ARTICLE · 1088461
雅思阅读精读|考场真题Part1: The Origins of Weather Forecasting天气预报的起源
✍️ 上期打卡答案
上期我们留的表达是：
keep track of 持续了解；记录……的情况
参考答案：
I use a notebook to keep track of my daily expenses.
我用一个笔记本记录每天的开支。
常见错误：
❌ keep track my daily expenses
✅ keep track of my daily expenses
keep track of后面接要记录或持续关注的对象，别漏掉of。
好，今天继续精读 ↓（下次想精读哪篇文章可以在评论区告诉我们哦～）
The Origins of Weather Forecasting｜天气预报的起源
The world’s first public weather forecast appeared in The Times newspaper over 150 years ago: the beginning of a service that gives everyone something to comment on
Reading Passage 1｜（考场真题）
Questions 1–5：判断题
Questions 6–13：填空题
建议：先限时20m完成整篇，再回来一起逐段精读。
开始逐段精读吧：
The pioneering forecast on August 1, 1861, was introduced with a deceptively simple heading: ‘General weather probable during next two days.’ But those few words started an ongoing controversy that still continues today - after all, everyone remembers the forecasts that go wrong, but rarely the ones that are right.
段落大意：1861年的首条公众天气预报只有一个简单标题，却开启了此后长期不断的准确性争论。
pioneering 开创性的。
deceptively simple 看似简单，实际并不简单。
probable 很可能发生的。
ongoing controversy 持续的争议。
after all 毕竟。
go wrong 出错；出现问题。
rarely 很少。
those few words指前面的预报标题。
General weather probable during next two days是报纸标题式表达，意思是“未来两天可能出现的总体天气情况”。probable保留了预测的不确定性，不能读成保证。
But之后从标题转到公众反应。everyone remembers … but rarely …把两种情况放在一起：人们记得报错的预报，却很少记得报对的。这也解释了为什么预测天气容易引起争议。
the ones that are right中的ones代替forecasts，避免重复。
1861年8月1日，这则开创性的天气预报以一个看似简单的标题亮相：“未来两天可能出现的总体天气情况。”然而，这几个字引发的争论延续至今。毕竟，大家都记得报错的天气预报，却很少记得报对的。
The first forecast was the idea of Admiral Robert FitzRoy, head of the newly founded Meteorological Department, and one of Britain’s greatest but least-known heroes. It was a brave undertaking, because in those days predicting the weather had gained a reputation similar to astrology or fortune-telling. The few people who attempted it had become a national joke when their forecasts inevitably went wrong.
段落大意：FitzRoy提出首条预报时，预测天气常被看作占星或算命，预测失败的人还会成为笑柄。
admiral 海军上将。
newly founded 新成立的。
least-known 最不为人所知的。
undertaking 任务；事业。
gain a reputation 获得某种名声。
astrology / fortune-telling 占星术／算命。
attempt 尝试。
inevitably 不可避免地。
It was a brave undertaking中的It，指开展天气预报这件事。
because从句解释为什么需要勇气：当时预测天气的名声与占星、算命差不多。下一句national joke进一步点明，人们并不把预测者当作值得信赖的专家。
one of Britain’s greatest but least-known heroes说的是作者对FitzRoy的评价，不能拿它去判断当时公众对天气预报的态度。人物受作者赞扬，与他的事业曾遭人嘲笑，可以同时成立。
Q1｜FALSE
定位证据： predicting the weather had gained a reputation similar to astrology or fortune-telling. The few people who attempted it had become a national joke
respected skill说天气预报受到尊重，原文却把它与占星、算命相提并论，并说预测者成了笑柄。态度明确相反，选FALSE；不是没交代态度，所以不选NOT GIVEN。
首条天气预报出自海军上将罗伯特·菲茨罗伊的构想。他领导着新成立的气象部门，是英国最伟大却鲜为人知的英雄之一。开展这项事业需要勇气，因为在那个年代，预测天气的名声与占星术或算命相差无几。少数尝试预测天气的人，一旦预报不可避免地出错，就成了全国的笑柄。
FitzRoy was different, though. His background was faultless, most famously his captaining of the ship HMS Beagle on Charles Darwin’s voyage around the world, which eventually led to the publication of Darwin’s well-known book On the Origin of Species. When FitzRoy retired from active service as an admiral in Britain’s navy, he was looking for a new direction. He subsequently secured a job as chief statistician at the Meteorological Department, part of the Board of Trade. Parliament had voted to set up and fund the Meteorological Department on June 30, 1854, to chart the safest sailing routes across the Atlantic Ocean. However, the British Government was not impressed with the idea of collecting weather reports and establishing a weather forecast, and the suggestion by one Member of Parliament for this was met with laughter from the other MPs.
