托福模拟试卷29(题后含答案及解析)

托福模拟试卷29(题后含答案及解析)
题型有：1. Listening Comprehension 3. Reading Comprehension 4. SPEAKING 5. WRITING
Section One：Listening Comprehension
听力原文：S I need to buy a pass for the university swimming pool. Can I do that here?E You sure can. Have you ever had a pass before?S No, I’m a freshman. This is actually my first semester at the university.E OK. Well, I’m going to need to see your student ID card and the passes are twenty-five dollars a month. We accept cash, credit cards, and personal checks. How would you like to pay?S Nothing fancy, I’m afraid. I’ve only got regular old money. But, that seems sort of expensive. How often can I use the pass in one month? Every day?E The pool is closed to the public on Tuesdays, because that’s when the swim team uses it for training. We call those purple days. And there are some other times when access is restricted to certain members of the university community.S Oh. How do I know when I can use the pool?E See the calendar over there on the wall? The pool is open to the public on all the days marked in blue. Any day that’s marked in red means that the university faculty can use the pool for free, but everyone else still has to pay.S What about the days that are yellow?
I can see a few of those, too.E Yellow means that the pool is closed for maintenance and cleaning. No one can swim on those days. But there are only one or two of those a month, so it’s never really been a problem.S The calendar seems to be full of blue days, so I guess the pass is a good idea. I can get a lot of use out of it. But, is it possible to just pay each time I go? Maybe that will be cheaper.E You can buy single-entry passes, but they are almost five dollars each. So, if you plan on going more than five times a month, it’s better to get the monthly pass.S I’ll probably try to go swimming at least three times a week. Thanks for your help.
In this part of the section, you will hear 1 conversation and 2 lectures. You must answer each question. After you answer, click the Next icon. Then click the OK icon to confirm your answer and go on to the next question. After you click the OK icon, you will not be able to return to previous questions. You will now begin this part of the Listening section. You will have 10 minutes to answer the questions.
1．What does the student want to do?
A．Purchase a pass.
B．Pay tuition fees.
C．Check times and dates.
D．Sign up for classes.
正确答案：A
解析：目的题学生说的第一句话是”我要办一张校游泳馆的游泳卡”。

2．What is the topic of the conversation?
A．Joining the swim team.
B．Scheduling a cleanup.
C．Finding a payment method.
D．Using a university facility.
正确答案：D
解析：主旨题对话主要是在谈论大学游泳馆的使用方法，因此D项是主题。

3．Which colors indicate that the pool is closed to the general public? Click on 2 answers.
A．Yellow.
B．Blue.
C．Red.
D．Purpl
正确答案：AD
解析：细节题标明紫色的日期是专门为游泳队队员训练用的，不对一般使用者开放；标明黄色的日期是维修和清理的日子，也不对一般使用者开放。

4．How is the student going to pay?
A．With a personal check.
B．With a credit card.
C．With paper money.
D．With a student car
正确答案：C
解析：细节题当问到学生用何种方式付费的时候，回答是I’ve only got regular old money. C项中的paper money指的是“纸币”，这里指的是区别于支票和信用卡的现金。

5．Which of the following is NOT true?
A．There are days when the pool is closed to everyone.
B．Professors must always buy passes to use the pool.
C．The pool is cleaned and fixed at least once a month.
D．Both monthly and daily passes are availabl
正确答案：B
解析：寻找细节题工作人员提到，标明红色的日期是对大学的教职员免费开放的日子，因此B是不对的。

