學(xué)習(xí)啦從今天和大家分享雅思閱讀機經(jīng)真題，是烤鴨在劍橋雅思之余的良好調(diào)劑品。烤鴨們可以先自己試著做一做，做完之后可以對下答案，再看看悉心講解。本篇閱讀的標(biāo)題：The effects of light on plant and animal species

雅思閱讀句子填空題實例機經(jīng)講解

The effects of light on plant and animal species

Light is important to organisms for two different reasons. Firstly it is used as a cue for the timing of daily and seasonal rhythms in both planes and animals, and secondly it is used to assist growth in plants.

Breeding in most organisms occurs during a part of the year only, and so a reliable cue is needed to trigger breeding behavior. Day length is an excellent cue, because it provides a perfectly predictable pattern of change within the year. In the temperate zone in spring, temperatures fluctuate greatly from day to day, but day length increases steadily by a predictable amount. The seasonal impact of day length on physiological responses is called photoperiodism, and the amount of experimental evidence for this phenomenon is considerable. For example, some species of birds’ breeding can be induced even in midwinter simply by increasing day length artificially (Wolfson 1964). Other examples of photoperiodism occur in plants. A short-day plant flowers when the day is less than a certain critical length. A long-day plant flowers after a certain critical day length is exceeded. In both cases the critical day length differs from species to species. Plants which flower after a period of vegetative growth, regardless of photoperiod, are known as day-neutral plants.

Breeding seasons in animals such as birds have evolved to occupy the part of the year in which offspring have the greatest chances of survival. Before the breeding season begins, food reserves must be built up to support the energy cost of reproduction, and to provide for young birds both when they are in the nest and after fledging. Thus many temperate-zone birds use the increasing day lengths in spring as a cue to begin the nesting cycle, because this is a point when adequate food resources will be assured.

The adaptive significance of photoperiodism in plants is also clear. Short-day plants that flower in spring in the temperate zone are adapted to maximising seedling growth during the growing season. Long-day plants are adapted for situations that require fertilization by insects, or a long period of seed ripening. Short-day plants that flower in the autumn in the temperate zone are able to build up food reserves over the growing season and over winter as seeds. Day-neutral plants have an evolutionary advantage when the connection between the favourable period for reproduction and day length is much less certain. For example, desert annuals germinate, flower and seed whenever suitable rainfall occurs, regardless of the day length.

The breeding season of some plants can be delayed to extraordinary lengths. Bamboos are perennial grasses that remain in a vegetative state for many years and then suddenly flower, fruit and die (Evans 1976). Every bamboo of the species Chusquea obietifolia on the island of Jamaica flowered, set seed and died during 1884. The next generation of bamboo flowered and died between 1916 and 1918, which suggests a vegetative cycle of about 31 years. The climatic trigger for this flowering cycle is not yet known, but the adaptive significance is dear. The simultaneous production of masses of bamboo seeds (in some cases lying 12 to 15centimetres deep on the ground) is more than all the seed-eating animals can cope with at the time, so chat some seeds escape being eaten and grow up to form the next generation (Evans 1976).

The second reason light is important to organisms is that it is essential for photosynthesjs. This is the process by which plants use energy from the sun to convert carbon from soil or water into organic material for growth. The rate of photosynthesis in a plant can be measured by calculating the rate of its uptake of carbon. There is a wide range of photosynthetic responses of plants to variations in light intensity. Some plants reach maximal photosynthesis at one-quarter full sunlight, and others, like sugarcane, never reach a maximum, but continue to increase photosynthesis rate as light intensity rises.

Plants in general can be divided into two groups: shade-tolerant species and shade-intolerant species. This classification is commonly used in forestry and horticulture. Shade-tolerant plants have lower photosynthetic rates and hence have lower growth rates than those of shade-intolerant species. Plant species become adapted to living in a certain kind of habitat, and in the process evolve a series of characteristics that prevent them from occupying other habitats. Grime (1966) suggests that light may be one of the major components direrting these adaptations. For example, eastern hemlock seedlings are shade-tolerant. They can survive in the forest understorey under very low light levels because they have a low photosynthetic rate.

