Reading 2026-05 Test 6 — IELTS Academic Reading Practice Test with Answers

基于考生回忆重建 — 非官方 IELTS 资料。音频和原文均为练习用途的重现版本。

Reading Passage 1 - Dirty River but Clean Water

Floods can occur in rivers when the flow rate exceeds the capacity of the river channel, particularly at bends or meanders in the waterway. Floods often cause damage to homes and businesses if they are in the natural flood plains of rivers. While riverine flood damage can be eliminated by moving away from rivers and other bodies of water, people have traditionally lived and worked by rivers because the land is usually flat and fertile and because rivers provide easy travel and access to commerce and industry.

Fire and flood are two of humanity's worst nightmares. People have, therefore, always sought to control them. Forest fires are snuffed out quickly. The flow of rivers is regulated by weirs and dams. At least, that is how it used to be. But foresters have learned that forests need fires to clear out the brush and even to get seeds to germinate. And a similar revelation is now dawning on hydrologists. Rivers - and the ecosystems they support - need floods. That is why a man-made torrent has been surging down the Grand Canyon. By Thursday, March 6th it was running at full throttle, which was expected to be sustained for 60 hours.

Floods once raged through the canyon every year. Spring Snow from as far away as Wyoming would melt and swell the Colorado river to a flow that averaged around 1,500 cubic metres (50,000 cubic feet) a second. Every eight years or so, that figure rose to almost 3,000 cubic metres. These floods infused the river with sediment, carved its beaches and built its sandbars.

However, in the four decades since the building of the Glen Canyon dam, just upstream of the Grand Canyon, the only sediment that it has collected has come from tiny, undammed tributaries. Even that has not been much use as those tributaries are not powerful enough to distribute the sediment in an ecologically valuable way.

This lack of flooding has harmed local wildlife. The humpback chub, for example, thrived in the rust-red waters of Colorado. Recently, though, its population has crashed. At first sight, it looked as if the reason was that the chub were being eaten by trout introduced for sport fishing in the mid-20th century. But trout and chub co-existed until the Glen Canyon dam was built, so something else is going on. Steve Gloss, of the United States Geological Survey (USGS), reckons that the chub's decline is the result of their losing their most valuable natural defense, Colorado's rusty sediment. The chub were well adapted to the poor visibility created by the thick, red water which gave the river its name and depended on it to hide from predators. Without the cloudy water, the chub became vulnerable.

And the chub are not alone. In the years since the Glen Canyon dam was built, several species have vanished altogether. These include the Colorado pike-minnow, the razorback sucker and the roundtail chub. Meanwhile, aliens including fathead minnows, channel catfish and common carp, which would have been hard put to survive in the savage waters of the undammed canyon, have moved in.

So flooding is the obvious answer. Unfortunately, it is easier said than done. Floods were sent down the Grand Canyon in 1996 and 2004 and the results were mixed. In 1996 the flood was allowed to go on too long. To start with, all seemed well. The floodwaters built up sandbanks and infused the river with sediment. Eventually, however, the continued flow washed most of the sediment out of the canyon. This problem was avoided in 2004, but unfortunately, on that occasion, the volume of sand available behind the dam was too low to rebuild the sandbanks. This time, the USGS is convinced that things will be better. The amount of sediment available is three times greater than it was in 2004. So if a flood is going to do some good, this is the time to unleash one.

Even so, it may turn out to be an empty gesture. At less than 1,200 cubic metres a second, this flood is smaller than even an average spring flood, let alone one of the mightier deluges of the past. Those glorious inundations moved massive quantities of sediment through the Grand Canyon, wiping the slate dirty, and making a muddy mess of silt and muck that would make modern river rafters cringe.

Questions 1-7: True/False/Not Given

Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 1? In boxes 1-7 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.