听力原文：Let me remind you that ours is not the only planet with a moon.
In fact, lots of the other planets in the solar system have one, and some have more than one. Take Mars, for example. The large red planet actually has two, Phobos and Deimos. Now, Phobos is the focus for this lecture. Well, to begin with, it is much closer to Mars than our moon is to us. In fact, of all the moons in the solar system, it’s the closest to its planet. And it moves rather quickly as it completes its small orbit. When we talk about planets and moons there is something called the synchronous orbit radius, which is the size and speed of the orbit a moon needs in order to spin around its planet at the same speed as the planet spins around itself. Think of it this way, when a moon reaches synchronous orbit radius, you can stand on the planet’s surface and the moon will always stay in the same place in the sky. If a moon is below this orbit, like Phobos is, then it actually rises and sets more than once a day. OK, so we know that Phobos is close to Mars and therefore seems to move quickly across its sky. I guess the next question that needs to be answered is related to what the moon is made of? Well, we’re not really sure, but we have some good guesses. First, most of the material is likely similar to what you would find in a C-type asteroid, which is nothing more than different types of carbon. So, it’s like ninety percent carbon. Covering the moon is a one-meter-deep layer of something called regolith. Now, the fact is that it’s just a fancy scientific word for a loose layer of material covering rock. A lot of time regolith is just dust or sand, but if it has a lot of organic material in it, we call it soil, just like you would use in a garden. Phobos is made up of a dust covering and rock underneath, but it is not dense enough to be solid rock to its core. So, it’s also likely that the center is made up of ice. In fact, the Russians managed to send a probe to Phobos and observed off gassing, which means that they could detect gases being released from the moon. Unfortunately, the probe stopped working before they could identify the gases, but scientists generally believe that it was water vapor. If you look at these characteristics all together, you can start to see a good argument for the idea that Phobos is just an asteroid that got caught in Martian gravity. I forgot to mention this, but now would be a good time. Phobos is not really that big. It’s only 27 km by 21.6 km by 18.8 km. That makes it smaller than Mars’s other moon, in fact, smaller than most moons we know of. I wanted to include that because it supports the argument that it’s just an asteroid pretending to be a moon. It’s not really big enough to be anything else. We know where it is and what it might be made of. Now let’s look to the future. Phobos loses about 1.8 meters of its distance from Mars every one hundred years. Eventually, it’s going to hit the planet, right? Well, that’s not the case. The moon will fall apart before it gets to the surface. Actually, in about fifty million years, the moon is going to dip down below something called the Roche limit. When that happens, the gravity that holds the moon together will be overcome by the tidal gravity of the planet. The moon will basically fall apart and the smaller pieces will become a planetary ring. Think about the planet Saturn and the rings it has around it. Mars will have the same thing, made up of little bits of Phobos. So, it’s like ninety percent carbon. Covering the moon is a one-meter-deep layer of something called regolith. Now, the fact is that it’s just a fancy scientific word for a loose layer of material covering rock. A lot of time regolith is just dust or sand, but if it has a lot of organic material in it, we call it soil, just like
you would use in a garden. Why does the professor say this: Now, the fact is that it’s just a fancy scientific word for a loose layer of material covering rock.
6．What is the topic of the lecture?
A．Distant asteroids.
B．Earth’s moon.
C．Mars’s moon.
D．Lunar orbits.
正确答案：C
解析：主旨题这是提问讲座要点的问题。

教授在讲座一开始就提到太阳系中除了地球以外还有很多行星也有卫星，本课主题是火星的两颗卫星之一的火卫一。

选项中因为没有出现火卫一，所以答案是C项。

7．According to the professor, why does Phobos rise so often?
A．It is close to the surface of Mars.
B．It is much smaller than other moons.
C．It moves very slowly around Mars.
D．It is not really a moon at all.
正确答案：A
解析：细节题教授说，像火卫一这样的卫星如果是在同步轨道上，相对于行星就好像是静止的，如果轨道高度低于同步轨道，一天之中就会不止一次地升起和降落。

火卫一的轨道高度低于同步轨道说明和火星表面很近，因此A项是正确答案。

8．Is each of these true about the moon Phobos? For each statement, click in the YES or NO column.
正确答案：
解析：内容连接题本题为新托福听力中的内容连接题(Connecting Content Question)，要求对图表中的概念或者信息进行比较、分类和排列。

