托福阅读真题Sumerian contribution练习与答案
托福(阅读)历年真题试卷汇编4(题后含答案及解析)
托福（阅读）历年真题试卷汇编4(题后含答案及解析) 题型有： 3. Reading ComprehensionSections Three：Reading ComprehensionEarly Theories of Continental DriftP1: The idea that the geography of Earth was different in the past than it is today is not new. As far back as 1620, Francis Bacon spotted that the west coast of Africa and the east coast of South America looked as if they would fit together, like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. Between then and 1912, other people identified further similarities between other continental coastlines. But because much of the early support for mobilism was based on far-flung intercontinental similarities, geologists tended to be skeptical of the fieldwork of others.P2: During the late nineteenth century, Austrian geologist Eduard Suess proposed the name “Gondwanaland”in his book The Face of the Earth (1885) and gave far greater emphasis to the evolutionary nature of the earth and he noted the similarities among the Late Paleozoic plant fossils of India, Australia, South Africa, and South America. Based upon glossopteris fern fossils in such regions, he explained that the three land masses were once connected in a supercontinent which he names Gondwanaland, and that the ocean flooded the spaces currently between those lands. Thus, in his view, the similarities of fossils on these continents could be accounted for by postulating the concept of a land bridge that existed once but subsided later.P3: Later, a number of refinements to Suess’s theory were made. The American geologist Frank Taylor published a pamphlet in 1910 presenting his concept of “horizontal displacement”. He explained the formation of mountain ranges as a result of the lateral movements of continents. With the earth’s capture of the moon, the gravitational forces between them generated a pull towards lower latitudes where they thickened and formed folded mountain belts especially in middle latitudes. Although we now know that Taylor’s explanation of continental drift is erroneous, one of his most significant contributions was his suggestion that the Mid-Atlantic Ridge—an underwater mountain range discovered by the 1872-1876 British HMS Challenger expeditions—might mark the site at which an ancient continent broke apart, forming the present-day Atlantic Ocean.P4: However, it is Alfred Wegener, a German meteorologist, who is generally credited with developing the hypothesis of continental drift. In his monumental book, The Origin of Continents and Oceans (1915), Wegener theorized that a single supercontinent he called “Pangaea”existed sometime between 350 million to 225 million years ago. Wegner portrayed his grand concept of continental movement in a series of maps showing the breakup of Pangaea and the movement of various continents to their present-day locations. What evidence did Wegener use to support his hypothesis of continental drift? First, Wegener noted that there is geographical similarity along both the coasts of the Atlantic Ocean. The opposing coasts of the Atlantic can be fitted together in the same way as two cut off pieces of wood can be refitted. Furthermore, mountain ranges and glacial deposits seem tomatch up in such a way that suggests continents could have once been a single landmass. Finally, many of the same fossils and vegetative remains are found today on widely separated continents, indicating that the continents must have been in proximity at one time. During his days, Wegener was regarded as an advocate rather than as an impartial scientific observer, appearing to ignore vast evidence unfavorable to his ideas and distort other evidence to bring it into harmony with the theory.P5: After Wegener’s death, a South African geologist Alexander Du Toit continued to assemble fossil evidence for Pangaea. He noted that fossils of the now extinct reptile “Mesosaurus”occur in rocks of the same age in both Brazil and South Africa. Because the physiology of freshwater and marine animals is completely different, it is hard to imagine how a freshwater reptile could have swum across the Atlantic Ocean and then found a freshwater environment nearly identical to its former habitat. Moreover, if Mesosaurus could have swum across the ocean, its fossil remains should be widely dispersed. It is more logical to assume that Mesosaurus lived in lakes in what were once adjacent areas of South America and Africa when it was united into a single continent. Notwithstanding all of the empirical evidence in favor of continental drift theory presented here, most geologists at the time refused to entertain the idea.P6 :The debate over continental drift has the same role and stature in the history of the earth sciences as the debate over Darwinian evolution in the history of life sciences and the debates over relativity and quantum theory in the history of physics. In the largest sense, the history of earth science, the history of biology, and the history of physics in the 20th century are all histories of the consolidation of opinion and the formation of broad consensus—that these theories were the best way to organize and advance these sciences.P5: After Wegener’s death, a South African geologist Alexander Du Toit continued to assemble fossil evidence for Pangaea.■He noted that fossils of the now extinct reptile “Mesosaurus” occur in rocks of the same age in both Brazil and South Africa.■Because the physiology of freshwater and marine animals is completely different, it is hard to imagine how a freshwater reptile could have swum across the Atlantic Ocean and then found a freshwater environment nearly identical to its former habitat. ■Moreover, if Mesosaurus could have swum across the ocean, its fossil remains should be widely dispersed. It is more logical to assume that Mesosaurus lived in lakes in what were once adjacent areas of South America and Africa when it was united into a single continent. ■Notwithstanding all of the empirical evidence in favor of continental drift theory presented here, most geologists at the time refused to entertain the idea.1．According to paragraph 2, Eduard Suess believed that similarities of plant and animal fossils on the southern continents were due toA．living in the southern climateB．crossing the land bridgesC．fossilization in the coal layersD．movements of the supercontinent正确答案：B解析：【事实信息题】题目问动植物化石的相似性是因为什么，文中提到“the similarities of fossils on these continents could be accounted for by”所以原因是之前有陆桥后来消失了，答案是B。
托福阅读原文题目及答案汇总整理
托福阅读原文题目及答案汇总整理提升阅读速度，把握做题技巧，是拿到托福阅读高分必需要突破的两个方面，那么详细的托福备考的过程中，大家应当运用哪些资料来备考呢?学习啦为大家带来了托福阅读原文题目及答案汇总，供大家练习。
托福阅读真题1Cities develop as a result of functions that they can perform. Some functions result directly from the ingenuity of the citizenry, but most functions result from the needs of the local area and of the surrounding hinterland (the region that supplies goods to the city and to which the city furnishes services and other goods). Geographers often make a distinction between the situation and the site of a city. Situation refers to the general position in relation to the surrounding region, whereas site involves physical characteristics of the specific location. Situation is normally much more important to the continuing prosperity of a city. If a city is well situated in regard to its hinterland, its development is much more likely to continue. Chicago, for example, possesses an almost unparalleled situation: it is located at the southern end of a huge lake that forces east-west transportation lines to be compressed into its vicinity, and at a meeting of significant land and water transport routes. It also overlooks what is one of the worlds finest large farming regions. These factors ensured that Chicago would become a great city regardless of the disadvantageous characteristics of the available site, such as being prone to flooding during thunderstorm activity.Similarly, it can be argued that much of New York Citys importance stems from its early and continuing advantage of situation. Philadelphia and Boston both originated at about the same time as New York andshared New Yorks location at the western end of one of the worlds most important oceanic trade routes, but only New York possesses aneasy-access functional connection (the Hudson-Mohawk lowland) to the vast Midwestern hinterland. This account does not alone explain New Yorks primacy, but it does include several important factors. Among the many aspects of situation that help to explain why some cities grow and others do not, original location on a navigable waterway seems particularly applicable. Of course, such characteristic as slope, drainage, power resources, river crossings, coastal shapes, and other physical characteristics help to determine city location, but such factors are normally more significant in early stages of city development than later.1. What does the passage mainly discuss?(A) The development of trade routes through United States cities(B) Contrasts in settlement patterns in United States(C) Historical differences among three large United States cities(D) The importance of geographical situation in the growth of United States cities2. The word ingenuity in line 2. is closest in meaning to(A) wealth(B) resourcefulness(C) traditions(D) organization3. The passage suggests that a geographer would consider a citys soil type part of its(A) hinterland(B) situation(C) site(D) function4. According to the passage , a citys situation is more important than its site in regard to thecitys(A) long-term growth and prosperity(B) ability to protect its citizenry(C) possession of favorable weather conditions(D) need to import food supplies5. The author mentions each of the following as an advantage of Chicagos location EXCEPT its(A) hinterland(B) nearness to a large lake(C) position in regard to transport routes(D) flat terrain6. The word characteristics in line 14 is closest in meaning to(A) choices(B) attitudes(C) qualities(D) inhabitants7. The primary purpose of paragraph 1 is to(A) summarize past research and introduce a new study(B) describe a historical period(C) emphasize the advantages of one theory over another(D) define a term and illustrate it with an example8. According to the passage , Philadelphia and Boston are similar to New York City in(A) size of population(B) age(C) site(D) availability of rail transportation9. The word functional in line 20 is closest in meaning to(A) alternate(B) unknown(C) original(D) usable10. The word it in line 21 refers to(A) account(B) primacy(C) connection(D) hinterland11. The word significant in line 26 is closest in meaning to(A) threatening(B) meaningful(C) obvious(D) availablePASSAGE 71 DBCAD CDCDA B托福阅读真题2The Harlem Renaissance, a movement of the 1920s, marked the twentieth centurys first period of intense activity by African Americans in the field of literature, art, and music in the United States. The philosophy of the movement combined realism, ethnic consciousness, and Americanism. Encouraged by the example of certain Americans of European descent such as Thomas Eakins, Robert Henri, and George Luks, who had included persons of African descent in their paintings as serious studies rather than as trivial or sentimental stereotypes, African American artists of this period set about creating a new portrayal of themselves and their lives in the United States. As they began to strive for social and cultural independence. Their attitudes toward themselves changed, and, to some extent, other segments of American society began to change their attitudes toward them. Thus, though the Harlem Renaissance was a short-lived movement, its impact on American art and culture continues to the present.The district in New York City known as Harlem was the capital of the movement. In 1925 an issue of Survey Graphic magazine devoted exclusively to Harlem and edited by philosopher Alain Locke became the manifesto of the African American artistic movement. Locke strongly suggested that individuals, while accepting their Americanism, take pride in their African ancestral arts and urged artists to look to Africa forsubstance and inspiration. Far from advocating a withdrawal from American culture, as did some of his contemporaries, Locke recommended a cultural pluralism through which artists could enrich the culture of America. African Americans were urged by Locke to be collaborators and participators with other Americans in art, literature, and music; and at the same time to preserve, enhance, and promote their own cultural heritage.Artists and intellectuals from many parts of the United States and the Caribbean had been attracted to Harlem by the pulse and beat of its unique and dynamic culture. From this unity created by the convergence of artists from various social and geographical backgrounds came a new spirit, which, particularly in densely populated Harlem, was to result in greater group awareness and self-determination. African American graphic artists took their place beside the poets and writers of the Harlem Renaissance and carried on efforts to increase and promote the visual arts.1. What does the passage mainly discuss?(A) African American paintings in the 1920s(B) An arts movement of the 1920s(C) The influence of Alain Locke on African American art(D) Some ways in which African culture inspired American literature, art and music2. According to the passage , Tomas Eakins, Robert Henri, and George Luks were important because of(A) the philosophical contributions they made to the Harlem Renaissance(B) their development of a new style of African American art(C) they way in which they depicted African Americans in their paintings(D) their independence from European artistic traditions3. The word them in line 11 refers to(A) Americans of European descent(B) paintings(C) African American artists(D) attitudes4. According to the passage , African American artists of the 1920s differed from earlier AfricanAmerican artists in terms of their feelings about(A) themselves(B) other artists(C) their impact on American art(D) stereotypes5. The word urged in line 17 is closest in meaning to(A) prepared(B) defined(C) permitted(D) encouraged6. Alain Locke believed all of the following to be important to the African American artisticmovement EXCEPT(A) pride in African art(B) cultural pluralism(C) collaboration with other artists(D) withdrawal from American culture7. In mentioning the pulse and beat (line 25) of Harlem during the 1920s, the author ischaracterizing the district as one that(A) depended greatly on its interaction with other parts of the city(B) grew economically in a short period of time(C) was an exciting place to be(D) was in danger of losing population8. The word convergence in line 26 is closest in meaning to(A) gathering(B) promotion(C) expression(D) influence9. According to the passage , all of the following were true of Harlem in the 1920s EXCEPT:(A) Some Caribbean artists and intellectuals lived there.(B) It attracted people from various regions of United States.(C) It was one of the most expensive neighborhoods in New York City.