2000年8月老托福阅读解析第五篇

TEST FOR ENGLISH MAJORS (2000)-GRADE EIGHT-PAPER ONETIME LIMIT: 95 MINPART I LISTENING COMPREHENSION [40 MIN.]In Sections A, B and C you will hear everything ONCE ONLY. Listen carefully and then answer the questions that follow. Mark the correct answer to each question on your Colored Answer Sheet.SECTION A TALKQuestions 1 to 5 refer to the talk in this section .At the end of the talk you w ill be given 15 seconds to answer each of the following five questions.Now listen to the talk.1. The rules for the first private library in the US were drawn up by ___.A) the legislatureB) the librarianC) John HarvardD) the faculty members2. The earliest public library was also called a subscription library because books ___.A) could be lent to everyoneB) could be lent by book storesC) were lent to students and the facultyD) were lent on a membership basis3. Which of the following is NOT stated as one of the purposes of free public librariesA) To provide readers with comfortable reading rooms.B) To provide adults with opportunities of further education.C) To serve the community's cultural and recreational needs.D) To supply technical literature on specialized subjects.4. The major difference between modem private and public libraries lies in ___.A) readershipB) content C) serviceD) function5. The main purpose of the talk is ___.A) to introduce categories of books in US librariesB) to demonstrate the importance of US librariesC) to explain the roles of different US librariesD) to define the circulation system of US librariesSECTION B INTERVIEWQuestions 6 to 10 are based on an interview. At the end of the interview you wil l be given 15 seconds to answer each of the following five questions.Now listen to the interview.6. Nancy became a taxi driver because ___.A) she owned a carB) she drove wellC) she liked drivers' uniformsD) it was her childhood dream7. According to her, what was the most difficult about becoming a taxi dr iverA) The right sense of direction.B) The sense of judgment.C) The skill of maneuvering.D) The size of vehicles.8. What does Nancy like best about her jobA) Seeing interesting buildings in the city.B) Being able to enjoy the world of nature.C) Driving in unsettled weather.D) Taking long drives outside the city.9. It can be inferred from the interview that Nancy in a (n) ___ mother.A) uncaringB) strict C) affectionateD) permissive10. The people Nancy meets areA) rather difficult to pleaseB) rude to women driversC) talkative and generous with tipsD) different in personalitySECTION C NEWS BROADCASTQuestion 11 is based on the following news. At the end of the news i tem, you wil l be given 15 seconds to answer the question.Now listen to the news.11. The primary purpose of the US anti-smoking legislation is ___.A) to tighten control on tobacco advertisingB) to impose penalties on tobacco companiesC) to start a national anti-smoking campaignD)to ensure the health of American childrenQuestions 12 and 13 are based on the following news. At the end of the news item, you will be given 30 seconds to answer the questions.Now listen to the news.12. The French President's visit to Japan aims at ___.A) making more investments in JapanB) stimulating Japanese businesses in FranceC) helping boost the Japanese economyD) launching a film festival in Japan13. This is Jacques Chirac's ___ visit to Japan.A) second C) fortiethB) fourteenth D) forty-firstQuestions 14 and 15 are based on the following news. At the end of the news item, you will be given 30 seconds to answer the questions.Now listen to the news.14. Afghan people are suffering from starvation because ___.A) melting snow begins to block the mountain pathsB) the Taliban have destroyed existing food stocksC) the Taliban are hindering food deliveriesD) an emergency air-lift of food was cancelled15. people in Afghanistan are facing starvation.A) 160,000B) 16,000 C) 1,000,000D) 100, 000SECTION D NOTE-TAKING AND GAP-FILLINGIn this section you will hear a mini-lecture. You will the lecture ONCE ONLY. While listening to the lecture, take notes on the important points. Your notes will not be marked, but you will need them to complete a 15-minute gap-filling task on ANSWER SHEET ONE after the mini-lecture. Use the blank paper for note-taking.Part ⅡPROOFREADING & ERROR CORRECTION (15 MIN) Proofread the given passage on ANSWER SHEET TWO as instructed.Part ⅢREADING COMPREHENSION (40 MIN)SECTION A READING COMPREHENSION (30 MIN)In this section there are four reading passages followed by a total of fifteen multiple-choice questions. Read the passages and then mark your answers on your Colored Answer Sheet.TEXT ADespite Denmark's manifest virtues, Danes never talk about how proud they a re to be Danes. This would sound weird in Danish. When Danes talk to foreigners about Denmark, they always begin by commenting on its tininess, its unimportance, the difficulty of its language, the general small-mindedness and self-indulgence of their countrymen and the high taxes. No Dane would look you in the eye and say, "Denmark is a great country." You're supposed to figure this out for yourself.It is the land of the silk safety net, where almost half the national budget goes toward smoothing out life's inequalities, and there is plenty of money f or schools, day care, retraining programmes, job seminars-Danes love seminars: three days at a study centre hearing about waste management is almost as good as a ski trip. It is a culture bombarded by English, in advertising, pop music, the Internet, and despite all the English that Danish absorbs-there is no Danish Academy to defend against it -old dialects persist in Jutland that can barely be understood by Copenhageners. It is the land where, as the saying goes," Fe w have too much and fewer have too little, "and a foreigner is struck by the sweet egalitarianism that prevails, where the lowliest clerk gives you a level gaze, where Sir and Madame have disappeared from common usage, even Mr. and Mrs. It’s a nation of recyclers-about 55 % of Danish garbage gets made into something new- and no nuclear power plants. It's a nation of tireless planner. Trains run on time. Things operate well in general.Such a nation of overachievers - a brochure from the Ministry of