 |
| IELTS Reading Practice Test-20 With Answers |
READING PASSAGE 1
You
should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 1-13 which
are based on Reading Passage 1 below.
SOSUS:
Listening to the Ocean
A
The
oceans of Earth cover more than 70 percent of the planet’s surface, yet, until
quite recently, we knew less about their depths than we did about the surface
of the Moon. Distant as it is, the Moon has been far more accessible to study
because astronomers long have been able to look at its surface, first with the
naked eye and then with the telescope-both instruments that focus light. And,
with telescopes tuned to different wavelengths of light, modern astronomers can
not only analyze Earth’s atmosphere but also determine the temperature and
composition of the Sun or other stars many hundreds of light-years away. Until
the twentieth century, however, no analogous instruments were available for the
study of Earth’s oceans: Light, which can travel trillions of miles through the
vast vacuum of space, cannot penetrate very far in seawater.
B
Curious
investigators long have been fascinated by sound and the way it travels in
water. As early as 1490, Leonardo da Vinci observed: “If you cause your ship to
stop and place the head of a long tube in the water and place the outer
extremity to your ear, you will hear ships at a great distance from you.” In
1687, the first mathematical theory of sound propagation was published by Sir
Isaac Newton in his Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica. Investigators
were measuring the speed of sound in the air beginning in the mid-seventeenth
century, but it was not until 1826 that Daniel Colladon, a Swiss physicist, and
Charles Sturm, a French mathematician, accurately measured its speed in the
water. Using a long tube to listen underwater (as da Vinci had suggested), they
recorded how fast the sound of a submerged bell traveled across Lake Geneva.
Their result-1,435 meters (1,569 yards) per second in the water of 1.8 degrees
Celsius (35 degrees Fahrenheit) – was only 3 meters per second off from the
speed accepted today. What these investigators demonstrated was that water –
whether fresh or salt – is an excellent medium for sound, transmitting it
almost five times faster than its speed in air.
C
In
1877 and 1878, the British scientist John William Strutt, third Baron Rayleigh,
published his two-volume seminal work, The Theory of Sound, often regarded as
marking the beginning of the modern study of acoustics. The recipient of the
Nobel Prize for Physics in 1904 for his successful isolation of the element
argon, Lord Rayleigh made key discoveries in the fields of acoustics and optics
that are critical to the theory of wave propagation in fluids. Among other
things, Lord Rayleigh was the first to describe a sound wave as a mathematical
equation (the basis of all theoretical work on acoustics) and the first to
describe how small particles in the atmosphere scatter certain wavelengths of
sunlight, a principle that also applies to the behavior of sound waves in
water.
D
A
number of factors influence how far sound travels underwater and how long it
lasts. For one, particles in seawater can reflect, scatter, and absorb certain
frequencies of sound – just as certain wavelengths of light may be reflected,
scattered, and absorbed by specific types of particles in the atmosphere.
Seawater absorbs 30 times the amount of sound absorbed by distilled water, with
specific chemicals (such as magnesium sulfate and boric acid) damping out
certain frequencies of sound. Researchers also learned that low-frequency
sounds, whose long wavelengths generally pass over tiny particles, tend to
travel farther without loss through absorption or scattering. Further work on
the effects of salinity, temperature, and pressure on the speed of sound has
yielded fascinating insights into the structure of the ocean. Speaking
generally, the ocean is divided into horizontal layers in which sound speed is
influenced more greatly by temperature in the upper regions and by pressure in
the lower depths. At the surface is a sun-warmed upper layer, the actual
temperature and thickness of which varies with the season. At mid-latitudes,
this layer tends to be isothermal, that is, the temperature tends to be uniform
throughout the layer because the water is well mixed by the action of waves,
winds, and convection currents; a sound signal moving down through this layer
tends to travel at an almost constant speed. Next comes a transitional layer
called the thermocline, in which temperature drops steadily with depth; as the
temperature falls, so does the speed of sound.
E
The
U.S. Navy was quick to appreciate the usefulness of low-frequency sound and the
deep sound channel in extending the range at which it could detect submarines.