段落大意：FitzRoy有出色的航海经历，退役后进入气象部门。议会出资成立该部门是为了规划安全航线，对天气预报的提议却并不支持。
faultless 无可挑剔的。
captaining 担任船长；率领船只航行。
retire from active service 退出现役。
subsequently 随后。
secure a job 获得一份工作；这里secure作动词。
chief statistician 首席统计员。
set up and fund 成立并提供资金。
chart 绘制；本段指绘制航线。
be met with laughter 遭到嘲笑。
先分清三个时间点。
退役之前，他曾担任“小猎犬号”船长，参加达尔文的环球航行；退役时，他想寻找新的方向；随后才获得首席统计员的工作。subsequently不能漏读，否则容易把先后顺序弄反。
Parliament had voted to set up and fund …后面的to chart the safest sailing routes说明拨款目的。However之后才讲天气报告和预报提议受到冷遇。这两个决定不是一回事。
was not impressed与was met with laughter连着看，能读出明确的不支持。原文只说他获得职位，并没有交代其他申请人或招聘竞争。
Q2｜TRUE
定位证据： His background was faultless, most famously his captaining of the ship HMS Beagle on Charles Darwin’s voyage around the world
faultless说明他的履历出色，后面用担任“小猎犬号”船长的经历作例子，再交代他以海军上将身份退役。这些都是退役前的经历，对应had already had a successful career at sea。
Q3｜NOT GIVEN
定位证据： He subsequently secured a job as chief statistician at the Meteorological Department
secured a job只说明他获得了这份工作，没有说明是否有其他申请人。不能因为拿到职位就认定存在竞争，也不能据此认定没有竞争。
Q4｜FALSE
定位证据： the suggestion by one Member of Parliament for this was met with laughter from the other MPs.
议会确实投票成立气象部门并拨款，但目的是chart the safest sailing routes，即绘制安全航线。天气预报是后面另一个提议，它遭到其他议员嘲笑，与supported相反。不要看到Parliament和fund就提前选TRUE。
不过，菲茨罗伊与那些人不同。他的履历无可挑剔，其中最著名的经历，是在查尔斯·达尔文的环球航行中担任英国皇家海军“小猎犬号”的船长。那次航行最终促成了达尔文名著《物种起源》的出版。菲茨罗伊以英国海军上将身份退出现役时，正在寻找新的方向。随后，他获得了气象部门首席统计员的职位，该部门隶属贸易委员会。1854年6月30日，议会投票决定成立气象部门并为其拨款，以绘制横跨大西洋的最安全航线。然而，英国政府对收集天气报告、开展天气预报的想法并不感兴趣；一位议员提出这一建议时，还遭到了其他议员的嘲笑。
FitzRoy was given a staff of three clerks in a small office in London, but he soon grew bored with the tedium of transcribing thousands of ships’ reports. Instead, he focused on a much more pressing issue - the huge loss of life at sea from storms. This problem came to a head in 1859, when gale-force winds sank the ship named Royal Charter, with the loss of 430 lives, within sight of the shore. Even in those days when ships regularly sank in storms, the loss of the Royal Charter was considered a national tragedy. FitzRoy stirred up feelings even further when he wrote a letter to The Times newspaper explaining that the storm had been entirely predictable.