1
Damage caused by a fire is worse than that caused by the flood.
2
The flood peaks at almost 1500 cubic meters every eight years.
3
Contribution of sediments delivered by tributaries has little impact.
4
The decreasing number of chubs is always caused by introducing of trout since the mid 20th century.
5
It seemed that the artificial flood in 1996 had achieved success partly at the very beginning.
6
In fact, the yield of artificial flood water is smaller than an average natural flood at present.
7
Mighty floods drove fast-moving flows with clean and high-quality water.

Questions 8-13: Summary Completion

Complete the summary below. Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.

The Eco-Impact of the Canyon Dam

Floods are people's nightmare. In the past, the canyon was raged by flood every year. The snow from far Wyoming would melt in the season of 8 _________ and caused a flood flow peak in Colorado river. In the four decades after people built the Glen Canyon Dam, it only could gather 9 _________ together from tiny, undammed tributaries.

Humpback chub population reduced, why?

Then several species disappeared including Colorado pike-minnow, 10 _________ and the round-tail chub. Meanwhile, some moved in such as fathead minnows, channel catfish and 11 _________. The non-stopped flow led to the washing away of the sediment out of the canyon, which poses a great threat to the chubs because it has poor 12 _________ away from predators. In addition, the volume of 13 _________ available behind the dam was too low to rebuild the bars and flooding became more serious.

Reading Passage 2 - John Ray and the Study of Plants

A The 17th-century English scholar and botanist John Ray was well aware that he lived through, and participated in, a profound revolution in the way people interacted with nature. In the preface to his Synopsis of British Plants, published in 1690, he gave thanks that he had been born at a time when traditional dependence on the teaching of the Greek philosopher Aristotle (384-322 BCE) had given way to a new philosophy, based on experiment and observation of the real world, that we now call science.

B Ray was born in 1627. His father was a village blacksmith, and his mother was also a respected member of the community, a healer who was an expert in folk medicine and the use of herbs to treat ailments. Ray must have stood out as an unusually bright boy among his schoolmates, and his talents were recognised by a church official, Samuel Covell, who had graduated from Cambridge University in 1600, and maintained his links with his university. Through his influence, Ray was admitted to Cambridge University in 1644 at the age of seventeen - a huge step for a village blacksmith's son. There he made a solid start, and quickly gained a reputation as a brilliant student. He studied the classics (Greek, Latin and Hebrew) and mathematics, but there was nothing yet we would now call science in the curriculum. After graduating in 1648, he became a minor member of staff at Trinity College, Cambridge. He was appointed Lecturer in Greek in 1651, Lecturer in Mathematics in 1653, and Lecturer in Humanities in 1655.

C Almost immediately after graduating, Ray also seems to have developed the interest to which he would devote the rest of his life: the study of the natural world. He explains this conversion into a naturalist - in particular into a botanist - in the preface to his first book, the Cambridge Catalogue of English Plants. Here Ray tells us that he suffered an illness in his early twenties, and was advised to take long walks and ride in the fresh air while recovering. While doing this, he became interested in the local flora, and finding nobody able to teach him, Ray investigated it for himself. He then went on to pass on the knowledge he acquired to others.

D By the mid-1650s, even the first-year students at Trinity College were able to identify the plants and flowers around Cambridge, as they were being taught (unofficially - none of this was part of their formal education) by Ray. Many of them were the sons of landowners, and so had a natural, if amateurish, interest in country matters. But a few of them took his efforts to understand the natural world much more seriously. One of these, Francis Willughby, later played an important part in Ray's life.

E Having himself had no authority on the subject of plants on which to draw, Ray also started work on what would become his Cambridge Catalogue of English Plants. The work was not published until 1660 because, as Ray explained in the preface, he had to start from scratch: 'I had first to become familiar with the literature, to compare the plants that I found with the pictures, and when there seemed to be a resemblance, to go fully into any unknown descriptions. Gaining skill by experience, I acquired at last the ability to recognise to what tribe and family similars or could be assigned; this taught me to search for similarities and saved a vast deal of labour, which others would have spent in their difficulties. I was eager to make the most of this and was fortunate to share my enthusiasm with my friends...'