In great secrecy during the 1950s, the U.S. Navy launched a project that went
by the code name Jezebel; it would later come to be known as the Sound
Surveillance System (SOSUS). The system involved arrays of underwater
microphones, called hydrophones, that were placed on the ocean bottom and
connected by cables to onshore processing centers. With SOSUS deployed in both
deep and shallow water along both coasts of North America and the British West
Indies, the U.S. Navy not only could detect submarines in much of the northern
hemisphere, it also could distinguish how many propellers a submarine had,
whether it was conventional or nuclear, and sometimes even the class of sub.
F
The
realization that SOSUS could be used to listen to whales also was made by
Christopher Clark, a biological acoustician at Cornell University, when he
first visited a SOSUS station in 1992. When Clark looked at the graphic
representations of sound, scrolling 24 hours day, every day, he saw the voice
patterns of blue, finback, minke, and humpback whales. He also could hear the
sounds. Using a SOSUS receiver in the West Indies, he could hear whales that
were 1,770 kilometers (1,100 miles) away. Whales are the biggest of Earth’s
creatures. The blue whale, for example, can be 100 feet long and weigh as many
tons. Yet these animals also are remarkably elusive. Scientists wish to observe
blue time and position them on a map. Moreover, they can track not just one
whale at a time, but many creatures simultaneously throughout the North
Atlantic and the eastern North Pacific. They also can learn to distinguish
whale calls. For example, Fox and colleagues have detected changes in the calls
of finback whales during different seasons and have found that blue whales in
different regions of the Pacific Ocean have different calls. Whales firsthand
must wait in their ships for the whales to surface. A few whales have been
tracked briefly in the wild this way but not for very great distances, and much
about them remains unknown. Using the SOSUS stations, scientists can track the
whales in real-time and position them on a map. Moreover, they can track not
just one whale at a time, but many creatures simultaneously throughout the
North Atlantic and the eastern North Pacific. They also can learn to
distinguish whale calls. For example, Fox and colleagues have detected changes
in the calls of finback whales during different seasons and have found that
blue whales in different regions of the Pacific Ocean have different calls.
G
SOSUS,
with its vast reach, also has proved instrumental in obtaining information
crucial to our understanding of Earth’s weather and climate. Specifically, the
system has enabled researchers to begin making ocean temperature measurements
on a global scale – measurements that are keys to puzzling out the workings of
heat transfer between the ocean and the atmosphere. The ocean plays an enormous
role in determining air temperature – the heat capacity in only the upper few
meters of the ocean is thought to be equal to all of the heat in the entire
atmosphere. For sound waves traveling horizontally in the ocean, speed is
largely a function of temperature. Thus, the travel time of a wave of sound
between two points is a sensitive indicator of the average temperature along
its path. Transmitting sound in numerous directions through the deep sound
channel can give scientists measurements spanning vast areas of the globe.
Thousands of sound paths in the ocean could be pieced together into a map of
global ocean temperatures and, by repeating measurements along the same paths
overtimes, scientists could track changes in temperature over months or years.
H
Researchers
also are using other acoustic techniques to monitor climate. Oceanographer Jeff
Nystuen at the University of Washington, for example, has explored the use of
sound to measure rainfall over the ocean. Monitoring changing global rainfall
patterns undoubtedly will contribute to understanding major climate change as
well as the weather phenomenon known as El Niño. Since 1985, Nystuen has used
hydrophones to listen to rain over the ocean, acoustically measuring not only
the rainfall rate but also the rainfall type, from drizzle to thunderstorms. By
using the sound of rain underwater as a “natural” rain gauge, the measurement
of rainfall over the oceans will become available to climatologists.
Questions 1-4
Do
the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 1?
In
boxes 1-4 on your answer sheet, write
TRUE
if the statement is true
FALSE
if the statement is false
NOT GIVEN
if the information is not given in the passage
1
In the past, difficulties of research carried out on Moon were much easier than
that of the ocean.
2
The same light technology used in the investigation of the moon can be employed
in the field of the ocean.
3
Research on the depth of the ocean by the method of the sound wave is more
time-consuming.
4
Hydrophones technology is able to detect the category of precipitation.
Questions 5-8
The
Reading Passage has seven paragraphs A-H
Which
paragraph contains the following information?
Write
the correct letter A-H, in boxes 5-8 on your answer sheet.