Business and Industry says, "Denmark is one of the world's cleanest and most organize d countries, with virtually no pollution, crime, or poverty. Denmark is the most corruption-free society in the Northern Hemisphere. "So, of course, one's heart lifts at any sighting of Danish sleaze: skinhead graffiti on buildings ("Foreigner s Out of Denmark! "), broken beer bottles in the gutters, drunken teenagers slumped in the park.Nonetheless, it is an orderly land. You drive through a Danish town, it comes to an end at a stone wall, and on the other side is a field of barley, a nice clean line: town here, country there. It is not a nation of jay-walkers. People stand on the curb and wait for the red light to change, even if it's 2 a.m. a n d there's not a car in sight. However, Danes don' t think of themselves as a people——that's how they see Swedes and Germans. Danes see themselves as jazzy people, improvisers, more free spirited than Swedes, but the truth is (though one should not say it) that Danes are very much like Germans and Swedes. Orderliness is a main selling point. Denmark has few natural resources, limited manufacturing capability; its future in Europe will be as a broker, banker, and distributor of goods. You send your goods by container ship to Copenhagen, and these bright, young, English-speaking, utterly honest, highly disciplined people will get your goods around to Scandinavia, the Baltic States, and Russia. Airports, seaports, highways, and rail lines are ultramodern and well-maintained.The orderliness of the society doesn't mean that Danish lives are less messy or lonely than yours or mine, and no Dane would tell you so. You can hear plenty about bitter family feuds and the sorrows of alcoholism and about perfectly sensible people who went off one day and killed themselves. An orderly society c an not exempt its members from the hazards of life.But there is a sense of entitlement and security that Danes grow up with. Certain things are yours by virtue of citizenship, and you shouldn't feel bad f o r taking what you're entitled to, you're as good as anyone else. The rules of the welfare system are clear to everyone, the benefits you get if you lose your job, the steps you take to get a new one; and the orderliness of the system makes it possible for the country to weather high unemployment and social unrest without a sense of crisis.16. The author thinks that Danes adopt a ___ attitude towards their country.A) boastfulB) modest C) deprecatingD) mysterious17. Which of the following is NOT a Danish characteristic cited in the passageA) Fondness of foreign culture.B) Equality in society.C) Linguistic tolerance.D) Persistent planning.18. The author's reaction to the statement by the Ministry of Business and Industry is ___.A) disapprovingB) approvingC) noncommittalD) doubtful19. According to the passage, Danish orderliness ___.A) sets the people apart from Germans and SwedesB) spares Danes social troubles besetting other peopleC) is considered economically essential to the countryD) prevents Danes from acknowledging existing troubles20. At the end of the passage the author states all the following EXCEPT that ___.A) Danes are clearly informed of their social benefitsB) Danes take for granted what is given to themC) the open system helps to tide the country overD) orderliness has alleviated unemploymentTEXT BBut if language habits do not represent classes, a social stratification in to something as bygone as "aristocracy" and "commons", they do still of course serve to identify social groups. This is something that seems fundamental in the use of language. As we see in relation to political and national movements, language is used as a badge or a barrier depending on which way we look at it. The new boy at school feels out of it at first because he does not know the fight words for things, and awe-inspiring pundits of six or seven look down on him for no t being aware that racksy means "dilapidated", or hairy "out first ball". The miner takes a certain pride in being "one up on the visitor or novice who calls the cage a "lift" or who thinks that men working in a warm seam are in their "underpants" when anyone ought to know that the garments are called hoggers. The "insider" is seldom displeased that his language distinguishes him from the "outsider".Quite apart from specialized terms of this kind in groups, trades and professions, there are all kinds of standards of correctness at which mast of us feel more or less obliged to aim, because we know that certain kinds of English invite irritation or downright condemnation. On the other hand, we know that other kinds convey some kind of prestige and bear a welcome cachet.In relation to the social aspects of language, it may well be suggested that English speakers fall into three categories: the assured, the anxious and the indifferent. At one end of this scale, we have the people who have "position" and "status", and who therefore do not feel they need worry much about their use of English. Their education and occupation make them confident of speaking an unimpeachable form of English: no fear of being criticized or corrected is likely t o cross their minds, and this gives their speech that characteristically unselfconscious and easy flow which is often envied.At the other end of the scale, we have an equally imperturbable band, speaking with a similar degree of careless ease, because even if they are aware that their English is condemned by others, they are supremely indifferent to the fact. The Mrs. Mops of this world have active and efficient tongues in their heads, and if we happened not to like the/r ways of saying things, well, we "can lump it ". That is their attitude. Curiously enough, writers are inclined to represent t he speech of both these extreme parties with -in' for ing. On the one hand, "we're goin' huntin', my dear sir"; on the other, "we're goin' racin’, mate."In between, according to this view, we have a far less fortunate group, the anxious. These actively try to suppress what they believe to be bad English and assiduously cultivate what they hope to be good English. They live their lives in some degree of nervousness over their grammar, their pronunciation, and their choice