本题需要考生对火卫一的陈述判断正误。

根据讲座内容，火卫一的90%是由碳素组成的，表面大概有1米左右由尘土或沙子组成的风化层，中间部分并不是由岩石组成的。

另外，火卫一比火卫二小。

9．Which of the following does NOT support the idea that Phobos is just an asteroid?
A．It is much smaller than other moons.
B．It is made of asteroid-like material.
C．It has an irregular shape.
D．It is filled with frozen water.
正确答案：C
解析：细节题教授提到火卫一和小行星类似，并列举了几个理由。

首先火卫一的大部分由碳组成，这与C型小行星很像，其次中间部分由冰组成的可能性比较大，再次在卫星中属于比较小的。

但是没有提到火卫一的形状。

10．Why are scientists unsure which types of gases come from Phobos?
A．No one has been able to see the gas.
B．Their machine broke too soon.
C．The planet’s atmosphere is very thick.
D．There was not any interest in Mars.
正确答案：B
解析：推理题第三段提到，俄罗斯曾经发射过探测器探测气体，但是在尚未探明气体成分前探测器就停止了运行。

因此，科学家们只是猜测那种气体的成分是水蒸气，但并不确定。

所以，选项中最恰当的答案是B项，其他的选项在原文中都没有提到。

11．Why does the professor say this:
A．Because he needs to show how important a word is.
B．Because he is trying to introduce the topic of the lecture.
C．Because he does not want the students to become confused.
D．Because he expects that everyone already knows an ide
正确答案：C
解析：判断意图题考生需要听讲座的一部分内容，判断教授说其中一句话的意图。

教授认为风化层(regolith)是比较陌生的用语，学生们可能会感到比较难，因此C项是正确答案。

听力原文：P Well, we’re going to be talking about a special property of light. Actually, it’s a small part of Einstein’s special theory of relativity. Now, don’t worry. I’ll explain things really, really slowly, and use plenty of examples. OK, first, you have to understand the idea that there are things called frames of reference. Imagine that you are on an elevator. In that box, that’s one frame of reference. And as you go from the first floor to the third, you pass by some guy standing on the second floor. That second floor, that’s another frame of reference. Frame of reference just means, then, the place where a person is standing.S1 Is there one perfect frame of reference?P Good question. Nope. There are no stable frames. All of them move in some way. Now listen to this. Imagine that you’re in your living room and you have a block of wood. If you measure the wood sitting on your couch, or if you measure it while riding on a bus, the block of wood will have the same measurements. Let me add here that we have to assume that the bus is going down a nice straight, smooth road and at a constant speed. OK, here’s the first part of what Einstein was talking about. The laws of physics are true in all frames of reference.S1 So, that block of wood is going
to be the same size in your living room or on the bus?P Right. Now you’ll really have to pay attention. Imagine that you’re driving in a car and the car is going 50 mph. You throw a rock out the front at 20 mph. In your frame of reference, the rock is going 20 mph. What about some guy standing by the side of the road? Remember that he’s in a different frame of reference. Right? Well, the speed of the car and the speed of the rock together equal 70 mph, and that’s the speed he’ll see the rock moving.S2 What happens if you’re in that same car, still going along at 50 mph, and you turn on the headlights? Doesn’t light always have the same speed? But, wouldn’t it be like the rock, the speed of light plus the speed of the car?P Well, think about speed. Speed is distance divided by time. OK. Here’s another crazy part. Distance and time change when things start getting close to the speed of light. How about distance? Well the faster an object moves, the shorter it gets. Say you buy a really nice limousine, and you want to drive it around and show it off. Well, drive it slowly, because the faster you drive, the shorter the car will appear to the people on the street. You see the car, in your frame of reference, as staying the same length as when you bought it. The people on the street, standing there in a different frame of reference, see it as shorter than you do.S2 What about time?P Let’s say you have two frames of reference. One is a guy standing on the ground and the other is a guy flying in a super fast airplane. The guy on the ground sees the guy in the super fast plane as moving slower in time. That’s crazy, right? Listen one more time. From the point of reference of the guy on the ground, the guy in the plane goes through time slower. So, how does light maintain the same speed no matter what the frame of reference? Why is the light from the headlights not moving at the speed of light plus the 50 mph from the car? Well, it’s because distance and time, the things we use to measure speed, begin to change once we start to move really, really quickly. It’s totally crazy, right? OK. Any questions?P Why is the light from the headlights not moving at the speed of light plus the 50 mph from the car? Well, it’s because distance and time, the things we use to measure speed, begin to change once we start to move really, really quickly. It’s totally crazy, right?Why does the professor say this:P It’s totally crazy, right?
12．What is the lecture mainly about?
A．Special theory of relativity
B．A property of light
C．Definitions of speed
D．Frames of reference
正确答案：B
解析：主旨题教授在讲座的开始部分就说要针对“光的特性”进行讨论。

