toefl托福阅读真题含答案 Mesopotamian and Egyptian Settlement Patterns
托福听力tpo50 lecture1、2、3、4 原文+题目+答案+译文
托福听力tpo50 lecture1、2、3、4 原文+题目+答案+译文Lecture1 (1)原文 (1)题目 (4)答案 (6)译文 (6)Lecture2 (8)原文 (8)题目 (10)答案 (12)译文 (12)Lecture3 (14)原文 (14)题目 (16)答案 (18)译文 (18)Lecture4 (20)原文 (20)题目 (22)答案 (24)译文 (24)Lecture1原文NARRATOR: Listen to part of a lecture in an ancient history class.FEMALE PROFESSOR: OK, last time we were discussing trade and commerce during the Bronze Age … And I said a little over 3,000 years ago there was quite a lively trade among the countries along the Mediterranean Sea—people were making objects out of bronze, and they were using bronze tools to make other goods, and they developed trade networks to trade these goods with other countries around the Mediterranean … One of the things they traded was glass …And recently there was an archeological excavation in Egypt—on the Nile River, around where it enters the Mediterranean Sea—where they discovered an ancient glass factory. Robert?MALE STUDENT: I thought our textbook said that the Egyptians imported their glass from other countries.FEMALE PROFESSOR: Well, until now that's what the evidence seemed to suggest. I mean, we had some evidence that suggested that the Egyptians were making glass objects, uh, but not glass.MALE STUDENT: OK, am-am I missing something? They're making glass, but they're not making glass.FEMALE PROFESSOR: I said they were making glass objects, right? You see, it was previously thought that they weren't actually making the raw glass itself, that they were importing unfinished glass from Mesopotamia—um, which today is a region consisting of Iraq, and parts of Syria, Turkey, and Iran—and simply reworking it. Most archeologists believed that the glass factories were in Mesopotamia because that's where the oldest known glass remains come from. You see, there were two stages of glassmaking: the primary production stage, where they made disks of raw glass… Uh, an- and then there was the secondary stage, where they melted the raw glass, the glass disks, and created decorative objects or whatever.And from this new Egyptian site we've learned that the primary production stage had several steps. First, they took quartz—a colorless, transparent mineral—and crushed it. Then they took that crushed quartz and mixed it with plant ash; uh, “plant ash” is just what it soundslike—the ash that's left after you've burned plant material. They slowly heated this mixture, at a relatively low temperature, in small vessels, um containers, like jars, made out of clay. Uh, and that yielded a kind of glassy material…They took this glassy material and ground it up into a powder, and then they used metallic dye to color it… After that, they poured the colored powder out into disk-shaped molds and heated it up to very high temperatures, so that it melted. After it cooled, they'd break the molds, and inside…there were the glass disks. These disks were shipped off to other sites within Egypt and places around the Mediterranean. Then, in the secondary phase, the disks were reheated and shaped into decorative objects. Susan?FEMALE STUDENT: So what kind of objects were people making back then? FEMALE PROFESSOR: Well, the most common objects we’ve found—mostly in Egypt and Mesopotamia—uh, the most common objects were beads; one thing Egyptians were very, very good at was imitating precious stones; they created some beads that looked so much like emeralds and pearls that it was very difficult to distinguish them from the real thing. Uh, and-and also beautiful vessels, uh, with narrow necks; they were probably really valuable, so they wouldn't have been used to hold cooking oil or common food items; they were most likely used for expensive liquids like perfume. Now the glass made at this factory was mostly red; to get this red color, they used copper; in a sophisticated process. Of course, any kind of glass was very valuable, so these red bottles would only have been owned by wealthy people. In fact, because it was so difficult to make, and sort of mysterious and complicated, it was probably a product produced for the royal family, and they probably used glass to show their power. Also, beautiful, expensive objects make great gifts if you're looking to establish or strengthen political alliances…and it's quite possible that ancient Egyptians were actually exporting glass, not just making it or importing it. The trade with Mesopotamia was probably a friendly, mutual trade…because, uh, Mesopotamian glass was usually white or yellow, so Mesopotamians might have said something like, “We'll give you two white disks for two red disks.” There’s no proof ofthat, uh—at least not yet…题目1.What is the lecture mainly about?A. New information about glass production and use in ancient EgyptB. Whether Egyptians or Mesopotamians were the first to invent glassC. Differences between Egyptian glass and other kinds of glassD. Reasons why ancient Egyptians imported glass from other countries2.What is the importance of the archaeological evidence recently found in Egypt?A. It supports the theory that ancient Egyptians imported glass from Mesopotamia.B. It proves that ancient Egyptians made glass objects prior to the Bronze Age.C. It provides the first evidence that glassmaking in the Bronze Age required two different stages.D. It shows that ancient Egyptians were producing raw glass.3.The professor describes a process for making glass disks. Summarize the process by putting the steps in the correct order. [Click on a sentence. Then drag it to the space where it belongs. The last one is done for you.]A.Glass-like material is ground up and dyed blue or red.B.Powdered material is heated at very high temperatures.C.Crushed quartz and plant ash are heated at low temperatures.D.Containers are broken to remove glass disks.4.Based on the lecture, what are two kinds of glass objects that were valued in ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia? [Click on 2 answers.]A. BeadsB. Cooking utensilsC. ContainersD. Windows5.According to the professor, what are two reasons why ancient Egyptians exported glass? [Click on 2 answers.]A. To build relationships with foreign leadersB. To hold cooking oil that was sold in other countriesC. To get bronze tools from other countriesD. To acquire colors of glass not made in Egypt6.Why does the professor say this:Robert: Ok. Am……Am I missing something? They are making glass but they are not making glass?Professor: I said they were making glass objects, right?A. To emphasize that glass objects were only made in ancient EgyptB. To find out what the student does not understandC. To indicate that there was no contradiction in her previous statementD. To correct what she said in her previous statement答案A D CABD AC AD C译文旁白：请听一个古代历史课上的讲座片段。
托福(阅读)历年真题试卷汇编4(题后含答案及解析)
托福（阅读）历年真题试卷汇编4(题后含答案及解析) 题型有： 3. Reading ComprehensionSections Three：Reading ComprehensionEarly Theories of Continental DriftP1: The idea that the geography of Earth was different in the past than it is today is not new. As far back as 1620, Francis Bacon spotted that the west coast of Africa and the east coast of South America looked as if they would fit together, like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. Between then and 1912, other people identified further similarities between other continental coastlines. But because much of the early support for mobilism was based on far-flung intercontinental similarities, geologists tended to be skeptical of the fieldwork of others.P2: During the late nineteenth century, Austrian geologist Eduard Suess proposed the name “Gondwanaland”in his book The Face of the Earth (1885) and gave far greater emphasis to the evolutionary nature of the earth and he noted the similarities among the Late Paleozoic plant fossils of India, Australia, South Africa, and South America. Based upon glossopteris fern fossils in such regions, he explained that the three land masses were once connected in a supercontinent which he names Gondwanaland, and that the ocean flooded the spaces currently between those lands. Thus, in his view, the similarities of fossils on these continents could be accounted for by postulating the concept of a land bridge that existed once but subsided later.P3: Later, a number of refinements to Suess’s theory were made. The American geologist Frank Taylor published a pamphlet in 1910 presenting his concept of “horizontal displacement”. He explained the formation of mountain ranges as a result of the lateral movements of continents. With the earth’s capture of the moon, the gravitational forces between them generated a pull towards lower latitudes where they thickened and formed folded mountain belts especially in middle latitudes. Although we now know that Taylor’s explanation of continental drift is erroneous, one of his most significant contributions was his suggestion that the Mid-Atlantic Ridge—an underwater mountain range discovered by the 1872-1876 British HMS Challenger expeditions—might mark the site at which an ancient continent broke apart, forming the present-day Atlantic Ocean.P4: However, it is Alfred Wegener, a German meteorologist, who is generally credited with developing the hypothesis of continental drift. In his monumental book, The Origin of Continents and Oceans (1915), Wegener theorized that a single supercontinent he called “Pangaea”existed sometime between 350 million to 225 million years ago. Wegner portrayed his grand concept of continental movement in a series of maps showing the breakup of Pangaea and the movement of various continents to their present-day locations. What evidence did Wegener use to support his hypothesis of continental drift? First, Wegener noted that there is geographical similarity along both the coasts of the Atlantic Ocean. The opposing coasts of the Atlantic can be fitted together in the same way as two cut off pieces of wood can be refitted. Furthermore, mountain ranges and glacial deposits seem tomatch up in such a way that suggests continents could have once been a single landmass. Finally, many of the same fossils and vegetative remains are found today on widely separated continents, indicating that the continents must have been in proximity at one time. During his days, Wegener was regarded as an advocate rather than as an impartial scientific observer, appearing to ignore vast evidence unfavorable to his ideas and distort other evidence to bring it into harmony with the theory.P5: After Wegener’s death, a South African geologist Alexander Du Toit continued to assemble fossil evidence for Pangaea. He noted that fossils of the now extinct reptile “Mesosaurus”occur in rocks of the same age in both Brazil and South Africa. Because the physiology of freshwater and marine animals is completely different, it is hard to imagine how a freshwater reptile could have swum across the Atlantic Ocean and then found a freshwater environment nearly identical to its former habitat. Moreover, if Mesosaurus could have swum across the ocean, its fossil remains should be widely dispersed. It is more logical to assume that Mesosaurus lived in lakes in what were once adjacent areas of South America and Africa when it was united into a single continent. Notwithstanding all of the empirical evidence in favor of continental drift theory presented here, most geologists at the time refused to entertain the idea.P6 :The debate over continental drift has the same role and stature in the history of the earth sciences as the debate over Darwinian evolution in the history of life sciences and the debates over relativity and quantum theory in the history of physics. In the largest sense, the history of earth science, the history of biology, and the history of physics in the 20th century are all histories of the consolidation of opinion and the formation of broad consensus—that these theories were the best way to organize and advance these sciences.P5: After Wegener’s death, a South African geologist Alexander Du Toit continued to assemble fossil evidence for Pangaea.■He noted that fossils of the now extinct reptile “Mesosaurus” occur in rocks of the same age in both Brazil and South Africa.■Because the physiology of freshwater and marine animals is completely different, it is hard to imagine how a freshwater reptile could have swum across the Atlantic Ocean and then found a freshwater environment nearly identical to its former habitat. ■Moreover, if Mesosaurus could have swum across the ocean, its fossil remains should be widely dispersed. It is more logical to assume that Mesosaurus lived in lakes in what were once adjacent areas of South America and Africa when it was united into a single continent. ■Notwithstanding all of the empirical evidence in favor of continental drift theory presented here, most geologists at the time refused to entertain the idea.1．According to paragraph 2, Eduard Suess believed that similarities of plant and animal fossils on the southern continents were due toA．living in the southern climateB．crossing the land bridgesC．fossilization in the coal layersD．movements of the supercontinent正确答案：B解析：【事实信息题】题目问动植物化石的相似性是因为什么，文中提到“the similarities of fossils on these continents could be accounted for by”所以原因是之前有陆桥后来消失了，答案是B。
