【威学教育】王鑫托福阅读TPO26-2阅读文本

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【威学教育】王鑫托福阅读TPO27-3阅读文本

【王鑫托福阅读】托福TPO 全集之TPO27-3TPO 27TPO27-3 Predator Prey Cycles1. In paragraph 1, why does the author discuss the moose and wolves on Isle Royale?A To provide an example of predators moving to new habitats by following migrating preyB To show that the interactions between predator populations and prey populations are not always might be expectedC To suggest that prey populations are more influenced by predation than food availability and diseaseD To argue that studies of geographically isolated populations tend not to be useful to naturalists2. The word “rebound” in the passage is closest in meaning to A escapeB recoverC surviveD resist3. Paragraph 2 implies which of the following about experimental environments in which predators become extinct?A They may yield results that do not accurate predict changes of populations in the wild.B In these environments, the prey species is better adapted than the predator species.C These environments are appropriate only for studying small populations of predators and prey.D They are unrealistic because some predators are also the prey of other predators.4. Which of the following can be inferred from paragraphs 2 and 3 about the small mammals that experience population cycles? A Their population cycles are not affected by predators.B Their predators' populations periodically disappear.C They typically undergo ten-year cycles.D They have access to places safe from predators.How do predators affect populations of the prey animals? The answer is not as simple as might be thought. Moose reached Isle Royale in Lake Superior by crossing over winter ice and multiplied freely there in isolation without predators. When wolves later reached the island, naturalists widely assumed that the wolves would play a key role in controlling the moose population. Careful studies have demonstrated, however, that this is not the case. The wolves eat mostly old or diseased animals that would not survive long anyway. In general, the moose population is controlled by food availability, disease and other factors rather than by wolves.When experimental populations are set up under simple laboratory conditions, the predator often exterminates its prey and then becomes extinct itself, having nothing left to eat. However, if safe areas like those prey animals have in the wild are provided, the prey population drops to low level but not extinction. Low prey population levels then provide inadequate food for the predators, causing the predator population to decrease. When this occurs, the prey population can rebound. In this situation the predator and prey population may continue in this cyclical pattern for some time.Population cycles are characteristic of small mammals, and they sometimes appear to be brought about by predators. Ecologists studying hare populations have found that the North American snow shoe hare follows a roughly ten-year cycle. Its numbers fall tenfold to thirty in a typical cycle, and a hundredfold change can occur. Two factors appear to be generating the cycle: food plants and predators.5. The word “roughly” in the passage is closest in meaning toA usuallyB repeatingC approximatelyD observable6. The word “generating” in the passage is closest in meaning toA producingB changingC speeding upD smoothing out7. to paragraph 4, all of the following are true of the food of snowshoe hares EXCEPT A The preferred food fore hares consists of willow and birch twigs.B High fiber food is the most nutritious for hares.C Depletion of the supply of willow and birch twigs cause low birth and growth rates.D The food supply takes two or three years to recover8. The word “conjunction” in the passage is closest in meaning to A determinationB combinationC alternationD transformation9. According to paragraph 5, which of the following statements best characterizes the abundance cycle of the Canada lynx?A It closely follows the cycle the snowshoe hare.B When the numbers of lynx fall, the numbers of snowshoe hares soon decrease.The preferred foods of snowshoe hares are willow and birch twigs. As hare density increases, the quantity of these twigs decreases, forcing the hares to feed on low-quality high-fiber food. Lower birth rates, low juvenile survivorship, and low growth rates follow, so there is a corresponding decline in hare abundance. Once the hare population has declined, it takes two to three year for the quantity of twigs to recover.A key predator of the snowshoe hare is the Canada lynx. The Canada lynx shows a ten-year cycle of abundance that parallels the abundance cycle of hares. As hare numbers fall, so do lynx numbers, as their food supply depleted.What causes the predator-prey oscillations? Do increasing number of hares lead to overharvesting of plants, which in turn results in reduced hare populations, or do increasing numbers of lynx lead to overharvesting hares? Field experiments carried out by Charles Krebs and coworkers in 1992 provide an answer. Krebs investigated experimental plots in Canada's Yukon territory that contained hare populations. When food was added to those plots (no food effect) and predators were excluded (no predator effect) from an experimental area, hare numbers increased tenfold and stayed there—the cycle was lost. However, the cycle was retained if either of the factorsC When hare numbers decrease, lynx numbers increase.D It is not clearly related to the availability of lynx food.10. According to paragraph 6, which of the following was true of the hare population cycle in Krebs's experiment?A The effects of providing food while at the same time introducing predators cancelled each other, so there was no cycle.B The cycle existed when either the food supply was limited or there were predators.C There was a cycle when there were no predators and food was supplied.D If the hares had places to hide from the lynx, the hare population increased tenfold and then remained at that level.11. According to paragraph 7, which of the following statements correctly characterizes the effect of sea stars on the ecosystem in which they are predators of bivalves?A Bivalve population are kept low, allowing species that compete with bivalves to survive.B The numbers of most species of bivalves are greatly reduced, leaving the bivalve species that is the strongest competitor to dominate among the survivors.C Biological diversity begins to decrease because many bivalve species disappear.D Sea stars dominate at first but then die off because of the depleted food supply.12. According to paragraph 7, which of the following is true of the phenomenon of competitor exclusion?A It results in more diverse communities.B It requires the presence of predators.C It affects all competitions equally.D It happens only when there is a dominant competitor.was allowed to operate alone: if predators were excluded but food was not added (food effect alone), or if food was added in the presence of predators (predator effect alone). Thus both factors can affect the cycle, which, in practice, seems to be generated by conjunction of the two factors.K作义/ 产Predators are an essential factor in maintaining communities that are rich and diverse in species. Without predators, the species that is the best competitor for food, shelter, nesting sites, and other environmental resources tends to dominate and exclude the species with which it competes. This phenomenon is known as “competitor exclusion”. However, i f the community contains a predator of the strongest competitor species, then the population of that competitor is controlled. Thus even the less competitive species are able to survive. For example, sea stars prey on a variety of bivalve mollusks and prevent these bivalves from monopolizing habitats on the sea floor. This opens up space for many other organisms. When sea stars are removed, speciesdiversity falls sharply. Therefore, from the stand point of diversity, it is usually a mistake to eliminate a major predator from a community.Predators are an essential factor in maintaining communities that are rich and diverse in species. Without predators, the species that is the best competitor for food, shelter, nesting sites, and other environmental resources tends to dominate and exclude the species with which it competes. (This phenomenon is known as “competitor exclusion”. (However, if the community contains a predator of the strongest competitor species, then the population of that competitor is controlled. (Thus even the less competitive species are able to survive. (For example, sea stars prey on a variety of bivalve mollusks and prevent these bivalves from monopolizing habitats on the sea floor. This opens up space for many other organisms. When sea stars are removed, species diversity falls sharply. Therefore, from the stand point of diversity, it is usually a mistake to eliminate a major predator from a community.13. Look at the four squares [(] that indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage. Where would the sentence best fit?As a result, there are not enough of the strong competitions to monopolize the environment’ s resources.14. Directions: An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage is provided below. Complete the summary by selecting the THREE answer choices that express the most important ideas in the passage. Some sentences do not belong in the summary because they express ideas that are not presented in the passage or are minor ideas in the passage. This question is worth 2 points. The relationships between predators and prey are complex.A. Studies of the interactions between wolves and moose on Isle Royale in Lake Superior reveal that wolf predation is not the primary factor controlling the moose population.B. Ecologists are interested in studying predator-prey population cycles because understanding how predators and prey interact will allow better wildlife management programs.C. Predators help maintain biological diversity by limiting populations of a dominant competitor species, thereby preventing that species from excluding others.D. In predator-prey population cycles, predator populations increase or decrease following similar population changes in the species they prey on.E. A species’ population tends to rise and falls in a cycle pattern if the food supply for the population is limited, or if the population has a major predator.F. The removal of sea stars reduces the diversity of the community in which they are predators, and is therefore a bad idea.。

【威学教育王鑫】整理出品托福TPO6-2阅读文本

【王鑫托福阅读】托福TPO6-2阅读文本TPO6TPO6-2 William Smith1. The word “rudimentary” in the passage is closest in meaning toA. thoroughB. strictC. basicD. occasional2. According to paragraph 1, which of the following statements about William Smith is NOT true?A. Smith learned surveying by reading and by apprenticing for a local surveyor.B. Smith’ s family lived in a small English town and possessed little wealth.C. Smith learned about fossils from books he borrowed from his uncle.D. Smith eventually left his village to work on the excavation of an English canal.3. Which of the following can be inferred from paragraph 2 about canal building?A. Canals were built primarily in the south of England rather than in other regions.B. Canal building decreased after the steam locomotive was invented.C. Canal building made it difficult to study rock strata which often became damaged in the process.D. Canal builders hired surveyors like Smith to examine exposed rock strata.4. According to paragraph2, which of the following is true of the map published by William Smith?A. It indicates the locations of England's major canals.B. It became most valuable when the steam locomotive made rail travel possible.C. The data for the map were collected during Smith ’ s work on canals.D. It is no longer regarded as a geological masterpiece.In 1769 in a little town in Oxfordshire, England, a child with the very ordinary name of William Smith was born into the poor family of a village blacksmith. He received rudimentary village schooling, but mostly he roamed his uncle's farm collecting the fossils that were so abundant in the rocks of the Cotswold hills. When he grew older, William Smith taught himself surveying from books he bought with his small savings, and at the age of eighteen he was apprenticed to a surveyor of the local parish. He then proceeded to teach himself geology, and when he was twenty-four, he went to work for the company that was excavating the Somerset Coal Canal in the south of England.This was before the steam locomotive, and canal building was at its height. The companies building the canals to transport coal needed surveyors to help them find the coal deposits worth mining as well as to determine the best courses for the canals. This job gave Smith an opportunity to study the fresh rock outcrops created by the newly dug canal. He later worked on similar jobs across the length and breadth of England, all the while studying the newly revealed strata and collecting all the fossils he could find. Smith used mail coaches to travel as much as 10,000 miles per year. In 1815 he published the first modern geological map, "A Map of the Strata of England and Wales witha Part of Scotland,” a map so meticulously researched that it can still be used today.5. The word “meticulously” in the passage is closest in meaning toA.carefullyB. quicklyC. frequentlyD. obviously6. Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in the passage? Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.A. The discovery of regional differences in the sequences of rocks led geologists to believe that rock types could someday become reliable time markers.B. Careful analysis of strata revealed that rocks cannot establish geological time because the pattern of rock layers varies from place to place.C. Smith's catalogs of rock strata indicated that the sequences of rocks are different from place to place and from region to region.D. Because people did not catalog regional differences in sequences of rocks, it was believed that rocks could never be reliable time markers.This was before the steam locomotive, and canal building was at its height. The companies building the canals to transport coal needed surveyors to help them find the coal deposits worth mining as well as to determine the best courses for the canals. This job gave Smith an opportunity to study the fresh rock outcrops created by the newly dug canal. He later worked on similar jobs across the length and breadth of England, all the while studying the newly revealed strata and collecting all the fossils he could find. Smith used mail coaches to travel as much as 10,000 miles per year. In 1815 he published the first modern geological map, “A Map of the Strata of England and Wales witha Part of Scotland, ” a map so meticulously researched that it can s till be used today.In 1831 when Smith was finally recognized by the Geological Society of London as the “father of English geology,” it was not only for his maps but also for something even more important. Ever since people had begun to catalog the strata in particular outcrops, there had been the hope that these could somehow be used to calculate geological time. But as more and more accumulations of strata were cataloged in more and more places, it became clear that the sequences of rocks sometimes differed from region to region and that no rock type was ever going to become a reliable time marker throughout the world. Even without the problem of regional differences, rocks present a difficulty as unique time markers. Quartz is quartz—a silicon ion surrounded by four oxygen ions —there ’ s no difference at all betweentwo-million-year-old Pleistocene quartz and Cambrian quartz created over 500 million years ago.7. Why does the author use the phrase “Quartz is quartz” ?A. To describe how the differences between Pleistocene and Cambrian quartz reveal information about dating rocksB. To point out that the chemical composition of quartz makes it more difficult to date than other rocksC. To provide an example of how regional differences in rock sequences can make a particular rock difficult to dateD. To explain that rocks are difficult to use for dating because their chemical compositions always remain the same over time8. According to paragraph 4, it was difficult for Smith to distinguish rock strata becauseA. the rocks from different strata closely resembled each otherB. he was often unable to find fossils in the younger rock strataC. their similarity to each other made it difficult for him to distinguish one rock type from anotherD. the type of rock between two consistent strata was always the same9. The word “endured” in the passage is closest in meaning toA. vanishedB. developedC. variedD. survivedAs he collected fossils from strata throughout England, Smith began to see that the fossils told a different story from the rocks. Particularly in the younger strata, the rocks were often so similar that he had trouble distinguishing the strata, but he never had trouble telling the fossils apart. While rock between two consistent strata might in one place be shale and in another sandstone, the fossils in that shale or sandstone were always the same. Some fossils endured through so many millions of years that they appear in many strata, but others occur only in a few strata, and a few species had their births and extinctions within one particular stratum. Fossils are thus identifying markers for particular periods in Earth's history.Not only could Smith identify rock strata by the fossils they contained, he could also see a pattern emerging: certain fossils always appear in more ancient sediments, while others begin to be seen as the strata become more recent. By following the fossils, Smith was able to put all the strata of England's earth into relative temporal sequence. About the same time, Georges Cuvier made the same discovery while studying the rocks around Paris.10. The word “virtually” in the passage is closest in meaning toA. possiblyB. absolutelyC. surprisinglyD. nearly11. Select the TWO answer choices that are true statements based upon the discussion of the principle of faunal succession in paragraph 5. To receive credit, you must select TWO answers.A. It was a principle that applied to fauna but not to flora.B. It was discovered independently by two different geologists.C. It describes how fossils are distributed in rock strata.D. It explains why plants and animals undergo transformations through time.Soon it was realized that this principle of faunal (animal) succession was valid not only in England or France but virtually everywhere. It was actually a principle of floral succession as well, because plants showed the same transformation through time as did fauna. Limestone may be found in the Cambrian or— 300 million years later—in the Jurassic strata, but a trilobite—the ubiquitous marine arthropod that had its birth in the Cambrian—will never be found in Jurassic strata, nor a dinosaur in the Cambrian.12.In m entioning "trilobite” , the author is making which of the following points?A. Fossils cannot be found in more than one rock stratum.B. Faunal succession can help put rock layers in relative temporal sequence.C. Faunal succession cannot be applied to different strata composed of the same kind of rock.D. The presence of trilobite fossils makes it difficult to date a rock.Not only could Smith identify rock strata by the fossils they contained, he could also see a pattern emerging: certain fossils always appear in more ancient sediments, while others begin to be seen as the strata become morerecent. ■By following the fossils, Smith was able to put all the strata of England's earth into relative temporalsequence. ■About the same time, Georges Cuvier made the same discovery while studying the rocks around Paris.■Soon it was realized that this principle of faunal (animal) succession was valid not only in England or France butvirtually everywhere.^ It was actually a principle of floral succession as well, because plants showed the sametransformation through time as did fauna. Limestone may be found in the Cambrian or—300 million years later— in the Jurassic strata, but a trilobite—the ubiquitous marine arthropod that had its birth in the Cambrian—will never be found in Jurassic strata, nor a dinosaur in the Cambrian.13. Look at the four squares [_]that indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage. Where would the sentence best fit?The findings of these geologists inspired others to examine the rock and fossil records in different parts of the world.14. Directions: An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage is provided below. Complete the summary by selecting the THREE answer choices that express the most important ideas in the passage. Some sentences do not belong in the summary because they express ideas that are not presented in the passage or are minor ideas in the passage. This question is worth 2 points. William Smith’ s contributions to geology have increased our knowledge of the Earth’ s history.A. Smith found success easily in his profession because he came from a family of geologists and surveyors.B. Smith ’ s work on canals allowed him to collect fossils and study rock layers all over England.C. Smith found that fossils are much more reliable indicators of geological time than rock strata are.D. Smith was named “the father of English geology” for his maps rather than for his other contributions to the field.E. Smith and Cuvier discovered that fossil patterns are easier to observe in ancient rock strata than in younger rock strata.F. The discovery of the principle of faunal succession allowed geologists to establish the relative age of Earth’ s rock layers.。