段落大意：FitzRoy不满足于抄录报告，转而关注风暴造成的海上伤亡。1859年的Royal Charter号海难进一步推动了他的预警主张。
a staff of three clerks 由三名办事员组成的人员班底。
tedium 单调乏味。
transcribe 抄录；转录。
a pressing issue 急需处理的问题。
come to a head 达到必须处理的紧要关头。
gale-force winds 强风；烈风。
within sight of 在能看见……的地方。
stir up feelings 激起情绪。
Instead把工作重心从“记录过去”转向“避免伤亡”。
先前的工作是transcribing thousands of ships’ reports，后来关注的是the huge loss of life at sea。pressing说明后者紧迫得多。
This problem came to a head中的This problem指海上风暴造成大量人员死亡。后面的1859年海难是例子，不是另起一个话题。
within sight of the shore强调船就在看得见岸的地方沉没。末句entirely predictable说明FitzRoy认为风暴本可预见，不等于原文说他当时已经发出预警。
菲茨罗伊在伦敦的一间小办公室里工作，配有三名办事员。但很快，抄录成千上万份船舶报告的枯燥工作就让他感到厌倦。他转而关注一个更迫切的问题：风暴造成的海上大量伤亡。1859年，这个问题到了必须正视的关头。强风使“皇家宪章号”在能看见岸边的地方沉没，430人丧生。即便在那个船只经常因风暴沉没的年代，这场海难仍被视为国家悲剧。菲茨罗伊随后致信《泰晤士报》，指出这场风暴完全可以预见，这进一步激起了公众的情绪。
That same year, a total of 1,645 lives were lost off the British coast, and FitzRoy wrote repeatedly to The Times pushing for a storm-warning service for shipping. This was just the right moment for a national forecasting service. Knowledge of the weather was improving, barometer readings gave warning of approaching storms, and the invention of the electric telegraph and Morse code in 1844 gave instant communication for the first time.
段落大意：气象知识、气压读数和即时电报通信逐渐具备，为全国性的天气预报服务创造了条件。
off the British coast 在英国近海。
repeatedly 多次；反复地。
push for 努力争取；推动。
barometer readings 气压计读数。
approaching storms 即将到来的风暴。
electric telegraph 电报。
Morse code 摩尔斯电码。
instant communication 即时通信。
That same year承接上一段的1859年。
1645人是该年英国近海死亡总人数，上一段的430人则是Royal Charter号海难的遇难人数。两个数字范围不同，不能互换。
This was just the right moment先给判断，随后列出条件：人们更了解天气，气压读数能够预警，电报让信息可以迅速传递。技术进步与“时机合适”之间的联系就在这里。
1844年修饰电报和摩尔斯电码的发明时间，并不是公众预报服务的启动时间。读历史文章时，要把每个年份和具体事件绑在一起。
Q5｜TRUE
定位证据： This was just the right moment for a national forecasting service. Knowledge of the weather was improving, barometer readings gave warning of approaching storms, and the invention of the electric telegraph and Morse code in 1844 gave instant communication for the first time.
a good time对应the right moment。气象知识、气压测量和即时通信使全国预报具备条件，后文再写服务如何面向公众。这里说技术为开展预报创造条件，不是说公众预报在1844年就已推出。
同一年，英国近海共有1645人丧生。菲茨罗伊多次致信《泰晤士报》，推动为航运建立风暴预警服务。这正是开展全国性预报服务的合适时机：人们对天气的了解不断加深，气压计读数能够预示风暴来临，而1844年电报和摩尔斯电码的发明，首次实现了即时通信。
So in February 1861, FitzRoy pressed ahead with a storm-warning service. Previously, weather reports had been unreliable, but FitzRoy’s innovation was to issue ships with standardised instruments which allowed for accurate weather reports. At exactly the same time each day the information was sent to him by telegraph, and he was able to draw up more detailed weather maps. The approach of an incoming storm could be recognised, and from London, FitzRoy could telegraph warnings to ports on the coast, where an ingenious system of flags was hoisted up high for passing ships to read. This represented the biggest advance in shipping safety after the introduction of the lifeboat, and in subsequent years the number of lives lost around Britain fell by about a third. FitzRoy became a hero to the fishing and maritime fleets.