因为光的特性属于狭义相对论的一小部分，因此A项是不对的。

C项和D项虽然是教授说明的理论中很重要的概念，但不是讲座的主要内容。

13．According to the professor, why is there no perfect frame of reference?
A．Scientists have been unable to find one.
B．Nothing can move faster than light.
C．Everything is in motion.
D．There are an endless number of possible ones.
正确答案：C
解析：细节题当学生问及是否存在完美的参照系的时候，教授的回答是：因为所有的参照系都处于运动中，所以不存在完美的参照系。

14．According to the professor, what properties does the bus need? Click on 2 answers.
A．Constant speed
B．Heavy weight
C．Large wheels
D．Smooth road
正确答案：AD
解析：细节题讲座指出，道路平坦和匀速是公共汽车行驶的条件。

15．Why does the professor mention driving a car while throwing a rock?
A．To discuss the effects of Einstein’s theories on physics.
B．To explain the differences between two frames of reference.
C．To show that laws of motion affect everyday life.
D．To argue that frames of reference exist.
正确答案：B
解析：结构题教授提到这个例子的原因是为了比较不同的参照系，即说明车内部和公路边两个参照系的不同。

A，C，D三项和这个例子完全无关。

16．According to the professor, what happens to a clock carried in a fast vehicle?
A．There is no change.
B．The clock stops working.
C．Time will appear to move backwards.
D．The clock will become slower.
正确答案：D
解析：推理题在讲座的最后一部分可以找到线索。

飞机和汽车等的参照系如果以非常快的速度移动的话，时间会过得更慢。

因此D项是正确答案。

17．Why does the professor say this:
A．She is concerned that no one can understand her.
B．She knows that the theories can seem strange at first.
C．There is no more time to review the material.
D．She wants to apologize for discussing an emotional topi
正确答案：B
解析：判断意图题这是判断教授意图的问题。