of words: sensitive, and fearful of betraying themselves. Keeping up with the Joneses is measured not only in houses, furniture, refrigerators, cars, and clothes, but also in speech.And the misfortune of the "anxious" does not end with their inner anxiety. Their lot is also the open or veiled contempt of the "assured" on one side of them and of the "indifferent" on the other.It is all too easy to raise an unworthy laugh at the anxious. The people thus uncomfortably stilted on linguistic high heels so often form part of what is, in many ways, the most admirable section of any society: the ambitious, tense, inner-driven people, who are bent on" going places and doing things". The greater the pity, then, if a disproportionate amount of their energy goes into what Mr. Sharpless called" this shabby obsession" with variant forms of English- especially if the net result is(as so often)merely to sound affected and ridiculous. “Here", according to Bacon, "is thefirst distemper of learning, when men study words and not matter …. It seems to me that Pygmalion’s frenzy is a good emblem …of this vanity: for words axe but the images of matter; and except they have life of reason and invention, to fall in love with them is to fall in love with a picture."21. The attitude held by the assured towards language is ___.A) criticalB) anxious C) self-consciousD) nonchalant22. The anxious are considered a less fortunate group because ___.A) they feel they are socially looked down uponB) they suffer from internal anxiety and external attackC) they are inherently nervous and anxious peopleD) they are unable to meet standards of correctness23. The author thinks that the efforts made by the anxious to cultivate w hat they believe is good English are ___.A) worthwhileB) meaningless C) praiseworthyD) irrationalTEXT CFred Cooke of Salford turned 90 two days ago and the world has been beating a path to his door. If you haven't noticed, the backstreet boy educated at Blackpool grammar styles himself more grandly as Alastair Cooke, broadcaster extraordinaire. An honorable KBE, he would be Sir Alastair if he had not taken American citizenship more than half a century ago.If it sounds snobbish to draw attention to his humble origins, it should be reflected that the real snob is Cooke himself, who has spent a lifetime disguising them. But the fact that he opted to renounce his British passport in 1941 - just when his country needed all the wartime help it could get-is hardly a matter for congratulation.Cooke has made a fortune out of his love affair with America, entrancing listeners with a weekly monologue that has won Radio 4 many devoted adherents. Part of the pull is the developed drawl. This is the man who gave the world "midatlantic", the language of the disc jockey and public relations man.He sounds American to us and English to them, while in reality he has for decades belonged to neither. Cooke's world is an America that exists largely in the imagination. He took ages to acknowledge the disaster that was Vietnam and evenlonger to wake up to Watergate. His politics have drifted to the right with age, and most of his opinions have been acquired on the golf course with fellow celebrities.He chased after stars on arrival in America, Fixing up an interview with Charlie Chaplin and briefly becoming his friend. He told Cooke he could turn him into a fine light comedian; instead he is an impressionist's dream.Cooke liked the sound of his first wife's name almost as much as he admired her good looks. But he found bringing up baby difficult and left her for the wife of his landlord. Women listeners were unimpressed when, in 1996, he declared on air that the fact that 4% of women in the American armed forces were raped showed remarkable self-restraint on the part of Uncle Sam's soldiers. His arrogance in not allowing BBC editors to see his script in advance worked, not for the first time, to his detriment. His defenders said he could not help living with the 1930s values he had acquired and somewhat dubiously went on to cite "gallantry" as chief among them. Cooke's raconteur style encouraged a whole generation of BBC men to think of themselves as more important than the story. His treacly tones were the mo del for the regular World Service reports From Our Own Correspondent, known as FOOCs in the business. They may yet be his epitaph.24. At the beginning of the passage the writer sounds critical of ___.A) Cooke's obscure originsB) Cooke's broadcasting styleC) Cooke's American citizenshipD) Cooke's fondness of America25. The following adjectives can be suitably applied to Cooke EXCEPT ___.A) old-fashionedB) sincere C) arrogantD) popular26. The writer comments on Cooke's life and career in a slightly ___ tone.A) ironicB) detached C) scathingD) indifferentTEXT DMr. Duffy raised his eyes from the paper and gazed out of his window on the cheerless evening landscape. The river lay quiet beside the empty distillery and from time to time a light appeared in some house on Lucan Road. What an end! The whole narrative of her death revolted him and it revolted him to think that he had ever spoken to her of what he held sacred. The cautious words of a reporter wonover to conceal the details of a commonplace vulgar death attacked his stomach. Not merely had she degraded herself, she had degraded him. His soul's companion! He thought of the hobbling wretches whom he had seen carrying cans and bottles to be filled by the barman. Just God, what an end! Evidently she had been unfit to live, without any strength of purpose, an easy prey to habits, one of the wrecks on which civilization has been reared. But that she could have sunk so low! Was it possible he had deceived himself so utterly about her He remembered her outburst of that night and interpreted it in a harsher sense than he had ever done. He had no difficulty now in approving of the course he had taken.As the light failed and his memory began to wander he thought her hand touched his. The shock which had first attacked his stomach was now attacking his nerves. He put on his overcoat and hat quickly and went out. The cold air met him on the threshold; it crept into the sleeves of his coat. When he came to the public house at Chapel