2015年6月托福真题回忆及解析
2015年6月托福真题回忆及解析【导语】人生就像一杯没有加糖的咖啡，喝起来是苦涩的，回味起来却有久久不会退去的余香。
没有人陪你走一辈子，所以你要适应孤独，没有人会帮你一辈子，所以你要奋斗一生。
与其用泪水悔恨昨天，不如用汗水拼搏今天。
当眼泪流尽的时候，留下的应该是坚强。
不求与人相比，但求超越自己!以下是无忧考网为大家搜集整理的2015年6月托福部分真题，希望可以帮到你！2015年6月托福共举行了3场考试，分别是6月13日、6月14日、6月27日6月13&14日托福口语真题回忆：Task 1Research shows that people are supposed to sleep for at least 8 hours a day, but as a matter of fact, some people sleep for only 6.5hours. What do you think is the impact of sleeping to people's lives? Use specific details and examples to explain your answer.Task 2Some people think it's better to take classes in the daytime and have a part-time job in the evening, some people prefer to have a part-time job in the daytime and take classes in theevening. Which do you think is better? Use specific details and examples to explain your answer.Task 3 Reading:The university should offer an online Math tutorial class. Because thereare only a few tutors on campus and the time is not flexible.Listening:The woman agrees with the proposal. She states that many students have to take classes in the day and have a part-time job in the evening, and they don’t have extra time to take the tutor’s class on campus. She also mentions that many postgraduates would be like to work as a volunteertutor online. She furthers explains that they live in a place far away from the university which cost them 15 minutes to drive, so they are unwilling to take the tutor’s class on campus, she thinks the online course would be much better.Enclothed Cognition: A systematic influence that clothes have onthe wearer's psychological processes.Listening:An experiment was carried out to illustrate the concept of the terminology.In the experiment, one group of participants wear a doctor’s coat; and the other two groups of subjects not only wear a doctor’s coat, but also their identity is manipulated, they are physician identification group and patient group respectively. There were no significant differences between participants in the wearing-a-doctor’s-coat condition and participants in the identifying-with-doctors condition in the duration and the degree of attentional blink, while participants in these two conditions had shorter duration and lower degree of attentional blink than participants in the identifying-with-patients condition.Task 5The woman is an art major student, she left her drawing assignment home. The first solution is to drive back home and take it back, but it takes one and a half hours to drive, which is a waste of time and gas money. Another solution is to draw a new one, but she has little time and she’s not sure she is able to paint a better one, because she thinks the old oneis her best performance.Task 6The professor discusses two types of adaption of the plants in the tropical rainforest, which prevents bacteria from growing because of the accumulation of rain. One adaptation is that they have a kind of special coding leave, which enables rain to drop.Another adaptation is that they have a special shape,which also enables rain to drop easily.6月13&14日托福写作真题回忆：独立写作：It's better to spend money on traveling and vacations thansave money for the future.综合写作：美国打算通过一项法律用来限制进口和销售外来物种（nonnative species）Reading：抵制外来物种入侵的法律不好一些人需要把自己的宠物交给当局1.需要花很多钱调查美国国内数以万记的外来物种2.全国都用同一标准，是不公平的，还要考虑地区差异。
剑桥雅思真题8-阅读Test 2(附答案)
剑桥雅思真题8-阅读Test 2（附答案）Reading Passage 1You should spend about 20 minutes on QUESTIONS 1-13 which are based on Reading Passage 1 below.Sheet glass manufacture: the float processGlass, which has been made since the time of the Mesopotamians and Egyptians, is little more than a mixture of sand, soda ash and lime. When heated to about 1500 degrees Celsius (°C) this becomes a molten mass that hardens when slowly cooled. The first successful method for making clear, flat glass involved spinning. This method was very effective as the glass had not touched any surfaces between being soft and becoming hard, so it stayed perfectly unblemished, with a ‘fire finish’. However, the process took a long time and was labour intensive.Nevertheless, demand for flat glass was very high and glassmakers across the world were looking for a method of making it continuously. The first continuous ribbon process involved squeezing molten glass through two hot rollers, similar to an old mangle. This allowed glass of virtually any thickness to be made non-stop, but the rollers would leave both sides of the glass marked, and these would then need to be ground and polished. This part of the process rubbed away around 20 per cent of the glass, and the machines were very expensive.The float process for making flat glass was invented by Alistair Pilkington. This process allows the manufacture of clear, tinted and coated glass for buildings, and clear and tinted glass for vehicles. Pilkington had been experimenting with improving the melting process, and in 1952 he had the idea of using a bed of molten metal to form the flat glass, eliminating altogether the need for rollers within the float bath. The metal had to melt at a temperature less than the hardening point of glass (about 600°C), but could net boil at a temperature below the temperature of the molten glass (about 1500°C). The best metal for the job was tin.The rest of the concept relied on gravity, which guaranteed that the surface of the molten metal was perfectly flat and horizontal. Consequently, when pouring molten glass onto the molten tin, the underside of the glass would also be perfectly flat. If the glass were kept hot enough, it would flow over the molten tin until the top surface was also flat, horizontal and perfectly parallel to the bottom surface. Once the glass cooled to 604°C or less it was too hard to mark and could be transported out of the cooling zone by rollers. The glass settled to a thickness of six millimetres because of surface tension interactions between the glass and the tin. By fortunate coincidence, 60 per cent of the flat glass market at that time was for six- millimetre glass.Pilkington built a pilot plant in 1953 and by 1955 he had convinced his company to build a full-scale plant. However, it took 14 months of non-stop production, costing the company £100,000 a month, before the plant produced any usable glass. Furthermore, once they succeeded in making marketable flat glass, the machine was turned off for a service to prepare it for years of continuous production. When it started up again it took another four months to get the process right again. They finally succeeded in 1959 and there are now float plants all over the world, with each able to produce around 1000 tons of glass every day, non-stop for around 15 years.Float plants today make glass of near optical quality. Several processes -melting, refining,homogenising - take place simultaneously in the 2000 tonnes of molten glass in the furnace. They occur in separate zones in a complex glass flow driven by high temperatures. It adds up to a continuous melting process, lasting as long as 50 hours, that delivers glass smoothly and continuously to the float bath, and from there to a coating zone and finally a heat treatment zone, where stresses formed during cooling are relieved.The principle of float glass is unchanged since the 1950s. However, the product has changed dramatically, from a single thickness of 6.8 mm to a range from sub-millimetre to 25 mm, from a ribbon frequently marred by inclusions and bubbles to almost optical perfection. To ensure the highest quality, inspection takes place at every stage. Occasionally, a bubble is not removed during refining, a sand grain refuses to melt, a tremor in the tin puts ripples into the glass ribbon. Automated on-line inspection does two things. Firstly, it reveals process faults upstream that can be corrected. Inspection technology allows more than 100 million measurements a second to be made across the ribbon, locating flaws the unaided eye would be unable to see. Secondly, it enables computers downstream to steer cutters around flaws.Float glass is sold by the square metre, and at the final stage computers translate customer requirements into patterns of cuts designed to minimise waste.Question 1-8Complete the table and diagram below.Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.Write your answers in boxes on your answer sheet.Early methods of producing flat glassQuestion 9-13Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 1?In boxes 9-13 on your answer sheet, writeTRUE if the statement agrees with the informationFALSE if the statement contradicts the informationNOT GIVEN if there is no information on this in the passage9. The metal used in the float process had to have specific properties.10. Pilkington invested some of his own money in his float plant.11. Pilkington's first full-scale plant was an instant commercial success.12. The process invented by Pilkington has now been improved.puters are better than humans at detecting faults in glass.Reading Passage 2You should spend about 20 minutes on QUESTIONS 14-26 which are based on Reading Passage 2 below.The Little Ice AgeA This book will provide a detailed examination of the Little Ice Age and other climatic shifts, but, before I embark on that, let me provide a historical context. We tend to think of climate - as opposed to weather -as something unchanging, yet humanity has been at the mercy of climate change for its entire existence, with at least eight glacial episodes in the past 730,000 years. Our ancestors adapted to the universal but irregular global warming since the end of the last great Ice Age, around 10,000 years ago, with dazzling opportunism. They developed strategies for surviving harsh drought cycles, decades of heavy rainfall or unaccustomed cold; adopted agriculture and stock-raising, which revolutionized human life; and founded the world's first pre-industrial civilizations in Egypt, Mesopotamia and the Americas. But the price of sudden climate change, in famine, disease and suffering, was often high.B The Little Ice Age lasted from roughly 1300 until the middle of the nineteenth century. Only two centuries ago, Europe experienced a cycle of bitterly cold winters; mountain glaciers in the Swiss Alps were the lowest in-recorded memory, and pack ice surrounded Iceland for much of the year. The climatic events of the Little Ice Age did more than help shape the modern world. They are the deeply important context for the current unprecedented global warming. The Little Ice Age was far from a deep freeze, however; rather an irregular seesaw of rapid climatic shifts, few lasting more than a quarter-century, driven by complex and still little understood interactions between the atmosphere and the ocean. The seesaw brought cycles of intensely cold winters and easterly winds, then switched abruptly to years of heavy spring and early summer rains, mild winters, and frequent Atlantic storms, or to periods of droughts, light northeasterly winds, and summer heat waves.C Reconstructing the climate changes of the past is extremely difficult, because systematic weather observations began only a few centuries ago, in Europe and North America. Records from India and tropical Africa are even more recent. For the time before records began, we have only 'proxy records' reconstructed largely from tree rings and ice cores, supplemented by a few incomplete written accounts. We now have hundreds of tree-ring records from throughout thenorthern hemisphere, and many from south of the equator, too, amplified with a growing body of temperature data from ice cores drilled in Antarctica, Greenland the Peruvian Andes, and other locations. We are close to knowledge of annual summer and winter temperature variations over much of the northern hemisphere going back 600 years.D This book is a narrative history of climatic shifts during the past ten centuries, and some of the ways in which people in Europe adapted to them. Part One describes the Medieval Warm Period, roughly 900 t0 1200. During these three centuries, Norse voyagers from Northern Europe explored northern seas, settled Greenland, and visited North America. It was not a time of uniform warmth, for then, as always since the Great Ice Age, there were constant shifts in rainfall and temperature. Mean European temperatures were about the same as today, perhaps slightly cooler.E It is known that the Little Ice Age cooling began in Greenland and the Arctic in about 1200. As the Arctic ice pack spread southward, Norse voyages to the west were rerouted into the open Atlantic, then ended altogether. Storminess increased in the North Atlantic and North Sea. Colder, much wetter weather descended on Europe between 1315 and 1319, when thousands perished in a continent-wide famine. By 1400, the weather had become decidedly more unpredictable and stormier, with sudden shifts and lower temperatures that culminated in the cold decades of the late sixteenth century. Fish were a vital commodity in growing towns and cities, where food supplies were a constant concern. Dried cod and herring were already the staples of the European fish trade, but changes in water temperatures forced fishing fleets to work further offshore. The Basques, Dutch, and English developed the first offshore