【威学教育王鑫】托福阅读TPO2-1文本

【王鑫托福阅读】TPO2-1阅读文本TPO2TPO2-1 Desert Formation1. The word threatened in the passage is closest in meaning toA. RestrictedB. EndangeredC. PreventedD. Rejected2. According to paragraph 3, the loss of natural vegetation has which of the following consequences for soil?A. Increased stony contentB. Reduced water absorptionC. Increased numbers of spaces in the soilD. Reduced water runoffThe deserts, which already occupy approximately a fourth of the Earth's land surface, have in recent decades been increasing at an alarming pace. The expansion of desert like conditions into areas where they did not previously exist is called desertification. It has been estimated that an additional one-fourth of the Earth's land surface is threatened by this process.Desertification is accomplished primarily through the loss of stabilizing natural vegetation and the subsequent accelerated erosion of the soil by windand water. In some cases the loose soil is blown completely away, leaving a stony surface. In other cases, the finer particles may be removed, while the sand-sized particles are accumulated to form mobile hills or ridges of sand.Even in the areas that retain a soil cover, the reduction of vegetation typically results in the loss of the soil's ability to absorb substantial quantities of water. The impact of raindrops on the loose soil tends to transfer fine clay particles into the tiniest soil spaces, sealing them and producing a surface that allows very little water penetration. Water absorption is greatly reduced; consequently runoff is increased, resulting in accelerated erosion rates. The gradual drying of the soil caused by its diminished ability to absorb water results in the further loss of vegetation, so that a cycle of progressive surface deterioration is established.In some regions, the increase in desert areas is occurring largely as the result of a trend toward drier climatic conditions. Continued gradual global warming has produced an increase in aridity for some areas over the past few thousand years. The process may be accelerated in subsequent decades if global warming resulting from air pollution seriously increases.3. The word delicate in the passage is closest in meaning toA. FragileB. PredictableC. ComplexD. Valuable4. According to paragraph 5, in dry periods, border areas have difficultyA. Adjusting to stresses created by settlementB. Retaining their fertility after desertificationC. Providing water for irrigating cropsD. Attracting populations in search of food and fuel5. The word progressively in the passage is closest in meaning toA. OpenlyB. ImpressivelyC. ObjectivelyD. Increasingly6. According to paragraph 6, which of the following is often associated with raising crops?A. Lack of proper irrigation techniquesB. Failure to plant crops suited to the particular areaC. Remova丨 of the original vegetationD. Excessive use of dried animal waste;mlluwmg isThere is little doubt, however, that desertification in most areas results primarily from human activities rather than natural processes. The semiarid lands bordering the deserts exist in a delicate ecological balance and are limited in their potential to adjust to increased environmental pressures. Expanding populations are subjecting the land to increasing pressures to provide them with food and fuel. In wet periods, the land may be able to respond to these stresses. During the dry periods that are common phenomena along the desert margins, though, the pressure on the land is often far in excess of its diminished capacity, and desertification results.Four specific activities have been identified as major contributors to the desertification processes: overcultivation, overgrazing, firewood gathering, and overirrigation. The cultivation of crops has expanded into progressively drier regions as population densities have grown. These regions are especially likely to have periods of severe dryness, so that crop failures are common. Since the raising of most crops necessitates the prior removalof the natural vegetation, crop failures leave extensive tracts of land devoid of a plant cover and susceptible to wind and water erosion.7.The phrase devoid of in the passage is closest in meaning to A Consisting of B Hidden by C Except for D Lacking inThe raising of livestock is a major economic activity in semiarid lands, where grasses are generally the dominant type of natural vegetation.The consequences of an excessive number of livestock grazing in an area are the reduction of the vegetation cover and the trampling and pulverization of the soil. This is usually followed by the drying of the soil and accelerated erosion.Firewood is the chief fuel used for cooking and heating in many countries. The increased pressures of expanding populations have led to the removal of woody plants so that many cities and towns are surrounded by large areas completely lacking in trees and shrubs. The increasing use of dried animal waste as a substitute fuel has also hurt the soil because this valuable soil conditioner and source of plant nutrients is no longer being returned to the land.D.Bring salts to the surfaceThe final major human cause of desertification is soil salinization resulting from overirrigation. Excess water from irrigation sinks down into the water table. If no drainage system exists, the water table rises, bringing dissolved salts to the surface. The water evaporates and the salts are left behind, creating a white crustal layer that prevents air and water from reaching the underlying soil.9. All of the following are mentioned in the passage as contributing to desertification EXCEPTA. Soil erosionB. Global warmingC. Insufficient irrigationD. The raising of livestock10. Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in the passage?Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.A. Desertification is a significant problem because it is so hard to reverse and affects large areas of land and great numbers of people.B. Slowing down the process of desertification is difficult because of population growth that has spread over large areas of land.C. The spread of deserts is considered a very serious problem that can be solved only if large numbers of people in various countries are involved in the effort.D. Desertification is extremely hard to reverse unless the population is reduced in the vast areas affected.The extreme seriousness of desertification results from the vast areas of land and the tremendous numbers of people affected, as well as from the great difficulty of reversing or even slowing the process.Once the soil has been removed by erosion, only the passage of centuries or millennia will enable new soil to form. In areas where considerable soil still remains, though, a rigorously enforced program of land protection and cover-crop planting may make it possible to reverse the present deterioration of the surface.11. It can be inferred from the passage that the author most likely believes which of the following about the future of desertification?A. Governments will act quickly to control further desertification.B. The factors influencing desertification occur in cycles and will change in the future.C. Desertification will continue to increase.D. Desertification will soon occur in all areas of the world■The raising of livestock is a major economic activity in semiarid lands, where grasses are generally the dominant type of natural vegetation.^The consequences of an excessive number of livestock grazing in an area are the reduction of the vegetation cover and the trampling and pulverization of the soil. ■This is usually followed by the drying of the soil and accelerated erosion._12. Look at the four squares [■] that indicate where the following sentence can be added to the passage. Where would the sentence best fit?This economic reliance on livestock in certain regions makes large tracts of land susceptible to overgrazing.13. Directions: An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage is provided below. Complete the summary by selecting the THREE answer choices that express the most important ideas in the passage. Some answer choices do not belong in the summary because they express ideas that are not presented in the passage or are minor ideas in the passage. This question is worth 2 points. Many factors have contributed to the great increase in desertification in recent decades.A. Growing human populations and the agricultural demands that come with such growth have upset the ecological balance in some areas and led to the spread of deserts.B. As periods of severe dryness have become more common, failures of a number of different crops have increased.C. Excessive numbers of cattle and the need for firewood for fuel have reduced grasses and trees, leaving the land unprotected and vulnerable.D. Extensive irrigation with poor drainage brings salt to the surface of the soil, a process that reduces water and air absorption.E. Animal dung enriches the soil by providing nutrients for plant growth.F. Grasses are generally the dominant type of natural vegetation in semiarid lands.。

托福TPO26听力Conversation2文本+题目+答案解析

为了帮助大家高效备考托福，为大家带来托福TPO26听力Conversation2文本+题目+答案解析，希望对大家备考有所帮助。

托福TPO26听力Conversation2文本 Narrator: Listen to a conversation between a student and her biology professor． Professor: Hi, Jean．How was the…uh, the conference, right? The conference on volunteerism? That’s where you were last week． Student: Yeah. It was great. I met a lot of people from some really amazing organizations that are working in the area．Now it would be a lot easier to get students to volunteer in the community．Plus, I’ve never been to any of the beaches here before．Being at the beach was definitely a plus． Professor: Well, I hope you had time to look over the notes from the class you missed．You did get the notes, right? Student: Yup．I’II look them over before tomorrow’s class． Professor: Good．And let me know if you have any questions. Student: Well, there is something that I wanted to ask you now．It’s about something I noticed at the beach． Professor: Oh, what’s that? Student: Well, see, there are a lot of jellyfish there, floating in the water. Professor: That couldn’t have been pleasant. Student: Not for swimming. But it was interesting. I mean, the jellyfish were glowing．I swear they were．And I am wondering what that’s about． Professor: Ah, glowing jellyfish．That is interesting. Uh, it’s called bioluminescence．And actually we are going to talk about it later in the semester．Basically, bioluminescence is light that’s produced by a chemical reaction. Student: Really? Inside the jellyfish? Professor: Well, not all jellyfish, about half of them．Actually, a lot of marine organisms have this ability, especially in deeper parts of the ocean． Student: Oh? I get it. Like the darker it gets, the more the fish needs light, right? Professor: Well．bioluminescence serves a number of functions．Most aquatic organisms use it for communication and for attracting prey．But jellyfish usually use it as a defense against predators．Some jellyfish produce bright flashes of light that confuse predators, to, uh, to startle them．But jellyfish closer to the surface, probably like the jellyfish you saw, they use bioluminescence to hide．The light they produce matches the color of the dim sunlight, so they blend in, and, uh, and predators can’t see them． Student: Wow, really? Well, I am looking for a topic for my term paper ,so maybe I could do it on these glowing jellyfish．That’s why I wanted to ask you about them, you know, to find out if there was really something to write about． Professor: It’s a great topic．But you’II have to make sure the topic is manageable．Like I said, about half of all jellyfish are bioluminescent, so you may want to look at a particular type of jellyfish or several types that benefit from bioluminescence in the same way, or you could investigate current research on bioluminescence, on, on the chemical process, or…Here’s an idea．You seem to be very involved in local issues．See if you can identify the jellyfish you observed on the beach and how they fit into the local ecosystem． Student: Yeah, you know, some of the environmental groups I met last week might even be able to help me．托福TPO26听力Conversation2题目 1.Why does the student go to see the professor? A. To obtain notes from a class she missed. B. To discuss a conference she attended. C. To ask about a possible topic for a research paper. D. To clarify information about volunteering in the community. 2.What does the student say about the conference she attended? A. It will help convince students to get involved in the community. B. It taught her a lot about marine ecosystems.。

托福阅读TPO26（试题+答案+...

托福阅读TPO26(试题+答案+译文)第1篇:EnergyandtheIndustrialRevolution为了帮助大家备考托福阅读，提高成绩，下面小编给大家带来托福阅读TPO26(试题+答案+译文)第1篇:Energy and the Industrial Revolution，希望大家喜欢!托福阅读原文【1】For years historians have sought to identify crucial elements in the eighteenth-century rise in industry, technology, and economic power known as the Industrial Revolution, and many give prominence to the problem of energy. Until the eighteenth century, people relied on energy derived from plants as well as animal and human muscle to provide power. Increased efficiency in the use of water and wind helped with such tasks as pumping, milling, or sailing. However, by the eighteenth century, Great Britain in particular was experiencing an energy shortage. Wood, the primary source of heat for homes and industries and also used in the iron industry as processed charcoal, was diminishing in supply. Great Britain had large amounts of coal; however, there were not yet efficient means by which to produce mechanical energy or to power machinery. This was to occur with progress in the development of the steam engine.【2】In the late 1700s James Watt designed an efficient and commercially viable steam engine that was soon applied to a variety of industrial uses as it became cheaper to use. The engine helped solve the problem of draining coal mines of groundwater and increased the production of coal needed to power steam engines elsewhere. A rotary engine attached to the steam engine enabled shafts to be turned and machines to be driven, resulting in mills using steam power to spin and weave cotton. Since thesteam engine was fired by coal, the large mills did not need to be located by rivers, as had mills that used water- driven machines. The shift to increased mechanization in cotton production is apparent in the import of raw cotton and the sale of cotton goods. Between 1760 and 1850, the amount of raw cotton imported increased 230 times. Production of British cotton goods increased sixtyfold, and cotton cloth became Great Britain’s most important product, accounting for one-half of all exports. The success of the steam engine resulted in increased demands for coal, and the consequent increase in coal production was made possible as the steam-powered pumps drained water from the ever-deeper coal seams found below the water table.【3】The availability of steam power and the demands for new machines facilitated the transformation of the iron industry. Charcoal, made from wood and thus in limited supply, was replaced with coal-derived coke (substance left after coal is heated) as steam-driven bellows came into use for producing of raw iron. Impurities were burnt away with the use of coke, producing a high-quality refined iron. Reduced cost was also instrumental in developing steam-powered rolling mills capable of producing finished iron of various shapes and sizes. The resulting boom in the iron industry expanded the annual iron output by more than 170 times between 1740 and 1840, and by the 1850s Great Britain was producing more tons of iron than the rest of the world combined. The developments in the iron industry were in part a response to the demand for more machines and the ever-widening use of higher-quality iron in other industries.【4】Steam power and iron combined to revolutionize transport, which in turn had further implications. Improvementsin road construction and sailing had occurred, but shipping heavy freight over land remained expensive, even with the use of rivers and canals wherever possible. Parallel rails had long been used in mining operations to move bigger loads, but horses were still the primary source of power. However, the arrival of the steam engine initiated a complete transformation in rail transportation, entrenching and expanding the Industrial Revolution. As transportation improved, distant and larger markets within the nation could be reached, thereby encouraging the development of larger factories to keep pace with increasing sales. Greater productivity and rising demands provided entrepreneurs with profits that could be reinvested to take advantage of new technologies to further expand capacity, or to seek alternative investment opportunities. Also, the availability of jobs in railway construction attracted many rural laborers accustomed to seasonal and temporary employment. When the work was completed, many moved to other construction jobs or to factory work in cities and towns, where they became part of an expanding working class.托福阅读试题1.Why does the author provide the information that “Great Britain had large amounts of coal”(paragraph 1)?A.To reject the claim that Britain was facing an energy shortage in the eighteenth century.B.To explain why coal rather than other energy resources became the primary source of heat for homes and industries in eighteenth-century Britain.C.To indicate that Britain’s energy shortage was not the result of a lack of fuel.D.To explain why coal mining became an important industryin nineteenth-century.2.What was “the problem of energy" that had to be solved to make the Industrial Revolution of the eighteenth century possible?A.Water and wind could not be used efficiently.B.There was no efficient way to power machinery.C.Steam engines required large amounts of coal, which was in short supply.D.Neither humans nor animals were strong enough to provide the power required for industrial application.3.Which of the following is NOT mentionedin paragraph 2 asa development in cotton mills brought about by Watt’s steamengine?A.The importing of huge quantities of raw cotton by Britain.B.Increased mechanization.C.More possibilities for mill location.D.Smaller mills.4.The phrase “apparent in” in the passage(paragraph 2)is closest in meaning toA.clearly seen in.B.aided by.C.associated with.D.followed by.5.According to paragraph 2, what was Britain’s most important export by 1850?A.Raw cotton.B.Cotton cloth.C.Steam-powered pumps.D.Coal.6.The word “consequent”(paragraph 2)in the passage isclosest in meaning toA.resulting.B.encouraging.C.well documented.D.immediate.7.What is the role of paragraph 2 in the passage as a whole?A.It explains how by increasing the supply of raw materials from other countries, British industries were able to reduce costs and increase production.B.It explains how the production of mechanical energy and its benefits spread quickly across countries that were linked commercially with Great Britain.C.It demonstrates why developments in a single industry could not have caused the Industrial Revolution.D.It illustrates why historians have assigned great importance to the issue of energy in the rise of the Industrial Revolution.8.According to paragraph 3, why was the use of coke important for the ironindustry?A.It helped make wood into charcoal.B.It reduced the dependency on steam-powered machines used for the production of iron.C.It replaced charcoal in the production of raw and refined iron.D.It powered the machines used to extract coal in coal mines.9.According to paragraph 3, all of the following were true of the ironindustry in Great Britain during the 1800s EXCEPTA.Steam-driven bellows were used to produce raw iron.B.By the 1850s Britain was the world’s largest producer of iron.C.Steam-powered mills made it possible to produce iron ofdifferent shapes and sizes.D.Greater demand for higher-quality iron increased its price.10.The word “initiated”in the passage is closest in meaning toA.anticipated.B.accelerated.C.spread.D.started.11.Paragraph 4 implies which of the following about the transformation inrail transportation?A.Because railway construction employed mostly rural laborers, unemployment increased among urban workers.B.It resulted in more trade within the country, but less trade with markets that could be reached only by ocean shipping.C.It made shipping freight overland to distant markets less expensive.D.It resulted in higher wages for factory workers.12.The phrase “accustomed to" in the passage is closest in meaning toA.in need of.ed to.C.tired of.D.encouraged by.13. Look at the four squares [■] that indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage. Click on a square to add the sentence to the passage. The first steam-powered locomotives were slow but they rapidly improved in speed and carrying capacity.Steam power and iron combined to revolutionize transport, which in turnhad further implications. Improvements in roadconstruction and sailing had occurred, but shipping heavy freight over land remained expensive, even with the use of rivers and canals wherever possible. Parallel rails had long been used in mining operations to move bigger loads, but horses were still the primary source of power. ■【A】However, the arrival of the steam engine initiated a complete transformation in rail transportation, entrenching and expanding the Industrial Revolution. ■【B】As transportation improved, distant and larger markets within the nation could be reached, thereby encouraging the development of larger factories to keep pace with increasing sales. ■【C】Greater productivity and rising demands provided entrepreneurs with profits that could be reinvested to take advantage of new technologies to further expand capacity, or to seek alternative investment opportunities. ■【D】Also, the availability of jobs in railway construction attracted many rural laborers accustomed to seasonal and temporary employment. When the work was completed,many moved to other construction jobs or to factory work in cities and towns, where they became part of an expanding working class.14. Directions: An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage is provided below. Complete the summary by selecting the THREE answer choices that express the most important ideas in the passage. Some sentences do not belong in the summary because they express ideas that are not presented in the passage or are minor ideas in the passage. This question is worth 2 points.The coming of the Industrial Revolution in eighteenth-century Britaindepended on the development of the steam engine to power machinery.A.For years, historians disregarded the issue of energy as amajor element in the rise of the Industrial Revolution and focused instead on technological developments and increased production.B.The introduction and growth of steam-powered rail transport was a major factor in Britain's economic expansion during the Industrial Revolution.C.An expansion of the Industrial Revolution outside Great Britain occurred when British industries began to import raw cotton and high-quality iron.D.By 1850, the use of steam power in Britain's mills, mines, and iron industry made Britain a world leader in the production of cotton cloth and iron.E.Since the basic infrastructure was in place, the Industrial Revolution fueled itself with enlarging markets requiring ever more expansion of factories and workforce.F.By the end of the 1800s, railway construction attracted so many laborers that factories could not find enough workers to keep up with increasing sales.托福阅读答案1.目的题，读highlight所在句，说英国有煤，但没法变成能量来运行机器，选项C同时说了由煤木有能量，是正确答案。

tpo26-2阅读纯答案解析tpo35阅读答案解析

tpo26-2阅读纯答案解析tpo35阅读答案解析tpo26-2阅读纯答案解析tpo26-2阅读纯答案解析TPO是托福考试最重要的备考资料托福阅读试题，下面小编为你们准备的关于tpo26-2阅读纯答案解析，希望能帮助你们。

