1、阅读理解练习试卷 13及答案与解析 一、 Reading Comprehension Directions: There are 5 passages in this part. Each passage is followed by 5 questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are 4 choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the best one and mark the corresponding letter with a single bar across the sq
2、uare brackets on your machine-scoring ANSWER SHEET. 0 The collapse of the Earths magnetic field which guards the planet and guides many of its creatures appears to have started seriously about 150 years ago, the New York Times reported last week. The fields strength has decreased by 10 or 15 per cen
3、t so far and this has increased the debate over whether it signals a reversal of the planets lines of magnetic force. During a reversal, the main field weakens, almost vanishes, and reappears with opposite polarity. The transition would take thousands of years. Once completed, compass needles that h
4、ad pointed north would point south. A reversal could cause problems for both man and animals. Astronauts and satellites would have difficulties. Birds, fish and animals that rely on the magnetic field for navigation would find migration confusing. But experts said the effects would not be a big disa
5、ster, despite claims of doom and vague evidence of links between past field reversals and species extinctions. Although a total transition may be hundreds or thousands of years away, the rapid decline in magnetic strength is already affecting satellites. Last month, the European Space Agency approve
6、d the worlds largest effort at tracking the fields shifts. A group of new satellites, called Swarm, is to monitor the collapsing field with far greater precision. “We want to get some idea of how this would evolve in the near future, just like people trying to predict the weather,“ said Gauthier Hul
7、ot, a French geophysicist working on the satellite plan. “Im personally quite convinced we should be able to work out the first predictions by the end of the mission.“ No matter what the new findings, the public has no reason to panic. Even if a transition is coming on its way, it might take 2 000 y
8、ears to mature. The last one took place 780 000 years ago, when early humans were learning how to make stone tools. Deep inside the Earth flow hot currents of melted iron. This mechanical energy creates electromagnetism. This process is known as the geophysical generator. In a cars generator, the sa
9、me principle turns mechanical energy into electricity. No one knows precisely why the field periodically reverses. But scientists say the responsibility probably lies with changes in the disorderly flows of melted iron, which they see as similar to the gases that make up the clouds of Jupiter. 1 Acc
10、ording to the passage, the Earths magnetic field has _. （ A） begun to change in the opposite direction （ B） been weakening in strength for a long time （ C） caused the changes on the polarities （ D） misguided many a man and animal 2 During the transition of the Earths magnetic field _. （ A） the compa
11、ss will become useless （ B） man and animals will be confused as to directions （ C） the magnetic strength of the Earth will disappear （ D） the magnetic strength of the Earth will be stronger 3 According to the experts, the reversal of the Earths magnetic field would _. （ A） destroy almost all the cre
12、atures on the Earth （ B） cause some species extinctions on the Earth （ C） not be as disastrous as the previous one （ D） cause no big trouble for man and animals 4 According to the passage, _. （ A） we should not worry about the transition of the Earths magnetic field （ B） the Earths magnetic field wi
13、ll not change for at least 2 000 years （ C） the Earths magnetic field has decreased its strength rapidly （ D） the transition of the Earths magnetic field can be controlled by modern science 5 The author says “. . . the public has no reason to panic“ (Paragraph 5) because _. （ A） the transition is st
14、ill thousands of years away （ B） the new transition will come 780 000 years from now （ C） the transition can be precisely predicted by scientists （ D） the process of the transition will take a very long time to finish 6 The transition of the Earths magnetic field is possibly caused by _. （ A） the fl
15、ows of melted iron inside the Earth （ B） the periodical movement of the Earth （ C） the mechanical energy of the solar system （ D） the force corning from outer space 阅读理解练习试卷 13答案与解析 一、 Reading Comprehension Directions: There are 5 passages in this part. Each passage is followed by 5 questions or unf
16、inished statements. For each of them there are 4 choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the best one and mark the corresponding letter with a single bar across the square brackets on your machine-scoring ANSWER SHEET. 【知识模块】 阅读理解 1 【正确答案】 B 【试题 解析】 文章第一段：纽约时报上周报道地球磁场严重减弱开始于 150年前。磁场保护着我们的星球，为许多生物指引方向。
17、 【知识模块】 阅读理解 2 【正确答案】 B 【试题解析】 第三段第四句开始：磁场的转换给人类和动物带来许多问题。宇航员和卫星会遇到很多困难，依靠磁场指示方向迁徙的鸟类、鱼类和其他动物会在迁徙中失去方向。 【知识模块】 阅读理解 3 【正确答案】 D 【试题解析】 第三段最后一句：但是专家说这种影响不会造成大的灾难，尽管世界末日之称以及一些不明确的证据把物种灭 绝与上一次地球磁场转移相提并论。 【知识模块】 阅读理解 4 【正确答案】 A 【试题解析】 第五段一开始：无论新的研究发现什么，公众也不必为此惊慌。即使是磁场转移已经开始，它可能需要 2000年才能完成。 【知识模块】 阅读理解 5 【正确答案】 D 【试题解析】 见上题。 【知识模块】 阅读理解 6 【正确答案】 A 【试题解析】 文章最后一段：谁也不能准确地知道为什么地球磁场会周期性转换，但是科学家说其原因可能在于地壳中融化了的铁的无序流动，它们看起来就像 木星上组成云的气体一样。 【知识模块】 阅读理解