Questions 34-40

Complete the sentences.

Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each answer.

Write your answers in boxes 34-40 on your answer sheet.

34Day length is a useful cue for breeding in areas where ..................... are unpredictable.

35Plants which do not respond to light levels arc referred to as ......................... .

36Birds in temperate climates associate longer days with nesting and the availability of .........................

37Plants that flower when days are long often depend on.........................to help them

38Desert annuals respond to..............as a signal for reproduction.

39There is no limit to the photosynthetic rate in plants such as .............................. .

40 Tolerance to shade is one criterion for the horticulture …………………………… of plants in forestry and horticulture.

答案與解析：

長難句練習(xí)：

1.Breeding seasons in animals such as birds have evolved to occupy the part of the year in which offspring have the greatest chances of survival.

參考譯文：例如鳥類等動物的繁殖期占據(jù)了一年中他們后代生存幾率最大的時間。

知識點：句子主干Breeding seasons主語， have evolved to occupy 謂語，the part of the year賓語，in animals定語，in which引導(dǎo)限定性定語從句在句中做時間狀語因為in which=when。Breeding seasons繁殖期，繁殖季節(jié);evolve逐步進化;offspring后代

2. Long-day plants are adapted for situations that require fertilization by insects, or a long period of seed ripening.

參考譯文：長日照植物會選擇適宜昆蟲受精或種子成熟周期較長的時期。

知識點：Long-day plants長日照植物，are adapted for適宜，fertilization by insects昆蟲受精，seed ripening種子成熟 句子主干Long-day plants主語 ，are adapted for謂語被動態(tài) ，situations賓語，that限定性引導(dǎo)定語從句修飾 situations。

3.The simultaneous production of masses of bamboo seeds (in some cases lying 12 to 15 centimeters deep on the ground) is more than all the seedeating animals can cope with at the time, so that some seeds escape being eaten and grow up to form the next generation.

參考譯文：大量的竹子同時孕育的種子產(chǎn)量(在一些例子中，種子在地下12-15厘米深)，超過了這一時期以種子為食的動物所能吃掉的數(shù)量，所以，一些種子就能存活下來，長成下一代。

知識點：主句主語是production，more than表語后加了一個對比關(guān)系的句子 all the seedeating animals can cope with at the time; so that引導(dǎo)結(jié)果狀語從句。

雅思閱讀材料大集合：六個壞習(xí)慣將毀掉你的睡眠

If you equate getting older with needing—or getting—less sleep, here’s a wake-up call: It's not true! “The majority of us require between seven and nine hours of shut-eye a night," says Robert Oexman, D.C., director of the Sleep to Live Institute. “And there’s little reason—whether you’re 55 or 80—not to get it.” Barring disease, medication and pain (all legitimate sleep interrupters), if patients complain of bad sleep, Dr. Oexman looks at their nighttime habits, where the problem almost always resides.

如果你認(rèn)為人慢慢長大變老，需要或得到的睡眠更少，那我來提醒你吧，不是這樣的!睡眠與生命研究所所長，脊骨神經(jīng)科醫(yī)師羅伯特·歐克斯曼說道：“大多數(shù)人每晚需要7-9小時的睡眠時間。無論你是55還是80歲，都應(yīng)該做到這一點?！奔膊?、藥物和疼痛除外(這些都可能會干擾睡眠)，如果病人抱怨睡不好覺，歐克斯曼醫(yī)師會查看其晚間生活習(xí)慣來發(fā)現(xiàn)問題所在。

So, how are you sabotaging your z-z-z-z-z’s?

所以，你是怎樣破壞自己的睡眠的呢?

Bad Habit #1: Watching TV until you fall asleep?

壞習(xí)慣一：看電視看到睡著

Why It Disrupts Sleep: It has nothing to do with what you watch—Downton Abbey isn’t a better pre-sleep choice than Dog the Bounty Hunter. Rather it’s the exposure to TV’s bright light that’s the culprit. Artificial bright light after dusk not only enhances alertness, but also delays the production of melatonin, a sleep-inducing hormone. So even if you nod off (in front of the TV, for example), you probably won’t stay asleep for long.

