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历年托福考试阅读真题汇总包括答案.docx

0308 托福试题阅读（ 55minutes）Question 1-11If food is allowed to stand for some time, itputrefies .When the putrefied materialis examined microscopically ,it is found to be teeming withbacteria. 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 ona microscope slide .Pasteurfound that in ordinary air these exists a variety of solidstructures ranging in size from0.01 mm to more than 1.0 mm .Many of these bodies resembledthe reproductive(15)s tructures 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 flaskwas 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 preventedmicroorganisms from getting in the flask.. Material sterilized insuch 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 argumentnstagaithe 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 theprocess of putrefaction (c)increase the airflowto the microscopic slide (d)aid the mixing ofalcohol 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 experimentwere remarkable because they were(a)primarily single-celled organisms(b)no different from objects found in putrefyingmaterials (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 forthe 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 futureexperiments (b)prevent heat from building up in asolution (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 ’heros. In the minds of agrarian thinkers andwriters ,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 ,whichended in 1865 ,was the age of(5 )the farmer in the United States .Agrarianphilosophers ,represented most eloquently byThomas Jefferson, celebrated farmers extravagantly for their supposed centrality in a goodsociety, their political virtue ,and their Superior morality .Andvirtually 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 stunningrapidity .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 directlyrelated 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(a)a leader during the Revolution(b)an inventor of new farming techniques(c)a philosopher who believed farmers were essential to thecreation of a good society(d)a farmer who guided the agrarian movement toward an emphasison economic development15.The phrase“ subscribed to” incloslinest8 inis 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’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 governmentsdid 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) noralkaline(higher in salt content).fertilization is necessary to achieve the desired level of neutrality between the```two. Arid America ’soils are typically alkaline and must be fertilized back towardneutrality 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 one crosses the(25)border into the Northeast United States. As one proceedstoward 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“regionalizationthis 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 The 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 presenceof deserts(B)Most of Canada and the northeastern United States consists ofshort-grass prairies 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 theMississippi 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, alight-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 beingignited in an atmosphere of pure oxygen at low pressure, were introduced only in the 1920’arliest.Inthetype, the metal (15)was separated from the oxygen by a thin glass bulb. Theflash was fired by piercing thebulb and allowing the oxygen to come into contact with the metal, which ignitedspontaneously. 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 emissionof visible light. The smoke particles are so small that they cool rapidly; but since they are white, theycontribute to the brilliance by reflecting the light from their still-glowing neighbors. A slightly bigger form of 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 closestniingmeato(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 iningmeanto(A)effortlessly(B)briefly(C)electronically(D)gradually39 According to the passage, the white color of the smokeparticles 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’ sThe. 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. Theyconcentrated onthe play of light over objects, people, and nature, breaking up seemingly solid surfaces,(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 thenmoving 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 openair 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 finishtheir 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 organizedan exhibition of theirpaintings in order to draw public attention to their work. Reaction from the public andpress was immediate, and derisive. Among the 165 paintingsexhibited was one called(20)Impression:Sunrise, by Claude Monet(1840-1926),Viewedthrough hostile eyes,Monet ’ spainting 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. Inresponse, 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 ofthe 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 allof 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 ofan 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 CDABACACCB CDBCB DACCC ABCDA CDCDC BDCDC BCDDC DBACBDAABA DDBAB CDBCB DCBBA BDACB DDBAA DDABC DCBBA DCDBC CADCB。

托福TPO21阅读Passage1原文文本+题目+答案解析

¡¡¡¡ÎªÁË°ïÖú´ó¼Ò¸ßÐ§±¸¿¼ÍÐ¸££¬Îª´ó¼Ò´øÀ´ÍÐ¸£TPO21ÔÄ¶ÁPassage1Ô-ÎÄÎÄ±¾+ÌâÄ¿+´ð°¸½âÎö£¬Ï£Íû¶Ô´ó¼Ò±¸¿¼ÓÐËù°ïÖú¡£¡¡¡¡¨ ÍÐ¸£TPO21ÔÄ¶ÁPassage1Ô-ÎÄÎÄ±¾£º¡¡¡¡Geothermal Energy¡¡¡¡Earth's internal heat,fueled by radioactivity,provides the energy for plate tectonics and continental drift,mountain building,and earthquakes.It can also be harnessed to drive electric generators and heat homes.Geothermal energy becomes available in a practical form when underground heat is transferred by water that is heated as it passes through a subsurface region of hot rocks(a heat reservoir)that may be hundreds or thousands of feet deep.The water is usually naturally occurring groundwater that seeps down along fractures in the rock;less typically,the water is artificially introduced by being pumped down from the surface.The water is brought to the surface,as a liquid or steam,through holes drilled for the purpose.¡¡¡¡By far the most abundant form of geothermal energy occurs at the relatively low temperatures of 80¡ãto 180¡ãcentigrade.Water circulated through heat reservoirs in this temperature range is able to extract enough heat to warm residential,commercial,and industrial spaces.More than 20,000 apartments in France are now heated by warm underground water drawn from a heat reservoir in a geologic structure near Paris called the Paris Basin.Iceland sits on a volcanic structure known as the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.Reykjavik,the capital of Iceland,is entirely heated by geothermal energy derived from volcanic heat.¡¡¡¡Geothermal reservoirs with temperatures above 180¡ãcentigrade are useful for generating electricity.They occur primarily in regions of recent volcanic activity as hot,dry rock;natural hot water;or natural steam.The latter two sources are limited to those few areas where surface water seeps down through underground faults or fractures to reach deep rocks heated by the recent activity of molten rock material.The world's largest supply of natural steam occurs at The Geysers,120 kilometers north of San Francisco,California.In the 1990s enough electricity to meet about half the needs of San Francisco was being generated there.This facility was then in its third decade of production and was beginning to show signs of decline,perhaps because of over development.By the late 1990s some 70 geothermal electric-generating plants were in operation in California,Utah,Nevada,and Hawaii,generating enough power to supply about a million people.Eighteen countries now generate electricity using geothermal heat.¡¡¡¡Extracting heat from very hot,dry rocks presents a more difficult problem:the rocks must be fractured to permit the circulation of water,and the water must be provided artificially.The rocks are fractured by water pumped down at very high pressures.Experiments are under way to develop technologies for exploiting thisresource.¡¡¡¡Like most other energy sources,geothermal energy presents some environmental problems.The surface of the ground can sink if hot groundwater is withdrawn without being replaced.In addition,water heated geothermally can contain salts and toxic materials dissolved from the hot rock.These waters present a disposal problem if they are not returned to the ground from which they were removed.¡¡¡¡The contribution of geothermal energy to the world's energy future is difficult to estimate.Geothermal energy is in a sense not renewable,because in most cases the heat would be drawn out of a reservoir much more rapidly than it would be replaced by the very slow geological processes by which heat flows through solid rock into a heat reservoir.However,in many places(for example,California,Hawaii,the Philippines,Japan,Mexico,the rift valleys of Africa)the resource is potentially so large that its future will depend on the economics of production.At present,we can make efficient use of only naturally occurring hot water or steam deposits.Although the potential is enormous,it is likely that in the near future geothermal energy can make important local contributions only where the resource is close to the user and the economics are favorable,as they are in California,New Zealand,and Iceland.Geothermal energy probably will not make large-scale contributions to the world energy budget until well into the twenty-first century,if ever.¡¡¡¡Paragraph 1:Earth's internal heat,fueled by radioactivity,provides the energy for plate tectonics and continental drift,mountain building,and earthquakes.It can also be harnessed to drive electric generators and heat homes.Geothermal energy becomes available in a practical form when underground heat is transferred by water that is heated as it passes through a subsurface region of hot rocks(a heat reservoir)that may be hundreds or thousands of feet deep.The water is usually naturally occurring groundwater that seeps down along fractures in the rock;less typically,the water is artificially introduced by being pumped down from the surface.The water is brought to the surface,as a liquid or steam,through holes drilled for the purpose.¡¡¡¡¨ ÍÐ¸£TPO21ÔÄ¶ÁPassage1ÌâÄ¿£º¡¡¡¡1.According to the processes described in paragraph 1,what is the relationship between radioactivity and the steam produced by geothermal heat?¡¡¡¡O Geothermally heated steam is produced when water is exposed to radioactivity deep underground.¡¡¡¡O When water is introduced into holes drilled thousands of feet in the ground,it becomes radioactive and turns to steam.¡¡¡¡O Radioactivity heats Earth's interior rock,which in turn can heat water to the。

老托福阅读试题及答案：PASSAGE21

老托福阅读试题及答案：PASSAGE21为了帮助大家备考托福阅读，提高成绩，下面小编给大家带来老托福阅读真题及答案:passage 21，希望大家喜欢!老托福阅读试题及答案：PASSAGE 21The sculptural legacy that the new United States inherited from its colonial predecessors was far from a rich one, and in fact, in 1776 sculpture as an art form was still in the hands of artisans and craftspeople. Stone carvers engraved their motifs of skulls and crossbones and other religious icons of death into the gray slabs that we still see standing today in old burial grounds. Some skilled craftspeople made intricately carved wooden ornamentations for furniture or architectural decorations, while others caved wooden shop signs and ships' figureheads. Although they often achieved expression and formal excellence in their generally primitive style, they remained artisans skilled in the craft of carving and constituted a group distinct from what we normally think of as "sculptors" in today's use of the word.On the rare occasion when a fine piece of sculpture was desired, Americans turned to foreign sculptors, as in the 1770's when the cities of New York and Charleston, South Carolina, commissioned the Englishman Joseph Wilton to make marble statues of William Pitt. Wilton also made a lead equestrian image of King George III that was created in New York in 1770 and torn down by zealous patriots six years later. A few marble memorials with carved busts, urns, or other decorations were produced in England and brought to the colonies to be set in the walls of churches — as in King's Chapel in Boston. But sculpture as a high art, practiced by artists who knew both the artistic theory of their Renaissance-Baroque-Rococo predecessors and the varioustechnical procedures of modeling, casting, and carving rich three-dimensional forms, was not known among Americans in 1776. Indeed, for many years thereafter, the United States had two groups from which to choose — either the local craftspeople or the imported talent of European sculptors.The eighteenth century was not one in which powered sculptural conceptions were developed. Add to this the timidity with which unschooled artisans —originally trained as stonemasons, carpenters, or cabinetmakers —attacked the medium from which they sculpture made in the United States in the late eighteenth century.1. What is the main idea of the passage ?(A) There was great demand for the work of eighteenth-century artisans.(B) Skilled sculptors did not exist in the United States in the 1770's.(C) Many foreign sculptors worked in the United States after 1776.(D) American sculptors were hampered by a lack of tools and materials.2. The word "motifs" in line 3 is closest in meaning to(A) tools(B) prints(C) signatures(D) designs3. The work of which of the following could be seen in burial grounds?(A) European sculptors(B) Carpenters(C) Stone carves(D) Cabinetmakers4. The word "others" in line 6 refers to(A) craftspeople(B) decorations(C) ornamentations(D) shop signs5. The word "distinct" in line 9 is closest in meaning to(A) separate(B) assembled(C) notable(D) inferior6. The word "rare" in line 11 is closest in meaning to(A) festive(B) infrequent(C) delightful(D) unexpected7. Why does the author mention Joseph Wilton in line 13?(A) He was an English sculptor who did work in the United States.(B) He was well known for his wood carvings(C) He produced sculpture for churches.(D) He settled in the United States in 1776.8. What can be inferred about the importation of marble memorials from England?(A) Such sculpture was less expensive to produce locally than to import(B) Such sculpture was not available in the United States.(C) Such sculpture was as prestigious as those made locally.(D) The materials found abroad were superior.9. How did the work of American carvers in 1776 differ fromthat of contemporary sculptors?(A) It was less time-consuming(B) It was more dangerous.(C) It was more expensive.(D) It was less refined.正确答案： BDCAA BABD托福阅读猜词的七大技巧一、利用定义式线索进行猜测定义是作者为了更好地表达思想，在文章中对一些重要的概念、难懂的术语或词汇等所作的解释。

2021年托福阅读模拟试题及答案(卷二十一)