Bridge he went in and ordered a hot punch.The proprietor served him obsequiously but did not venture to talk. There were five or six working-men in the shop discussing the value of a gentleman's e state in County Kildare. They drank at intervals from their huge pint tumblers, and smoked, spitting often on the floor and sometimes dragging the sawdust over their heavy boots. Mr. Duffy sat on his stool and gazed at them, without seeing o r hearing them. After a while they went out and he called for another punch. He sat a long time over it. The shop was very quiet. The proprietor sprawled on the counter reading the newspaper and yawning. Now and again a tram was heard swishing along the lonely road outside.As he sat there, living over his life with her and evoking alternately the two images on which he now conceived her, he realized that she was dead, that s he had ceased to exist, that she had become a memory. He began to feel ill at ea se. He asked himself what else could he have done. He could not have lived with her openly. He had done what seemed to him best. How was he to blame Now that s he was gone he understood how lonely her life must have been, sitting night after night alone in that room. His life would be lonely too until he, too, died, ceased to exist, became a memory-if anyone remembered him.27. Mr. Duffy's immediate reaction to the report of the woman's death was that of ___.A) disgustB) guilt C) griefD) compassion28. It can be inferred from the passage that the reporter wrote about the woman's death in a ___ manner.A) detailedB) provocative C) discreetD) sensational29. We can infer from the last paragraph that Mr. Duffy was in a(n) ___ mood.A) angryB) fretful C) irritableD) remorseful30. According to the passage, which of the following statements is NOT t rueA) Mr. Duffy once confided in the woman.B) Mr. Duffy felt an intense sense of shame.C) The woman wanted to end the relationship.D) They became estranged probably after a quarrel.SECTION B SKIMMING AND SCANNING ( 10 MIN)In this section there are seven passages followed by ten multiple -choice questions. Skim or scan them as required and then mark your answers on the Coloured Answer Sheet.TEXT EFirst read the following question.31. In the passage Bill Gates mainly discusses ___.A) a person's opportunity of a lifetimeB) the success of the computer industryC) the importance of educationD) high school education in the USNow go through TEXT E quickly and answer question 31.Hundreds of students send me e-mail each year asking for advice about education. They want to know what to study, or whether it's OK to drop out of college since that's what I did.My basic advice is simple and heartfelt." Get the best education you can. Take advantage of high school and college. Learn how to learn."It's true that I dropped out of college to start Microsoft, but I was at Harvard for three years before dropping out-and I'd love to have the time to go b a ck. As I've said before, nobody should drop out of college unless they believe they face the opportunity of a lifetime. And even then they should reconsider.The computer industry has lots of people who didn't finish college, but I 'm not aware of any success stories that began with somebody dropping out of high school.I actually don't know any high school dropouts, let alone any successful ones.In my company's early years we had a bright part-time programmer who threatened to drop out of high school to work full-time. We told him no.Quite a few of our people didn't finish college, but we discourage dropping out.College isn't the only place where information exists. You can learn in a library. But somebody handing you a book doesn't automatically foster learning. Y o u want to learn with other people, ask questions, try out ideas and have a way to test your ability. It usually takes more than just a book.Education should be broad, although it's fine to have deep interests, too.In high school there were periods when I was highly focused on writing soft ware, but for most of my high school years I had wide-ranging academic interests. My parents encouraged this, and I'm grateful that they did.One parent wrote me that her 15-year old son "lost himself in the hole of t he computer.”He got an A in Web site design, but other grades were sinking, she said.This boy is making a mistake. High school and college offer you the best chance to learn broadly-math, history, various sciences-and to do projects with other kids that teach you firsthand about group dynamics. It's fine to take a deep interest in computers, dance, language or any other discipline, but not if it jeopardizes breadth.In college it's appropriate to think about specialization. Getting real expertise in an area of interest can lead to success. Graduate school is one way t o get specialized knowledge. Choosing a specialty isn't something high school students should worry about. They should worry about getting a strong academic start.There's not a perfect correlation between attitudes in high school and success in later life, of course. But it's a real mistake not to take the opportunity to learn a huge range of subjects, to learn to work with people in high school, and to get the grades that will help you get into a good college.TEXT FFirst read the following question.32. The passage focuses on ___.A) the history and future of LondonB) London’s manufacturing skillsC) London's status as a financial centrerD) the past and present roles of LondonNow go through Text F quickly and answer question 32.What is London for To put the question another way, why was London, by 190 0, incomparably the largest city in the world, which it remained until the bombardments of the Luftwaffe There could be many answers to this question, but any history of London will rehearse three broad explanations. One is the importance of its life as a port. When the Thames turned to ice in February 1855, 50,000 men were put out of work, and there were bread riots from those whose liveliboods had been frozen with the river. Today, the Thames could be frozen for a year with out endangering the livelihoods of any but a few pleasure-boatmen.The second major cause of London's wealth and success was that it was easily the biggest