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TOEFL阅读理解真题

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TOEFL阅读理解真题

篇1：TOEFL阅读理解真题精选

托福阅读真题1

Pheromones are substances that serve as chemical signals between members of the same species. They are secreted to the outside of the body and cause other individuals of the species to have specific reactions. Pheromones, which are sometimes called social hormones, affect a group of individuals somewhat like hormones do an individual animal. Pheromones are the predominant medium of communication among insects (but rarely the sole method). Some species have simple pheromone systems and produce only a few pheromones, but others produce many with various functions. Pheromone systems are the most complex in some of the so-called social insects, insects that live in organized groups.

Chemical communication differs from that by sight or sound in several ways. Transmission is relatively slow (the chemical signals are usually airborne), but the signal can be persistent, depending upon the volatility of the chemical, and is sometimes effective over a very long range. Localization of the signal is generally poorer than localization of a sound or visual stimulus and is usually effected by the animal's moving upwind in response to the stimulus. The ability to modulate a chemical signal is limited, compared with communication by visual or acoustic means, but some pheromones may convey different meanings and consequently result in different behavioral or physiological responses, depending on their concentration or when presented in combination. The modulation of chemical signals occurs via the elaboration of the number of exocrine glands that produce pheromones. Some species, such as ants, seem to be very articulate creatures, but their medium of communication is difficult for humans to study and appreciate because of our own olfactory, insensitivity and the technological difficulties in detecting and analyzing these pheromones. Pheromones play numerous roles in the activities of insects. They may act as alarm substances, play a role in individual and group recognition, serve as attractants between sexes, mediate the formation of aggregations, identify foraging trails, and be involved in caste determination. For example, pheromones involved in caste determination include the queen substance produced by queen honey bees. Aphids, which are particularly vulnerable to predators because of their gregarious habits and sedentary nature, secrete an alarm pheromone when attacked that causes nearby aphids to respond by moving away.

1. What does the passage mainly discuss?

(A) How insects use pheromones to communicate

(B) How pheromones are produced by insects

(D) The different uses of pheromones among various insect species

2. The word serve in line 1 is closest in meaning to

(A) improve

(B) function

(D) rely

3. The purpose of the second mention of hormones in line 4 is to point out

(A) chemical signals that are common among insects

(B) specific responses of various species to chemical signals

(D) how insects produce different chemical substances

4. The word sole in line 6 is closest in meaning to

(A) obvious

(B) best

(D) final

5. The passage suggests that the speed at which communication through pheromones occurs is

dependent on how quickly they

(A) lose their effectiveness

(B) evaporate in the air

(D) are produced by the body

6. According to the passage , the meaning of a message communicated through a pheromone

may vary when the

(A) chemical structure of the pheromone is changed

(B) pheromone is excreted while other pheromones are also being excreted

(D) pheromone is released near certain specific organisms

7. The word detecting in line 23 is closest in meaning to

(A) controlling

(B) storing

(D) finding

8. According to paragraph 2, which of the following has made the study of pheromones difficult?

(A) Pheromones cannot be easily reproduced in chemical laboratories.

(B) Existing technology cannot fully explore the properties of pheromones.

(D) Pheromone signals are constantly changing.

9. The word They in line 24 refers to

(A) pheromones

(B) roles

(D) insects

10. The word sedentary in line 29 is closest in meaning to

(A) inactive

(B) inefficient

(D) unbalanced

11. Pheromone systems are relatively complex in insects that

(A) also communicate using sight and sound

(B) live underground

(D) live in organized groups

PASSAGE 95 ABCCB ADBAAD

托福阅读真题2

The Homestead Act of 1862 gave heads of families or individuals aged twenty-one or older the right to own 160 acres of public land in the western United States after five years of residence and improvement. This law was intended to provide land for small farmers and to prevent land from being bought for resale at a profit or being owned by large landholders. An early amendment to the act even prevented husbands and wives from filing separate claims. The West, land reformers had assumed, would soon contain many 160-acre family farms.

They were doomed to disappointment. Most landless Americans were too poor to become farmers even when they could obtain land without cost. The expense of moving a family to the ever-receding frontier exceeded the means of many, and the cost of tools, draft animals, a wagon, a well, fencing, and of building the simplest house, might come to $1,000 — a formidable barrier. As for the industrial workers for whom the free land was supposed to provide a safety valve, they had neither the skills nor the inclination to become farmers. Homesteaders usually came from districts not far removed from frontier conditions. And despite the intent of the law, speculators often managed to obtain large tracts. They hired people to stake out claims, falsely swear that they had fulfilled the conditions laid down in the law for obtaining legal title, and then deed the land over to their employers.

Furthermore, 160 acres were not enough for raising livestock or for the kind of commercial agriculture that was developing west of the Mississippi. The national government made a feeble attempt to make larger holdings available to homesteaders by passing the Timber Culture Act of 1873, which permitted individuals to claim an additional 160 acres if they would agree to plant a quarter of it in trees within ten years. This law proved helpful to some farmers in the largely treeless states of Kansas, Nebraska, and the Dakotas. Nevertheless, fewer than 25 percent of the 245,000 who took up land under the Act obtained final title to the property.