2021年托福阅读模拟试题及答案（卷二十一）Bloodhounds are biologically adapted to trailing their prey. The process by whichthe nose recognizes an odor is not fully understood, but there are apparently specificreceptor sites for specific odors. In one explanation, recognition occurs when a scentmolecule fits into its corresponding receptor site, like a key into a lock, causing a(Line5) mechanical or chemical change in the cell. Bloodhounds apparently have denserconcentrations of receptor sites tuned to human scents.When a bloodhound trails a human being, what does it actually smell? The humanbody, which consists of about 60 trillion living cells, sheds exposed skin at a rate of 50million cells a day. So even a trail that has been dispersed by breezes may still seem(Line10) rich to a bloodhound. The body also produces about 31 to 50 ounces of sweat a day.Neither this fluid nor the shed skin cells have much odor by themselves, but thebacteria working on both substances is another matter. One microbiologist estimatesthe resident bacteria population of a clean square centimeter of skin on the humanshoulder at "multiples of a million." As they go about their daily business breaking(Line15) down lipids, or fatty substances, on the skin, these bacteria release volatilesubstances that usually strike the bloodhound's nose as an entire constellation ofdistinctive scents.45. What does the passage mainly discuss?(A) Why people choose bloodhounds forhousehold pets(B) How a bloodhound's sense of smell works(C) How humans compensate for anunderdeveloped sense of smell(D) The way in which bacteria work on skin cellsand body sweat46. The author compares a scent molecule with a(A) key(B) lock(C) cell(D) bloodhound47. In line 7, the word "it" refers to(A) bloodhound(B) human being(C) smell(D) body48. According to the passage, how many cells of skin does the human body rid itself of every day?(A) 60 trillion(B) 50 million(C) 1 million(D) Between 31 and 5049. In line 10, the word "rich" is used to mean that a trail is(A) paved with precious materials(B) a profitable business to get into(C) a very costly undertaking(D) filled with an abundance of clues50. Which of the following acts as a stimulus in the production of the human scent?(A) Sweat(B) Dead skin cells(C) Bacteria(D) Fatty substances参考答案：BAABDCPassage 1Seventeenth-century houses in colonial North America were simple structures thatwere primarily functional, carrying over traditional designs that went back to theMiddle Ages. During the first half of the eighteenth century, however, houses began toLine show a new elegance. As wealth increased, more and more colonists built fine houses.(5) Since architecture was not yet a specialized profession in the colonies, the design ofbuildings was left either to amateur designers or to carpenters who undertook tointerpret architectural manuals imported from England. Inventories of colonial librariesshow an astonishing number of these handbooks for builders, and the houses erectedduring the eighteenth century show their influence. Nevertheless,most domestic(10) architecture of the first three-quarters of the eighteenth century displays a widedivergence of taste and freedom of application of the rules laid down in these books.Increasing wealth and growing sophistication throughout the colonies resulted inhouses of improved design. whether the material was wood, stone, or brick. NewEngland still favored wood, though brick houses became common in Boston and other(15) towns, where the danger of fire gave an impetus to the use of more durable material. Afew houses in New England were built of stone, but only in Pennsylvania and adjacentareas was stone widely used in dwellings. An increased use of brick in houses andoutbuildings is noticeable in Virginia and Maryland, but wood remained the mostpopular material even in houses built by wealthy landowners. In the Carolinas, even in(20) closely packed Charleston. Wooden houses were much morecommon than brickhouses.Eighteenth-century houses showed great interior improvements over theirpredecessors. Windows were made larger and shutters removed. Large, clear panesreplaced the small leaded glass of the seventeenth century. Doorways were larger and(25) more decorative. Fireplaces became decorative features of rooms. Walls were made ofplaster or wood, sometimes elaborately paneled. White paint began to take the place ofblues, yellows, greens. and lead colors, which had been popular for walls in the earlieryears. After about 1730, advertisements for wallpaper styles in scenic patterns began toappear in colonial newspapers.32. What does the passage mainly discuss?(A) The improved design of eighteenth-century colonial houses(B) A comparison of eighteenth-century houses and modern houses(C) The decorations used in eighteenth-century houses(D) The role of carpenters in building eighteenth-century houses33. What was one of the main reasons for the change in architectural style in eighteenth-century North America?(A) More architects arrived in the colonies.(B) The colonists developed an interest in classical architecture.(C) Bricks were more readily available.(D) The colonists had more money to spend on housing.34. According to the passage, who was responsible for designing houses in eighteenth-century North America?(A) Professional architects(B) Customers(C) Interior decorators(D) Carpenters35. The passage implies that the rules outlined in architectural manuals were(A) generally ignored(B) legally binding(C) not strictly adhered to(D) only followed by older builders36. The word "divergence" in line 11 is closest in meaning to(A) description(B) development(C) difference(D) display37. The word "durable" in line 15 is closest in meaning to(A) attractive(B) expensive(C) refined(D) long-lasting38. Where was stone commonly used to build houses?(A) Virginia(B) Pennsylvania(C) Boston(D) Charleston39. The word "dwelling" in line 17 is closest in meaning to(A) houses(B) towns(C) outbuildings(D) rural areas40. The word "predecessors" in line 23 refers to(A) colonists who arrived in North America in the seventeenth century(B) houses constructed before the eighteenth century(C) interior improvements(D) wooden houses in Charleston41. The author mentions elaborately paneled walls in line 26 as an example of(A) how the interior design of colonial houses was improved(B) why walls were made of wood or plaster(C) how walls were made stronger in the eighteenth century(D) what kind of wood was used for walls after 173042. The word "elaborately" in line 26 is closest in meaning to(A) done in great detail(B) put together carefully(C) using many colors(D) reinforced structurally43. What does the author imply about the use of wallpaper before 1730?(A) Wallpaper samples appeared in the architectural manuals.(B) Wallpaper was the same color as the wall paints used.(C) Patterned wallpaper was not widely used.(D) Wallpaper was not used in stone houses.44. Where in the passage does the author give a reason why brick was the preferred material for houses in some urban areas?(A) Lines 9-11(B) Lines 13-15(C) Lines 17-19(D) Lines 23-24参考答案：ADDCC DBABA ACBHormones in the BodyUp to the beginning of the twentieth century, the nervous system was thought to control all communication within the body and the resulting integration of behavior. Scientists had determined that nerves ran, essentially, on electrical impulses. These impulses were thought to be the engine for thought, emotion, movement, and internal processes such as digestion. However, experiments by William Bayliss and Ernest Starling on the chemical secretin, which is produced in the small intestine when food enters the stomach, eventually challenged that view. From the small intestine, secretin travels through the bloodstream to the pancreas. There, it stimulates the release of digestive chemicals. In this fashion, the intestinal cells that produce secretin ultimately regulate the production of different chemicals in a different organ, the pancreas.Such a coordination of processes had been thought to require control by the nervous system; Bayliss and Starling showed that it could occur through chemicals alone. This discovery spurred Starling to coin the term hormone to refer to secretin, taking it from the Greek word hormon, meaning “to excite”or “to set in motion.”A hormone is a chemical produced by one tissue to make things happen elsewhere.As more hormones were discovered, they were categorized,primarily according to the process by which they operated on the body. Some glands (which make up the endocrine system) secrete hormones directly into the bloodstream. Such glands include the thyroid and the pituitary. The exocrine system consists of organs and glands that produce substances that are used outside the bloodstream, primarily for digestion. The pancreas is one such organ, although it secretes some chemicals into the blood and thus is also part of the endocrine system.Much has been learned about hormones since their discovery. Some play such key roles in regulating bodily processes or behavior that their absence would cause immediate death. The most abundant hormones have effects that are less obviously urgent but can be more far-reaching and difficult to track: They modify moods and affect human behavior, even some behavior we normally think of as voluntary. Hormonal systems are very intricate. Even minute amounts of the right chemicals can suppress appetite, calm aggression, and change the attitude of a parent toward a child. Certain hormones accelerate the development of the body, regulating growth and form; others may even define an individual’s personality characteristics. The quantities and proportions of hormones produced change with age, so scientists have given a great deal of study to shifts in the endocrine system over time in the hopes of alleviating ailments associated with aging.In fact, some hormone therapies are already very common. Acombination of estrogen and progesterone has been prescribed for decades to women who want to reduce mood swings, sudden changes in body temperature, and other discomforts caused by lower natural levels of those hormones as they enter middle age. Known as hormone replacement therapy (HRT), the treatment was also believed to prevent weakening of the bones. At least one study has linked HRT with a heightened risk of heart disease and certain types of cancer. HRT may also increase the likelihood that blood clots—dangerous because they could travel through the bloodstream and block major blood vessels—will form. Some proponents of HRT have tempered their enthusiasm in the face of this new evidence, recommending it only to patients whose symptoms interfere with their abilities to live normal lives.Human growth hormone may also be given to patients who are secreting abnormally low amounts on their own. Because of the complicated effects growth hormone has on the body, such treatments are generally restricted to children who would be pathologically small in stature without it. Growth hormone affects not just physical size but also the digestion of food and the aging process. Researchers and family physicians tend to agree that it is foolhardy to dispense it in cases in which the risks are not clearly outweighed by the benefits.27. The word engine in the passage is closest in meaning to(A) desire(B) origin(C) science(D) chemical28. The word it in the passage refers to(A) secretin(B) small intestine(C) bloodstream(D) pancreas29. The word spurred in the passage is closest in meaning to(A) remembered(B) surprised(C) invented(D) motivated30. To be considered a hormone, a chemical produced in the body must(A) be part of the digestive process(B) influence the operations of the nervous system(C) affect processes in a different part of the body(D) regulate attitudes and behavior31. The glands and organs mentioned in paragraph 3 are categorized according to(A) whether scientists understand their function(B) how frequently they release hormones into the body(C) whether the hormones they secrete influence the aging process(D) whether they secrete chemicals into the bloodParagraph 3 is marked with an arrow [→]32. The word key in the passage is closest in meaning to(A) misunderstood(B) precise(C) significant(D) simple33. The word minute in the passage is closest in meaning to(A) sudden(B) small(C) changing(D) noticeable34. Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in the passage? Incorrect answer choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.(A) Most moods and actions are not voluntary because they are actually produced by the production of hormones in the body.(B) Because the effects of hormones are difficult to measure, scientists remain unsure how far-reaching their effects on moods andactions are.(C) When the body is not producing enough hormones, urgent treatment may be necessary to avoid psychological damage.(D) The influence of many hormones is not easy to measure, but they can affect both people’s psychology and actions extensively.35. The word tempered in the passage is closest in meaning to(A) decreased(B) advertised(C) prescribed(D) researched36. Which patients are usually treated with growth hormone?(A) Adults of smaller statue than normal(B) Adults with strong digestive systems(C) Children who are not at risk from the treatment(D) Children who may remain abnormally small37.Which of the following sentences explains the primary goal of hormone replacement therapy?These sentences are highlighted in the passage.(A) The quantities and proportions of hormones produced change with age, so scientists have given a great deal of study to shifts in the endocrine system over time in the hopes of alleviating ailments associated with aging.(B) A combination of estrogen and progesterone has been prescribed for decades to women who want to reduce mood swings, sudden changes in body temperature, and other discomforts caused by lower natural levels of those hormones as they enter middle age.(C) HRT may also increase the likelihood that blood clots—dangerous because they could travel through the bloodstream and block major blood vessels—will form.(D) Because of the complicated effects growth hormone has on the body, such treatments are generally restricted to children who would be pathologically small in stature without it.38. Look at the four squares that indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage.The body is a complex machine, however, and recent studies have called into question the wisdom of essentially trying to fool its systems into believing they aren’t aging.Where would the sentence best fit?Click on a square to add the sentence to the passage.39. Directions: An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage is provided below. Complete the summary by selecting the THREE answer choices that express the most important ideas in the passage. Some sentences do not belong in the summary because they express ideas that are not presented in the passage or are minor ideas in the passage. This question is worth 2 points.The class of chemicals called hormones was discovered by two researchers studying a substance produced in the small intestine.Answer ChoicesThe term hormone is based on a Greek word that means "to excite" or "to set in motion."Researchers are looking for ways to decrease the dangers of treatments with growth hormone so that more patients can benefit from it.Hormones can be given artificially, but such treatments have risks and must be used carefully.Hormones can affect not only life processes such as growth but also behavior and emotion.Scientists have discovered that not only the nervous system but also certain chemicals can affect bodily processes far from their points of origin.Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) may increase the risk of blood clots and heart disease in middle-age women.Answer KeysReading：27. B28. A29. D30. C31. D32. C33. B34. D35. A36. D37. A38. third square39.1) Scientists have discovered that not only the nervous system….2) Hormones can affect not only life processes…..3) Researchers are looking for ways to decrease the dangers of ….According to some scientists, migratory birds should be able to withstand the winter.A bird s feathery coat is good insulation against the cold. BECause a bird is warm- blooded, its body temperature always remains constant, even if the temperature of its surroundings changes.The factors that trigger migratory behavior in birds are difficult to explain. This behavior seems to be instinctive, not learned. For example, many northern species leave their summer homes while the weather is still warm and the food supply plentiful. Young arctic terns born at the arctic breeding grounds will lake off with the flock for distant lands they have never seen.Bird migrations are probably regulated by the glandular system.Scientists suspect that the changing length of the day is the factor that triggers migratory behavior. In an experiment, migratory birds were kept in artificially lighted rooms. It was found that if periods of darkness were lengthened proportionately, the glands of the birds became active. These glands secrete hormones, which are chemicals that control numerous body functions. Shorter periods of daylight seem to change the hormone balance of birds, so that they retain more fat. This stored fat is the fuel that provides the energy for a long flight. The same experiment revealed that the birds became more excited as the artificial night was lengthened. It is probably no coincidence that most flocks begin their migratory flights during the night.1. What does the passage mainly discuss?(A) Common migratory paths for birds(B) Why birds migrate(C) Species of birds that do not migrate(D) Migration in cold climates2. The word "withstand" in line 1 is closest in meaning to(A) prefer(B) tolerate(C) regulate(D) understand3. According to the passage, which of the following protects birdsagainst cold weather?(A) Glands(B) Hormones(C) Feathers(D) Artificial light4. The word "constant" in line 3 is closest in meaning to(A) invariable(B) persistent(C) predictable(D) responsive5. The word "its" in line 3 refers to(A) temperature(B) cold(C) coat(D) bird6. In lines 7-9, the author mentions young arctic terns as an example of birds that(A) do not migrate(B) breed during migration(C) migrate instinctively(D) adapt to the cold7. The word "they" in line 16 refers to(A) glands(B) birds(C) body functions(D) hormones8. According to the passage, birds exposed to longer periods of darkness experience all of the following changes EXCEPT(A) activated glands(B) excited behavior(C) retention of more fat(D) increased appetite9. In the experiment mentioned in the passage, the scientists adjusted the birds(A) food supply(B) body temperatures(C) exposure to light(D) brain chemistry10. Where in the passage does the author mention the substance that enables birds to fly long distances?(A) Lines 2-4(B) Lines 5-7(C) Lines 10-11(D) Lines 16-17答案：BBDAACDABD。