fishing boats adapted to a colder and stormier Atlantic. A gradual agricultural revolution in northern Europe stemmed from concerns over food supplies at a time of rising populations. The revolution involved intensive commercial farming and the growing of animal fodder on land not previously used for crops. The increased productivity from farmland made some countries self-sufficient in grain and livestock and offered effective protection against famine.F Global temperatures began to rise slowly after 1850, with the beginning of the Modern Warm Period. There was a vast migration from Europe by land-hungry farmers and others, to which the famine caused by the Irish potato blight contributed, to North America, Australia, New Zealand, and southern Africa. Millions of hectares of forest and woodland fell before the newcomers' axes between 1850 and -1890, as intensive European farming methods expanded across the world. The unprecedented land clearance released vast quantities of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, triggering for the first time humanly caused global warming. Temperatures climbed more rapidly in the twentieth century as the use of fossil fuels proliferated and greenhouse gas levels continued to soar. The rise has been even steeper since the early 1980s. The Little Ice Age has given way to a new climatic regime, marked by prolonged and steady warming. At the same time, extreme weather events like Category 5 hurricanes are becoming more frequent.Question 14-17Reading Passage 2 has seven paragraphs, A-F.Choose the correct heading for paragraphs B and D–F from the list of headings below.write the correct number, i-ix, in boxes 14-17 on your answer sheet.16Paragraph E17 Paragraph FQuestion 18-22Complete the summary using the list of words, A-I, below.Write the correct letter, A-I, in boxes 1-5 on your answer sheet.Weather during the Little Ice AgeDocumentation of past weather conditions is limited: our main sources of knowledge of inthedistant past are 18 …………and19 ………… . We can deduce that the Little Ice Age was a time of 20 ………… , rather than of consistent freezing. Within it there were some periods of very cold winters, others of 21 …………and heavy rain, and yet others that saw 22 …………with no rain at all.Question 23-Classify the following events as occurring during theA. Medieval Warm PeriodB. Little Ice AgeC. Modem Warm PeriodWrite the correct letter, A. B or C in boxes 23-26 on your answer sheet.23. Many Europeans started farming abroad.24. The cutting down of trees began to affect the climate.25. Europeans discovered other lands.26. Changes took place in fishing patterns.Reading Passage 3You should spend about 20 minutes on QUESTIONS 27-40 which are based on Reading Passage 3 below.The meaning and power of smellThe sense of smell, or olfaction, is powerful. Odours affect us on a physical, psychological and social level. For the most part, however, we breathe in the aromas which surround us without being consciously aware of their importance to us. It is only when the faculty of smell is impaired for some reason that we begin to realise the essential role the sense of smell plays in our sense of well-being.A A survey conducted by Anthony Synott at Montreal's Concordia University asked participants to comment on how important smell was to them in their lives. It became apparent that smell can evoke strong emotional responses. A scent associated with a good experience can bring a rush of joy, while a foul odour or one associated with a bad memory may make us grimace with disgust. Respondents to the survey noted that many of their olfactory likes and dislikes were based on emotional associations. Such associations can be powerful enough so that odours that we would generally label unpleasant become agreeable, and those that we would generally consider fragrant become disagreeable for particular individuals. The perception of smell, therefore, consists not only of the sensation of the odours themselves, but of the experiences and emotions associated with them.B Odours are also essential cues in social bonding. One respondent to the survey believed that there is no true emotional bonding without touching and smelling a loved one. In fact, infants recognise the odours of their mothers soon after birth and adults can often identify their children or spouses by scent. In one well-known test, women and men were able to distinguish by smell alone clothing worn by their marriage partners from similar clothing worn by other people. Most of the subjects would probably never have given much thought to odour as a cue for identifying family members before being involved in the test, but as the experiment revealed, even when not consciously considered, smells register.C In spite of its importance to our emotional and sensory lives, smell is probably the most undervalued sense in many cultures. The reason often given for the low regard in which smell is held is that, in comparison with its importance among animals, the human sense of smell is feeble and undeveloped. While it is true that the olfactory powers of humans are nothing like as fine as those possessed by certain animals, they are still remarkably acute. Our noses are able to recognisethousands of smells, and to perceive odours which are present only in extremely small quantities.D Smell, however, is a highly elusive phenomenon. Odours, unlike colours, for instance, cannot be named in many languages because the specific vocabulary simply doesn't exist. 'It smells like…., ' we have to say when describing an odour, struggling to express our olfactory experience. Nor can odours be recorded: there is no effective way to either capture or store them over time. In the realm of olfaction, we must make do with descriptions and recollections. This has implications for olfactory research.E Most of the research on smell undertaken to date has been of a physical scientific nature. Significant advances have been made in the understanding of the biological and chemical nature of olfaction, but many fundamental questions have yet to be answered. Researchers have still to decide whether smell is one sense or two -one responding to odours proper and the other registering odourless chemicals in the air. Other unanswered questions are whether the nose is the only part of the body affected by odours, and how smells can be measured objectively given the nonphysical components. Questions like these mean that interest in the psychology of smell is inevitably set to play an increasingly important role for researchers.F However, smell is not simply a biological and psychological phenomenon. Smell is cultural, hence it is a social and historical phenomenon. Odours are invested with cultural values: smells that are considered to be offensive in some cultures may be perfectly acceptable in others. Therefore, our sense of smell is a means of, and model for, interacting with the world. Different smells can provide us with intimate and emotionally charged experiences and the value that we attach to these experiences is interiorised by the members of society in a deeply personal way. Importantly, our commonly held feelings about smells can help distinguish us from other cultures. The study of the cultural history of smell is, therefore, in a very real sense, an investigation into the essence of human culture.Question 27-32Reading Passage 3 has seven paragraphs, A-F.Choose the correct heading for each paragraph from the list of headings below.Write the correct number, i-viii, in boxes 27-32 on your answer sheet.28Paragraph B29 Paragraph C30 Paragraph D31 Paragraph E32Paragraph FQuestions 33-36Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.Write the correct letter in boxes 33-36 on your answer sheet.33 According to the introduction, we become aware of the importance of smell whenA we discover a new smell.B we experience a powerful smell.C our ability to smell is damaged.D we are surrounded by odours.34 The experiment described in paragraph BA shows how we make use of smell without realising it.B demonstrates that family members have a similar smell.C proves that a sense of smell is learnt.D compares the sense of smell in males and females.35 What is the writer doing in paragraph C?A supporting other researchB making a proposalD describing limitations36 What does the writer suggest about the study of smell in the atmosphere in paragraph E?A The measurement of smell is becoming more accurate.B Researchers believe smell is a purely physical reaction.C Most smells are inoffensive.D Smell is yet to be defined.Questions 37-40Complete the sentences below.Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.Write your answers in boxes 37-40 on your answer sheet.37 Tests have shown that odours can help people recognise the ………… belonging to theirhusbands and wives.38 Certain linguistic groups may have difficulty describing smell because they lack the appropriate ………… .39 The sense of smell may involve response to ………… which do not smell, in addition to obvious odours.40 Odours regarded as unpleasant in certain ………… are not regarded as unpleasant in others.参考答案1 spinning2 (perfectly) unblemished3 labour/labor-intensive4 thickness5 marked6 (molten) glass7 (molten) tin/metal8 rollers9 TRUE10 NOT GIVEN11 FALSE12 TRUE13 TRUE14 ii15 vii16 ix17 iv18&19 (IN EITHER ORDER) C B20A21H22G23C24C25A26B27 viii28 ii29 vi30 i31 iii32 v33C34A35C36D37 clothing38 vocabulary39 chemicals40 cultures。
2019年7月13日托福阅读考试真题及答案
2019年7月13日托福阅读考试真题及答案托福考试几乎是每个店铺的学生，都需要参加的考试，那么最近的托福考试真题是怎样的呢？来和看看2019年7月13日托福阅读考试真题及答案。
Passage1 Why Paleozoic Insects were So Large？为何古生代昆虫如此之大？（重复2016.12.10）本文共4段。
第1段提出Paleozoic 之前大气含氧量不是很大；第2段讲到Paleozoic 含氧量大大提升，因此 insects 可以吸收更多氧气，所以变得更大。
第3段讲到air got denser 所以更多insects可以飞；第4段讲到为什么insects没有变得像飞机一样大，因为都有limit。
Passage 2 Mesopotamian and Egyptian Settlements美索不达米亚和埃及的定居方式（重复2017.11.18）美索不达米亚和埃及的城市分布情况。
美索不达米亚的城市共用语言、钱币，城市间的精英之间有土和资源的竞争，城市和城市之间会进行资源交换，所以其城市的大小取决于可以从相邻城市所获得的利润的多少。
埃及的城市分布在尼罗河流域，每个地区都可以使用到水资源，并且其贸易很公平，埃及的城市的人口分布非常均匀，所以埃及的城市时间比美索不达米亚的时间长。
Passage 3 The Chaco Roads查科道路（重复2017.02.25）主要讲的是美国有一个地方道路有神秘性，平时没有动物或者推车之类的经过。
对于这个地方有两种不同的说法。
一是这条路还是目的在于交通和运输，另一个说法是除了交通运输的作用，这条道路可能也有着某些宗教性用途，论证的过程中有图片作为证据。
细节描述了几条从Chaco峡谷里的大房子Pueblo Bonito 和大房子Chetro Ketl 延伸出来的狭窄小路向上攀升，攀上了Chaco峡谷的北缘，然后这几条小路汇聚于Pueblo Alto变成一条道路。
托福备考托福阅读34套TPO样题+解析+译文26—2 Survival of Plants and Animals in Desert Conditions
托福考试 复习TPO 26—2 Survival of Plants and Animals in Desert Conditions原文：【1】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.【2】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.【3】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.【4】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.【5】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.【6】Seasonal migration is another form of escape, especially for large mammals orbirds. 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.【7】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.题目：托福阅读试题1.According to paragraph 1, water provides all of the following essential functions for plants EXCEPTA.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 ephemeralsA.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 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 introducesa third category of plants.4.In saying that ephemerals will develop “vigorously" when there is favorableprecipitation, the author means that their development will beA.sudden.B.early.C.gradual.D.strong and healthy.5.The word “countering”in the passage is closest in meaning toA.eliminating.B.making use of.C.acting against.D.experiencing.6.According to paragraph 4, some desert plants with root systems that are extraordinarily well developed haveA.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 toA.pure.B.diminished.C.guaranteed.D.deep.8.What do “the date palm, 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 soils9.Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information inthe highlighted sentence in the passage(paragraph 5)? 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 desertanimals retreat toA.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 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.12. Look at the four squares [■] that indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage.Where would the sentence best fit? The increase in reward still did not attract young people to this hard life, and convicted criminals and slaves were pressed into servicesThe harsh conditions in deserts are in tolerable 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. ■【A】Water controls the volume of plant matter produced. ■【B】The distribution of plants within different areas of desert is also controlled by water. ■【C】Some areas, because of their soil texture,to pographical position, or distance from rivers or groundwater, have virtually no water available to plants, whereas others do.■【D】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 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 AnnualsA B C D E F G2 ）Adaptations of PerennialsA B C D E F G答案：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。
历年托福考试阅读真题汇总含答案.docx