tpo26-2阅读1.According to paragraph 1, water provides all of the following essential functions forplants EXCEPT A.improving plants’ ability to absorb sunlight. B.preventing plants from becoming overheated. C.transporting nutrients. D.serving as a raw material for photosynthesis. 2.Paragraph 3 suggests that during a dry year ephemerals A.produce even more seeds than in a wet year. B.do not sprout from their seeds. C.bloom much later than in a wet year. D.are more plentiful than perennials. 3.How is paragraph 2 related to paragraph 3 A.Paragraph 2 provides a general description of desert plants, and paragraph 3 provides ascientific explanation for these observations. B.Paragraph 2 divides desert plants into two categories, and paragraph 3 provides furtherinformation about one of these categories. C.Paragraph 2 proposes one way of dividing desert plants into categories, and paragraph 3explains one problem with this method of classification. D.Paragraph 2 discusses two categories of desert plants, and paragraph 3 introduces a thirdcategory of plants.4.In saying that ephemerals will develop “vigorously“ when there isfavorableprecipitation, the author means that their development will be A.sudden. B.early.C.gradual. D.strong and healthy.5.The word “countering”i n the passage is closest in meaning to A.eliminating.B.making use of.C.acting against.D.experiencing. 6.According toparagraph 4, some desert plants with root systems that areextraordinarily well developed have A.relatively little growth aboveground. B.very leafy aboveground structures. C.non woody plant tissue resistant to wilting. D.water stored within their roots. 7.The word “assured”(paragraph 4)in the passage is closest in meaning to A.pure. B.diminished. C.guaranteed. D.deep. 8.What do “the date pa lm, tamarisk, and mesquite“(paragraph 4) have in common A.They are always found together. B.They depend on surface water provided by streams, springs, and lakes. C.They are phreatophytes. D.Their roots are capable of breaking through hard soils 9.Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information inthehighlighted sentence in the passage(paragraph 5) Incorrect choices change themeaning in important ways or leave out essential information.A.One way animals escape is by entering a state of extended dormancy, known asaestivation, during the hottest and driest times of year. B.Animals can escape without using direct action, or aestivation, simply by reducing theirmetabolic rate and body temperature. C.The actions that an animal uses to escape are known as aestivation, which sometimesinvolves a reduction in metabolic rate or body temperature. D.When the weather is especially hot and dry, an animal may suffer from a condition known asaestivation, at which point the animal needs to escape. 10.It can be inferred from paragraph 6 that all of the places desertanimals retreat to A.provide shade from the sun. B.sometimes become crowded. C.are places where supplies of food are plentiful. D.leave the animals vulnerable to predators.11.According to paragraph 7, what special adaptation helps the ostrich copewith hotdesert conditions A.Each of its feathers is very short and dense. B.Its wings produce only lateral air movement when flapping. C.Its feathers are very thickly set on both its back and itswings. D.It can make its feathers stand up on its back. 12. Look at the four squares [■] that indicate where the following sentence could beadded to the passage.Where would the sentence best fit The increase in reward stilldid not attract young people to this hard life, and convicted criminals and slaves werepressed into services The harsh conditions in deserts are in tolerable for most plants and animals. Despite theseconditions, however, many varieties of plants and animals have adapted to deserts in a numberof ways. Most plant tissues die if their water content falls too low: the nutrients that feed plantsare transmitted by water;water is a raw material in the vital process of photosynthesis;andwater regulates the temperature of a plant by its ability to absorb heat and because watervapor lost to the atmosphere through the leaves helps to lower plant temperatures. ■Water controls the volume of plant matter produced. ■The distribution of plantswithin different areas of desert is also controlled by water. ■Some areas, because of theirsoil texture,topographical position, or distance from rivers or groundwater, have virtually nowater available to plants, whereas others do.■ 13.Directions: Select from the seven phrases below the two phrases that correctlycharacterize special adaptations found primarily in desert annuals and the threephrases that correctly characterize special adaptations found primarily in desertperennials. Select each phrase you select in the appropriate column of the table. Thisquestion is worth 3 points. A.Woody structures. B.Explosive growth in wet years. C.Long, thin, shallow roots. D.Storage of water in plant tissue. E.Minimization of the amount of water used for photosynthesis. F.Short life cycle. G.Leaves designed to minimize water loss. 1 ) Adaptations of Annuals A B C D E F G 2 ) Adaptations of Perennials A B C D E F G tpo26-2阅读纯答案解析1.A选项的sunlight原文没有提到，所以错误，选;B项不容易找，可以找完C和D之后依靠并列在第三句的冒号之后找到，原文讲的是降低温度，也就是防止overheated，所以B正确，不选;C和D都在第三句的冒号之后，都正确，不选。

托福阅读TPO26答案解析

1.【考点分析】本题为修辞目的题，注意此类题目并不是考例子本身，而是要寻找其修辞的目的，然后与选项进行对比。

关键词为“英国有大量的煤”，在此前的几句话说大英帝国能源短缺，举例说明作为主要热源的木材供应减少，燃煤多但不能有效地转化成机械能。

这说明什么呢，这说明英国的能源短缺不是因为燃料缺乏，选C.【选项分析】A. 为了反对“18世纪英国面临能源短缺”的说法(根据原文，煤储量大这一事实，并不是构成反对能源短缺说的理由，这一选项与原文矛盾)B.为了解释为什么是煤，而不是其它能源变成了18世纪英国的主要民用与工业热量来源。

(偷梁换柱型干扰项。

根据本段倒数第3句话，当时主要的能量来源是木材)C.为了表明英国的能源短缺不是缺乏燃料所致(正确：not the result of a lack of fuel 与原文的had large amounts of coal 形成对应)D.该选项是玩穿越，本段并没有提到19世纪，更没有提到采煤成为19世纪主要行业)2. 【考点分析】本题为细节题，考察利用关键词定位以及对同一含义的不同词汇与句子结构的理解能力。

要想让18世纪的工业革命成为可能，一定要得以解决的“能源方面的问题”是什么?根据第一段前半部分，能源是工业革命兴起的主要原因毋庸置疑，那么能源问题是什么呢?根据关键词“the problem of energy” 定位到倒数第2句话：”Great Britain had large amounts of coal; however, there we re not yet efficient means by which to produce mechanical energy or to power machinery.” 这句话表明，能源问题就是有燃料但缺乏用燃料来驱动机器的有效方式，这个问题必须得到解决才能使得工业革命成为可能，所以选B。

注意：means 和ways 是近义词，另外阅读里经常还有method, approach, avenue.【选项分析】A. 水与风不能得到有效的利用(这个选项与第一段第3句意义矛盾)B. 缺乏驱动机器的有效方式(正确：对应第一段的倒数第2句)C.蒸汽引擎需要大量的煤，而煤是供应不足的(与倒数第2句矛盾，原文说Great Britain had large amounts of coal)D.人类与动物都不够强壮，无法为工业活动提供能源(是第2句的偷梁换柱，原文说18世纪之前，人们的能量来源有植物、动物与人力)3. 【考点分析】本题为排除信息题，考查蒸汽引擎引发的纱厂变化除了哪一个。

托福TPO26口语Task2题目+满分范文

托福TPO26口语Task2题目+满分范文为了帮助大家高效备考托福，为大家带来托福TPO26口语T ask2题目+满分范文，希望对大家备考有所帮助。

托福TPO26独立口语Task2题目：Some people like to have their cell or mobile phone with them at all times. Other people prefer not to bring their cell or mobile phone with them everywhere they go, or they choose not to own one at all. Which do you prefer? Explain why.托福TPO26独立口语Task2满分范文："I prefer not to bring cell-phones everywhere. There are some occasions I want to be detached from the world. For example, when I am readying a book in my study or in the library. It’s very annoying to hear the ring of the cell-phone or feel the vibrations. It always interrupts my train of thoughts. Having a cell-phone everywhere means you can be disturbed anytime. Nowadays, not just your friends will call you or send you message. More often than not, you receive spam messages or anonymous calls. It makes angry even to answer the calls. "以上是给大家整理的托福TPO26口语T ask2题目+满分范文，希望对你有所帮助!。

【威学教育】王鑫托福阅读TPO31-2阅读文本

【王鑫托福阅读】托福TPO全集之TPO31-2TPO31TPO31-2 Early Childhood Education1. According to paragraph 1, parents in Japan tend to think of preschool primarily as a place where children canA. Get a good academic startB. Expand their emotional developmentC. Become more independentD. Experience being part of a group2. The word “whereas” in the passage is closest in meaning toA. AlthoughB. BecauseC. MoreoverD. already3. The word “focus” in the passage is closest in meaning to A.ConsiderB. RespectC. ConcentrateD. Advise4.It can be inferred from paragraph 2 that the Head Start program was designed to serve children whoA. Come from families that do not have a lot of moneyB. Are not doing very well in kindergartenC. Were born in the 1950sD. Need programs that focus primarily on social and emotional factorsPreschools 一 educational programs for children under the age of five - differ significantly from one country to another according to the views that different societies hold regarding the purpose of early childhood education. For instance, in a cross-country comparison of preschools in China, Japan, and the United States, researchers found that parents in the three countries view the purpose of preschools very differently. Whereas parents in China tend to see preschools primarily as a way of giving children a good start academically, Japanese parents view them primarily as a way of giving children the opportunity to be members of a group. In the United States, in comparison, parents regard the primary purpose of preschools as making children more independent and self-reliant, although obtaining a good academic start and having group experience are also important.While many programs designed for preschoolers focus primarily on social and emotional factors, some are geared mainly toward promoting cognitive gains and preparing preschoolers for the formal instruction they will experience when they start kindergarten. In the United States, the best-known program designed to promote future academic success is Head Start. Established in the 1960s when the United States declared the War on Poverty, the program has served over 13 million children and their families. The program, which stresses parental involvement, was designed to serve the “whole child”, including children's physical health, self-confidence, social responsibility, and social and emotional development.1. According to paragraph 3, the Head Start program had NOT been successful at which of the following?A. Helping children adjust to schoolB. Providing long-term increase in IQ scoresC. Improving school performance throughout high schoolD. Preventing children from being placed in special-education classes6.In paragraph 4, the author mentions the “results from other types of readiness programs ” toA. Provide support for the idea that preschool readiness programs have been somewhat successfulB. Question the idea that Head Start is more effective than other preschool readiness programsC. Indicate school completion is usually the most reliable indicator of success in most readiness programsD. Emphasize that participating in readiness programs can be increased if costs are reduced7. According to paragraph 4, a cost-benefit analysis of one preschool readiness program revealed that A Only one dollar's worth of benefit was gained for every seven dollars spent on the program B The benefits of the program lasted only until the participants reached age 27C Taxpayers saved seven dollars for every dollar spent on the programD To be successful, the program would need to receive about seven times as much money as it currently receivesWhether Head Start is seen as successful or not depends on the lens through which one is looking. If, for instance, the program is expected to provide long-term increases in IQ (intelligence quotient) scores, it is a disappointment. Although graduates of Head Start programs tend to show immediate IQ gains, these increases do not last. On the other hand, it is clear that Head Start is meeting its goal of getting preschoolers ready for school. Preschoolers who participate in Head Start are better prepared for future schooling than those who do not. Furthermore, graduates of Head Start programshave better future school grade. Finally, some research suggests that ultimately Head Start graduates show higher academic performance at the end of high school, although the gains are modest.In addition,results from other types of preschoolreadinessprogramsindicate that those whoparticipate and graduate are less likely to repeat grades, and they are more likely to complete school than readiness program, for every dollar spent on the program, taxpayers saved seven dollars by the time the graduates reached the age of 27.8. The word “ comprehensive ” in the passage is closest in meaning toA. Easily understoodB. ThoroughC. RespectableD. Objective9. Paragraph 5 mentions that participants in early intervention programs have been shown to do all of the following better than nonparticipants EXCEPTA. Take care of their healthB. Support themselves financiallyC. Take care of their own childrenD. Have increased emotional development10. According to paragraph 5, which of the following is true about the benefits of early intervention programs?A. These programs produce good short-term benefits but few long-term benefits.B. Only the most expensive programs provide substantial benefits.C. The Head Start program provides a range of benefits that no other program can provide.D. Some children benefit more than others do from these programs.11. The word “seek” in the passage is closest in meaning toA. ClaimB. ManageC. FailD. Attempt12. The passage mentions “ developmental psychologist David Elkind” in order toA. Give an example of an expert who has designed an effective early childhood education programB. Introduce an alternative view about the value of early childhood educationC. Explain why early childhood education programs are less effective in the United States than in other countriesD. Refute the claim that academic success is dependent on factors outside parents’ control.The most recent comprehensive evaluation of early intervention programs suggests that, taken as a group, preschool programs can provide significant benefits, and that government funds invested early in life may ultimately lead to a reduction in future costs. For instance, compared with children who did not participate in early intervention programs, participants in variousprograms showed gains in emotional or cognitive development, better educational outcomes, increased economic self-sufficiency, reduced levels of criminal activity, and improved health-related behaviors. Of course, not every program produced all these benefits, and not every child benefited to the same extent. Furthermore, some researchers argue that less-expensive programs are just as good as relatively expensive ones, such as Head Start. Still, the results of the evaluation were promising, suggesting that the potential benefits of early intervention can be substantial.Not everyone agrees that programs that seek to enhance academic skills during the preschool years are a good thing. In fact, according to developmental psychologist David Elkind, United States society tends to push children so rapidly that they begin to feel stress and pressure at a young age. Elkind argues that academic success is largely dependent upon factors out of parents’ control, such as inherited abilities and a child’s rate of maturation. Consequently, children of a particular age cannot be expected to master educational material without taking into account their current level of cognitive development. In short, children require development appropriate educational practice, which is education that is based on both typical development and the unique characteristics of a given child.Not everyone agrees that programs that seek to enhance academic skills during the preschool years are a good thing. _n fact, according to developmental psychologist David Elkind, United States society tends to push children so rapidly that they begin to feel stress and pressure at a young age. ■Elkind argues that academic success is largely dependent upon factors out of parents’ control, such as inherited abilities and a child’ s rate of maturation. ■Consequently, children of a part icular age cannot be expected to master educational material without taking into account their current level of cognitive development. _n short, children require development appropriate educational practice, which is education that is based on both typical development and the unique characteristics of a given child.13. Look at the squares [■] that indicate where following sentence can be added to the passage. Where would the sentence best fit?According to Elkind, not only does this cause the child emotional distress, it also fails to bring the intended cognitive gains.14. Prose Summary. Preschool programs provide opportunities for young children to develop socially, emotionally, and cognitively.Answer ChoicesA. In addition to stressing academic development, preschools should be enjoyable, since studies show that children benefit from programs they find fun.B. Preschool programs such as Head Start have been shown to help prepare children for school and may also have long-term benefits in helping children become effective adults.C. Studies have shown that preschool programs are most effective when they focus on only one area of development rather than trying to serve the “whole child” .D. The primary purpose of preschool programs varies by country, with some stressing the importance of group experience, and others self-reliance or getting a good academic start.E. Critics of preschool programs argue that these programs put undue pressure on children and may not be effective if children are not developmentally ready for academic work.F. David Elkind is a critic of publicly funded preschool programs, arguing that the parent cannot control their children’ s emotional development.。