F Ray's Cambridge Catalogue of English Plants was much more than a simple list of species. It gave the names of plants found in the area around Cambridge and included information about where they grew and how common they were. In doing this, Ray was producing something that would be of practical use to students and other readers interested in the local natural world. At the same time, the book showed his determination to describe plants accurately, on the basis of direct examination rather than reliance on old authorities. In this respect, it reflected the spirit of the new learning that Ray admired.

G Ray's studies of plants were only the beginning of a much larger ambition. With the support of Francis Willughby, he began to imagine a more comprehensive investigation of nature, one that would attempt to classify living things according to careful observation of their shared characteristics. This was an ambitious undertaking, especially at a time when many aspects of the natural world remained poorly described. Yet Ray believed that by collecting evidence systematically and comparing related forms, it would be possible to build a more reliable understanding of nature than scholars had possessed before.

Questions 14-20: Matching Headings

Reading Passage 2 has seven paragraphs, A-G. Choose the correct heading for each paragraph from the list of headings below. Write the correct number, i-ix, in boxes 14-20 on your answer sheet.

List of Headings

i. Ray's account of his working methods

ii. The botanical expert who inspired Ray

iii. A succession of academic achievements

iv. Ray's informal tuition

v. Ray's appreciation of his contemporary academic culture

vi. A childhood interest in plants

vii. Plans for a bold new project

viii. A description of the content of Ray's first book

ix. A change of direction for Ray

14
Paragraph A
15
Paragraph B
16
Paragraph C
17
Paragraph D
18
Paragraph E
19
Paragraph F
20
Paragraph G

Questions 21-24: Summary Completion

Complete the summary below. Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.

A New Approach to Knowledge

John Ray was a scholar and self-taught botanist, whose work reflected the 21 _________ that was taking place during the 17th century in people's way of thinking about the natural world. This new approach is the basis of the modern field of 22 _________. It represented a complete break from the ideas of Aristotle, which had dominated thinking up until that time.

As Ray himself explained, his interest in plants was aroused after graduating, when he had to spend time outdoors after a period of 23 _________. He taught himself, in addition to many Cambridge 24 _________ plants, which was published in 1660.

Questions 25-26: Multiple Choice (Choose TWO)

Which TWO of the following statements are true of Ray's early life? Write the correct letters in boxes 25 and 26 on your answer sheet.

A His teacher recommended that he should go to university.

B His school record was not exceptional in any way.

C He was helped by a former student of Cambridge University.

D His parents were both valued by the people in their local area.

E He originally planned to take up his father's occupation.

25
Which TWO of the following statements are true of Ray's early life?
- A. His teacher recommended that he should go to university.
- B. His school record was not exceptional in any way.
- C. He was helped by a former student of Cambridge University.
- D. His parents were both valued by the people in their local area.
- E. He originally planned to take up his father's occupation.
26
Which TWO of the following statements are true of Ray's early life?

Reading Passage 3 - The Origin of Mass Production

A Despite its obvious connection, mass production was not a corollary to the modern Industrial Revolution. Various mass production techniques had been practiced in ancient times, from ceramic production in the Orient to manufacturing in ancient Greece. The British were most likely the first modern economy to adapt water-powered, then steam-powered, machinery to industrial production methods, most notably in the textiles industry. Yet it is generally agreed that modern mass production techniques came into widespread use through the innovation of an assortment of Americans who substantially improved the ancient techniques. Indeed, this modern mass production was called the American System and its early successes are often attributed to Eli Whitney, who adapted mass production techniques and the interchangeability of parts to the manufacture of muskets for the U.S. government in the late 1790s.