manufacturing centre in Europe. At the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, Dutch looms and the stocking knitting frame were first pioneered in London. The vast range of London's manufacturing skills is another fact; almost any item you can name was manufactured in London during the days of its prosperity. In 1851, percent of the manufacturing work-force of Great Britain was based in London. By 1961, this had dramatically reduced. By 1993, there were a mere 328,000 Londoners engaged in manufacturing. In other words, by our own time s, two of the chief reasons for London's very existence-its life as a pert and as a centre of manufacture-had dwindled out of existence.London's third great function, since the seventeenth century, has been that of national and international bourse: the exchange of stocks and shares, banking, commerce and, increasingly, insurance. Both In wood and Francis Sheppard, in London: A history, manage to make these potentially dry matters vivid to the general reader, and both authors assure us that "The City" in the financial sense is still as important as ever it was. Both, however, record the diminution of the City as an architectural and demographic entity, with the emptying of many city offices (since the advent of the computer much of the work can be done anywhere) and the removal of many distinctive landmarks.TEXT GFirst read the following question.33. The primary purpose of the passage is to ___.A) discuss the impact of the internetB) forecast the future roles of the bookstoreC) compare the publisher with the editorD) evaluate the limitations of the printed pageNow go through TEXT G quickly and answer question 33.。

2000年8月TOEFL试题Section Three: Reading ComprehensionQuestions 1-8Prehistoric mammoths have been preserved in the famous tar pits of Rancho La Brea (Brea is the Spanish word for tar) in what now the heart of Los Angeles, California.These tar pits have been known for centuries and were formerly mined for their natural asphalt, a black or brown petroleum-like substance. Thousands of tons were extracted before 1875, when undertaken that established the significance of this remarkable site. Excavations were undertaken that established the significance of this remarkable siteThe tar pits were found to contain the remains of scores of species of animals fromthe last 30,000 years of the Ice Age. Since then, over 100 tons of fossils, 1.5 million from vertebrates, 2.5 million from invertebrates, have been recovered, often in densely concentrated tangled masses. The creatures found range form insects and birds to giant ground sloth’s, but a total of 17proboscides (animal with a proboscis or long nose)- including mastodons and Columbian mammoths- have been recovered, most of themfrom Pit 9, the deepest bone-bearing deposit, which was excavated in 1914. Most of the fossils date to between 40,000 and 10,000 years ago.The asphalt at La Brea seeps to the surface, especially in the summer, and forms shallow puddles that would often have been concealed by leaves and dust. Unwary animals would become trapped on these thin sheets of liquid asphalt, which are extremely sticky in warm weather. Stuck, the unfortunate beasts would die of exhaustion and hungeror fall prey to predators that often also became stuck. As the animals decayed, more scavengers would be attracted and caught in their turn.Carnivores greatly outnumber herbivores in the collection: for every large herbivore, there is one saber-tooth cat, a coyote, and four wolves. The fact that some bones are heavily weathered shows that some bodies remained above the surface for weeks or (25) months. Bacteria in the asphalt would have consumed some of the tissues other than bones, and the asphalt itself would dissolve what was left, at the same time impregnatingand beautifully preserving the saturated bones, rendering then dark brown and shiny.1. What aspect of the La Brea tar pits does the passage mainly discuss?(A)The amount of asphalt that was mined there(B)The chemical and biological interactions between asphalt and animals(C) The fossil remains that have been found there(D) Scientific methods of determining the age of tar pits2. In using the phrase ―the heart of Los Angeles‖in line 2, the author is talking about the city’s(A) beautiful design (B) central area (C) basic needs (D) supplies of natural asphalt3. The word ―noticed‖ in line 5 closest in meaning to(A) predicted (B) announced (C) corrected (D) observed4. The word ―tangled‖ in line 10 is closest in meaning to 、(A) buried beneath (B) twisted together (C) quickly formed (D) easily dated5. The word ―them‖ in line 13 refers to(A) insects (B) birds (C) cloths (D) proboscideans6. How many probosicdeans have been found at the La Brea tar pits?(A) 9 (B) 17 (C) 1.5 million (D) 2.5 million7. The word ―concealed‖ in line 17 is closest in meaning to(A) highlighted (B) covered (C) transformed (D) contaminated8. Why does the author mention animals such as coyotes and wolves in paragraph 4?(A) To give examples of animals that are classified as carnivores(B) To specify the animals found least commonly at La Brea(C) To argue that these animals were especially likely to avoid extinction.(D) To define the term ―scavengers‖Questions 9-19The principal difference between urban growth in Europe and in the American colonies was the slow evolution of cities in the former and their rapid growth in the latter. In Europe they grew over a period of centuries from town economies to their present] urban structure. In North America, they started as wilderness communities and developed to mature urbanism’s in little more than a century.In the early colonial day in North America, small cities sprang up along the Atlantic Coastline, mostly in what are now New America, small cities sprang up along the Atlantic United States and in the lower Saint Lawrence valley in Canada. This was natural because these areas were nearest England and France, particularly England, from which most capital goods (assets such as equipment) and many consumer goods were imported Merchandising establishments were, accordingly, advantageously located in port cities from which goods could be readily distributed to interior settlements. Here, too, were the