(D) It was a unique cultural center.10. The phrase carried on in line 30 is closest in meaning to(A) continued(B) praised(C) transformed(D) connectedPASSAGE 72 BCCAD DCACA托福阅读真题3ffeterd spanning in line 18d- The interrelationship of science, technology, and industry is taken for granted today — summed up, not altogether accurately, as research and development. Yet historically this widespread faith in the economic virtues of science is a relatively recent phenomenon, dating back in the United States about 150 years, and in the Western world as a whole not over 300 years at most. Even in this current era of large scale, intensive research and development, the interrelationships involved in this process are frequently misunderstood. Until the coming of the Industrial Revolution, science and technology evolved for the most part independently of each other. Then as industrialization became increasingly complicated, the craft techniques of preindustrial society gradually gave way to a technology based on the systematic application of scientific knowledge and scientific methods. This changeover started slowly and progressed unevenly. Until late in the nineteenth century, only a few industries could use scientific techniques or cared about using them. The list expanded noticeably after 1870, but even then much of what passed for the application of science was engineering science rather than basic science.Nevertheless, by the middle of the nineteenth century, the rapid expansion of scientific knowledge and of public awareness — if not understanding — of it had created a belief that the advance of science would in some unspecified manner automatically generate economic benefits. The widespread and usually uncritical acceptance of this thesis led in turn to the assumption that the application of science to industrial purposes was a linear process, starting with fundamental science, then proceeding to applied science or technology, and through them to industrial use. This is probably the most common pattern, but it is not invariable. New areas of science have been opened up and fundamental discoveries made as a result of attempts to solve a specific technical or economic problem. Conversely, scientists who mainly do basic research also serve as consultants on projects that apply research in practical ways.In sum, the science-technology-industry relationship may flow in several different ways, and the particular channel it will follow depends on the individual situation. It may at times even be multidirectional.1. What is the authors main purpose in the passage ?(A) To show how technology influenced basic science(B) To describe the scientific base of nineteenth-century American industries(C) To correct misunderstandings about the connections between science, technology, and industry(D) To argue that basic science has no practical application2. The word altogether in line 2 is closest in meaning to(A) completely(B) realistically(C) individually(D) understandably3. The word intensive in line 5 is closest in meaning to(A) decreased(B) concentrated(C) creative(D) advanced4. The list mentioned in line 13 refers to(A) types of scientific knowledge(B) changes brought by technology(C) industries that used scientific techniques(D) applications of engineering science5. The understanding of research and development in the late nineteenth century is based onwhich of the following?(A) Engineering science is not very important.(B) Fundamental science naturally leads to economic benefits.(C) The relationship between research and development should be criticized.(D) Industrial needs should determine what areas fundamental science focuses on.6. The word it in line 16 refers to(A) understanding(B) public awareness(C) scientific knowledge(D) expansion7. The word assumption in line 19 is closest in meaning to(A) regulation(B) belief(C) contract(D) confusion8. Why does the author mention consultants in line 25?(A) To show how new areas of science have given rise to new professions(B) To distinguish between scientists who work in industry and those who do not(C) To explain the ways in which scientists find financial support for their work(D) To show how scientists who work in basic research contribute to applied science9. Which of the following statements does the passage support?(A) The development of science and of industry is now interdependent.(B) Basic scientific research cannot generate practical applications.(C) Industries should spend less money on research and development.(D) Science and technology are becoming more separate.PASSAGE 73 CABCB CBDA托福阅读真题4Glaciers are large masses of ice on land that show evidence of past or present movement. They grow by the gradual transformation of snow into glacier ice.A fresh snowfall is a fluffy mass of loosely packed snowflakes, small delicate ice crystals grown in the atmosphere. As the snow ages on the ground for weeks or months, the crystals shrink and become more compact, and the whole mass becomes squeezed together into a more dense form, granular snow. As new snow falls and buries the older snow, the layers of granular snow further compact to form firm, a much denser kind of snow, usually a year or more old, which has little pore space. Further burial and slow cementation — a process by which crystals become bound together in a mosaic of intergrown ice crystals — finally produce solid glacial ice. In this process of recrystallization, the growth of new crystals at the expense of old ones, the percentage of air is reduced from about 90 percent for snowflakes to less than 20 percent for glacier ice. The whole process may take as little as a few years, but more likely ten or twenty years or longer. The snow is usually many meters deep by the time the lower layers are converted into ice.In cold glaciers those formed in the coldest regions of the Earth, the entire mass of ice is at temperatures below the melting point and no free water exists. In temperate glaciers, the ice is at the melting point at every pressure level within the glacier, and free water is present as small drops or as larger accumulations in tunnels within or beneath the ice.Formation of a glacier is complete when ice has accumulated to a thickness (and thus weight) sufficient to make it move slowly under pressure, in much the same way that solid rock deep within the Earth can change shape without breaking. Once that point is reached, the ice flowsdownhill, either as a tongue of ice filling a valley or as thick ice cap that flows out in directions from the highest central area where the most snow accumulates. The trip down leads to the eventual melting of ice.1. Which of the following does the passage mainly discuss?(A) The effect of glaciers on climate(B) Damage from glaciers(C) Glacier formation(D) The location of glaciers2. Which of the following will cause density within the glacier to increase?(A) Increased water and air content(B) Pressure from the weight of new snow(C) Long periods of darkness and temperature variations(D) Movement of the glacier3. The word bound in line 9 is closest in meaning to(A) covered(B) chosen(D) held4. Which of the following will be lost is a glacier forms?(A) Air(B) Pressure(C) Weight(D) Rocks5. According to the passage , which of the following is the LEAST amount of time necessary forglacial ice to form?(A) several months(B) several years(C) at least fifty years(D) a century6. The word converted in line 15 is closest in meaning to(A) changed(C) promoted(D) dissolved7. What is the purpose of the material in paragraph three?(A) To define two types of glaciers(B) To contrast glacier ice with non-glacier ice(C) To present theories of glacier formation(D) To discuss the similarities between glacial types8. In temperate glaciers, where is water found?(A) Only near the surface(B) In pools of various depths(C) In a thin layer below the firm(D) In tunnels9. The word it in line 21 refers to(A) formation(B) ice(C) thickness(D) weight10. It can be inferred from the last paragraph that a glacier(A) can revert to a fluffy mass(B) maintains the same shape throughout the glacial process(C) is too cold to be thoroughly studied(D) can contribute water to lakes, rivers, or oceansPASSAGE 74 CBDAB AADBD托福阅读原文题目及答案汇总文档内容到此结束，欢迎大家下载、修改、丰富并分享给更多有需要的人。
【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
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. After the 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 ofsolid structures ranging in size from0.01 mm to more than 1.0 mm .Many of thesebodies resembled the reproductive(15)structures of common molds, single-celled animals, and various other microbial cells .As many as 20 to 30 of them were found in fifteen liters of ordinary air ,and they couldnot be distinguished from the organisms found in much larger numbers in putrefying materials .Pasteur concluded that the organisms found in putrefying materials originatedfrom the organized bodies present in the air .He postulated that these bodies are constantly(20)being deposited on all objects.Pasteur showed that if a nutrient solution was sealed in a glass flask and heated toboiling to destroy all the living organisms contaminating it, it never putrefied .The proponents of spontaneous generation declared that fresh air was necessary forspontaneous generation and that the air inside the sealed flask was affected in some way(25)by heating so that it would no longer supportspontaneous generation. Pasteur constructed a swan-necked flask in which putrefying materials could he heated to boiling, but aircould reenter. The bends in the neck prevented microorganisms from getting in the flask..Material sterilized in such a flask did not putrefy.1,What does the passage mainly discuss?(a)Pasteur’s influence on the development of the microscope.(b)The origin of the theory of spontaneous generation .(c)The effects of pasteurization on food.(d)Pasteur’s argument agai nst the theory of spontaneous generation .2,The phrase “teeming with ”in line 2 is closest in meaning to(a)full of(b)developing into(c)resistant to(d)hurt by3,Which of the following questions did the theory of spontaneous generation attempt to answer?(a)What is the origin of the living organisms are seen on some food?(b)How many types of organisms can be found on food?(c)What is the most effective way to prepare living organisms for microscopic examination?(d)How long can food stand before it putrefies?4,The word “resemble” in line 9 is closest in meaning to。
日托福阅读真题
2014年5月24日托福阅读真题智课网整理阅读词汇题：RemarkableWealthy ofDevoidCoincide withDiffusionPropagateSubsequenceInitiateChronological第一篇：背景知识：Sumerian Agriculture and huntingThe Sumerians adopted an agricultural mode of life as by perhaps as early as c. 5000 - 4500 BC the region demonstrated a number of core agricultural techniques, including organized irrigation, large-scale intensive cultivation of land, mono-cropping involving the use of plough agriculture, and the use of an agricultural specialized labour force under bureaucratic control. The necessity to manage temple accounts with this organization led to the development of writing (c. 3500 BC).From the royal tombs of Ur, made of lapis lazuli and shell, shows peacetimeIn the early Sumerian Uruk period, the primitive pictograms suggest that sheep, goats, cattle, and pigs were domesticated. They used oxen as their primary beasts of burden and donkeys or equids as their primary transport animal and "woollen clothing as well as rugs were made from the wool or hair of the animals. ... By the side of the house was an enclosed garden planted with trees and other plants; wheat and probably other cereals were sown in the fields, and the shaduf was already employed for the purpose of irrigation. Plants were also grown in pots or vases."An account of barley rations issued monthly to adults and children written in cuneiform on clay tablet, written in year 4 of King Urukagina, circa 2350 BCThe Sumerians practiced similar irrigation techniques as those used in Egypt. American anthropologist Robert McCormick Adams says that irrigation development was associated with urbanization, and that 89% of the population lived in the cities.Theygrew barley, chickpeas, lentils, wheat, dates, onions, garlic, lettuce, leeks and mustard. Sumerians caught many fish and hunted fowl and gazelle.Sumerian agriculture depended heavily on irrigation. The irrigation was accomplished by the use of shaduf, canals, channels,dykes, weirs, and reservoirs. The frequent violent floods of the Tigris, and less so, of the Euphrates, meant that canals required frequent repair and continual removal of silt, and survey markers and boundary stones needed tobe continually replaced. The government required individuals to work on the canals ina corvee, although the rich were able to exempt themselves.As is known from the "Sumerian Farmer's Almanac", after the flood season and afterthe Spring Equinox and the Akitu or New Year Festival, using the canals, farmers would flood their fields and then drain the water. Next they let oxen stomp the ground and kill weeds. They then dragged the fields with pickaxes. After drying, they plowed, harrowed, and raked the ground three times, and pulverized it with a mattock, before planting seed. Unfortunately the high evaporation rate resulted in a gradual increase in the salinity of the fields. By the Ur III period, farmers had switched from wheat to the moresalt-tolerant barley as their principal crop.Sumerians harvested during the spring in three-person teams consisting of a reaper,a binder, and a sheaf handler. The farmers would use threshing wagons, driven by oxen, to separate the cereal heads from the stalks and then use threshing sleds to disengage the grain. They then winnowed the grain/chaff mixture.Language and writingMain articles: Sumerian language and CuneiformEarly writing tablet recording the allocation of beer, 3100-3000 BCThe most important archaeological discoveries in Sumer are a large numberof tablets written in cuneiform. Sumerian writing is the oldest example of writing on earth. Although pictures - that is, hieroglyphs - were first used, symbols were later made to represent syllables. Triangular or wedge-shaped reeds were used to write on moist clay. A large body of hundreds of thousands of texts in the Sumerian language have survived, such as personal or business letters, receipts, lexical lists, laws, hymns, prayers, stories, daily records, and even libraries full of clay tablets. Monumental inscriptions and texts on different objects like statues or bricks are also very common. Many texts survive inmultiple copies because they were repeatedly transcribed by scribes-in-training. Sumerian continued to be the language of religion and law in Mesopotamia long after Semitic speakers had become dominant.The Sumerian language is generally regarded as a language isolate in linguistics because it belongs to no known language family; Akkadian, by contrast, belongs to the Semitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic languages. There have been many failed attempts to connect Sumerian to other language groups. It is an agglutinative language; in otherwords, morphemes ("units of meaning") are added together to create words,unlike analytic languages where morphemes are purely added together to create sentences.Understanding Sumerian texts today can be problematic even for experts. Most difficult are the earliest texts, which in many cases do not give the full grammatical structure of the language.During the 3rd millennium BC a cultural symbiosis developed between the Sumerians and the Akkadians, which included widespread bilingualism. The influences between Sumerian on Akkadian are evident in all areas including lexical borrowing on a massive scale--and syntactic, morphological, and phonological convergence. This mutual influence has prompted scholars to refer to Sumerian and Akkadian of the 3rd millennium BC asa sprachbund.Akkadian gradually replaced Sumerian as a spoken language somewhere around the turn of the 3rd and the 2nd millennium BC, but Sumerian continued to be used as a sacred, ceremonial, literary, and scientific language in Babylonia and Assyria until the 1st century AD.第二篇：解析：在恐龙绝灭假说中，小行星撞击说最为流行。
托福阅读真题第6套
