雅思阅读真题（Part 1）

The origins of weather forecasting

天气预报的起源：菲茨罗伊与首份公开预报

本篇也叫：天气预报的起源、天气预报历史、第一份天气预报、菲茨罗伊天气预报、英国天气预报起源、皇家宪章号风暴

Part 1 · 考频：中频 · 最近考试：2026.2.7

本篇为雅思阅读真题（Part 1）《The origins of weather forecasting》，共 13 题，2026.2.7雅思考试真题回忆，页面提供完整原文、题目、答案与解析，并支持在线机考模式免费练习。本页同时提供 Markdown 版本 供 AI 助手与搜索引擎直接读取。

文章大意

文章讲述世界首份公开天气预报的诞生：1861年《泰晤士报》刊登了英国气象局负责人罗伯特·菲茨罗伊发布的“未来两天天气”预报。他因曾指挥达尔文环球航行的HMS Beagle号而闻名，在1859年“皇家宪章号”风暴沉船致430人遇难后推动风暴预警，使天气预报从被嘲笑走向公共服务。

题目原文

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

 

A 

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.

 

B 

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.

 

C 

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.

 

D 

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.

 

E 

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.

 

F 

Using information from weather stations equipped with accurate barometers, telegraph messages were sent to all stations along the coast. Coastal staff would then raise flags to warn ships of approaching storms. This system was regarded as the most important technical advance since the introduction of the telegraph. FitzRoy’s forecasts soon became popular with the general public, too. Queen Victoria often consulted him before visiting a place where she liked to stay. While fishermen welcomed the warnings, boat owners disliked them because they sometimes caused delays to their sailing schedules. Today, FitzRoy’s name has been given to an area of ocean, and a book he wrote became a standard work for scientists.

想在线练习这套卷子？进入机考练习

题目与答案

  1. 1 In Robert FitzRoy's time, weather forecasting was a respected skill.
    • TRUE
    • FALSE
    • NOT GIVEN

    答案：TRUE

    原文定位：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

    同义替换：「Robert FitzRoy's time」↔「in those days」，「forecasting」↔「predicting」，「respected skill」↔「become a national joke」

  2. – FitzRoy’s work even influenced private lives; for example, Queen Victoria often consulted him before travelling to a particular 10_____ she enjoyed visiting.

    答案：place

    原文定位：Queen Victoria often consulted him before visiting a place where she liked to stay

    同义替换：「travelling」↔「visiting」，「enjoyed visiting」↔「liked to stay」

  3. – Although these forecasts were popular with fishermen, fishing boat 11_____ were dissatisfied because the warnings sometimes led to delays in their schedules.

    答案：owners

    原文定位：While fishermen welcomed the warnings, boat owners disliked them because they sometimes caused delays to their sailing schedules

    同义替换：「popular」↔「welcomed」，「fishing boat」↔「boat owners」，「dissatisfied」↔「disliked」，「led to」↔「caused」

  4. – To commemorate FitzRoy’s contribution, his 12_____ was used to name a specific area of water.

    答案：name

    原文定位：Today, FitzRoy’s name has been given to an area of ocean

    同义替换：「name a specific area of water」↔「given to an area of ocean」

  5. – Additionally, a 13_____ he authored was highly regarded by the scientific community.

    答案：book

    原文定位：a book he wrote became a standard work for scientists

    同义替换：「authored」↔「wrote」，「highly regarded by the scientific community」↔「became a standard work for scientists」

  6. 2 When FitzRoy retired from the navy, he had already had a successful career at sea.
    • TRUE
    • FALSE
    • NOT GIVEN

    答案：TRUE

    原文定位：His background was faultless, most famously his captaining of the ship HMS Beagle on Charles Darwin's voyage around the world;When FitzRoy retired from active service as an admiral in Britain's navy

    同义替换：「successful career at sea」↔「background was faultless」

  7. 3 FitzRoy faced competition from other applicants for the chief statistician's job.
    • TRUE
    • FALSE
    • NOT GIVEN

    答案：NOT GIVEN

    原文定位：He subsequently secured a job as chief statistician at the Meteorological Department

  8. 4 The British Parliament supported the idea of regular weather forecasts in 1854.
    • TRUE
    • FALSE
    • NOT GIVEN

    答案：FALSE

    原文定位：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

    同义替换：「Parliament」↔「Government」，「supported」↔「not impressed」

  9. 5 Progress in technology made it a good time for publicly available weather forecasting to begin.
    • TRUE
    • FALSE
    • NOT GIVEN

    答案：TRUE

    原文定位：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

    同义替换：「made it a good time」↔「just the right moment」

  10. The Development and Impact of FitzRoy’s Work
    – Information for the 1861 forecasts was gathered from stations provided with reliable 6_____ .

    答案：barometer

    原文定位：barometer readings gave warning of approaching storms

  11. – Forecast data was then transmitted to all 7._____ along the coastline.

    答案：stations

    原文定位：telegraph messages were sent to all stations along the coast

  12. – Coastal areas would raise 8_____ to ensure passing ships received the warnings.

    答案：flags

    原文定位：Coastal staff would then raise flags to warn ships of approaching storms

    同义替换：「passing」↔「approaching」

  13. – This was considered the most significant technical advance since the introduction of the 9_____ .

    答案：telegraph

    原文定位：This system was regarded as the most important technical advance since the introduction of the telegraph

    同义替换：「considered」↔「regarded as」，「significant」↔「important」

相关雅思阅读真题

去机考系统练习这篇真题 →