1. Which aspect of the Homestead Act of 1862 does the passage mainly discuss?

(A) How it transformed the western United States into a place of small farms

(B) Why it was an improvement over previous attempts at land reform

(D) How it failed in the largely treeless states of Kansas, Nebraska, and the Dakotas

2. An amendment added to the Homestead Act of 1862 specified that

(A) five years of residence was required for landownership

(B) husbands and wives could not file separate claims

(D) land could not be resold for a profit

3. The word formidable in line 12 is closest in meaning to

(A) obvious

(B) predictable

(D) manageable

4. It can be inferred that the safety valve in line 13 refers to

(A) a new kind of machinery

(B) an alternative for urban workers

(D) a procedure designed to protect workers

5. The word intent in line 15 is closest in meaning to

(A) purpose

(B) power

(D) invention

6. According to the passage , why did the government pass the Timber Culture Act of 1873?

(A) to make larger tracts of land available to small farmers

(B) to settle Kansas, Nebraska, and the Dakotas

(D) to increase the variety of trees growing in the western states

7. The word they in line 23 refers to

(A) larger holdings

(B) individuals

(D) trees

8. According to the passage , how many of the farmers who settled land under the Timber

Culture Act of 1873 received final title to the property?

(A) fewer than 25%

(B) more than 160

(D) 245,000

9. The passage mentions all of the following as reasons the Homestead Act of 1862 did not

achieve its aims EXCEPT:

(A) Most landless Americans could not afford the necessary tools and provisions.

(B) Industrial workers lacked the necessary farming skills.

(D) Homesteaders usually came from areas relatively close to the frontier.

10. Which of the following can be inferred from the passage about the Timber Culture Act of

1873?

(A) It especially helped farmers with large holdings of land.

(B) It was most important to farmers living in states that had plenty of trees.

(D) The majority of farmers did not need the extra 160 acres it provided.

PASSAGE 96 CBCDA ABACC

托福阅读真题3

The Moon, which has undergone a distinct and complex geological history, presents a striking appearance. The moon may be divided into two major terrains: the Maria (dark lowlands) and the Terrace (bright highlands). The contrast in the reflectivity (the capability of reflecting light) of these two terrains suggested to many early observers that the two terrains might have different compositions, and this supposition was confirmed by missions to the Moon such as Surveyor and Apollo. One of the most obvious differences between the terrains is the smoothness of the Maria in contrast to the roughness of the highlands. This roughness is mostly caused by the abundance of craters: the highlands are completely covered by large craters (greater than 40-50 km in diameter), while the craters of the Maria tend to be much smaller. It is now known that the vast majority of the Moon's craters were formed by the impact of solid bodies with the lunar surface.

Most of the near side of the Moon was thoroughly mapped and studied from telescopic pictures years before the age of space exploration. Earth-based telescopes can resolve objects as small as a few hundred meters on the lunar surface. Close observation of craters, combined with the way the Moon diffusely reflects sunlight, led to the understanding that the Moon is covered by a surface layer, or regolith, that overlies the solid rock of the Moon. Telescopic images permitted the cataloging of a bewildering array of land forms. Craters were studied for clues to their origin; the large wispy marks were seen. Strange, sinuous features were observed in the Maria. Although various land forms were catalogued, the majority of astronomers' attention was fixed on craters and their origins.

Astronomers have known for a fairly long time that the shape of craters changes as they increase in size. Small craters with diameters of less than 10-15 km have relatively simple shapes. They have rim crests that are elevated above the surrounding terrain, smooth, bowl-shaped interiors, and depths that are about one-sixth their diameters. The complexity of shape increases for larger craters.

1. What does the passage mainly discuss?

(A) What astronomers learned from the Surveyor and Apollo space missions.

(B) Characteristics of the major terrains of the Moon.

(D) Techniques used to catalogue the Moon's land forms.

2. The word undergone in line 1 is closest in meaning to

(A) altered

(B) substituted

(D) preserved

3. According to the passage , the Maria differ from the Terrace mainly in terms of

(A) age

(B) manner of creation

(D) composition

4. The passage supports which of the following statements about the Surveyor and Apollo missions

(A) They confirmed earlier theories about the Moon's surface.

(B) They revealed that previous ideas about the Moon's craters were incorrect.

(D) They were unable to identify how the Moon's craters were made.

5. The word vast in line 11 is closest in meaning to

(A) special

(B) known

(D) great

6. All of the following are true of the Maria EXCEPT:

(A) They have small craters.

(B) They have been analyzed by astronomers.

(D) They tend to be darker than the terrace.