NB You
may use any letter more than once
5
Elements affect sound transmission in the ocean.
6
Relationship between global climate and ocean temperature
7
Examples of how sound technology help people research ocean and creatures in it
8
Sound transmission underwater is similar to that of light in any condition.
Questions 9-13
Choose
the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
Write
your answers in boxes 9-13 on your answer sheet.
9
Who of the followings is dedicated to the research of rate of sound?
A
Leonardo da Vinci
B
Isaac Newton
C
John William Strutt
D
Charles Sturm
10
Who explained that the theory of light or sound wavelength is
significant in the water?
A
Lord Rayleigh
B
John William Strutt
C
Charles Sturm
D
Christopher Clark
11
According to Fox and colleagues, in what pattern does the change of finback
whale calls happen
A
Change in various seasons
B
Change in various days
C
Change in different months
D
Change in different years
12
In which way does the SOSUS technology inspect whales?
A
Track all kinds of whales in the ocean
B
Track bunches of whales at the same time
C Track
only finback whale in the ocean
D
Track whales by using multiple appliances or devices
13
What could scientists inspect via monitoring along a repeated route?
A
Temperature of the surface passed
B
Temperature of the deepest ocean floor
C
Variation of temperature
D
Fixed data of temperature
READING PASSAGE 2
You
should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 14-26 which are based on Reading
Passage 2 below.
Left-handed
or Right-handed
Section A
The
probability that two right-handed people would have a left-handed child is only
about 9.5 percent. The chance rises to 19.5 percent if one parent is a lefty
and 26 percent if both parents are left-handed: The preference, however, could
also stem from an infant’s imitation of his parents. To test genetic influence,
starting in the 1970s British biologist Marian Annett of the University of
Leicester hypothesized that no single gene determines handedness. Rather,
during fetal development, a certain molecular factor helps to strengthen the
brain’s left hemisphere, which increases the probability that the right hand
will be dominant because the left side of the brain controls the right side of the
body, and vice versa. Among the minority of people who lack this factor,
handedness develops entirely by chance.
Research
conducted on twins complicates the theory, however. One in five sets of
identical twins involves one right-handed and one left-handed person, despite
the fact that their genetic material is the same. Genes, therefore, are not
solely responsible for handedness.
Section B
The
genetic theory is also undermined by results from Peter Hepper and his team at
Queen’s University in Belfast, Ireland. In 2004 the psychologists used
ultrasound to show that by the 15th week of pregnancy, fetuses already have a
preference as to which thumb they suck. In most cases, the preference continued
after birth. At 15 weeks, though, the brain does not yet have control over the
body’s limbs. Hepper speculates that fetuses tend to prefer whichever side of
the body is developing quicker and that their movements, in turn, influence the
brain’s development. Whether this early preference is temporary or holds up throughout
development and infancy is unknown. Genetic predetermination is also
contradicted by the widespread observation that children do not settle on
either their right or left hand until they are two or three years old.
Section C
But
even if these correlations were true, they did not explain what actually causes
left-handedness. Furthermore, specialization on either side of the body is
common among animals. Cats will favor one paw over another when fishing toys
out from under the couch. Horses stomp more frequently with one hoof than the
other. Certain crabs motion predominantly with the left or right claw. In
evolutionary terms, focusing power and dexterity in one limb is more efficient
than having to train two, four or even eight limbs equally. Yet for most
animals, the preference for one side or the other is seemingly random. The
overwhelming dominance of the right hand is associated only with humans. That
fact directs attention toward the brain’s two hemispheres and perhaps toward
language.
Section D
Interest
in hemispheres dates back to at least 1836. That year, at a medical conference,
French physician Marc Dax reported on an unusual commonality among his
patients. During his many years as a country doctor, Dax had encountered more
than 40 men and women for whom speech was difficult, the result of some kind of
brain damage. What was unique was that every individual suffered damage to the
left side of the brain. At the conference, Dax elaborated on his theory,
stating that each half of the brain was responsible for certain functions and
that the left hemisphere controlled speech. Other experts showed little
interest in the Frenchman’s ideas.
