2024年1月6日雅思考试题-阅读详解

本文主要为大家介绍2024年1月6日雅思阅读考试题目及答案，希望对大家的雅思备考有所帮助！

2024年1月6日雅思阅读详解

一、考试概述：

本场考试三篇，两新一旧，难度中规中矩。第一篇农耕机械及其发明人，难度适中；第二篇延续上一场的建筑类，难度中等；第三篇是老题，2023/4/1和2023/7/15分别考过两次，如果看过的考生应该会应对自如。

二、具体题目分析：

Passage One：

文章题材：说明文（物品发展史）

文章题目：一个农耕机器及发明人Tull的经历和灵感来源

文章难度：★★★

题型及数量：填图+简答+判断

题目及答案：待补充

可参考真题：剑桥11——TEST3 Passage1 The Story of Silk

Passage Two：

文章题材：说明文（建筑）

文章题目：不用的建筑对人的影响

文章难度：★★★★

题型及数量：匹配+填空

题目及答案：待补充

可参考真题：剑桥18——TEST4 Passage1 Green roofs

Passage Three：

文章题材：议论文（动物）

文章题目：猛犸象的灭绝

文章难度：★★★★

题型及数量：填空+人名配对

题目及答案：

Mammoth kill

A mammoth is any species of the extinct genus Mammuthus, proboscideans commonly equipped with long, curved tusks and, in northern species, a covering of long hair. They lived from the Pliocene epoch (from around 5 million years ago) into the Holocene at about 4,500 years ago, and were members of the family Elephantidae, which contains, along with mammoths, the two genera of modern elephants and their ancestors.

A Like their modern relatives, mammoths were quite large. The largest known species reached heights in the region of 4 m at the shoulder and weights of up to 8 tonnes, while exceptionally large males may have exceeded 12 tonnes. However, most species of mammoth were only about as large as a modern Asian elephant. Both sexes bore tusks. A first, small set appeared at about the age of six months, and these were replaced at about 18 months by the permanent set. Growth of the permanent set was at a rate of about 2.5 to 15.2 cm per year. Based on studies of their close relatives, the modern elephants, mammoths probably had a gestation period of 22 months, resulting in a single calf being born. Their social structure was probably the same as that of African and Asian elephants, with females living in herds headed by a matriarch, whilst bulls lived solitary lives or formed loose groups after sexual maturity.

B MEXICO CITY – Although it’s hard to imagine in this age of urban sprawl and automobiles, North America once belonged to mammoths, camels, ground sloths as large as cows, bear-size beavers and other formidable beasts. Some 11,000 years ago, however, these large-bodied mammals and others – about 70 species in all – disappeared. Their demise coincided roughly with the arrival of humans in the New World and dramatic climatic change – factors that have inspired several theories about the die-off. Yet despite decades of scientific investigation, the exact cause remains a mystery. Now new findings offer support to one of these controversial hypotheses: that human hunting drove this megafaunal menagerie to extinction. The overkill model emerged in the 1960s, when it was put forth by Paul S. Martin of the University of Arizona. Since then, critics have charged that no evidence exists to support the idea that the first Americans hunted to the extent necessary to cause these extinctions. But at the annual meeting of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology in Mexico City last October, paleoecologist John Alroy of the University of California at Santa Barbara argued that, in fact, hunting-driven extinction is not only plausible, it was unavoidable. He has determined, using a computer simulation, that even a very modest amount of hunting would have wiped these animals out.

C Assuming an initial human population of 100 people that grew no more than 2 percent annually, Alroy determined that if each band of, say, 50 people killed 15 to 20 large mammals a year, humans could have eliminated the animal populations within 1,000 years. Large mammals in particular would have been vulnerable to the pressure because they have longer gestation periods than smaller mammals and their young require extended care.

D Not everyone agrees with Alroy’s assessment. For one, the results depend in part on population-size estimates for the extinct animals – figures that are not necessarily reliable. But a more specific criticism comes from mammalogist Ross D. E. MacPhee of the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, who points out that the relevant archaeological record contains barely a dozen examples of stone points embedded in mammoth bones (and none, it should be noted, are known from other megafaunal remains) – hardly what one might expect if hunting drove these animals to extinction. Furthermore, some of these species had huge ranges – the giant Jefferson’s ground sloth, for example, lived as far north as the Yukon and as far south as Mexico – which would have made slaughtering them in numbers sufficient to cause their extinction rather implausible, he says.

