雅思考试阅读题型真题及解析
The Exploration of Mars
Paragraph- A
In 1877, Giovanni Schiaparelli, an Italian astronomer, made drawings and maps of the Martian surface that suggested strange features. The images from telescopes at this time were not as sharp as today’s. Schiaparelli said he could see a network of lines, or canali. In 1894, an American astronomer, Percival Lowell, made a series of observations of Mars from his own observations of Mars from his own observatory at Flagstaff, Arizona, USA. Lowell was convinced a great network of canals had been dug to irrigate crops for the Martian race! He suggested that each canal had fertile vegetation on either side, making them noticeable from Earth. Drawings and globes he made show a network of canals and oases all over the planet.
Paragraph- B
The idea that there was intelligent life on Mars gained strength in the late 19th century. In 1898, H.G. Wells wrote a science fiction classic, The War of the Worlds about an invading force of Martians who try to conquer Earth. They use highly advanced technology (advanced for 1898) to crush human resistance in their path. In 1917, Edgar Rice Burroughs wrote the first in a series of 11 novels about Mars. Strange beings and rampaging Martian monsters gripped the public’s imagination. A radio broadcast by Orson Welles on Halloween night in 1938 of The War of the Worlds caused widespread panic across America. People ran into the streets in their pyjamas-millions believed the dramatic reports of a Martian invasion.
Paragraph- C
Probes are very important to our understanding of other planets. Much of our recent knowledge comes from these robotic missions into space. The first images sent back from Mars came from Mariner 4 in July 1965. They showed a cratered and barren landscape, more like the surface of our moon than Earth. In 1969, Mariners 6 and 7 were launched and took 200 photographs of Mars’s southern hemisphere and pole on fly-by missions. But these showed little more information. In 1971, Mariner 9’s mission was to orbit the planet every 12 hours. In 1975, The USA sent two Viking probes to the planet, each with a lander and an orbiter. The Landers had sampler arms to scoop up Maritain rocks and did experiments to try and find signs of life. Although no life was found, they sent back the first colour pictures of the planet’s surface and atmosphere from pivoting cameras.
Paragraph- D
The Martian meteorite found in Earth aroused doubts to the above analysis. ALH84001 meteorite was discovered in December 1984 in Antarctica, by members of the ANSMET project; The sample was ejected from Mars about 17 million years ago and spent 11,000 years in or on the Antarctic ice sheets. Composition analysis by NASA revealed a kind of magnetite that on Earth, is only found in association with certain microorganisms. Some structures resembling the mineralized casts of terrestrial bacteria and their appendages fibrils or by-products occur in the rims of carbonate globules and pre-terrestrial aqueous alteration regions. The size and shape of the objects is consistent with Earthly fossilized nanobacteria but the existence of nanobacteria itself is still controversial.
Paragraph- E
In 1965, the Mariner 4 probe discovered that Mars had no global magnetic field that would protect the planet from potentially life-threatening cosmic radiation and solar radiation; observations made in the late 1990s by the Mars Global Surveyor confirmed this discovery. Scientists speculate that the lack of magnetic shielding helped the solar wind blow away much of Mars’s atmosphere over the course of several billion years. After mapping cosmic radiation levels at various depths on Mars, researchers have concluded that any life within the first several meters of the planet’s surface would be killed by lethal doses of cosmic radiation. In 2007, it was calculated that DNA and RNA damage by cosmic radiation would limit life on Mars to depths greater than 7.5 metres below the planet’s surface. Therefore, the best potential locations for discovering life on Mars may be at subsurface environments that have not been studied yet. Disappearance of the magnetic field may played an significant role in the process of Martian climate change. According to the valuation of the scientists, the climate of Mars gradually transits from warm and wet to cold and dry after magnetic field vanished.
Paragraph- F
NASA’s recent missions have focused on another question: whether Mars held lakes or oceans of liquid water on its surface in the ancient past. Scientists have found hematite, a mineral that forms in the presence of water. Thus, the mission of the Mars Exploration Rovers of 2004 was not to look for present or past life, but for evidence of liquid water on the surface of Mars in the planet’s ancient past. Liquid water, necessary for Earth life and for metabolism as generally conducted by species on Earth, cannot exist on the surface of Mars under its present low atmospheric pressure and temperature, except at the lowest shaded elevations for short periods and liquid water does not appear at the surface itself. In March 2004, NASA announced that its rover Opportunity had discovered evidence that Mars was, in the ancient past, a wet planet. This had raised hopes that evidence of past life might be found on the planet today. ESA confirmed that the Mars Express orbiter had directly detected huge reserves of water ice at Mars’ south pole in January 2004.
Paragraph- G
Researchers from the Center of Astrobiology (Spain) and the Catholic University of the North in Chile have found an ‘oasis’ of microorganisms two meters below the surface of the Atacama Desert, SOLID, a detector for signs of life which could be used in environments similar to subsoil on Mars. “We have named it a ‘microbial oasis’ because we found microorganisms developing in a habitat that was rich in rock salt and other highly hygroscopic compounds that absorb water” explained Victor Parro, researcher from the Center of Astrobiology in Spain. “If there are similar microbes on Mars or remains in similar conditions to the ones we have found in Atacama, we could detect them with instruments like SOLID” Parro highlighted.