【托福】历年托福考试阅读真题汇总含答案

【关键字】托福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 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 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 develop ment 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 that which 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 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 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) noralkaline(higher in salt content).fertilization is necessary to achieve the desired level of neutrality between thetwo. Arid America’s soils are typically a lkaline and must be fertilized back towardneutrality 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 one crosses the(25)border into the Northeast United States. As one proceedstoward 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) S oil types and vegetation patterns(C) I mproved 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) e liminate(C) p rotect(D) create23 The word “partitioning” in line 2 is closest in meaning to(A) division(B) m odification(C) o pening(D) circulating24 According to the passage, acidic soils tent to be associated with(A) a high salt content(B) a n increase in farming(C) l arge amounts of rain(D) glacial meltwater25 The word “enhanced” in line 13 is closest in meaning to(A) implied(B) i ncreased(C) i ndicated(D) informed26 How did glacial meltdown affect the soil in North America?(A) It redistributed the soil types(B) I t added salt to the soil(C) I t made the soil more neutral in content(D) It added minerals to the soil27 The phrase “this regionalization scheme” in line 19 refer s to the(A) movements of glacial deposits(B) p atterns of natural vegetation(C) h uman modification of the North American environment(D) distinction between humid America and arid America28 The word “transition” in line 23 is closest in meaning to(A) elevation(B) c hange(C) a dvantage(D) condition29 The passage supports which of the following statements?(A) Arid America is not necessarily characterized by the presenceof deserts(B) M ost of Canada and the northeastern United States consists ofshort-grass prairies wherever natural vegetation has not been modified by humans(C) T he accumulation of loess is primarily the result of irrigation(D) Glaciation removed the fertile layer of soil from much of theMississippi 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 flashwas fired by piercing thebulb and allowing the oxygen to come into contact with the metal, which ignitedspontaneously. 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 emissionof visible light. The smoke 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) T heories about how the eye reacts to light(C) T he 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) g eneration of artificial light(C) c reation 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) i ntensities colors in photographs(C) i s 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) c ut into(C) o pened(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) a doption(C) d evelopment(D) manufacture36 The function of the glass in the first flashbulbs was to(A) produce the spark that initiated the flash(B) m agnify the light produced by the flash(C) p rotect 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) b attery(C) w ire(D) current38 The word “momentarily” in line 20 is closest in meaning to(A) effortlessly(B) b riefly(C) e lectronically(D) gradually39 According to the passage, the white color of the smoke particles generated by a flashbulb contributes to(A) rapid cooling(B) b right illumination(C) e lectrical conductivity(D) intense heat40 According to the passage, a flashbulb can be made to burn longer by using(A) thicker wire(B) m ore oxygen(C) t hinner 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 portrayfragmentary moments by the increasingly fast pace of modern life. They concentrated onthe play of light over objects, people, and nature, breaking up seemingly solid surfaces,(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),Viewedthrough 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 R enoirput 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’ resi stance to the fast pace of life(B) T he 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 me aning to(A) reorganize(B) d eform(C) r epresent(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) T he way the subjects were presented from multiple angles(C) T he 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) T hey painted their subjects out-of-doors(C) T hey 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) a cceptance(C) a rrival(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) a n 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) e ncouragement(C) r eturn(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) L ack of interest in exhibitions by young artists(C) T he 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) w as consistently praised by art critics(C) d escribed 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) f ellow artists(C) i ndividual differences(D) new styles0308答案ABADB CCCBA BDDCC DCDBA DACCB DBCAC DACBA BABDC BCAAD CDABACACCB CDBCB DACCC ABCDA CDCDC BDCDC BCDDC DBACBDAABA DDBAB CDBCB DCBBA BDACB DDBAA DDABC DCBBA DCDBC CADCB此文档是由网络收集并进行重新排版整理.word可编辑版本！。

(word完整版)历年托福考试阅读真题汇总含答案

托福备考托福阅读34套TPO样题+解析+译文21--2 The Origins of Agriculture

托福考试复习托福阅读TPO21(试题+答案+译文)第2篇:The Origins of Agriculture托福阅读原文【1】How did it come about that farming developed independently in a number of world centers (the Southeast Asian mainland, Southwest Asia, Central America, lowland and highland South America, and equatorial Africa) at more or less the same time? Agriculture developed slowly among populations that had an extensive knowledge of plants and animals. Changing from hunting and gathering to agriculture had no immediate advantages. To start with, it forced the population to abandon the nomad's life and become sedentary, to develop methods of storage and, often, systems of irrigation. While hunter-gatherers always had the option of moving elsewhere when the resources were exhausted, this became more difficult with farming. Furthermore, as the archaeological record shows, the state of health of agriculturalists was worse than that of their contemporary hunter-gatherers.【2】Traditionally, it was believed that the transition to agriculture was the result of a worldwide population crisis. It was argued that once hunter-gatherers had occupied the whole world, the population started to grow everywhere and food became scarce; agriculture would have been a solution to this problem. We know, however, that contemporary hunter-gatherer societies control their population in a variety of ways.The idea of a world population crisis is therefore unlikely, although population pressure might have arisen in some areas.【3】Climatic changes at the end of the glacial period 13,000 years ago have been proposed to account for the emergence of farming. The temperature increased dramatically in a short period of time (years rather than centuries), allowing for a growth of the hunting-gathering population due to the abundance of resources. There were, however, fluctuations in the climatic conditions, with the consequences that wet conditions were followed by dry ones, so that the availability of plants and animals oscillated brusquely.【4】It would appear that the instability of the climatic conditions led populations that had originally been nomadic to settle down and develop a sedentary style of life, which led in turn to population growth and to the need to increase the amount of food available. Farming originated in these conditions. Later on, it became very difficult to change because of the significant expansion of these populations. It could be argued, however, that these conditions are not sufficient to explain the origins of agriculture. Earth had experienced previous periods of climatic change, and yet agriculture had not been developed.【5】It is archaeologist Steven Mithen's thesis, brilliantly developed in his book The Prehistory of the Mind (1996), that approximately 40,000 years ago the human mind developed cognitive fluidity, that is, the integrationof the specializations of the mind: technical, natural history (geared to understanding the behavior and distribution of natural resources), social intelligence, and the linguistic capacity. Cognitive fluidity explains the appearance of art, religion, and sophisticated speech. Once humans possessed such a mind, they were able to find an imaginative solution to a situation of severe economic crisis such as the farming dilemma described earlier. Mithen proposes the existence of four mental elements to account for the emergence of farming: (1) the ability to develop tools that could be used intensively to harvest and process plant resources; (2) the tendency to use plants and animals as the medium to acquire social prestige and power; (3) the tendency to develop "social relationships" with animals structurally similar to those developed with people—specifically, the ability to think of animals as people (anthropomorphism) and of people as animals (totemism); and (4) the tendency to manipulate plants and animals.【6】The fact that some societies domesticated animals and plants, discovered the use of metal tools, became literate, and developed a state should not make us forget that others developed pastoralism or horticulture (vegetable gardening) but remained illiterate and at low levels of productivity; a few entered the modern period as hunting and gathering societies. It is anthropologically important to inquire into the conditions that made some societies adopt agriculture while othersremained hunter-gatherers or horticulturalists. However, it should be kept in mind that many societies that knew of agriculture more or less consciously avoided it. Whether Mithen's explanation is satisfactory is open to contention, and some authors have recently emphasized the importance of other factors.托福阅读试题1.The word "option" in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning toA.choice.B.benefit.C.idea.D.experience.2.According to paragraph 1, all of the following are advantages of hunting and gathering over agriculture EXCEPT:A.It is a healthier lifestyle.B.It requires less knowledge of plants and animals.C.It does not need storage capabilities.D.It is not tied to any specific location.3.The word "therefore" in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning toA.in theory.B.obviously.C.frequently.D.as a result.4.Which of the following best describes the way paragraph 2 is organized?A.A possible explanation for a phenomenon is presented and then criticized.B.Two similar ways of accounting for a puzzling fact are considered.C.Early societies' response to a problem is contrasted with contemporary societies' response.D.A prehistoric development is first explained in traditional terms and then in contemporary terms.5.Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in paragraph 3? Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.A.The resources needed by the growing hunting and gathering population increased rapidly once temperatures rose.B.Dramatic temperature increases and the simultaneous growth of the hunting and gathering population led to the need for more resources.C.Higher temperatures led to the existence of increased resources, thus enabling the hunting and gathering population to grow.D.The dramatic temperature increase occurred during the few years when abundant resources allowed the hunting and gathering population to grow.6.According to paragraph 3, the abundance of resources fluctuated sharply after the end of the glacial period becauseA.locally abundant resources were quickly exhausted by hunter-gatherers.B.the temperature became much higher in some areas over others.C.different types of plants and animals became available as the climate changed.D.the amount of rainfall varied radically from one period to the next.7.It can be inferred from paragraph 4 that it was difficult for people to change from farming back to hunting and gathering becauseA.people had become more used to different types of food.B.climatic conditions were no longer favorable for hunting and gathering.C.populations had become too large to be supported by hunting and gathering.D.the farmer's sedentary life was easier than the hunter-gatherer's nomadic life.8.Why does the author state that "Earth had experienced previous periods of climatic change, and yet agriculture had not been developed"? (in paragraph 4)A.To suggest that climate change had occurred long before the development of agriculture.B.To argue that climate change does not properly explain why agriculture developed.C.To challenge the assumption that agriculture developed only in some parts of the world.D.To question the claim that climate change occurred at the time when agriculture developed.9.The word "imaginative" in paragraph 5 is closest in meaning toplex.B.creative.C.immediate.D.reliable.10.According to paragraph 5, Steven Mithen believes that all of the following contributed to the emergence of farming EXCEPTA.the development of a mind flexible enough to come up with solutions to complex problems.B.the tendency to use plants and animals to acquire power.C.the tendency to emphasize the differences between animals and people.D.the ability to make tools that could be used for the large-scale harvesting of plants.11.The word "contention" in paragraph 6 is closest in meaning toA.investigation.B.improvement.C.debate.D.interpretation.12.According to paragraph 6, which of the following is a weakness of Mithen's explanation?A.It does not clearly distinguish agriculture from pastoralism and horticulture.B.It fails to explain why some societies adopted agriculture while others did not.C.It explains the domestication of plants and animals but not the development of metal tools.D.It overlooks the fact that illiteracy and low productivity remain problems even today13. Look at the four squares [■] that indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage. Where would the sentence best fit? Click on a square to add the sentence to the passage. Because humans had built up this knowledge as hunter-gatherers, it is logical to conclude that over time they would have become extremely efficient. Paragraph 7: How did it come about that farming developed independently in a number of world centers (the Southeast Asian mainland, Southwest Asia, Central America, lowland and highland South America, and equatorial Africa) at more or less the same time? Agriculture developed slowly among populations that had an extensive knowledge of plants and animals. ■【A】Changing from hunting and gathering toagriculture had no immediate advantages. ■【B】To start with, it forced the population to abandon the nomad's life and became sedentary, to develop methods of storage and, often, systems of irrigation. ■【C】While hunter-gatherers always had the option of moving elsewhere when the resources were exhausted, this became more difficult with farming. ■【D】Furthermore, as the archaeological record shows, the state of health of agriculturalists was worse than that of their contemporary hunter-gatherers.14. Directions: An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage is provided below. Complete the summary by selecting the THREE answer choices that express the most important ideas in the passage. Some sentences do not belong in the summary because they express ideas that are not presented in the passage or are minor ideas in the passage. This question is worth 2 points.It is unclear why hunter-gatherers in different parts of the world independently developed agriculture at roughly the same time.A.One obstacle to the transition from a nomadic lifestyle to the sedentary lifestyle required by agriculture was that hunter-gatherers had not developed storage techniques.B.It seems unlikely that agriculture emerged in response to a food shortage brought on by a worldwide population crisis that developed once the whole world was occupied.C.The origins of agriculture maybe linked to climate change at the end of the last ice age, but this does not explain why earlier climatic instability had not led to agriculture.D.The only available means of understanding the social organization and technical abilities of ancient hunter-gatherer societies is the study of contemporary hunter-gatherers.E.One recent theory suggests that the invention of agriculture was made possible by the integration of various mental capacities in the human mind.F.Little is known about why only some societies that adopted agriculture rapidly progressed to using metal tools, becoming literate, and developing a state.托福阅读答案1.option选择，选项，所以A的choice正确。

老托福阅读真题及答案解析

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Aviculturists, people who raise birds for commercial sale, have not yet learned how to simulate the natural incubation of parrot eggs in the wild. They continue to look for better ways to increase egg production and to improve chick survival rates.When parrots incubate their eggs in the wild, the temperature and humidity of the nest are controlled naturally. Heat is transferred from the bird's skin to the top portion of the eggshell, leaving the sides and bottom of the egg at a cooler temperature. This temperature gradient may be vital to successful hatching. Nest construction can contribute to this temperature gradient. Nests of loosely arranged sticks, rocks, or dirt are cooler in temperature at the bottom where the egg contacts the nesting material. Such nests also act as humidity regulators by allowing rain to drain into the bottom sections of the nest so that the eggs are not in direct contact with the water. As the water that collects in the bottom of the nest evaporates, the water vapor rises and is heated by the incubating bird, which adds significant humidity to the incubation environment.In artificial incubation programs, aviculturists remove eggs from the nests of parrots and incubate them under laboratory conditions. Most commercial incubators heat the eggs fairly evenly from top to bottom, thus ignoring the bird's method of natural incubation, and perhaps reducing the viability and survivability of the hatching chicks. When incubators are not used, aviculturists sometimes suspend wooden boxes outdoors to use as nests in which to place eggs. In areas where weather can become cold after eggs are laid, it is very important to maintain a deep foundation of nesting material to act as insulator against the cold bottom of the box. If eggs rest against the wooden bottom in extremely cold weather conditions, they can become chilled to a point where the embryo can no longer survive. Similarly, these boxes should be protected from direct sunlight to avoid high temperatures that are also fatal to the growing embryo. Nesting material should be added in sufficient amounts to avoid both extreme temperature situations mentioned above and assure that the eggs have a soft, secure place to rest.1. What is the main idea of the passage(A) Nesting material varies according to the parrots' environment.(B) Humidity is an important factor in incubating parrots' eggs.(C) Aviculturists have constructed the ideal nest box for parrots.(D) Wild parrots' nests provide information useful for artificial incubation.2. The word "They" in line 2 refers to(A) aviculturists(B) birds(C) eggs(D) rates3. According to paragraph 2, when the temperature of the sides and bottom of the egg are cooler than the top, then(A) there may be a good chance for successful incubation(B) the embryo will not develop normally(C) the incubating parent moves the egg to a new position.(D) the incubation process is slowed down4. According to paragraph 2, sticks, rocks, or dirt are used to(A) soften the bottom of the nest for the newly hatched chick(B) hold the nest together(C) help lower the temperature at the bottom of the nest(D) make the nest bigger5. According to paragraph 2, the construction of the nest allows water to(A) provide a beneficial source of humidity in the nest(B) loosen the materials at the bottom of the nest(C) keep the nest in a clean condition(D) touch the bottom of the eggs6. All of the following are part of a parrot's incubation method EXCEPT(A) heating the water vapor as it rises from the bottom of the nest(B) arranging nesting material at the bottom of the nest(C) transferring heat from the parent to the top of the eggshell(D) maintaining a constant temperature on the eggshell7. The word "suspend" in line 18 is closest in meaning to(A) build(B) paint(C) hang(D) move8. The word "fatal" in line 24 is closest in meaning to(A) close(B) deadly(C) natural(D) hot9. The word "secure" in line 27 is closest in meaning to(A) fresh(B) dry(C) safe(D) warm10. According to paragraph 3, a deep foundation of nesting material provides(A) a constant source of humidity(B) a strong nest box(C) more room for newly hatched chicks(D) protection against cold weather11. Which of the following is a problem with commercial incubators?(A) They lack the natural temperature changes of the outdoors.(B) They are unable to heat the eggs evenly(C) They do not transfer heat to the egg in the same way the parent bird does.(D) They are expensive to operate.12. Which of the following terms is defined in the passage(A) Aviculturists (line 1)(B) gradient (line 8)(C) incubation (line 15)(D) embryo (line 22)正确答案：DAACA DCBCD CA。