Over
time, however, scientists found more and more evidence of people experiencing
speech difficulties following an injury to the left brain. Patients with damage
to the right hemisphere most often displayed disruptions in perception or
concentration. Major advancements in understanding the brain’s asymmetry were
made in the 1960s as a result of so-called split-brain surgery, developed to
help patients with epilepsy. During this operation, doctors severed the corpus
callosum – the nerve bundle that connects the two hemispheres. The surgical cut
also stopped almost all normal communication between the two hemispheres, which
offered researchers the opportunity to investigate each side’s activity.
Section E
In
1949 neurosurgeon Juhn Wada devised the first test to provide access to the
brain’s functional organization of language. By injecting an anesthetic into
the right or left carotid artery, Wada temporarily paralyzed one side of a
healthy brain, enabling him to more closely study the other side’s
capabilities. Based on this approach, Brenda Milner and the late Theodore
Rasmussen of the Montreal Neurological Institute published a major study in
1975 that confirmed the theory that country doctor Dax had formulated nearly
140 years earlier: in 96 percent of right-handed people, language is processed
much more intensely in the left hemisphere. The correlation is not as clear in
lefties, however. For two-thirds of them, the left hemisphere is still the most
active language processor. But for the remaining third, either the right side
is dominant or both sides work equally, controlling different language functions.
That
last statistic has slowed acceptance of the notion that the predominance of
right-handedness is driven by left-hemisphere dominance in language processing.
It is not at all clear why language control should somehow have dragged the
control of body movement with it. Some experts think one reason the left
hemisphere reigns over language is that the organs of speech processing – the
larynx and tongue – are positioned on the body’s symmetry axis. Because these
structures were centered, it may have been unclear, in evolutionary terms,
which side of the brain should control them, and it seems unlikely that shared
operation would result in smooth motor activity.
Language
and handedness could have developed preferentially for very different reasons
as well. For example, some researchers, including evolutionary psychologist
Michael C. Corballis of the University of Auckland in New Zealand, think that
the origin of human speech lies in gestures. Gestures predated words and helped
language emerge. If the left hemisphere began to dominate speech, it would have
dominated gestures, too, and because the left brain controls the right side of
the body, the right hand developed more strongly.
Section F
Perhaps
we will know more soon. In the meantime, we can revel in what, if any,
differences handedness brings to our human talents. Popular wisdom says
right-handed, left-brained people excel at logical, analytical thinking.
Left-handed, right-brained individuals are thought to possess more creative
skills and maybe better at combining the functional features emergent on both
sides of the brain. Yet some neuroscientists see such claims as pure
speculation. Fewer scientists are ready to claim that left-handedness means
greater creative potential. Yet lefties are prevalent among artists, composers
and the generally acknowledged great political thinkers. Possibly if these
individuals are among the lefties whose language abilities are evenly
distributed between hemispheres, the intense interplay required could lead to
unusual mental capabilities.
Section G
Or
perhaps some lefties become highly creative because they must be more clever to
get by in our right-handed world. This battle, which begins during the very
early stages of childhood, may lay the groundwork for exceptional achievements.
Questions 14-18
The
Reading Passage has seven paragraphs A-G
Which
paragraph contains the following information?
Write
the correct letter A-G, in boxes 14-18 on your answer sheet.
NB You
may use any letter more than once.
14
The phenomenon of using one side of their body for animals.
15
Statistics on the rate of one-handedness born.
16
The age when the preference for using one hand is fixed.
17
great talents of occupations in the left-handed population.
18
The earliest record of researching hemisphere’s function
Questions 19-22
Look
at the following researchers (Questions 19-22) and the list of findings
below.
March
each researcher with the correct finding
A
Brenda Milner
B Marian Annett
C Peter Hepper
D Michale Corballis
19 Ancient
language evolution is connected to body gesture and therefore influences
handedness.
20
A child handedness is not determined by just biological factors.
21
Language process is generally undergoing in the left hemisphere of the brain.
22
The rate of development of one side of the body has an influence on hemisphere
preference in the fetus.
Questions 23-26
Do
the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 2?
In
boxes 23-26 on your answer sheet write
YES
if the statement is true
NO
if the statement is false
NOT
GIVEN if the information is not given in the passage
23
The study of twins shows that genetic determination is not the only factor for left
Handedness.
