Ielts - Test 1

TEST 1
Reading passage 1
You should spend about 20 minutes on questions 1-13 which are based on reading passage 1.
Air-conditioning the Earth

The circulation of air in the atmosphere is activated by convection, the transference of heat resulting
from the fact that warm gases or fluids rise while cold gases or fluids sink. For example, if one wall
of a room is heated whilst the opposite wall is cooled, air will rise against the warm and flow across
the ceiling to the cold wall before descending to flow back across the floor to the warm wall again.
The real atmosphere, however, is like a very long room with a very low ceiling. The distance from
equator to pole is 10,000 km., while the "ceiling height" to the beginning of the stratosphere is only
about 10 km. The air, therefore, splits up into a number of smaller loops or convection cells. Between
the equator and each pole there are three such cells and within these the circulation is mainly north-
south.
Large-scale air-conditioning
The result of this circulation is a flow of heat energy towards the poles and a leveling out of the
climate so that both equatorial and polar regions are habitable. The atmosphere generally retains its
state of equilibrium as every north-going air current is counter-balanced by a south-going one. In the
same way depressions at lower levels in the troposphere are counter-balanced by areas of high
pressure in the upper levels, and vice versa. The atmospheric transference of heat is closely
associated with the movement of moisture between sea and continent and between different latitudes.
Moist air can transport much greater quantities of energy than dry air.
Because the belts of convection cells run east to west, both climate and weather vary according to
latitude. Climatic zones are particularly distinguishable at sea where there are no land masses to
disturb the pattern.
Man and winds

For thousands of years mankind has been dependent upon the winds: they brought rain to the land
and carried ships across the sea. Thus, the westerly wind belts, the trade winds and the monsoon
winds of the global circulation systems, have been known to us for many centuries. As recently as
the present century Arab ships sailed on the south-west monsoon winds from east Africa to India
and back again on the north-east monsoon winds, without need of a compass. The winds alone
were sufficient. In the equatorial convergence zone (the "doldrums"), and in the regions around
the Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn known as the "horse latitudes", sailing ships could
drift for weeks unable to steer, while the "roaring forties" of the South Atlantic (40-50 °S) were
notorious among mariners for their terrible winds.
It was not until the development of the balloon at end of the 18th century, however, that it
became possible to study meteorological conditions at high altitudes. The balloon is still a
significant research device although today it carries a radar reflector or a set of instruments and a
radio transmitter, rather than the scientists themselves. Nowadays high-flying aircraft and
satellites are also important aids to meteorology. Through them we have discovered the west to
1
east jet stream. This blows at speeds of up to 500 km/h at altitudes of 9,000-10,000 m along the
border between the Arctic and temperate zone convection belts.
Weather fronts
The circulation within the different convection cells is greater than the exchange of air between them
and therefore the temperature in two cells that are close to each other can differ greatly.
Consequently, the borders between the different convection cells are areas in which warm and cold
air masses oppose each other, advancing and withdrawing. In the northern hemisphere, the dividing
line between the Arctic and temperate convection zones is the polar front, and it is this which
determines the weather in northern Europe and North America. This front is unstable, weaving
sometimes northward, sometimes southward, of an average latitude of 60'N. Depressions become
trapped within the deep concavities of this front and these subsequently move eastward along it with
areas of rain and snowfall. In this way, global air circulation determines not only the long-term
climate but also the immediate weather.
Glossary:
Troposphere: the part of the atmosphere closest to the surface of the earth
Stratosphere: the atmospheric zone above the troposphere
Questions 1-3
Complete the diagram using information from the text. Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS
or ONE NUMBER in boxes 1-3 on your answer sheet.
2
Questions 4-7
Complete the paragraph below using words and phrases from the box. There are more words and
phrases than you will need Write your answers in boxes 4- 7 on your answer sheet.
Global air circulation spreads heat from the ____ (4) ____ towards the ____ (5) ____. Within this
system of heat transfer, climate is affected not only by ____ (6) ____ but also by the amount of
moisture in the air. The most accurate geographical zone in which to study climate is ____ (7) ____
where there are no local wind systems.
on land equatorial regions

heat in the air
mountainous regions latitude
polar regions at sea
moisture depressions
coastal regions longitude
Questions 8-11
Several different wind patterns are mentioned in the passage. For each of the patterns below, write a
letter in the boxes 8-11 on your answer sheet. Write:
U if the passage states that the patterns are useful

P if the passage states that the patterns present problems
N if the passage does not state whether the patterns are useful or problematic.
8. West to east jet stream

9. The roaring forties
10. The horse latitudes
11. North-east monsoon winds
Questions 12-13
Choose the appropriate letter A-C and write it in boxes 12 and 13 on your answer sheet.
12. Convection cells near to each other

A. usually have similar temperatures
B. usually have slightly different temperatures
C. may have extremely different temperatures
13. The borders between convection cells

A. are always in the same place
B. may move forwards and backwards
C. are totally unpredictable in their position.

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TEST 1

Air-conditioning the Earth

Man and winds

on land equatorial regions

U if the passage states that the patterns are useful

8. West to east jet stream

12. Convection cells near to each other

13. The borders between convection cells

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