為什么會影響睡眠：這和你看什么節(jié)目沒有任何關(guān)系，因為《唐頓莊園》并不是比《賞金獵人》更好的睡前節(jié)目。反而是暴露在電視強光下才是影響你睡眠的罪魁禍?zhǔn)住Ｌ旌诤蟮娜嗽鞆姽獠粌H讓人增加警惕性，而且會延遲體內(nèi)睡眠荷爾蒙——褪黑素的生成。所以即使你打盹了(比如在電視機前)，你很可能也睡不了多久。

EZZZ Fix: An hour before bedtime, treat yourself like a baby: a warm bath, followed by a quiet activity in dim light—meditation, journal writing, reading. But no reading or writing on your computer before bed or in the middle of the night. (Almost half of the respondents in the AOL Email Addiction survey admitted to checking email during the night. If that’s you, keep technology out of the bedroom.)

解決方法：睡前一小時，讓自己像嬰兒一樣：洗個熱水澡，在暗淡的燈光下做些安靜的事情-冥想，寫日記，閱讀。但是睡前或者半夜絕對不能在電腦上閱讀或者寫東西。(幾乎一半?yún)⑴c美國在線電子郵件上癮調(diào)查的人們承認(rèn)晚間會查看電子郵件。如果你也是這樣，那么記得把高科技關(guān)在臥室外面吧。)

Bad Habit #2: Sleeping with Fido

壞習(xí)慣二：抱狗狗睡覺

Why It Disrupts Sleep: While animal-lovers argue the emotional benefits of sharing a pillow with their pets, research shows that pets can contribute to less than sound sleep. How? “Pets have different circadian rhythms than humans," says Oexman. “They sleep most of the day, and they shift a lot when sleeping—they get comfortable, then they move. This goes on all night, and whether you admit it or not, it interrupts your ability to get the level of sleep needed to feel rested." (As for pet dander and allergies—sneezing and wheezing are not great sleep enhancers.)

為什么會影響睡眠：動物愛好者認(rèn)為和寵物一起睡覺有情感上的益處，然而研究表明寵物實際上會影響睡眠。這是怎么回事呢?“寵物和人有著不同的生理節(jié)律，”歐克斯曼說，“他們每天大多數(shù)時候都會睡，睡覺的時候經(jīng)常動-他們覺得舒服，然后就會動。整晚都會這樣，而且無論你承認(rèn)與否，你都會不知不覺被影響而達不到自己需要的睡眠程度。(至于寵物皮屑和各種過敏導(dǎo)致的打噴嚏和喘息都是會影響睡眠的因素。)

EZZZ Fix: For two weeks, put your pooch or cat in a crate outside your closed bedroom door. When your pet can sleep quietly in the crate, move the crate inside your room for another two weeks. When the crate training is complete, try letting the dog or cat sleep in his own bed near your bed. Discourage all attempts to jump on your bed and reward all successes for staying in his own bed. (Caveat: Plan on interrupted sleep for a few weeks.)

雅思閱讀材料大集合：可以聽懂你情緒的手機應(yīng)用

Beyond Verbal Communications Ltd., a voice-recognition software developer here, is rolling out an app promising something Siri can't yet deliver: a readout on how you feel.

語音識別軟件開發(fā)商Beyond Verbal Communications Ltd.即將推出一款應(yīng)用軟件，有望實現(xiàn)Siri尚且無法實現(xiàn)的一個功能：把你的情緒顯示出來。

Called Moodies, it lets a smartphone user speak a few words into the phone's mike to produce, about 20 seconds later, an emotional analysis. Beyond Verbal executives say the app is mostly for self-diagnosis -- and a bit of fun: It pairs a cartoon face with each analysis, and users can share the face on social media.