教授说这是超越常识的稀有现象。

A项看似是正确的，但是这不是担心学生们理解不了而说的话。

C项和D 项与教授的意图完全无关。

听力原文：S Professor Anderson? I was wondering if you could help me for a second. I’m thinking of participating in a yearlong student-exchange program, but I’m not really sure if it’s a good idea or not.A I’d be happy to help you. Let’s see ... I guess there are a lot of things to consider. You’re going to have to think about what you think you’ll gain and what you’ll have to give up. By the way, which program are you looking at?S There’s an exchange with a European university that looks really interesting. I would be over there for a year. I guess it would be perfect for me, because German language and literature is my major. But I’m not sure I should go.A It does sound like a good fit. Would you only study German while you were there? If that’s the case, you might have problems when you come back, because you’ll still need more credits to graduate. Don’t the language students need at least one science credit and two social science credits? I’m afraid you might have to spend an extra semester at school taking the classes you missed.S I looked into that, and they offer special exemptions to the exchange students. I would study only German for the first six months there and then I would be able to take a science class with the other German students. Even though I would be missing the social science credits, I could still graduate.A That doesn’t sound right. Are you sure?S It’s not really a complete exemption. I would have to write two long essays on German culture while I was overseas and then have both of them accepted by one of the professors from the sociology department at this university. If they accept the essays, and that’s a big if, I can receive the equivalent of two full credits.A Well, it sounds like you won’t suffer academically if you go, and having a chance to see the world would be a great opportunity. What else are you concerned about?S Well ... What really bothers me is that it would be really expensive to go. It costs a lot of money just to buy the plane tickets. I’m not sure how I would afford it. I couldn’t ask my parents for more money for school.A Living and studying abroad can be expensive, but when you consider the benefits, I imagine it’s actually worth it. It will look good on your resume, and I’m sure that it will really help you learn German. I know that if I studied it for a year, I would speak the language fairly well.S I know that it would help me, but how can I get the money?A There are a number of ways. You’re going to need to find a well-paid job this summer, and then work at it as much as you can. You could also apply for some scholarships. Or, you might also have to take out a student loan. It would be a struggle, but worth it, in the end.S I think you’re right. But I’m going to have to think about it a bit more before I fill out the application. I still have three months before I have to make up my mind. Thanks for your help, though. I think I have a better idea of the pros and cons.A No need to thank me. That’s what I’m here for. S There’s an exchange with a European university that looks really interesting.
I would be over there for a year. I guess it would be perfect for me. because German language and literature is my major. But I’m not sure I should go. A It does sound like a good fit. Would you only study German while you were there? If that’s the case, you might have problems when you come back, because you’ll still need more credits to graduate, Don’t the language students need at least one science credit and two social science credits? I’m afraid you might have to spend an extra semester at school taking the classes you missed. What does the advisor mean when he says this: A It does sound like a good fit.
In this part of the section, you will hear 1 conversation and 2 lectures. You must answer each question. After you answer, click the Next icon. Then click the OK icon to confirm your answer and go on to the next question. After you click the OK icon, you will not be able to return to previous questions. You will now begin this part of the Listening section. You will have 10 minutes to answer the questions.
18．Why does the student go to see the advisor?
A．To request permission.
B．To hand in an essay.
C．To ask for advice.
D．To ask for a student loan.
正确答案：C
解析：目的题这是提问对话目的的问题。

对话中学生想参加为期一年的交换生项目，为此咨询教授的建议。

19．What is the student’s main area of study?
A．German.
B．Tourism.
C．Science.
D．Sociology.
正确答案：A
解析：细节题这是提问对话内容细节的问题。

对话中学生提到自己的专业是德语语言文学，所以该交换生项目对自己是再合适不过的了。

20．What does the advisor mean when he says this:
A．It might be a good plan.
B．I would need to know more.
C．This could cause difficulties.
D．It seems to be a good match.
正确答案：D
解析：判断意图题这是判断对话人态度的问题。

对话中学生提到交换生项目正适合自己的专业，教授表示同意。

21．What is the student afraid she will NOT be able to do?
A．Graduate in time.
B．Complete the extra work.
C．Make a decision.
D．Save enough money.
正确答案：D
解析：细节题A项和B项是教授所担心的事项，C项不是学生担心的事项，而是今后要考虑的事情。

学生真正担心的是筹备所需要的费用。

22．When would the student have to complete the extra assignments?
A．While at the foreign university.
B．Before being accepted by the program.
C．After returning from the trip.
D．Before seeing the advisor again.
正确答案：A
解析：细节题对话中提到学生在国外期间要写两篇有关德国文化的论文，并提交给自己所属大学的社会学系教授且得到认可。