托福阅读TPO21（试题+答案+译文）第一篇：GeothermalEnergy

托福阅读TPO21(试题+答案+译文)第一篇:GeothermalEnergy为了帮助大家备考托福阅读，提高成绩，下面小编给大家带来托福阅读TPO21(试题+答案+译文)第一篇:Geothermal Energy，希望大家喜欢！托福阅读原文【1】Earth's internal heat, fueled by radioactivity, provides the energy for plate tectonics and continental drift, mountain building, and earthquakes. It can also be harnessed to drive electric generators and heat homes. Geothermal energy becomes available in a practical form when underground heat is transferred by water that is heated as it passes through a subsurface region of hot rocks (a heat reservoir) that may be hundreds or thousands of feet deep. The water is usually naturally occurring groundwater that seeps down along fractures in the rock; less typically, the water is artificially introduced by being pumped down from the surface. The water is brought to the surface, as a liquid or steam, through holes drilled for the purpose.【2】By far the most abundant form of geothermal energy occurs at the relatively low temperatures of 80° to 180° centigrade. Water circulated through heat reservoirs in this temperature range is able to extract enough heat to warm residential, commercial, and industrial spaces. More than 20,000 apartments in France are now heated by warm underground water drawn from a heat reservoir in a geologic structure near Paris called the Paris Basin. Iceland sits on a volcanic structure known as the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland, is entirely heated by geothermal energy derived from volcanicheat.【3】Geothermal reservoirs with temperatures above 180° centigrade are useful for generating electricity. They occur primarily in regions of recent volcanic activity as hot, dry rock; natural hot water; or natural steam. The latter two sources are limited to those few areas where surface water seeps down through underground faults or fractures to reach deep rocks heated by the recent activity of molten rock material. The world's largest supply of natural steam occurs at The Geysers, 120 kilometers north of San Francisco, California. In the 1990s enough electricity to meet about half the needs of San Francisco was being generated there. This facility was then in its third decade of production and was beginning to show signs of decline, perhaps because of over development. By the late 1990s some 70 geothermal electric-generating plants were in operation in California, Utah, Nevada, and Hawaii, generating enough power to supply about a million people. Eighteen countries now generate electricity using geothermal heat.【4】Extracting heat from very hot, dry rocks presents a more difficult problem: the rocks must be fractured to permit the circulation of water, and the water must be provided artificially. The rocks are fractured by water pumped down at very high pressures. Experiments are under way to develop technologies for exploiting this resource.【5】Like most other energy sources, geothermal energy presents some environmental problems. The surface of the ground can sink if hot groundwater is withdrawn without being replaced. In addition, water heated geothermally can contain salts and toxic materials dissolved from the hot rock. These waters present a disposal problem if they are not returned to theground from which they were removed.【6】The contribution of geothermal energy to the world's energy future is difficult to estimate. Geothermal energy is in a sense not renewable, because in most cases the heat would be drawn out of a reservoir much more rapidly than it would be replaced by the very slow geological processes by which heat flows through solid rock into a heat reservoir. However, in many places (for example, California, Hawaii, the Philippines, Japan, Mexico, the rift valleys of Africa)the resource is potentially so large that its future will depend on the economics of production. At present, we can make efficient use of only naturally occurring hot water or steam deposits. Although the potential is enormous, it is likely that in the near future geothermal energy can make important local contributions only where the resource is close to the user and the economics are favorable, as they are in California, New Zealand, and Iceland. Geothermal energy probably will not make large-scale contributions to the world energy budget until well into the twenty-first century, if ever.托福阅读试题1.According to the processes described in paragraph 1, what is the relationship between radioactivity and the steam produced by geothermal heat?A.Geothermally heated steam is produced when water is exposed to radioactivity deep underground.B.When water is introduced into holes drilled thousands of feet in the ground, it becomes radioactive and turns to steam.C.Radioactivity heats Earth's interior rock, which in turn can heat water to the point it becomes steam.D.When a reservoir of steam in subsurface rock is produced by radioactivity, it is said to be geothermally heated.2.The word "practical" in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning toable.B.plentiful.C.economical.D.familiar.3.The word "abundant" in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning toA.economical.B.familiar.C.plentiful.eful.4.According to paragraph 2, which of the following is true about heat reservoirs with a temperature in the range of 80°to 180° centigrade?A.They are under international control.B.They are more common than reservoirs that have a higher temperature.C.Few of them produce enough heat to warm large industrial spaces.D.They are used to generate electricity.5.According to paragraph 3, what is the connection between underground faults and naturally occurring steam?A.Underground faults enable the heat from molten-rock material to escape upward to regions where it can heat surface water enough to produce steam.B.Underground faults are created by steam that is produced in geothermal reservoirs deep inside Earth.C.Underground faults create spaces in which natural steam is sometimes trapped.D.Underground faults allow surface water to reach deep rocks that are hot enough to turn it into steam.6.In paragraph 3, why does the author mention that in the 1990s The Geysers was in its third decade of production?A.To provide the historical context of the geothermal production of electricity in the United States.B.To imply that The Geysers was the first geothermal site to be put into production in California.C.To help explain the signs of decline shown by The Geysers.D.To explain why 70 new geothermal sites were put into electricity production in the late 1990s.7.Which of the following can be inferred from paragraphs 2 and 3 about geothermal reservoirs?A.Volcanic heat is associated only with geothermal reservoirs that have a temperature over 180° centigrade.B.More countries produce power from geothermal reservoirs than use them for heating buildings.C.Most geothermal reservoirs are suitable for producing electricity.D.A higher geothermal reservoir temperature is needed to generate electricity than is needed to heat homes.8.According to paragraph 4, extracting heat from very hot, dry rocks is difficult in part becauseA.the underground rock must be fractured before heat can be removed from it.B.the water above the rock is under very high pressure.C.the rock breaks apart when water is pumped into it.D.the water circulated through the rock must be much cooler than the rock itself.9.The word "exploiting" in paragraph 4 is closest in meaningtoA.locating.B.increasing.C.making use of.D.estimating the size of.10.How is the problem that the surface may sink related to the problem that water heated geothermally may contain toxic materials?A.Both problems could be solved by returning groundwater that is removed from an underground heat reservoir back to the reservoir after heat is extracted from it.B.The problem of sinking is more difficult to solve than is the problem of toxic materials.nd at the surface sinks because the rock beneath the surface is weakened when salts and toxic materials are removed from it in the process of extracting geothermal energy.D.Both problems are caused by the fact that the hot groundwater in a heat reservoir dissolves the rock, which weakens the rock and makes the water toxic with salt.11.Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in paragraph 6? Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.A.Heat flows through solid rock very slowly, so it takes a very long time for geological processes to produce a reservoir of geothermal energy.B.Geothermal energy is not renewable because heat flows very slowly through solid rock into or out of a heat reservoir.C.The heat quickly removed from a heat reservoir is replaced so slowly by geological processes that geothermal energy is notpractically speaking, renewable.D.In most cases, heat travels into a heat reservoir so slowfy that it is a much quicker process to remove the heat from a reservoir than to replace it.12.In paragraph 6, the author implies that in California, Hawaii, the Philippines, Japan, Mexico, and the rift valleys of Africa the potential size of the geothermal resource is so large thatA.it might be economically worth developing these sites even though geothermal energy is not renewable.B.these sites will be the first geothermal energy sites to be developed with new technology.C.these sites are likely to make a large-scale contribution to the world energy budget in the twenty-first century.D.it does not matter whether they have naturally occurring deposits of hot water or steam.13. Look at the four squares [■] that indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage. Where would the sentence best fit? Click on a square to add the sentence to the passage. In either case, the heated water will usually be under considerable pressure, and so may have a temperature that is well above its sea-level boiling point of 100° centigrade.Earth's internal heat, fueled by radioactivity, provides the energy for plate tectonics and continental drift, mountain building, and earthquakes. It can also be harnessed to drive electric generators and heat homes. Geothermal energy becomes available in a practical form when underground heat is transferred by water that is heated as it passes through a subsurface region of hot rocks (a heat reservoir) that may be hundreds or thousands of feet deep. ■【A】The water is usuallynaturally occurring groundwater that seeps down along fractures in the rock; less typically, the water is artificially introduced by being pumped down from the surface. ■【B】The water is brought to the surface, as a liquid or steam, through holes drilled for the purpose.■【C】By far the most abundant form of geothermal energy occurs at the relatively low temperatures of 80° to 180° centigrade. ■【D】Water circulated through heat reservoirs in this temperature range is able to extract enough heat to warm residential, commercial, and industrial spaces. More than 20,000 apartments in France are now heated by warm underground water drawn from a heat reservoir in a geologic structure near Paris called the Paris Basin. Iceland sits on a volcanic structure known as the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland, is entirely heated by geothermal energy derived from volcanic heat.14. Directions: An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage is provided below. Complete the summary by selecting the THREE answer choices that express the most important ideas in the passage. Some sentences do not belong in the summary because they express ideas that are not presented in the passage or are minor ideas in the passage. This question is worth 2 points.Heat reservoirs in the form of hot rock far beneath Earth's surface are a potential source of usable geothermal energy.A.Heat reservoirs with a temperature from 80° to 180° centigrade can be used, as in France and Iceland, to heat buildings.B.A number of countries now use geothermal reservoirs that contain water or steam above 180° centigrade to generate electricity.C.Most heat reservoirs with a temperature above 180° centigrade cannot be used for energy because they are usually too close to recent volcanic activity.D.The sinking of land above heat reservoirs and other environmental problems arise when water is pumped into a heat reservoir under high pressure.E.Experiments are under way to determine if geothermally heated waters could be used as a source of certain minerals that have been dissolved out of hot rocks deep within Earth.F.A number of issues, including how to extract heat from reservoirs that do not have a natural supply of water, will significantly limit the use of geothermal energy for the foreseeable future.托福阅读答案1.细节题，问radioactivity和steam的关系，所以找双关键词，分别定位至本段第一句和最后一句，第一句说radioactivity提供了地球的内热，最后一句说水变成蒸汽到达地表，水受热才能蒸汽，而这份热量是geothermal energy提供的，这就是二者的关系，所以答案是C。