借助于這款名為“Moodies”的應(yīng)用，智能手機用戶可以朝著手機的麥克風(fēng)講話，在大約20秒鐘之后生成情緒分析。Beyond Verbal的管理人員說，該應(yīng)用主要是用于自我診斷，也可以帶來一些小小的樂趣：它給每一次分析配上一張卡通臉孔，用戶可以把臉孔拿到社交媒體上去分享。

But the app is coming out as the company and other developers -- many clustered in Tel Aviv -- push increasingly sophisticated hardware and software they say can determine a person's emotional state through analysis of his or her voice.

在這款應(yīng)用面世之際，Beyond Verbal和其他一些開發(fā)商――很多都扎堆特拉維夫――正在推出一些越來越尖端、據(jù)它們說可以通過分析語音確定一個人情緒狀態(tài)的硬件和軟件。

These companies say the tools can also detect fraud, screen airline passengers and help a call-center technician better deal with an irate customer. And they can be used to keep tabs on employees or screen job applicants. One developer, Tel Aviv-based Nemesysco Ltd., offers what it calls 'honesty maintenance' software aimed at human-resource executives. The firm says that by analyzing a job applicant's voice at an interview, the program can help identify fibs.

這些公司說，這些工具還可以偵測欺詐、檢查飛機乘客、幫助呼叫中心技術(shù)人員更好地對付發(fā)飆的顧客。它們可以用來監(jiān)視員工或篩選求職者。特拉維夫開發(fā)商Nemesysco Ltd.推出以人力資源經(jīng)理為目標(biāo)客戶的“誠信維護”軟件。該公司說，這套程序可以通過分析求職者在面試期間的說話聲音來幫助辨別謊言。

That's raising alarm among many voice-analysis experts, who question the accuracy of such on-the-spot interpretations. It's also raising worries among privacy advocates, who say such technology -- especially if it is being rolled out in cheap, easy-to-use smartphone apps -- could be a fresh threat to privacy.

這引起了很多語音分析專家的警惕，他們對這類現(xiàn)場轉(zhuǎn)譯的準(zhǔn)確性提出了質(zhì)疑。也引起了很多隱私鼓吹者的憂慮，他們說，這類技術(shù)有可能成為一種新的隱私威脅，如果是以便宜好用的智能手機應(yīng)用的形式推出，威脅就更為嚴(yán)重。

Depending on how the analysis is performed, used and shared, 'there could well be breaches of certain privacy laws,' says Gwendolen Morgan, an associate at Bindmans LLP, a London human-rights law firm.

倫敦人權(quán)律師事務(wù)所Bindmans LLP合伙人格溫德琳?摩根(Gwendolen Morgan)說，這些分析“很有可能違反了某些隱私法規(guī)”，具體要看它們是怎樣運行以及被使用和共享的。

The new wave of technology is based on so-called layered voice analysis, and it's related to the much broader, more established field of 'speech-to-text' sentiment analysis. Verint Systems Inc., Thomson Reuters PLC and Hewlett-Packard Co. and others have long used speech-to-text technology to record phone calls and break them down into so-called text-based sentiment intelligence by flagging the occurrence of keywords or types of words. Call centers use the data to teach employees to keep customers on the phone or monitor employees for training purposes.

這一波新的技術(shù)浪潮基于“深層語音分析”(layered voice analysis)，跟更廣泛、更成熟的“語音轉(zhuǎn)文字”(speech-to-text)情緒分析領(lǐng)域有關(guān)。Verint Systems Inc.、湯森路透(Thomson Reuters PLC)、惠普(Hewlett-Packard Co.)等公司曾長期使用語音轉(zhuǎn)文字技術(shù)來記錄通話，并把出現(xiàn)在其中的關(guān)鍵詞或某些詞語種類標(biāo)注出來，從而將通話分解為“基于文本的情緒情報”。呼叫中心用這些數(shù)據(jù)教員工如何讓客戶保持通話，或為了培訓(xùn)的目的而監(jiān)測員工。

The new speech-focused tools come as other companies are marketing body-language and facial-recognition sentiment-analysis tools -- including an app for Google Inc.'s Google Glass.

在這些新的語音分析工具面世之際，其他公司也在銷售身體語言和面部識別類的情緒分析工具，比如一款針對谷歌公司(Google Inc.)“谷歌眼鏡”(Google Glass)的應(yīng)用。

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