【威学教育】王鑫托福阅读TPO25-2阅读文本

【王鑫托福阅读】托福TPO全集之TPO25-2TPO25TPO25-2 The Decline of Venetian Shipping1. The word “resurgence” in the passage is closest in meaning toA transformationB comebackC programD expansion2. The word “compulsorily” in the passage is closest in meaning toA for freeB for a timeC by requirementD by design3. According to paragraph 2, which of the following contributed to the decline of Venetian shipping?A The loss of trade in Adriatic SeaB The move from galleys to round shipsC The decreased demand for galleysD The doubling of sailor's wages4. All of the following are mentioned in paragraph 2 as ways that Venice provided rowers for its galley EXCEPT A Requiring business associations to provide sailorsB Recruiting sailors from other cities in northern ItalyC Drafting Venetian citizens into services as rowersD Appealing to the traditions of Venice as a sea power.In the late thirteenth century, northern Italian cities such as Genoa, Florence, and Venice began an economic resurgence that made them into the most important economic centers of Europe. By the seventeenth century, however, other European powers had taken over, as the Italian cities lost much of their economic might.This decline can be seen clearly in the changes that affected Venetian shipping and trade. First, Venice's intermediary functions in the Adriatic Sea, where it had dominated the business of shipping for other parties, were lost to direct trading. In the fifteenth century there was little problem recruiting sailors torow the galleys (large ships propelled by oars): guilds (business associations) were required to provide rowers, and through a draft system free citizens served compulsorily when called for. In the early sixteenth century the shortage of rowers was not serious because the demand for galleys was limited by a move to round ships (round-hulled ships with more cargo space), with required fewer rowers. But theshortage of crews proved to be a greater and greater problem, despite continuous appeal to Venic's tradition of maritime greatness. Even though sailors' wages doubled among the northern Italian cities from 1550 to 1590, this did not elicit an increased supply.and g )wly5. The word meaning to A strictB enforcedC improvedD old-fashioned6. According to paragraphs 3, why did the building of ships in Venetian shipyards become increasingly expensive?A The wages of officers and workers in the Arsenale kept risingB Roman shipyards were using all the available fir trees for the warshipsC The timber used in the shipbuilding had to be brought from farther and farther awayD Venetian standards required that shipbuilders use top-quality materials.7. All of the following are mentioned in paragraph and 4 as contributing to the problems of the Venetian shipbuilding industry at the end of the sixteenthoutdated” in the passage is closest incentury EXCEPT A The quality of work performed in the Arsenale had declinedB Venetian-built ships were heavy and generally inefficientC Arsenale shipbuilders worked more slowD Only a few merchants controlled the buying and selling of most of the Venetian-built shipsThe problem in shipping extended to the Arsenale, Venice's huge and powerful shipyard. Timber ran short, and it was necessary to procure it from farther and farther away. In ancient Roman times, the Italian peninsula had great forest of fir preferred for warships, but scarcity was apparent as early as the early fourteenth century. Arsenale officers first brought timber from the foothills of the Alps, then from north toward Trieste, and finally from across the Adriatic. Private shipbuilders were required to buy their oak abroad. As the costs of shipbuilding rose, Venice clung to its outdated standard while the Dutch were innovation in the lighter and more easily handled ships.10. Why does the author mention “Vasco da Gama' around southern Africa to India took place at the endof the fifteenth century, and by 1502 the trans- Abrabian caravan route had been cut off by political unrest.Voyage around southern Africa to India” in the passage?A to indicate how the Portuguese came to challenge Venetian dominance of trade with the EastB to explain why political troubles resulted in the closing of the usual routes to IndiaC to prove that Venetians could not sail round ships as efficiently as sailors from other countries didD to show that Venetian reliance on round ships rather than galleys proved to be weakness8. Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in the passage?Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.A The loss of ships in battle at the end of the sixteenth century showed that Venetian shipbuilders lacked the skills they had possessed at the beginning of the century.B Venetian shipbuilding failed to quickly replace the ships lost in battle at the end of the sixteenth century as it would have done earlier in the century.C Frederic Lane noted that Venice lost ships in battle at the end of the sixteenth century, showing that Venetian shipbuilding was not longer known for its reliability.D Venetian shipbuilding had been known for its high quality of work at the beginning of the sixteenth century, but toward the end of the century Venetian ships were poorer in quality.9. The word “conventional” in the passage is closest meaning to A informalB logicalC correctD usualThe step from buying foreign timber to buying foreign ships was regarded as a short one, especially when complaints were heard in the latter sixteenth century that the standards and traditions of the Arsenale were running down. Work was stretched out and done poorly. Older workers had been allowed to stop work a half hour before the regular time, and in 1601 younger works left with them. Merchants complained that the privileges reserved for Venetian-built and owned ships were first extended to those Venetians who bought ships from abroad and then to foreign-built and owned vessels. Historian FredericLane observes that after the loss of ships in battle inthe late sixteenth century, the shipbuilding industryno longer had the capacity to recover that it haddisplayed at the start of the century.conventional explanation for the loss of Venetian dominance in trade is establishment of the Portuguese direct sea route to the East, replacing the overland Silk Road from the Black sea and the highly profitable IndianOcean-caravan-eastern Mediterranean route to Venice. The Portuguese Vasco da Gama's Voyage11. Which of the following can be inferred from paragraph 6 about the Venetian Council's decision concerning the use of round ships?A It resulted in a return to profitable in luxury goods for Venetian merchants.B Ultimately it did not restore the superiority in the spice trade that Venice had enjoyed earlier.C It eventually enabled Venetian merchants to increase the quantity and price of the spices they sold in Europe.D It means a long-awaited improvement in the fortunes of the shipbuilding industry in Venice.12. According to paragraphs 6, in the sixteenth century the price of spices declined becauseA France and Germany established monopolies and dictated pricesB Venetian merchant galleys competed with Venetian round ships for the spice tradeC More spices were available because both the Venetians and the Portuguese were importing themD Increased demand for silk, dyes, cotton and gold meant that people had less money to spend on spiices.The Venetian Council finally allowed round ships to enter the trade that was previously reserved for merchant galleys, thus reducing transport cost by one third. Prices of spices delivered by ship from the eastern Mediterranean came to equal those of spices transported by Paortuguese vessels, but the increase in quantity with both routes in operation drove the price far down. Gradually, Venice's role as a storage and distribution center for spices and silk, dyes cotton, and gold decayed, and by the early seventeenth century Venice had lost its monopoly in markets such as France and southern Germany.Venetian shipping had started to decline from about 1530-before the entry into the Mediterranean of large volumes of Dutch and British shipping-and was clearly outclassed by the end of the century. A contemporary of Shakespeare (1564-1616) observed that theVenetian shipping had started to decline from about 1530-before the entry into the Mediterranean of large volumes of Dutch and British shipping-and was clearly outclassed by the end of the century. A contemporary of Shakespeare (1564-1616) observed that the productivity of Italian shipping had declined, compared with that of the British, because of conservatism and loss of expertise. Moreover, Italian sailors were deserting and emigrating, and captains, no longer recruited from the ranks of nobles, were weak on navigations.This decline can be seen clearly in the changes that affected Venetian shipping and trade. First, Venice's intermediary functions in the Adriatic Sea, where it had dominated the business of shipping for other parties, were lost to direct trading. In the fifteenth century there was little problem recruiting sailors to row the galleys (large ships propelled by oars): guilds (business associations) were required to provide rowers, and through a draft system free citizens served compulsorily when called for. | In the early sixteenth century the shortage of rowers was not serious because the demand for galleys was limited by a move to round ships (round-hulled ships with more cargo space), with required fewer rowers. | But the shortage of crews proved to be a greater and greater problem, despite continuous appeal to Venic's tradition of maritime greatness.| Even though sailors' wages doubled among the northern Italian cities from 1550 to 1590, this did not elicit an increased supply.|13. Look at the four squares [| ] that indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage. Where would the sentence best fit? Click on a square to add the sentence to the passage.The increase in reward still did not attract young people to this hard life, and convicted criminals and slaves were pressed into services.14. Directions: An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage is provided below. Complete the summary by selecting the THREE answer choices that express the most important ideas in the passage. Some sentences do notbelong in the summary because they express ideas that are not presented in the passage or are minor ideas in the passage. This question is worth 2 points. The loss of power and prestige of Italian cities by the sixteenth century is clearly seen in the decline of Venetian shipping.A. Venetian ships were famous for carrying large cargoes of spices and luxury goods around the world in fast, oar-driven galleys.B. Venetian round ships bringing spices and silk from the East helped drive prices down so that ordinary people could afford to buy themC. A shortage of timber for building the traditional galleys and a lack of sailors to row them meant a loss of Venetian shipping business.D. Venice failed to keep up with improvement in ship design, and the cost of shipbuilding rose a quality and efficiency declined.E. The Venetian Council made sure that Venetian-built and Eowned ships kept special privileges in transporting luxury goods in and out of Venice.F. The Portuguese direct sea route to the East adversely affected Venetian trade, and Venice fell behind the Dutch and the British in the quality of their ships and sailing skills.。

托福TPO26阅读word版下载三

托福TPO26阅读word版下载三摘要：托福TPO是同学们在备考托福考试过程中重要的备考资料，利用TPO可以让同学们更好的来还原托福考试，以便在真正的托福考试中熟悉题型，把握好时间等，接下来就跟随小编一起来练习托福阅读tpo吧!托福TPO26阅读word版下载三Sumer and the First Cities of the Ancient Near EastThe earliest of the city states of the ancient Near East appeared at the southern end of the Mesopotamian plain, the area between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in what is now Iraq. It was here that the civilization known as Sumer emerged in its earliest form in the fifth millennium. At first sight, the plain did not appear to be a likely home for a civilization. There were few natural resources, no timber, stone, or metals. Rainfall was limited, and what water there was rushed across the plain in the annual flood of melted snow. As the plain fell only 20 meters in 500 kilometers, the beds of the rivers shifted constantly. It was this that made the organization of irrigation, particularly the building of canals to channel and preserve the water, essential. Once this was done and the silt carried down by the rivers was planted, the rewards were rich: four to five times what rain-fed earth would produce. It was these conditions that allowed an elite to emerge, probably as an organizing class, and to sustain itself through the control of surplus crops.It is difficult to isolate the factors that led to the next development—the emergence of urban settlements. The earliest, that of Eridu, about 4500 B.C.E., and Uruk, a thousand years later, center on impressive temple complexes built of mud brick. In some way, the elite had associated themselves with the power of the gods. Uruk, for instance, had two patron gods—Anu, the god of the sky and sovereign of all other gods, and Inanna, a goddess of love and war—and there were others, patrons of different cities. Human beings were at their mercy. The biblical story of the Flood may originate in Sumer. In the earliest version, the gods destroy the human race because its clamor had been so disturbing to them.It used to be believed that before 3000 B.C.E. the political and economic life of the cities was centered on their temples, but it now seems probable that the cities had secular rulers from earliest times. Within the city lived administrators, craftspeople, and merchants. (Trading was important, as so many raw materials, the semiprecious stones for the decoration of the temples, timbers for roofs, and all metals, had to be imported.) An increasingly sophisticated system of administration led in about 3300 B.C.E. to the appearance of writing. The earliest script was based on logograms, with a symbol being used to express a whole word. The logograms were incised on dampclay tablets with a stylus with a wedge shape at its end. (The Romans called the shape cuneus and this gives the script its name of cuneiform.) Two thousand logograms have been recorded from these early centuries of writing. A more economical approach was to use a sign to express not a whole word but a single syllable. (To take an example: the Sumerian word for " head” was “sag.” Whenever a word including a syllable in which the sound “sag” was to be written, the sign for “sag" could be used to express that syllable with the remaining syllables of the word expressed by other signs.) By 2300 B.C.E. the number of signs required had been reduced to 600, and the range of words that could be expressed had widened. Texts dealing with economic matters predominated, as they always had done; but at this point works of theology, literature, history, and law also appeared.Other innovations of the late fourth millennium include the wheel, probably developed first as a more efficient way of making pottery and then transferred to transport. A tablet engraved about 3000 B.C.E. provides the earliest known example from Sumer, a roofed boxlike sledge mounted on four solid wheels. A major development was the discovery, again about 3000 B.C.E., that if copper, which had been known in Mesopotamia since about 3500 B.C.E., was mixed with tin, a much harder metal, bronze, would result. Although copper and stone tools continued to be used, bronze was far more successful in creating sharp edges that could be used as anything from saws and scythes to weapons. The period from 3000 to 1000 B.C.E., when the use of bronze became widespread, is normally referred to as the Bronze Age.Paragraph 1: The earliest of the city states of the ancient Near East appeared at the southern end of the Mesopotamian plain, the area between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in what is now Iraq. It was here that the civilization known as Sumer emerged in its earliest form in the fifth millennium. At first sight, the plain did not appear to be a likely home for a civilization. There were few natural resources, no timber, stone, or metals. Rainfall was limited, and what water there was rushed across the plain in the annual flood of melted snow. As the plain fell only 20 meters in 500 kilometers, the beds of the rivers shifted constantly. It was this that made the organization of irrigation, particularly the building of canals to channel and preserve the water, essential. Once this was done and the silt carried down by the rivers was planted, the rewards were rich: four to five times what rain-fed earth would produce. It was these conditions that allowed an elite to emerge, probably as an organizing class, and to sustain itself through the control of surplus crops......以上就是小编为大家整理的“托福TPO26阅读word版下载三”部分内容，更多资料请点击托福资料下载频道!。