托福TPO21综合写作阅读原文+听力原文+满分范文

¡¡¡¡ÎªÁË°ïÖú´ó¼Ò¸ßÐ§±¸¿¼ÍÐ¸££¬Îª´ó¼Ò´øÀ´ÍÐ¸£TPO21×ÛºÏÐ´×÷ÔÄ¶ÁÔ-ÎÄ+ÌýÁ¦Ô-ÎÄ+Âú·Ö·¶ÎÄ£¬Ï£Íû¶Ô´ó¼Ò±¸¿¼ÓÐËù°ïÖú¡£¡¡¡¡ÍÐ¸£TPO21×ÛºÏÐ´×÷ÔÄ¶ÁÔ-ÎÄÎÄ±¾£º¡¡¡¡Genetic modification, a process used to change an organism¡¯s genes and hence its characteristics, is now being used to improve trees through genetic modification. It is possible to create trees that produce more fruit, grow faster, or withstand adverse conditions. Planting genetically modified trees on a large scale promises to bring a number of benefits. First, genetically modified trees are designed to be hardier than nature trees; that is, they are more likely to survive than their unmodified counterparts. In Hawaii, for example, a new pest-resistant species of papaya trees has been developed in response to ring spot virus infections that have repeatedly damaged the native papaya tree population. Planting the genetically modified papayas has largely put an end to the ringspot problem. Moreover, genetically modified trees promise to bring a number of economic benefits to those who grow them. Genetically modified trees tend to grow faster, give greater yields of food, fruit, or other products and be hardier. This allows tree farmer to get faster and greater returns on their farming investment and save on pesticides as well. Finally, the use of genetically modified trees can prevent overexploitation of wild trees. Because of the growing demand for firewood and building timber, many forests around the world are being cut down faster than they can be replaced. Introducing genetically modified trees,designed for fast growth and high yield in given geographic conditions,would satisfy the demand for wood in many of those areas and save the endangered native trees, which often include unique or rare species.¡¡¡¡ÍÐ¸£TPO21×ÛºÏÐ´×÷ÌýÁ¦Ô-ÎÄÎÄ±¾£º¡¡¡¡Sure, there are some benefits to plant genetically modified trees, but, are these trees as really great as they first sound? When you examine the subject firstly, there are some serious problems and costs associated with genetically modified trees.First, genetically modified trees may be resistant to one particular condition. But that doesn't necessarily ensure their survival. You see, a typical non modified trees' population is genetically diverse. That means that for most threatening conditions, or climate, insects and other pests, whatever, there will be at least some individual trees of any given species of tree that are resistant. So even if most of one kind of trees are killed, those few resistant trees will survive and ensure the survival of that species of tree. But genetically modified trees are genetically much more uniform. So if they're exposed to an environmental challenge they have not been designed for, they all die. So if the climate changes, the genetically modified trees will likely to be completely wiped out.Now as to the second point, they're hidden costs associated with genetically modified trees. You see, the company that genetically modifies the tree can charge tree farmers more for its seeds than un-genetically modified trees would cost. Also, as you've grown the tree, you can't justcollect the seeds and plant the new tree for free. By law, you have to pay the company every time you plant.And finally, genetically modified trees might actually cause even more damage to the local wild trees. You see, genetically modified trees often grow more aggressively than natural trees do. And, genetically modified trees are typically planted among natural trees. As a result, the genetically modified trees outcompete the native trees for resources, sunlight, soil, nutrients, and water, eventually crowding out the natural trees.¡¡¡¡ÍÐ¸£TPO21×ÛºÏÐ´×÷Âú·Ö·¶ÎÄ1£º¡¡¡¡In the lecture, the professor claims that although they may be some benefit, planting genetic modified trees will bring potential problems and costs. She totally opposes the three statements made in the reading passage. Firstly, the professor indicates that genetic modified trees may resistant, but this cannot guarantee their survival. She points out that in fact the unity of genes within genetic modified plantwill increase their likelihood to wipe out when there is some threatening situation.The professor counters the claim made by the reading passage. Secondly, the professor opposes the reading passage by pointing out there is hidden cost behind modification trees. Though genetic modification trees may provide more products or can save pesticide, their seeds are usually charged at a higher price. In addition, accordingto the law, a farmer has to pay for the seed each time they plant the trees. Thiswill not bring any economic benefit mentioned in the reading passage. Last but not least, the professor opposes the statement that genetic modification trees will prevent overexploit of wild trees. In fact, genetic modification trees tend to grow aggressively and can easily exhaust the resource of normal trees. This will bring disastrous result for the local vegetation.¡¡¡¡ÍÐ¸£TPO21×ÛºÏÐ´×÷Âú·Ö·¶ÎÄ2£º¡¡¡¡In the reading, the author claim that planting genetically modified trees can bring a number of benefits. However, in the lecture, the professor states that although there might be some benefits, planting genetic modified trees will bring serious problems and costs. Firstly, the professor indicates that genetic modified trees may be resistant to certain conditions as the reading states, but this cannot guarantee their survival. She points out that in fact the uniform genes of these genetically modified trees may lead them to be wiped out when facing unfavorable conditions suchas climate changes, while some of the ordinary trees might be able to survive. Secondly, the professor opposes the reading passage by pointing out there is hidden cost behind modification trees. Though genetic modification trees may have higher yields or need less pesticide, their seeds are usually charged at a higher price.In addition, according to the law, a farmer has to pay for the seed each time they plant the trees. L ast but not least, the professor opposes the statement that genetic modification trees will prevent overexploit of wild trees. In fact, genetic modification trees tend to grow aggressively and can easily exhaust the resource of。

托福TPO21阅读Passage2原文文本+题目+答案解析

¡¡¡¡ÎªÁË°ïÖú´ó¼Ò¸ßÐ§±¸¿¼ÍÐ¸££¬Îª´ó¼Ò´øÀ´ÍÐ¸£TPO21ÔÄ¶ÁPassage2Ô-ÎÄÎÄ±¾+ÌâÄ¿+´ð°¸½âÎö£¬Ï£Íû¶Ô´ó¼Ò±¸¿¼ÓÐËù°ïÖú¡£¡¡¡¡¨ ÍÐ¸£TPO21ÔÄ¶ÁPassage2Ô-ÎÄÎÄ±¾£º¡¡¡¡The Origins of Agriculture¡¡¡¡How did it come about that farming developed independently in a number of world centers(the Southeast Asian mainland,Southwest Asia,Central America,lowland and highland South America,and equatorial Africa)at more or less the same time?Agriculture developed slowly among populations that had an extensive knowledge of plants and animals.Changing from hunting and gathering to agriculture had no immediate advantages.To start with,it forced the population to abandon the nomad's life and become sedentary,to develop methods of storage and,often,systems of irrigation.While hunter-gatherers always had the option of moving elsewhere when the resources were exhausted,this became more difficult with farming.Furthermore,as the archaeological record shows,the state of health of agriculturalists was worse than that of their contemporary hunter-gatherers.¡¡¡¡Traditionally,it was believed that the transition to agriculture was the result of a worldwide population crisis.It was argued that once hunter-gatherers had occupied the whole world,the population started to grow everywhere and food became scarce;agriculture would have been a solution to this problem.We know,however,that contemporary hunter-gatherer societies control their population in a variety of ways.The idea of a world population crisis is therefore unlikely,although population pressure might have arisen in some areas.¡¡¡¡Climatic changes at the end of the glacial period 13,000 years ago have been proposed to account for the emergence of farming.The temperature increased dramatically in a short period of time(years rather than centuries),allowing for a growth of the hunting-gathering population due to the abundance of resources.There were,however,fluctuations in the climatic conditions,with the consequences that wet conditions were followed by dry ones,so that the availability of plants and animals oscillated brusquely.¡¡¡¡It would appear that the instability of the climatic conditions led populations that had originally been nomadic to settle down and develop a sedentary style of life,which led in turn to population growth and to the need to increase the amount of food available.Farming originated in these ter on,it became very difficult to change because of the significant expansion of these populations.It could be argued,however,that these conditions are not sufficient to explain the origins of agriculture.Earth had experienced previous periods of climatic change,and yet agriculture had not been developed.¡¡¡¡It is archaeologist Steven Mithen's thesis,brilliantly developed in his book The Prehistory of the Mind(1996),that approximately 40,000 years ago the human mind developed cognitive fluidity,that is,the integration of the specializations of the mind:technical,natural history(geared to understanding the behavior and distribution of natural resources),social intelligence,and the linguistic capacity.Cognitive fluidity explains the appearance of art,religion,and sophisticated speech.Once humans possessed such a mind,they were able to find an imaginative solution to a situation of severe economic crisis such as the farming dilemma described earlier.Mithen proposes the existence of four mental elements to account for the emergence of farming:(1)the ability to develop tools that could be used intensively to harvest and process plant resources;(2)the tendency to use plants and animals as the medium to acquire social prestige and power;(3)the tendency to develop"social relationships"with animals structurally similar to those developed with people¡ªspecifically,the ability to think of animals as people(anthropomorphism)and of people as animals(totemism);and(4)the tendency to manipulate plants and animals.¡¡¡¡The fact that some societies domesticated animals and plants,discovered the use of metal tools,became literate,and developed a state should not make us forget that others developed pastoralism or horticulture(vegetable gardening)but remained illiterate and at low levels of productivity;a few entered the modern period as hunting and gathering societies.It is anthropologically important to inquire into the conditions that made some societies adopt agriculture while others remained hunter-gatherers or horticulturalists.However,it should be kept in mind that many societies that knew of agriculture more or less consciously avoided it.Whether Mithen's explanation is satisfactory is open to contention,and some authors have recently emphasized the importance of other factors.¡¡¡¡Paragraph 1:How did it come about that farming developed independently in a number of world centers(the Southeast Asian mainland,Southwest Asia,Central America,lowland and highland South America,and equatorial Africa)at more or less the same time?Agriculture developed slowly among populations that had an extensive knowledge of plants and animals.Changing from hunting and gathering to agriculture had no immediate advantages.To start with,it forced the population to abandon the nomad's life and become sedentary,to develop methods of storage and,often,systems of irrigation.While hunter-gatherers always had the option of moving elsewhere when the resources were exhausted,this became more difficult with farming.Furthermore,as the archaeological record shows,the state of health of agriculturalists was worse than that of their contemporary hunter-gatherers.¡¡¡¡¨ ÍÐ¸£TPO21ÔÄ¶ÁPassage2ÌâÄ¿£º¡¡¡¡1.The word"option"in the passage is closest in meaning to¡¡¡¡O choice。

托福资料之老托阅读100篇【完整版】.docx

托福资料之老托阅读 100 篇【完整版】老托阅读 100 篇相对 TPO 要简单一些，也是伴随托福备考学员的很重要的一份资料，对于基础薄弱，做 TPO 真题阅读需要过渡的考生来说再适合不过了，为方便考生备考，太傻留学托福考试频道特意将这100 篇托福阅读理解为考生做了归纳和整理，考生只要收藏此页面，就可以在需要的时候打开进行练习了!Toefl 资料下载之老托阅读100 篇【完整版】PASSAGE 1: 冰箱的发展PASSAGE 2: 水循环PASSAGE 3: 印第安人变篮子的故事PASSAGE 4: 哈德逊河派的绘画PASSAGE 6: 硫酸钾在造玻璃和肥皂时的作PASSAGE 5: 创造文化的材料和技术用PASSAGE 7:Philadelphia's 如何发展成商业PASSAGE 8: 为什么大型动物要生活在热带中心雨林PASSAGE 9: 孟买象化石的发现地PASSAGE 10: 人类饮食活动的变化PASSAGE 11: 竹屋怎样防御外界的侵害PASSAGE 12: 动物在岩石上产卵PASSAGE 13: 地球表面岩石的生长与分类PASSAGE 14: 电视对美国政治的影响PASSAGE 15: 菌类对农业的影响PASSAGE 16: 鸟的祖先PASSAGE 17: 鹦鹉产卵的方式PASSAGE 18: 女性对美国建立初期的贡献PASSAGE 19: 北美城市的发展PASSAGE 20: 壁炉的构造PASSAGE 21: 美国早期雕塑的发展PASSAGE 22: 北美城市的发展改革PASSAGE 23: 美国早期城市功能的发展PASSAGE 24: 地球极地激光的形成和外形PASSAGE 25: 营养学研究的历史PASSAGE 26: 关于某彗星的介绍PASSAGE 28:19 世纪末 20 世纪初艺术的发PASSAGE 27: 土壤分解法展PASSAGE 29:一种农业机器在美国的普遍PASSAGE 30: 蝴蝶的种类使用PASSAGE 31: 房租租金的控制PASSAGE 32: 西方艺术发展史PASSAGE 33: 关于做决定的研究PASSAGE 34: 城市的发展以及移民PASSAGE 35: 一种岩洞对观察天象的影响PASSAGE 36: 美国水彩画协会的发展PASSAGE 37: 人的声音对个性的影响PASSAGE 38 : 有关冰河时代的PASSAGE 39: 印第安人捕鱼的生活方式PASSAGE 40: 一周工人工作时间的演变PASSAGE 42:美国铁路发展给美国带来的PASSAGE 41: 地球物种灭绝的分析影响PASSAGE 43: 抗感染药的发明PASSAGE 44: 大脑中神经系统的结构PASSAGE 45:19 世纪的家庭工作PASSAGE 46: 宾夕法尼亚暖气锅炉的改造PASSAGE 47: 美国在 20 世纪初对移民者的PASSAGE 48: 不同领导的领导风格介绍PASSAGE 50:19 世纪艺术在工业社会中的PASSAGE 49: 古代陶瓷的制作方式角色PASSAGE 51 : 美国建立自然生态保护园的PASSAGE 52:美国劳动力从农业到工业的介绍转变PASSAGE 54:被作曲家采用越来越多的音PASSAGE 53: 玻璃纤维的使用方法乐元素PASSAGE 55: 建立公园的计划PASSAGE 56: 民歌定义的不同理解PASSAGE 58:从狩猎到农业的改变对人类PASSAGE 57: 希腊陶瓷技术的发展生活的影响PASSAGE 60: 美国棉花 19 时期作为重要的PASSAGE 59: 历史上第一只鸟的介绍出口商品PASSAGE61: 北美农业殖民地艺术家作品PASSAGE 62: 关于鸟换毛的事PASSAGE 63: 鸟躲避侵略者的三种策略PASSAGE 64: 蚂蚁工作方式的介绍PASSAGE 65: 彗星的 coma 的形成PASSAGE 66: 小孩学说话PASSAGE 67: 某个奇特地方的植被PASSAGE 68: 北美陶瓷的制作PASSAGE 69:美国报纸上气象报道图的变PASSAGE 70: 鸟搭窝的方式化PASSAGE 71: 地理位置对城市发展的影响PASSAGE 72: 哈莱姆文艺复兴PASSAGE 73: 科技与工业化联系PASSAGE 74: 冰川的形成及融化PASSAGE 75:早期狩猎对大型体格动物灭PASSAGE 76: 泥土的形成及其用途绝的影响PSSAGE 77: 生物灭绝的原因PASSAGE 78: 远古的文字PASSAGE 79: 动物行为的研究PASSAGE 80: 美国调查方式的实施PASSAGE 82:婴幼儿时期的模仿对人和动PASSAGE 81: 木星的简介物的影响PASSAGE 83:美国现实主义和自然主义作PASSAGE 84: 美国早期印刷业的内容家介绍PASSAGE 85: 郁金香在北美殖民地的发展PASSAGE 86: 蚂蚁生存使用的各种信号PASSAGE 87: 热能在大气中传输PASSAGE 88: 化石的形成PASSAGE 90:某时期变化对海洋生物的影PASSAGE 89:19 世纪静物艺术品响PASSAGE 91:不同时期艺术装饰风格的简PASSAGE 92: 岩石层对气候的影响介PASSAGE 94:美国工业化给美国经济带来PASSAGE 93: 洛杉矶城市的发展的改变PASSAGE 95:昆虫怎样用信息素来传递信PASSAGE 96:Homestead Act 的弊端息PASSAGE 97: 对月亮两个区域的研究PASSAGE 98 : 松鼠吃橡果的迷PASSAGE 99 : 碳水化合物和气温的关系PASSAGE 100: 小提琴的发展和使用原文网址：托福考试：。