第6套Sumerian Contributions（17年3月4日考过）Paragraph1：Before about4500B.C.,lower Mesopotamia,the region between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers just north of the Persian Gulf,was much less densely populated than other inhabited regions of the Near and Middle East.Its marshy soil, subject to annual inundations floods from the rivers,was not suited to the primitive hoe culture of early agriculture,in which land was cultivated without domestic animals or beasts.Moreover,the land was virtually treeless and lacked building stone and mineral resources.During the next thousand years,however,this(unpromising) area became the seat of Sumer,the first great civilization known to history,with large concentrations of people,bustling cities,monumental architecture,and(a wealth of) religious,artistic,and literary traditions that influenced other ancient civilizations for thousands of years.The exact sequence of events that led to this culmination is unknown,but it is clear that the economic basis of this first civilization lay in its highly productive agriculture.1..The word unpromising in the passage is closest in meaning to○unfavorable○underdeveloped○distant○expansive2..The phrase a wealth of in the passage is closest in meaning to○a strong competition among○a valuable source of○a deep respect for○an abundance of3..According to paragraph1,which of the following was NOT true of lower Mesopotamia before4500B.C.○It was flooded every year by rivers.○Its soil was unsuitable for Stone Age hoe culture agriculture.○It was comparatively dense in population.○It had few trees.Paragraph2：The natural fertility of the rich black soil was renewed annually by the silt left from the spring floods of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.Harnessing its full productive power,however,required an elaborate system of drainage and irrigation, which in turn required a large and well-disciplined workforce as well as skilled management and supervision.The latter were supplied by a class of priests and warriors who ruled a large population of peasants and artisans.Through taxation and other means the rulers extracted wealth from the population and then used it toconstruct temples and other public buildings and to create works of art.That gave them or some of them the leisure to perfect the other refinements of civilization. 4..According to paragraph2,which of the following was true of the soil in lower Mesopotamia○It was relatively unfertile until humans added other,richer types of soil to it.○It reached full productivity only when elaborate drainage and irrigation systems were added.○Its most valuable nutrients were washed away by the spring floods of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.○Its silt was removed by a large,well-disciplined workforce.5..According to paragraph2,which of the following was true of priests and warriors in Sumerian society○Their technical expertise was essential in the development of new irrigation and drainage systems.○They encouraged peasants and artisans to perfect the refinements of civilization.○They were responsible for managing and supervising the workforce.○They alone paid the taxes that funded the construction of temples. Paragraph3：The rise of civilization brought with it a far more complex division of labor and system of economic organization.█Full-time artisans specialized in the manufacture of textiles and pottery,metalworking,and other crafts.█The professions of architecture,engineering,and medicine,among others,were born.█Weights and measures were systematized,mathematics was invented,and primitive forms of science emerged.█Since Sumer was virtually(devoid of)natural resources other than its rich soil,it traded with other people,thereby contributing to the(diffusion)of Sumerian civilization.The scarcity of stone,for tools as well as for buildings, probably hastened the adoption of copper and bronze.Copper,at least,was already known before the rise of Sumerian civilization,but lack of demand for it among the Stone Age peasant villages inhibited its widespread use.【In Sumerian cities,on the other hand,stone imported by sea through the Persian Gulf from Oman and downriver from the mountains of Anatolia and the Caucasus had to compete with imported copper,and the latter proved more economical and effective for a variety of uses.】Thereafter metallurgy,the technology of separating metals from their ores and purifying them,was regarded as one of the hallmarks of civilization.6..The phrase devoid of in the passage is closest in meaning to○using up○looking for○lacking in○uninterested in7..The word diffusion in the passage is closest in meaning to○stability○spread○prosperity○productivity8..Which of the following is mentioned in paragraph3as an effect of Sumerian trade ○The spread of Sumerian civilization to people outside Sumer○The discovery of copper○A rise in the price of textiles,pottery,and other goods sold within Sumer○An increase in the scarcity of stone within Sumer9..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.○Sumerian cities developed a trade in copper and stone that extended as far as Oman in the Persian Gulf and the mountains of Anatolia and the Caucasus.○Sumerian cities competed with traders elsewhere to produce copper that was more economical and useful than stone.○In Sumerian cities,imported copper often proved more economical and useful than imported stone.○The copper and stone imported from Oman,Anatolia,and the Caucasus proved more economical and effective than the copper and stone found in Sumerian cities.Paragraph4：Sumer's greatest contribution to subsequent civilizations,the invention of writing,likewise grew out of economic necessity.The early citiesEridu,Ur,Uruk, and Lagashwere temple cities:both economic and religious organizations centered on the temple of the local patron deity,represented by a priestly hierarchy.Members of the hierarchy directed the construction and maintenance of irrigation and drainage systems;oversaw agricultural activities;and supervised the collection of produce as taxation or tribute money or other wealth given as a sign of submission or in return for protection.The need to keep records of the sources and uses of this tribute led to the use of simple pictographs on clay tablets sometime before3000B.C.By about2800 B.C.the pictographs had been stylized into the system of writing known as cuneiform using wedge-shaped marks on clay,a distinctive characteristic of Mesopotamian civilization.It is one of the few examples in history of a significant innovation issuing from a bureaucratic organization.10..In paragraph4,why does the author point out that the economic and religious organizations of early Sumerian cities centered on local temples○To identify the bureaucratic needs that led to the development of writing○To identity factors responsible for the significant influence of Sumerian writing on subsequent civilizations○To explain why few examples of significant innovations have issued from a bureaucratic organization○To explain why the use of simple pictographs eventually became stylized into the system of writing known as cuneiform11..Paragraph4implies all the following about cuneiform EXCEPT:○It arose after3000B.C.○It involved stylized pictographs.○It was designed to further the purposes of the priestly bureaucracy.○It was developed outside of the early temple cities.Paragraph5：Although writing originated in response to the need for administrative bookkeeping,it soon found multiple religious,literary,and economic uses.In a later phase of development,after the strict temple-centered organization of the economy had given way to greater freedom of enterprise,clay tablets were used for recording the details of contracts,debts,and other commercial and financial transactions. 12..According to paragraph5,which of the following was true of Sumerian writing during the period of greater freedom of enterprise○Knowledge of it was limited to the temple-centered administration.○It was used for purposes beyond those for which it was first created.○It was used primarily to help keep the traditional leadership in power.○It led to further technological developments by2800B.C.13..Look at the four squares that indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage.For example,the Sumerians learned to use the position of the stars and planets to predict weather and for traveling at night.Where would the sentence best fit Click on a square to add the sentence to the passage.Paragraph3：The rise of civilization brought with it a far more complex division of labor and system of economic organization.█Full-time artisans specialized in the manufacture of textiles and pottery,metalworking,and other crafts.█The professions of architecture,engineering,and medicine,among others,were born.█Weights and measures were systematized,mathematics was invented,and primitive forms of science emerged.█Since Sumer was virtually(devoid of)natural resources other than its rich soil,it traded with other people,thereby contributing to the(diffusion)of Sumerian civilization.The scarcity of stone,for tools as well as for buildings, probably hastened the adoption of copper and bronze.Copper,at least,was already known before the rise of Sumerian civilization,but lack of demand for it among the Stone Age peasant villages inhibited its widespread use.【In Sumerian cities,on the other hand,stone imported by sea through the Persian Gulf from Oman and downriver from the mountains of Anatolia and the Caucasus had to compete with imported copper,and the latter proved more economical and effective for a variety of uses.】Thereafter metallurgy,the technology of separating metals from their ores and purifying them,was regarded as one of the hallmarks of civilization.14..Drag your choices to the spaces where they belong.To review the passage,click on View Text.Answer Choices○Originally,Sumerians cultivated the lower Mesopotamia region using primitive hoes and domesticated animals.○The flooding of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers caused peasants to look to religion for explanations,resulting in the development of a large class of priests.○Priests and warriors managed and supervised the workforce that operated the elaborate drainage and irrigation system required to maximize agricultural production.○The emergence of new professions,sciences,and techniques and the development of trade resulting from Sumer's lack of natural resources led to a complex labor and economic system.○The need on the part of the priestly hierarchy to keep track of who had paid taxes and tribute and how those were spent resulted in the invention of writing.○As writing became more complex,priests increasingly put ordinary people in charge of running day-to-day operations within the Sumer economy.The Cambrian Explosion（16年11月5日和17年5月13日考过）Paragraph1：The earliest fossil evidence for eukaryotes complex organisms whose cells contain a distinct nucleus dates to only about1.2billion years ago.The fossil record suggests that animal evolution progressed slowly,with relatively little change seen between fossils from1.2billion years ago and those from a half-billion years later.But then something quite dramatic happened as can be judged by the many different animal groups that suddenly appear in the fossil record.1..Paragraph1implies which of the following about evolutionary change○Eukaryotes have a very slow rate of evolution.○The fossil record of evolutionary change is incomplete for the first half-billion years of animal evolution.○Evolution has not always proceeded at the same rate.○Evolutionary rates of change in animals were slowing down considerably before a dramatic reversal happened1.2billion years ago.Paragraph2：Biologists classify animals according to their basic body plans.For example,the basic body plan shared by mammals and reptiles is fundamentally different from that of insects.Animals are grouped by body plan into what biologists call phyla.Mammals and reptiles both belong to the single phylum Chordata,which includes animals with internal skeletons.Insects,crabs,and spiders belong to the phylum Arthropoda,which contains animals with body features such as jointed legs, an external skeleton,and segmented bodies.Classifying animals into phyla is an (ongoing)project for biologists,but modern animals appear to comprise about30 different phyla,each representing a different body plan.2..The word ongoing in the passage is closest in meaning to○uncertain○full-time○important○continuing3..In paragraph2,why does the author provide the information that Arthropoda represents animals with features like jointed legs,an external skeleton,and segmented body parts○To indicate basic physical differences among insects,crabs,and spiders○To illustrate the types of physical characteristics considered when classifying animals○To show the complexity of features that have evolved in organisms○To demonstrate that some phyla include a wider range of body plans than others doParagraph3：Remarkably,nearly all of these different body plans,plus a few others that have gone extinct,make their first known appearance in the geological record during a period spanning only about40million years less than about1percent of Earth's history.This remarkable flowering of animal diversity appears to have begun about545million years ago,which(corresponds to)the start of the Cambrian period. Hence it is called the Cambrian explosion.4..The phrase corresponds to in the passage is closest in meaning to○causes○occurs before○differs from○matchesParagraph4：The fact that the Cambrian explosion marks the only major diversification of body plans in the geological record presents us with two important and related questions:Why,so long after the origin of eukaryotes,did the pace of evolution suddenly accelerate dramatically at the beginning of the Cambrian,and why hasn't there been another period of similarly explosive diversification since then？5..According to paragraphs3and4,what was remarkable about the Cambrian explosion○That the evolution of species occurred so soon after the first eukaryotes appeared ○That most of the known animal types appeared in a relatively short period in history○That many of the animal types that appeared in the period have survived until today○That the pace of evolution slowed before it accelerated6..The function of the two questions in paragraph4is to○recognize two common questions that cannot be addressed within the passage○present the two different points of view contrasted in the passage○provide important objections to the central idea of the passage○indicate two important questions that will be explored in the passageParagraph5：We can identify at least four factors that might have contributed to the Cambrian explosion.First,the oxygen level in our atmosphere may have remained well below its present level until about the time of the Cambrian explosion.Thus,the rapid diversification in animal life may have occurred at least in part because oxygen reached a critical level for the survival of larger and more energy-intensive life forms.7..Paragraph5implies which of the following about oxygen○It was not essential for the life forms that appeared before the Cambrian period.○It has remained at relatively the same level since the beginning of the fossil record.○Its changes in levels are associated with animal extinctions.○Its levels before the Cambrian period were too low for large animals to survive. Paragraph6：A second factor that may have been important was the evolution of genetic(complexity).As eukaryotes evolved,they developed more and more genetic variation in their DNA.Some scientists believe that the Cambrian explosion marks the point at which organisms developed certain kinds of genes homeobox genes that control body form and that could be combined in different ways,(allowing)the evolution of a great diversity of forms over time.8..The word complexity in the passage is closest in meaning to○sophistication○adaptation○improvement○variation9..The word allowing in the passage is closest in meaning to○resulting in○making possible○preceding○spreadingParagraph7：A third factor may have been climate change.Geological evidence points to a series of episodes in which Earth froze over before the Cambrian began.The extreme climate conditions of these episodes eliminated many species,leaving a wide array of ecological niches available into which new species could rapidly evolve when climate conditions eased at the beginning of the Cambrian.10..According to paragraph7,all of the following occurred before the Cambrian began EXCEPT:○Almost all of Earth froze over.○New ecological niches were filled by new species.○A series of extreme climate episodes occurred.○Many species became extinct.Paragraph8：A fourth factor may have been the absence of efficient predators.【Early predatory animals were probably not very sophisticated,so some evolving animals that later might have been eliminated by predation were given a chance to survive, making the beginning of the Cambrian period a window of opportunity for many different adaptations to establish themselves in the environment.】11..