托福考试真题阅读TPO-26-reading阅读

Energy and the Industrial RevolutionFor years historians have sought to identify crucial elements in the eighteenth-century rise in industry, technology, and economic power Known as the Industrial Revolution, and many give prominence to the problem of energy. Until the eighteenth century, people relied on energy derived from plants as well as animal and human muscle to provide power Increased efficiency in the use of water and wind helped with such tasks as pumping, milling, or sailing. However, by the eighteenth century, Great Britain in particular was experiencing an energy shortage. Wood, the primary source of heat for homes and industries and also used in the iron industry as processed charcoal, was diminishing in supply. Great Britain had large amounts of coal; however, there were not yet efficient means by which to produce mechanical energy or to power machinery. This was to occur with progress in the development of the steam engine.In the late 1700s James Watt designed an efficient and commercially viable steam engine that was soon applied to a variety of industrial uses as it became cheaper to use. The engine helped solve the problem of draining coal mines of groundwater and increased the production of coal needed to power steam engines elsewhere. A rotary engine attached to the steam engine enabled shafts to be turned and machines to be driven, resulting in millsusing steam power to spin and weave cotton. Since the steam engine was fired by coal, the large mills did not need to be located by rivers, as had mills that used water- driven machines. The shift to increased mechanization in cotton production is apparent in the import of raw cotton and the sale of cotton goods. Between 1760 and 1850, the amount of raw cotton imported increased 230 times. Production of British cotton goods increased sixtyfold, and cotton cloth became Great Britain’s most important product, accounting for one-half of all exports. The success of the steam engine resulted in increased demands for coal, and the consequent increase in coal production was made possible as the steam-powered pumps drained water from the ever-deeper coal seams found below the water table.The availability of steam power and the demands for new machines facilitated the transformation of the iron industry. Charcoal, made from wood and thus in limited supply, was replaced with coal-derived coke (substance left after coal is heated) as steam-driven bellows came into use for producing of raw iron. Impurities were burnt away with the use of coke, producing a high-quality refined iron. Reduced cost was also instrumental in developing steam-powered rolling mills capable of producing finished iron of various shapes and sizes. The resulting boom in the iron industry expanded the annual iron output by more than 170 times between 1740 and 1840, and by the 1850s Great Britain was producing more tons of iron than the rest of the world combined. The developments in the iron industry were in part a response to the demand for more machines and the ever-widening use of higher-quality iron in other industries.Steam power and iron combined to revolutionize transport, which in turn had further implications. Improvements in road construction and sailing had occurred, but shipping heavy freight over land remained expensive, even with the use of rivers and canals wherever possible. Parallel rails had long been used in mining operations to move bigger loads, but horses were still the primary source of power. ■However, the arrival of the steam engine initiated a complete transformation in rail transportation, entrenching and expanding the Industrial Revolution. ■As transportation improved, distant and larger markets within the nation could be reached, thereby encouraging the development of larger factories to keep pace with increasing sales. ■Greater productivity and rising demands provided entrepreneurs with profits that could be reinvested to take advantage of new technologies to further expand capacity, or to seek alternative investment opportunities. ■Also, the availability of jobs in railway construction attracted many rural laborers accustomed to seasonal and temporary employment. When the work was completed, many moved to other construction jobs or to factory work in cities and towns, where they became part of an expanding working class.Q1: Why does the author provide the information that “Great Britain had large amounts of coal”?A. To reject the claim that Britain was facing an energy shortage in the eighteenth centuryB. To explain why coal rather than other energy resources became the primary source of heat for homes and industries in eighteenth-century BritainC. To indicate that Britain’s energy shortage was not the result of a lack of fuelQ2: What was “the problem of energy" that had to be solved to make the Industrial Revolution of the eighteenth century possible?A. Water and wind could not be used efficiently.B. There was no efficient way to power machinery.C. Steam engines required large amounts of coal, which was in short supply.D. Neither humans nor animals were strong enough to provide the power required for industrial application.Q3: Which of the following is NOT mentioned in paragraph 2 as a development in cotton mills brought about by Watt’s steam engine?A. The importing of huge quantities of raw cotton by BritainB. Increased mechanizationC. More possibilities for mill locationD. Smaller millsQ4: The phrase “apparent in” in the passage is closest in meaning toA. clearly seen inB. aided byC. associated withD. followed byQ5: According to paragraph 2, what was Britain’s most important export by 1850?A. Raw cottonB. Cotton clothC. Steam-powered pumpsD. CoalQ6: The word “consequent” in the passage is closest in meaning toA. resultingB. encouragingC. well documentedD. immediateQ7: What is the role of paragraph 2 in the passage as a whole?A. It explains how by increasing the supply of raw materials from other countries, British industries were able to reduce costs and increase production.B. It explains how the productionof mechanical energy and its benefits spread quickly across countries that were linked commercially with Great Britain.C. It demonstrates why developments in a single industry could not have caused the Industrial Revolution.D. It illustrates why historians have assigned great importance to the issue of energy in the rise of the Industrial Revolution.Q8: According to paragraph 3, why was the use of coke important for the iron industry?A. It helped make wood into charcoal.B. It reduced the dependency on steam-powered machines used for the production of iron.C. It replaced charcoal in the production of raw and refined iron.D. It powered the machines used to extract coal incoal mines.Q9: According to paragraph 3, all of the following were true of the iron industry inGreat Britain during the 1800s EXCEPT:A. Steam-driven bellows were used to produce raw iron.B. By the 1850s Britain was the world’s largest producer of iron.C. Steam-powered mills made it possible to produce iron of different shapes and sizes.D. Greater demand for higher-quality iron increased its price.Q10: The word “initiated” in the pass age is closest in meaning toA. anticipatedB. acceleratedC. spreadD. startedQ11: Paragraph 4 implies which of the following about the transformation in rail transportation?A. Because railway construction employed mostly rural laborers, unemployment increased among urban workers.B. It resulted in more trade within the country, but less trade with markets that could be reached only by ocean shipping.C. It made shipping freight overland to distant markets less expensive.D. It resulted in higher wages for factory workers.Q12: The phrase “accustomed to" in the passage is closest in meaning toA. in need ofB. used toC. tired ofD. encouraged byQ13: Look at the four squares [■] that indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage.The first steam-powered locomotives were slow but they rapidly improved in speed and carrying capacity.Where would the sentence best fit? Click on a square to add the sentence to the passage.Q14:Directions:An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage is provided below. Complete the summary by selecting the THREE answer choices that express the most important ideas in the passage. Some sentences do not belong in the summary because they express ideas that are not presented in the passage or are minor ideas in the passage. This question is worth 2 points.The coming of the Industrial Revolution in eighteenth-century Britain depended on the development of the steam engine to power machinery.A. For years, historians disregarded the issue of energy as a major element in the rise of the Industrial Revolution and focused instead on technological developments and increased production.B. The introduction and growth of steam-powered rail transport was a major factor in Britain's economic expansion during the Industrial Revolution.C. An expansion of the Industrial Revolution outside Great Britain occurred when British industries began to import raw cotton and high-quality iron.D. By 1850, the use of steam power in Britain's mills, mines, and iron industry made Britain a world leader in the production of cotton cloth and iron.E. Since the basic infrastructure was in place, the Industrial Revolution fueled itself with enlargingmarkets requiring ever more expansion of factories and workforce.F. By the end of the 1800s, railway construction attracted so many laborers that factories could not find enough workers to keep up with increasing sales.Survival of Plants and Animals in Desert ConditionsThe harsh conditions in deserts are intolerable for most plants and animals. Despite these conditions, however, many varieties of plants and animals have adapted to deserts in a number of ways. Most plant tissues die if their water content falls too low: the nutrients that feed plants are transmitted by water; water is a raw material in the vital process of photosynthesis; and water regulates the temperature of a plant by its ability to absorb heat and because water vapor lostto the atmosphere through the leaves helps to lower plant temperatures. ■Water controls the volume of plant matter produced. ■The distribution of plants within different areas of desert is also controlled by water. ■Some areas, because of their soil texture, topographical position, or distance from rivers or groundwater, have virtually no water available to plants, whereas others do.■The nature of plant life in deserts is also highly dependent on the fact that they have to adapt to the prevailing aridity. There are two general classes of vegetation: long-lived perennials, which may be succulent (water-storing) and are often dwarfed and woody, and annuals or ephemerals, which have a short life cycle and may form a fairly dense stand immediately after rain.The ephemeral plants evade drought. Given a year of favorable precipitation, such plants will develop vigorously and produce large numbers of flowers and fruit. This replenishes the seed content of the desert soil. The seeds then lie dormant until the next wet year, when the desert blooms again.The perennial vegetation adjusts to the aridity by means of various avoidance mechanisms. Most desert plants are probably best classified as xerophytes. They possess drought-resisting adaptations: loss of water through the leaves is reduced by means of dense hairs covering waxy leaf surfaces, by the closure of pores during the hottest times to reduce water loss, and by the rolling up or shedding of leaves at the beginning of the dry season. Some xerophytes, the succulents (including cacti), store water in their structures. Another way of countering drought is to have a limited amount of mass above ground and to have extensive root networks below ground. It is not unusual for the roots of some desert perennials to extend downward more than ten meters. Some plants are woody in type —an adaptation designed to prevent collapse of the plant tissue when water stress produces wilting. Another class of desert plant is the phreatophyte. These have adapted to the environment by the development of long taproots that penetrate downward until they approach the assured water supply provided by groundwater. Among these plants are the date palm, tamarisk, and mesquite. They commonly grow near stream channels, springs, or on the margins of lakes.Animals also have to adapt to desert conditions, and they may do it through two forms of behavioral adaptation: they either escape or retreat. Escape involves such actions as aestivation, a condition of prolonged dormancy, or torpor, during which animals reduce their metabolic rate and body temperature during the hot season or during very dry spells. Seasonal migration is another form of escape, especially for large mammals or birds. The term retreat is applied to the short-term escape behavior of desert animals, and it usually assumes the pattern of a daily rhythm. Birds shelter in nests, rock overhangs, trees, and dense shrubs to avoid the hottest hours of the day, while mammals like the kangaroo rat burrow underground.Some animals have behavioral, physiological, and morphological (structural) adaptations that enable them to withstand extreme conditions. For example, the ostrich has plumage that is so constructed that the feathers are long but not too dense. When conditions are hot, the ostrich erects them on its back, thus increasing the thickness of the barrier between solar radiation and the skin. The sparse distribution of the feathers, however, also allows considerable lateral air movement over the skin surface, thereby permitting further heat loss by convection. Furthermore, the birds orient themselves carefully with regard to the Sun and gently flap their wings to increase convection cooling.The harsh conditions in deserts are intolerable for most plants and animals. Despite these conditions, however, many varieties of plants and animals have adapted to deserts in a number of ways. Most plant tissues die if their water content falls too low: the nutrients that feed plants are transmitted by water; water is a raw material in the vital process ofto the atmosphere through the leaves helps to lower plant temperatures. ■Water controls the volume of plant matter produced. ■The distribution of plants within different areas of desert is also controlled by water. ■Some areas, because of their soil texture, topographical position, or distance from rivers or groundwater, have virtually no water available to plants, whereas others do.■Q1: According to paragraph 1, water provides all of the following essential functions for plants EXCEPTA. improving plants’ ability to absorb sunlightB. preventing plants from becoming overheatedC. transporting nutrientsD. serving as a raw material for photosynthesisQ2: Paragraph 3 suggests that during a dry year ephemeralsA. produce even more seeds than in a wet yearB. do not sprout from their seedsC. bloom much later than in a wet yearD. are more plentiful than perennialsQ3: Howis paragraph 2 related to paragraph 3?A. Paragraph 2 provides a general description of desert plants, and paragraph 3 provides a scientific explanation for these observations.B. Paragraph 2 divides desert plants into two categories, and paragraph 3 provides further information about one of these categories.C. Paragraph 2 proposes one way of dividing desert plants into categories, and paragraph 3 explains one problem with this method of classification.D. Paragraph 2 discusses two categories of desert plants, and paragraph 3 introduces a third category of plants.Q4: In saying that ephemerals will develop “vigorously" when there is favorable precipitation, the author means that their development will beA. suddenB. earlyC. gradualD. strong and healthyQ5: The word “countering” in the passage is closest in meaning toA. eliminatingB. making use ofC. acting againstD. experiencingQ6: According to paragraph 4, some desert plants with root systems that are extraordinarily well developed haveA. relatively little growth abovegroundB. very leafy aboveground structuresC. non woody plant tissue resistant to wiltingD. water stored within their rootsQ7: The word “assured” in the passage is closest in meaning toA. pureC. guaranteedD. deepQ8: What do “the date palm, tamarisk, and mesquite" have in common?A. They are always found together.B. They depend on surface water provided by streams, springs, and lakes.C. They are phreatophytes.D. Their roots are capable of breaking through hard soilsQ9: Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in the passage? Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.A. One way animals escape is by entering a state of extended dormancy, known as aestivation, during the hottest and driest times of year.B. Animals can escape without using direct action, or aestivation, simply by reducing their metabolic rate and body temperature.C. The actions that an animal uses to escape are known as aestivation, which sometimes involves a reduction in metabolic rate or body temperature.D. When the weather is especially hot and dry, an animal may suffer from a condition known as aestivation, at which point the animal needs to escape.Q10: It can be inferred from paragraph 5 that all of the places desert animals retreat toA. provide shade from the sunB. sometimes become crowdedC. are places where supplies of food are plentifulD. leave the animals vulnerable to predatorsQ11: According to paragraph 7, what special adaptation helps the ostrich cope with hot desert conditions?A. Each of its feathers is very short and dense.B. Its wings produce only lateral air movement when flapping.C. Its feathers are very thickly set on both its back and its wings.D. It can make its feathers stand up on its back.Q12: Look at the four squares [■]that indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage.The increase in reward still did not attract young people to this hard life, and convicted criminals and slaves were pressed into servicesWhere would the sentence best fit?Q13:Directions: Select from the seven phrases below the two phrases that correctly characterize special adaptations found primarily in desert annuals and the three phrases that correctly characterize special adaptations found primarily in desert perennials. Select each phrase you select in the appropriate column of the table. This question is worth 3 points.Adaptations of AnnualsFive of the phrases will NOT be used.Answer ChoicesA. Woody structuresB. Explosive growth in wet yearsD. Storage of water in plant tissueE. Minimization of the amount of water used for photosynthesisF. Short life cycleG. Leaves designed to minimize water lossAdaptations of PerennialsFour of the phrases will NOT be used.Answer ChoicesA. Woody structuresB. Explosive growth in wet yearsC. Long, thin, shallow rootsD. Storage of water in plant tissueE. Minimization of the amount of water used for photosynthesisF. Short life cycleG. Leaves designed to minimize water lossSumer and the First Cities of the Ancient Near EastThe earliest of the city states of the ancient Near East appeared at the southern end of the Mesopotamian plain, the area between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in what is now Iraq. It was here that the civilization known as Sumer emerged in its earliest form in the fifth millennium. At first sight, the plain did not appear to be a likely home for a civilization. There were few natural resources, no timber, stone, or metals. Rainfall was limited, and what water there was rushed across the plain in the annual flood of melted snow. As the plain fell only 20 meters in 500 kilometers, the beds of the rivers shifted constantly. It was this that made the organization of irrigation, particularly the building of canals to channel and preserve the water, essential. Once this was done and the silt carried down by the rivers was planted, the rewards were rich: four to five times what rain-fed earth would produce. It was these conditions that allowed an elite to emerge, probably as an organizing class, and to sustain itself through the control of surplus crops.It is difficult to isolate the factors that led to the next development—the emergence of urban settlements. The earliest, that of Eridu, about 4500 B.C.E., and Uruk, a thousand years later, center on impressive temple complexes built of mud brick. In some way, the elite had associated themselves with the power of the gods. Uruk, for instance, had two patron gods—Anu, the god of the sky and sovereign of all other gods, and Inanna, a goddess of love and war—and there were others, patrons of different cities. Human beings were at their mercy. The biblical story of the Flood may originate in Sumer. In the earliest version, the gods destroy the human race because its clamor had been so disturbing to them.It used to be believed that before 3000 B.C.E. the political and economic life of the cities was centered on their temples, but it now seems probable that the cities had secular rulers from earliest times. ■Within the city lived administrators, craftspeople, and merchants. (Trading was important, as so many raw materials, the semiprecious stones for the decoration of the temples, timbers for roofs, and all metals, had to be imported.) ■An increasingly sophisticated system of administration led in about 3300 B.C.E. to the appearance of writing. ■The earliest script was based on logograms, with a symbol being used to express a whole word. ■The logograms were incised on damp clay tablets with a stylus with a wedge shape at its end. (The Romans called the shape cuneus and this gives the script its name of cuneiform.) Two thousand logograms have been recorded from these early centuries of writing. A more economical approach was to use a sign to expres s not a whole word but a single syllable. (To take an example: the Sumerian word for " head” was “sag.” Whenever a word including a syllable in which the sound “sag” was to be written, the sign for “sag" could be used to express that syllable with the remaining syllables of the word expressed by other signs.) By 2300 B.C.E. the number of signs required had been reduced to 600, and the range of words that could be expressed had widened. Texts dealing with economic matters predominated, as they always had done; but at this point works of theology, literature, history, and law also appeared.Other innovations of the late fourth millennium include the wheel, probably developed first as a more efficient way of making pottery and then transferred to transport. A tablet engraved about 3000 B.C.E. provides the earliest known example from Sumer, a roofed boxlike sledge mounted on four solid wheels. A major development was the discovery, again about 3000 B.C.E., that if copper, which had been known in Mesopotamia since about 3500 B.C.E., was mixed with tin, a much harder metal, bronze, would result. Although copper and stone tools continued to be used, bronze was far more successful in creating sharp edges that could be used as anything from saws and scythes to weapons. The period from 3000 to 1000 B.C.E., when the use of bronze became widespread, is normally referred to as the Bronze Age.It used to be believed that before 3000 B.C.E. the political and economic life of the cities was centered on their temples, but it now seems probable that the cities had secular rulers from earliest times. ■Within the city lived administrators, craftspeople, and merchants. (Trading was important, as so many raw materials, the semiprecious stones for the decoration of the temples, timbers for roofs, and all metals, had to be imported.) ■An increasingly sophisticated system of administration led in about 3300 B.C.E. to the appearance of writing. ■The earliest script was based on logograms, with a symbol being used to express a whole word. ■The logograms were incised on damp clay tablets with a stylus with a wedge shape at its end. (The Romans called the shape cuneus and this gives the script its name of cuneiform.)Q1: Which of the following is NOT mentioned in paragraph 1 as a disadvantage of the Mesopotamian plain?A. There was not very much rainfall for most of the year.B. Melting snow caused flooding every year.C. The silt deposited by rivers damaged crops.D. Timber, stone and metals were not readily available.Q2: According to paragraph 1, which of the following made it possible for an elite to emerge?A. New crops were developed that were better suited to conditions on the Mesopotamian plain.B. The richest individuals managed to gain control of the most valuable cropland.C. Control over the few available natural resources made some people four to five times richer than everyone else.D. The building of canals to increase agricultural output required organization.Q3: The word “sustain" in the passage is closest in meaning toA. defendB. promoteC. maintainD. transformQ4: According to paragraph 2, Eridu and Uruk are examples of urban settlements thatA. lacked the features usually found in other early urban settlementsB. developed around religious buildingsC. grew much more rapidly than most of the urban settlements found in SumerD. were mysteriously destroyed and abandonedQ5: The word “sovereign" in the passage is closest in meaning toA. counselorB. masterC. defenderD. creatorQ6: According to paragraph 3, which of the following led to the appearance of writing?A. An increasingly sophisticated administrative systemB. Coordination between secular and religious leadersC. The large volume of trade, particularly importsD. A rapidly expanding and changing populationQ7: In paragraph 3, why does the author provide the information that the number of signs in use had dropped from 2,000 to 600 by 2300 B.C.E.?A. To argue that the development of writing involved periods of growth followed by periods of declineB. To demonstrate that earlier written texts used a larger vocabulary than later texts, which were aimed at a broader audienceC. To support the claim that the range of words expressed by logograms varied widely depending on time period and type of textD. To provide evidence for the increased efficiency of using signs to express syllables rather than whole wordsQ8: According to paragraph 3, ancient texts most commonly dealt withA. theologyB. literatureD. lawQ9: According to paragraph 4, the earliest wheels probablyA. were first developed in areas outside MesopotamiaB. were used to make potteryC. appeared on boxlike sledgesD. were used to transport goods between citiesQ10: The word “engraved” in the passage is closest in meaning toA. carvedB. producedC. datedD. discoveredQ11: Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in the passage? Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.A. Also around 3000B.C.E., it was discovered that mixing copper, known from about 3500 B.C.E., with tin would create a much harder metal known as bronze.B. Although copper had been known since 3500 B.C.E in Mesopotamia, the discovery of bronze did not occur until around 3000 B.C.E.C. Another major development around 3000 B.C.E. was the discovery that copper could be mixed with a much harder metal known as tin.D. The development of bronze by mixing copper and tin probably occurred around 3000 B.C.E. but may have happened as early as 3500 B.C.E.Q12: The word “widespread” in the passage is closest in meaning toA. obviousB. significantC. necessaryD. commonQ13: Look at the four squares [■]that indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage.City life was diverse, and the population was engaged in a variety of occupations.Where would the sentence best fit?Q14:Directions:An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage is provided below. Complete the summary by selecting the THREE answer choices that express the most important ideas in the passage. Some sentences do not belong in the summary because they express ideas that are not presented in the passage or are minorideas in the passage. This question is worth 2 points.Irrigation made it possible for the civilization known as Sumer to arise on the Mesopotamian plain in the fifth millennium B.C.E.Answer ChoicesA. The scarcity of natural resources on the plain made it necessary for a powerful elite to emerge and take charge of trade and imports.B. The economy of each city was based on a craft such as pottery or metal working, and the city of Eridu was known for its saws, scythes and weapons.C. Writing appeared in the form of logograms and later developed into a system using signs to represent syllables rather than whole words.。

TPO-26 Reading 2解析

正确答案：A解析：在第一段中，B项对应water regulates the temperature of a plant by its ability to absorb heat；C项对应the nutrients that feed plants are transmitted by water; D项对应water is a raw material in the vital process of photosynthesis。

排除法选A。

Q2正确答案：B解析：第三段主要讲述一年生植物通过保存种子的方法来躲避干旱。

根据the seeds then lie dormant until next wet year, when the desert blooms again确定B 正确；原文说的是replenish the seed content而不是produce more seeds，排除A；原文未提及一年生植物在dry year是否开花，排除C；原文没有提及一年生植物和多年生植物多少的比较，排除D。

Q3正确答案：B解析：通过理解段意可知，第二段主要介绍了两种植物，perennials和ephemerals，第三段详细介绍了ephemerals，B正确。

Q4正确答案：D解析：vigorously，强壮地，茁壮地。

在原文中develop vigorously和produce large numbers of flowers and fruit是并列近义，也可据此推断vigorously近义词是strong and healthy。