2014年6月21日托福阅读真题

2014年6月21日托福阅读真题智课网整理词汇题集合：第一篇：版本一：讲某个部落的人迁徙到一个新的地方。

他们即是游牧的，但又会种植作物。

但是最后不得不迁徙，因为人太多了。

wild animal和作物都不够吃。

版本二：climate对N族人的影响他们开始更大范围的hunt 种grain之类的版本三：一个人种（囧）在younger dryra年代的生活【编者注：此处人种经查找很可能为“Natufian”】一开始说因为河流和水源渐渐干涸，猎物（game）也随之越来越少（此处有题），所以人们需要更精湛的捕猎技巧，也因为这个发明了一种新的arrowhead（有题）。

后来呢他们捕不到足够的猎物了就settled了，开始cultivated rye crop，把野生的rye慢慢“驯化”了。

考古学家还在一个村子里发现了公元前11100－11020的rye，这是最早的人工培育rye。

但是呢，cultivated rye也不能满足需求啊，所以他们又变回游牧了，然后domestic rye又变wild了（有题）。

最后一段说他们后来因为水源干涸放弃了祖先生活的woodland，改而搬迁到更富饶的约旦河边（jordan river）。

哦这里也有题。

解析：历史题材文章结构为时间顺序，故而逻辑性较少，属于直线型文章。

读文章时光看首句不一定能概括全段，需通过题目进行段意还原。

而且还要多考虑各段之间的关系。

相关背景：Younger DryasFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaThree temperature proxies showing the Younger Dryas event at around 12 ka BP. The NGRIP sequence (red –mislabelled as GRIP) uses the water molecule isotopic composition –δ18O. The Vostok and EPICA Dome C series show delta-deuterium. All 3 proxies use the same vertical axis.The Younger Dryas stadial, also referred to as the Big Freeze, was a geologically brief (1,300 ± 70 years) period of cold climatic conditions and drought which occurred between approximately 12,800 and 11,500 years BP. The Younger Dryas stadial is thought to have been caused by the collapse of the North American ice sheets, although rival theories have been proposed.It followed the Bølling-Allerød interstadial (warm period) at the end of the Pleistocene and preceded the preboreal of the early Holocene. It is named after an indicator genus, the alpine-tundra wildflower Dryas octopetala. In Ireland, the period has been known as the Nahanagan Stadial, while in the United Kingdom it has been called the Loch Lomond Stadial and most recently Greenland Stadial 1 (GS1). The Younger Dryas (GS1) is also a Blytt-Sernander climate period detected from layers in north European bog peat.The Dryas stadials were cold periods which interrupted the warming trend since the Last Glacial Maximum 20,000 years ago. The Older Dryas occurred approximately 1,000 years before the Younger Dryas and lasted about 3000 years. The Oldest Dryas is dated between approximately 18,000 and 15,000 BP.The Younger Dryas, an intense cooling and drying event of global proportions, has been attributed a major causal role in the adoption of agricultural economies in the southern Levant. Here, the impact of the Younger Dryas on human adaptations is evaluated using a small game index that measures the efficiency of human foraging as a proxy for site occupation intensity. The study examines faunal assemblages spanning the agricultural transition and dating to the Early and Late Natufian and Pre-Pottery Neolithic periods (ca. 14,500 to 11,000 Cal. BP). The small game index and other supporting evidence document major fluctuations in human site occupation intensity across this critical phase. Site occupation reached an unprecedented high during the Early Natufian, but quickly reverted to pre-Natufian levels with the onset of the Younger Dryas in the Late Natufian phase. By decreasing site occupation intensity and increasing mobility, the Late Natufians implemented effective demographic strategies to cope with changing resource distributions. In contrast, there is no evidence for intensified resource use or food stress in the Late Natufian, at least in comparison to the Early Natufian phase. Although, it is tempting to assign the Younger Dryas a causal role in the adoption of agricultural economies, support for this hypothesis (in the form of food stress and resource intensification) does not currently exist.Natufian cultureThe Natufian culture /nəˈtjuːfiən/ was an Epipaleolithic culture that existed from 13,000 to 9,800 B.C. in the Levant, a region in the Eastern Mediterranean. It was unusual in that itwas sedentary, or semi-sedentary, before the introduction of agriculture. The Natufian communities are possibly the ancestors of the builders of the first Neolithic settlements of the region, which may have been the earliest in the world. There is some evidence for the deliberate cultivation of cereals, specifically rye, by the Natufian culture, at the Tell Abu Hureyra site, the site for earliest evidence of agriculture in the world. Generally, though, Natufians made use of wild cereals. Animals hunted included gazelles.The term "Natufian" was coined by Dorothy Garrod who studied the Shuqba cave in Wadi an-Natuf, in the western Judean Mountains, about halfway between T el Aviv and Ramallah.SettlementsRemains of a wall of a Natufian houseSettlements occur in the woodland belt where oak and Pistacia species dominated. The underbrush of this open woodland was grass with high frequencies of grain. The high mountains of Lebanon and the Anti-Lebanon, the steppe areas of the Negev desert in Israel and Sinai, and the Syro-Arabian desert in the east were much less favoured for Natufian settlement, presumably due to both their lower carrying capacity and the company of other groups of foragers who exploited this region.The habitations of the Natufian are semi-subterranean, often with a dry-stone foundation. The superstructure was probably made of brushwood. No traces of mudbrick have beenfound, which became common in the following Pre-Pottery Neolithic A (PPNA). The round houses have a diameter between three and six meters, and they contain a central round or subrectangular fireplace. In Ain Mallaha traces of postholes have been identified. "Villages" can cover over 1,000 square meters. Smaller settlements have been interpreted by some researchers as camps. Traces of rebuilding in almost all excavated settlements seem to point to a frequent relocation, indicating a temporary abandonment of the settlement. Settlements have been estimated to house 100–150, but there are three categories: small, median, and large, ranging from 15 sq. m to 1,000 sq. m of people. There are no definite indications of storage facilities.SedentismA semi-sedentary life may have been made possible by abundant resources due to a favourable climate at the time, with a culture living from hunting, fishing and gathering, including the use of wild cereals. Tools were available for making use of cereals: flint-bladed sickles for harvesting, and mortars, grinding stones, and storage pits.Development of agricultureAccording to one theory, it was a sudden change in climate, the Younger Dryas event (ca. 10,800 to 9500 BC), that inspired the development of agriculture. The Younger Dryas was a 1,000-year-long interruption in the higher temperatures prevailing since the Last Glacial Maximum, which produced a sudden drought in the Levant. This would have endangered the wild cereals, which could no longer compete with dryland scrub, but upon which the population had become dependent to sustain a relatively large sedentary population. By artificially clearing scrub and planting seeds obtained from elsewhere, they began to practice agriculture. However, this theory of the origin of agriculture is controversial in the scientific community.第二篇：版本一：M什么的cycle从larva到adult 有的larva也会不到adult版本二：metamorphosis，有frog 和butterfly 的例子。

托福资料之老托阅读100篇【完整版】

PASSAGE 32:西方艺术发展史
PASSAGE 33:关于做决定的研究
PASSAGE 34:城市的发展以及移民
PASSAGE 35:一种岩洞对观察天象的影响
PASSAGE 36:美国水彩画协会的发展
PASSAGE 37:人的声音对个性的影响
PASSAGE 38 :有关冰河时代的
PASSAGE 39:印第安人捕鱼的生活方式
PASSAGE 78:远古的文字
PASSAGE 79:动物行为的研究
PASSAGE 80:美国调查方式的实施
PASSAGE 81:木星的简介
PASSAGE 82:婴幼儿时期的模仿对人和动物的影响
PASSAGE 83:美国现实主义和自然主义作家介绍
PASSAGE 84:美国早期印刷业的内容
PASSAGE 85: 郁金香在北美殖民地的发展
PASSAGE 70:鸟搭窝的方式
PASSAGE 71:地理位置对城市发展的影响
PASSAGE 72:哈莱姆文艺复兴
PASSAGE 73:科技与工业化联系
PASSAGE 74:冰川的形成及融化
PASSAGE 75:早期狩猎对大型体格动物灭绝的影响
PASSAGE 76:泥土的形成及其用途
PSSAGE 77:生物灭绝的原因
PASSAGE 16:鸟的祖先
PASSAGE 17:鹦鹉产卵的方式
PASSAGE 18:女性对美国建立初期的贡献
PASSAGE 19:北美城市的发展
PASSAGE 20:壁炉的构造
PASSAGE 21:美国早期雕塑的发展
PASSAGE 22:北美城市的发展改革
PASSAGE 23:美国早期城市功能的发展
PASSAGE 94:美国工业化给美国经济带来的改变

2021年托福阅读回忆和解析参考答案

temperature declined approximately two degrees Celsius—which may sound like very little at first, but if oneconsiderscurrentprojectionsaboutthepossibleeffectsofglobalwarming,inwhichtheaverageannual temperature shift is only one degree Celsius, a rather different impression emerges. As the temperature dropped, shortening the summer growing season and affecting the resilience of certain vegetable species, thewindandrainincreased.Thismeantthatcropyieldsdeclinedprecipitouslyandtheagriculturaleconomy began to contract. As food supplies dwindled, costs rose accordingly and cut into the amount of capitalthat people had available for other purchases or investments. This in turn added to the gradual constructionofthe commercial economy. Just as significant were changes in the geopolitics of the Mediterranean world. The decline of the Byzantine Empire, which had dominated the eastern Mediterranean, meant the interruption or trade routes to central and eastern Asia. The rise of new political powers signaled a new era in Mediterranean connections, one in which religious loyalty and ethnic fidelity mattered more than commercial ties. Consequently the movement of goods and services between east and west began toslow.European interest in circumnavigating Africa and exploring westward into the Atlantic Ocean, in fact, originatedinthedesiretoavoidtheroadblockintheeasternMediterraneanandtotapdirectlyintothetrade

托福阅读农业类题目解析

智课网TOEFL备考资料托福阅读农业类题目解析摘要：托福阅读的题材包罗万象，如果想让自己的托福阅读得到高分，同学们不仅需要有一定的做题技巧，同时还需要有很好的阅读能力。

我们从TPO中抽选一个农业学科的文章，帮助大家进行分析。

农业类的题目在托福阅读中很常见，在TPO中也有很多，今天为大家抽取了TPO21中的一道农业类题目为大家进行详细解析，今后大家在做此类题目的时候可以参照这种解题方法。

我们这次选取的是TPO第21套的第二篇文章，题目叫作The Origins of Agriculture——农业的起源。

这篇文章主要阐述了农业起源的可能原因，同时还介绍了一位考古学家对于农业起源的一些观点。

对于大部分生长在城市里的孩子来说，农业是一个相对陌生的题目;即便对于那些有过一些务农经验的学生，农业的起源也是一个遥不可及的话题。

所以这篇文章对于大家还是有一定的难度的。

接下来，我们就来分析几道常见的错题：首先，我们先来看一下第二题：2.According to paragraph 1,all of the following are advantages of hunting and gathering over agriculture EXCEPT:A.It is a heal thier life style.B.It requires less knowledge of plants and animals.C.It does not need storage capabilities.D.It is not tied to any specific location.这是一道典型的细节题。

题目中出现了一个大写的EXCEPT，遇到这种题型，我们就可以直接使用排除法，题目的意思是让我们从四个选项中选出一个不属于“狩猎和采集优于农耕”的选项。

A选项的答案可以定位于第一段的最后一句话，Furthermore,as the archaeological record shows,the state of health of agriculturalists was worse than that of their contemporary hunter-gatherers.意思是“而且，考古学记录显示，农民的健康状况要比同时代的采集狩猎者差”。