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.○Predators at the beginning of the Cambrian period had to become more sophisticated in order to survive in environments with newly adapted animals.○New adaptations had an opportunity to survive at the beginning of the Cambrian period because early predators were not yet sophisticated enough to eliminate the animals with these adaptations.○Early predatory animals lacked sophisticated adaptations because they did not develop them during a window of opportunity in the early Cambrian period.○Early predators had an opportunity at the beginning of the Cambrian period to remove new adaptations before they established themselves in the environment. Paragraph9：This last idea may partly explain why no similar explosion of diversity has taken place since the Cambrian:once predators were efficient and widespread,it may have been virtually impossible for animals with entirely new body forms to find an environmental niche in which they could escape predation.█Or it may be that while more body plans may have been possible at some early point in evolution,it was not possible to evolve into those other body plans from the body plans that evolved in the Cambrian.█Or perhaps the various body forms that arose during the Cambrian explosion represent the full range of forms possible given the basic genetic resources that characterize all Earth's organisms.█In any case,no fundamentally new body forms have emerged since the Cambrian explosion.█12..Paragraph9suggests all of the following possible explanations for the uniqueness of the Cambrian explosion EXCEPT○the inability of later animals to evolve body plans different from those that appeared during the Cambrian period○the post-Cambrian appearance of efficient predators occupying nearly every environmental niche○the decline in the number of habitats having sufficient resources to support the rapid evolution of new species○the limited range of genetically possible body types13..Look at the four squares that indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage.After all,evolution of body structure can act only on the structure that already exists. Where would the sentence best fit Click on a square to add the sentence to the passage.Paragraph9：This last idea may partly explain why no similar explosion of diversity has taken place since the Cambrian:once predators were efficient and widespread,it may have been virtually impossible for animals with entirely new body forms to find an environmental niche in which they could escape predation.█Or it may be that while more body plans may have been possible at some early point in evolution,it was not possible to evolve into those other body plans from the body plans that evolved in the Cambrian.█Or perhaps the various body forms that arose during the Cambrian explosion represent the full range of forms possible given the basic genetic resources that characterize all Earth's organisms.█In any case,no fundamentally new body forms have emerged since the Cambrian explosion.█14..Drag your choices to the spaces where they belong.To review the passage,click on View Text.Answer Choices○Biologists want to find out why the rapid diversification of body forms did not happen soon after the appearance of eukaryotes around1.2billion years ago.○Biologists classify animals according to their body plans into phyla such as Chordata,animals with a backbone,and Arthropoda,animals with segmented exoskeletons.○The Cambrian explosion was a unique episode in the history of evolution that produced nearly all of the30or so animal body plans that have ever been seen.○The Cambrian explosion may have been aided by genes that could yield a variety of body forms and the inability of early predators to eliminate the new forms.○Once predators became efficient after the Cambrian explosion,they were able to eliminate any animals that began to evolve a new body plan.○At the beginning of the Cambrian,an increase in oxygen needed for animal growth and the return of a hospitable climate may have contributed to the Cambrian explosion.Weak Electric Systems in Fish（16年9月19日考过）Paragraph1：Some blind elephantnose fish produce weak electric signals that are used for detecting objects in their surroundings a phenomenon called active electrolocation. These fish have specialized electric organs that discharge either in pulses or in awave-like fashion,depending on the species.【Although discharges follow one another almost continuously throughout the life of the fish,their power level is much too low to be detected by human handlers but potent enough to create a stable electric field around the body of the fish.】When an object enters into this electric field,it causes(distortions)in the current that are detected by electroreceptor organs distributed over the fish's skin.1..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.○Throughout the life of the fish,its electric discharges vary in power from undetectable to fairly potent.○Nearly continuous discharges undetectable by humans create a stable,low-level electric field around the body of the fish.○Human handlers cannot feel the electric discharges because the discharges are at such low power levels.○The discharges are so weak that they would have to be fired almost continuously to create a detectable electric field.2..The word distortions in the passage is closest in meaning to○decreases○signals○concentrations○irregularitiesParagraph2：A weak electric system may have several uses,including the exploration of novel environments.For example,blind elephantnose fish can easily find the only opening that allows them to cross through a newly installed partition within their aquarium,even though they cannot see it with their eyes.Their electric sense must be implicated because when these individuals become electrically silent unable to use their electric system through denervation of their electric organs,they can no longer find the opening.3..Paragraph2describes an experiment with elephantnose fish that were electrically silent and therefore unable to○distinguish between new and familiar objects in their aquarium○swim around the partition in their aquarium○find their way through a hole in a barrier○see with their eyesParagraph3：During the1970s,biologists became interested in the role of the weak electric system not only as a means of electrolocation but also as a means of electrical communication between individual munication is possible because the rateand waveform of the electric discharges can vary between species,between sexes, between individuals,or even between situations in the same individual.Moreover, some fish can(temporarily)interrupt their normally continuous train of discharges, and these pauses can be full of meaning.The effective range of communication by electric signals can reach a little over1meter depending on water resistance.4..All of the following are mentioned in paragraph3as components of communication in electric fish EXCEPT○the rate of electric discharges○the direction in which discharges travel○the waveform of electric discharges○pauses between electric discharges5..The word temporarily in the passage is closest in meaning to○deliberately○suddenly○partially○brieflyParagraph4：In terms of functions,electric communication is strikingly similar to acoustical vocalization(vocal sounds).Some of these functions are concerned with reproductive activity.In some species,males switch to new electric calls during courtship,resuming their regular programming only after the mating season is over.In species in which each sex has its own distinctive pattern of discharges,females are attracted to the pattern of males,and males to the pattern of females.Females can even be induced to release their eggs in the vicinity of electrodes that imitate a male signal¨the spark of love.As expected,through natural selection,both males and females prefer the electric pattern of their own species to that of other species. 6..The author provides the information that Females can even be induced to release their eggs in the vicinity of electrodes that imitate a male signal in order to○emphasize the importance of electric signals in some fish mating behavior○argue that many fish are not very particular when choosing a mate○show that electric signals alone do not provide adequate information for mate selection○imply that identifying a potential mate by its electric signal is more difficult than it might seemParagraph5：Other functions relate to aggression.Aggressive individuals often precede their attacks with an increase in discharge rate,whereas submissive fish may stop emitting altogether.This submissive behavior seems to work.Researchers have found that individuals rendered electrically silent through denervation of their electric organs are seldom attacked by dominant fish.Finally,individual recognition can alsobe based on electric signatures.In banded knifefish,territory neighbors recognize each other through individually distinctive discharge waveforms.7..All of the following are mentioned in paragraphs4and5as ways fish communicate using discharge patterns EXCEPT:○Some fish increase their rate of discharge right before they attack.○Some fish reproduce the electric pattern of another species to hide from a predator.○Some male fish switch to a different electric call during mating season.○Some fish temporarily stop discharging as a sign of submission.8..In saying that Aggressive individuals often precede their attacks with an increase in discharge rate the author means that○aggressive individuals often prepare for their attacks by increasing the discharge rate○aggressive individuals often intensify their attacks by increasing the discharge rate○attacks by aggressive individuals often increase when there is an increase in the discharge rate○an increase in the discharge rate often occurs before aggressive individuals attack9..According to paragraph5,becoming electrically silent can affect a fish by○causing it to become more aggressive○making it a more frequent target of attacks○damaging its organs for sending electric signals○making it less likely to be attacked by dominant fishParagraph6：The fact that weak electric fish can use their electric sense to communicate with one another leads to an interesting question:How can a fish distinguish between its own electric bursts and those from another fish In blind elephantnose fish,the problem is solved by the presence of two types of electroreceptors.One of these two types is automatically and briefly shut down each time the fish discharges.Therefore,any signal picked up by these electroreceptors has to come from another animal.Elephantnose fish also have the habit of echoing the discharges of other individuals.They discharge their own electric organ a fixed time after sensing the electric signal of another fish.This response time is extremely short approximately12milliseconds probably the most rapid form of communication in the animal kingdom.10..According to paragraph6,one of the types of electroreceptors of the elephantnose fish shuts down at times in order to○avoid confusing its own signals with those of other fish○prevent the receptor from becoming damaged○distinguish between signals of short and long duration。
托福TPO3阅读真题原文题目及答案Part2
托福TPO3阅读真题原文题目及答案Part2托福TPO作为托福的模考工具，它的题目对于我们备考托福很有参考价值，为了帮助大家备考，下面小编给大家整理了托福TPO3阅读真题及答案Part2，望喜欢！托福TPO3阅读真题原文Part2Depletion of the Ogallala AquiferThe vast grasslands of the High Plains in the central United States were settled by farmers and ranchers in the 1880s. This region has a semiarid climate, and for 50 years after its settlement, it supported a low-intensity agricultural economy of cattle ranching and wheat farming. In the early twentieth century, however, it was discovered that much of the High Plains was underlain by a huge aquifer (a rock layer containing large quantities of groundwater). This aquifer was named the Ogallala aquifer after the Ogallala Sioux Indians, who once inhabited the region.The Ogallala aquifer is a sandstone formation that underlies some 583,000 square kilometers of land extending from northwestern Texas to southern South Dakota. Water from rains and melting snows has been accumulating in the Ogallala for the past 30,000 years. Estimates indicate that the aquifer contains enough water to fill Lake Huron, but unfortunately, under the semiarid climatic conditions that presently exist in the region, rates of addition to the aquifer are minimal, amounting to about half a centimeter a year.The first wells were drilled into the Ogallala during the drought years of the early 1930s. The ensuing rapid expansion of irrigation agriculture, especially from the 1950s onward, transformed the economy of the region. More than 100,000 wellsnow tap the Ogallala. Modern irrigation devices, each capable of spraying 4.5 million liters of water a day, have produced a landscape dominated by geometric patterns of circular green islands of crops. Ogallala water has enabled the High Plains region to supply significant amounts of the cotton, sorghum, wheat, and corn grown in the United States. In addition, 40 percent of American grain-fed beef cattle are fattened here.This unprecedented development of a finite groundwater resource with an almost negligible natural recharge rate-that is, virtually no natural water source to replenish the water supply-has caused water tables in the region to fall drastically. In the 1930s, wells encountered plentiful water at a depth of about 15 meters; currently, they must be dug to depths of 45 to 60 meters or more. In places, the water table is declining at a rate of a meter a year, necessitating the periodic deepening of wells and the use of ever-more-powerful pumps. It is estimated that at current withdrawal rates, much of the aquifer will run dry within 40 years. The situation is most critical in Texas, where the climate is driest, the greatest amount of water is being pumped, and the aquifer contains the least water. It is projected that the remaining Ogallala water will, by the year 2030, support only 35 to 40 percent of the irrigated acreage in Texas that is supported in 1980.The reaction of farmers to the inevitable depletion of the Ogallala varies. Many have been attempting to conserve water by irrigating less frequently or by switching to crops that require less water. Others, however, have adopted the philosophy that it is best to use the water while it is still economically profitable to do so and to concentrate on high-value crops such as cotton. The incentive of the farmers who wish to conserve water is reduced by their knowledge that many of their neighbors are profiting byusing great amounts of water, and in the process are drawing down the entire region's water supplies.In the face of the upcoming water supply crisis, a number of grandiose schemes have been developed to transport vast quantities of water by canal or pipeline from the Mississippi, the Missouri, or the Arkansas rivers.Unfortunately, the cost of water obtained through any of these schemes would increase pumping costs at least tenfold, making the cost of irrigated agricultural products from the region uncompetitive on the national and international markets. Somewhat more promising have been recent experiments for releasing capillary water (water in the soil) above the water table by injecting compressed air into the ground. Even if this process proves successful, however, it would almost triple water costs. Genetic engineering also may provide a partial solution, as new strains of drought-resistant crops continue to be developed. Whatever the final answer to the water crisis may be, it is evident that within the High Plains, irrigation water will never again be the abundant, inexpensive resource it was during the agricultural boom years of the mid-twentieth century.Paragraph 1: The vast grasslands of the High Plains in the central United States were settled by farmers and ranchers in the 1880s. This region has a semiarid climate, and for 50 years after its settlement, it supported a low-intensity agricultural economy of cattle ranching and wheat farming. In the early twentieth century, however, it was discovered that much of the High Plains was underlain by a huge aquifer (a rock layer containing large quantities of groundwater). This aquifer was named the Ogallala aquifer after the Ogallala Sioux Indians, who once inhabited the region.