Q5正确答案：C解析：counter，反驳，驳斥，抵制，抵消；近义词是acting against。

也可根据countering所在句的意思推断：地面上的植物部分少，地底下的根系网络发达，这种结构是为了对抗干旱。

eliminating是干扰选项，因为消除干旱是不可能的。

【威学教育】王鑫托福阅读TPO24-2阅读文本

【王鑫托福阅读】托福TPO全集之TPO24-2TPO24TPO24-2 Breathing During Sleep1. According to paragraph 1, which of the following can be inferred about the diaphragm during sleep?A During sleep the diaphragm requires increased movement of the rib cage.B The diaphragm helps with breathing as movements of the rib cage decrease during sleep.C The diaphragm requires a great amount of pressure to function properly.D The diaphragm contributes to the effective functioning of the rib cage.2. According to paragraph 2, all of the following are true of the voluntary breathing system EXCEPT:A It has its control center in the brain stem.B It controls breathing for a number of activiti during wakefulness. ▲C It is able to bypass the automatic system.D It produces an irregular breathing pattern.^ mmOf all the physiological differences in human sleep compared with wakefulness that have been discovered in the last decade, changes in respiratory control are most dramatic. Not only are there differences in the level of the functioning of respiratory systems, there are even changes in how they function.Movements of the rib cage for breathing are reduced during sleep, making the contractions of the diaphragm more important. Yet because of the physics of lying down, the stomach applies weight against the diaphragm and makes it more difficult for the diaphragm to do its job. However, there are many other changes that affect respiration通 1 1"when asleep.During wakefulness, breathing is controlled by two interacting systems. The first is an automatic,,毳.metabolic system whose control is centered in thebrain stem. It subconsciously adjusts breathing rate wand depth in order to regulate the levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) and oxygen (O2), and the acid-base ratio in the blood. The second system is the voluntary, behavioral system. Its control center is based in the forebrain, and it regulates breathing for use in speech, singing, sighing, and so on. It is capable of ignoring or overriding the automatic, metabolic system and produces an irregular pattern of breathing.3. The word exclusive in the passage is closest in meaning toA consistentB perfectC partialD sole4. According to paragraph 3, which of the following may occur just before NREM sleep begins?A The automatic, metabolic system may increase its dependence on air exchanges.B Breathing can stop for a short time as a person falls asleep.C An increase in the oxygen level in the blood can occur as sleep becomes fully obtained.D The level of carbon dioxide in the blood may drop suddenly.5. What is the author's purpose in stating that inhaling is like sucking air out of a balloon?A To refute the argument that additional effo necessary for breathing during sleepB To argue that REM sleep is more important than NREM sleepC To illustrate the difficulty of breathing during sleepD To illustrate how blockage of narrow passages can be prevented during sleep6. All of the following are mentioned in paragraph 4 as being characteristic of breathing during sleep EXCEPT A relaxation of the muscles involved in the respiratory systemB changes in resistance between the two sides of the noseC easier airflow in the passages of the upper airwayD absence of certain complex muscle interactionsDuring NREM (the phase of sleep in which there is no rapid eye movement) breathing becomes deeper and more regular, but there is also a decrease in the breathing rate, resulting in less air being exchanged overall. This occurs because during NREM sleep theautomatic, metabolic system has exclusive control over breathing and the body uses less oxygen and produces less carbon dioxide. Also, during sleep the automatic metabolic system is less responsive to carbon dioxide levels and oxygen levels in the blood. Two things result from these changes in breathing control that occur during sleep. First, there may be a brief cessation or reduction of breathing when falling asleep as the sleeper waxes and wanes between sleep and wakefulness and their differing control mechanisms. Second, once sleep is fully obtained, there is an increase of carbon dioxide and a decrease of oxygen in the blood that persists during NREM.V / <S&>But that is not all that changes. During all phases of sleep, several changes in the air passages have been observed. It takes twice as much effort to breathe during sleep because of greater resistance to airflow in the airways and changes in the efficiency of the muscles used for breathing. Some of the muscles that help keep the upper airway open when breathing tend to become more relaxed during sleep, especially during REM (the phase of sleep in which there is rapid eye movement). Without this muscular action,inhalingis like sucking air out of a balloon—the narrowpassages tend to collapse. Also there is a regular cycle of change in resistance between the two sides of the nose. If something blocks the "good" side, such as congestion from allergies or a cold, then resistance increases dramatically. Coupled with these factors is the loss of the complex interactions among the muscles that can change the route of airflow from nose to mouth.7. According to paragraph 5, what happens during NREM sleep when inhaling is difficult?A There is an immediate, automatic, adaptive increase in breathing effort.B The sleeping person takes several inadequate breaths before the breathing effort is adjusted.C The coughing reflex causes the breathing effort to adjust.Other respiratory regulating mechanisms apparently cease functioning during sleep. For example, during wakefulness there is an immediate, automatic, adaptive increase in breathing effort when inhaling is made more difficult (such as breathing through a restrictive face mask). This reflexive adjustment is totally absent during NREM sleep. Only after several inadequate breaths under such conditions, resulting inD The airways become cleared as the blood removestheconsiderableelevation of carbon dioxide andairway, then resume breathing and likely return toresume in the passage is closestirritants.8. It can be inferred from paragraph 5 that a very mild irritation during sleep will likely cause the sleeping person toA increase the breathing effortB wake up and remove the source of irritationC cough while still sleepingD stop breathing temporarily while still sleeping9. The word considerable meaning to A significantB SteadyC UsualD necessary10. The word meaning to A reduce B stop C Readjust D restartreduction of oxygen in the blood, is breathing effort adjusted. Finally, the coughing reflex in reaction to irritants in the airway produces not a cough during sleep but a cessation of breathing. If the irritation is severe enough, a sleeping person will arouse, clear the11. Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in the passage? Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.A Because breathing is more shallow and irregular in REM than in NREM, less air is exchanged in REM.B Breathing in NREM is less effective than breathing in REM because of irregular episodes of rapid breathing during NREM.C Because breathing is more rapid in NREM sleep than in REM sleep, breathing often becomes shallow.D Although REM has brief episodes of shallow breathing or lack of breathing, breathing is more rapid than in NREM.Additional breathing changes occur during REM sleep that are even more dramatic than the changes thatoccur during NREM. The amount of air exchanged iseven lower in REM than NREM because, althoughbreathing is more rapid in REM,it is also more irregular,with brief episodes of shallow breathing or absence of breathing. In addition, breathing during REM depends much more on the action of the diaphragm and much less on rib cage action.Of all the physiological differences in human sleep compared with wakefulness that have been discovered in the last decade, changes in respiratory control are most dramatic. Not only are there differences in the level of the functioning of respiratory systems, there are even changes in how they function. Movements of the rib cage for breathing are reduced during sleep, making the contractions of the diaphragm more important. | Yet because of the physics of lying down, the stomach applies weight against the diaphragm and makes it more difficult for the diaphragm to do its job. | However, there are many other changes that affect respiration when asleep.| During wakefulness, breathing is controlled by two interacting systems.| The first is an automatic, metabolic system whose control is centered in the brain stem. It subconsciously adjusts breathing rate and depth in order to regulate the levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) and oxygen (O2), and the acid-base ratio in the blood. The second system is the voluntary, behavioral system. Its control center is based in the forebrain, and it regulates breathing for use in speech, singing, sighing, and so on. It is capable of ignoring or overriding the automatic, metabolic system and produces an irregular pattern of breathing.12. Look at the four squares [| ] that indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage. Where would the sentence best fit? Click on a square to add the sentence to the passageTo better understand breathing during sleep, it is, however, helpful to first understand how respiration works ingeneral.r13. Directions: From the seven statements below, select the statements that correctly characterize breathing during wakefulness and those statements that correctly characterize breathing during sleep. Drag each answer choice you select into the appropriate box of the table. Two of the answer choices will NOT be used. This question is worth 3 points. 4% HA. The role of the rib cage increases and the role of the diaphragm decreases.B. Carbon dioxide in blood rises and oxygen drops.C. The coughing reflex is extremely complex.D. A great deal of effort is used for breathing.E. Upper airways are resistant to colds and allergies.F. There is a drop in the volume of air that is exchanged.G. Automatic and voluntary respiratory systems are both involved.。

TPO26阅读文本

TPO 26Energy and the Industrial RevolutionPARAGRAPH 1For years historians have sought to identify crucial elements in the eighteenth-century rise in industry, technology, and economic power Known as the Industrial Revolution, and many give prominence to the problem of energy. Until the eighteenth century, people relied on energy derived from plants as well as animal and human muscle to provide power Increased efficiency in the use of water and wind helped with such tasks as pumping, milling, or sailing. However, by the eighteenth century, Great Britain in particular was experiencing an energy shortage. Wood, the primary source of heat for homes and industries and also used in the iron industry as processed charcoal, was diminishing in supply. Great Britain had large amounts of coal; however, there were not yet efficient means by which to produce mechanical energy or to power machinery. This was to occur with progress in the development of the steam engine.PARAGRAPH 2In the late 1700s James Watt designed an efficient and commercially viable steam engine that was soon applied to a 1 variety of industrial uses as it became cheaper to use. The engine helped solve the problem of draining coal mines of groundwater and increased the production of coal needed to power steam engines elsewhere. A rotary engine attached to the steam engine enabled shafts to be turned and machines to be driven, resulting in mills using steam power to spin and weave cotton. Since the steam engine was fired by coal, the large mills did not need to be located by rivers, as had mills that used water- driven machines. The shift to increased mechanization in cotton production is apparent in the import of raw cotton and the sale of cotton goods. Between 1760 and 1850, the amount of raw cotton imported increased 230 times. Production of British cotton goods increased sixtyfold, and cotton cloth became Great Britain's most important product, accounting for one-half of all exports. The success of the steam engine resulted in increased demands for coal, and the consequent increase in coal production was made possible as the steam-powered pumps drained water from the ever-deeper coal seams found below the water table.PARAGRAPH 3The availability of steam power and the demands for new machines facilitated the transformation of the iron industry. Charcoal, made from wood and thus in limited supply, was replaced with coal-derived coke (substance left after coal is heated) as steam-driven bellows came into use for producing of raw iron. Impurities were burnt away with the use of coke, producing a high-quality refined iron. Reduced cost was also instrumental in developing steam-powered rolling mills capable of producing finished iron of various shapes and sizes. The resulting boom in the iron industry expanded the annual iron output by more than 170 times between 1740 and 1840, and by the 1850s Great Britain was producing more tons of iron than the rest of the world combined. The developments in the iron industry were in part a response to the demand for more machines and the ever-widening use of higher-quality iron in other industries.PARAGRAPH 4Steam power and iron combined to revolutionize transport, which in turn had further implications. Improvements in road construction and sailing had occurred, but shipping heavy freight over land remained expensive, even with the use of rivers and canals wherever possible. Parallel rails had long been used in j mining operations to move bigger loads, but horses were still the primary source of power. ■ However, the arrival of the steam engine initiated a complete transformation in rail transportation, entrenching and expanding the Industrial Revolution. ■ As transportation improved, distant and larger markets within the nation could be reached, thereby encouraging the development of larger factories to keep pace with increasing sales. ■ Greater productivity and rising demands provided entrepreneurs with profits that could be reinvested to take advantage of new technologies to further expand capacity, or to seek alternative investment opportunities. ■ Also, the availability of jobs in railway Jj construction attracted many rural laborers accustomed to seasonal and temporary employment. When the work was completed, many movedto other construction jobs or to factory work in cities and towns, where they became part of an expanding working class.PARAGRAPH 11、Why does the author provide the information that "Great Britain had large amounts of coal"?To reject the claim that Britain was facing an energy shortage in the eighteenth century To explain why coal rather than other energy resources became the primary source of heat for homes and industries in eighteenth-century Britain To indicate that Britain's energy shortage was not the result of a lack of fuel To explain why coal mining became an important industry in nineteenth-century2、What was "the problem of energy" that had to be solved to make the Industrial Revolution of the eighteenth century possible? Water and wind could not be used efficiently. There was no efficient way to power machinery. Steam engines required large amounts of coal, which was in short supply. Neither humans nor animals were strong enough to provide the power required for industrial application.PARAGRAPH 2I3、Which of the following is NOT mentioned in paragraph 2 as a development in cotton mills brought about by Watt's steam engine? The importing of huge quantities of raw cotton by Britain Increased mechanization More possibilities for mill location Smaller mills4、The phrase "apparent in" in the passage is closest in meaning to clearly seen in aid inassociated with followed By5、According to paragraph 2, what was Britain's most important export by 1850? Raw cotton Cotton cloth Steam-powered pumps Coal6、The word "consequent" in the passage is closest in meaning to resultingencouragingwell documented immediate7、What is the role of paragraph 2 in the passage as a whole? It explains how by increasing the supply of raw materials from other countries, British industries were able to reduce costs and increase production. It explains how the production of mechanical energy and its benefits spread quickly across countries that were linked commercially with Great Britain. It demonstrates why developments in a single industry could not have caused the Industrial Revolution.It illustrates why historians have assigned igreat importance to the issue of energy in the rise of the Industrial Revolution.PARAGRAPH 38、According to paragraph 3, why was the use of coke important for the iron industry? It helped make wood into charcoal. It reduced the dependency on steam-powered machines used for the production of iron. It replaced charcoal in the production of raw and refined iron. It powered the machines used to extract coal in coal mines.9、According to paragraph 3, all of the following were true of the iron industry in Great Britain during the 1800s EXCEPT: Steam-driven bellows were used to produce raw iron. By the 1850s Britain was the world's largest producer of iron. Steam-powered mills made it possible to produce iron of different shapes and sizes. Greater demand for higher-quality iron increased its price.PARAGRAPH 410、The word "initiated" in the passage is closest in meaning to anticipatedacceleratedspreadstarted11、Paragraph 4 implies which of the following about the transformation in rail transportation?Because railway construction employed mostly rural laborers, unemployment increased among urban workers. It resulted in more trade within the country, but less trade with markets that could be reached only by ocean shipping. It made shipping freight overland to distant markets less expensive. It resulted in higher wages for factory workers.12、The phrase "accustomed to" in the passage is closest in meaning to in need of used to tired of encouraged by13、Look at the four squares [■] that indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage.The first steam-powered locomotives were slow but they rapidly improved in speed and carrying capacity.14、Direction: An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage is provided below. Complete the summary by selecting the THREE answer choices that express the most important ideas in the passage. Some sentences do not belong in the summary because they express ideas that are not presented in the passage or are minor ideas in the passage. This question is worth 2 points.The coming of the Industrial Revolution in eighteenth-century Britain depended on the development of the steam engine to power machinery.Answer Choices A. For years, historians disregarded the issue of energy as a major element in the rise of the Industrial Revolution and focused instead on technological developments and increased production.B. By 1850, the use of steam power in Britain's mills, mines, and iron industry made Britain a world leader in the production of cotton cloth and iron.C. The introduction and growth of steam-powered rail transport was a major factor in Britain's economic expansion during the Industrial Revolution.D. Once the basic infrastructure was in place, the Industrial Revolution fueled itself with enlarging markets requiring ever more expansion of factories and workforce.E. An expansion of the Industrial Revolution outside Great Britain occurred when British industries began to import raw cotton and high-quality iron.F. By the end of the 1800s, railway construction attracted so many laborers that factories could not find enough workers to keep up with increasing sales.Survival of Plants and Animals in Desert ConditionsPARAGRAPH 1The harsh conditions in deserts are intolerable for most plants and animals. Despite these conditions, however, many varieties of plants and animals have adapted to deserts in a number of ways. Most plant tissues die if their water content falls too low: the nutrients that feed plants are transmitted by water; water is a raw material in the vital process of photosynthesis; and water regulates the temperature of a plant by its ability to absorb heat and because water vapor lost to the atmosphere through the leaves helps to lower plant temperatures. ■ Water controls the volume of plant matter produced. ■ The distribution of plants within different areas of desert is also controlled by water. ■ Some areas, because of their soil texture, topographical position, or distance from rivers or groundwater, have virtually no water available to plants, whereas others do. ■PARAGRAPH 2The nature of plant life in deserts is also highly dependent on the fact that they have to adapt to the prevailing aridity. There are two general classes of vegetation: long-lived perennials, which may be succulent (water-storing) and are often dwarfed and woody, and annuals or ephemerals, which have a short life cycle and may form a fairly dense stand immediately after rain.PARAGRAPH 3The ephemeral plants evade drought. Given a year of favorable precipitation, such plants will develop vigorously and produce large numbers of flowers and fruit. This replenishes the seed content of the desert soil. The seeds then lie dormant until the next wet year, when the desert blooms again.PARAGRAPH 4The perennial vegetation adjusts to the aridity by means of various avoidance mechanisms. Most desert plants are 11 probably best classified as xerophytes. They possess drought-resisting adaptations: loss of water through the leaves is reduced by means of densehairs covering waxy leaf surfaces, by the closure of pores during the hottest times to reduce water loss, am by the rolling up or shedding of leaves at the beginning of the dry season. Some xerophytes, the succulents (including cacti), store water in their structures. Another way of countering drought is to have a limited amount of mass above ground and to have extensive root networks below ground. It is not unusual for the roots of some desert perennials to extend downward more than ten meters. Some plants are woody in type — an adaptation designed to prevent collapse of the plant tissue when water stress produces wilting. Another class of desert plant is the phreatophyte. These have adapted to the environment by the development of long taproots that penetrate downward until they approach the assured water supply provided by groundwater. Among these plants are the date palm, tamarisk, and mesquite. They commonly grow near stream channels, springs, or on the margins of lakes.PARAGRAPH 5Animals also have to adapt to desert conditions, and they may do it through two forms of behavioral adaptation: they either escape or retreat. Escape involves such actions as aestivation, a condition of prolonged dormancy, or torpor, during which animals reduce their metabolic rate and body temperature during the hot season or during very dry spells.PARAGRAPH 6Seasonal migration is another form of escape, especially for large mammals or birds. The term retreat is applied I to the short-term escape behavior of desert animals, and it usually assumes the pattern of a daily rhythm. Birds shelter in nests, rock overhangs, trees, and dense shrubs to avoid the hottest hours of the day, while mammals like the kangaroo rat burrow underground.PARAGRAPH 7Some animals have behavioral, physiological, and morphological (structural) adaptations that enable them to withstand extreme conditions. For example, the ostrich has 1 plumage that is so constructed that the feathers are long but not \ too dense. When conditions are hot, the ostrich erects them on its 1 back, thus increasing the thickness of the barrierbetween solar radiation and the skin. The sparse distribution of the feathers, however, also allows considerable lateral air movement over the skin surface, thereby permitting further heat loss by convection.Furthermore, the birds orient themselves carefully with regard to the Sun an0 gently flap their wings to increase convection cooling.PARAGRAPH 11、According to paragraph 1, water provides all of the following essential functions for plants EXCEPT improving plants' ability to absorb sunlight preventing plants from becoming overheated transporting nutrients serving as a raw material for photosynthesisPARAGRAPH 32、Paragraph 3 suggests that during a dry year ephemerals produce even more seeds than in a wet year do not sprout from their seeds bloom much later than in a wet year are more plentiful than perennialsPARAGRAPH 2&33、How is paragraph 2 related to paragraph 3? Paragraph 2 provides a general description of desc plants, and paragraph 3 provides a scientific explanation for these observations. Paragraph 2 divides desert plants into two categories, and paragraph 3 provides further information about one of these categories. Paragraph 2 proposes one way of dividing desert plants into categories, and paragraph 3 explains one problem with this method of classification. Paragraph 2 discusses two categories of desert plants, and paragraph 3 introduces a third category of plants.4、In saying that ephemerals will develop "vigorously" when there is favorable precipitation, the author means that their development will be suddenearlygradualstronghealthyPARAGRAPH 45、The word "countering" in the passage is closest in meaning to eliminatingmaking use of acting against experiencing6、According to paragraph 4, some desert plants with root systems that are extraordinarily well developed have relatively little growth aboveground very leafy aboveground structures nonwoody plant tissue resistant to wilting water stored within their roots7、The word "assured" in the passage is closest in meaning to purediminishedguaranteeddeep8、What do "the date palm, tamarisk, and mesquite" have in common? They are always found together. They depend on surface water provided by streams, springs, and lakes. They are phreatophytes. Their roots are capable of breaking through hard soilsPARAGRAPH 59、Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted 1 sentence in the passage? Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information. One way animals escape is by entering a state of extended dormancy, known as aestivation, during the hottest and driest times of year. Animals can escape without using direct action, or aestivation, simply by reducing their metabolic rate and body temperature. The actions that an animal uses to escape are known as aestivation, which sometimes involves a reduction in metabolic rate or body temperature. When the weather is especially hot and dry, an animal may suffer from a condition known as aestivation, at which point the animal needs to escape.10、It can be inferred from paragraph 5 that all of the places desert animals retreat to provide shade from the sun sometimes become crowded are places where supplies of food are plentiful leave the animals vulnerable to predatorsPARAGRAPH 711、According to paragraph 7, what special adaptation helps the ostrich cope with hot desert conditions?Each of its feathers is very short and dense. Its wings produce only lateral air movement when flapping. Its feathers are very thickly set on both its back and its wings. It can make its feathers stand up on its If back.PARAGRAPH 112、Look at the four squares [ ] that indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage.For this reason, the total amount of plant material in a desert is often 100 times less than the amount of plant material in an equivalent of temperate forest.Where would the sentence best fit?13. Directions: From the seven statements below, select the statements that correctly characterize breathing during wakefulness and those statements that correctly characterize breathing during sleep. Drag each answer choice you select into the appropriate box of the table. Two of the answer choices will NOT be used. This question is worth 3 points.Adaptations of Annuals●●Adaptations of Perennials●●●A.Woody structuresB. Explosive growth in wet yearsC. Long, thin, shallow rootsD. Storage of water in plant tissueE. Minimization of the amount of water used for photosynthesisF. Short life cycleG. Leaves designed to minimize water lossSumer and the First Cities of the Ancient Near EastPARAGRAPH 1The earliest of the city states of the ancient Near East appeared at the southern end of the Mesopotamian plain, the area between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in what is now Iraq. It was here that the civilization known as Sumer emerged in its earliest form in the fifth millennium. At first sight, the plain did not appear to be a likely home for a civilization. There were few natural resources, no timber, stone, or metals. Rainfall was limited, and what water there was rushed across the plain in the annual flood of melted snow. As the plain fell only 20 meters in 500 kilometers, the beds of the rivers shifted constantly. It was this that made the organization of irrigation, particularly the building of canals to channel and preserve the water, essential. Once this was done and the silt carried down by the rivers was planted, the rewards were rich: four to five times what rain-fed earth would produce. It was these conditions that allowed an elite to emerge, probably as an organizing class, and to sustain itself through the control of surplus crops.The earliest of the city states of the ancient Near East appeared at the southern end of the Mesopotamian plain, the area between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in what is now Iraq. It was here that the civilization known as Sumer emerged in its earliest form in the fifth millennium. At first sight, the plain did not appear to be a likely home for a civilization. There were few natural resources, no timber, stone, or metals. Rainfall was limited, and what water there was rushed across the plain in the annual flood of melted snow. As the plain fell only 20 meters in 500 kilometers, the beds of the rivers shifted constantly. It was this that made the organization of irrigation, particularly the building of canals to channel and preserve the water, essential. Once this was done and the silt carried down by the rivers was planted, the rewards were rich: four to five times what rain-fed earth would produce. It was these conditions that allowed an elite to emerge, probably as an organizing class, and to sustain itself through the control of surplus crops.PARAGRAPH 2It is difficult to isolate the factors that led to the next development—the emergence of urban settlements. The earliest, that of Eridu, about 4500 B.C.E., and Uruk, a thousandyears later, center on impressive temple complexes built of mud brick. In some way, the elite had associated themselves with the power of the gods. Uruk, for instance, had two patron gods—Anu, the god of the sky and sovereign of all other gods, and inanna, a goddess of love and war—and there were others, patrons of different cities. Human beings were at their mercy. The biblical story of the Flood may originate in Sumer. In the earliest version, the gods destroy the human race because its clamor had been so disturbing to them.PARAGRAPH 3It used to be believed that before 3000 B.C.E. the political and economic life of the cities was centered on their temples, but it now seems probable that the cities had secular rulers from earliest times. ■ Within the city lived administrators, craftspeople, and merchants. (Trading was important, as so many raw materials, the semiprecious stones for the decoration of the temples, timbers for roofs, and all metals, had to be imported.) ■ An increasingly sophisticated system of administration led in about 3300 B.C.E. to the appearance of writing. ■ The earliest script was based on logograms, with a symbol being used to express a whole word. ■ The logograms were incised on damp clay tablets with a stylus with a wedge shape at its end. (The Romans called the shape cuneus and this gives the script its name of cuneiform.) Two thousand logograms have been recorded from these early centuries of writing.A more economical approach was to use a sign to express not a whole word but a single syllable. (To take an example: the Sumerian word for" head" was "sag." Whenever a word including a syllable in which the sound "sag" was to be written, the sign for "sag" could be used to express that syllable with the remaining syllables of the word expressed by other signs.) By 2300 B.C.E. the number of signs required had been reduced to 600, and the range of words that could be expressed had widened. Texts dealing with economic matters predominated, as they always had done; but at this point works of theology, g literature, history, and law also appeared.PARAGRAPH 4Other innovations of the late fourth millennium include the wheel, probably developed first as a more efficient way of making pottery and then transferred to transport. A tablet engraved about 3000 B.C.E. provides the earliest known example from Sumer, a roofed boxlikesledge mounted on four solid wheels. A major development was the discovery, again about 3000 B.C.E., that if copper, which had been known in Mesopotamia since about 3500 B.C.E., was mixed with tin, a much harder metal, bronze, would result. Although copper and stone tools continued to be used, bronze was far more successful in creating sharp edges that could be used as anything from saws and scythes to weapons. The period from 3000 to 1000 B.C.E., when the use of bronze became I widespread, is normally referred to as the Bronze Age.PARAGRAPH 11、Which of the following is NOT mentioned in paragraph 1 as a disadvantage of the Mesopotamian plain? There was not very much rainfall for most of the year. Melting snow caused flooding every year. The silt deposited by rivers damaged crops. Timber, stone and metals were not readily available.2、According to paragraph 1, which of the following made it possible for an elite to emerge?New crops were developed that were better suited to conditions on the Mesopotamian plain. The richest individuals managed to gain control of the most valuable cropland. Control over the few available natural resources made some people four to five times richer than everyone else. The building of canals to increase agricultural output required organization.3、The word "sustain" in the passage is closest in meaning to defendpromotemaintaintransformPARAGRAPH 24、According to paragraph 2, Eridu and Uruk are examples of urban settlements that lacked the features usually found in other early urban settlements f developed around religious buildings grew much more rapidly than most of the urban settlements found in Sumer were mysteriously destroyed and abandoned5、The word "sovereign" in the passage is closest in meaning to counselormasterdefendercreatorPARAGRAPH 36、According to paragraph 3, which of the following led to the appearance of writing? An increasingly sophisticated administrative system Coordination between secular and religious leaders The large volume of trade, particularly imports A rapidly expanding and changing population Paragraph 3 is marked with7、In paragraph 3, why does the author provide the information that the number of signs in use had dropped from 2,000 to 600 by 2300 B.C.E.? To argue that the development of writing involved periods of growth followed by periods of decline To demonstrate that earlier written texts used a larger vocabulary than later texts, which were aimed at a broader audience | To support the claim that the range of words expressed by logograms varied widely depending on time period and type of text To provide evidence for the increased efficiency of using signs to express syllables rather than whole words8、According to paragraph 3, ancient texts most commonly dealt with theologyliteraturelawPARAGRAPH 49、According to paragraph 4, the earliest wheels probably were first developed in areas outside Mesopotamia were used to make pottery appeared on boxlike sledges were used to transport goods between cities10、The word "engraved* in the passage is closest in meaning to carvedproduceddateddiscovered11、Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in the passage? Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information. Also around 3000 B.C.E., it was discovered that mixing copper, known from about 3500 B.C.E., with tin would create a much harder metal known as bronze. Although copper had been known since 3500 B.C.E in Mesopotamia, the discovery of bronze did not occur until around 3000 B.C.E. Another major development around 3000 B.C.E. was the discovery that copper could be mixed with a much harder metal known as tin. The development of bronze by mixing copper and tin probably occurred around 3000 B.C.E. but may have happened as early as 3500 B.C.E.12、The word "widespread" in the passage is closest in meaning to obvioussignificantnecessarycommon13、Look at the four squares [ ■ ]that indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage.City life was diverse, and the population was engaged in a variety of occupations.14、Direction: An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage is provided below. Complete the summary by selecting the THREE answer choices that express the most important ideas in the passage. Some sentences do not belong in the summary because they express ideas that are not presented in the passage or are minor ideas in the passage. This question is worth 2 points.Irrigation made it possible for the civilization known as sumer to arise on the Mesopotamian plain in the fifth millennium B.C.E.Answer Choices A. The scarcity of natural resources on the plain made it necessary for a powerful elite to emerge and take charge of trade and imports.B. The economy of each city was based on a craft such as pottery or metal working, and the city of Eridu was known for its saws, scythes and weapons.C. Writing appeared in the form of logograms and later developed into a system using signs to represent syllables rather than whole words.D. Priests were powerful figures in the ancient civilization and controlled the political and economic life of the cities.E. The earliest city states had one or more patron gods and were built around central temple complexes.F. The development of the wheel and the creation of bronze were important innovations in Sumer。