7. All of the following terms are defined in the passage EXCEPT

(A) Moon (line 1)

(B) reflectivity (line 3)

(D) Maria (line 2)

8. The author mentions wispy marks in line 19 as an example of

(A) an aspect of the lunar surface discovered through lunar missions

(B) a characteristic of large craters

(D) features that astronomers observed to be common to the Earth and the Moon

9. According to the passage , lunar researchers have focused mostly on

(A) the possibility of finding water on the Moon

(B) the lunar regolith

(D) craters and their origins

10. The passage probably continues with a discussion of

(A) the reasons craters are difficult to study

(B) the different shapes small craters can have

(D) some difference in the ways small and large craters were formed

PASSAGE 97 BCDAD CACDC

篇2：TOEFL阅读理解真题

托福阅读真题1

In eighteenth-century colonial America, flowers and fruit were typically the province of the botanical artist interested in scientific illustration rather than being the subjects of fine art. Early in the nineteenth century, however, the Peale family of Philadelphia established the still life, a picture consisting mainly of inanimate objects, as a valuable part of the artist's repertoire. The fruit paintings by James and Sarah Miriam Peale are simple arrangements of a few objects, handsomely colored, small in size, and representing little more than what they are. In contrast were the highly symbolic, complex compositions by Charles Bird King, with their biting satire and critical social commentary. Each of these strains comminuted into and well past mid-century.

John F. Francis (1808-86) was a part of the Pennsylvania still-life tradition that arose, at least in part, from the work of the Peales. Most of his still lifes date from around 1850 to 1875. Luncheon Still Life looks like one of the Peales' pieces on a larger scale, with greater complexity resulting from the number of objects. It is also indebted to the luncheon type of still life found in seventeenth-century Dutch painting. The opened bottles of wine and the glasses of wine partially consumed suggest a number of unseen guests. The appeal of the fruit and nuts to our sense of taste is heightened by the juicy orange, which has already been sliced. The arrangement is additive, that is, made up of many different parts, not always compositionally integrated, with all objects of essentially equal importance.

About 1848, Severin Roesen came to the United States from Germany and settled in New York City, where he began to paint large, lush still lifes of flowers, fruit, or both, often measuring over four feet across. Still Life with fruit and champagne is typical in its brilliance of color, meticulous rendering of detail, compact composition, and unabashed abundance. Rich in symbolic overtones, the beautifully painted objects carry additional meanings — butterflies or fallen buds suggest the impermanence of life, a bird's nest with eggs means fertility, and so on. Above all, Roesen's art expresses the abundance that America symbolized to many of its citizens.

1. What does the passage mainly discuss?

(A) The artwork of James and Sarah Miriam Peale

(B) How Philadelphia became a center for art in the nineteenth century

(D) How botanical art inspired the first still-life paintings

2. Which of the following is mentioned as a characteristic of the still lifes of James and Sarah

Miriam Peale?

(A) simplicity

(B) symbolism

(D) social commentary

3. The word biting in line 8 is closest in meaning to

(A) simple

(B) sorrowful

(D) sharp

4. The word It in line 13 refers to

(A) Luncheon Still Life

(B) one of the Peales' pieces

(D) the number of objects

5. The word heightened in line 16 is closest in meaning to

(A) complicated

(B) directed

(D) increased

6. The word meticulous in line 23 is closest in meaning to

(A) careful

(B) significant

(D) believable

7. Which of the following terms is defined in the passage ?

(A) repertoire (line 5)

(B) satire (line 8)

(D) rendering (line 23)

8. All of the following are mentioned as characteristics of Roesen's still lifes EXCEPT that they

(A) are symbolic

(B) use simplified representations of flowers and fruit

(D) are large in size

9. Which of the following is mentioned as the dominant theme in Roesen's painting?

(A) Fertility

(B) Freedom

(D) Abundance

PASSAGE 89 CADAD ACBD

托福阅读真题2

Perhaps one of the most dramatic and important changes that took place in the Mesozoic era occurred late in that era, among the small organisms that populate the uppermost, sunlit portion of the oceans — the plankton. The term plankton is a broad one, designating all of the small plants and animals that float about or weakly propel themselves through the sea. In the late stages of the Mesozoic era, during the Cretaceous period, there was a great expansion of plankton that precipitated skeletons or shells composed of two types of mineral: silica and calcium carbonate.

This development radically changed the types of sediments that accumulated on the seafloor, because, while the organic parts of the plankton decayed after the organisms died, their mineralized skeletons often survived and sank to the bottom. For the first time in the Earth's long history, very large quantities of silica skeletons, which would eventually harden into rock, began to pile up in parts of the deep sea. Thick deposits of calcareous ooze made up of the tiny remains of the calcium carbonate-secreting plankton also accumulated as never before. The famous white chalk cliffs of Dover, in the southeast of England, are just one example of the huge quantities of such material that amassed during the Cretaceous period; there are many more. Just why the calcareous plankton were so prolific during the latter part of the Cretaceous period is not fully understood. Such massive amounts of chalky sediments have never since been deposited over a comparable period of time.

The high biological productivity of the Cretaceous oceans also led to ideal conditions for oil accumulation. Oil is formed when organic material trapped in sediments is slowly buried and subjected to increased temperatures and pressures, transforming it into petroleum. Sediments rich in organic material accumulated along the margins of the Tethys Seaway, the tropical east-west ocean that formed when Earth's single landmass (known as Pangaea) split apart during the Mesozoic era. Many of today's important oil fields are found in those sediments — in Russia, the Middle East, the Gulf of Mexico, and in the states of Texas and Louisiana in the United States.