托福TPO3阅读真题题目Part21.According to paragraph 1, which of the following statements about the High Plains is true?○Until farmers and rancher s settled there in the 1880s, the High Plains had never been inhabited.○The climate of the High Plains is characterized by higher-than-average temperatures.○The large aquifer that lies underneath the High Plains was discovered by the Ogallala Sioux Indians.○Before the early 1900s there was only a small amount of farming and ranching in the High Plains.Paragraph 2: The Ogallala aquifer is a sandstone formation that underlies some 583,000 square kilometers of land extending from northwestern Texas to southern South Dakota. Water from rains and melting snows has been accumulating in the Ogallala for the past 30,000 years. Estimates indicate that the aquifer contains enough water to fill Lake Huron, but unfortunately, under the semiarid climatic conditions that presently exist in the region, rates of addition to the aquifer are minimal, amounting to about half a centimeter a year.2. According to paragraph 2, all of the following statements about the Ogallala aquifer are true EXCEPT:○The aquifer stretches from South Dakota to Texas.○The aquifer's water comes from underground springs.○Water has been gatheri ng in the aquifer for 30,000 years.○The aquifer's water is stored in a layer of sandstone.3. 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.○Despite the current impressive size of the Ogallala aquifer, the region's climate keeps the rates of water addition very small.○Although the aquifer has been adding water at the rate of only half a centimeter a year, it will eventually accumulate enough water of fill Lake Huron.○Because of the region's present climatic conditions, water is being added each year to the aquifer.○Even when the region experiences unfortunate climatic conditions, the rates of addition of water continue to increase.Paragraph 3: The first wells were drilled into the Ogallala during the drought years of the early 1930s. The ensuing rapid expansion of irrigation agriculture, especially from the 1950s onward, transformed the economy of the region. More than 100,000 wells now tap the Ogallala. Modern irrigation devices, each capable of spraying 4.5 million liters of water a day, have produced a landscape dominated by geometric patterns of circular green islands of crops. Ogallala water has enabled the High Plains region to supply significant amounts of the cotton, sorghum, wheat, and corn grown in the United States. In addition, 40 percent of American grain-fed beef cattle are fattened here.4. The word "ensuing" in the passage is closest in meaning to○continuing○surprising○initial○subsequent5. In paragraph 3, why does the author provide the information that 40 percent of American cattle are fattened in the High Plains?○To suggest that crop cultivation is not the most importantpart of the economy of the High Plains○To indicate that not all economic activity in the High Plains is dependent on irrigation○To provide another example of how water from the Ogallala has transformed the economy of the High Plains○To contrast cattle-fattening practices in the High Plains with those used in other region of the United StatesParagraph 4: This unprecedented development of a finite groundwater resource with an almost negligible natural recharge rate-that is, virtually no natural water source to replenish the water supply-has caused water tables in the region to fall drastically. In the 1930s, wells encountered plentiful water at a depth of about 15 meters; currently, they must be dug to depths of 45 to 60 meters or more. In places, the water table is declining at a rate of a meter a year, necessitating the periodic deepening of wells and the use of ever-more-powerful pumps. It is estimated that at current withdrawal rates, much of the aquifer will run dry within 40 years. The situation is most critical in Texas, where the climate is driest, the greatest amount of water is being pumped, and the aquifer contains the least water. It is projected that the remaining Ogallala water will, by the year 2030, support only 35 to 40 percent of the irrigated acreage in Texas that is supported in 1980.6. The word "unprecedented" in the passage is closest in meaning to○difficult to control○without any restriction○unlike anything in the past○rapidly expanding7. The word "virtually" in the passage is closest in meaningto○clearly○perhaps○frequently○almost8. According to paragraph 4, all of following are consequences of the heavy use of the Ogallala aquifer for irrigation EXCEPT:○The recharge rate of the aquifer is decreasing.○Water tables in the region are becoming increasingly lower.○Wells now have to be dug to much greater depths than before.○Increasingly powerful pumps are needed to draw water from the aquifer.9. According to paragraph 4, compared with all other states that use Ogallala water for irrigation, Texas○has the greatest amount of farmland being irrigated with Ogallala water○contains the largest amount of Ogallala water underneath the soil○is expected to face the worst water supply crisis as the Ogallala runs dry○uses the least amount of Ogallala water for its irrigation needsParagraph 5: The reaction of farmers to the inevitable depletion of the Ogallala varies. Many have been attempting to conserve water by irrigating less frequently or by switching to crops that require less water. Others, however, have adopted the philosophy that it is best to use the water while it is still economically profitable to do so and to concentrate on high-value crops such as cotton. The incentive of the farmers who wish to conserve water is reduced by their knowledge that many of their neighbors are profiting by using great amounts of water, and in the process are drawing down the entire region's water supplies.10. The word "inevitable" in the passage is closest in meaning to○unfortunate○predictable○u navoidable○final11. Paragraph 5 mentions which of the following as a source of difficulty for some farmers who try to conserve water?○Crops that do not need much water are difficult to grow in the High Plains.○Farmers who grow crops that need a lot of water make higher profits.○Irrigating less frequently often leads to crop failure.○Few farmers are convinced that the aquifer will eventually run dry.Paragraph 6: In the face of the upcoming water supply crisis, a number of grandiose schemes have been developed to transport vast quantities of water by canal or pipeline from the Mississippi, the Missouri, or the Arkansas rivers. Unfortunately, the cost of water obtained through any of these schemes would increase pumping costs at least tenfold, making the cost of irrigated agricultural products from the region uncompetitive on the national and international markets. Somewhat more promising have been recent experiments for releasing capillary water (water in the soil) above the water table by injectingcompressed air into the ground. Even if this process proves successful, however, it would almost triple water costs. Genetic engineering also may provide a partial solution, as new strains of drought-resistant crops continue to be developed. Whatever the final answer to the water crisis may be, it is evident that within the High Plains, irrigation water will never again be the abundant, inexpensive resource it was during the agricultural boom years of the mid-twentieth century.12.According to paragraph 6, what is the main disadvantage of the proposed plans to transport river water to the High Plains?○The rivers cannot supply sufficient water for the farmer's needs.○Increased irrigation costs would make the products too expensive.○The costs of using capillar y water for irrigation will increase.○Farmers will be forced to switch to genetically engineered crops.Paragraph 5: The reaction of farmers to the inevitable depletion of the Ogallala varies. Many have been attempting to conserve water by irrigating less frequently or by switching to crops that require less water. █Others, however, have adopted the philosophy that it is best to use the water while it is still economically profitable to do so and to concentrate on high-value crops such as cotton. █The ince ntive of the farmers who wish to conserve water is reduced by their knowledge that many of their neighbors are profiting by using great amounts of water, and in the process are drawing down the entire region's water supplies. █Paragraph 6: In the face of the upcoming water supply crisis, a number of grandiose schemes have been developed totransport vast quantities of water by canal or pipeline from the Mississippi, the Missouri, or the Arkansas rivers. █Unfortunately, the cost of water obtained through any of these schemes would increase pumping costs at least tenfold, making the cost of irrigated agricultural products from the region uncompetitive on the national and international markets. Somewhat more promising have been recent experiments for releasing capillary water (water in the soil) above the water table by injecting compressed air into the ground. Even if this process proves successful, however, it would almost triple water costs. Genetic engineering also may provide a partial solution, as new strains of drought-resistant crops continue to be developed. Whatever the final answer to the water crisis may be, it is evident that within the High Plains, irrigation water will never again be the abundant, inexpensive resource it was during the agricultural boom years of the mid-twentieth century.13.Look at the four squares [█] that indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passageBut even if uncooperative farmers were to join in the conservation efforts, this would only delay the depletion of the aquifer.Where would the sentence best fit? Click on a square to add the sentence to the passage.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 Ogallala aquifer is a large underground source of water in the High Plains region of the United States.●●●Answer choices○The use of the Ogallala for irrigation has allowed the High Plains to become one of the most productive agricultural regions in the United States.○Given the aquifer's low recharge rate, its use for irrigation is causing water tables to drop and will eventually lead to its depletion.○Releasing capillary water and introducing drought-resistant crops are less-promising solutions to the water supply crisis than bringing in river water○The periodic deepening of wells and the use of more-powerful pumps would help increase the natural recharge rate of the Ogallala.○In Texas, a great deal of attention is being paid to genetic engineering because it is there that the most critical situation exists.○Several solutions to the upcoming water supply crisis have been proposed, but none of them promises to keep the costs of irrigation low.托福TPO3阅读真题答案Part2参考答案：1. ○42. ○23. ○14. ○45. ○36. ○37. ○48. ○19. ○310. ○311. ○212. ○213. ○314. The use of the Ogallala for…Given the aquifer's low recharge…Several solutions to the upcoming…托福TPO3阅读翻译Part2奥加拉拉蓄水层的枯竭19世纪80年代，在美国中部北美大平原的广阔草原上定居着农场主们和牧场主们。
托福笔试题目及答案
托福笔试题目及答案
1. 阅读部分
阅读材料一：
[文章摘要或内容省略]
问题1：文章主要讨论了什么？
答案1：文章主要讨论了[具体内容]。
问题2：作者提出的主要观点是什么？
答案2：作者提出的主要观点是[具体观点]。
2. 听力部分
听力材料一：
[对话或讲座内容省略]
问题3：对话中提到的主要事件是什么？
答案3：对话中提到的主要事件是[具体事件]。
问题4：讲座中教授强调了什么？
答案4：讲座中教授强调了[具体内容]。
3. 口语部分
口语任务一：
[任务描述省略]
问题5：请描述你的答案。
答案5：[考生回答示例]。
口语任务二：
[任务描述省略]
问题6：请描述你的答案。
答案6：[考生回答示例]。
4. 写作部分
写作任务一：
[任务描述省略]
问题7：请提供你的答案。
答案7：[考生写作示例]。
写作任务二：
[任务描述省略]
问题8：请提供你的答案。
答案8：[考生写作示例]。
请注意，以上内容仅为示例，实际的托福笔试题目及答案会根据考试内容有所不同。
托福阅读真题Sumeriancontribution练习与答案
washed away by the spring floods of thaen d warriors who ruled a large
Tigris and Euphrates rivers.
popula on of peasants and ar sans.
D. Its silt was removed by a large, welTl-hrough taxa on and other means the
became the seat of Sumer, the first
great civiliza on known to history, with
large concentra ons of people, bustling ci es, monumental architecture, and a
wealth of religious, ar s c, and literary
tradi ons that influenced other ancient
civiliza ons for thousands of years. The
exact sequence of events that led to
this culmina on is unknown, but it is
clear that the economic basis of this
first civiliza on lay in its highly
produc ve agriculture.
4. According to paragraph 2, which of 【Paragraph 2】The natural fer lity of
托福阅读真题第111篇Mexican_Mural_Art（答案文章最后）
托福阅读真题第111篇Mexican_Mural_Art（答案文章最后）The first major modern art movement in Latin America was Mexican muralism, which featured large-scale murals painted on the wall surfaces of public buildings. One of the most persistent strands in Latin American art in the last 80 years has been an engagement with political and social issues, including the struggle for social justice. This in turn has been accompanied by a desire for authentic forms of self-expression and freedom from cultural dependency. Although these preoccupations have taken many different forms, Mexican muralism was the first, and its influence was the most far-reaching. Muralism flourished in Mexico in the years immediately following the Mexican Revolution (1910 - 1920) as a result of a combination of circumstances: a climate of revolutionary optimism and cultural experimentation that challenged traditional Eurocentrism; a small but strong group of relatively mature artists of energy, ideas, and ability; and a visionary minister of education, Jose Vasconcelos. Vasconcelos believed that Mexico was destined to play a central role on the international stage. He understood that ideas could be more quickly assimilated through images than through any other medium, and he had the courage to allocate the funds, and the walls of public buildings, to the artists to do with as they liked.The muralists shared a belief in the power of art to transform society for the better; to challenge social, political, economic, and cultural stereotypes; and to enrich the intellectual life of their country. During the 1920s and 1930s, they covered miles of wall with paintings representing aspects of Mexico's past and presentand the future to which all aspired. Although Mexican muralism is representational and often narrative in form, it should be recognized as a modern movement. It was modernizing in intent, in that it challenged the old order culturally, socially, and politically. By definition, it was a public, accessible form of art not a commodity that could be bought and sold by the wealthy elite. Its purpose was to educate, inform, enlighten, politicize and thus empower the general public, in particular the working classes.The muralist movement was not a unified force, however. The painters who were its leaders took different directions and did not always see eye to eye. Diego Rivera (1886 - 1957) sought to promote a pluralistic vision of Mexican society by drawing on the rich heritage of the pre-Columbian past (before Christopher Columbus arrived in the Americas in 1492) and contemporary popular culture, and he investigated pre-Columbian styles and techniques in an effort to create an aesthetic language that was new and Mexican. He was deeply influenced by native pictographic traditions of communication in which pictures represent written words and ideas, and he sought to develop a modern equivalent, a visual language that could be read like a book. The art of Jose Clemente Orozco (1883 - 1949) is less optimistic: he saw both the pre-Columbian past and the revolutionary present in a more negative light, the former as barbarous, the latter often tarnished by corruption and cruelty. He offers no comforting narratives and his expressive, aggressive technique serves as a metaphor of Mexico's harsh, contradictory reality. David Alfaro Siqueiros (1898 - 1976) was the most politically active of the three and was an internationalist both ideologically and artistically. In his art he deliberately avoided traditional materials and methods, preferring to use modernindustrial paints and spray guns. His works look forward to a fully socialist future where the workers will have won the right to the benefits of the modern industrial era, and his often fragmented, complex imagery does not patronize or make concessions to his audience.The Mexican muralist movement is undoubtedly one of the most important manifestations of twentieth-century Mexican culture. Its impact elsewhere in the region, as well as in the United States and Europe, has been enormous. The work of Rivera, Orozco, and Siqueiros triggered a homegrown muralist movement in the United States in cities like New York City, Detroit, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. The influence of the Mexicans on the modern Spanish painter Picasso's first mural and almost his only major explicitly propagandist work of art -his famous Guernica of 1937- is unmistakable even though the artist himself would have denied it. In Latin America, Mexican-influenced muralism has recurred whenever artists have felt the need to make a clear, public statement in a language that has not been borrowed from outside.