托福TPO26综合写作阅读原文+听力原文+满分范文

¡¡¡¡ÎªÁË°ïÖú´ó¼Ò¸ßÐ§±¸¿¼ÍÐ¸££¬Îª´ó¼Ò´øÀ´ÍÐ¸£TPO26×ÛºÏÐ´×÷ÔÄ¶ÁÔ-ÎÄ+ÌýÁ¦Ô-ÎÄ+Âú·Ö·¶ÎÄ£¬Ï£Íû¶Ô´ó¼Ò±¸¿¼ÓÐËù°ïÖú¡£¡¡¡¡ÍÐ¸£TPO26×ÛºÏÐ´×÷ÔÄ¶ÁÔ-ÎÄÎÄ±¾£º¡¡¡¡The zebra mussel, a freshwater shellfish native to Eastern Europe, has long been spreading out from its original habitats and has now reached parts of North America. There are reasons to believe that this invasion cannot be stopped and that it poses a serious threat to freshwater fish populations in all of North America. First, the history of the zebra mussel's spread suggests that the invasion might be unstoppable. It is a prime example of an invasion made possible by human transportation. From the zebra mussel£¬s original habitats in Eastern Europe, ships helped spread it out along new canals built to connect Europe¡¯s waterways. The mussel can attach itself to a ship¡¯ s bottom or can survive in the water¡ªcalled "ballast water"¡ªthat the ship needs to take on to properly balance its cargo. By the early nineteenth century, the mussel had spread to the whole of Europe. It was later carried to the east coast of North America in the ballast water of ships traveling from Europe. The way ships have spread the zebra mussel inthe past strongly suggests that the species will soon colonize all of North America. Moreover, once zebra mussels are carried to a new habitat, theycan dominate it. They are a hardy species that does well under a variety of conditions, and they have a high rate of reproduction. Most important, however, zebra mussels often have no predators in their new habitats, and species without natural predators are likely to dominate their habitats. Finally, zebra mussels are likely to cause a decline in the overall fish population in habitats where they become dominant. The mussels are plankton eaters, which means that they compete for food with many freshwater fish species.¡¡¡¡ÍÐ¸£TPO26×ÛºÏÐ´×÷ÌýÁ¦Ô-ÎÄÎÄ±¾£º¡¡¡¡ProfessorContrary to what you just read, there are ways to control the zebra mussel's spread. What's more, it is not so clear that the mussel is a serious threat to fish populations.True, the spread of zebra mussels couldn't be controlled in the past, but that's because people didn't have enough knowledge. In fact, there are effective ways to stop ships from carrying the mussels to new locations. Here's an example. The way zebra mussels usually travel across the ocean is that a ship takes on some fresh ¡°ballast water¡± in Europe and the n empties that water into American waterways when it arrives. Full of zebra mussels, but the ship can be required to empty out the freshwater and refill with ocean water while still out in the ocean. Salt water will kill the mussels.Second, it's true that zebra mussels often don't have predators in their new habitats, but that's only in the beginning. What's been happening in Europe is that local aquatic birds sooner or later notice there's a new food source around and change their habits to exploit it. They switch from whatever they were eating before to eating zebra mussels. And birds can eat a lot of mussels. So zebra mussels aren't so likely to dominate their new habitats after all.Finally,even in habitats where zebra mussels become dominant, is the overall fish population likely to decrease. It's true that zebra mussels may have a negative impact on fish that eat plankton. But on other fish, they can have a positive impact. For example, the mussels generate nutrients that are eaten by fish that feed near the bottom of the lake or river. So bottom-feeding fish populations may increase, even if plankton-eating fish population decrease.¡¡¡¡ÍÐ¸£TPO26×ÛºÏÐ´×÷Âú·Ö·¶ÎÄ1£º¡¡¡¡Contrary to what is argued in the passage, the lecture illustrates how zebra mussels are not likely to become a serious threat to freshwater fish populations in North America. First and foremost, new knowledge of the zebra mussel has shed light on new ways to prevent their invasion, even though people in the past have not been able to stop the spread of zebra mussels effectively. For instance, although a large amount of zebra mussels spread to North America by staying in the ballast water of a ship, people can now get rid of them before the ship gets to the shore ¨C if the ballast water is emptied halfway of the journey and refreshed with sea water, the zebra mussels can be exterminated as soon as they get exposed to salt water. Furthermore, zebra mussels are not likely to dominate a new habitat for a long period of time. The lecture agrees that zebra mussels may have no predators and reproduce rapidly in the beginning, but it would not be long before predators notice this new source of food and therefore prevent its domination. Finally, zebra mussels would not cause the decline of overall fish population. While zebra mussels would most likely cause the decline of plankton eaters, as the passage suggests, they would also provide nutrients for bottom-feeding fish and eventually cause the population of those fish to increase.¡¡¡¡ÍÐ¸£TPO26×ÛºÏÐ´×÷Âú·Ö·¶ÎÄ2£º¡¡¡¡The reading passage states that the invasion of zebra mussels poses a serious threat to freshwater fish populations in all of North America. Contrary to what is argued in the passage, the lecture contends that there are ways to control zebra mussels and they might not bring great threats to fish population. Firstly, even though the spread of zebra mussels could not be controlled, new knowledge of zebra mussel has shed light on new ways to prevent their invasion. For instance, in the past a large amount of zebra mussels spread to North America by staying in the ballast water of a ship. But now the ship can be required to empty out the freshwater and refill with ocean water while still out in the ocean. If the ballast water is emptied halfway of the journey and refreshed with sea water, the zebra mussels can be exterminated as soon as they get exposed to salt water. Furthermore, zebra mussels are not likely to dominate a new habitat for a long period of time. The lecture agrees that zebra mussels may have no predators and reproduce rapidly in the beginning, but it would not be long before predators, like local aquatic birds in Europe, notice this new source of food and therefore prevent its domination. Finally, zebra mussels would。

新托福TPO26阅读原文及译文(二)

新托福TPO26阅读原文(二)：沙漠环境中动植物的求生策略TPO26-2：Survival of Plants and Animals in Desert Conditions The harsh conditions in deserts are intolerable for most plants and animals. Despite these conditions, however, many varieties of plants and animals have adapted to deserts in a number of ways. Most plant tissues die if their water content falls too low: the nutrients that feed plants are transmitted by water; water is a raw material in the vital process of photosynthesis; and water regulates the temperature of a plant by its ability to absorb heat and because water vapor lost to the atmosphere through the leaves helps to lower plant temperatures. Water controls the volume of plant matter produced. The distribution of plants within different areas of desert is also controlled by water. Some areas, because of their soil texture, topographical position, or distance from rivers or groundwater, have virtually no water available to plants, whereas others do.The nature of plant life in deserts is also highly dependent on the fact that they have to adapt to the prevailing aridity. There are two general classes of vegetation: long-lived perennials, which may be succulent (water-storing) and are often dwarfed and woody, and annuals or ephemerals, which have a short life cycle and may form a fairly dense stand immediately after rain.The ephemeral plants evade drought. Given a year of favorable precipitation, such plants will develop vigorously and produce large numbers of flowers and fruit. This replenishes the seed content of the desert soil. The seeds then lie dormant until the next wet year, when the desert blooms again.The perennial vegetation adjusts to the aridity by means of various avoidance mechanisms. Most desert plants are probably best classified as xerophytes. They possess drought-resisting adaptations: loss of water through the leaves is reduced by means of dense hairs covering waxy leaf surfaces, by the closure of pores during the hottest times to reduce water loss, and by the rolling up or shedding of leaves at the beginning of the dry season. Some xerophytes, the succulents (including cacti), store water in their structures. Another way of countering drought is to have a limitedamount of mass above ground and to have extensive root networks below ground. It is not unusual for the roots of some desert perennials to extend downward more than ten meters. Some plants are woody in type —an adaptation designed to prevent collapse of the plant tissue when water stress produces wilting. Another class of desert plant is the phreatophyte. These have adapted to the environment by the development of long taproots that penetrate downward until they approach the assured water supply provided by groundwater. Among these plants are the date palm, tamarisk, and mesquite. They commonly grow near stream channels, springs, or on the margins of lakes.Animals also have to adapt to desert conditions, and they may do it through two forms of behavioral adaptation: they either escape or retreat. Escape involves such actions as aestivation, a condition of prolonged dormancy, or torpor, during which animals reduce their metabolic rate and body temperature during the hot season or during very dry spells.Seasonal migration is another form of escape, especially for large mammals or birds. The term retreat is applied to the short-term escape behavior of desert animals, and it usually assumes the pattern of a daily rhythm. Birds shelter in nests, rock overhangs, trees, and dense shrubs to avoid the hottest hours of the day, while mammals like the kangaroo rat burrow underground.Some animals have behavioral, physiological, and morphological (structural) adaptations that enable them to withstand extreme conditions. For example, the ostrich has plumage that is so constructed that the feathers are long but not too dense. When conditions are hot, the ostrich erects them on its back, thus increasing the thickness of the barrier between solar radiation and the skin. The sparse distribution of the feathers, however, also allows considerable lateral air movement over the skin surface, thereby permitting further heat loss by convection. Furthermore, the birds orient themselves carefully with regard to the Sun and gently flap their wings to increase convection cooling.TPO26-2译文：沙漠环境中动植物的求生策略沙漠中的严酷环境对于大部分动植物来说都是难以忍受的。