E MacPhee agrees that humans most likely brought about these extinctions (as well as others around the world that coincided with human arrival), but not directly. Rather he suggests that people may have introduced hyperlethal disease, perhaps through their dogs or hitchhiking vermin, which then spread wildly among the immunologically naive species of the New World. As in the overkill model, populations of large mammals would have a harder time recovering. Repeated outbreaks of a hyperdisease could thus quickly drive them to the point of no return. So far MacPhee does not have empirical evidence for the hyperdisease hypothesis, and it won’t be easy to come by: hyperlethal disease would kill far too quickly to leave its signature on the bones themselves. But he hopes that analyses of tissue and DNA from the last mammoths to perish will eventually reveal murderous microbes.

F The third explanation for what brought on this North American extinction does not involve human beings. Instead its proponents blame the loss on the weather. The Pleistocene epoch witnessed considerable climatic instability, explains paleontologist Russell W. Graham of the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. As a result, certain habitats disappeared, and species that had once formed communities split apart. For some animals, this change brought opportunity. For much of the megafauna, however, the increasingly homogeneous environment left them with shrinking geographical ranges – a death sentence for large animals, which need large ranges. Although these creatures managed to maintain viable populations through most of the Pleistocene, the final major fluctuation – the so-called Younger Dryas event – pushed them over the edge, Graham says. For his part, Alroy is convinced that human hunters demolished the titans of the Ice Age. The overkill model explains everything the disease and climate scenarios explain, he asserts, and makes accurate predictions about which species would eventually go extinct. “Personally, I’m a vegetarian,” he remarks, “and I find all of this kind of gross – but believable.”

Questions 14-20

Complete the following summary of the paragraphs of Reading Passage, using NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the Reading Passage for each answer.

Write your answers in boxes 14-20 on your answer sheet.

The reason why had big size mammals become extinct 11,000 years ago is under hot debate. First explanation is that 14 __________ of human made it happen. This so called 15 __________ began from 1960s suggested by an expert, who however received criticism of lack of further information. Another assumption promoted by MacPhee is that deadly 16 __________ from human causes their demises. However his hypothesis required more 17 __________ to testify its validity. Graham proposed a third hypothesis that 18 __________ in Pleistocene epoch drove some species disappear, reduced 19 __________ posed a dangerous signal to these giants, and 20 __________ finally wiped them out.

Questions 21-26

Use the information in the passage to match the people (listed A-C) with opinions or deeds below.

Write the appropriate letters A-C in boxes 21-26 on your answer sheet.

NB you may use any letter more than once.

A John Alroy

B Ross D.E. MacPhee

Russell W. Graham

21. Human hunting well explained which species would finally disappear.

22. Further grounded proof needed to explain human’s indirect impact on mammals

23. Over hunting situation has caused die-out of large mammals.

24. Illness rather than hunting caused extensive extinction.

25. Doubt raised through the study of several fossil records.

26. Climate shift is the main reason of extinction.

参考答案

14. hunting

15. overkill model

16. disease/hyper disease

17. empirical evidence

18. climatic instability

19. geographical ranges

20. Younger Dryas event

21. A

22. B

23. A

24. B

25. B

26. C

可参考真题：剑桥17—TEST3 Passage1 The thylacine

话题词：

每期10个提分词汇

1.photosynthesis 光合作用

2.chlorophyll 叶绿素

3.pigment 色素

4.cell 细胞

5.organ 器官

6.blossom 花；开花

7.infection 感染

8.pesticide 杀虫剂

9.insecticide 杀虫药

10.trunk 树干

同义替换词：

每期10组经典雅思阅读经典同义替换积累

1. pesticide – insecticide – chemicals 杀虫剂

2. chemical resistant – not responding to chemicals 抗药性

3. merchant – businessman 商人

4. charge – pricing 定价，收费

5. long-lasting – permanent 永久的，持续的

6. rare – seldom – not generally available 罕见的

7. dangerous – risky 有风险的

8. exotic – foreign 来自异国的

9. cosmetic – makeup 化妆品

10.indigenous – native 本土的