: NOT GIVEN
關(guān)鍵詞: private schools , state-run lower secondary schools
定位原文: B段
解題思路: 本題屬于典型的比較關(guān)系不存在的NOT GIVEN題目。多個信息詞在B部分都出現(xiàn)過，但就是沒有提到題目中所說的關(guān)系。
Question 9
答案: NO
關(guān)鍵詞: mark homework
定位原文: D段第3句“Pupils mark their…”
解題思路： 學(xué)生自己批改作業(yè)：這在日本的學(xué)校教育中是一條重要原則。本題定位信息比較明確，可輕松判斷出答案。
Question 10
答案: B
關(guān)鍵詞： maths textbooks, Japanese schools
定位原文： C段第3句“These textbooks…”
解題思路: 題目問日本學(xué)校的數(shù)學(xué)教科書如何。文章中說 the textbook are...well set out and logically developed，B 選項意思是“合理安排并且適應(yīng)學(xué)生的需求”，符合文意。
Question 11
答案: C
關(guān)鍵詞: new maths topic
定位原文: D段第2段的第1句“After the homework has…”
解題思路: 題目問怎么樣介紹一個新課題，文章中說 ...the teacher explains the topic of the lesson, slowly and with a lot of repetition and elaboration，C 選項意思是“十分仔細和耐心地去給學(xué)生解釋”，與原文意思相符。
Question 12
答案： A
關(guān)鍵詞： experience difficulties
定位原文： E段第1段第2句“Teachers say…”
解題思路： 題目問學(xué)校如何幫助遇到困難的學(xué)生，對此文章中說 Teachers say that they give individual help at the end of a lesson or after school, setting extra work if necessary。A 選項意思是“學(xué)生被給予合適的額外的補課”，所以為正確答案。
Question 13
答案： C
關(guān)鍵詞： relatively high rates of success
定位原文： F段第1段的最后1句“Education is…”
解題思路： C 選項意思是“做出更多努力并對正確答案加以強調(diào)”，符合文意。
Test 4 Passage 2
Question 14
答案: B
關(guān)鍵詞: pesticides
定位原文: 第1段第2句“Apart from…”
解題思路: 題目問使用殺蟲劑導(dǎo)致了什么。文章中說 Apart from engendering widespread ecological disorders... B 選項意思是“使得全世界許多生態(tài)系統(tǒng)出現(xiàn)不平衡”，符合文意。
Question 15
答案: A
關(guān)鍵詞: Food, Agriculture Organization, more than 300
定位原文: 第2段第1句“According to a recent…”
解題思路: A 選項意思是“這些害蟲已經(jīng)對很多殺蟲劑不再有反應(yīng)了”，和文中的 resistance 對應(yīng)。
Question 16
答案： D
關(guān)鍵詞： cotton farmers, Central America
定位原文： 第4段第1、2句“The havoc that…”
解題思路: D 選項意思是“(棉農(nóng))為了保證更多的產(chǎn)量”，與原文意思相符。
Question 17
答案： D
關(guān)鍵詞： mid-1960s, cotton farmers, Central America
定位原文： 第5段第1句“By the mid-1960s…”
解題思路：文章說 By the mid-1960s, the situation took an alarming turn with the outbreak of four more new pests, necessitating pesticide spraying to such an extent that 50% of the financial outlay on cotton production was accounted for by pesticides，D 選項意思是“占據(jù)了用于農(nóng)業(yè)的50%的經(jīng)費”，為正確答案。
Question 18
答案: NOT GIVEN
關(guān)鍵詞： disease-spreading pest, agricultural pests
定位原文： 第2段最后1句“Not to be left behind…”