听力原文：P Let’s begin by looking at an old saying that all of us use but never really think about. A picture is worth a thousand words. Everyone knows that one, right? Well, what does it really mean? We usually use the saying in a positive way to mean that a picture can create an instant reaction. It can tell us a lot in no time at all. But can this saying have a negative meaning as well? It’s an interesting question, I hope, and it’s a good way to start to look at the main theme of today’s lecture: visual narratives.S1 Do you mean telling stories with pictures? I know about that from when I was a little kid. Storybooks for kids are full of just pictures, because kids can’t read yet.P Good. Yes, we are talking about telling stories with pictures. And, you’re also right that it’s a popular technique for children’s books. But it’s also used in a number of other ways. Comic books are an example. If you’re looking for something a bit older, you can think of caveman drawings. They can be something as small as a quick stick man to something like the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Now, let’s get back to where we started before we got sidetracked. A picture is worth a thousand words. How does this actually work? It’s related to how your brain functions. People actually think in pictures, not words. When you read a book, your imagination sort of translates the words into pictures, which your brain then uses to think with. The translation part takes time and creates a delay. When you see a picture though, your brain is able to make use of the visual information instantly, which creates that feeling that a lot of thoughts are happening right away. If we, ah, look at it this way, using pictures to tell stories is a fast and effective method.But there can be problems as well. To begin with, artists who use pictures to communicate information employ something called visual stereotypes. Let me give you something more concrete to
think about. When you see a picture of a man with thick glasses, funny white hair and a white lab coat, what do you think of? It’s a scientist, right? Now, you could look all over campus and never see a real scientist that fits that description, but in a picture you know right away what you are looking at. A visual stereotype communicates information instantly based on cultural ideas about a certain type of person or job. The reality is most likely different, but the stereotype exists. I’m sure that you could close your eyes and picture the stereotypes for teachers and police officers and criminals. And cavemen could do the same thing, right? They knew what a hunter looked like. Can you think of why this might be a problem?S2 The stereotype only really works with people who understand the culture of the artist. Maybe a scientist, a stereotype of one, anyway, is different in each culture. A picture is worth a thousand words, but they might be totally different ones than the artist intended.P Right. A picture is only worth the right thousand words to the people who share the same background as the artist. There are some visual stereotypes that are universal, that most people on the planet would understand, but there are not many of them. In the end, visual narratives can be the fastest way to confuse the largest number of people.P When you see a picture of a man with thick glasses, funny white hair and a white lab coat, what do you think of? It’s a scientist, right? Now, you could look all over campus and never see a real scientist that fits that description, but in a picture you know right away what you are looking at.Why does the professor say this:P When you see a picture of a man with thick glasses, funny white hair and a white lab coat, what do you think of? It’s a scientist, right?
23．What is the topic of the discussion?
A．Expressions related to art.
B．Storytelling with pictures.
C．Art of prehistoric people.
D．Books designed for children.
正确答案：B
解析：主旨题教授在讲座开始时说到讲座的主题是“视觉叙事”，接着就有学生解释这个短语说“用图画来叙述故事”。

24．According to the professor, why are pictures quickly understood?
A．The mind can translate them all at once.
B．People use words when they think.
C．The mind works best with images.
D．The meanings come directly from the artist.
正确答案：C
解析：细节题教授以“一图抵千言”的俗语为根据，对大脑的机能方式进行了说明：人们不是用语言而是用图画来思考。

A项和B项的意思与之相反，
认为是把单词转换成了图画。

D项与问题无关。

25．According to the professor, what is the problem with visual stereotypes?
A．They are connected to a specific culture.
B．They represent the world as it really is.
C．They communicate a lot of information.
D．They are used only in children’s books.
正确答案：A
解析：细节题在讨论的最后，教授提出视觉刻板形象的问题是以对特定类型的人或职业的文化概念为基础的，即，视觉刻板形象只在文化背景相同的人们之间相通，地球上所有人都可以理解的视觉刻板形象并不多。

26．Are these statements true about visual narratives? For each statement, click in the YES or NO column.
正确答案：
解析：内容连接题从孩子们的故事书，到漫画书、原始人的壁画、西斯廷教堂的天花板，视觉叙事的对象可以是多种多样的观众。