TPO 26 Task1-2

Task 1Q: Think of a book that you have not read but are interested in reading. Explain why the book was important to you. Give specific details and examples to explain your answer.Sample:Harry Potter is the most interesting book that I have ever heard but haven’t read.First of all, it is so full of interesting stories. Although it is such a thick book and cost more than $100, I have been fascinated by this book and chased after the series movie for several years. The story is so interesting that I want to read it again and again and I would like to know anything related to it whether it is about the characters or the stories.Also I believe this novel will open a new world to me. The writer of Harry Potter Joanne Rowling is such a good writer that her imagination will broaden my horizon. Previously I knew very little about the world of wizards but I would like to join a group of Harry Potter fans with whom I can discuss lots about Harry Potter from time to time.Q: Some people like to have their cell or mobile phone with them at all times. Other people prefer not to bring their cell or mobile phone with them everywhere they go, or they choose not to own one at all. Which do you prefer? Explain why.Sample:I strongly agree with the opinion that there is no need for people to have their cell with them all the time. The use of a mobile phone should be forbidden in some places, such as library and airplanes. The most common reason for people going to a library is to find a silent environment to read their favorite books without interruption. But if you receive a phone call in the library or just send out messages, the mobile phone will ring. Though people have personal right to use their mobile phone, the others are not supposed to be involved in the unnecessary disturbance. And I do not think it is very polite unless you can turn down the volume. Another place is airplane. As we all know that it is very dangerous to have a phone call in airplane. It may causes interference between the signals. Therefore, mobile phone should be forbidden in airplanes unless there is a new technique can avoid it.Q: The man expresses his opinion about the proposal in the letter. Briefly summarize the proposal. Then state his opinion and explain the reasons he gives for holding that opinion.Sample:The university decides to announce that the advisers meeting are no longer required because students can get the necessary information about the courses on theuniversity’s Web site. The man holds the opinion that the advisers meeting is necessary. He states that students can figure out more information with advisers’ help.Sometimes students can not just get everything on the Web site,.and advisers’suggestion would make it easier for them to see their choices. Meanwhile, scheduling meetings are not necessary due to seldom of the students have that kind of trouble, and it hard to set up an appointment because there are often a lot of students.Q: Using the example of the urn plant, explain how epiphytes have adapted to life in the rain forest.Sample:The urn plant wraps its roots around the branches of the trees or sometimes around the trunk near the upper part of the tree. They use the trees for support. And this allows them to reside high in the trees, in the canopy, where they can get plenty of sunlight. Now, the urn plant has an unique shape, and it helps the urn plant gather and store water, it also helps it to gather other nutrients. This is because insects, dead leaves from other plants or other debris land on the leaves and then get washed down into the stored water. Gradually, they decompose so that the water supply contains a kind of liquid fertilizer, that can be released to the plant whenever it needs it.Q: Briefly summarize the problem the speakers are discussing. Then state which solution you would recommend. Explain the reasons for your recommendation.Sample:The man is going to play guitar with his friends and start making music, after several months’ practicing they will have a concert. However, the problem is that the auditorium is already booked for the next few weekends, and there are no weekends left before summer. Thus, there two solutions. One is that they need to do the show next Wednesday night. The other one is, they are going to perform with their friends next Saturday, the only catch is, they won’t have enough time to play all the songs. Therefore, I recommend that they would better to choose the first solution for which they would have their own audience.Q: Us ing the examples from the talk, explain two ways that a product’s container can be designed to appeal to consumers.Sample:According to the lecture,the professor talks about a couple of ways that a product’s container can be designed to appeal to customers.The first way is to make the container as user-friendly as possible,as convenient to use as possible. Take, for example, when companies started using plastic containers for condiments, such as ketchup, mustard and mayonnaise. In the past, these products came in glass containers with kids you had to screw off, which could be troublesome and messy. But flexible plastic containers were much more convenient to use. And so they are more attractive to consumers.Then professor mentions another way,giving the container a pleasing appearanc e. For example, cookies in a nice metal box with pretty pictures of some kinds is more popular than which sells with a cardboard box. Attractive containers can make a product more appealing.Task6 听力文本：ProfessorWhen consumers are buying a product,most of the time they are not buying just itself.they also buying the container the product comes in .So the design of the container is very important.It can be deciding factor when consumers are trying to decide which brand of a product to buy.So let's talk about a couple of ways product container can be designed to appeal to consumers.The first way is to make the container as user-friendly as possible,as convenient to use as possible. Take, for example, when companies started using plastic containers for condiments, such as ketchup, mustard and mayonnaise. In the past, these products came in glass containers with kids you had to screw off. And then you had to either pour the ketchup or mustard on your food, which could be messy, or scoop it out with a spoon. But flexible plastic containers were much more convenient to use. And so they more attractive to consumers.。

托福TPO26阅读Passage2原文文本+题目+答案解析

¡¡¡¡ÎªÁË°ïÖú´ó¼Ò¸ßÐ§±¸¿¼ÍÐ¸££¬Îª´ó¼Ò´øÀ´ÍÐ¸£TPO26ÔÄ¶ÁPassage2Ô-ÎÄÎÄ±¾+ÌâÄ¿+´ð°¸½âÎö£¬Ï£Íû¶Ô´ó¼Ò±¸¿¼ÓÐËù°ïÖú¡£¡¡¡¡¨ ÍÐ¸£TPO26ÔÄ¶ÁPassage2Ô-ÎÄÎÄ±¾£º¡¡¡¡Survival of Plants and Animals in Desert Conditions¡¡¡¡PARAGRAPH 1¡¡¡¡The harsh conditions in deserts are intolerable formost plants and animals.Despite these conditions,however,many varieties of plants and animals haveadapted to deserts in a number of ways.Most planttissues die if their water content falls too low:thenutrients that feed plants are transmitted by water;water is a raw material in the vital process of photosynthesis;and water regulates thetemperature of a plant by its ability to absorb heat and because water vapor lost to theatmosphere through the leaves helps to lower plant temperatures.Water controls the volume ofplant matter produced.The distribution of plants within different areas of desert is alsocontrolled by water.Some areas,because of their soil texture,topographical position,ordistance from rivers or groundwater,have virtually no water available to plants,whereasothers do.¡¡¡¡PARAGRAPH 2¡¡¡¡The nature of plant life in deserts is also highly dependent on the fact that they have to adaptto the prevailing aridity.There are two general classes of vegetation:long-lived perennials,which may be succulent(water-storing)and are often dwarfed and woody,and annuals orephemerals,which have a short life cycle and may form a fairly dense stand immediately afterrain.¡¡¡¡PARAGRAPH 3¡¡¡¡The ephemeral plants evade drought.Given a year of favorable precipitation,such plantswill develop vigorously and produce large numbers of flowers and fruit.This replenishes theseed content of the desert soil.The seeds then lie dormant until the next wet year,when thedesert blooms again.¡¡¡¡PARAGRAPH 4¡¡¡¡The perennial vegetation adjusts to the aridity by mear of various avoidance mechanisms.Most desert plants are 11 probably best classified as xerophytes.They possess drought-resisting adaptations:loss of water through the leaves is reduced by means of dense hairscovering waxy leaf surfaces,by the closure of pores during the hottest times to reduce waterloss,am by the rolling up or shedding of leaves at the beginning of the dry season.Somexerophytes,the succulents(including cacti),storewater in their structures.Another way ofcountering drought is to have a limited amount of mass above ground and to have extensiveroot networks below ground.It is not unusual for the roots of some desert perennials toextend downward more than ten meters.Some plants are woody in type¡ªan adaptationdesigned to prevent collapse of the plant tissue when water stress produces wilting.Anotherclass of desert plant is the phreatophyte.These have adapted to the environment by thedevelopment of long taproots that penetrate downward until they approach the assuredwater supply provided by groundwater.Among these plants are the date palm,tamarisk,andmesquite.They commonly grow near stream channels,springs,or on the margins of lakes.¡¡¡¡PARAGRAPH 5¡¡¡¡Animals also have to adapt to desert conditions,and they may do it through two forms ofbehavioral adaptation:they either escape or retreat.Escape involves such actions asaestivation,a condition of prolonged dormancy,or torpor,during which animals reduce theirmetabolic rate and body temperature during the hot season or during very dry spells.¡¡¡¡PARAGRAPH 6¡¡¡¡Seasonal migration is another form of escape,especially for large mammals or birds.Theterm retreat is applied I to the short-term escape behavior of desert animals,and it usuallyassumes the pattern of a daily rhythm.Birds shelter in nests,rock overhangs,trees,anddense shrubs to avoid the hottest hours of the day,while mammals like the kangaroo ratburrow underground.¡¡¡¡PARAGRAPH 7¡¡¡¡Some animals have behavioral,physiological,and morphological(structural)adaptations thatenable them to withstand extreme conditions.For example,the ostrich has 1 plumage thatis so constructed that the feathers are long but not\too dense.When conditions are hot,theostrich erects them on its 1 back,thus increasing the thickness of the barrier between solarradiation and the skin.The sparse distribution of the feathers,however,also allowsconsiderable lateral air movement over the skin surface,thereby permitting further heatloss by convection.Furthermore,the birds orient themselves carefully with regard to the Sunan0 gently flap their wings to increase convection cooling.¡¡¡¡PARAGRAPH 1¡¡¡¡The harsh conditions in deserts are intolerable for most plants and animals.Despite theseconditions,however,many varieties of plants and animals have adapted to deserts in a numberof ways.Most plant tissues die if their water content falls too low:the nutrients that feed plantsare transmitted by water;water is a raw。

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【王鑫托福阅读】托福TPO全集之TPO26-2TPO26TPO26-2 Survival of Plants and Animals in Desert Conditions3. How is paragraph 2 related to paragraph 3? A Paragraph 2 provides a general description of desert plants, and paragraph 3 provides a scientific explanation for these observations.B Paragraph 2 divides desert plants into two categories, and paragraph3 provides further information about one of these categories.1. According to paragraph 1, water provides all of the following essential functions for plants EXCEPT improving plants' ability to absorb sunlight B preventing plants from becoming overheated C transporting nutrients D serving as a raw material for photosynthesis2. Paragraph 3 suggests that during a dry year ephemerals A produce even more seeds than in a wet yearB do not sprout from their seedsC bloom much later than in a wet yearD are more plentiful than perennialsThe harsh conditions in deserts are intolerable for most plants and animals. Despite these conditions, however, many varieties of plants and animals have adapted to deserts in a number of ways. Most plant tissues die if their water content falls too low: the nutrients that feed plants are transmitted by water; water is a raw material in the vital process of photosynthesis; and water regulates the temperature of a plant by its ability to absorb heat and because water vapor lost to the atmosphere through the leaves helps to lower plant temperatures. Water controls the volume of plant matter produced. The distribution of plants within different areas of desert is also controlled by water. Some areas, because of their soil texture, topographical position,or distance from rivers or groundwater, have virtually no water available to plants, whereas others do.The nature of plant life in deserts is also highly dependent on the fact that they have to adapt to the prevailing aridity. There are two general classes of vegetation: long-lived perennials, which may be succulent (water-storing) and are often dwarfed and woody, and annuals or ephemerals, which have a short life cycle and may form a fairly dense stand immediately after rain.The ephemeral plants evade drought. Given a year of favorable precipitation, such plants will develop vigorously and produce large numbers of flowers and fruit. This replenishes the seed content of the desert soil. The seeds then lie dormant until the next wet year, when the desert blooms again.C Paragraph 2 proposes one way of dividing desert plants into categories, and paragraph 3 explains one problem with this method of classification.D Paragraph 2 discusses two categories of desert plants, and paragraph3 introduces a third category of plants.4.In saying that ephemerals will develop “vigorously" when there is favorable precipitation, the author means that their development will be A sudden B early C gradualD strong and healthy5. The w ord “countering” in the passage is closest in meaning to A eliminatingB making use ofC acting againstD experiencing6. According to paragraph 4, some desert plants with root systems that are extraordinarily well developed have A relatively little growth abovegroundB very leafy aboveground structuresC non woody plant tissue resistant to wiltingD water stored within their roots7. The word “assured” in the passage is closest in meaning to A pureB diminishedC guaranteedD deep8. What do “the date palm, tamarisk, and mesquite" have in common? A They are always found together.B They depend on surface water provided by streams, springs, and lakes.C They arephreatophytes.D Their roots are capable of breaking through hard soilsThe perennial vegetation adjusts to the aridity by means of various avoidance mechanisms. Most desert plants are probably best classified as xerophytes. They possess drought-resisting adaptations: loss of water through the leaves is reduced by means of dense hairs covering waxy leaf surfaces, by the closure of pores during the hottest times to reduce water loss, and by the rolling up or shedding of leaves at the beginning of the dry season. Some xerophytes, the succulents (including cacti), store water in their structures. Another way of countering drought is to have a limited amount of mass above ground and to have extensive root networks below ground. It is not unusual for the roots of some desert perennials to extend downward more than ten meters. Some plants are woody in type —an adaptation designed to prevent collapse of the plant tissue when water stress produces wilting. Another class of desert plant is the phreatophyte. These have adapted to the environment by the development of long taproots that penetrate downward until they approach the assured water supply provided by groundwater. Among these plants are the date palm, tamarisk, and mesquite. They commonly grow near stream channels, springs, or on the margins of lakes.9. Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in the passage? Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.A One way animals escape is by entering a state of extended dormancy, known as aestivation, during the hottest and driest times of year.B Animals can escape without using direct action, or aestivation, simply by reducing their metabolic rate and body temperature.C The actions that an animal uses to escape are known as aestivation, which sometimes involves a reduction in metabolic rate or body temperature.D When the weather is especially hot and dry, an animal may suffer from a condition known as aestivation, at which point the animal needs to escape.10.It can be inferred from paragraph 6 that all of the places desert animals retreat to A provide shade from the sunB sometimes become crowdedC are places where supplies of food are plentifulD leave the animals vulnerable to predators11. According to paragraph 7, what special adaptation helps the ostrich cope with hot desert conditions? A Each of its feathers is very short and dense.B Its wings produce only lateral air movement when flapping.C Its feathers are very thickly set on both its back and its wings.D It can make its feathers stand up on its back.Animals also have to adapt to desert conditions, and they may do it through two forms of behavioral adaptation: they either escape or retreat. Escape involves such actions as aestivation, a condition of prolonged dormancy, or torpor, during which animals reduce their metabolic rate and body temperature during the hot season or during very dry spells.Seasonal migration is another form of escape, especially for large mammals or birds. The term retreat is applied to the short-term escape behavior of desert animals, and it usually assumes the pattern of a daily rhythm. Birds shelter in nests, rock overhangs, trees, and dense shrubs to avoid the hottest hours of the day, while mammals like the kangaroo rat burrow underground.Some animals have behavioral, physiological, and morphological (structural) adaptations that enable them to withstand extreme conditions. For example, the ostrich has plumage that is so constructed that the feathers are long but not too dense. When conditions are hot, the ostrich erects them on its back, thus increasing the thickness of the barrier between solar radiation and the skin. The sparse distribution of the feathers, however, also allowsconsiderable lateral air movement over the skin surface, thereby permitting further heat loss by convection. Furthermore, the birds orient themselves carefully with regard to the Sun and gently flap their wings to increase convection cooling.The harsh conditions in deserts are intolerable for most plants and animals. Despite these conditions, however, many varieties of plants and animals have adapted to deserts in a number of ways. Most plant tissues die if their water content falls too low: the nutrients that feed plants are transmitted by water; water is a raw material in the vital process of photosynthesis; and water regulates the temperature of a plant by its ability to absorb heat and because water vapor lost to the atmosphere through the leaves helps to lower plant temperatures. ■Water controls the volume of plant matter produced. ■The distribution of plants within different areas of desert is also controlled by water.■ Some areas, because of their soil texture, topographical position, or distance from rivers or groundwater, have virtually no water available to plants, whereas others do._12. Look at the four squares [■] that indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage. Where would the sentence best fit? For this reason, the total amount of plant material in a desert is often 100 times less than the amount of plant material in an equivalent area of temperate forest.13. Directions: Select from the seven phrases below the two phrases that correctly characterize special adaptations found primarily in desert annuals and the three phrases that correctly characterize special adaptations found primarily in desert perennials. Select each phrase you select in the appropriate column of the table. This question is worth 3 points.A. Woody structuresB. Explosive growth in wet yearsC. Long, thin, shallow rootsD. Storage of water in plant tissueE. Minimization of the amount of water used for photosynthesisF. Short life cycleG. Leaves designed to minimize water loss。