托福阅读真题.doc

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1、96年10月TOFEL 阅读 (Page47-48)CQuestion 1-8 When Jules Verne wrote Journey to the Center of the Earth in 1864, there were many conflicting theories about the nature of the Earths interior. Some geologists thought that it contained a highly compressed ball of incandescent gas, while others suspected that

2、 it consisted of separate shells, each made of a different material. Today, well over a century later, there is still little direct evidence of what lies beneath our feet. Most of our knowledge of the Earths interior comes not from mines or boreholes, but from the study of seismic waves - powerful p

3、ulses of energy released by earthquakes. The way that seismic waves travel shows that the Earths interior is far from uniform. The continents and the seabed are formed by the crust - a thin sphere of relatively light, solid rock. Beneath the crust lies the mantle, a very different layer that extends

4、 approximately halfway to the Earths center. There the rock is the subject of a battle between increasing heat and growing pressure. In its high levels, the mantle is relatively cool; at greater depths, high temperatures make the rock behave more like a liquid than a solid. Deeper still, the pressur

5、e is even more intense, preventing the rock from melting in spite of a higher temperature. Beyond a depth of around 2,900 kilometers, a great change takes place and the mantle gives way to the core. Some seismic waves cannot pass through the core and others are bent by it. From this and other eviden

6、ce, geologists conclude that the outer core is probably liquid, with a solid center. It is almost certainly made of iron, mixed with smaller amounts of other elements such as nickel. The conditions in the Earths core make it a far more alien world than space. Its solid iron heart is subjected to uni

7、maginable pressure and has a temperature of about 9,000oF. Although scientists can speculate about its nature, neither humans nor machines will ever be able to visit it.1.The word conflicting in line 2 is closest in meaning to(A)controlling(B)outdated(C)opposing(D)important2.What is todays richest s

8、ource of information about the Earths interior for geologists?(A)Boreholes(B)Shells(C)Seismic waves(D)Mines3.The word There in line 12 refers to the (A)mantle(B)crust(C)seabed(D)Earths center.4.Which of the following is a primary characteristic of the Earths mantle?(A)Light, solid rock(B)Uniformity

9、of composition(C)Dramatically increasing pressure(D)Compressed, incandescent gas5.The phrase gives way to in line 18 is closest in meaning to(A)runs along(B)rubs against(C)turns into(D)floats on6.The word it in line 19 refers to(A)mantle(B)core(C)change(D)depth7.Why does the author state in line 22

10、that the Earths core is more alien than space?(A)Government funds are not available to study the Earths core.(B)Scientists arent interested in the characteristics of the Earths core.(C)It is impossible to go to the Earths core to do research.(D)The Earths core is made of elements that are dangerous

11、to humans.8.The word speculate in line 24 is closest in meaning to(A)report(B)learn(C)worry(D)hypothesizeQuestion 9-20 Despite the road improvements of the turnpike era (1790-1830). Americans continued as in colonial times to depend wherever possible on water routes for travel and transportation. Th

12、e larger rivers, especially the Mississippi and the Ohio, became increasingly useful as steamboats grew in number and improved in design. River boats carried to New Orleans the corn and other crops of northwestern farmers, the cotton and tobacco of southwestern planters. From New Orleans, ships took

13、 the cargoes on to eastern seaports. Neither the farmers of the west nor the merchants of the east were completely satisfied with this pattern of trade. Farmers could get better prices for their crops if the alternative existed of sending them directly eastward to market and merchants could sell lar

14、ger quantities of their manufactured goods if these could be transported more directly and more economically to the west. New waterways were needed. Sectional jealousies and constitutional scruples stood in the way of action by the federal government and necessary expenditures were too great for pri

15、vate enterprise. If extensive canals were to be dug, the job would be up to the various states. New York was the first to act. It had the natural advantage of a comparatively level route between the Hudson River and Lake Erie, through the only break in the entire Appalachian Mountain chain. Yet the

16、engineering tasks were imposing. The distance was more than 350 miles and there were ridges to cross and a wilderness of woods and swamps to penetrate. The Erie Canal begun in 1817 and completed in 1825, was by far the greatest construction job that Americans had ever undertaken. It quickly proved a