0308托福试题阅读（55minutes）Question 1-11If food is allowed to stand for some time, it putrefies .When the putrefied materialis examined microscopically ,it is found to be teeming with bacteria. Where do thesebacteria come from , since they are not seen in fresh food? Even until the mid-nineteenthcentury, many people believed that such microorganisms originated by spontaneous(5 )generation ,a hypothetical process by which living organisms develop from nonlivingmatter.The most powerful opponent of the theory of spontaneous generation was the French chemist and microbiologist Louis Pasteur(1822-1895).Pasteur showed that structurespresent in air closely resemble the microorganisms seen in putrefying materials .He did(10)this by passing air through guncotton filters, the fibers of which stop solid particles. Afterthe guncotton was dissolved in a mixture of alcohol and ether, the particles that it hadtrapped fell to the bottom of the liquid and were examined on a microscope slide .Pasteurfound that in ordinary air these exists a variety of solid structures ranging in size from0.01 mm to more than 1.0 mm .Many of these bodies resembled the reproductive (15)structures of common molds, single-celled animals, and various other microbial cells .As many as 20 to 30 of them were found in fifteen liters of ordinary air ,and they couldnot be distinguished from the organisms found in much larger numbers in putrefying materials .Pasteur concluded that the organisms found in putrefying materials originatedfrom the organized bodies present in the air .He postulated that these bodies are constantly(20)being deposited on all objects.Pasteur showed that if a nutrient solution was sealed in a glass flask and heated toboiling to destroy all the living organisms contaminating it, it never putrefied .The proponents of spontaneous generation declared that fresh air was necessary for spontaneous generation and that the air inside the sealed flask was affected in some way(25)by heating so that it would no longer support spontaneous generation. Pasteurconstructed a swan-necked flask in which putrefying materials could he heated to boiling, but aircould reenter. The bends in the neck prevented microorganisms from getting in the flask.. Material sterilized in such a flask did not putrefy.1,What does the passage mainly discuss?(a)Pasteur’s influence on the development of the microscope.(b)The origin of the theory of spontaneous generation .(c)The effects of pasteurization on food.(d)Pasteur’s argument against the theory of spontaneous generation .2,The phrase “teeming with ”in line 2 is closest in meaning to(a)full of(b)developing into(c)resistant to(d)hurt by3,Which of the following questions did the theory of spontaneous generation attempt to answer?(a)What is the origin of the living organisms are seen on some food?(b)How many types of organisms can be found on food?(c)What is the most effective way to prepare living organisms for microscopic examination?(d)How long can food stand before it putrefies?4,The word “resemble” in line 9 is closest in meaning to(a)benefit from(b)appear similar to(c)join together with(d)grow from5,The purpose of the “guncotton” mentioned in paragraph 2 was to(a)trap particles for analysis(b)slow the process of putrefaction(c)increase the airflow to the microscopic slide(d)aid the mixing of alcohol and ether6,The author mention “1.0mm”in line 14 in describing the(a)thickness of a layer of organisms that was deposited on an object(b)diameter of the fibers that were in the guncotton filters(c)thickness of the microscope slides that were used(d)size of the particles that that were collected7.The word “postulated”in line 19 is closest in meaning to(a)analyzed(b)doubted(c)persuaded(d)suggested8.The objects that Pasteut removed from the air in his experiment were remarkable because they were(a)primarily single-celled organisms(b)no different from objects found in putrefying materials(c)fairly rare(d)able to live in a mixture of alcohol and ether9.The word “it” in line 22 refers to(a)a nutrient solution(b)a glass flask(c)boiling(d)spontaneous generation10.According to paragraph 3,proponents of spontaneous generation believed thatwhich of the following was important for the process to succeed ?(a)A sealed container(b)Fresh air(c)Heat(d)The presence of nutrients11.It can be inferred from paragraph 3 that Pasteur employed a swam-necked flask to(a)store sterilized liquids for use in future experiments(b)prevent heat from building up in a solution(c)disprove a criticism of his conclusions(d)estimate the number of organisms in a liter of airQuestions 12-20In the early decades of the United States ,the agrarian movement promoted the farmeras society’s hero. In the minds of agrarian thinkers and writers ,the farmer was a person on whose well-being the health of the new country depended .The period between theRevolution, which ended in 1783,and the Civil War ,which ended in 1865 ,was the age of(5 )the farmer in the United States .Agrarian philosophers ,represented most eloquently byThomas Jefferson, celebrated farmers extravagantly for their supposed centrality in a goodsociety, their political virtue ,and their Superior morality .And virtually all policy makers, whether they subscribed to the tenets of the philosophy held by Jefferson or not, recognized agriculture as the key component of the American economy .Consequently ,government at(10)all levels worked to encourage farmers as a social group and agriculture as economicenterprise.Both the national and state governments developed transportation infrastructure,building canals, roads, bridges, and railroads ,deepening harbors ,and removing obstructions from navigable streams .The national government imported plant and animal varieties and(15) launched exploring expeditions into prospective farmlands in the West .In addition ,government trade policies facilitated the exporting of agricultural products.For their part ,farmers seemed to meet the social expectations agrarian philosophershad for them ,as their broader horizons and greater self-respect, both products of the Revolution ,were reflected to some degree in their behavior .Farmers seemed to become(20)more scientific ,joining agricultural societies and reading the farm newspapers that sprangup throughout the country .They began using improved implements, tried new crops andpure animal breeds , and became more receptive to modern theories of soil improvement .They also responded to inducements by national and state governments .Farmersstreamed to the West ,filling frontier lands with stunning rapidity .But farmers responded(25)less to the expectations of agrarians and government inducements than togrowing market opportunities .European demand for food from the United States seemed insatiable . War, industrialization , and urbanization all kept demand high in Europe . United States citiesand industries grew as well; even industries not directly related to farming thrived becauseof the market, money ,and labor that agriculture provided .12.What does the passage mainly discuss?(a)The agrarian philosophy of Thomas Jefferson(b)The role of the national government in the development of agriculture(c)Improvements in farming techniques(d)The impact of the increased importance of the farmer13.The word “depended” in line 3 is closest in meaning to(a)improved(b)relied(c)demanded(d)explained14.The author mentions Thomas Jefferson in paragraph 1 as an example of(a)a leader during the Revolution(b)an inventor of new farming techniques(c)a philosopher who believed farmers were essential to the creation of a good society(d)a farmer who guided the agrarian movement toward an emphasis on economic development15.The phrase “subscribed to” in line 8 is closest in meaning to(a)contributed to(b)agreed with(c)thought about(d)expanded on16.Which of the following statements is supported by the information in paragraph 1?(a)All government policy makers accepted Jefferson’s views of agriculture and farmers.(b)Agricultural production declined between 1783 and 1861.(c)The majority of farmers worked for the government.(d)Agriculture was a vital part of the nation’s economy.17.According to the passage , the national and state governments did all of the following EXCEPT(a)build roads(b)import new plant varieties(c)give farmers money for their crops(d)develop policies that helped farmers export their products18.All of the following are mentioned as examples of farmers’ meeting the expectations of agrarian philosophers EXCEPT(a)obtaining information from farm newspapers(b)accumulating personal wealth(c)planting new crops(d)becoming more scientific19.The word “stunning” in line 24 is closest in meaning to(a)predictable(b)impressive(c)famous(d)gradual20.Which of the following statements is best supported by paragraph 4?(a)Agricultural development contributed to development in other parts of the economy.(b)European agricultural products were of a higher quality than those produced in the United States.(c)The growing settlement of the West led to a decrease in agricultural production.(d)Farmers were influenced more by government policies than by market opportunities.Question 21-29The wide variety of climates in North America has helped spawn a complex pattern ofsoil regions. In general, the realm’s soils also reflect the broad environmental partitioninginto “humid America” and “arid America.” Where annual precipitation exceeds 20 inches(50 centimeters),soils in humid areas tend to be acidic in chemical content, Since crops(5 ) do best in soils that are neither acidic(higher in acid content) nor alkaline(higher insalt content).fertilization is necessary to achieve the desired level of neutrality between thetwo. Arid America’s soils are typically alkaline and must be fertilized back toward neutrality by adding acidic compounds. Although many of these dryland soils, particularlyin the Great Plains, are quite fertile, European settlers learned over a century ago that(10) water is the main missing ingredient in achieving their agricultural potential. In the1970’s, certain irrigation methods were perfected and finally provided a real opportunityto expand more intensive farming west from the Central Lowland into the drier portionsof the Great Plains. Glaciation also enhanced the rich legacy of fertile soils in the centralUnited States,both from the deposition of mineral-rich glacial debris left by meltwater(15)and from thick layers of fine wind-blown glacial material, called loess, in and around themiddle Mississippi Valley.Natural vegetation patterns could be displayed on a map of North America, but theenormous human modification of the North American environment in modern times hasall but reduced this regionalization scheme to the level of the hypothetical. Nonetheless,(20)the humid America-arid America dichotomy is still a valid generalization: the naturalvegetation of areas receiving more than 20 inches of water yearly is forest, whereas thedrier climates give rise to a grassland cover. The forests of North America tent to makea broad transition by latitude. In the Canadian North, needle-leaf forests dominate, butthese coniferous trees become mixed with broadleaf deciduous trees as onecrosses the(25) border into the Northeast United States. As one proceeds toward the Southeast,broadleaf vegetation becomes dominant. Arid America mostly consists of short-grass prairies orstepper. The only areas of true desert are in the Southwest.21 What aspect of North America does the passage mainly discuss?(A) The wide variety of climates(B) Soil types and vegetation patterns(C) Improved irrigation methods and the expansion of agriculture(D) The change in precipitation patterns22 The word “spawn ” in line 1 is closest in meaning to(A) distinguish(B) eliminate(C) protect(D) create23 The word “partitioning” in line 2 is closest in meaning to(A) division(B) modification(C) opening(D) circulating24 According to the passage, acidic soils tent to be associated with(A) a high salt content(B) an increase in farming(C) large amounts of rain(D) glacial meltwater25 The word “enhanced” in line 13 is closest in meaning to(A) implied(B) increased(C) indicated(D) informed26 How did glacial meltdown affect the soil in North America?(A) It redistributed the soil types(B) It added salt to the soil(C) It made the soil more neutral in content(D) It added minerals to the soil27 The phrase “this regionalization scheme” in line 19 refers to the(A) movements of glacial deposits(B) patterns of natural vegetation(C) human modification of the North American environment(D) distinction between humid America and arid America28 Th e word “transition” in line 23 is closest in meaning to(A) elevation(B) change(C) advantage(D) condition29 The passage supports which of the following statements?