favored locations for processing raw materials prior to export. Boston, Philadelphia, New York, Montreal, and other cities flourished, and, as the colonies grew, these cities increased in importance.This was less true in the colonial South, where life centered around large farms, known as plantations, rather than around towns, as was the case in the areas further north along the Atlantic coastline. The local isolation and the economic self-sufficiency of the plantations were antagonistic to the development of the towns. The plantations maintained their independence because they were located on navigable streams and each had a wharf accessible to the small shipping of that day. In face, one of the strongest factors in the selection of plantation land was the desire to have it front on a water highway.When the United States became an independent nation in 1776, it did not have a single city as large as 50,000 inhabitants, but by 1820 it had a city of more than 10,000 people, and by 1880 it had recorded a city of over one million. It was not until after 1823, after the mechanization of the spinning had weaving industries, that cities started drawing young people away from farms. Such migration was particularly rapid following the Civil War (1861-1865).9. What does the passage mainly discuss?(A) Factors that slowed the growth of cities in Europe.(B) The evolution of cities in North America(C) Trade between North American and European cities(D)The effects of the United Sates’ independence on urban growth in New England.10. The word ―they‖ in line 4 refers to(A) North American colonies (B) cities (C) centuries (D) town economies11. The passage compares early European and North American cities on the basis of which of the following?(A) Their economic success (B) The type of merchandise they exported(C) Their ability to distribute goods to interior settlements (D)The pace of their development12. The Word ―accordingly‖ in line 11 is closest in meaning to(A) as usual (B) in contrast (C) to some degree (D)for that reason13. According to the passage, early colonial cities were established along the Atlantic coastline of North America due to(A) an abundance of natural resources (B) financial support from colonial governments(C) proximity to parts of Europe (D) a favorable climate14. The passage indicates that during colonial times, the Atlantic coastline cities prepared which of the following for shipment to Europe?(A) Manufacturing equipment （B) Capital goods(C) Consumer goods (D) Raw materials15. According to the passage, all of the following aspects of the plantation system influenced the growth of southern cities EXCEPT the(A) location of the plantations(B) access of plantation owners to shipping(C) relationships between plantation residents and city residents(D) economic self-sufficiency of the plantation16. It can be inferred from the passage that, in comparison with northern, cities, most southern cities were(A) imagined (B) discovered (C) documented (D)planned17. The word ―recorded‖ in line 26 is closest in meaning to(A) imagined (B) discovered (C) documented (D) planned18. The word ―drawing‖ in line 27 is closest in meaning to(A) attracting (B) employing (C) instructing (D) representing19. The passage mentions the period following the Civil War (line28-29) because it was a time of(A) significant obstacles to industrial growth(B) decreased dependence on foreign trade(C) increased numbers of people leaving employment on farms(D) increased migration from northern states to southern statesQuestions 20-28During the second half of the nineteenth century, the production of food and feed crops in the United States rose at an extraordinarily rapid production increased by four and a half times, hay by five times, oats and wheat by seven times. The most crucial facto 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 were 350,000.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.20. What aspect of farming in the United States in the nineteenth century 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 farming21. The word ―crucial‖ in line 3 is closest in meaning to(A) obvious (B) unbelievable (C) important (D) desirable22. The phrase ―avail themselves‖ in lines 10-11 is closest in meaning to(A) take care (B) make use (C) get rid (D) do more23. 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.24. 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.25. 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 operate26. The word ―they‖ in line 17 refers to(A) grain stalks (B) threshing machines (C) steam engines (D) horses27. 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 own28. The word ―ponderous‖ in line 21 is closest in meaning to(A) Advanced (B) heavy (C) complex (D) rapidQuestions 29-39The Native American peoples of the north Pacific Coast created a highly complex maritime culture as they invented modes of production unique to their special environment. In addition to their sophisticated technical culture, they also attained one of the most complex social organizations of any nonagricultural people in the world.In a division of labor similar to that of the hunting peoples in the interior and among foraging peoples throughout the world, the men did most of the fishing, and the women processed the catch. Women also specialized in the gathering of the abundant shellfish that lived closer to shore. They collected oysters, crabs, sea urchins, mussels, abalone, and clams, which they could gather while remaining close to their children. The maritime life harvested by the women not only provided food, but also supplied more of the raw materials for making tools than did fish gathered by the men. Of particular importance for the native tool than did the fish gathered by the men. Of particular made from the larger mussel shells, and a variety of cutting edges that could be made from other marine shells.The women used their tools to process all of the fish and marine mammals brought in by the men. They cleaned the fish, and dried vast quantities of them for the winter. They sun-dried fish when practical, but in the rainy climate of the coastal area they also used smokehouses to preserve tons of fish and other seafood annually. Each product had its own peculiar characteristics that demanded a particular way of cutting or drying the meat, and each task required its own cutting blades and other utensils.After drying the fish, the women pounded some of them into fish meal, which was an easily transported food used in soups, stews, or other dishes to provide protein and thickening in the absence of fresh fish or while on long trips. The women also made a cheese-like substance from a mixture of fish and roe by aging it in storehouses or by burying it in wooden boxes or pits lined with rocks and tree leaves.29. Which aspect of the lives of the Native Americans of the north Pacific Coast does the passage mainly discuss?