1. What does the passage mainly discuss?

(A) How sediments were built up in oceans during the Cretaceous period

(B) How petroleum was formed in the Mesozoic era

(D) The differences between plankton found in the present era and Cretaceous plankton

2. The passage indicates that the Cretaceous period occurred

(A) in the early part of the Mesozoic era

(B) in the middle part of the Mesozoic era

(D) after the Mesozoic era

3. The passage mentions all of the following aspects of plankton EXCEPT

(A) the length of their lives

(B) the level of the ocean at which they are found

(D) their size

4. The word accumulated in line 8 is closest in meaning to

(A) depended

(B) matured

(D) collected

5. According to the passage , the most dramatic change to the oceans caused by plankton during

the Cretaceous period concerned

(A) the depth of the water

(B) the makeup of the sediment on the ocean floor

(D) a decline in the quantity of calcareous ooze on the seafloor

6. The white chalk cliffs of Dover are mentioned in line 14 of the passage to

(A) show where the plankton sediment first began to build up

(B) provide an example of a plankton buildup that scientists cannot explain

(D) indicate the largest single plankton buildup on Earth

7. The word prolific in line 17 is closest in meaning to

(A) fruitful

(B) distinct

(D) energetic

8. The word ideal in line 20 is closest in meaning to

(A) common

(B) clear

(D) immediate

9. The word it in line 22 refers to

(A) biological productivity

(B) oil

(D) petroleum

PASSAGE 90 CCADB CACC

托福阅读真题3

The term art deco has come to encompass three distinct but related design trends of the 1920's and 1930's. The first was what is frequently referred to as zigzag moderne — the exotically ornamental style of such skyscrapers as the Chrysler Building in New York City and related structures such as the Paramount Theater in Oakland, California. The word zigzag alludes to the geometric and stylized ornamentation of zigzags, angular patterns, abstracted plant and animal motifs, sunbursts, astrological imagery, formalized fountains, and related themes that were applied in mosaic relief, and mural form to the exterior and interior of the buildings. Many of these buildings were shaped in the ziggurat form, a design resembling an ancient Mesopotamian temple tower that recedes in progressively smaller stages to the summit, creating a staircase-like effect. The second manifestation of art deco was the 1930's streamlined moderne style — a Futuristic-looking aerodynamic style of rounded corners and horizontal bands known as speed stripes. In architecture, these elements were frequently accompanied by round windows, extensive use of glass block, and flat rooftops.

The third style, referred to as either international stripped classicism, or simply classical moderne, also came to the forefront during the Depression, a period of severe economic difficult in the 1930's. This was a more conservative style, blending a simplified modernistic style with a more austere form of geometric and stylized relief sculpture and other ornament, including interior murals. Many buildings in this style were erected nationwide through government programs during the Depression.

Although art deco in its many forms was largely perceived as thoroughly modern, it was strongly influenced by the decorative arts movements that immediately preceded it. For example, like art nouveau (1890-1910), art deco also used plant motifs, but regularized the forms into abstracted repetitive patterns rather than presenting them as flowing, asymmetrical foliage, like the Viennese craftspeople of the Wiener Werkstatte, art deco designers worked with exotic materials, geometricized shapes, and colorfully ornate patterns. Furthermore, like the artisans of the Arts and Crafts Movement in England and the United States, art deco practitioners considered it their mission to transform the domestic environment through well-designed furniture and household accessories.

1. What aspect of art deco does the passage mainly discuss?

(A) The influence of art deco on the design of furniture and household accessories

(B) Ways in which government programs encouraged the development of art deco

(D) Reasons for the popularity of art deco in New York and California

2. The word encompass in line 1 is closest in meaning to

(A) separate

(B) include

(D) enhance

3. The phrase The first in line 2 refers to

(A) the term art deco

(B) design trends

(D) skyscrapers

4. In line 9, the author mentions an ancient Mesopotamian temple tower in order to

(A) describe the exterior shape of certain art deco buildings

(B) explain the differences between ancient and modern architectural steles

(D) argue for a return to more traditional architectural design

5. The streamlined moderne style is characterized by all of the following EXCEPT

(A) animal motifs

(B) flat roofs

(D) speed stripes

6. The phrase came to the forefront in line 16 is closest in meaning to

(A) grew in complexity

(B) went through a process

(D) became important

7. According to the passage , which of the following statements most accurately describes the

relationship between art deco and art nouveau?

(A) They were art forms that competed with each other for government support during the

Depression era.

(B) They were essentially the same art form.

(D) Art deco became important in the United States while art nouveau became popular in

England.

8. According to the passage , a building having an especially ornate appearance would most

probably have been designed in the style of

(A) zigzag moderne

(B) streamlined moderne

(D) the Arts and Crafts Movement

9. According to the passage , which of the following design trends is known by more than one

name?