(A) Arid America is not necessarily characterized by the presence of deserts(B) Most of Canada and the northeastern United States consists of short-grassprairies wherever natural vegetation has not been modified by humans(C) The accumulation of loess is primarily the result of irrigation(D) Glaciation removed the fertile layer of soil from much of the Mississippi ValleyQuestions 30-40Most sources of illumination generate light over an appreciable period, and indeed ifan object is lit for a very brief time(less that 1/25 second), the human eye will not reactin time to see the object. A photographic emulsion---that is, a light-sensitive coating on photographic film, paper, or glass---will, however, record much shorter bursts of light. A(5 ) photographic flash can therefore be used to capture high-speed movement on film as wellas to correct deficiencies of the normal surrounding lighting. Photoflash is now generated electronically, but the earliest form, first used in 1864, was a paper bag containingmagnesium wire and some oxygen-rich substance, such as potassium chlorate. When thebag was ignited, the metal burned with an intense flash. A contemporary observer reported(10) that “this quite unsafe device seems to have done nothing worse that engulf the room indense smoke and lead to pictures of dubious quality and odd poses.”The evolution of the photoflash was slow, flashbulbs, containing fine wire made of ametal, such as magnesium or aluminum, capable of being ignited in an atmosphere of pure oxygen at low pressure, were introduced only in the 1920’s. In the earliest type, the metal(15) was separated from the oxygen by a thin glass bulb. The flash was fired by piercing thebulb and allowing the oxygen to come into contact with the metal, which ignited spontaneously. Later bulbs were fired by an electric battery, which heated the wire bypassing a small current through it. Other combinations, such as the pairing of oxygendifluoride with zirconium, have also been used. In each case enough energy is given out to(20) heat the oxidizable metal momentarily to a white-hot emission of visible light. Thesmoke particles are so small that they cool rapidly; but since they are white, they contribute to the brilliance by reflecting the light from their still-glowing neighbors. A slightly bigger formof the metal will burn for a longer time.30 What does the passage mainly discuss?(A) The history of the photoflash(B) Theories about how the eye reacts to light(C) The technology of modern photography(D) The dangers of using the early photoflash31 According to the passage,1/25 second is the minimum amount of time required for the(A) recording of an image on film(B) generation of artificial light(C) creation of a photographic emulsion(D) human eye to react to light32 According to the passage, an advantage of using a photoflash is that it(A) can produce repeated bursts of light(B) intensities colors in photographs(C) is short enough not to bother human eyes(D) supplements existing lighting33 The word “ignited” in line 9 is closest in meaning to(A) set on fire(B) cut into(C) opened(D) shaken34 Which of the following phrases is defined in paragraph 1?(A)”appreciable period”(line 1)(B)”photographic emulsion”(line 3)(C)”high-speed movement”(line 5)(D)”odd poses”(line 11)35 The word “evolution” in line 12 is closest in meaning to(A) publicity(B) adoption(C) development(D) manufacture36 The function of the glass in the first flashbulbs was to(A) produce the spark that initiated the flash(B) magnify the light produced by the flash(C) protect the photographer from the heat of the flash(D) keep the metal and oxygen apart before the flash37 The word “it” in line 18 refers to(A) oxygen(B) battery(C) wire(D) current38 The word “momentarily” in line 20 is closest in meaning to(A) effortlessly(B) briefly(C) electronically(D) gradually39 According to the passage, the white color of the smoke particles generated by a flashbulb contributes to(A) rapid cooling(B) bright illumination(C) electrical conductivity(D) intense heat40 According to the passage, a flashbulb can be made to burn longer by using(A) thicker wire(B) more oxygen(C) thinner glass(D) continuous electricityQuestions 41-50The stylistic innovation in paining known as Impressionism began in the 1870’s.The Impressionists wanted to depict what they saw in nature, but they were inspired to portray fragmentary moments by the increasingly fast pace of modern life. They concentrated onthe play of light over objects, people, and nature, breaking up seemingly solidsurfaces,(5 ) stressing vivid contrast between colors in sunlight and shade, and depiction reflected lightin all of its possibilities. Unlike earlier artists, they did not want to observe the world from indoors. They abandoned the studio, painting in the open air and recording spontaneous Impressions of their subjects instead of making outside sketches and then moving indoorsto complete the work form memory.(10) Some of the Impressionists’ painting methods were affected by technologicaladvances. For example, the shift from the studio to the open air was made possible inpart by the advent of cheap rail travel, which permitted easy and quick access to thecountryside or seashore, as well as by newly developed chemical dyes and oils that ledto collapsible paint tubes, which enabled artists to finish their paintings on the spot.(15)Impressionism acquired its name not from supporters but from angry art lovers whofelt threatened by the new painting. The term “Impressionism” was born in 1874,whena group of artists who had been working together organized an exhibition of theirpaintings in order to draw public attention to their work. Reaction from the public andpress was immediate, and derisive. Among the 165 paintings exhibited was one called(20)Impression: Sunrise, by Claude Monet(1840-1926),Viewed through hostile eyes,Monet’s painting of a rising sun over a misty, watery scene seemed messy, slapdash,and an affront to good taste. Borrowing Monet’s title, art critics extended the term “Impressionism” to the entire exhibit. In response, Monet and his 29 fellow artists inthe exhibit adopted the same name as a badge of their unity, despite individual differences.(25)From then until 1886 Impressionism had all the zeal of a “church”, as the painter Renoirput it. Monet was faithful to the Impressionist creed until his death, although many of theothers moved on to new styles.41 What aspect of painting in the nineteenth century does the passage mainly discuss?(A) The impact of some artists’ resistance to the fast pace of life(B) The differences between two major styles of art(C) A technological advance in the materials used by artists(D) A group of artists with a new technique and approach to art42 The word “depict” in line 2 is closest in meaning to(A) reorganize(B) deform(C) represent(D) justify43 According to the passage, which of the following was one of the distinguishing characteristics of Impressionist painting?(A) The emphasis on people rather than nature scenes(B) The way the subjects were presented from multiple angles(C) The focus on small solid objects(D) The depiction of the effects of light and color44 Which of the following is a significant way in which Impressionists were different from the artists that preceded them?(A) They began by making sketches of their subjects(B) They painted their subjects out-of-doors(C) They preferred to paint from memory(D) They used subjects drawn from modern life45 The word “advent” in line 12 is closest in meaning to(A) achievement(B) acceptance(C) arrival(D) advantage46 The exhibition of paintings organized in 1874 resulted in all of the following EXCEPT(A) attracting attention from the public(B) a negative reaction from the press(C) an immediate demand for the paintings exhibited(D) creating a name for a new style of painting47 The word “affront” in line 22 is closest in meaning to(A) insult(B) encouragement(C) return(D) credit48 The rejection of the Impressionist exhibition by critics was caused by which of the following?(A) The small number of paintings on display(B) Lack of interest in exhibitions by young artists(C) The similarity between all the paintings exhibited(D) Anger about seemingly poorly painted art49 The author mentions Renoir in line 25 to give an example of an artist who(A) became as famous as Monet(B) was consistently praised by art critics(C) described the enthusiasm of the Impressionists for their work(D) was in favor of a traditional style of painting50 The word “others” in line 27 refers to(A) art critics(B) fellow artists(C) individual differences(D) new styles0308答案ABADB CCCBA BDDCC DCDBA DACCB DBCAC DACBA BABDC BCAAD CDABA CACCB CDBCB DACCC ABCDA CDCDC BDCDC BCDDC DBACBDAABA DDBAB CDBCB DCBBA BDACB DDBAA DDABC DCBBA DCDBC CADCB。
托福备考托福阅读34套TPO样题+解析+译文26—3 Sumer and the First Cities of the Ancient Near East
托福考试 复习TPO 26—3 Sumer and the First Cities of the Ancient Near East原文：【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.【2】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 ofthe Flood may originate in Sumer. In the earliest version, the gods destroy the human race because its clamor had been so disturbing to them.【3】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 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 t o 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.【4】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.题目：1.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.2.According to paragraph 1, which of the following made it possible for anelite to emerge?A.New crops were developed that were better suited to conditions on theMesopotamian 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.3.The word “sustain”in the passage（paragraph 1）is closest in meaning toA.defend.B.promote.C.maintain.D.transform.4.According to paragraph 2, Eridu and Uruk are examples of urbansettlements thatcked the features usually found in other early urban settlements.B.developed around religious buildings.C.grew much more rapidly than most of the urban settlements found in Sumer.D.were mysteriously destroyed and abandoned.5.The word “sovereign"in the passage is closest in meaning toA.counselor.B.master.C.defender.D.creator.6.According to paragraph 3, which of the following led to the appearanceof writing?A.An increasingly sophisticated administrative system.B.Coordination between secular and religious leaders.C.The large volume of trade, particularly imports.D.A rapidly expanding and changing population.7.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.T o argue that the development of writing involved periods of growth followed by periods of decline.B.To demonstrate that earlier written texts used a larger vocabulary than later texts, which were aimed at a broader audience.C.To support the claim that the range of words expressed by logograms varied widely depending on time period and type of text.D.T o provide evidence for the increased efficiency of using signs to express syllables rather than whole words.8.According to paragraph 3, ancient texts most commonly dealt withA.theology.B.literature.C.economics.w.9.According to paragraph 4, the earliest wheels probablyA.were first developed in areas outside Mesopotamia.B.were used to make pottery.C.appeared on boxlike sledges.D.were used to transport goods between cities.10.The word “engraved”in the passage(paragraph 4)is closest in meaning toA.carved.B.produced.C.dated.D.discovered.11.Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information inthe highlighted sentence in the passage paragraph 4 ? 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.12.The word “widespread”in the passage(paragraph 4)is closest in meaning toA.obvious.B.significant.C.necessary.mon.13. Look at the four squares [■]that indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage.Where would the sentence best fit? City life was diverse, and the population was engaged in a variety of occupations.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. ■【A】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.) ■【B】An increasingly sophisticated system of administrationled in about 3300 B.C.E. to the appearance of writing. ■【C】The earliest script was based on logograms, with asymbol being used to express a whole word. ■【D】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 wasto 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 wordincluding 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 syllablesof 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 alwayshad done; but at this point works of theology,literature, history, and lawalso appeared.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 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.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答案：1.A选项的rainfall和B的melting snow做关键词定位至第五句，都正确，不选；C的silt 确实讲过，但并没讲damaged crops，所以C错，选；D的timber, stone and metals定位至第四句，正确，不选。
美索不达米亚和埃及Mesopotamia and Egypt
Characteristics of Civilization
1.Cities as administrative centers 2.Political system based on defined territory rather than kinship 3.Many people engaged in specialized, non-food-producing activities 4.Status distinctions based on the accumulation of wealth 5.Monumental building 6.System for keeping permanent records 7.Long distance trade 8.Sophisticated interest in science and art
Ancient Egypt
• sources; Egyptian burial customs • influence of Mesopotamian culture • Nile river valley • civilization developed around 3100 BCE • Menes • Memphis • Amon
Question #2: What term best describes the period around 4000 and 3000 BCE?
• A. First Civilizations • B. Urban Revolution
Question #3: What term does Kevin Reilly use to describe the time period around 4000-3000 BCE?