(A) Methods of food preservation(B) How diet was restricted by the environment(C) The contributions of women to the food supply(D) Difficulties in establishing successful farms30. The word ―unique‖ in line 2 is closest in meaning to(A) comprehensible (B) productive (C) intentional (D) particular31. The word ―attained‖ in line 3 is closest in meaning to(A) achieved (B) modified (C) demanded (D) spread32. It can be inferred from paragraph 1 that the social organization of many agricultural peoples is(A) more complex than that of hunters and foragers(B) less efficient than that of hunters and foragers(C) more widespread than that of hunters and foragers(D) better documented than that of hunters and foragers33. According to the passage, what is true of the ―division of labor‖ mentioned in line 5?(A) It was first developed by Native Americans of the north Pacific Coast.(B) It rarely existed among hunting(C) It was a structure that the Native Americans of the north Pacific Coast shared with many other peoples.(D) It provided a form of social organization that was found mainly among coastal peoples.34. The word ―abundant‖ in line 7 is closest in meaning to(A) prosperous (B) plentiful (C) acceptable (D) fundamental35. All of the following are true of the north Pacific coast women EXCEPT that they(A) were more likely to catch shellfish than other kinds of fish(B) contributed more materials for tool making than the men did(C) sometimes searched for food far inland from the coast(D) prepared and preserved the fish36. The word ―They‖ in line 16 refers to(A) women (B) tools (C) mammals (D) men37. The Native Americans of the north Pacific Coast used smokehouses in order to(A) store utensils used in food preparation(B) prevent fish and shellfish from spoiling(C) have a place to store fish and shellfish(D) prepare elaborate meals38. The wore ―peculiar‖ in line 19 is closest in meaning to(A) strange (B) distinctive (C) appealing (D) biological39. All of following are true of the cheese-like substance mentioned in paragraph 4 EXCEPT that it was(A) made from fish (B) not actually cheese(C) useful on long journeys (D) made in a short period of timeQuestion 40-45Archaeological literature is rich in descriptions of pot making. Unlike modern industrial potters, prehistoric artisans created each of their pieces individually, using the simplest technology but demonstrating remarkable skill in making and adorning their vessels. The clay used in prehistoric pot making was invariably selected with the utmost care: often it was traded over considerable distances. The consistency of the clay was crucial: it was pounded meticulously and mixed with water to make it entirely even in texture. By careful kneading, the potter removed the air bubbles and made the clay as plastic as possible, allowing it to be molded into shape as the pot was built up. When a pot is fired, it loses its water and can crack, so the potter added a temper to the clay, a substance that helped reduce shrinkage and cracking.Since surface finishes provided a pleasing appearance and also improved the durability in day-to-day use, the potter smoothed the exterior surface of the pot with wet hands. Often a wet clay solution, known as a slip, was applied to the smooth surface. Brightly colored slips were often used and formed painted decorations on the vessel. In later times, glazes came into use in some areas. A glaze is a form of slip that turns to a glasslike finish during high-temperature firing. When a slip was not applied, the vessel was allowed to dry slowly until the external surface was almost like leather in texture. It was then rubbed with a round stone or similar object to give it a shiny, hard surface. Some pots were adorned with incised or stamped decorations.Most early pottery was then fired over open hearths. The vessels were covered with fast-burning wood; as it burned, the ashes would all around the pots and bake them Evenly over a few hours. Far higher temperatures were attained in special ovens, known as kilns, which would not only bake the clay and remove its plasticity, but also dissolve carbons and iron compounds. Kilns were also used for glazing, when two firings were needed. Once fired, the pots were allowed to cool slowly, and small cracks were repaired before they were ready for use.40. What does the passage mainly discuss?(A) Why archaeologists study prehistoric pot making(B) How early pottery was made and decorated(C) The development of kilns used by early potters(D) The variety of decorations on Prehistoric pottery41. The word ―meticulously‖ in line 6 is closest in meaning to(A) heavily (B) initially (C) carefully (D) completely42. Which of the following was a process used by prehistoric potters to improve thetexture of the clay?(A) Adding temper (B) Removing the water(C) Beating on the clay (D) Mixing the clay with plastic substances43. The word ―durability‖ in line 11 is closest in meaning to(A) quality (B) endurance (C) adaptability (D) applicability44. Prehistoric potters applied slips and glazes to their vessels in order to do which of the following?(A) Improve the appearance of the vessels(B) prevent the vessels from leaking(C) Help the vessels a leather like quality(D) Give the vessels a leather like quality45. Which of the following was a method used by some potters to give vessels a glossy finish?(A) Smoothing them with wet hands(B) Mixing the clay with colored solutions(C) Baking them at a very high temperature(D) Rubbing them with a smooth hard object46. The word ―incised‖ in line 19 is closest in meaning to(A) designed (B) carved (C) detailed (D) painted47. The word ―they‖ in lin e 26 refers to(A) kilns (B) firings (C) pots (D) cracks48. According to the passage, the advantage of kilns over open fires was that the kilns(A) required less wood for burning (B) reached higher temperatures(C) kept ashes away from the pots (D) baked vessels without cracking them49. Look at the terms ―temper‖ (line9), ―glazes‖(line14), ―kilns‖(line23), and ―compounds‖(24). Which of these terms is NOT defined in the passage?(A) temper (B) glazes (C) kilns (D) compounds50. The passage mentions that when pottery is fired under burning wood ,the ashes help(A) prevent the clay from cracking(B) produce a more consistently baked pot(C) attain a very high temperature(D) give the vessel a glasslike finish。