B In the late 18th century, French General Jean-Baptiste Vaquette de Gribeauval, promoted standardized weapons, which became known as the Systeme Gribeauval after it was issued as a royal order in 1765. (Its focus at the time was artillery more than muskets or handguns.) The crucial step toward interchangeability in metal parts was taken by Simeon North, working only a few miles from Eli Terry. North created one of the world's first true milling machines to do metal shaping that previously was done by hand with a file. Diana Muir believes that North's milling machine was online around 1816. While Whitney was certainly an innovator of the American System, others maintain that Whitney's parts were not truly interchangeable and that credit should more appropriately go to John Hall, the New England gunsmith who built Muskets with flintlock for the United States government at the Harper's Ferry armory. Flintlock, as it was implied meant people used it to trigger the gun. Hall, born in Maine in 1769, built many of the machine tools needed for precision manufacturing and instituted a system that employed accurate gauges for measuring every aspect and piece of work his factory produced. Consequently, he achieved a much higher level of interchangeability and precision than did Whitney.

C Still others maintain that the credit for these modern innovations should go to a French gunsmith whose methods and results predated those of Whitney and Hall by at least a decade. In Britain, and somewhat simultaneously with Whitney, the Frenchman Marc Isambard Brunei adapted steam-driven machinery and assembly-line techniques to the production of 130,000 pulleys for the marine industry in just one year. Brunei's achievements were made possible by the design and manufacture of several machine tools by the noted British inventor, Henry Maudslay.

D Maudslay's contribution to modern mass production was the invention of precision machine tools capable of producing the identical parts necessary for mass production techniques which made producing guns cheaper. It is generally conceded that the British machine tool industry was far more advanced than that of the Americans in these early stages of mass production development. Simultaneous with Whitney's innovations in the United States were those of Oliver Evans, whose many inventions in the flour milling process led to an automated mill that could be run by a singer miller.

E Samuel Colt and Elisha King Root were also very successful innovators in the development of industrial processes that could mass produce interchangeable parts for the assembly-line production of firearms. Colt and Root wished to advance the machining of parts so that even the most minute of tasks could be performed with the precision that they believed only machines could achieve. In these endeavors, Colt and Root were largely successful.

F Eli Terry also adapted mass production methods to clockmaking in the early 1800s, and George Eastman made innovations to assembly-line techniques in the manufacture and the developing of photographic film later in the century. Credit for the development of large scale, assembly-line, mass production techniques is usually given to Henry Ford and his innovative Model T production methods. Henry Ford had his workers standing in one place while parts were brought by on conveyor belts, and the car itself moved past the workers on another conveyor belt. Bodies were built on one line and the chassis and drive train were built on another. When both were essentially complete, the body was lowered onto the chassis for final assembly. Around the same time, production of guns also entered into the assembly line.

G Despite the fact that he was not the first, Ford can certainly be viewed as the most successful of these early innovators due to one simple fact - Ford envisioned and fostered mass consumption as a corollary to mass production. Ford's techniques lessened the time needed to build a Model T from about twelve and a half hours to an hour and a half; the price was reduced as well - from $850 for the first Model T in 1908, to only $290 in 1927 after assembly-line techniques were introduced in 1913. The automobile was no longer a luxury for the rich, the Model T fast became a necessity for nearly everyone. Indeed, Ford sold almost half of all of the automobiles bought worldwide from 1908 to 1927 - the years of Model T production. Apart from this, people showed different views over whether guns should be involved in mass production. The expense opposition to ammunition was the first one to trigger the debate. Other equipment involved in war or preparation for war was also against. Let alone all these required a lot of workforce to accomplish.

H Assembly-line techniques also required that the manual skills necessary to build a product be altered. Previous to mass production techniques, as seen in the early manufacture of firearms, each workman was responsible for the complete manufacture and assembly of all of the component parts needed to build any single product. Mass production and parts interchangeability demanded that all parts be identical and the individual worker no longer be allowed the luxury of building a complete product based on his personal skills and inclinations. Machines came to dictate the production process, and each part- once created individually by hand-was now duplicated by a machine process that was merely guided by human control. The craft tradition, dominant in human endeavor for centuries, was abandoned in favor of a process that created parts by machine. Furthermore, assembly of these machine-made parts was divided into a series of small repetitive steps that required much less skill than traditional craftsmanship. Consequently, modern mass production techniques, while certainly increasing the efficiency of the manufacturing process and bringing industrial products within the reach of virtually all of humanity, apart from manufacturing ballpoint pens, making of gun is also part of it. But safety is also a factor to consider. People succeeded in restrain the production of guns resulting only 4 manufactures were permitted to produce guns in mass production.