[精品文档]历年托福考试阅读真题汇总含答案
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0308托福试题阅读（55minutes）Question 1-11If food is allowed to stand for some time, it putrefies .When the putrefied materialis examined microscopically ,it is found to be teeming with bacteria. Where do thesebacteria come from , since they are not seen in fresh food? Even until the mid-nineteenthcentury, many people believed that such microorganisms originated by spontaneous(5 )generation ,a hypothetical process by which living organisms develop from nonlivingmatter.The most powerful opponent of the theory of spontaneous generation was the French chemist and microbiologist Louis Pasteur(1822-1895).Pasteur showed that structurespresent in air closely resemble the microorganisms seen in putrefying materials .He did(10) this by passing air through guncotton filters, the fibers of which stop solid particles. Afterthe guncotton was dissolved in a mixture of alcohol and ether, the particles that it hadtrapped fell to the bottom of the liquid and were examined on a microscope slide .Pasteurfound that in ordinary air these exists a variety of solid structures ranging in size from0.01 mm to more than 1.0 mm .Many of these bodies resembledthe reproductive(15)structures of common molds, single-celled animals, and various other microbial cells .As many as 20 to 30 of them were found in fifteen liters of ordinary air ,and they couldnot be distinguished from the organisms found in much larger numbers in putrefying materials .Pasteur concluded that the organisms found in putrefying materials originatedfrom the organized bodies present in the air .He postulated thatthese bodies are constantly(20)being deposited on all objects.Pasteur showed that if a nutrient solution was sealed in a glass flask and heated toboiling to destroy all the living organisms contaminating it, it never putrefied .The proponents of spontaneous generation declared that fresh air was necessary forspontaneous generation and that the air inside the sealed flask was affected in some way(25)by heating so that it would no longer support spontaneousgeneration. Pasteur constructed a swan-necked flask in which putrefying materials could he heated to boiling, but aircould reenter. The bends in the neck prevented microorganisms from getting in the flask.. Material sterilized in such a flask did not putrefy.1,What does the passage mainly discuss?(a)Pasteur’s influence on the development of the microscope.(b)The origin of the theory of spontaneous generation .(c)The effects of pasteurization on food.(d)Pasteur’s argument agai nst the theory of spontaneous generation . 2,The phrase “teeming with ”in line 2 is closest in meaning to(a)full of(b)developing into(c)resistant to(d)hurt by3,Which of the following questions did the theory of spontaneous generation attempt to answer?(a)What is the origin of the living organisms are seen on some food?(b)How many types of organisms can be found on food?(c)What is the most effective way to prepare living organisms for microscopic examination?(d)How long can food stand before it putrefies?4,The word “resemble” in line 9 is closest in meaning to(a)benefit from(b)appear similar to(c)join together with(d)grow from5,The purpose of the “guncotton” mentioned in paragraph 2 was to(a)trap particles for analysis(b)slow the process of putrefaction(c)increase the airflow to the microscopic slide(d)aid the mixing of alcohol and ether6,The author mention “1.0mm”in line 14 in describing the(a)thickness of a layer of organisms that was deposited on an object(b)diameter of the fibers that were in the guncotton filters(c)thickness of the microscope slides that were used(d)size of the particles that that were collected7.The word “postulated”in line 19 is closest in meaning to(a)analyzed(b)doubted(c)persuaded(d)suggested8.The objects that Pasteut removed from the air in his experiment were remarkable because they were(a)primarily single-celled organisms(b)no different from objects found in putrefying materials(c)fairly rare(d)able to live in a mixture of alcohol and ether9.The word “it” in line 22 refers to(a)a nutrient solution(b)a glass flask(c)boiling(d)spontaneous generation10.According to paragraph 3,proponents of spontaneous generation believed that which of the following was important for the process to succeed ?(a)A sealed container(b)Fresh air(d)The presence of nutrients11.It can be inferred from paragraph 3 that Pasteur employed a swam-necked flask to(a)store sterilized liquids for use in future experiments(b)prevent heat from building up in a solution(c)disprove a criticism of his conclusions(d)estimate the number of organisms in a liter of airQuestions 12-20In the early decades of the United States ,the agrarian movement promoted the farmeras society’s hero. In the minds of agrarian thinkers and writers ,the farmer was a person on whose well-being the health of the new country depended .The period between theRevolution, which ended in 1783,and the Civil War ,which ended in 1865 ,was the age of(5 )the farmer in the United States .Agrarian philosophers ,represented most eloquently byThomas Jefferson, celebrated farmers extravagantly for their supposed centrality in a goodsociety, their political virtue ,and their Superior morality .And virtually all policy makers, whether they subscribed to the tenets of the philosophy held by Jefferson or not, recognized agriculture as the key component of the American economy .Consequently ,government at(10)all levels worked to encourage farmers as a social group and agriculture as economicenterprise.Both the national and state governments developed transportation infrastructure,building canals, roads, bridges, and railroads ,deepening harbors ,and removing obstructions from navigable streams .The national government imported plant and animal varieties and(15) launched exploring expeditions into prospective farmlands in the West .In addition ,government trade policies facilitated the exporting of agriculturalFor their part ,farmers seemed to meet the social expectations agrarian philosophershad for them ,as their broader horizons and greater self-respect, both products of the Revolution ,were reflected to some degree in their behavior .Farmers seemed to become(20)more scientific ,joining agricultural societies and reading the farm newspapers that sprangup throughout the country .They began using improved implements, tried new crops andpure animal breeds , and became more receptive to modern theories of soil improvement .They also responded to inducements by national and state governments .Farmersstreamed to the West ,filling frontier lands with stunning rapidity .But farmers responded(25)less to the expectations of agrarians and governmentinducements than to growing market opportunities .European demand for food from the United States seemed insatiable . War, industrialization , and urbanization all kept demand high in Europe . United States citiesand industries grew as well; even industries not directly related to farming thrived becauseof the market, money ,and labor that agriculture provided .12.What does the passage mainly discuss?(a)The agrarian philosophy of Thomas Jefferson(b)The role of the national government in the development of agriculture(c)Improvements in farming techniques(d)The impact of the increased importance of the farmer13.The word “depended” in line 3 is closest in meaning to(a)improved(b)relied(c)demanded(d)explained14.The author mentions Thomas Jefferson in paragraph 1 as an。
12月13日托福阅读答案解析
12月13日托福阅读答案解析Obviously=clearlyWidespread=commonDense=thickThus=consequentlyresultantShallow=smalldepthexerciseProfound=very strongEmergence=riseTactic=strategyAdjacent to=near toParallel=match12月13日托福阅读第一篇题材划分：生物类主要内容：板块运动可以改变生物多样性，提到生物区的划分，少于百分之二十的物种相似度就是不同的区越多说明那里的多样性越高。
比如板块分开的时候，多样性增加，反之亦然。
一个山脉可以把原本的湿润风给挡了，就变成沙漠不适合生长了。
或者一个障碍的形成可以把本来的一个物种分成两个，一南一北，等到在合并的时候，发现北部的可以到南部生活，但南部的很少到北部生活。
相似TPO练习推荐TPO31- Speciation in Geographically Isolated Populations相关背景知识：Speciation is the evolutionary process by which new biological species arise. The biologist Orator F. Cook was the first to coin the term ‘speciation’ for the splitting of lineages or “cladogenesis,” as opposed to “anagenesis” or “phyletic evolution” occurring within lineages. Charles Darwin was the first to describe the role of natural selection in speciation.There is research comparing the intensity of sexual selection in different clades with their number of species.There are four geographic modes of speciation in nature, based on the extent to which speciating populations are isolated from one another: allopatric, peripatric, parapatric, and sympatric. Speciation may also be induced artificially, through animal husbandry, agriculture, or laboratory experiments. Whether genetic drift is a minor or major contributor to speciation is the subject matter of much ongoing discussion.All forms of natural speciation have taken place over the course of evolution; however, debate persists as to the relative importance of each mechanism in driving biodiversity.One example of natural speciation is the diversity of the three-spined stickleback, a marine fish that, after the last glacial period, has undergone speciation into new freshwater colonies in isolated lakes and streams. Over an estimated 10,000 generations, the sticklebacks show structural differences that are greater than those seen between different genera of fish including variations in fins, changes in the number or size of their bony plates, variable jaw structure, and color differences.During allopatric speciation, a population splits into two geographically isolated populations (for example, by habitat fragmentation due to geographical change such as mountain formation). The isolated populations then undergo genotypic and/or phenotypic divergence as: (a) they become subjected to dissimilar selective pressures;(b) they independently undergo genetic drift; (c) different mutations arise in the two populations. When the populations come back into contact, they have evolved such that they are reproductively isolated and are no longer capable of exchanging genes. Island genetics is the term associated with the tendency of small, isolated genetic pools to produce unusual traits. Examples include insular dwarfism and the radical changes among certain famous island chains, for example on Komodo. The Galápagos Islands are particularly famous for their influence on Charles Darwin. During his five weeks there he heard that Galápagos tortoises could be identified by island, and noticed that finches differed from one island to another, but it was only nine months later that he reflected that such facts could show that species were changeable. When he returned to England, his speculation on evolution deepened after experts informed him that these were separate species, not just varieties, and famously that other differing Galápagos birds were all species of finches. Though the finches were less important for Darwin, more recent research has shown the birds now known as Darwin’s finches to be a classic case of adaptive evolutionary radiation.12月13日托福阅读第二篇题材划分：生物类主要内容：主要讲关于夏威夷岛上的Noendemic animals and plants是如何移民到岛上的，主要通过风，动物皮毛和消化，以及通过人类的船只等。
托福阅读真题()