24
The number of men with left-handedness is more than that of women.
25
Marc Dax’s report was widely recognized in his time.
26 Juhn
Wada based his findings on his research of people with language problems.
READING
PASSAGE 3
You should
spend about 20 minutes on Questions 27-40 which are based on Reading
Passage 3 below.
The
Power of Nothing
Geoff Watts, New Scientist (May 26th, 2001)
A
Want
to devise a new form of alternative medicine? No problem. Here is the recipe.
Be warm, sympathetic, reassuring and enthusiastic. Your treatment should
involve physical contact, and each session with your patients should last at
least half an hour. Encourage your patients to take an active part in their
treatment and understand how their disorders relate to the rest of their lives.
Tell them that their own bodies possess the true power to heal. Make them pay
you out of their own pockets. Describe your treatment in familiar words, but
embroidered with a hint of mysticism: energy fields, energy flows, energy
blocks, meridians, forces, auras, rhythms and the like. Refer to the knowledge
of an earlier age: wisdom carelessly swept aside by the rise and rise of blind,
mechanistic science. Oh, come off it, you are saying. Something invented off
the top of your head could not possibly work, could it?
B
Well
yes, it could – and often well enough to earn you a living. A good living if
you are sufficiently convincing, or better still, really believe in your
therapy. Many illnesses get better on their own, so if you are lucky and
administer your treatment at just the right time you will get the credit. But
that’s only part of it. Some of the improvement really would be down to you.
Your healing power would be the outcome of a paradoxical force that conventional
medicine recognizes but remains oddly ambivalent about: the placebo effect.
C
Placebos
are treatments that have no direct effect on the body, yet still, work because
the patient has faith in their power to heal. Most often the term refers to a
dummy pill, but it applies just as much to any device or procedure, from a
sticking plaster to a crystal to an operation. The existence of the placebo
effect implies that even quackery may confer real benefits, which is why any
mention of placebo is a touchy subject for many practitioners of complementary
and alternative medicine, who are likely to regard it as tantamount to a charge
of charlatanism. In fact, the placebo effect is a powerful part of all medical
care, orthodox or otherwise, though its role is often neglected or
misunderstood.
D
One
of the great strengths of CAM may be its practitioners’ skill in deploying the
placebo effect to accomplish real healing. “Complementary practitioners are
miles better at producing non-specific effects and good therapeutic
relationships,” says Edzard Ernst, professor of CAM at Exeter University. The
question is whether CAM could be integrated into conventional medicines, as
some would like, without losing much of this power.
E
At
one level, it should come as no surprise that our state of mind can influence
our physiology: anger opens the superficial blood vessels of the face; sadness
pumps the tear glands. But exactly how placebos work their medical magic is
still largely unknown. Most of the scant research done so far has focused on
the control of pain because it’s one of the commonest complaints and lends
itself to experimental study. Here, attention has turned to the endorphins,
morphine-like neurochemicals known to help control pain.
F
But
exactly how placebos work their medical magic is still largely unknown. Most of
the scant research to date has focused on the control of pain because it’s one
of the commonest complaints and lends itself to experimental study. Here,
attention has turned to the endorphins, natural counterparts of morphine that
are known to help control pain. “Any of the neurochemicals involved in
transmitting pain impulses or modulating them might also be involved in
generating the placebo response,” says Don Price, an oral surgeon at the
University of Florida who studies the placebo effect in dental pain.
G
“But
endorphins are still out in front.” That case has been strengthened by the
recent work of Fabrizio Benedetti of the University of Turin, who showed that
the placebo effect can be abolished by a drug, naloxone, which blocks the effects
of endorphins. Benedetti induced pain in human volunteers by inflating a
blood-pressure cuff on the forearm. He did this several times a day for several
days, using morphine each time to control the pain. On the final day, without
saying anything, he replaced the morphine with a saline solution. This still
relieved the subjects’ pain: a placebo effect. But when he added naloxone to
the saline the pain relief disappeared. Here was direct proof that placebo
analgesia is mediated, at least in part, by these natural opiates.