17、 financial success as well. The prosperity of the Erie encouraged the state to enlarge its canal system by building several branches. The range of the New York canal system was still further extended when the states of Ohio and Indiana, inspired by the success of the Erie Canal, provided water conne

18、ctions between Lake Erie and the Ohio River.9.What does the passage suggest was the principal route for transporting crops to the east prior in 1825?(A)River to road(B)Canal to river(C)River to ocean(D)Road to canal.10.It can be inferred from the passage that shipping cargo east by way of New Orlean

19、s was(A)Advantageous for manufactures(B)Inexpensive for merchants(C)Not economical for farmers(D)Considered economical by the government11.The word alternative in line 9 is closest in meaning to(A) option(B) transition(C) intention(D) authorization12.The word them in line 9 refers to (A)crops(B)farm

20、ers(C)prices(D)merchants13.Which of the following products would a northwestern farmer in the early nineteenth century be most likely to purchase from the east?(A)Grain(B)Vegetables(C)Textiles(D)Fruit.14.According to the passage, where was the Erie Canal located?(A)Between Ohio and Indiana.(B)Along

21、the Appalachian Mountains(C)Between Lake Erie and the Ohio River(D)Across New York State.15.The word imposing in line 18 could best be replaced by (A)impractical(B)successful(C)demanding(D)misleading16.The word penetrate in line 20 is closest in meaning to(A)cut down(B)go through(C)fill up(D)take ov

22、er17.The word its in line 22 refers to(A)prosperity(B)Erie(C)System(D)State18.The word extended in line 24 is closest in meaning to(A)increased(B)constructed(C)deepened(D)measured19.According to the passage, Indiana and Ohio supported the development of the New York canal system by(A)helping to buil

23、d the Erie Canal.(B)Building branches to connect it with the Ohio River(C)Providing much of the water for the Erie Canal.(D)Contributing financially to the construction costs20.What does the paragraph following the passage probably discuss?(A)Industry on Lake Erie(B)Canals in Ohio and Indiana(C)Sect

24、ional jealousies in Indiana and Ohio(D)Travel on the Erie Canal.Question 21-31 Legend has it that sometime toward the end of the Civil War (1861-1865) a government train carrying oxen traveling through the northern plains of eastern Wyoming was caught in a snowstorm and had to be abandoned. The driv

25、er returned the next spring to see what had become of his cargo. Instead of the skeletons he had expected to find, he saw his oxen, living, fat, and healthy. How had they survived? The answer lay in a resource that unknowing Americans lands trampled underfoot in their haste to cross the Great Americ

26、an Desert to reach lands that sometimes proved barren. In the eastern parts of the United States, the preferred grass for forage was a cultivated plant. It grew well with enough rain, then when cut and stored it would cure and become nourishing hay for winter feed. But in the dry grazing lands of th

27、e West that familiar bluejoint grass was often killed by drought. To raise cattle out there seemed risky or even hopeless. Who could imagine a fairy-tale grass that required no rain and somehow made it possible for cattle to feed themselves all winter? But the surprising western wild grasses did jus

28、t that. They had wonderfully convenient features that made them superior to the cultivated eastern grasses. Variously known as buffalo grass, grama grass, or mesquite grass, not only were they immune to drought; but they were actually preserved by the lack of summer and autumn rains. They were not j

29、uicy like the cultivated eastern grasses, but had short, hard stems. And they did not need to be cured in a barn, but dried right where they grew on the ground. When they dried in this way, they remained naturally sweet and nourishing through the winter. Cattle left outdoors to fend for themselves t

30、hrived on this hay. And the cattle themselves helped plant the fresh grass year after year for they trampled the natural seeds firmly into the soil to be watered by the melting snows of winter and the occasional rains of spring. The dry summer air cured them much as storing in a barn cured the culti

31、vated grasses.21.What does the passage mainly discuss?(A)Western migration after the Civil War(B)The climate of the western United States(C)The raising of cattle.(D)A type of wild vegetation22.What can be inferred by the phrase Legend has it in line 1?(A)The story of the train may not be completely