托福阅读真题第21套

第21套The First Eyes（17年3月考过）Putting a date on the first appearance of eyes depends on what one means by eye.If the term refers to a multicellular organ,even if it has just a few cells,then by definition,eyes could not form before there were multicellular animals.But many protists(animal-like,plantlike,or fungus-like unicellular organisms that require a water-based environment)can detect light by using aggregations of pigment molecules,and they use this information to modify their metabolic activity or motility (the ability to move spontaneously and independently).One of the familiar living examples,probably known to anyone who has taken a biology class,is the aquatic protozoan Euglena,which has an eyespot near its motile flagellum(hairlike structure). Some living protists are very like their ancestral forms embedded in ancient sedimentary rocks,and this similarity suggests that the ability to detect light and modify behavior in response to light has been around for a very long time.Animals arose from one of such unicellular creatures,perhaps from one already specialized for a primitive kind of vision.1.The word aggregations in the passage is closest in meaning toA.partsB.reactionsC.groupsD.types2..Paragraph1supports all of the following statements about protists EXCEPT:A.Some are multicellular.B.Some are able to move.C.Some have pigment molecules.D.They live in environments that contain moisture.3..According to paragraph1,what have scientists concluded from the fact that some living protists are very like their ancestral formsA.The eye did not evolve until multicellular organisms arose.B.The ability to detect light and change behavior in response to light has existed for a long time.C.The ancestral forms of these living protists likely had an eyespot near the motile ﬂagellum.D.The ancestral forms of these living protists depended primarily on light as the mechanism for modifying their metabolic activity or motility.An eye is a collection of cells that are specialized for light detection through the presence of photosensitive pigment as well as a means of restricting the direction of incoming light that will strike the photosensitive cells.This definition says nothingabout image formation,lenses,eye movements,or any of the other features we associate with our own eyes,but it does recognize the simplest form of functional and anatomical specialisation namely,detection of light.Everything else can be built up from this simple beginning,and some animals appear to have had eyes almost from the beginning of the animal kingdom.4.The word lateral in the passage indicates a location at theA.frontB.backC.topD.side5..Paragraph2implies which of the following about the early eyesA.They were able to detect simple movements almost from the beginning of their evolution.B.They were not as sensitive to light as once thought.C.They could not form images.D.Their cells had more photosensitive pigment than do human eyes.Animals were scarce600million years ago in the geological era called the Precambrian.【There are very few fossil remains from that time(though more keep turning up),and most evidence of the presence of animals is indirect,such as small tunnels in rock that could be ancient worm burrowings.】But just50million years or so later,fossilized bits and pieces of animals abound,suggesting that a great burst of evolutionary creativity occurred in the50-million-year interval.This surge of new life, marked by an abundance of animals,is called the Cambrian explosion.6.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.【There are very few fossil remains from that time(though more keep turning up), and most evidence of the presence of animals is indirect,such as small tunnels in rock that could be ancient worm burrowings.】A.There are few fossils from the Precambrian,though more keep turning up.B.Most evidence of animals in the fossil record is indirect and little of it is from the Precambrian.C.Tunnels in Precambrian rocks that may have been made by worms provide indirect evidence of these animals existing at that time.D.There are very few fossils of animals from the Precambrian and most evidence of animal life from that period is indirect.7.According to paragraph3,the Cambrian period was characterized byA.a great abundance of animalsB.a slow rate of animal extinctionC.the rapid fossilization of animalsD.an increase in the life span of some animals8.The phrase little short of miraculous is closest in meaning toA.very highly valuedB.amazing because almost impossibleC.causing controversyD.almost but not quite completeThe first direct evidence for the early origin of eyes comes from fossils that are about 530million years old,a time shortly after the Cambrian explosion;they were found on a mountainside in British Columbia in a deposit known as the Burgess Shale.The Burgess Shale fossils are extraordinarily important because among them are remains of soft-bodied creatures,many of them lacking shells and other hard parts that fossilize easily.Consequently,their preservation is little short of miraculous(as are the delicate methods used to reconstruct three-dimensional structure from these flattened fossils),and they are one of the few known repositories of early soft-bodied animals.9.According to paragraph4,all of the following are true of the Burgess Shale EXCEPT:A.Its fossils were in a flattened condition when discovered.B.Its fossils provide direct evidence about the origin of eyes.C.It contains fossils of both Precambrian and Cambrian animals.D.It contains fossilized remains of soft-bodied organisms.Not all of the Burgess animals had eyes.However,some did.(Gross features location, size,and hemispheric shape are responsible for the designation of some structures as eyes).The reconstructed eyes of these Burgess animals look superficially like eyes of some living crustaceans,particularly those of shrimp and crabs whose eyes are mounted on stalks that improve the range of vision by raising the eyes above the surface of the head.The eyes of some Burgess organisms sat on stalks;those of others were on or a part of the body surface.One animal,Opabinia,had five eyes:two lateral pairs and a single medial eye;at least one of the lateral pairs had stalks that could have been movable.And some trilobite-like animals in the Burgess Shale had faceted eyes much like those of later fossil trilobites.10.The word designation in the passage is closest in meaning toA.evolutionB.identificationC.reconstructionD.confusion11.Why does the author point out that The eyes of some Burgess organisms sat onstalksA.To suggest that some Burgess organisms had a greater range of vision than do living shrimp and crabsB.To explain why it is thought that one of the lateral pairs of eyes in Opabinia may have been movableC.To explain why the eyes of some Burgess animals were not recognizable as such before they were reconstructedD.To support the statement that the reconstructed eyes of Burgess animals look superﬁcially like the eyes of some living crustaceansAlthough the presence of eyes on some of the Burgess animals indicates that eyes have been around for a very long time,it is unlikely that these were the first eyes;they seem much too large and(potentially)well developed to be brand new inventions. The best we can do is put the origin of eyes somewhere between the beginning of the Cambrian explosion,about600million years ago,and the death of the Burgess animals,some530million years ago.12.Paragraph6suggests that the first eyes probablyA.came into existence long before600million years agoB.came into existence at a late point in the Cambrian periodC.existed before the animals of the Burgess Shale existedD.were larger than those of animals found in the Burgess Shale13..Look at the four squares that indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage.Molaria spinifera and H.optata,both of which lived in water levels beyond the reach of light,fit into this category.Where would the sentence bestﬁt Click on a square to add the sentence to the passage.Not all of the Burgess animals had eyes.However,some did.(Gross features location, size,and hemispheric shape are responsible for the designation of some structures as eyes).【】The reconstructed eyes of these Burgess animals look superficially like eyes of some living crustaceans,particularly those of shrimp and crabs whose eyes are mounted on stalks that improve the range of vision by raising the eyes above the surface of the head.【】The eyes of some Burgess organisms sat on stalks;those of others were on or a part of the body surface.【】One animal,Opabinia,had five eyes: two lateral pairs and a single medial eye;at least one of the lateral pairs had stalks that could have been movable.【】And some trilobite-like animals in the Burgess Shale had faceted eyes much like those of later fossil trilobites.14..Drag your choices to the spaces where they belong.To review the passage,click on View Text.Answer ChoicesA.The ability of some unicellular organisms to detect light and change their behavior accordingly suggests that eyes did not originate with multicellular animals.B.The earliest eyes apparently contained molecules that were capable of forming and focusing images.C.Too few fossils from the Precambrian have been found to determine which if any Precambrian organisms had eyes.D.Evidence from the Burgess Shale suggests that eyes of some early animals were similar to the eyes of living crustaceans.E.Fossil evidence suggests that organisms in the Burgess Shale with faceted eyes developed later than organisms in the Burgess Shale with nonfaceted eyes.F.The large size and possible complexity of the eyes of some organisms in the Burgess Shale suggest that their eyes were not theﬁrst eyes.The Origin of Earth's AtmosphereIn order to understand the origin of Earth's atmosphere,we must go back to the earliest days of the solar system,before the planets themselves were formed from a disk of rocky material spinning around the young Sun.This material gradually coalesced into lumps called planetesimals as gravity and chance smashed smaller pieces together,a chaotic and violent process that became more so as planetesimals grew in size and gravitational pull.Within each orbit,collisions between planetesimals generated immense heat and energy.How violent these processes were is suggested by the odd tilt and spin of many of the planets,which indicate that each of the planets was,like a billiard ball,struck at some stage by another large body of some kind.Visual evidence of these processes can be seen by looking at the Moon. Because the Moon has no atmosphere,its surface is not subject to erosion,so it retains the marks of its early history.Its face is deeply scarred by millions of meteoric impacts,as you can see on a clear night with a pair of binoculars.The early Earth did not have much of an atmosphere.Before it grew to full size,its gravitational pull was insufficient to prevent gases from drifting off into space,while the solar wind(the great stream of atomic particles emitted from the Sun)had already driven away much of the gaseous material from the inner orbits of the solar system.So we must imagine the early Earth as a mixture of rocky materials,metals,and trapped gases,subject to constant bombardment by smaller planetesimals and without much of an atmosphere.1.The word chaotic in the passage is closest in meaning toA.rapidB.disorganizedC.intenseD.long-lasting2.All of the following are true of the planetesimals mentioned in paragraph1 EXCEPT:A.They were formed of rocky material spinning around the early Sun.B.They collided violently with each other.C.They gradually grew in size.D.They lost their atmospheres as they were hit by larger bodies.3.The word retains in the passage is closest in meaning toA.revealsB.acquiresC.hidesD.preserves4.The author discusses the Moon in paragraph1in order toA.help explain why Earth had fewer meteoric impacts than other planets in the solar systemB.show why it is difficult to understand how theﬁrst planetary atmospheres developedC.help explain the processes that took place in the formation of large planetary bodies in the solarsystemD.illustrate why the Moon's spin and tilt are unique among other planetary bodies in the solar systemAs it began to reach full size,Earth heated up,partly because of collisions with other planetesimals and partly because of increasing internal pressures as it grew in size.In addition,the early Earth contained abundant radioactive materials,also a source of heat.As Earth heated up,its interior melted.Within the molten interior,under the influence of gravity,different elements were sorted out by density.By about40 million years after the formation of the solar system,most of the heavier metallic elements in the early Earth,such as iron and nickel,had sunk through the hot sludge to the center,giving Earth a core dominated by iron.This metallic core gives Earth its characteristic magnetic field,which has played an extremely important role in the history of our planet.5.The word constant in the passage is closest in meaning toA.considerableB.unpredictableC.continualD.violent6.Paragraph2answers which of the following questions about early EarthA.What caused materials on Earth to become radioactiveB.What percentage of Earth's core was nickelC.What internal pressures caused Earth to heat up as it grew in sizeD.What caused Earth's magnetic field7.According to paragraph2,Earth's core is mostly iron because,compared to most other elements on early Earth,ironA.was denserB.melted more easilyC.was more radioactiveD.was more plentifulAs heavy materials headed for the center of Earth,lighter silicates(such as the mineral quartz)drifted upward.The denser silicates formed Earth's mantle,a region almost3,000kilometers thick between the core and the crust.With the help of bombardment by comets,whose many impacts scarred and heated Earth's surface,the lightest silicates rose to Earth's surface,where they cooled more rapidly than the better-insulated materials in Earth's interior.These lighter materials,such as the rocks we call granites,formed a layer of continental crust about35kilometers thick. Relative to Earth as a whole,this is as thin as an eggshell.Seafloor crust is even thinner,at about7kilometers;thus,even continental crust reaches only about1/200th of the way to Earth's core.Much of the early continental crust has remained on Earth's surface to the present day.8.Select the TWO answer choices that,according to paragraph3,indicate true statements about Earth's formation.To obtain credit,you must select TWO answer choices.ets hitting Earth helped the lightest silicates to reach Earth's surface.B.Silicates such as mineral quartz drifted downward and mixed with denser materials as they reached Earth's core.C.When Earth's mantle became approximately3,000kilometers thick,the heaviest materials in it began to cool.D.Lighter materials reaching Earth's surface formed Earth's continental crust.9.According to paragraph3,Earth's continental crustA.has changed signiﬁcantly in composition over timeB.was as thick as Earth's mantle in its early stagesC.is very thin relative to Earth's sizeD.caused the temperatures of Earth's early core and mantle to gradually increase10.The word coalesced in the passage is closest in meaning toA.collidedB.joinedC.changedD.shrank11.The word emitted in the passage is closest in meaning toA.releasedB.consumedC.containedD.heatedThe lightest materials of all,including gases such as hydrogen and helium,bubbled through Earth's interior to the surface.So we can imagine the surface of the early Earth as a massive volcanic field.And we can judge pretty well what gases bubbled up to that surface by analyzing the mixture of gases emitted by volcanoes.These include hydrogen,helium,methane,water vapor,nitrogen,ammonia,and hydrogen sulfide.Other materials,including large amounts of water vapor,were brought in by cometary bombardments.Much of the hydrogen and helium escaped;but once Earth was fully formed,it was large enough for its gravitational field to hold most of the remaining gases,and these formed Earth's first stable atmosphere.12.What can be inferred from paragraph5about Earth's first stable atmosphereA.It existed before Earth was yet fully formed.B.It contained very little hydrogen and helium.C.It contained only materials that had bubbled up through Earth's surface.D.It lacked water vapor.13.Look at the four squares that indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage.Even some of its oldest portions as old as3.8billion years can still be found in parts of Canada,Australia,South Africa,and Greenland.Where would the sentence bestﬁt Click on a square to add the sentence to the passage.As heavy materials headed for the center of Earth,lighter silicates(such as the mineral quartz)drifted upward.The denser silicates formed Earth's mantle,a region almost3,000kilometers thick between the core and the crust.With the help of bombardment by comets,whose many impacts scarred and heated Earth's surface,the lightest silicates rose to Earth's surface,where they cooled more rapidly than the better-insulated materials in Earth's interior.These lighter materials,such as the rocks we call granites,formed a layer of continental crust about35kilometers thick.【A】Relative to Earth as a whole,this is as thin as an eggshell.【B】Seafloor crust is even thinner,at about7kilometers;thus,even continental crust reaches only about1/200th of the way to Earth's core.【C】Much of the early continental crust has remained on Earth's surface to the present day.【D】14..Drag your choices to the spaces where they belong.To review the passage,click on View Text.Answer ChoicesA.Early Earth's lack of an atmosphere explains why it was bombarded with much more frequency and violence than other planetesimals.B.Continued bombardments and internal pressures made the growing Earth hotter,causing its interior to melt and the heavier elements to sink and form Earth's core. C.Lighter elements from Earth's interior rose and formed the mantle,a denser layer of silicates around the core,and the crust,a thinner layer of silicates at Earth's surface.D.The formation of Earth's crust protected the inner layers of Earth from the high-energy particles in space,reducing the temperatures of the mantle and the core.E.Once Earth had gone through theﬁnal stages of its formation,gases bubbled to the surface and were held by Earth's gravitational field to form the atmosphere.F.Volcanoes today are the result of gases that were trapped in Earth's interior during the planet's early stages of formation.The Emergence of CivilizationParagraph1Starting around8000B.C.E.,the most extensive exploitation of agriculture occurred in river valleys,where there were both good soil and a dependable water supply regardless of the amount of rainfall.In the Near East,this happened in the Fertile Crescent,the region extending up the Nile Valley in Egypt,north through the Levant (Palestine,Lebanon,and Syria),and southeast into the Tigris and Euphrates river valleys of Mesopotamia.The richest soil was located in the deltas at the mouths of the rivers,but the deltas were swampy and subject to flooding.Before they could be farmed,they needed to be drained and irrigated,and flood-control systems had to be constructed.These activities required administrative organization and the ability to mobilize large pools of labor.In Mesopotamia,perhaps as a consequence of a period of drought,massive land-use projects were undertaken after4000B.C.E.to cultivate the rich delta soils of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers.The land was so productive that many more people could be fed,and a great population explosion resulted.Villages grew into cities of tens of thousands of persons.1.Which of the following helps explain why“the most extensive exploitation ofagriculture occurred in river valleys”?In river valleys farmers did not have to depend on rain for water.The soil in river valleys did not require irrigation.Swampy areas in river valleys were easy to drain.The expanding populations in river valleys provided large pools of labor.2.Why does the author mention“a period of drought”?To help explain why the richest soils in the Near East were located in the deltas at the mouths of the Tigris and Euphrates RiversTo suggest a reason for undertaking the massive effort to make the deltas of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers farmableTo identify a condition that often affected agricultural production in Mesopotamia To support the idea that mobilizing large pools of labor after4000B.C.E.required significant administrative organization3.Accordingto paragraph1,what was one result of the farming systems developedin river deltas in the Near East?There was a large increase in the overall amount of food produced.Large pools of labor became available to perform administrative tasks.The soil in these deltas grew much richer.The number of farming villages surrounding cities increased.Paragraph2These large cities needed some form of centralized administration.Archaeological evidence indicates that the organization initially was provided by religion,for the largest building in each city was a massive temple honoring one of the Mesopotamian gods.In Uruk,for example,a60-foot-long temple known as the White House was built before3000B.C.E.There were no other large public buildings,suggesting that the priests who were in charge of the temples also were responsible for governing the city and organizing people to work in the fields and on irrigation projects building and maintaining systems of ditches and dams.4.According to paragraph2,the fact that temples appear to have been the only largepublic buildings in Mesopotamian cities has been interpreted as evidence that these citiesneeded some form of central administrationwere initially administered by priestswere all governed from Urukhad difficulty organizing workers for building projectsParagraph3The great concentration of wealth and resources in the river valleys brought with it further technological advances,such as wheeled vehicles,multicolored pottery and the pottery wheel,and the weaving of wool garments.Advances in metal technology just before2000B.C.E.resulted in the creation of bronze,a durable alloy(or mixture) of about90percent copper and10percent tin that provided a sharp cutting edge for weapons.5.The word"durable"in the passage is closest in meaning toexisting for a long time without significant damagedifficult to producerecently discoveredextremely useful6.Paragraph3indicates that technological advances affected all of the followingEXCEPTtransportationclothing manufacturewarfare and huntingthe distribution of wealth and resourcesParagraph4By3000B.C.E.,the economies and administrations of Mesopotamia and Egypt had become so complex that some form of record keeping was needed.As a result,writing was invented.Once a society became literate,it passed from the period known as prehistory into the historic period.In fact,the word“history”comes from a Greek word meaning“narrative”—people could not provide a detailed permanent account of their past until they were able to write.7.According to paragraph4,why was writing invented?To reduce unnecessary social complexityTo keep economic and administrative recordsTo record oral historical narrativesTo help people better understand their own pastParagraph5The totality of these developments resulted in the appearance,around3000B.C.E.,of a new form of culture called civilization.The first civilizations had several defining characteristics.They had economies based on agriculture.They had cities that functioned as administrative centers and usually had large populations.They had different social classes,such as free persons and slaves.They had specialization of labor,that is,different people serving,for example,as rulers,priests,craft workers, merchants,soldiers,and farmers.And they had metal technology and a system of writing.As of3000B.C.E.,civilization in these terms existed in Mesopotamia,Egypt, India,and China.8.The word"defining"in the passage is closest in meaning toimportantobviousidentifyinginteresting9.According to paragraph5,all of the following are true of the first civilizationsEXCEPT:Their soldiers and priests also worked as farmers.Their populations were divided into different social classes.They had developed technologies for working with metals.They were typically administered from large cities.Paragraph6This first phase of civilization is called the Bronze Age because of the importance of metal technology.The most characteristic Near Eastern Bronze Age civilizations, those of Mesopotamia and Egypt,were located in river valleys,were based on theextensive exploitation of agriculture,and supported large populations.Bronze was a valuable commodity in these civilizations,the copper and tin needed for its manufacture did not exist in river valleys and had to be imported.Bronze was therefore used mainly for luxury items,such as jewelry or weapons,not for everyday domestic items,which were made from pottery,animal products,wood,and stone.In particular,bronze was not used for farming tools.Thus,early civilizations based on large-scale agriculture,such as those of Mesopotamia and Egypt,were feasible only in soils that could be worked by wooden plows pulled by people or draft animals such as oxen.Other Bronze Age civilizations,however,such as those that arose in the Levant and eastern Mediterranean took advantage of their location on communication routes to pursue economies based on trade.10.The word"domestic"in the passage is closest in meaning topracticalhouseholdstandardnecessary11.According toparagraph6,why was bronze not used for farming tools in BronzeAge civilizations of the Near East?Wooden farming tools were more effective in the soils of the region.Bronze farming tools would have deteriorated quickly in the climate.Bronze was too expensive to use for farming tools.People had not yet discovered how to make farming tools out of bronze.12.According to paragraph6,which of the following was true of at least somecivilizations of the Bronze Age?They did not develop urban centers with large populations.They did not use metals to make bronze.They had an economy that was not based on agriculture.They did not use bronze for luxury items such as jewelry.Paragraph6This first phase of civilization is called the Bronze Age because of the importance of metal technology.The most characteristic Near Eastern Bronze Age civilizations, those of Mesopotamia and Egypt,were located in river valleys,were based on the extensive exploitation of agriculture,and supported large populations.■Bronze was a valuable commodity in these civilizations,the copper and tin needed for its manufacture did not exist in river valleys and had to be imported.■Bronze was therefore used mainly for luxury items,such as jewelry or weapons,not for everyday domestic items,which were made from pottery,animal products,wood,and stone.■In particular,bronze was not used for farming tools.■Thus,early civilizations based on large-scale agriculture,such as those of Mesopotamia and Egypt,were feasible only in soils that could be worked by wooden plows pulled by people or draft animals。