H
Still,
no one knows how belief triggers endorphin release, or why most people can’t
achieve placebo pain relief simply by willing it. Though scientists don’t know
exactly how placebos work, they have accumulated a fair bit of knowledge about
how to trigger the effect. A London rheumatologist found, for example, that red
dummy capsules made more effective painkillers than blue, green or yellow ones.
Research on American students revealed that blue pills make better sedatives
than pink, a colour more suitable for stimulants. Even branding can make a
difference: if Aspro or Tylenol is what you like to take for a headache, their
chemically identical generic equivalents may be less effective.
I
It
matters, too, how the treatment is delivered. Decades ago, when the major
tranquilliser chlorpromazine was being introduced, a doctor in Kansas
categorised his colleagues according to whether they were keen on it, openly
skeptical of its benefits, or took a “let’s try and see” attitude. His conclusion:
the more enthusiastic the doctor, the better the drug performed. And this year
Ernst surveyed published studies that compared doctors’ bedside manners. The
studies turned up one consistent finding: “Physicians who adopt a warm,
friendly and reassuring manner,” he reported, “are more effective than those
whose consultations are formal and do not offer reassurance.”
J
Warm,
friendly and reassuring are precisely CAM’s strong suits, of course. Many of
the ingredients of that opening recipe – the physical contact, the generous
swathes of time, the strong hints of supernormal healing power – are just the
kind of thing likely to impress patients. It’s hardly surprising, then, that
complementary practitioners are generally best at mobilising the placebo
effect, says Arthur Kleinman, professor of social anthropology at Harvard
University.
Questions 27-32
Use
the information in the passage to match the deed (listed A-H) with people
below.
Write
the appropriate letters A-H in boxes 27-32 on your answer sheet.
NB
You may use any letter more than once
A
Should easily be understood
B
Should improve by itself
C
Should not involve any mysticism
D
Ought to last a minimum length of time.
E
Needs to be treated at the right time.
F
Should give more recognition.
G
Can earn valuable money.
H
Do not rely on any specific treatment
27
Appointments with an alternative practitioner
28
An alternative practitioner’s description of the treatment
29
An alternative practitioner who has faith in what he does
30
the illness of patients convinced of alternative practice
31
Improvements of patients receiving alternative practice
32
Conventional medical doctors (who is aware of placebo)
Questions 33-35
Choose
the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
Write
your answers in boxes 33-45 on your answer sheet.
33
In the fifth paragraph, the writer uses the example of anger and
sadness to illustrate that:
A
People’s feeling could affect their physical behaviour
B
Scientists don’t understand how the mind influences the body.
C
Research on the placebo effect is very limited
D
How placebo achieves its effect is yet to be understood.
34
Research on pain control attracts most of the attention because
A
Scientists have discovered that endorphins can help to reduce pain.
B
Only a limited number of researchers gain relevant experience
C
Pain reducing agents might also be involved in the placebo effect.
D
Patients often experience pain and like to complain about it
35 Fabrizio
Benedetti’s research on endorphins indicates that
A
They are widely used to regulate pain.
B
They can be produced by willful thoughts
C
They can be neutralized by introducing naloxone.
D
Their pain-relieving effects do not last long enough.
Questions 36-40
Do
the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 3?
In
boxes 36-40 on your answer sheet, write
TRUE
if the statement is true
FALSE
if the statement is false
NOT
GIVEN if the information is not given in the passage
36
There is enough information for scientists to fully understand the placebo
effect.
37
A London based researcher discovered that red pills should be taken off the
market.
38
People’s preference for brands would also have an effect on their healing.
39
Medical doctors have a range of views of the newly introduced drug of chlorpromazine.
40
Alternative practitioners are seldom known for applying the placebo effect.
1. TRUE
2. FALSE
3. NOT GIVEN
4. TRUE
5. D
6. G
7. F
8. D
9. D
10. A
11. A
12. B
13. C
14. C
15. A
16. B
17. F
18. D
19. D
20. B
21. A
22. C
23. YES
24. NOT GIVEN
25. NO
26. NOT GIVEN
27. D
28. A
29. G
30. B
31. H
32. F
33. A
34. D
35. C
36. FALSE
37. NOT GIVEN
38. TRUE
39. TRUE
40. FALSE
)){kind=link}
0 Comments