【Paragraph 1】The first major modern art movement in Latin America was Mexican muralism, which featured large-scale murals painted on the wall surfaces of public buildings. One of the most persistent strands in Latin American art in the last 80 years has been an engagement with political and social issues, including the struggle for social justice. This in turn has been accompanied by a desire for authentic forms of self-expression and freedom from cultural dependency. Although these preoccupations have taken many different forms, Mexican muralism was the first, and its influence was the most far-reaching. Muralism flourished in Mexico in the years immediatelyfollowing the Mexican Revolution (1910 - 1920) as a result of a combination of circumstances: a climate of revolutionary optimism and cultural experimentation that challenged traditional Eurocentrism; a small but strong group of relatively mature artists of energy, ideas, and ability; and a visionary minister of education, Jose Vasconcelos. Vasconcelos believed that Mexico was destined to play a central role on the international stage. He understood that ideas could be more quickly assimilated through images than through any other medium, and he had the courage to allocate the funds, and the walls of public buildings, to the artists to do with as they liked.1. According to paragraph 1, Mexican muralism is concerned withA. the attempt to make art a more important subject in the Latin American educational systemB. the combination of European art traditions with authentic Latin American art formsC. the creation of a just society and an independent form of cultural expressionD. the use of art to raise funds for the construction of new public buildings2. The author mentions the Mexican Revolution in the passage in order toA. explain how the Mexican government used muralism to challenge European political beliefsB. emphasize an important reason that Mexican muralism thrivedC. give an example of one of the most popular subjects of muralismD. emphasize the success of Mexican artists who participatedin political conflicts3. It can be inferred from paragraph 1 that the muralists got most of their financial support fromA. opponents of traditional European artB. wealthy art loversC. other muralists from around the worldD. the Mexican government【Paragraph 2】The muralists shared a belief in the power of art to transform society for the better; to challenge social, political, economic, and cultural stereotypes; and to enrich the intellectual life of their country. During the 1920s and 1930s, they covered miles of wall with paintings representing aspects of Mexico's past and present and the future to which all aspired. Although Mexican muralism is representational and often narrative in form, it should be recognized as a modern movement. It was modernizing in intent, in that it challenged the old order culturally, socially, and politically. By definition, it was a public, accessible form of art not a commodity that could be bought and sold by the wealthy elite. Its purpose was to educate, inform, enlighten, politicize and thus empower the general public, in particular the working classes.4. According to paragraph 2, in what way can Mexican muralism be regarded as a characteristically modern art movementA. It was representational and often narrative in form.B. It was supported by a small but enlightened artistic elite.C. It questioned traditional ideas.D. It emphasized the future rather than dwelling on the past.【Paragraph 3】The muralist movement was not a unified force, however. The painters who were its leaders took differentdirections and did not always see eye to eye. Diego Rivera (1886 - 1957) sought to promote a pluralistic vision of Mexican society by drawing on the rich heritage of the pre-Columbian past (before Christopher Columbus arrived in the Americas in 1492) and contemporary popular culture, and he investigated pre-Columbian styles and techniques in an effort to create an aesthetic language that was new and Mexican. He was deeply influenced by native pictographic traditions of communication in which pictures represent written words and ideas, and he sought to develop a modern equivalent, a visual language that could be read like a book. The art of Jose Clemente Orozco (1883 - 1949) is less optimistic: he saw both the pre-Columbian past and the revolutionary present in a more negative light, the former as barbarous, the latter often tarnished by corruption and cruelty. He offers no comforting narratives and his expressive, aggressive technique serves as a metaphor of Mexico's harsh, contradictory reality. David Alfaro Siqueiros (1898 - 1976) was the most politically active of the three and was an internationalist both ideologically and artistically. In his art he deliberately avoided traditional materials and methods, preferring to use modern industrial paints and spray guns. His works look forward to a fully socialist future where the workers will have won the right to the benefits of the modern industrial era, and his often fragmented, complex imagery does not patronize or make concessions to his audience.5. Paragraph 3 makes all of the following points about artist Diego Rivera EXCEPTA. He used elements of pre-Columbian art to help make a new, modern art.B. He tried to develop a visual language that communicatedas clearly as native pictographs had.C. He used his art to express his ideas of what Mexican society should be like.D. He tried but failed to unify the muralist movement.6. According to paragraph 3, which of the following was true of Orozco’s art?A. It was concerned with Mexican problems of the past and the present.B. It presented the pre-Columbian past favorably.C. Its images were intended to be pleasing to viewers.D. Its technique was more typical of international artists than Mexican artists.7. According to paragraph 3, which of the following is NOT true of David Alfaro Siqueiros?A. He used modern industrial materials rather than traditional materials in his art.B. He designed images that were intentionally meant to please his audience.C. He believed in socialism and viewed the future of workers in the modern industrial era favorably.D. He took an international approach to both politics and art.【Paragraph 4】The Mexican muralist movement is undoubtedly one of the most important manifestations of twentieth-century Mexican culture. Its impact elsewhere in the region, as well as in the United States and Europe, has been enormous. The work of Rivera, Orozco, and Siqueiros triggered a homegrown muralist movement in the United States in cities like New York City, Detroit, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. The influence of the Mexicans on the modern Spanish painter Picasso's first mural and almost his only major explicitlypropagandist work of art -his famous Guernica of 1937- is unmistakable even though the artist himself would have denied it. In Latin America, Mexican-influenced muralism has recurred whenever artists have felt the need to make a clear, public statement in a language that has not been borrowed from outside.8. The author mentions Picasso's mural Guernica in order toA. provide an example of one of the biggest European influences on Mexican muralismB. indicate that politically motivated murals were as popular in Europe as they were in MexicoC. explain why the influence of Mexican muralism was especially strong among Spanish artistsD. provide evidence that the Mexican muralists had a significant impact on the international art world【Paragraph 4】■The Mexican muralist movement is undoubtedly one of the most important manifestations of twentieth-century Mexican culture. ■Its impact elsewhere in the region, as well as in the United States and Europe, has been enormous. ■The work of Rivera, Orozco, and Siqueiros triggered a homegrown muralist movement in the United States in cities like New York City, Detroit, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. ■The influence of the Mexicans on the modern Spanish painter Picasso's first mural and almost his only major explicitly propagandist work of art -his famous Guernica of 1937- is unmistakable even though the artist himself would have denied it. In Latin America, Mexican-influenced muralism has recurred whenever artists have felt the need to make a clear, public statement in a language that has not been borrowed from outside.9. Look at the four squares【■】that indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage.However, its influence was not limited to Mexico itself.Where would the sentence best fit passage？10. 【Directions】An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage is provided below. Complete the summary by selecting the THREE answer choices that express the most important ideas in the passage. Some sentences do not belong in the summary because the express ideas that are not presented in the passage or are minor ideas in the passage. This question is worth 2 points.Mexican muralism was the first major modern art movement in Latin America.●●●Answer ChoicesA. The Mexican Revolution resulted in a new respect for traditional culture, leading the muralists to paint scenes depicting the everyday lives of poor Mexicans.B. In the 1920s and 1930s, following the Mexican Revolution, a talented group of artists painted many large-scale, politically motivated murals on public buildings.C. Jose Vasconcelos made Mexico an important international player by promoting the art and ideas of the revolutionary muralists.D. The muralists challenged cultural and economic stereotypes and experimented with both pre-Columbian and industrial themes, styles, and techniques.E. The leaders of the muralist movement Rivera, Orozco, andSiqueiros all believed in the transformative power of art but differed in terms of their artistic methods and political beliefs.F. Mexican muralism was a traditional representational art focused on Mexico’s pre-Colombian society and culture.。
2022年托福阅读练习题及答案(2篇)新
2022年托福阅读练习题及答案（2篇）托福阅读考试时间：1个小时(遇加试时，时间为1个小时40分钟)。
阅读部分包括3篇文章，每篇650至750个单词，每篇对应11至13道试题。
题目类型包括：图表题，篇章总结题(从给出的选项中选择能够概括文章内容的句子)，变换措辞题，词汇题(在肯定的上下文中)，指代关系题，简化句子题，插入文本题，事实信息题，推断题，修辞目的题以及否定排解题(例如，下列各项均正确除……之外)。
在完成答题的过程中，考生可以使用“复查”功能瞬间找出没有回答的题目，而不必每道题都过一遍。
PASSAGE 1By the mid-nineteenth century, the term icebox had entered the American language, but icewas still only beginning to affect the diet of ordinary citizens in the United States. The ice tradegrew with the growth of cities. Ice was used in hotels, taverns, and hospitals, and by someforward-looking city dealers in fresh meat, fresh fish, and butter. After the Civil War (1861-1865),as ice was used to refrigerate freight cars, it also came into household use. Even before 1880, halfthe ice sold in New York, Philadelphia, and Baltimore, and one-third of that sold in Boston andChicago, went to families for their own use. This had become possible because a new householdconvenience, the icebox, a precursor of the modern refrigerator, had been invented.Making an efficient icebox was not as easy as we might now suppose. In the early nineteenthcentury, the knowledge of the physics ofheat, which was essential to a science of refrigeration,was rudimentary. The commonsense notion that the best icebox was one that prevented the icefrom melting was of course mistaken, for it was the melting of the ice that performed the cooling.Nevertheless, early efforts to economize ice included wrapping the ice in blankets, which kept theice from doing its job. Not until near the end of the nineteenth century did inventors achieve thedelicate balance of insulation and circulation needed for an efficient icebox.But as early as 1803, an ingenious Maryland farmer, Thomas Moore, had been on the righttrack. He owned a farm about twenty miles outside the city of Washington, for which the villageof Georgetown was the market center. When he used an icebox of his own design to transport hisbutter to market, he found that customers would pass up the rapidly melting stuff in the tubs ofhis competitors to pay a premium price for his butter, still fresh and hard in neat, one-poundbricks. One advantage of his icebox, Moore explained, was that farmers would no longer have totravel to market at night in order to keep their produce cool.1. What does the passage mainly discuss?(A) The influence of ice on the diet(B) The development of refrigeration(C) The transportation of goods to market(D) Sources of ice in the nineteenth century2. According to the passage , when did the word icebox become part of the language of the United States?(A) in 1803(B) sometime before 1850(C) during the civil war(D) near the end of the nineteenth century3. The phrase forward-looking in line 4 is closest in meaning to(A) progressive(B) popular(C) thrifty(D) well-established4. The author mentions fish in line 4 because(A) many fish dealers also sold ice(B) fish was shipped in refrigerated freight cars(C) fish dealers were among the early commercial users of ice(D) fish was not part of the ordinary person's diet before the invention of the icebox5. The word it in line 5 refers to(A) fresh meat(B) the Civil War(C) ice(D) a refrigerator6. According to the passage , which of the following was an obstacle to the development of the icebox?(A) Competition among the owners of refrigerated freight cars(B) The lack of a network for the distribution of ice(C) The use of insufficient insulation(D) Inadequate understanding of physics7. The word rudimentary in line 12 is closest in meaning to(A) growing(B) undeveloped(C) necessary(D) uninteresting8. According to the information in the second paragraph, an ideal icebox would(A) completely prevent ice from melting(B) stop air from circulating(C) allow ice to melt slowly(D) use blankets to conserve ice9. The author describes Thomas Moore as having been on the right track (lines 18-19) to indicate that(A) the road to the market passed close to Moore's farm(B) Moore was an honest merchant(C) Moore was a prosperous farmer(D) Moore's design was fairly successful10. According to the passage , Moore's icebox allowed him to(A) charge more for his butter(B) travel to market at night(C) manufacture butter more quickly(D) produce ice all year round11. The produce mentioned in line 25 could include(A) iceboxes(B) butter(C) ice(D) marketsAnswers:BBACC DBCDA BPASSAGE 2The geology of the Earth's surface is dominated by the particular properties of water. Presenton Earth in solid, liquid, and gaseous states, water is exceptionally reactive. It dissolves,transports, and precipitates many chemical compounds and is constantly modifying the face oftheEarth.Evaporated from the oceans, water vapor forms clouds, some of which are transported bywind over the continents. Condensation from the clouds provides the essential agent ofcontinental erosion: rain. Precipitated onto the ground, the water trickles down to formbrooks,streams, and rivers, constituting what are called the hydrographic network. This immensepolarized network channels the water toward a single receptacle: an ocean. Gravity dominatesthis entire step in the cycle because water tends to minimize its potential energy by running fromhigh altitudes toward the reference point, that is, sea level.The rate at which a molecule of water passes though the cycle is not random but is a measureof the relative size of the various reservoirs. If we define residence time as the average time for awater molecule to pass through one of the three reservoirs — atmosphere, continent, and ocean— we see that the times are very different. A water molecule stays, on average, eleven days inthe atmosphere, one hundred years on a continent and forty thousand years in the ocean. Thislast figure shows the importance of the ocean as the principal reservoir of the hydrosphere butalso the rapidity of water transport on the continents.A vast chemical separation process takes places during the flow of water over the continents.Soluble ions such as calcium, sodium, potassium, and some magnesium are dissolved andtransported. Insoluble ions such as aluminum, iron, and silicon stay where they are and form thethin, fertile skin of soil on which vegetation can grow. Sometimes soils are destroyed andtransported mechanically during flooding. The erosion of the continents thus results from twoclosely linked and interdependent processes, chemical erosion and mechanical erosion. Theirrespective interactions and efficiency depend on different factors.1. The word modifying in line 4 is closest in meaning to(A) changing(B) traveling(C) describing(D) destroying2. The word which in line 5 refers to(A) clouds(B) oceans(C) continents(D) compounds3. According to the passage , clouds are primarily formed by water(A) precipitating onto the ground(B) changing from a solid to a liquid state(C) evaporating from the oceans(D) being carried by wind4. The passage suggests that the purpose of the hydrographic network (line 8) is to(A) determine the size of molecules of water(B) prevent soil erosion caused by flooding(C) move water from the Earth's surface to the oceans(D) regulate the rate of water flow from streams and rivers5. What determines the rate at which a molecule of water moves through the cycle, as discussed in the third paragraph?(A) The potential energy contained in water让知识带有温度。