Questions 27-32: Matching Headings

The reading passage has seven paragraphs, A-H. Choose the correct heading for paragraphs A-H from the list below. Write the correct number, i-xi, in boxes 27-32 on your answer sheet.

List of Headings

i. The appearance of precision machine tools

ii. Different techniques applied to mass production

iii. Prominent researchers' work dedicated to mass production of firearm making

iv. The disagreement on the first person who invented real interchangeable parts instead of Whitney

v. Successful elements for imposing restrictions on the production of guns

vi. Controversy on the permission of guns production

vii. The use of mass production to manufacture guns

viii. The significant role of interchangeable parts

27
Paragraph C
28
Paragraph D
29
Paragraph E
30
Paragraph F
31
Paragraph G
32
Paragraph H

Questions 33-37: Multiple Choice

Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D. Write your answers in boxes 33-36 on your answer sheet.

33
Why was John Hall's production more precise than Whitney's?
- A. He used a new type of milling machine
- B. He employed accurate measuring gauges
- C. He focused on muskets instead of handguns
- D. He predated the French gunsmith's methods
34
What is the function of flintlock as mentioned in the passage?
- A. Grind the gun
- B. Decorate the gun
- C. Fire the gun
- D. Maintain the gun
35
Why does the author quote an example concerning Ford?
- A. To demonstrate that mass production needed detailed techniques
- B. To show that every object could be detached into several parts
- C. To emphasize that Ford was a successful enterprise
- D. To stress that cars were popular at that time in the U.S.
36
What is the main contribution of Maudslay?
- A. Introduced assembly line for producing interchangeable parts of guns
- B. Created useful tools for manufacture of guns with economic feasibility
- C. Lessened the time for making guns
- D. Set a standard of making guns and the standard of interchangeable parts
37
Which might be the best subtitle for the passage?
- A. The origin of auto assembly line
- B. A marvelous advancement in firearm production
- C. The origin of mass production
- D. The significance of producing interchangeable parts

Questions 38-40: Summary Completion

Complete the following summary of the paragraphs of Reading Passage 3. Using NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the Reading Passage for each answer.

People mainly expressed 38 _________ to buying ammunition after the success of applying assembly line to the production of automobiles which led to the same practice for guns followed by a heated debate over this application. Besides, other 39 _________ were needed in the war which demanded a big 40 _________ to support.