Paragraph- H
Even more intriguing, however, is the alternative scenario by Spanish scientists: If those samples could be found to that use DNA, as Earthly life does, as their genetic code. It is extremely unlikely that such a highly specialised, complex molecule like DNA could have evolved separately on the two planets, indicating that there must be a common origin for Martian and Earthly life. Life based on DNA first appeared on Mars and then spread to Earth, where it then evolved into the myriad forms of plants and creatures that exist today. If this was found to be the case, we would have to face the logical conclusion: we are all Martian. If not, we would continue to search the life of signs.
Questions 1-6
The reading Passage has seven paragraphs A-H.
Which paragraph contains the following information?
Write the correct letter A- H, in boxes 1-6 on your answer sheet.
1. Martian evidence on Earth
2. Mars and Earth may share the same life origin
3. certain agricultural construction was depicted specifically
4. the project which aims to identify life under similar condition of Mars
5. Mars had experienced terrifying climate transformation
6. Attempts in scientific investigation to find liquid water
Questions 7-10
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
Write your answers in boxes 7-10 on your answer sheet.
7. How did Percival Lowell describe Mars in this passage?
A. Perfect observation location is in Arizona.
B. Canals of Mars are broader than that of the earth,
C. Dedicated water and agriculture trace is similar to the earth.
D. Actively moving Martian lives are found by observation.
8. How did people change their point of view towards Mars from 19th century?
A. They experienced Martian attack.
B. They learned knowledge of mars through some literature works.
C. They learned new concept by listening famous radio program.
D. They attended lectures given by famous writers.
9. In 1960s, which information is correct about Mars by a number of Probes sent to the space?
A. It has a landscape full of rock and river
B. It was not as vivid as the earth
C. It contained the same substance as in the moon
D. It had different images from the following probes
10. What is the implication of project proceeded by technology called SOLID in Atacama Desert?
A. It could be employed to explore organisms under Martian condition.
B. This technology could NOT be used to identify life on similar condition of Mars.
C. Atacama Desert is the only place that has a suitable environment for organisms.
D. Life had not yet been found yet in Atacama Desert.
Questions 11-14
Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage?
In boxes 11-14 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 3
11. Technology of Martian creature was superior than what human had at that time in every field according to The War of the Worlds