(A) Zigzag moderne

(B) Streamlined moderne

(D) Arts and Crafts Movement

10. The passage is primarily developed as

(A) the historical chronology of a movement

(B) a description of specific buildings that became famous for their unusual beauty

(D) an argument of the advantages of one artistic form over another

PASSAGE 91 CBBAA DCACC

篇3：TOEFL阅读理解真题

托福阅读真题1

Cities 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 world's 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 City's importance stems from its early and continuing advantage of situation. Philadelphia and Boston both originated at about the same time as New York and shared New York's location at the western end of one of the world's most important oceanic trade routes, but only New York possesses an easy-access functional connection (the Hudson-Mohawk lowland) to the vast Midwestern hinterland. This account does not alone explain New York's 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

(D) The importance of geographical situation in the growth of United States cities

2. The word ingenuity in line 2. is closest in meaning to

(A) wealth

(B) resourcefulness

(D) organization

3. The passage suggests that a geographer would consider a city's soil type part of its

(A) hinterland

(B) situation

(D) function

4. According to the passage , a city's situation is more important than its site in regard to the

city's

(A) long-term growth and prosperity

(B) ability to protect its citizenry

(D) need to import food supplies

5. The author mentions each of the following as an advantage of Chicago's location EXCEPT its

(A) hinterland

(B) nearness to a large lake

(D) flat terrain

6. The word characteristics in line 14 is closest in meaning to

(A) choices

(B) attitudes

(D) inhabitants

7. The primary purpose of paragraph 1 is to

(A) summarize past research and introduce a new study

(B) describe a historical period

(D) define a term and illustrate it with an example

8. According to the passage , Philadelphia and Boston are similar to New York City in

(A) size of population

(B) age

(D) availability of rail transportation

9. The word functional in line 20 is closest in meaning to

(A) alternate

(B) unknown

(D) usable

10. The word it in line 21 refers to

(A) account

(B) primacy

(D) hinterland

11. The word significant in line 26 is closest in meaning to

(A) threatening

(B) meaningful

(D) available

PASSAGE 71 DBCAD CDCDA B

托福阅读真题2

The Harlem Renaissance, a movement of the 1920's, marked the twentieth century's 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 for substance 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 1920's

(B) An arts movement of the 1920's

(D) Some ways in which African culture inspired American literature, art and music

2. 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

(D) their independence from European artistic traditions

3. The word them in line 11 refers to

(A) Americans of European descent

(B) paintings

(D) attitudes

4. According to the passage , African American artists of the 1920's differed from earlier African

American artists in terms of their feelings about

(A) themselves

(B) other artists

(D) stereotypes

5. The word urged in line 17 is closest in meaning to

(A) prepared

(B) defined

(D) encouraged

6. Alain Locke believed all of the following to be important to the African American artistic

movement EXCEPT

(A) pride in African art

(B) cultural pluralism

(D) withdrawal from American culture

7. In mentioning the pulse and beat (line 25) of Harlem during the 1920's, the author is

characterizing 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

(D) was in danger of losing population

8. The word convergence in line 26 is closest in meaning to

(A) gathering

(B) promotion

(D) influence

9. According to the passage , all of the following were true of Harlem in the 1920's EXCEPT:

(A) Some Caribbean artists and intellectuals lived there.

(B) It attracted people from various regions of United States.

(D) It was a unique cultural center.

10. The phrase carried on in line 30 is closest in meaning to

(A) continued

(B) praised

(D) connected

PASSAGE 72 BCCAD DCACA

托福阅读真题3

ffeterd 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 author's main purpose in the passage ?

(A) To show how technology influenced basic science

(B) To describe the scientific base of nineteenth-century American industries

(D) To argue that basic science has no practical application

2. The word altogether in line 2 is closest in meaning to

(A) completely

(B) realistically

(D) understandably

3. The word intensive in line 5 is closest in meaning to

(A) decreased

(B) concentrated

(D) advanced

4. The list mentioned in line 13 refers to

(A) types of scientific knowledge

(B) changes brought by technology

(D) applications of engineering science

5. The understanding of research and development in the late nineteenth century is based on

which of the following?

(A) Engineering science is not very important.

(B) Fundamental science naturally leads to economic benefits.

(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

(D) expansion

7. The word assumption in line 19 is closest in meaning to

(A) regulation

(B) belief

(D) confusion

8. 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

(D) To show how scientists who work in basic research contribute to applied science

9. 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.

(D) Science and technology are becoming more separate.

PASSAGE 73 CABCB CBDA

篇4：TOEFL托福阅读理解真题

The economic depression in the late-nineteenth-century United States contributed significantly to a growing movement in literature toward realism and naturalism. After the 1870's, a number of important authors began to reject the romanticism that had prevailed immediately following the Civil War of 1861-1865 and turned instead to realism. Determined to portray life as it was, with fidelity to real life and accurate representation without idealization, they studied local dialects, wrote stories which focused on life in specific regions of the country, and emphasized the true relationships between people. In doing so, they reflected broader trends in the society, such as industrialization, evolutionary theory which emphasized the effect of the environment on humans, and the influence of science.

Realists such as Joel Chandler Harris and Ellen Glasgow depicted life in the South, Hamlin Garland described life on the Great Plains, and Sarah Orne Jewett wrote about everyday life in rural New England. Another realist, Bret Harte, achieved fame with stories that portrayed local life in the California mining camps. Samuel Clemens, who adopted the pen name Mark Twain, became the country's most outstanding realist author, observing life around him with a humorous and skeptical eye. In his stories and novels, Twain drew on his own experiences and used dialect and common speech instead of literary language, touching off a major change in American prose style.