解題思路: 題目說傳播疾病的害蟲比農(nóng)業(yè)害蟲對殺蟲劑的反應(yīng)更快，但是文章中并沒有對這兩種害蟲做比較。
Question 19
答案: YES
關(guān)鍵詞： innate immunity
定位原文： 第2段最后1句“Not to be left behind…”
解題思路：題目說很多害蟲天生就對殺蟲劑有免疫能力，文章中說大約有100種傳播疾病的害蟲對各種正在使用的殺蟲劑免疫，題目描述的與文章內(nèi)容一致。
Question 20
答案： NO
關(guān)鍵詞： biological control, synthetic chemicals, offspring
定位原文：第7段第1句“…a more effective and ecologically sound strategy of biological control，involving…”
解題思路：一種更加行之有效而健全的生態(tài)策略，即生物防蟲法，就越來越受歡迎。這種策略主要是有選擇性地使用害蟲的天敵。通過翻譯該句，考生會發(fā)現(xiàn)生物防蟲法恰恰不涉及使用人造農(nóng)藥，因此題目與原文敘述相反。
Question 21
答案： YES
關(guān)鍵詞： bio-control, certain circumstances
定位原文：第7段最后1句“When handled by…”
解題思路：文章說如果生態(tài)控制由專家來實施，那么它是是安全的，無污染的。題目的描述與文章一致。
Question 22
答案： D
關(guān)鍵詞： disapene scale insects
定位原文：第9段最后1句“CIBC is also…”
解題思路: 破折號后面的同位語成分是對 ‘disapene scale’ insects的解釋說明。defoliant指脫葉劑，考生即使不知道它的意思，也能夠猜出來這種蟲子危害果樹。故答案為D。
Question 23
答案： H
關(guān)鍵詞： Neodumetia sangawani
定位原文： 最后1段第3句“A natural predator…”
解題思路： 這道題目的解題關(guān)鍵是搞清楚定語從句 that was devouring forage grass 的先行詞是 grass-scale insect,而不是 Neodumetia sangawani, 否則答案很容易就誤選A。故答案為H。
Question 24
答案： C
關(guān)鍵詞： leaf-mining hispides
定位原文：最后1段第2句“...flourishing coconut groves were plagued by leaf-mining hispides...”
解題思路： blighted這個詞很多考生不認識，不過通過上下文應(yīng)該能夠輕易猜出是貶義詞，指的是leaf-mining hispides禍害了什么。故答案為C。
Question 25
答案: E
關(guān)鍵詞: Argentinian weevil
定位原文: 第9段第2句“...trying out an Argentinian weevil for the eradication of water hyacinth...”
解題思路： wipe out的意思是“消滅”，相當(dāng)于文中的 eradication, 故答案為E。
Question 26
答案： B
關(guān)鍵詞： Salvinia molesta
定位原文： 最后1段最后兩句話“By using Neochetina bruci, a beetle…”
解題思路：這道題目的難點在于專有名詞太多，還間或有插入語或過去分詞，使考生容易忽視真正的動詞，比如freed和infested。代詞指代成分this weed也容易被誤解。如果能夠?qū)⑦@個句子讀上兩遍，正確答案B也就不難找到了。
Test 4 Passage 3
Question 27
答案： TRUE
關(guān)鍵詞： taxonomic research
定位原文：第1段第3句“For taxonomy,…”
解題思路： 題目中說生物分類學(xué)研究涉及比較一組螞蟻的成員，文章說從一個單獨的巢穴去研究，兩者一致。文章中的 taxonomy 對應(yīng)題目中的 taxonomic research，a single nest 對應(yīng)one group of ants。
Question 28：
答案： NOT GIVEN
關(guān)鍵詞： new species, taxonomists
定位原文：第1段最后1句 “The taxonomist…”
解題思路： 題目說螞蟻的新物種經(jīng)常被生物分類學(xué)所辨別，而文章并沒有給出new species 相關(guān)的信息。
Question 29：
答案： TRUE
關(guān)鍵詞： range, criterion
定位原文：第1段第4句“For ecological studies…”
解題思路： 題目說范圍對于生態(tài)收集是一個關(guān)鍵的標準，文章中說對于生態(tài)學(xué)研究而言,最重要的因素是盡可能多的去收集不同的可認知的物種，題目與原文表述一致。其中文章中的 as many of different species as possible 對應(yīng)題目中的 range, the most important factor 對應(yīng) the key criterion。