32、factual.(B)Most history books include the story of the train.(C)The driver of the train invented the story.(D)The story of the train is similar to other ones from that time period.23.The word they in line 5 refers to (A)plains (B)skeletons(C)oxen(D)Americans24.What can be inferred about the Great Am

33、erican Desert mentioned in line 7?(A)It was not originally assumed to be a fertile area.(B)Many had settled there by the 1860s.(C)It was a popular place to raise cattle before the Civil War.(D)It was not discovered until the late 1800s.25.The word barren in line 8 is closest in meaning to(A)lonely(B

34、)dangerous(C)uncomfortable(D)infertile.26.The word preferred in line 8 is closest in meaning to(A)ordinary(B)available(C)required(D)favored27.Which of the following can be inferred about the cultivated grass mentioned in the second paragraph?(A)Cattle raised in the western United States refused to e

35、at it.(B)It would probably not grow in the western United States.(C)It had to be imported into the United States.(D)It was difficult for cattle to digest.28.Which of the following was NOT one of the names given to the Western grasses?(A)Grama grass(B)Bluejoint grass(C)Buffalo grass(D)Mesquite grass2

36、9. Which of the following was NOT mentioned as a characteristic of western grasses?(A)They have tough stems.(B)They are not affected by dry weather.(C)They can be grown indoors.(D)They contain little moisture.30.The word hard in line 19 is closest in meaning to(A)firm(B)severe(C)difficult(D)bitter31

37、.According to the passage, the cattle helped promote the growth of the wild grasses by(A)stepping on and pressing the seeds into the ground(B)naturally fertilizing the soil(C)continually moving from one grazing area to another(D)eating only small quantities of grass.Question 32-44 Seventeenth-centur

38、y houses in colonial North America were simple structures that were primarily functional carrying over traditional designs that went back to the Middle Ages. During the first half of the eighteenth century, however, houses began to show a new elegance. As wealth increased, more and more colonists bu

39、ilt fine houses. Since architecture was not yet a specialized profession in the colonies, the design of buildings was left either to amateur designers or to carpenters who undertook to interpret architectural manuals imported from England. Inventories of colonial libraries show an astonishing number

40、 of these handbooks for builders, and the houses erected during the eighteenth century show their influence. Nevertheless, most domestic architecture of the first three-quarters of the eighteenth century displays a wide divergence of taste and freedom of application of the rules laid down in these b

41、ooks. Increasing wealth and growing sophistication throughout the colonies resulted in houses of improved design, whether the material was wood, stone, or brick. New England still favored wood, though brick houses became common in Boston and other towns, where the danger of fire gave an impetus to t

42、he use of more durable material. A few houses in New England were built of stone, but only in Pennsylvania and adjacent areas was stone widely used in dwellings. An increased use of brick in houses and outbuildings is noticeable in Virginia and Maryland, but wood remained that most popular material

43、even in houses built by wealthy landowners. In the Carolinas, even in closely packed Charleston, wooden houses were much more common than brick houses. Eighteenth-century houses showed great interior improvements over their predecessors. Windows were made larger and shutters removed. Large, clear pa

44、nes replaced the small leaded glass of the seventeenth century. Doorways were larger and more decorative. Fireplaces became decorative features of rooms. Walls were made of plaster or wood, sometimes elaborately paneled. White paint began to take the place of blues, yellows, greens, and lead colors,

45、 which had been popular for walls in the earlier years. After about 1730, advertisements for wallpaper styles in scenic patterns began to appear in colonial newspapers.32.What does the passage mainly discuss?(A)The improved design of eighteenth-century colonial houses.(B)A comparison of eighteenth-c

46、entury houses and modern houses.(C)The decorations used in eighteenth-century houses.(D)The role of carpenters in building eighteenth-century houses.33.What was one of the main reasons for the change in architectural style in eighteenth-century North America?(A)More architects arrived in the colonie

47、s.(B)The colonists developed an interest in classical architecture.(C)Bricks were more readily available.(D)The colonists had more money to spend on housing.34.According to the passage, who was responsible for designing houses in eighteenth-century North America?(A)Professional architects(B)Customers(C)Interior decorators(D)Carpenters.35.The passage implies that the rules outlined in architectural manuals were(A)generally ignored(B)legally binding(C)not strictly adhered to(D