所以第一句话是不对的。

举视觉叙事的例子时，教授提到了原始人的例子，所以第二句也是不对的。

视觉叙事从简单的线条画(stick man)到复杂的西斯廷教堂的壁画都有，所以第三句是对的。

视觉叙事的问题是存在着只有在特定文化中才相通的刻板形象(stereotypes)，所以第四句也是对的。

27．What is NOT true about visual stereotypes? Click on 2 answers.
A．There are many that everyone can understand.
B．They are commonly used by artists.
C．People have used them for a long time.
D．They are understood more slowly than words.
正确答案：AD
解析：细节题根据教授的话，地球上所有人都可以理解的视觉刻板形象是不多的，而且理解起来比单词理解得更快，因此A项和D项不是事实。

28．Why does the professor say this:
A．To provide an example of the topic.
B．To answer a student’s previous question.
C．To show that a popular idea is not true.
D．To explain how people understand art.
正确答案：A
解析：判断意图题为了让学生们更容易理解，举了具体的例子来说明艺术家们把视觉刻板形象用在图画中的事实。

听力原文：P What we’re going to do today is really at the heart of history. We’re going to look at the physical remains of a civilization and try to use them to see what we can learn about the people who left them behind. Basically, we take objects and make guesses about the people who built and used them. So, what I want to do is to talk about the system of roads built by the Romans, as an example. First off, we know that the Romans built a lot of roads, about 53,000 miles worth. And they built really good ones. Some of them are still in use today, in fact. That’s pretty good, considering that we’re talking about a system that was put in place as long ago as around 450 BC. So, what can we guess about the Romans based on their numerous, well-constructed roads?S1 We already know that Rome was an empire, don’t we? They constantly took over the lands and governments of other groups. Are the roads related to that?P The roads they built allowed them to travel quickly and over great distances. How is that related to them as an empire? What does that say about the sort of empire they had? Well, only an empire interested in constant expansion would bother with making really good roads. Think of it this way: If you want to be able to take control of other countries, you need to be able to move your armies rather quickly. The roads allowed for that. In fact, Romans used their armies to build the roads in the first place. So, there we have one solid guess based on the roads. The Roman Empire wanted to expand.There is an interesting fact about the roads. Basically, if you walked along any of the main ones, you’d eventually get to the capital. If you were going in the right direction, you would get there, of course. What does that tell us about the Romans? They were afraid of insurrection.They saw it this way: They were afraid that the roads between the people they controlled would allow them to better communicate with one another and then plan ways to get rid of the Romans. So, all the main roads were constructed to simplify travel between the capital and the outlying areas, but not between the outlying areas themselves. The Romans not only wanted to take control, but they also wanted to keep it. You can see that they felt they would have to fight for it. Who can blame them, really?S2 But not everyone in Rome was a part of the military. Can the roads tell us about other parts of Roman culture?P The answer is yes. The Romans managed to write all sorts of laws for the correct construction and use of roads. A proper road had to be eight feet wide but a full sixteen feet along any corners. This allowed for commercial traffic both ways. I’ll talk about this more later, but you should know that the Romans loved to build really straight roads, which could have caused potential problems, because a tot of the roads had to go over private property. So, they made a law that anyone could enter private property, basically trespass, as long as they stayed on the road. What does this sort of thinking tell us about the Romans? I think that it’s fairly easy to see, don’t you?I want to tell you my favorite thing about the Romans. Now, imagine you can have a road go over a hill or around it. Going around is better, because if you go over, you end up with a really steep road. Most likely it’s too steep for anyone to use, let alone try to push a cart up. It may be straight, but it’s also more like a monument to effort and not something practical. We can see something about the Romans when we look at some of their straight and unusable roads. They were rather stubborn. The fact that they eventually started to go around mountains, and not over them, though, shows that they, in the end, preferred。