Other writers became impatient even with realism. Pushing evolutionary theory to its limits, they wrote of a world in which a cruel and merciless environment determined human fate. These writers, called naturalists, often focused on economic hardship, studying people struggling with poverty, and other aspects of urban and industrial life. Naturalists brought to their writing a passion for direct and honest experience.

Theodore Dreiser, the foremost naturalist writer, in novels such as Sister Carrie, grimly portrayed a dark world in which human beings were tossed about by forces beyond their understanding or control. Dreiser thought that writers should tell the truth about human affairs, not fabricate romance, and Sister Carrie, he said, was not intended as a piece of literary craftsmanship, but was a picture of conditions.

1. Which aspect of late-nineteenth-century United States literature does the passage mainly

discuss?

(A) The influence of science on literature

(B) The importance of dialects for realist writers

(D) The effects of industrialization on romanticism

2. The word prevailed in line 4 is closest in meaning to

(A) dominated

(B) transformed

(D) generalized

3. The word they in line 8 refers to

(A) authors

(B) dialects

(D) relationships

4. According to the passage , a highly significant factor in the development of realist and

naturalist literature was

(A) the Civil War

(B) a recognition that romanticism was unpopular

(D) an economic depression

5. Realist writers took an interest in all of the following EXCEPT

(A) human relationships

(B) characteristics of different regions

(D) social and historical theories

6. The word depicted in line 11 is closest in meaning to

(A) emphasized

(B) described

(D) classified

7. Why does the author mention mining camps in line 14?

(A) To contrast the themes of realist and naturalist writers

(B) To illustrate how Bret Harte differed from other authors

(D) As an example of how setting can influence literary style

8. Which of the following wrote about life in rural New England?

(A) Ellen Glasgow

(B) Sarah Orne Jewett

(D) Mark Twain

9. Mark Twain is considered an important literary figure because he

(A) was the first realist writer in the United States

(B) rejected romanticism as a literary approach

(D) influenced American prose style through his use of common speech

10. The word foremost in line 25 is closest in meaning to

(A) most difficult

(B) interesting

(D) leading

11. Which of the following statements about Theodore Dreiser is supported by the passage ?

(A) He mainly wrote about historical subjects such as the Civil War.

(B) His novels often contained elements of humor.

(D) He believed writers should emphasize the positive aspects of life.

PASSAGE 83 CAADC BCBDD C

篇5：TOEFL阅读理解真题整合

托福阅读真题1

Glaciers 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 flows downhill, 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

(D) The location of glaciers

2. 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

(D) Movement of the glacier

3. The word bound in line 9 is closest in meaning to

(A) covered

(B) chosen

(D) held

4. Which of the following will be lost is a glacier forms?

(A) Air

(B) Pressure

(D) Rocks

5. According to the passage , which of the following is the LEAST amount of time necessary for

glacial ice to form?

(A) several months

(B) several years

(D) a century

6. The word converted in line 15 is closest in meaning to

(A) changed

(B) delayed

(D) dissolved

7. 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

(D) To discuss the similarities between glacial types

8. In temperate glaciers, where is water found?

(A) Only near the surface

(B) In pools of various depths

(D) In tunnels

9. The word it in line 21 refers to

(A) formation

(B) ice

(D) weight

10. 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

(D) can contribute water to lakes, rivers, or oceans

PASSAGE 74 CBDAB AADBD

托福阅读真题2

Many prehistoric people subsisted as hunters and gatherers. Undoubtedly, game animals, including some very large species, provided major components of human diets. An important controversy centering on the question of human effects on prehistoric wildlife concerns the sudden disappearance of so many species of large animals at or near the end of the Pleistocene epoch. Most paleontologists suspect that abrupt changes in climate led to the mass extinctions. Others, however, have concluded that prehistoric people drove many of those species to extinction through overhunting. In their Pleistocene overkill hypothesis, they cite what seems to be a remarkable coincidence between the arrival of prehistoric peoples in North and South America and the time during which mammoths, giant ground sloths, the giant bison, and numerous other large mammals became extinct.

Perhaps the human species was driving others to extinction long before the dawn of history. Hunter-gatherers may have contributed to Pleistocene extinctions in more indirect ways. Besides overhunting, at least three other kinds of effects have been suggested: direct competition, imbalances between competing species of game animals, and early agricultural practices. Direct competition may have brought about the demise of large carnivores such as the saber-toothed cats. These animals simply may have been unable to compete with the increasingly sophisticated hunting skills of Pleistocene people.

Human hunters could have caused imbalances among game animals, leading to the extinctions of species less able to compete. When other predators such as the gray wolf prey upon large mammals, they generally take high proportions of each year's crop of young. Some human hunters, in contrast, tend to take the various age-groups of large animals in proportion to their actual occurrence. If such hunters first competed with the larger predators and then replaced them, they may have allowed more young to survive each year, gradually increasing the populations of favored species. As these populations expanded, they in turn may have competed with other game species for the same environmental niche, forcing the less hunted species into extinction. This theory, suggests that human hunters played an indirect role in Pleistocene extinctions by hunting one species more than another.