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显示答案

1. NOT GIVEN
There is no information comparing the damage caused by fire to that caused by flood, so the answer is NOT GIVEN.
2. FALSE
The passage says the flood peaks at almost 3,000 cubic metres every eight years, not 1,500, so the answer is FALSE.
3. NOT GIVEN
The passage only says sediment from tributaries is 'not much use' but does not directly state their impact is little, so the answer is NOT GIVEN.
4. FALSE
The passage explains that chubs and trout co-existed before the dam, so the decrease in chubs is not always caused by trout, making the answer FALSE.
5. TRUE
The passage says 'To start with, all seemed well. The floodwaters built up sandbanks and infused the river with sediment,' so the 1996 flood seemed successful at first, so the answer is TRUE.
6. TRUE
The passage says the current artificial flood is 'smaller than even an average spring flood,' so the answer is TRUE.
7. NOT GIVEN
There is no information about mighty floods having clean and high-quality water, so the answer is NOT GIVEN.
8. spring
The passage says 'Spring Snow from as far away as Wyoming would melt and swell the Colorado river,' so the answer is 'spring.'
9. sediment
It says 'the only sediment that it has collected has come from tiny, undammed tributaries,' so the answer is 'sediment.'
10. razorback sucker
The passage lists 'the Colorado pike-minnow, the razorback sucker and the roundtail chub' as species that vanished, so the answer is 'razorback sucker.'
11. common carp
It says 'aliens including fathead minnows, channel catfish and common carp... have moved in,' so the answer is 'common carp.'
12. visibility
The passage says chubs depended on 'poor visibility created by the thick, red water... to hide from predators,' so the answer is 'visibility.'
13. sand
It says 'the volume of sand available behind the dam was too low to rebuild the sandbanks,' so the answer is 'sand.'
14. v
Paragraph A is about the reasons people live by rivers and the risks of floods, matching heading v 'Why people live by rivers despite the risks.'
15. iii
Paragraph B describes Ray's background and education, matching heading iii 'Ray's early life and education.'
16. ix
Paragraph C explains how Ray became interested in plants after illness, matching heading ix 'How Ray became interested in plants.'
17. iv
Paragraph D describes Ray teaching students about plants, matching heading iv 'Ray's influence on students.'
18. i
Paragraph E discusses Ray's work on the Cambridge Catalogue, matching heading i 'Ray's first major publication.'
19. viii
Paragraph F explains the content and purpose of the Catalogue, matching heading viii 'The significance of Ray's Catalogue.'
20. vii
Paragraph G is about Ray's ambition to classify living things, matching heading vii 'Ray's wider ambitions in natural history.'
21. revolution
The passage says Ray lived through 'a profound revolution in the way people interacted with nature,' so the answer is 'revolution.'
22. science
It says the new approach is 'based on experiment and observation... that we now call science,' so the answer is 'science.'
23. illness
Ray 'suffered an illness in his early twenties, and was advised to take long walks,' so the answer is 'illness.'
24. Catalogue
It says Ray worked on his 'Cambridge Catalogue of English Plants,' so the answer is 'Catalogue.'
25. C / D
C is correct because Ray was helped by Samuel Covell, a former Cambridge student; D is correct because both parents were respected in their community. A is tempting but not supported by the passage.
26. C / D
C is correct because Ray was helped by Samuel Covell, a former Cambridge student; D is correct because both parents were respected in their community. B is tempting but the passage says Ray was 'an unusually bright boy.'
27. iv
Paragraph C is about how Ray became interested in plants, matching heading iv 'How Ray became interested in plants.'
28. i
Paragraph D is about Ray teaching students about plants, matching heading i 'Ray's influence on students.'
29. iii
Paragraph E is about Ray's work on the Cambridge Catalogue, matching heading iii 'Ray's first major publication.'
30. vii
Paragraph F is about the significance and content of Ray's Catalogue, matching heading vii 'The significance of Ray's Catalogue.'
31. vi
Paragraph G is about Ray's ambition to classify living things, matching heading vi 'Ray's wider ambitions in natural history.'
32. v
Paragraph H is about changes in workers' roles due to mass production, matching heading v 'The impact of mass production on workers.'
33. B
B is correct because Hall 'employed accurate gauges for measuring every aspect and piece of work,' making his production more precise. A is tempting but the new milling machine was North's, not Hall's.
34. C
C is correct because 'Flintlock, as it was implied meant people used it to trigger the gun,' so its function is to fire the gun.
35. B
B is correct because the Ford example shows how cars were built from separate parts on different lines, then assembled, showing objects could be detached into several parts. C is tempting but the focus is on the method, not Ford's business success.
36. B
B is correct because Maudslay invented 'precision machine tools capable of producing the identical parts necessary for mass production,' making manufacture more economical. D is tempting but the passage does not say he set the standard.
37. C
C is correct because the passage covers the history and development of mass production, not just auto assembly lines or firearms.
38. opposition
The passage says 'The expense opposition to ammunition was the first one to trigger the debate,' so the answer is 'opposition.'
39. equipment
It says 'Other equipment involved in war or preparation for war was also against,' so the answer is 'equipment.'
40. workforce
It says 'all these required a lot of workforce to accomplish,' so the answer is 'workforce.'

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