20140524托福考试阅读考题回顾
新托福阅读考题回顾朗阁海外考试研究中心李珂考试日期2014.05.24Passage 1Title:Sumerian Agriculture大致内容Sumerian（苏美尔人）居住地土地贫瘠，但是每年的洪水泛滥留下了肥沃的淤泥用来耕作，淤泥的沉淀使得土壤变得很肥沃，因此农业生产力大大提高。
由于产生了统治阶级，统治阶级则组织农民工作，但是苏美尔地区除了农业没有其他优势，所以要和其他地方进行贸易往来trade。
他们的生活都是围绕temple展开的，而统治阶级在管理记录社会事件的过程中则产生了楔形文字cuneiform, 后来此文字的使用则更加广泛。
Passage 2Title: Mass Extinction of Dinosaurs 恐龙的大规模灭绝大致内容科学家提出恐龙的大规模灭绝是由于asteroid（小行星）or comet （彗星）impact造成的，但是却没有证据。
最近发现在恐龙灭绝的地方都有Ir这个元素，这个元素在地球上是很罕见的，但是在陨石中有，所以判断是陨石带来的这个元素，恐龙灭绝是由于陨石撞击及森林大火的次生灾害造成的。
后面又讲到撞击带来了一些直接和间接的影响，比如温度下降，阳光被隔绝，这就导致了恐龙的灭绝，但是rodent（啮齿目动物）和其他一些小型的mammal（哺乳动物）存活下来了，因为它们住在地底下。
Passage 3Title:Ice Age大致内容冰河时期形成的原因，有个科学家提出造成冰川的原因有三个，一是地球轨道的形状，二是地轴的角度，三是地球的wobble（转动）。
但是他的理论遭到了别人的质疑，因为地球会长时间进行这样的周期变化，因此冰川应该按照周期发生，但是冰川的形成实际上没有按照周期频繁发生。
最后得出的结论是还有别的因素影响冰川，比如火山灰进入大气层，二氧化碳减少，太阳辐射量减少等，其中二氧化碳论受到更多人的支持。
词汇题contention=debate争论，论点；propagate=proliferate快速繁殖；initiate=start;unfavorable=adverse不利的；elaborate=complicated; devoid=lack;wealth of=abundant; subsequent=later; coincide with=simultaneous, remarkable=striking diffusionchronological。
托福备考托福阅读34套TPO样题+解析+译文26—3 Sumer and the First Cities of the Ancient Near East
托福考试 复习TPO 26—3 Sumer and the First Cities of the Ancient Near East原文：【1】The earliest of the city states of the ancient Near East appeared at the southern end of the Mesopotamian plain, the area between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in what is now Iraq. It was here that the civilization known as Sumer emerged in its earliest form in the fifth millennium. At first sight, the plain did not appear to be a likely home for a civilization. There were few natural resources, no timber, stone, or metals. Rainfall was limited, and what water there was rushed across the plain in the annual flood of melted snow. As the plain fell only 20 meters in 500 kilometers, the beds of the rivers shifted constantly. It was this that made the organization of irrigation, particularly the building of canals to channel and preserve the water, essential. Once this was done and the silt carried down by the rivers was planted, the rewards were rich: four to five times what rain-fed earth would produce. It was these conditions that allowed an elite to emerge, probably as an organizing class, and to sustain itself through the control of surplus crops.【2】It is difficult to isolate the factors that led to the next development—the emergence of urban settlements. The earliest, that of Eridu, about 4500 B.C.E., and Uruk, a thousand years later, center on impressive temple complexes built of mud brick. In some way, the elite had associated themselves with the power of the gods. Uruk, for instance, had two patron gods—Anu, the god of the sky and sovereign of all other gods, and Inanna, a goddess of love and war—and there were others, patrons of different cities. Human beings were at their mercy. The biblical story ofthe Flood may originate in Sumer. In the earliest version, the gods destroy the human race because its clamor had been so disturbing to them.【3】It used to be believed that before 3000 B.C.E. the political and economic life of the cities was centered on their temples, but it now seems probable that the cities had secular rulers from earliest times. Within the city lived administrators, craftspeople, and merchants. (Trading was important, as so many raw materials, the semiprecious stones for the decoration of the temples, timbers for roofs, and all metals, had to be imported.) An increasingly sophisticated system of administration led in about 3300 B.C.E. to the appearance of writing. The earliest script was based on logograms, with a symbol being used to express a whole word. The logograms were incised on damp clay tablets with a stylus with a wedge shape at its end. (The Romans called the shape cuneus and this gives the script its name of cuneiform.) Two thousand logograms have been recorded from these early centuries of writing.A more economical approach was to use a sign to express not a whole word but a single syllable. (To take an example: the Sumerian word for " head” was “sag.” Whenever a word including a syllable in which the sound “sag” was to be written, the sign for “sag" could be used t o express that syllable with the remaining syllables of the word expressed by other signs.) By 2300 B.C.E. the number of signs required had been reduced to 600, and the range of words that could be expressed had widened. Texts dealing with economic matters predominated, as they always had done; but at this point works of theology, literature, history, and law also appeared.【4】Other innovations of the late fourth millennium include the wheel, probably developed first as a more efficient way of making pottery and then transferred to transport. A tablet engraved about 3000 B.C.E. provides the earliest known example from Sumer, a roofed boxlike sledge mounted on four solid wheels. A major development was the discovery, again about 3000 B.C.E., that if copper, which had been known in Mesopotamia since about 3500 B.C.E., was mixed with tin, a much harder metal, bronze, would result. Although copper and stone tools continued to be used, bronze was far more successful in creating sharp edges that could be used as anything from saws and scythes to weapons. The period from 3000 to 1000 B.C.E., when the use of bronze became widespread, is normally referred to as the Bronze Age.题目：1.Which of the following is NOT mentioned in paragraph 1 as a disadvantage of the Mesopotamian plain?A.There was not very much rainfall for most of the year.B.Melting snow caused flooding every year.C.The silt deposited by rivers damaged crops.D.Timber, stone and metals were not readily available.2.According to paragraph 1, which of the following made it possible for anelite to emerge?A.New crops were developed that were better suited to conditions on theMesopotamian plain.B.The richest individuals managed to gain control of the most valuable cropland.C.Control over the few available natural resources made some people four to five times richer than everyone else.D.The building of canals to increase agricultural output required organization.3.The word “sustain”in the passage（paragraph 1）is closest in meaning toA.defend.B.promote.C.maintain.D.transform.4.According to paragraph 2, Eridu and Uruk are examples of urbansettlements thatcked the features usually found in other early urban settlements.B.developed around religious buildings.C.grew much more rapidly than most of the urban settlements found in Sumer.D.were mysteriously destroyed and abandoned.5.The word “sovereign"in the passage is closest in meaning toA.counselor.B.master.C.defender.D.creator.6.According to paragraph 3, which of the following led to the appearanceof writing?A.An increasingly sophisticated administrative system.B.Coordination between secular and religious leaders.C.The large volume of trade, particularly imports.D.A rapidly expanding and changing population.7.In paragraph 3, why does the author provide the information that the number of signs in use had dropped from 2,000 to 600 by 2300 B.C.E.?A.T o argue that the development of writing involved periods of growth followed by periods of decline.B.To demonstrate that earlier written texts used a larger vocabulary than later texts, which were aimed at a broader audience.C.To support the claim that the range of words expressed by logograms varied widely depending on time period and type of text.D.T o provide evidence for the increased efficiency of using signs to express syllables rather than whole words.8.According to paragraph 3, ancient texts most commonly dealt withA.theology.B.literature.C.economics.w.9.According to paragraph 4, the earliest wheels probablyA.were first developed in areas outside Mesopotamia.B.were used to make pottery.C.appeared on boxlike sledges.D.were used to transport goods between cities.10.The word “engraved”in the passage(paragraph 4)is closest in meaning toA.carved.B.produced.C.dated.D.discovered.11.Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information inthe highlighted sentence in the passage paragraph 4 ? Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.A.Also around 3000B.C.E., it was discovered that mixing copper, known from about 3500 B.C.E., with tin would create a much harder metal known as bronze.B.Although copper had been known since 3500 B.C.E in Mesopotamia, the discovery of bronze did not occur until around 3000 B.C.E.C.Another major development around 3000 B.C.E. was the discovery that copper could be mixed with a much harder metal known as tin.D.The development of bronze by mixing copper and tin probably occurred around 3000 B.C.E. but may have happened as early as 3500 B.C.E.12.The word “widespread”in the passage(paragraph 4)is closest in meaning toA.obvious.B.significant.C.necessary.mon.13. Look at the four squares [■]that indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage.Where would the sentence best fit? City life was diverse, and the population was engaged in a variety of occupations.It used to be believed that before 3000 B.C.E. the political and economic life of the cities was centered on their temples, but it now seems probable that the cities had secular rulers from earliest times. ■【A】Within the city lived administrators, craftspeople, and merchants. (Trading was important, as so many raw materials,the semiprecious stones for the decoration of the temples, timbers for roofs,and all metals, had to be imported.) ■【B】An increasingly sophisticated system of administrationled in about 3300 B.C.E. to the appearance of writing. ■【C】The earliest script was based on logograms, with asymbol being used to express a whole word. ■【D】The logograms were incised on damp clay tablets with a stylus with a wedge shape at its end. (The Romans called the shape cuneus and this gives the script its name of cuneiform.) Two thousand logograms have been recorded from these early centuries of writing. A more economical approach wasto use a sign to express not a whole word but a single syllable. (To take an example: the Sumerian word for " head” was “sag.” Whenever a wordincluding a syllable in which the sound “sag” was to be written, the sign for“sag" could be used to express that syllable with the remaining syllablesof the word expressed by other signs.) By 2300 B.C.E. the number of signs required had been reduced to 600, and the range of words that could be expressed had widened. Texts dealing with economic matters predominated, as they alwayshad done; but at this point works of theology,literature, history, and lawalso appeared.14. Directions: An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage is provided below. Complete the summary by selecting the THREE answer choices that express the most important ideas in the passage. Some sentences do not belong in the summary because they express ideas that are not presented in the passage or are minorideas in the passage. This question is worth 2 points.Irrigation made it possible for the civilization known as Sumer to arise on the Mesopotamian plain in the fifth millennium B.C.E.A.The scarcity of natural resources on the plain made it necessary for a powerful elite to emerge and take charge of trade and imports.B.The economy of each city was based on a craft such as pottery or metal working, and the city of Eridu was known for its saws, scythes and weapons.C.Writing appeared in the form of logograms and later developed into a system using signs to represent syllables rather than whole words.D.Priests were powerful figures in the ancient civilization and controlled the political and economic life of the cities.E.The earliest city states had one or more patron gods and were built around central temple complexes.F.The development of the wheel and the creation of bronze were important innovations in Sumer答案：1.A选项的rainfall和B的melting snow做关键词定位至第五句，都正确，不选；C的silt 确实讲过，但并没讲damaged crops，所以C错，选；D的timber, stone and metals定位至第四句，正确，不选。
托福阅读经典加试：苏美尔文明真题及参考答案
智课网TOEFL备考资料托福阅读经典加试：苏美尔文明真题及参考答案摘要：托福加试加试题多人的噩梦,但是这种阅读加试还是有规律可循的。
小马过河网托福频道小编分享托福阅读经典加试：苏美尔文明真题及参考答案，希望对托福考生们有所帮助。
托福阅读加试题的位置不固定，考生很难分辨哪一道是加试题，只能通过日常积累来判断。
小马过河网托福频道小编分享托福阅读经典加试：苏美尔文明真题及参考答案，希望大家在遇到托福加试题时尽量不要凭空揣测，以免影响自己的托福成绩。
苏美尔文明Mesopotamia的背景：美索不达米亚亚洲西南部 Tigris 和Euphrates 两河流域间的古王国,美索不达米亚古代西南亚介于底格里斯河和幼发拉底河之间的一个地区，位于现在的伊拉克境内。
可能在公元前5000年以前就开始有人在此定居。
这一地区孕育了众多的人类早期文明，其中包括苏美尔文明、阿卡德文明、巴比伦文明和亚述文明。
蒙古侵略者在公元1258年破坏了该地区发达的灌溉系统之后，这一地区的重要性就此减小。
其中巴比伦文明以其成就斐然而成为两河流域文明的典范，古巴比伦王国与古埃及、古印度和中国构成了人们所说的世界四大文明古国。
尼罗河文明：发源于非洲尼罗河(Nile)流域，又称古埃及文明，其历史也可追溯到公元前4000年。
公元前3100年左右，上埃及国王美尼斯统一上下埃及，开始了史称的埃及王朝时期，也就代表了古埃及文明的正式开始。
美索布达米娅文化Sumerian civilization第一段：美文化和埃及文化同时，但因为美的地域限制一直没有统一。
(有题)平原，经常受到入侵，四周沙漠，生活好，不统一。
开头，it isastonishing that...两个地方在同一时间产生了两种文化，并且互有交流。
一个是尼罗河的埃及文化，一个是两河流域的M地文化。
埃及文化仰仗尼罗河，河水孕育了富饶的土地，两岸有沙漠作为自然屏障。
M地不一样，河水土地narrow and shallow,周围没有起保护作用的天然屏障第二段：直到一种S人来统一，说了他们的来源和历史，他们建立了一种s文化第三段：S文化的实物遗迹少，这又两方面原因：一当地石料不丰富二当地人没有厚葬的习惯。
托福真题2014-05-24Reading(苏美尔贡献+撞击和物种灭绝+Milankovitch周期和冰川时代(14.12.28加场整套重