可编辑可修改托福阅读真题 3PASSAGE3TheNativeAmericansofnorthernCaliforniawerehighlyskilledatbasketry,usingthe reeds,grasses,barks,androotstheyfoundaroundthemtofashionarticlesofallsortsandsizes-notonlytrays,containers,andcookingpots,buthats,boats,fishtraps,babycarriers,and ceremonialobjects.Ofalltheseexperts, noneexcelledthe Pomo—agroupwholived onornear thecoastduringthe1800's,andwhosedescendantscontinuetoliveinpartsofthesameregiontothisday.Theymadebasketsthreefeetindiameterandothersnobiggerthanathimble.ThePomo peopleweremastersofdecoration.Someoftheirbasketswerecompletelycoveredwithshell1pendants;otherswithfeathersthatmadethebaskets'surfacesassoftasthebreastsofbirds.Moreover,thePomopeoplemadeuseofmoreweavingtechniques thandidtheir neighbors.Mostgroupsmadealltheirbasketwork bytwining —thetwistingofaflexible horizontalmaterial,called aweft, aroundstiffer vertical strands ofmaterial, thewarp.Othersdepended primarilyoncoiling —aprocessinwhichacontinuous coil ofstiff material isheldinthedesired shapewithtight wrappingofflexible strands. OnlythePomopeopleusedbothprocesseswithequaleaseandfrequency.Inaddition,theymadeuseoffourdistinctvariationsonthebasictwiningprocess, oftenemployingmorethanoneoftheminasinglearticle.Althoughawidevarietyofmaterialswasavailable,thePomopeopleusedonlyafew.Thewarpwasalwaysmadeofwillow, andthemostcommonlyusedweftwassedgeroot, awoodyfiber that couldeasily beseparatedinto strands nothicker thanathread. Forcolor, thePomo2peopleusedthebarkofredbudfortheirtwinedworkanddyedbullrushrootforblackincoiledwork.Thoughothermaterials weresometimesused,thesefour werethestaples intheirfinestbasketry.If thebasketry materials usedbythePomopeoplewerelimited, thedesignswere amazinglyvaried.EveryPomobasketmakerknewhowtoproducefromfifteentotwentydistinctpatternsthatcouldbecombinedinanumberofdifferentways.1.WhatbestdistinguishedPomobasketsfrombasketsofothergroupsTherangeofsizes,shapes,anddesignsTheunusualgeometricTheabsenceofdecorationTherarematerialsused2.Theword"fashion"inline2isclosestinmeaningtomaintainorganize(A)trade3可编辑可修改(D)create3.ThePomopeopleusedeachofthefollowingmaterialstodecoratebasketsEXCEPTshellsfeathersleavesbark4.Whatistheauthor'smainpointinthesecondparagraph(A)TheneighborsofthePomopeopletriedtoimproveonthePomobasketweavingtechniqu es.ThePomopeoplewerethemostskilledbasketweaversintheirregion.(C)ThePomopeoplelearnedtheirbasketweavingtechniquesfromotherNativeAmericans.ThePomobasketshavebeenhandeddownforgenerations.5.Theword"others"inline9refersto mastersbasketspendantssurfacesAccordingtothepassage,aweftisa(A)toolforseparatingsedgeroot4可编辑可修改processusedforcoloringbasketspliablematernalwovenaroundthewarppatternusedtodecoratebaskets7.Accordingtothepassage,whatdidthePomopeopleuseasthewarpintheirbasketsbullrushwillowsedgeredbud8.Theword"article"inline17iscloseinmeaningtodecorationshapedesignobjectAccordingtothepassage.Therelationshipbetweenredbudandtwiningismostsimilartotherelationshipbetwee nbullrushandcoilingweftandwarpwillowandfeatherssedgeandweaving10.Theword"staples"inline23isclosestinmeaningto 5combinationslimitationsaccessoriesbasicelements11.Theword"distinct"inlime26isclosestinmeaningtosystematicbeautifuldifferentcompatible12.WhichofthefollowingstatementsaboutPomobasketscanbebestinferredfromthepa ssage(A)BasketsproducedbyotherNativeAmericanswerelessvariedindesignthanthoseofthePomop eople.(B)BasketsproducedbyPomoweaverswereprimarilyforceremonialpurposes.(C)TherewereaverylimitednumberofbasketmakingmaterialsavailabletothePomopeople.(D)ThebasketmakingproductionofthePomopeoplehasincreasedovertheyears.PASSAGE4Theterm"HudsonRiverschool"wasappliedtotheforemostrepresentativesof6nineteenth-centuryNorthAmericanlandscapepainting.ApparentlyunknownduringthegoldendaysoftheAmericanlandscapemovement,whichbeganaround1850andlasteduntilthelate1860's,theHudsonRiverschoolseemstohaveemergedinthe1870'sasadirectresultofthestrugglebetweentheoldandthenewgenerationsofartists,eachtoassertitsownstyleasthe representativeAmericanart.Theolderpainters,mostofwhomwerebornbefore1835,practiced inamodeoftenself-taughtandmonopolizedbylandscapesubjectmatterandweresecurely establishedinandfosteredbythereigningAmericanartorganization,theNationalAcademyof Design.Theyoungerpaintersreturning homefromtraininginEurope workedmorewithfiguralsubjectmatterandinaboldandimpressionistictechnique;theirprospectsforpatronageintheir owncountrywereuncertain,andtheysoughttoattractitbyattainingacademicrecognitionin NewYork.Oneoftheresultsoftheconflictbetweenthetwofactionswasthatwhat7inpreviousyearshadbeenreferredto asthe"American", "native",or,occasionally,"NewYork"school —themostrepresentativeschoolofAmericanartinanygenre —hadby1890becomefirmlyestablishedinthemindsofcriticsandpublicalikeastheHudsonRiverschool.The sobriquet wasfirst applied around 1879. While it wasnot intended as flattering,itwashardly inappropriate. TheAcademiciansatwhomit wasaimedhadworkedandsocializedinNewYork,theHudson'sportcity, andhadpainted theriver andits shoreswithvaryingfrequency.Mostimportant,perhaps,wasthattheyhadallmaintainedwithacertainfidelitya manneroftechnique andcomposition consistent withthoseofAmerica's first popularlandscapeartist,ThomasCole,whobuiltacareerpaintingtheCatskillMountainscenery borderingtheHudsonRiver.Apossibleimplicationinthetermappliedtothegroupof landscapistswasthatmanyofthemhad,likeCole,livedonornearthebanksofthe8Hudson.Further,theriverhadlongservedastheprincipalroutetoothersketchinggroundsfavoredby theAcademicians,particularlytheAdirondacksandthemountainsofVermontandNewHampshire.WhatdoesthepassagemainlydiscussTheNationalAcademyofDesignPaintingsthatfeaturedtheHudsonRiverNorthAmericanlandscapepaintingsThetrainingofAmericanartistsinEuropeanacademiesBefore1870,whatwasconsideredthemostrepresentativekindofAmericanpainting FiguralpaintingLandscapepaintingImpressionisticpaintingHistoricalpaintingTheword"struggle"inline5isclosestinmeaningto(A)connection9可编辑可修改distancecommunicationcompetition4.Theword"monopolized"inline7isclosestinmeaningtoalarmeddominatedrepelledpursued5.Accordingtothepassage,whatwasthefunctionoftheNationalAcademyofDesignfor thepaintersbornbefore1835Itmediatedconflictsbetweenartists.Itsupervisedtheincorporationofnewartistictechniques.Itdeterminedwhichsubjectswereappropriate.Itsupportedtheirgrowthanddevelopment.6.Theword"it"inline12referstomattertechniquepatronage(A)country10可编辑可修改7.Theword"factions"inline13isclosestinmeaningtosidespeoplecitiesimages8.Theword"flattering"inline18isclosestinmeaningtoexpressiveseriouscomplimentaryflashy9.Wheredidtheyoungergenerationofpaintersreceiveitsartistictraining InEuropeIntheAdirondacksInVermont(D)InNewHampshire答案：PASSAGE3BDCBBCBDADCAPASSAGE4BBDBDCACA 11。
新托福阅读考试案例题2篇(附答案)
共两篇美索不达米亚（苏美尔）文明Mesopotamia的背景：美索不达米亚（亚洲西南部小亚细亚地区Tigris和Euphrates两河流域间的古王国, 今伊拉克所在地）。
美索不达米亚古代西南亚介于底格里斯河和幼发拉底河之间的一个地区，位于现在的伊拉克境内。
可能在公元前5000年以前就开始有人在此定居。
这一地区孕育了众多的人类早期文明，其中包括苏美尔文明、阿卡德文明、巴比伦文明和亚述文明。
蒙古侵略者在公元1258年破坏了该地区发达的灌溉系统之后，这一地区的重要性就此减小。
纳米比亚地区，一种civilization 还和埃及比较了一下。
关于两河civilization和Egypt civilization的。
他们同时存在，有交流，但没有一方压倒另一方。
Egypt的体制根两河的政治体制不一样，一个united under 一个什么体制下，另外一个则由于地理条件的制约不存在united format。
另外两河的文明很少有tangible substance留下来，因为他们的architecture structure与Egypt不一样，对他们文字的研究也是通过发掘fragment的方法研究的。
还讲了两河的local lord,这人不是fiction的，他对他那个city state具有很大的influence，文中讲到的是economic aspect.同时，他传话通过一个叫做人君的人传话。
讲Mesopotamia的culture，和Egypt的文化对比。
因为两者是两河流域的同时发展起来的文化（考：Mesopotamia文化是独立于Egypt的文化）然后讲述Mesopotamia culture的特点：建筑物没有Egypt的牢固，文化没有文字记载等。
有个考题：location of Ur。
）1.astonishing这个词是什么意思？amazing2.在公元XXX年，尼罗文化和M文化同时发展。
对原文这句话的同意改写。
托福TPO真题阅读答案解析
托福TPO真题阅读答案解析在日常学习、工作生活中，我们最熟悉的就是阅读答案了，借助阅读答案我们可以更好地掌握此类题型的解题思路和方法。
你所了解的阅读答案是什么样的呢？下面是我为大家收集的托福TPO真题阅读答案解析，希望对大家有所帮助。
托福TPO真题阅读答案解析2My friend Matt and I arrived at the Activity Centre on Friday evening. The accommodation wasnt wonderful，but we had everything we needed (beds，blankets，food)，and we were pleased to be out of the city and in the fresh air.On Saturday morning we met the other ten members of our group. Cameron had come along with two friends，Kevin and Simon，while sisters Carole and Lynn had come with Amanda. There were some other members I didnt know. We had come from different places and none of us knew the area.We knew we were going to spend the weekend outdoors，but none of us was sure exactly how. Half of us spent the morning caving while the others went rock-climbing and then we changed at lunchtime. Matt and I went to the caves first. Climbing out was harder than going in，but after a good deal of pushing，we were out at last. Though we werecovered with mud，we were pleased and excited by what wed done.根据短文内容，选择正确答案。
TOEFL试题
TOEFL试题TOEFL试题篇11.Between 1870 and 1 890 the total population of tile United States---.(A) that doubled(B) doubled(C) It doubled(D) when doubled2. Intended to display the work of twentieth-century artists, in 1929.(A) the opening of the Museum of Modern Art(B) so the Museum of Modern Art opened(C) why tile Museum of Modern Art opened(D) the Museum of Modern Art opened3. The Earth has a tremendous amount of water, but--- in the ocean.(A) almost all of it is(B) it is almost all of(C) is of it almost all(D) all is of it almost4. --- have sense organs in a canal known as the lateral line, which allows them to respond to changes in water pressure caused by nearby motion.(A) That tile fish(B) Fish(C) When fish(D) If tile fish5. Direct information on the chemical composition of the Moon became available in 1969 --- of the first Apollo mission to land on the Moon.(A) with tile return(B) returning(C) when returned(D) and the return6. --- completely harmless to the environment is very difficult and usually economically unsound.(A) Cleaning products that(B) Cleaning products are(C) Cleaning products are made(D) Making a cleaning product7. One of Ulysses S. Grants first acts as President of the United States was to name tile Seneca chief Donehogawa --- of Indian Affairs.(A) as was Commissioner(B) Commissioner(C) was Commissioner(D) him Commissioner8. One of the most ancient arts,--- in different parts of the world.(A) for weaving to develop independently(B) the independent development of weaving(C) weaving, to develop independently(D) weaving developed independently9. --- classified as a carnivore, the North American grizzly bear cats berries and even grass.(A) Just as(B) Because of(C) Although(D) Either10. Not only --- mucTOEFL试题篇21. (a) shell get the things the man needs.(b) sally wants to go to the bookstore too.(c) there isnt enough time to go to the bookstore.(d) the student center closes at four oclock.2. (a) he doesnt feel qualified for the job.(b) hed like a higher salary.(c) hes completely satisfied with his job.(d) hed like to be able to work more hours per week.3. (a) try to get a ride with pete.(b) take an airplane to boston.(c) ask pete the name of his hotel.(d) drive her car to boston.4. (a) shell give the man the newspaper after class.(b) she doesnt read the newspaper for her class.(c) she doesnt have a newspaper to give the man.(d) she only reads one section of the newspaper.5. (a) his roommate doesnt like to talk much.(b) hes upset with his roommate.(c) someone other than his roommate caused the problem.(d) he doesnt want the woman to be friendly with his roommate.6. (a) the book was very interesting.(b) he hasnt read the book yet.(c) the book is too long.(d) he doesnt usually read spy thrillers.7. (a) she hurt her foot.(b) her health problem has come back again.(c) shes feeling better now.(d) she needs an operation soon.8. (a) he has been working outdoors lately.(b) hed like to get some exercise over the weekend.(c) hes a good tennis player.(d) he rarely uses his computer.9. (a) more doctors should be doing research.(b) he is studying to be a doctor.(c) an important new medical treatment may be available soon.(d) he has already tried the new medicine.10. (a) she couldnt find her watch.(b) she feels bad about being late.(c) she forgot what time the library closed.(d) she had never agreed to meet the man.11. (a) shes a professional photographer.(b) shell take the camera to her car before the concert.(c) she just had an argument with her roommate.(d) shes concerned about leaving the camera with the man.12. (a) decide against sending the application.(b) order his checks by mail.(c) enclose a twenty-dollar bill with his application.(d) buy a money order to send with the application.13. (a) shes too busy to run for class president.(b) she hasnt considered running for class president.。
托福阅读真题第24篇Ancient_Mapmaking（答案文章最后）
托福阅读真题第24篇Ancient_Mapmaking（答案文章最后）克劳迪乌斯·托勒密（laudius Ptolemy）生活在公元 85 至 168 年间，是一位古老的地图制作者。
这些作品在失传到 15 世纪后在欧洲被重新发现。
他住在埃及的亚历山大，在那里他使用亚历山大著名的图书馆来汇编现有的天文学知识。
地理、占星术分为三类伊斯_ 天文学和地理论文的影响是持久的。
但它们都出现了大约1300 年没有得到纠正的严重错误。
托勒密的天文学著作《天文学大成》否定了阿里斯塔克斯（约公元前230 年）早先提出的地球围绕太阳转的理论。
托勒密的地心说——地球是宇宙的中心——接受了亚里士多德的思想，并形成了他请客。
当托勒密的作品在十五世纪重新浮出水面时，它们被认为是古代智慧的瑰宝，很少有人有胆量或权威来挑战它们。
同样，任何改变托勒密地图的十六世纪地图被怀疑。
在他的另一篇有影响力的论文《地理》中，托勒密拒绝了埃拉托色尼在公元前 240 年左右对地球-地球圆周距离的近乎正确的计算。
相反，他选择了一个错误的、更小的距离（大约是实际大小的75%） . 托勒密本人并没有像埃拉托色尼那样进行任何测量，而是选择性地汇编了当时已知的其他信息。
他选择的估计来自希腊天文学家波塞多尼乌斯。
然而，随后，他的选择被称为托勒密思想，并被认为是无可辩驳的。
此外，托勒密假设已知世界的陆地表面覆盖了从西部的加那利群岛到亚洲最东部的180 度经度（大约20 度经度太多了）。
钍他的上的错误是显示和显示世界各地，连接西东亚的130年大陆。
这结合了他们的一个小手和五个人的周长。
当哥伦布已经到达目的地时，他已经到达了目的地，并在逻辑上认为他成功了。
值得称赞的是，托勒密的地图为地图制作引入了一些出色的标准。
尽管有错误。
虽然他不是第一个使用网格坐标系的想法的人，但他的显示姿态和经度的方法成为未来地图的标准。
托勒密也坚持map应该按比例绘制。
他那个时代的许多地图都被扩大了更知名的地方以包含所有已知信息而被扭曲。
托福阅读真题第139篇Mesop...