Question 30：
答案： FALSE
關(guān)鍵詞： single collection
定位原文：第1段倒數(shù)第2句“..these methods are not…”
解題思路：顯然，分類學(xué)采集法和生態(tài)學(xué)采集法不總是兼容的，也就是說一次螞蟻采集不可以為兩種方法共用。
Question 31：
答案： A
關(guān)鍵詞： preferable, take specimens from group of ants
定位原文：第2段第5句“When possible,…”
解題思路：有可能的話，采集應(yīng)當(dāng)從蟻巢或覓食螞蟻群開始搜集，而且至少采集20至 25只螞蟻。根據(jù)題干定位詞可以定位至第2段，而第2段講的都是手工采集法，很顯然答案是A。
Question 32：
答案： C
關(guān)鍵詞： effective, wet habitats
定位原文： 第4段倒數(shù)第3句“This method…”
解題思路： 這個方法特別適用于雨林和沼澤地區(qū)。第4段講的是落葉層抽樣法，定位詞wet habitats與文中的rain forests and marshy areas屬于同義轉(zhuǎn)述，故正確答案為C。
Question 33：
答案： B
關(guān)鍵詞： hard to find
定位原文：第3段第2句“This often increases…”
解題思路：這種方法通常能夠增加采集的個體量，還能吸引那些難以捕捉的物種。這道題的解題關(guān)鍵是理解定語從句中的elusive, 它就相當(dāng)于定位詞hard to find，這個詞劍橋系列中屢次考到，考生一定要注意。句中的this指的就是誘餌采集法，故答案為B。
Question 34：
答案： D
關(guān)鍵詞： little time and effort
定位原文：第5段倒數(shù)第2句“One advantage of …”
解題思路：陷阱采集法的一個優(yōu)勢在于，僅僅需要極少的維護和干預(yù)，它們就能夠持續(xù)使用一段時間。此題的解題關(guān)鍵是理解minimal maintenance and intervention,它就相當(dāng)于題目中的little time and effort。故答案為D。
Question 35：
答案： A
關(guān)鍵詞： separate containers, individual specimens
定位原文：第2段倒數(shù)第2句“Individual insects…”
解題思路：定位句中的 plastic or glass tubes 相當(dāng)于題目中的 separate containers， individual insects相當(dāng)于individual specimens。該句位于第2段，從而可以判斷出該句講的是hand collecting。故正確答案為A。
Question 36：
答案： D
關(guān)鍵詞： non-alcoholic preservative
定位原文：第5段倒數(shù)第3句“The preservative used…”
解題思路：由于酒精易揮發(fā)，瓶子很快就會干了，所以我們使用的防腐劑通常是乙二醇或丙二醇。通過理解原因狀語從句，推測出陷阱釆集法中使用的防腐劑應(yīng)該是無酒精的，對應(yīng)于題目中的non-alcoholic preservative, 所以答案為D。
Question 37-Question 40
答案： heat leaf litter screen alcohol
關(guān)鍵詞：funnel
定位原文：第4段內(nèi)容
解題思路： This is most commonly done by placing leaf litter on a screen over a large funnel, often under some heat. 37、38和39三個空位于文中同一句話中，關(guān)鍵要搞清楚最上面是什么， 中間是什么，下面又是什么。placing leaf litter on a screen 表明 leaf litter在 screen上面;而后面的 over a large funnel又代表screen是被放置于funnel之上的。因此可以確定圖中38 和39兩個空的答案分別是leaf litter和screen。接著看到under some heat， 也就是說上述的三樣?xùn)|西都是在這個heat下的，所以最上面的37空應(yīng)該填heat一詞。As the leaf litter dries from above, …below the funnel.這句話中，placed below the funnel是修飾alcohol的，也就是說，funnel下的液體應(yīng)該是酒精，故正確答案為alcohol。
劍橋雅思閱讀8原文翻譯及答案(test4)相關(guān)文章：
劍橋雅思閱讀8原文翻譯及答案(test4)