1. What does the passage mainly discuss?

(A) The effects of human activities on prehistoric wildlife

(B) The origins of the hunter-gatherer way of life

(D) The change in climate at the end of the Pleistocene epoch

2. The word Undoubtedly in line 1 is closest in meaning to

(A) occasionally

(B) unexpectedly

(D) certainly

3. The word components in line 2 is closest in meaning to

(A) parts

(B) problems

(D) varieties

4. Which of the following is mentioned as supporting the Pleistocene overkill hypothesis?

(A) Many of the animals that became extinct were quite large.

(B) Humans migrated into certain regions around the time that major extinctions occurred.

(D) Humans began to keep and care for certain animals.

5. The word Besides in line 14 is closest in meaning to

(A) caused by

(B) whereas

(D) in favor of

6. The author mentions saber-toothed cats in line 17 as an example of a carnivore that

(A) became extinct before the Pleistocene epoch

(B) was unusually large for its time

(D) caused the extinction of several species

7. The word they in line 22 refers to

(A) human hunters

(B) game animals

(D) large mammals

8. According to the passage , what is one difference between the hunting done by some humans

and the hunting done by gray wolves?

(A) Some humans hunt more frequently than gray wolves.

(B) Gray wolves hunt in larger groups than some humans.

(D) Some humans prey on animals of all ages, but gray wolves concentrate their efforts on young

animals.

9. The word favored in line 26 is closest in meaning to

(A) large

(B) escaping

(D) local

10. According to the passage , the imbalances discussed in paragraph 3 may have resulted from

(A) the effect of climate changes on large game animals

(B) large animals moving into a new environment

(D) older animals not being able to compete with younger animals

PASSAGE 75 ADABC CCDCC

托福阅读真题3

Under the Earth's topsoil, at various levels, sometimes under a layer of rock, there are deposits of clay. Look at cuts where highways have been built to see exposed clay beds; or look at a construction site, where pockets of clay may be exposed. Rivers also reveal clay along their banks, and erosion on a hillside may make clay easily accessible. What is clay made of? The Earth's surface is basically rock, and it is this rock that gradually decomposes into clay. Rain, streams, alternating freezing and thawing, roots of trees and plants forcing their way into cracks, earthquakes, volcanic action, and glaciers — all of these forces slowly break down the Earth's exposed rocky crust into smaller and smaller pieces that eventually become clay.

Rocks are composed of elements and compounds of elements. Feldspar, which is the most abundant mineral on the Earth's surface, is basically made up of the oxides silica and alumina combined with alkalis like potassium and some so-called impurities such as iron. Feldspar is an essential component of granite rocks, and as such it is the basis of clay. When it is wet, clay can be easily shaped to make a variety of useful objects, which can then be fired to varying degrees of hardness and covered with impermeable decorative coatings of glasslike material called glaze. Just as volcanic action, with its intense heat, fuses the elements in certain rocks into a glasslike rock called obsidian, so can we apply heat to earthen materials and change them into a hard, dense material. Different clays need different heat levels to fuse, and some, the low-fire clays, never become nonporous and watertight like highly fired stoneware. Each clay can stand only a certain amount of heat without losing its shape through sagging or melting. Variations of clay composition and the temperatures at which they are fired account for the differences in texture and appearance between a china teacup and an earthenware flowerpot.

1. The author's main point in paragraph 1 is that clay deposits

(A) conceal layers of rock

(B) can be found in various places

(D) must be removed from construction sites

2. It can be inferred from the passage that clay is LEAST likely to be plentiful in which of the following areas?

(A) in desert sand dunes

(B) in forests

(D) near rivers

3. The word accessible in line 4 is closest in meaning to

(A) buried

(B) improved

(D) workable

4. According to the passage , rock breaks down into clay under all of the following conditions

EXCEPT when

(A) it is exposed to freezing and thawing

(B) roots of trees force their way into cracks

(D) natural forces wear away the Earth's crust

5. Why does the author mention feldspar in line 10?

(A) It is often used as a substitute for clay.

(B) It is damaged by the oxides in clay.

(D) It is a major component of clay.

6. The word it in line 13 refers to

(A) iron

(B) feldspar

(D) clay

7. Based on the information in the passage , it can be inferred that low-fire clays are MOST

appropriate for making objects that

(A) must be strong

(B) can be porous

(D) are highly decorated

8. The phrase account for in line 22 is closest in meaning to

(A) reduce

(B) explain

(D) list all of

9. The passage supports which of the following conclusions?

(A) Clay deposits are only found deep in the Earth.

(B) If clay contains too much iron it will melt when fired.

(D) If sufficient heat is applied, all clay will become nonporous.

PASSAGE 76 BACCD BBBC

篇6：TOEFL托福阅读理解真题

It is estimated that over 99 percent of all species that ever existed have become extinct. What causes extinction? When a species is no longer adapted to a changed environment, it may perish. The exact causes of a species' death vary from situation to situation. Rapid ecological change may render an environment hostile to a species. For example, temperatures may change and a species may not be able to adapt. Food resources may be affected by environmental changes, which will then cause problems for a species requiring these resources. Other species may become better adapted to an environment, resulting in competition and, ultimately, in the death of a species.

