雅思2012年最新官方学术类阅读模拟试题

1CandidateNumberCandidateName______________________________________________INTERNATIONALENGLISHLANGUAGETESTINGSYSTEMAcademicReadingPRACTICETEST1hourTime1hourINSTRUCTIONSTOCANDIDATESDonotopenthisquestionpaperuntilyouaretoldtodoso.Writeyournameandcandidatenumberinthespacesatthetopofthispage.Readtheinstructionsforeachpartofthepapercarefully.Answerallthequestions.Writeyouranswersontheanswersheet.Useapencil.Youmustcompletetheanswersheetwithinthetimelimit.Attheendofthetest,handinboththisquestionpaperandyouranswersheet.INFORMATIONFORCANDIDATESThereare40questionsonthisquestionpaper.Eachquestioncarriesonemark.2READINGPASSAGE1Youshouldspendabout20minutesonQuestions1–13,whicharebasedonReadingPassage1below.MAKINGTIMEFORSCIENCEChronobiologymightsoundalittlefuturistic–likesomethingfromasciencefictionnovel,perhaps–butit’sactuallyafieldofstudythatconcernsoneoftheoldestprocesseslifeonthisplanethaseverknown:short-termrhythmsoftimeandtheireffectonfloraandfauna.Thiscantakemanyforms.Marinelife,forexample,isinfluencedbytidalpatterns.Animalstendtobeactiveorinactivedependingonthepositionofthesunormoon.Numerouscreatures,humansincluded,arelargelydiurnal–thatis,theyliketocomeoutduringthehoursofsunlight.Nocturnalanimals,suchasbatsandpossums,prefertoforagebynight.Athirdgroupareknownascrepuscular:theythriveinthelow-lightofdawnandduskandremaininactiveatotherhours.Whenitcomestohumans,chronobiologistsareinterestedinwhatisknownasthecircadianrhythm.Thisisthecompletecycleourbodiesarenaturallygearedtoundergowithinthepassageofatwenty-fourhourday.Asidefromsleepingatnightandwakingduringtheday,eachcycleinvolvesmanyotherfactorssuchaschangesinbloodpressureandbodytemperature.Noteveryonehasanidenticalcircadianrhythm.‘Nightpeople’,forexample,oftendescribehowtheyfinditveryhardtooperateduringthemorning,butbecomealertandfocusedbyevening.Thisisabenignvariationwithincircadianrhythmsknownasachronotype.Scientistshavelimitedabilitiestocreatedurablemodificationsofchronobiologicaldemands.Recenttherapeuticdevelopmentsforhumanssuchasartificiallightmachinesandmelatoninadministrationcanresetourcircadianrhythms,forexample,butourbodiescantellthedifferenceandhealthsufferswhenwebreachthesenaturalrhythmsforextendedperiodsoftime.Plantsappearnomoremalleableinthis3respect;studiesdemonstratethatvegetablesgrowninseasonandripenedonthetreearefarhigherinessentialnutrientsthanthosegrowningreenhousesandripenedbylaser.Knowledgeofchronobiologicalpatternscanhavemanypragmaticimplicationsforourday-to-daylives.Whilecontemporarylivingcansometimesappeartosubjugatebiology–afterall,whoneedscircadianrhythmswhenwehavecaffeinepills,energydrinks,shiftworkandcitiesthatneversleep?–keepinginsynchwithourbodyclockisimportant.Theaverageurbanresident,forexample,rousesattheeye-blearingtimeof6.04a.m.,whichresearchersbelievetobefartooearly.Onestudyfoundthatevenrisingat7.00a.m.hasdeleteriouseffectsonhealthunlessexerciseisperformedfor30minutesafterward.Theoptimummomenthasbeenwhittleddownto7.22a.m.;muscleaches,headachesandmoodinesswerereportedtobelowestbyparticipantsinthestudywhoawokethen.Onceyou’reupandreadytogo,whatthen?Ifyou’retryingtoshedsomeextrapounds,dieticiansareadamant:neverskipbreakfast.Thisdisorientsyourcircadianrhythmandputsyourbodyinstarvationmode.Therecommendedcourseofactionistofollowanintenseworkoutwithacarbohydrate-richbreakfast;theotherwayroundandweightlossresultsarenotaspronounced.Morningisalsogreatforbreakingoutthevitamins.Supplementabsorptionbythebodyisnottemporal-dependent,butnaturopathPamStonenotesthattheextraboostatbreakfasthelpsusgetenergisedforthedayahead.Forimprovedabsorption,Stonesuggestspairingsupplementswithafoodinwhichtheyaresolubleandsteeringclearofcaffeinatedbeverages.Finally,Stonewarnstotakecarewithstorage;highpotencyisbestforabsorption,andwarmthandhumidityareknowntodepletethepotencyofasupplement.After-dinnerespressosarebecomingmoreofatradition–wehavetheItalianstothankforthat–buttoprepareforagoodnight’ssleepwearebetteroffputtingthebrakesoncaffeineconsumptionasearlyas3p.m.Withasevenhourhalf-life,acupofcoffeecontaining90mgofcaffeinetakenatthishourcouldstillleave45mgofcaffeineinyournervoussystematteno’clockthatevening.Itisessentialthat,bythetimeyouarereadytosleep,yourbodyisridofalltraces.Eveningsareimportantforwindingdownbeforesleep;however,dieticianGeraldineGeorgeouwarnsthatanafter-fivecarbohydrate-fastismoreculturalmyththanchronobiologicaldemand.Thiswilldepriveyourbodyofvitalenergyneeds.Overloadingyourgutcouldleadtoindigestion,though.Ourdigestivetractsdonotshutdownforthenightentirely,buttheirworkslowstoacrawlasourbodiesprepareforsleep.Consumingamodestsnackshouldbeentirelysufficient.4Questions1–7DothefollowingstatementsagreewiththeinformationgiveninReadingPassage1?Inboxes1–7onyouranswersheet,writeTRUEifthestatementagreeswiththeinformationFALSEifthestatementcontradictstheinformationNOTGIVENifthereisnoinformationonthis1Chronobiologyisthestudyofhowlivingthingshaveevolvedovertime.2Theriseandfallofsealevelsaffectshowseacreaturesbehave.3Mostanimalsareactiveduringthedaytime.4Circadia