Impacts and Mass ExtinctionsWords & Phrases1.Meteorites and impact craters bear witness to the fact that large impactsoccasionally occur on Earth.Meteorite：n. 陨石impact craters：撞击形成的陨石坑crater：n. 陨石坑bear witness to：作证，见证2.impactor roughly 50 meters across：直径大约50米的撞击物across：某物的宽，直径=diameterradius: n. 半径3. a major impact coincided with the death of the dinosaurs：一个大的撞击和恐龙的灭绝恰巧同时发生coincide with: 与…恰巧同时发生4.instantly melt bedrock and propel it far from its origin：立即熔化基底岩石并且推出基底岩石远离它的最初位置bedrock：n. 基底岩石propel：v. 向前推出far from its origin：远离它的最初位置5.wiped out：被一扫而空，灭绝6.ignited wildfires：点燃野火7.effects propagated throughout the food chain：影响蔓延下去贯穿整个食物链propagate: v. 原义是“繁殖”，引申为“扩展蔓延”=spread表示繁殖的词总结如下：Propagate=proliferate=reproduce=multiply8.the most astonishing fact：最令人吃惊的事实9.rodent-like mammals：像啮齿类的哺乳动物10.they lived in underground burrows and managed to store enough food to outlastthe long spell of cold, dark daysunderground burrows：地下的洞穴outlast：v. 比…时间持续的久spell: n. 一段时间Syntax1.Although the crater is only slightly more than one kilometer across, an areacovering hundreds of square kilometers was probably battered by the blast and ejecta—the debris ejected or displaced during the formation of an impact crater.名词后面+doing，doing是对名词的修饰所以，“an area covering hundreds of square kilometers”的意思是：覆盖着成百上千平方千米的一个区域Batter：v. 连续猛击Blast：n. 爆炸ejecta：n. 喷出物debris：n. 碎屑残骸2.After a decade-long search, scientists identified what appears to be the impactcrater from the event.What引出的整句话做identify的宾语，what任何情况下翻译成“什么”即可impact crater：撞击坑3.Located off the coast of Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula, it is 200 kilometers across,which is close to what one would expect for a 10-kilometer impactor, and dates to 65 million years ago.1）主语出现前的所有东西都是对主语的铺垫修饰，所以“Located off…”是对后文it的铺垫修饰；2）What引出的整句话做close to的宾语，what任何情况下翻译成“什么”即可；3）one 做主语指“任何一个人”，以“任何一个人”代替整体；4）and dates 并列对象的寻找，应该是和前面的第三人称单数的谓语动词并列，所以和前文的“is 200…”并列，指的仍是主语it “dates to 65 million years ago”4.Further evidence that the Yucatan crater is the rightdistribution of small glassy spheres that formed when the molten impact ejecta solidified as it rained back to Earth.主谓分离，comes from 动作的发出者（主语）在很远的句子开头glassy spheres：玻璃球molten impact ejecta：融化的撞击喷射物solidified：v. 变成固体，固化5.The impact almost immediately sent a shower of debris raining across much ofNorth and South America that may have sloshed“and generated”所以找到前文的sent，这两个动作的发出者都是主语the impact整句话意为：这次撞击几乎立即发射出一片碎屑雨，降落覆盖大片的北美和南美地区，并且这次撞击还产生巨大的冲击波(waves)，这个冲击波向内陆地区泼溅了超过1000千米的距离。
托福考试真题和答案
托福考试真题和答案一、阅读部分1. 阅读文章：The Origin of Theater问题：What is the main purpose of the passage?答案：The main purpose of the passage is to discuss the possible origins of theater.2. 阅读文章：The Impact of the Industrial Revolution问题：According to the passage, what was one of the major consequences of the Industrial Revolution?答案：One of the major consequences of the Industrial Revolution was the shift from an agrarian society to an industrial one.3. 阅读文章：The Evolution of Flight问题：What evidence supports the idea that birds evolved from dinosaurs?答案：The evidence that supports the idea that birds evolved from dinosaurs includes the discovery of fossils with features common to both birds and dinosaurs.二、听力部分1. 听力对话：Library Research Assistance问题：Why does the student go to the library?答案：The student goes to the library to seek assistance with research for a paper.2. 听力讲座：Astronomy - The Search for Exoplanets问题：What is the main topic of the lecture?答案：The main topic of the lecture is the search for exoplanets and the methods used to detect them.3. 听力对话：Biology Lab Equipment问题：What is the problem the student is facing?答案：The student is facing a problem with the availability of equipment in the biology lab for their experiment.三、口语部分1. 口语任务：Describe a tradition in your culture.问题：What is a tradition in your culture that you find particularly interesting?答案：In my culture, an interesting tradition is the celebration of the Lunar New Year, which involves family gatherings, feasting, and the exchange of red envelopes.2. 口语任务：Choose between two options.问题：Which would you prefer: to live in a city or in the countryside? Explain why.答案：I would prefer to live in the countryside because of the peaceful environment and the opportunity to be closer to nature.3. 口语任务：Explain a concept and give an example.问题：Can you explain what sustainable development is and give an example of how it is implemented?答案：Sustainable development refers to development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. An example of sustainable development is the use of renewable energy sources like solar and wind power, which reduce dependence on fossil fuels and decrease carbon emissions.四、写作部分1. 独立写作任务：Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? All university students should be required to take basic science courses.问题：What is your opinion on the statement, and why?答案：I agree with the statement that all university students should be required to take basic science courses because it provides a well-rounded education and fosters critical thinking skills that are applicable in various fields.2. 综合写作任务：Reading - The Disappearance of Bees问题：Summarize the main points from the reading about the disappearance of bees and the arguments made in the lecture.答案：The reading discusses the potential causes of bee disappearance, including habitat loss and pesticide use. The lecture, however, argues that these factors are not the main reasons and suggests that disease and climate change play a more significant role.请注意，以上提供的仅供参考，实际考试内容和题目可能会有所不同。
2021年托福阅读PASSAGE 32 试题及答案
2021年托福阅读PASSAGE 32试题及答案PASSAGE 32By 1776 the fine art of painting as it had developed in western Europe up to this time had been introduced into the American colonies through books and prints, European visitors and immigrants, and traveling colonists who brought back copies (and a few original) of old master paintings and acquaintance with European art institutions.By the outbreak of the Revolution against British rule in 1776, the status of the artists had already undergone change. In the mid-eighteenth century, painters had been willing to assume such artisan-related tasks as varnishing, gilding teaching, keeping shops, and painting wheel carriages, houses, and signs. The terminology by which artists were described at the time suggests their status: "limner" was usually applied to the anonymous portrait painter up to the 1760's; "painter" characterized anyone who could paint a flat surface. By the second half of the century, colonial artists who were trained in England or educated in the classics rejected the status of laborer and thought of themselves as artists. Some colonial urban portraitists, such as John Singleton Copley, Benjamin West, and Charles Wilson Peale, consorted with affluent patrons.Although subject to fluctuations in their economic status, all three enjoyed sufficient patronage to allow them to maintain an image of themselves as professional artists, an image indicated by their custom of signing their paintings. A few art collectors James Bowdoin III of Boston, William Byrd of Virginian, and the Aliens and Hamiltons of Philadelphia introduced European art traditions to those colonists privileged to visit their galleries, especially aspiring artists, and established in their respective communities the idea of the value of art and the need for institutions devoted to its encouragement.Although the colonists tended to favor portraits, they also accepted landscapes, historical works, and political engravings as appropriate artistic subjects. With the coming of independence from the British Crown, a sufficient number of artists and their works were available to serve nationalistic purposes. The achievements of the colonial artists, particularly those of Copley, West, and Peale, lent credence to the boast that the new nation was capable of encouraging genius and that political liberty was congenial to the development of taste —a necessary step before art could assume an important role in the new republic.1. What does the passage mainly discuss?(A) European influence on colonial American painting(B) The importance of patronage to artist(C) The changing status of artists in the American colonies in the eighteenth century(D) Subjects preferred by artists in the American colonies in the eighteenth century.2. The word "outbreak" in line 5 is closest in meaning to(A) cause(B) beginning(C) position(D) explanation3. The word "undergone" in line 6 is closest in meaning to(A) led to(B) transformed(C) preferred(D) experienced4. According to the passage , before the American Revolution the main task of limners was to(A) paint wheel carriages(B) paint portraits(C) varnish furniture(D) paint flat surfaces5. It can be inferred from the passage that artists who were trained in England(A) considered artists to be superior to painters(B) barely painted portraitists(C) were often very wealthy(D) imitated English painters6. The word "consorted" in line 14 is closest in meaning to(A) made decisions(B) studies(C) agreed(D) associated7. The word "sufficient" in line 16 is closest in meaning to(A) adequate(B) temporary(C) friendly(D) expensive8. According to the passage , artists such as Copley, West and Peal signed their paintings(A) increased the monetary value of the paintings(B) made it more difficult for other artists to copy the paintings(C) supported the artists' image of professionalism(D) distinguished colonial American artists from European artists9. The author mentions James Bowdoin III and William Byrd in line 17 thefollowing?(A) Art gallery owners who displayed only European artas examples of which of(B) Art collectors who had a profound influence on American attitudes toward art(C) Artists who gave financial support to other artists(D) Patrons whose helped to encourage artisans to become artists10. With which of the following would the author be most likely to agree?(A) Countries that have not had a political revolution are unlikely to develop great art.(B) The most successful art collectors are usually artists themselves.(C) The value of colonial American paintings decreased after the Revolution.(D) Colonial artists made an important contribution to the evolving culture of the new nation.ANSWER KEYSPASSAGE 32 CBDBA DACBD。
托福阅读考试真题及答案
托福阅读考试真题及答案在社会的各个领域，只要有考核要求，就会有试题，借助试题可以更好地考核参考者的知识才能。
那么你知道什么样的试题才能有效帮助到我们吗？下面是我精心整理的托福阅读考试真题及答案，欢迎阅读，希望大家能够喜欢。
During the second half of the nineteenth century, the production of food and feed crops in the United States rose at an extraordinarily rapid rate. Corn production increased by four and a half times, hay by five times, oats and wheat by seven times. The most crucial factor behind this phenomenal upsurge in productivity was the widespread adoption of labor-saving machinery by northern farmers. By 1850 horse-drawn reaping machines that cut grain were being introduced into the major grain-growing regions of the country. Horse-powered threshing machines to separate the seeds from the plants were already in general use. However, it was the onset of the Civil War in 1861 that provided the great stimulus for the mechanization of northern agriculture. With much of the labor force inducted into the army and with grain prices on the rise, northern farmers rushed to avail themselves of the new labor-saving equipment. In 1860 there were approximately 80,000 reapers in the country; five years later there were350,000.After the close of the war in 1865, machinery became ever more important in northern agriculture, and improved equipment was continually introduced. By 1880 a self-binding reaper had been perfected that not only cut the grain, but also gathered the stalks and bound them with twine. Threshing machines were also being improved and enlarged, and after 1870 they were increasingly powered by steam engines rather than by horses. Since steam-powered threshing machines were costly items — running from $ 1,000 to $4,000 — they were usually owned by custom thresher owners who then worked their way from farm to farm during the harvest season. "Combines" were also coming into use on the great wheat ranches in California and the Pacific Northwest. These ponderous machines — sometimes pulled by as many as 40 horses — reaped the grain, threshed it, and bagged it, all in one simultaneous operation.The adoption of labor-saving machinery had a profound effect upon the sale of agricultural operations in the northern states — allowing farmers to increase vastly their crop acreage. By the end of century, a farmer employing the new machinery could plant and harvest two and half times as much corn as a farmer had using hand methods 50 years before.1. What aspect of farming in the United States in the nineteenthcentury does the passage mainly discuss?(A) How labor-saving machinery increased crop Production(B) Why southern farms were not as successful as Successful as northern farms(C) Farming practices before the Civil War(D) The increase in the number of people farming2. The word "crucial" in line 4 is closest in meaning to(A) obvious(B) unbelievable(C) important(D) desirable3. The phrase "avail themselves" in line 11 is closest in meaning to(A) take care(B) make use(C) get rid(D) do more4. According to the passage , why was the Civil War a stimulus for mechanization?(A) The army needed more grain in order to feed the soldiers.(B) Technology developed for the war could also the used by farmers.(C) It was hoped that harvesting more grain would lower the price of grain.(D) Machines were needed to replace a disappearing labor force.5. The passage supports which of the following statements about machinery after the Civil War?(A) Many farmers preferred not to use the new machinery.(B) Returning laborers replaced the use of machinery.(C) The use of farm machinery continued to increase.(D) Poor-quality machinery slowed the pace of crop production.6. Combines and self-binding reapers were similar because each(A) could perform more than one function(B) required relatively little power to operate(C) was utilized mainly in California(D) required two people to operate7. The word "they" in line 19 refers to(A) grain stalks(B) threshing machines(C) steam engines(D) horses8. It can be inferred from the passage that most farmers did not own threshing machines because(A) farmers did not know how to use the new machines(B) farmers had no space to keep the machines(C) thresher owner had chance to buy the machines before farmers did(D) the machines were too expensive for every farmer to own9. The word "ponderous" in line 21 is closest in meaning to(A) advanced(B) heavy(C) complex(D) rapid正确答案：ACBDC ABDB托福听力考试要求1、Basic Comprehension: Gist + Details基本理解能力的考察大概占到托福听力总体比例的70%左右，首先，几乎是每篇对话和讲座的第一道题都是主旨题，只不过问法可能不一样，而细节题占的比例也比较大。
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Sumerian Contributions
【Paragraph 1】Before about 4500 B.C., lower Mesopotamia, the region between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers just north of the Persian Gulf, was much less densely populated than other inhabited regions of the Near and Middle East. Its marshy soil, subject to annual inundations (floods) from the rivers, was not suited to the primitive hoe culture of early agriculture, in which land was cultivated without domestic animals or beasts. Moreover, the land was virtually treeless and lacked building stone and mineral resources. During the next thousand years, however, this unpromising area became the seat of Sumer, the first great civilization known to history, with large concentrations of people, bustling cities, monumental architecture, and a wealth of religious, artistic, and literary traditions that influenced other ancient civilizations for thousands of years. The exact sequence of events that led to this culmination is unknown, but it is clear that the economic basis of this first civilization lay in its highly productive agriculture.
Sumerian Contributions
【Paragraph 1】Before about 4500 B.C., lower Mesopotamia, the region between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers just north of the Persian Gulf, was much less densely populated than other inhabited regions of the Near and Middle East. Its marshy soil, subject to annual inundations (floods) from the rivers, was not suited to the primitive hoe culture of early agriculture, in which land was cultivated without domestic animals or beasts. Moreover, the land was virtually treeless and lacked building stone and mineral resources.
During the next thousand years, however, this unpromising area became the seat of Sumer, the first great civilization known to history, with large concentrations of people, bustling cities, monumental architecture, and a wealth of religious, artistic, and literary traditions that influenced other ancient civilizations for thousands of years. The exact sequence of events that led to this culmination is unknown, but it is clear that the economic basis of this first civilization lay in its highly productive agriculture.。