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雅思剑12阅读真题Test5Passage1真题精讲

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雅思剑12阅读真题Test5Passage1原文及题目

READING PASSAGE 1

You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 1-13, which are based on

Reading Passage 1 below.

Cork

Cork - the thick bark of the cork oak tree (Quercus suber) - is a remarkable

material. It is tough, elastic, buoyant, and fire-resistant, and suitable for a wide

range of purposes. It has also been used for millennia: the ancient Egyptians sealed

their sarcophagi (stone coffins) with cork, while the ancient Greeks and Romans

used it for anything from beehives to sandals.

And the cork oak itself is an extraordinary tree. Its bark grows up to 20 cm in

thickness, insulating the tree like a coat wrapped around the trunk and branches

and keeping the inside at a constant 20℃ all year round. Developed most probably

as a defence against forest fires, the bark of the cork oak has a particular cellular

structure - with about 40 million cells per cubic centimetre - that technology has

never succeeded in replicating. The ceils are filled with air, which is why cork is so

buoyant.

It also has an elasticity that means you can squash it and watch it spring back

to its original size and shape when you release the pressure.

Cork oaks grow in a number of Mediterranean countries, including Portugal,

Spain, Italy, Greece and Morocco. They flourish in warm, sunny climates where

there is a minimum of 400 millimetres of rain per year, and not more than 800

millimetres. Like grape vines, the trees thrive in poor soil, putting down deep roots

in search of moisture and nutrients. Southern Portugal’s Alentejo region meets

all of these requirements, which explains why, by the early 20th century, this region

had become the world’s largest producer of cork, and why today it accounts for

roughly half of all cork production around the world.

Most cork forests are family-owned. Many of these family businesses, and

indeed many of the trees themselves, are around 200 years old. Cork production is,

above all, an exercise in patience. From the planting of a cork sapling to the first

harvest takes 25 years, and a gap of approximately a decade must separate

harvests from an individual tree. And for top-quality cork, it’s necessary to wait a

further 15 or 20 years. You even have to wait for the right kind of summer’s day

to harvest cork. If the bark is stripped on a day when it’s too cold - or when the

air is damp - the tree will be damaged.

Cork harvesting is a very specialised profession. No mechanical means of

stripping cork bark has been invented, so the job is done by teams of highly skilled

workers. First, they make vertical cuts down the bark using small sharp axes, then

lever it away in pieces as large as they can manage. The most skilful cork- strippers

prise away a semi-circular husk that runs the length of the trunk from just above

ground level to the first branches. It is then dried on the ground for about four

months, before being taken to factories, where it is boiled to kill any insects that

might remain in the cork. Over 60% of cork then goes on to be made into

traditional bottle stoppers, with most of the remainder being used in the

construction trade. Corkboard and cork tiles are ideal for thermal and acoustic

insulation, while granules of cork are used in the manufacture of concrete.

Recent years have seen the end of the virtual monopoly of cork as the material

for bottle stoppers, due to concerns about the effect it may have on the contents

of the bottle. This is caused by a chemical compound called 2,4,6-trichloroanisole

(TCA), which forms through the interaction of plant phenols, chlorine and mould.

The tiniest concentrations - as little as three or four parts to a trillion - can spoil

the taste of the product contained in the bottle. The result has been a gradual yet

steady move first towards plastic stoppers and, more recently, to aluminium screw

caps. These substitutes are cheaper to manufacture and, in the case of screw caps,

more convenient for the user.

The classic cork stopper does have several advantages, however. Firstly, its

traditional image is more in keeping with that of the type of high quality goods

with which it has long been associated. Secondly - and very importantly - cork is a

sustainable product that can be recycled without difficulty. Moreover, cork forests

are a resource which support local biodiversity, and prevent desertification in the

regions where they are planted. So, given the current concerns about

environmental issues, the future of this ancient material once again looks

promising.

following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 1?

In boxes 1-5 on your answer sheet, write

TRUE if the statement agrees with the information

FALSE if the statement contradicts the information

NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this

1 The cork oak has the thickest bark of any living tree.

2 Scientists have developed a synthetic cork with the same cellular structure as

natural cork.

3 Individual cork oak trees must be left for 25 years between the first and

second harvest.

4 Cork bark should be stripped in dry atmospheric conditions.

5 The only way to remove the bark from cork oak trees is by hand.

Questions 6-13

Complete the notes below.

Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.

Write your answers in boxes 6-13 on your answer sheet.

Comparison of aluminium screw caps and cork bottle stoppers

Advantages of aluminium screw caps

do not affect the 6 ______ of the bottle contents

are 7 ______ to produce

are 8 ______ to use

Advantages of cork bottle stoppers

suit the 9 ______ of quality products

made from a 10 ______ material