托福阅读真题第139篇Mesop...On the basis of available evidence, there existed in ancient state-level societies a variety of urban types. These have been classified under a number of different headings, ranging from city-states to territorial- or village-states. Mesopotamia and Egypt, for example, traditionally represent the two opposing extremes along a spectrum of possible settlement distributions and types.Mesopotamian city-state systems were made up of densely populated urban areas that shared a common language, status symbols, and economic systems, but their elites tended to compete with each other, often militarily, to control territory, trade routes, and other resources. Each city-state controlled a relatively small territory, often only a few hundred square kilometers, and had its own capital city, which in many cases was enclosed by a wall. In addition to its capital, a city-state might govern a number of smaller centers, as well as numerous farming villages and hamlets. Ancient Sumer is a classic example of such a system.In ancient Mesopotamia, urban centers tended to be relatively large, with populations ranging from less than 1,000 to more than 100,000 inhabitants, depending on the ability of a particular city-state to control and collect payments from its neighbors. Often, a considerable number of farmers lived in these centers to secure greater protection for themselves and their possessions. It is estimated that in southern Mesopotamia (circa 2900 - 2350 BC) more than 80 percent of the total population lived in cities.These cities also supported craft production, which soughtto satisfy the demands of the urban elite and society as a whole. The development of craft specialization and commercial exchanges between town and countryside as well as between neighboring urban centers encouraged the growth of public markets. Although the evidence for actual marketplaces is less than clear for southern Mesopotamia, the remnants of shop-lined streets indicate vigorous commercial activity involving large numbers of people. This activity in turn promoted competition among city-states to obtain supplies of exotic raw materials. As a result of widespread access to goods produced by full-time specialists and the development of more intensive agriculture close to urban centers, Mesopotamian city-states were able to support numerous nonfood producers, possibly as high a proportion as 20 percent of the total population.In contrast to Mesopotamia, ancient Egypt's population has traditionally been perceived as more evenly dispersed across the landscape, a characteristic of village-states. Topography and the formation of the early state were the major factors contributing to this dispersal. Unlike Mesopotamia, Egypt had relatively secure and defined borders, allowing a single state to dominate the area. Additionally, the villages and towns of Egypt, all of which were situated near the Nile on the river's narrow flood plain, had approximately equal access to the river and did not have to compete among themselves for water as their contemporaries in Mesopotamia were forced to do. As the main highway through Egypt, the Nile offered innumerable harbors for shipping and trading, so there was no strong locational advantage to be gained in one area as opposed to another; hence the Egyptian population generally remained dispersed throughout the valley and delta in low densities. Trade specialists apparently wereevenly spread throughout Egypt, supported by both independent workshops in small towns and royal patronage in the territorial capitals. In contrast to the defensive walls of Mesopotamian city-states, the walls of Egyptian towns primarily defined and delineated sections of the town (for example, a temple precinct from a residential area).Egypt, however, was not without urban centers. At points where goods entered the Nile valley via maritime routes or overland routes from the Red Sea via wadis (stream beds that remain dry except during the rainy season), the right circumstances existed for the growth of larger cities. Egyptian cities and towns shared certain characteristics with other contemporary societies but also displayed unique traits influenced by the culture and environment of the Nile valley. Thus, the geopolitical system that evolved in ancient Egypt was different from that of Mesopotamia; Egypt developed a village or territorial state characterized by dispersed settlements of varying size, a form of urbanism that gave Egypt its distinctive identity.【Paragraph 1】On the basis of available evidence, there existed in ancient state-level societies a variety of urban types. These have been classified under a number of different headings, ranging from city-states to territorial- or village-states. Mesopotamia and Egypt, for example, traditionally represent the two opposing extremes along a spectrum of possible settlement distributions and types.1. According to paragraph 1, which of the following best describes how ancient societies were organized？A. Ancient societies were classified as either city-states or village-states.B. Most ancient societies started out as city-states and thenbecame territorial- or village-states.C. With the exception of Mesopotamia and Egypt, ancient societies were generally not urbanized.D. Ancient societies likely followed a number of different urban settlement patterns.【Paragraph 2】Mesopotamian city-state systems were made up of densely populated urban areas that shared a common language, status symbols, and economic systems, but their elites tended to compete with each other, often militarily, to control territory, trade routes, and other resources.Each city-state controlled a relatively small territory, often only a few hundred square kilometers, and had its own capital city, which in many cases was enclosed by a wall. In addition to its capital, a city-state might govern a number of smaller centers, as well as numerous farming villages and hamlets. Ancient Sumer is a classic example of such a system.2. 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. Although composed of very similar societies, Mesopotamian city-states were also characterized by conflicts among elitesover trade, territory, and resources.B. City-states that shared a common language, status symbols, and economic systems were more likely to compete militarilythan were other city-states.C. Most military conflicts among Mesopotamian city-states were about economic issues, such as territory or trade routes,but some were over the status symbols of elites.D. Despite the military control of elites, Mesopotamian city-states tended to compete with each other.3. The author mentions Ancient Sumer as an example ofA. an unusual settlement that differed from the classic city-stateB. a small farming village under the control of a large cityC. a city-state consisting of a capital and outlying settlementsD. a city-state that was particularly small in size for Mesopotamia【Paragraph 3】In ancient Mesopotamia, urban centers tended to be relatively large, with populations ranging from less than 1,000 to more than 100,000 inhabitants, depending on the ability of a particular city-state to control and collect payments from its neighbors. Often, a considerable number of farmers lived in these centers to secure greater protection for themselves and their possessions. It is estimated that in southern Mesopotamia (circa 2900 - 2350 BC) more than 80 percent of the total population lived in cities.4. According to paragraph 3, what determined the size of an urban center in ancient Mesopotamia？A. The number of people defending itB. The amount of available space between the city and its nearest neighborC. The extent of its political and economic enforcement power over its neighborsD. The number of farmers and the amount of food they produced【Paragraph 4】These cities also supported craft production, which sought to satisfy the demands of the urban elite andsociety as a whole. The development of craft specialization and commercial exchanges between town and countryside as well as between neighboring urban centers encouraged the growth of public markets. Although the evidence for actual marketplaces is less than clear for southern Mesopotamia, the remnants of shop-lined streets indicate vigorous commercial activity involving large numbers of people. This activity in turn promoted competition among city-states to obtain supplies of exotic raw materials. As a result of widespread access to goods produced by full-time specialists and the development of more intensive agriculture close to urban centers, Mesopotamian city-states were able to support numerous nonfood producers, possibly as high a proportion as 20 percent of the total population.5. According to paragraph 4, which of the following is NOT true of commercial activity in ancient MesopotamiaA. Perhaps 20 percent of the population was involved in commercial activity rather than food production.B. Commercial exchanges took place not only between urban and rural areas, but also between cities.C. Although most urban centers had marketplaces, the largest ones were located in southern Mesopotamia.D. Goods were plentiful and widely available to inhabitants of Mesopotamian cities.【Paragraph 5】In contrast to Mesopotamia, ancient Egypt’s population has traditionally been perceived as more evenly dispersed across the landscape, a characteristic of village-states. Topography and the formation of the early state were the major factors contributing to this dispersal. Unlike Mesopotamia, Egypt had relatively secure and defined borders, allowing a single state to dominate the area. Additionally, the villages and townsof Egypt, all of which were situated near the Nile on the river's narrow flood plain, had approximately equal access to the river and did not have to compete among themselves for water as their contemporaries in Mesopotamia were forced to do. As the main highway through Egypt, the Nile offered innumerable harbors for shipping and trading, so there was no strong locational advantage to be gained in one area as opposed to another; hence the Egyptian population generally remained dispersed throughout the valley and delta in low densities. Trade specialists apparently were evenly spread throughout Egypt, supported by both independent workshops in small towns and royal patronage in the territorial capitals. In contrast to the defensive walls of Mesopotamian city-states, the walls of Egyptian towns primarily defined and delineated sections of the town (for example, a temple precinct from a residential area).6. In paragraph 5, why does the author provide the information that all Egyptian villages and towns were located near the Nile and had equal access to the river？A. To explain why flooding was a frequent problem for the Egyptian peopleB. To identify a contributing cause of the dispersal of Egypt's populationC. To support the claim that Egypt had well-defined bordersD. To demonstrate the similarity between Egyptian and Mesopotamian settlement patterns7. According to paragraph 5, the primary purpose of city walls in ancient Egypt was toA. distinguish territorial capitals from other urban areasB. prevent the city's population from becoming too spread outC. protect the city from outside attackD. separate parts of the city designated for different uses【Paragraph 6】Egypt, however, was not without urban centers. At points where goods entered the Nile valley via maritime routes or overland routes from the Red Sea via wadis (stream beds that remain dry except during the rainy season), the right circumstances existed for the growth of larger cities. Egyptian cities and towns shared certain characteristics with other contemporary societies but also displayed unique traits influenced by the culture and environment of the Nile valley. Thus, the geopolitical system that evolved in ancient Egypt was different from that of Mesopotamia; Egypt developed a village or territorial state characterized by dispersed settlements of varying size, a form of urbanism that gave Egypt its distinctive identity.8. Paragraph 6 suggests that Egypt’s urban centers were located near stream beds called wadis because these areasA. had the most fertile soilB. provided opportunities for tradeC. had increased their water suppliesD. could easily be protected from invaders【Paragraph 6】Egypt, however, was not without urban centers. ■At points where goods entered the Nile valley via maritime routes or overland routes from the Red Sea via wadis (stream beds that remain dry except during the rainy season), the right circumstances existed for the growth of larger cities. ■Egyptian cities and towns shared certain characteristics with other (contemporary societies) but also displayed unique traits influenced by the culture and environment of the Nile valley. ■Thus, the geopolitical system that evolved in ancient Egypt was different from that of Mesopotamia; Egypt developed a village orterritorial state characterized by dispersed settlements of varying size, a form of urbanism that gave Egypt its distinctive identity. ■9. Look at the four squares that indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage.For example, Egypt's capital, Memphis, was located at a strategic point near the mouth of the Nile and grew to be one of the largest settlements of its time.Where would the sentence best fit？10. 【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 the express ideas that are not presented in the passage or are minor ideas in the passage. This question is worth 2 points.Mesopotamia and Egypt represent two types of ancient settlement distributions.●●●Answer ChoicesA. Mesopotamia was characterized by large, densely-populated urban centers, while the population of Egypt was more evenly distributed across the Nile valley.B. Unlike Mesopotamian city-states, which were culturally and economically distinct, Egyptian villages and towns shared a common language and economy.C. While defense was crucial in Mesopotamian cities due to competition for territory, trade routes, and raw materials, it was less important in Egypt.D. Once they realized that craft production was more profitable than crop production, many Mesopotamians moved from rural to urban areas.E. Differences in settlement patterns help to explain why the Egyptian central government survived and the Mesopotamian city-states did not.F. Trade specialists were evenly spread throughout Egypt, while Mesopotamia's vibrant commercial trade was concentrated in its large urban centers.。