托福备考托福阅读34套TPO样题+解析+译文21--3 Autobiographical Memory

托福考试复习托福阅读TPO21(试题+答案+译文)第3篇:Autobiographical Memory托福阅读原文【1】Think back to your childhood and try to identify your earliest memory. How old were you? Most people are not able to recount memories for experiences prior to the age of three years, a phenomenon called infantile amnesia. The question of why infantile amnesia occurs has intrigued psychologists for decades, especially in light of ample evidence that infants and young children can display impressive memory capabilities. Many find that understanding the general nature of autobiographical memory, that is, memory for events that have occurred in one's own life, can provide some important clues to this mystery. Between ages three and four, children begin to give fairly lengthy and cohesive descriptions of events in their past. What factors are responsible for this developmental turning point?【2】Perhaps the explanation goes back to some ideas raised by influential Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget—namely, that children under age two years represent events in a qualitatively different form than older children do. According to this line of thought, the verbal abilities that blossom in the two year old allow events to be coded in a form radicallydifferent from the action-based codes of the infant. Verbal abilities of one year olds are, in fact, related to their memories for events one year later. When researchers had one year olds imitate an action sequence one year after they first saw it, there was correlation between the children's verbal skills at the time they first saw the event and their success on the later memory task. However, even children with low verbal skills showed evidence of remembering the event; thus, memories may be facilitated by but are not dependent on those verbal skills.【3】Another suggestion is that before children can talk about past events in their lives, they need to have a reasonable understanding of the self as a psychological entity. The development of an understanding of the self becomes evident between the first and second years of life and shows rapid elaboration in subsequent years. The realization that the physical self has continuity in time, according to this hypothesis, lays the foundation for the emergence of autobiographical memory.【4】A third possibility is that children will not be able to tell their own "life story" until they understand something about the general form stories take, that is, the structure of narratives. Knowledge about narratives arises from social interactions, particularly the storytelling that children experience from parents and the attempts parents make to talk with children about past events in their lives. When parents talk with children about "what we did today" or "last week" or "last year," theyguide the children's formation of a framework for talking about the past. They also provide children with reminders about the memory and relay the message that memories are valued as part of the cultural experience. It is interesting to note that some studies show Caucasian American children have earlier childhood memories than Korean children do. Furthermore, other studies show that Caucasian American mother-child pairs talk about past events three times more often than do Korean mother-child pairs. Thus, the types of social experiences children have do factor into the development of autobiographical memories.【5】A final suggestion is that children must begin to develop a "theory of mind"—an awareness of the concept of mental states (feelings, desires, beliefs, and thoughts), their own and those of others—before they can talk about their own past memories. Once children become capable of answering such questions as "What does it mean to remember?" and "What does it mean to know something?" improvements in memory seem to occur.【6】It may be that the developments just described are intertwined with and influence one another. Talking with parents about the past may enhance the development of the self-concept, for example, as well as help the child understand what it means to "remember." No doubt the ability to talk about one's past represents memory of a different level of complexity than simple recognition or recall托福阅读试题1.The word "ample" in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning toA.surprising.B.convincing.C.plentiful.D.questionable.2.According to paragraph 1, infantile amnesia has intrigued psychologists becauseA.the ability to recount memories prior to three years of age seems to be connected to intelligence in adulthood.B.psychologists do not understand why some people are able to recount memories from before the age of three years, while others are not able do so.C.psychologists do not understand the connection between infantile amnesia and autobiographical memory.D.although psychologists have evidence that infants have memory abilities, most people cannot remember life events that happened before the age of three years.3.According to paragraph 1, what is the evidence that a child has developed autobiographical memory?A.The child is able to remember past events from before the age of threeB.The child is able to describe past events in a sufficiently lengthy and cohesive manner.C.The child is aware that he or she does not remember experiences from before the age of three years.D.The child is able to give a basic description of the nature of autobiographical memory.4.In paragraph 2, why does the author provide the information that children with low verbal skills showed evidence of remembering a past event?A.To provide evidence that memories do not depend only upon verbal skills.B.To challenge the idea that one year olds are too young to form memories.C.To argue that the memory of one year olds depends only on action-based codes.D.To suggest that Piaget later revised his findings on the correlation between memory and verbal ability.5.The word "reasonable" in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning toA.consistent.B.sufficient.C.apparent.6.The word "elaboration" in passage 5 is closest in meaning toA.development.B.specialization.e.D.transformation.7.According to paragraph 3, what is the relationship between autobiographical memory and the development of an understanding of the self?A.Autobiographical memory aids in the development of an understanding of the self.B.Children possess an understanding of the self when they can talk about past events in their lives.C.The realization that the self continues through time may aid in the onset of autobiographical memory.D.The development of autobiographical memory helps children gain an understanding of their roles in their social relationships.8.All of the following are mentioned in paragraph 4 as ways in which parents help their children understand the structure of narratives EXCEPTA.talking with their children about past events.B.telling stories to their children.C.having their children repeat stories back to them.D.showing their children that they think memories are important.9.According to paragraph 4, the studies of Caucasian American and Korean children suggest which of the following?A.Autobiographical memories develop similarly across all cultures.B.Parents from different cultures tell their children different kinds of stories about the past.C.Children's pleasure in hearing stories varies from culture to culture.D.The kinds of interactions children have with their parents affect the development of autobiographical memories.10.According to paragraph 5, what evidence is there that a "theory of mind" is a factor in the development of autobiographical memory?A.Even children who are not aware of their mental states are still able to talk about past events.B.Autobiographicat memory decreases when a chiId's feelings and mental state are upset.C.Older children who are unable to achieve awareness of mental states lack autobiographical memory.D.Children's memory of past events grows once children can answer questions about what it means to know and remember.11.The organization of the passage (paragraph 5) can best be described asA.the presentation of an argument followed by the evidence for andagainst it.B.a description of a phenomenon followed by several possible theories about how it develops.C.the definition of a psychological term followed by a history of its usage.D.an explanation of a process followed by a discussion of its practical applications.12.The passage (paragraph 6) supports which of the following statements about the development of autobiographical memory?A.It is unlikely that a single factor is responsible for the development of autobiographical memory.B.Jean Piaget was the first psychologist to understand the development of autobiographical memory.C.Understanding the development of autobiographical memory will help psychologists eliminate infant amnesia.D.Understanding what it means to remember is the most important factor in the development of autobiographical memory.13. Look at the four squares [■] that indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage. Where would the sentence best fit? Click on a square to add the sentence to the passage. It is unlikely that this memory will be from the first two years of life.Think back to your childhood and try to identify your earliest memory. How old were you? ■【A】Most people are not able to recount memoriesfor experiences prior to the age of three years, a phenomenon called infantile amnesia. ■【B】The question of why infantile amnesia occurs has intrigued psychologists for decades, especially in light of ample evidence that infants and young children can display impressive memory capabilities. ■【C】Many find that understanding the general nature of autobiographical memory, that is, memory for events that have occurred in one's own life, can provide some important clues to this mystery. ■【D】Between ages three and four, children begin to give fairly lengthy and cohesive descriptions of events in their past. What factors are responsible for this developmental turning point?14. Directions: An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage is provided below. Complete the summary by selecting the THREE answer choices that express the most important ideas in the passage. Some sentences do not belong in the summary because they express ideas that are not presented in the passage or are minor ideas in the passage. This question is worth 2 points.The ability to construct autobiographical memories—coherent narratives about events from one's past—is probably the joint product of several social and intellectual developments.A.Although children are capable of simple recognition and recall very early in life, they do not develop the capacity for autobiographical memory until the age of three or four years.B.Verbal skills and familiarity with narrative structures probably aid in the construction of autobiographical memories.C.Children's earliest autobiographical memories are usually about social interactions with parents.D.Research suggests that infantile amnesia occurs in some cultures but not in others and may be linked to children's social experiences.E.The development of autobiographical memory allows children to appreciate the fact that memories are an important part of their cultural experience.F.Children who have acquired a concept of the self and of various mental states are generally able to talk about their own past memories.托福阅读答案1.ample大量的，所以答案是C的plentiful。