段落大意：标准化仪器提高了报告准确性，同步收集的数据用于绘制天气图，再由电报和旗语把风暴警报传给船只。
press ahead with 坚定推进……。
issue … with … 给……配发……。
standardised instruments 标准化仪器。
allow for 使……成为可能；此处不是“把……考虑在内”。
draw up 拟订；绘制。
incoming storm 正在逼近的风暴。
ingenious 巧妙的。
hoist up 升起。
subsequent years 随后的几年。
maritime fleets 海上船队。
把这一段按信息传递顺序读。
船只使用统一仪器测量，在同一时刻发送报告；FitzRoy据此画天气图，识别风暴，再向港口发电报；港口升起旗帜，让经过的船只看到警报。每一步的工具和接收者都不相同。
where an ingenious system of flags …中的where指ports。旗帜是在港口升起的，不是在伦敦办公室里。
the biggest advance … after the introduction of the lifeboat把救生艇作为此前的重大进步。fell by about a third是“减少了约三分之一”，不是“降到原来的三分之一”。
Q6｜instruments
定位证据： issue ships with standardised instruments which allowed for accurate weather reports
题目问船只用什么产生可靠的报告。原文先说配发标准化仪器，再说这些仪器使报告准确，所以填instruments，保留复数。reliable概括测量工具带来的可靠性，不是让你把standardised也抄进去。每空只能一词。
Q7｜ports
定位证据： telegraph warnings to ports on the coast
along the shore对应on the coast。to后问接收警报的地点，填ports；London是发送地，ships是最终需要获知警报的对象。
Q8｜flags
定位证据： an ingenious system of flags was hoisted up high for passing ships to read
raised对应hoisted up high，升起来供船只辨读的是flags。system指整套信号系统，并不是题目要填的具体信号载体。
Q9｜lifeboat
定位证据： the biggest advance in shipping safety after the introduction of the lifeboat
greatest development对应biggest advance，sea safety对应shipping safety，was introduced对应the introduction of。填lifeboat，不把救生艇与新的风暴预警服务混为一谈。
于是，1861年2月，菲茨罗伊着手推进风暴预警服务。此前的天气报告不够可靠，他的创新之处在于给船只配发标准化仪器，使准确的天气报告成为可能。每天完全相同的时刻，这些信息都会通过电报传给他，让他能够绘制更详细的天气图。他由此可以识别正在逼近的风暴，再从伦敦向沿海港口发出电报警报。港口会高高升起一套巧妙的旗语信号，供过往船只辨读。这是自救生艇问世以来航运安全方面最大的进步。随后几年，英国周边海域的死亡人数减少了约三分之一，菲茨罗伊也成为捕鱼船队和其他海上船队心目中的英雄。
Encouraged by his storm-warning success, FitzRoy then started a public weather forecasting service. As he had a close connection with The Times, this newspaper introduced his daily forecast in August 1861. It attracted huge attention, including from Queen Victoria, who regularly sent messengers to FitzRoy’s office to get a forecast for the sea crossing over the Solent to an island which she liked to visit off the south coast of England. He was also popular with ordinary fishermen, who were happy not to be out at sea in bad weather. The owners of fishing vessels, however, were not supportive of FitzRoy’s forecasts, which often caused delays for them when bad weather was forecast.
段落大意：公众天气预报在报纸上推出后受到女王和渔民欢迎，但船主不满预报常导致出航延误。
be encouraged by 受到……鼓舞。
have a close connection with 与……有密切联系。
attract huge attention 引起广泛关注。
messengers 信使；传话的人。
sea crossing 渡海航程。
fishing vessels 渔船。
be supportive of 支持……。
cause delays 导致延误。
Encouraged by …交代开展公众预报的原因。
2月的风暴预警取得成效，才有8月面向公众的每日预报。storm-warning service和public weather forecasting service不是同时开始的。
女王相关的长句中，who regularly sent messengers …说明她如何使用预报；to an island说明航程目的地；which she liked to visit修饰island。Solent是渡海经过的海峡，不是要填的目的地。
fishermen与owners of fishing vessels是两个群体。前者乐于避开坏天气，后者却会因出航延迟受到影响，所以对同一项服务态度不同。
Q10｜island
定位证据： to an island which she liked to visit off the south coast of England
a favourite对应which she liked to visit。trips to问女王喜欢前往的目的地，填island。Solent是途经的海峡，office是信使获取预报的地方。
Q11｜owners
定位证据： The owners of fishing vessels, however, were not supportive of FitzRoy’s forecasts
boat owners对应owners of fishing vessels。however前后的态度相反：普通渔民欢迎预报，船主不支持。题目已经给出boat，只需填owners。
风暴预警的成功鼓舞了菲茨罗伊，他接着开展了公众天气预报服务。由于与《泰晤士报》关系密切，该报于1861年8月开始刊登他的每日预报。预报引起了广泛关注，维多利亚女王也在其中。她经常派信使到菲茨罗伊的办公室，获取横渡索伦特海峡的天气预报，好前往英格兰南部海岸外一座她喜欢游览的岛屿。他也受到普通渔民的欢迎，因为渔民乐于在天气恶劣时避免出海。然而，渔船船主并不支持他的预报，因为一旦预报有坏天气，他们的船只常常就要延迟出航。
Nevertheless, weather forecasting at that time was very difficult, and one mistake could result in much bad publicity. It wasn’t long before some forecasts turned out wrong, and the letters pages of The Times were full of heated correspondence. It is indisputable that FitzRoy was way ahead of his time, but it is only in recent years that he has been recognised as a towering figure in meteorology, with the honour of an area of sea being given his name in the shipping forecast (a radio broadcast of weather reports for the seas around Britain). His extraordinary determination to get forecasting established cost him dearly though, and he died prematurely. But his legacy lives on, because late in his life he published a book about weather forecasting which was recognised by other scientists to be well ahead of its time.