12. Proof sent by Viking probes has not been challenged yet
13. Analysis on meteorite from Mars found a substance which is connected to some germs
14. According to Victor Parro, their project will be deployed on Mars after they identified DNA substance on earth
文本翻译和答案解析：
火星探索
A 段
1877 年，意大利天文学家乔瓦尼・斯基帕雷利绘制了火星表面的绘图和地图，其中呈现出一些奇特的地貌特征。当时望远镜拍摄的图像清晰度远不及如今，斯基帕雷利称他看到了一张由线条构成的网络，他将其称为 “运河（canali）”。1894 年，美国天文学家珀西瓦尔・洛厄尔在美国亚利桑那州弗拉格斯塔夫的私人天文台，对火星展开了一系列观测。洛厄尔坚信，火星上挖掘出了庞大的运河网络，用于为火星居民种植的作物灌溉！他提出，每条运河的两侧都生长着肥沃的植被，这使得这些运河从地球上就能被清晰看到。他绘制的图纸和制作的地球仪上，遍布着运河与绿洲的网络图案。
B 段
19 世纪末，火星上存在智慧生命的观点愈发盛行。1898 年，H.G. 威尔斯创作了科幻经典《世界大战》，讲述了一支火星入侵者试图征服地球的故事。他们运用极为先进的技术（以 1898 年的标准来看）摧毁了沿途人类的抵抗。1917 年，埃德加・赖斯・巴勒斯创作了首部关于火星的系列小说，该系列共计 11 部。书中奇特的生物和肆虐的火星怪物引发了公众的无限遐想。1938 年万圣节当晚，奥逊・威尔斯广播的《世界大战》在美国引发了大范围的恐慌。人们穿着睡衣涌上街头，数百万人相信了这场关于火星入侵的戏剧性报道。
C 段
探测器对于我们探索其他行星至关重要。我们近期对火星的诸多认知，都源于这些无人太空探测任务。1965 年 7 月，“水手 4 号” 探测器发回首张火星图像，图像显示火星表面布满陨石坑、一片荒芜，其地貌更接近月球，而非地球。1969 年，“水手 6 号” 和 “水手 7 号” 探测器发射升空，在飞越任务中拍摄了火星南半球和南极的 200 张照片，但获取的信息十分有限。1971 年，“水手 9 号” 探测器的任务是每 12 小时环绕火星运行一周。1975 年，美国向火星发射了两艘 “海盗号” 探测器，每艘探测器均包含一个着陆器和一个轨道器。着陆器配备有采样机械臂，用于采集火星岩石样本，并开展实验以寻找生命迹象。尽管未发现生命存在的证据，但着陆器通过旋转相机传回了火星表面和大气的首张彩色照片。
D 段
在地球上发现的火星陨石，对上述分析提出了质疑。1984 年 12 月，南极陨石搜寻计划（ANSMET）的成员在南极洲发现了编号为 ALH84001 的火星陨石。这块样本约于 1700 万年前从火星脱离，在南极冰盖内部或表面留存了 1.1 万年。美国国家航空航天局（NASA）的成分分析发现了一种磁铁矿，而在地球上，这种磁铁矿仅与某些微生物相伴出现。在碳酸盐球粒边缘和地球形成前的水蚀变区域，发现了一些结构，它们与地球细菌矿化后的铸模、细菌的附属物（纤丝）或副产物相似。这些物体的大小和形态与地球化石纳米细菌相符，但纳米细菌本身的存在性仍存在争议。
E 段
1965 年，“水手 4 号” 探测器发现火星不存在全球性磁场，而磁场本可保护火星免受可能危及生命的宇宙辐射和太阳辐射的伤害；20 世纪 90 年代末，“火星全球勘探者” 探测器的观测证实了这一发现。科学家推测，由于缺乏磁屏蔽，太阳风在数十亿年的时间里吹散了火星的大部分大气。研究人员通过绘制火星不同深度的宇宙辐射水平分布图得出结论：火星地表前数米内的任何生命，都会因致命剂量的宇宙辐射而死亡。2007 年的计算结果显示，宇宙辐射对 DNA 和 RNA 造成的损伤，将火星上的生命限制在了地表以下 7.5 米以上的区域。因此，火星上最有可能发现生命的区域，或许是尚未被研究过的地下环境。磁场的消失可能在火星气候变化的过程中起到了重要作用。据科学家推测，火星气候在磁场消失后，逐渐从温暖湿润转变为寒冷干燥。
F 段
美国国家航空航天局近期的探测任务聚焦于另一个问题：火星在远古时期，其表面是否存在液态水形成的湖泊或海洋。科学家发现了赤铁矿，这种矿物仅在有水的环境中形成。因此，2004 年 “火星探测漫游者” 的任务并非寻找现存或过往的生命，而是探寻火星远古时期表面存在液态水的证据。液态水是地球生命生存的必要条件，也是地球物种普遍进行新陈代谢的基础，在火星当前的低气压和低温环境下，液态水无法在其表面稳定存在，仅可能在最低处的背阴区域短暂出现，且不会直接暴露在地表。2004 年 3 月，NASA 宣布其 “机遇号” 漫游车发现了证据，证明火星在远古时期是一颗湿润的星球。这一发现让人们重新燃起希望，认为或许能在火星上找到过往生命的证据。2004 年 1 月，欧洲空间局（ESA）证实，“火星快车” 轨道器直接探测到火星南极储存着大量的水冰。
G 段
西班牙天体生物学中心与智利北方天主教大学的研究人员，在阿塔卡马沙漠地表下两米处发现了一片微生物 “绿洲”。SOLID 是一种生命迹象探测器，可用于探测火星地下类似环境中的生命。西班牙天体生物学中心的研究员维克托・帕罗解释道：“我们将其命名为‘微生物绿洲’，因为我们发现微生物在富含岩盐和其他高吸湿性吸水化合物的环境中生存繁衍。” 帕罗强调：“如果火星上存在类似的微生物，或是存在与我们在阿塔卡马发现的环境相似的生命遗迹，我们可以借助 SOLID 这类仪器探测到它们。”
H 段
然而，更引人入胜的是西班牙科学家提出的另一种推测：如果能发现火星样本像地球生命一样，以 DNA 作为遗传密码。像 DNA 这样高度特化、结构复杂的分子，几乎不可能在两个星球上独立演化形成，这表明火星生命和地球生命或许拥有共同的起源。基于 DNA 的生命最早出现在火星，随后传播至地球，并在地球上演化出如今种类繁多的植物和生物。如果这一推测得到证实，我们将不得不面对一个合乎逻辑的结论：我们都是火星人。若无法证实，我们将继续寻找火星生命的迹象。
题目答案：
1.D（对应 D 段：在地球上发现的火星陨石相关内容，即火星在地球的证据）
2.H（对应 H 段：火星和地球生命可能拥有共同起源的推测）
3.A（对应 A 段：洛厄尔描绘火星有运河、绿洲等农业相关的灌溉设施）
4.G（对应 G 段：SOLID 项目旨在探测火星类似环境下的生命）
5.E（对应 E 段：火星经历了从温暖湿润到寒冷干燥的气候转变）
6.F（对应 F 段：科学探测寻找火星液态水的相关任务和发现）
7. C 8. B9. B10. B11. NOT GIVEN12. FALSE 13. TRUE 14. NOT GIVEN