The fossil record reveals that extinction has occurred throughout the history of Earth. Recent analyses have also revealed that on some occasions many species became extinct at the same time — a mass extinction. One of the best-known examples of mass extinction occurred 65 million years ago with the demise of dinosaurs and many other forms of life. Perhaps the largest mass extinction was the one that occurred 225 million years ago, when approximately 95 percent of all species died, mass extinctions can be caused by a relatively rapid change in the environment and can be worsened by the close interrelationship of many species. If, for example, something were to happen to destroy much of the plankton in the oceans, then the oxygen content of Earth would drop, affection even organisms not living in the oceans. Such a change would probably lead to a mass extinction.

One interesting, and controversial, finding is that extinctions during the past 250 million years have tended to be more intense every 26 million years. This periodic extinction might be due to intersection of the Earth's orbit with a cloud of comets, but this theory is purely speculative. Some researchers have also speculated that extinction may often be random. That is, certain species may be eliminated and others may survive for no particular reason. A species' survival may have nothing to do with its ability or inability to adapt. If so, some of evolutionary history may reflect a sequence of essentially random events.

1. The word it in line 3 refers to

(A) environment

(B) species

(D) 99 percent

2. The word ultimately in line 8 is closest in meaning to

(A) exceptionally

(B) dramatically

(D) unfortunately

3. What does the author say in paragraph 1 regarding most species in Earth's history

(A) They have remained basically unchanged from their original forms.

(B) They have been able to adapt to ecological changes.

(D) They are no longer in existence.

4. Which of the following is NOT mentioned in paragraph 1 as resulting from rapid ecological

change?

(A) Temperature changes

(B) Availability of food resources

(D) Competition among species

5. The word demise in line 12 is closest in meaning to

(A) change

(B) recovery

(D) death

6. Why is plankton mentioned in line 17?

(A) To demonstrate the interdependence of different species.

(B) To emphasize the importance of food resources in preventing mass extinction.

ocean.

(D) To point out that certain species could never become extinct.

7. According to paragraph 2, evidence from fossils suggests that

(A) Extinction of species has occurred from time to time throughout Earth's history.

(B) Extinctions on Earth have generally been massive

(D) Dinosaurs became extinct much earlier than scientists originally believed.

8. The word finding in line 20 is closest in meaning to

(A) published information

(B) research method

(D) scientific discovery

9. Which of the following can be inferred about the theory mentioned in Line 21-23?

(A) Many scientists could be expected to disagree with it.

(B) Evidence to support the theory has recently been found.

(D) Most scientists believe the theory to be accurate.

10. In paragraph 3, the author makes which of the following statements about a species' survival?

(A) It reflects the interrelationship of many species.

(B) It may depend on chance events.

(D) It is associated with astronomical conditions.

11. According to the passage , it is believed that the largest extinction of a species occurred

(A) 26 million years ago

(B) 65 million years ago

(D) 250 million years ago

PASSAGE 77 BCDCD AADAB C

篇7：TOEFL托福阅读理解真题

The lack of printing regulations and the unenforceability of British copyright law in the American colonies made it possible for colonial printers occasionally to act as publishers. Although they rarely undertook major publishing project because it was difficult to sell books as cheaply as they could be imported from Europe, printers in Philadelphia did publish work that required only small amounts of capital, paper, and type. Broadsides could be published with minimal financial risk. Consisting of only one sheet of paper and requiring small amounts of type, broadsides involved lower investments of capital than longer works. Furthermore, the broadside format lent itself to subjects of high, if temporary, interest, enabling them to meet with ready sale. If the broadside printer miscalculated, however, and produced a sheet that did not sell, it was not likely to be a major loss, and the printer would know this immediately, There would be no agonizing wait with large amounts of capital tied up, books gathering dust on the shelves, and creditors impatient for payment.

In addition to broadsides, books and pamphlets, consisting mainly of political tracts, catechisms, primers, and chapbooks were relatively inexpensive to print and to buy. Chapbooks were pamphlet-sized books, usually containing popular tales, ballads, poems, short plays, and jokes, small, both in formal and number of pages, they were generally bound simply, in boards (a form of cardboard) or merely stitched in paper wrappers (a sewn antecedent of modern-day paperbacks). Pamphlets and chapbooks did not require fine paper or a great deal of type to produce they could thus be printed in large, cost-effective editions and sold cheaply.

By far, the most appealing publishing investments were to be found in small books that had proven to be steady sellers, providing a reasonably reliable source of income for the publisher. They would not, by nature, be highly topical or political, as such publications would prove of fleeting interest. Almanacs, annual publications that contained information on astronomy and weather patterns arranged according to the days, week, and months of a given year, provided the perfect steady seller because their information pertained to the locale in which they would be used.

1. Which aspect of colonial printing does the passage mainly discuss?

(A) Laws governing the printing industry.

(B) Competition among printers

(D) Advances in printing technology

2. According to the passage , why did colonial printers avoid major publishing projects?

(A) Few colonial printers owned printing machinery that was large enough to handle major

projects.

(B) There was inadequate shipping available in the colonies.

(D) Colonial printers did not have the skills necessary to undertake large publishing projects.

3. Broadsides could be published with little risk to colonial printers because they

(A) required a small financial investment and sold quickly

(B) were in great demand in European markets