段落大意：预报失误引发批评，FitzRoy为事业付出了沉重代价；后来以他命名的海区和他留下的著作，体现了人们对其贡献的认可。
bad publicity 负面报道；不利舆论。
heated correspondence 措辞激烈的来信。
indisputable 无可争辩的。
be ahead of one’s time 超越所处时代。
a towering figure 杰出人物。
meteorology 气象学。
cost someone dearly 使某人付出沉重代价。
prematurely 过早地。
legacy lives on 留下的影响继续存在。
Nevertheless从受欢迎转到预报工作的困难。
one mistake could result in much bad publicity说明一次失误就可能招来大量负面评价。It wasn’t long before …表示“没过多久就……”，不是说很长时间以后才出错。
it is only in recent years that …是强调句，强调他获得认可的时间。an area of sea being given his name说的是“一个海区以他的名字命名”，别把命名方向读反。
最后的which was recognised …修饰a book，不是前面的海区，也不是达尔文的《物种起源》。本段的book是FitzRoy晚年写的天气预报著作。
Q12｜name
定位证据： an area of sea being given his name
marine area对应an area of sea。原文说海区被赋予他的名字，题目换成“他的名字用于某个海区”，命名关系相同，填name。
Q13｜book
定位证据： he published a book about weather forecasting which was recognised by other scientists to be well ahead of its time
produced对应published，respected by the scientific community对应得到其他科学家的认可。填book。这是FitzRoy的天气预报著作，不是C段提到的达尔文的书。
然而，当时开展天气预报非常困难，一次失误就可能引来大量负面报道。没过多久，一些预报就出了错，《泰晤士报》的读者来信版充满了措辞激烈的讨论。不可否认，菲茨罗伊远远走在了时代前面，但直到近些年，他才被公认为气象学的杰出人物。航海天气预报中有一片海域以他的名字命名，这是给予他的荣誉。航海天气预报是一项广播服务，播报英国周边海域的天气。他为建立天气预报事业付出了非凡的决心，也为此付出了沉重代价，过早离世。不过，他留下的影响仍在延续：他晚年出版了一本有关天气预报的书，其他科学家认为这本书远远超越了当时的时代。
Q1 FALSEQ2 TRUEQ3 NOT GIVENQ4 FALSEQ5 TRUEQ6 instrumentsQ7 portsQ8 flagsQ9 lifeboatQ10 islandQ11 ownersQ12 nameQ13 book
Q1｜respected↔ a national joke（评价相反）
Q2｜a successful career at sea↔ His background was faultless … his captaining of the ship
Q4｜supported↔ was met with laughter（态度相反）
Q5｜a good time↔ the right moment
Q7｜along the shore↔ on the coast
Q8｜raised↔ hoisted up high
Q9｜greatest development / sea safety↔ biggest advance / shipping safety
Q10｜a favourite↔ which she liked to visit
Q11｜boat owners↔ owners of fishing vessels
Q12｜a marine area↔ an area of sea
Q13｜produced / respected↔ published / recognised
1. go wrong 出错；出现问题
2. gain a reputation 获得某种名声
3. secure a job 获得一份工作
4. focus on 专注于……
5. a pressing issue 亟待解决的问题
6. within sight of 在能看见……的地方
7. push for 努力争取；推动
8. press ahead with 坚定推进……
9. be supportive of 支持……
10. be ahead of one’s time 超越所处时代
用本文里的这个表达进行造句练习：
press ahead with 坚定推进……
把你的句子留在评论区，明天我们会放参考答案和常见错误。
如果你刷了不少题，分数却一直上不去，可能真正需要解决的不是“刷题量”，而是找到自己的卡分点。关注公众号发送 “阅读” 两个字，看看你到底卡在哪里。
这里是「将来时」
每天用真实雅思材料一起练：
阅读精读 ｜ 听力精听 ｜ 写作拆解 ｜ 口语表达
不只是知道答案。
更重要的是：
读懂原文，也看懂雅思是怎么从原文变成题目的。
将来时，从现在开始。