2000年08月托福考试语法真题(总分40,考试时间120分钟)1. The gray scale, a progressive series of shades ranging from black to white, is used in computer graphics _____ detail to graphical images.A. addedB. to addC. are addedD. and add2. By _____ **petition from an industry, governments have often created public service monopolies.A. they adopt lawsB. laws are adoptedC. adopting lawsD. having laws adopt3. _____ skeleton of an insect is on the outside of its body.A. ItsB. That theC. There is aD. The4. Lenses, _____, are used to correct imperfection in eyesight.A. are the forms of glasses and contact lensesB. in the form of glasses and contact lensesC. glasses and contact lenses which formD. glasses and contact lenses may be formed5. In eighteenth-century North American, printed engravings provided____ rococo style.A. the most manifestation widespreadB. manifestation widespread the mostC. the widespread manifestation mostD. the most widespread manifestation6. In the Arctic tundra, ice fog may form under clear skies in winter, ____ coastal fogs or low stratus clouds **mon in summer.A. because ofB. whereasC. despiteD. that7. On attaining maximum size, ___ by drawing itself out and dividing into two daughter amoebas, each receiving identical nuclear materials.A. the reproduction of the amoebaB. the amoeba, which reproducesC. reproducing the amoebaD. the amoeba reproduced8. For the advertiser, one of the greatest appeals of radio is ____ an audience all day long.A. that it hasB. that to haveC. to have itD. having it9. Charles Schulz’s comic strip, “Peanuts,” features children who make ____ about life.A. funny, wise statement thatB. which funny, wise statementsC. statements are funny but wiseD. funny but wise statements10. One of the major rivers of the western United States, ____ flows for some 1,5000 miles from Colorado to northwestern Mexico.A. it is the Colorado RiverB. the Colorado River whichC. and the Colorado RiverD. the Colorado River11. In art, the tendency of gouache colors to lighten on drying makes ___ a wide range of pearly or paste-like effects.A. it is possibleB. possibleC. possible to beD. it possible the12. Isabel Bishop was one of many American artists ___ by the government during the Depression years on various federal art projects.A. employedB. whose employmentC. to employD. had been employed13. Outbreaks of diseases in **monly occur _____ stressed because of drought or other environmental factors.A. as forests that becomeB. in forests becomeC. that become forestsD. when forests become14. To break thick ice, an icebreaker boat moves fast enough to ride up on the ice, ____ under its weight.A. so then breaksB. when breaks itC. which then breaksD. for which then breaks15. Cholesterol is present in large quantities in the nervous system, where ____ compound of myelin.A. it aB. aC. beingD. it is a16. Painters of the early twentieth century who were known primarily for they colorful landscapes, the Group of Seven changed is name to the Canadian Group of Painters in 1933.17. Most animals have nervous systems, sense organs, and specialized modes of locomotion, and are capable of securing, ingesting, and to digest food.18. The cork oak tree has a layer of cork several inches thickness that can be stripped every ten years.19. Inflation, interest rates, and overall economic active can be governed by the United StatesFederal Reserve’s decision to adjust the supply of money tothe economy.20. Free radicals of oxygen, **mon by-products of metabolic processes in the body, are capable of causing tissue damage.21. By 1830 the glass industry in the United States had become too well established that the country no longer needed to depend on imported glass.22. Free land, cheaply transportation, and powerfully persuasive railroad advertising all helped flood the western part of the United States with farmersin the nineteenth century.23. Coral formations have known as fringing reefs are located close to shore, separated from land only by shallow water.24. For a seagoing, cargo-carrying sailing vessels, the clipper ship was remarkably fast.25. Visibly only through large telescopes, Pluto has a yellowish color, which indicates that there is very little atmosphere.26. Diamond is the hardest known substance, so diamonds can be cut only by another diamonds.27. The International Monetary Fund was created in a effort to stabilize exchange rates without interfering with the healthy growth of trade.28. Butterflies and moths **plete metamorphosis, them changing from caterpillar to adult via one intermediate stage, the pupa.29. Thousands of meteorite hit Earth each year, but most fall into the sea or in remote areas and are never recovered.30. Alaska become the forty-ninth state in 1959,and Hawaii became the fiftieth state lately that year.31. A sponge feeds itself by drawing water through tiny pores on its surface, filtering out food particles, and then expel the water through larger vents.32. Toward the end of his life, John Singer Sargent returned to the painting of landscapes and the use of watercolors, of which he excelled.33. Pythons differ than most other snakes by having two well developed lungs rather than a much smaller left lung or no left lung at all.34. Weighing among two to five kilograms in adults, the skin is the largest organ of the human body.35. Rodents dwell in various habitat, some species being aquatic, some terrestrial.36. The nectar of flowers are ingested by worker bees and converted to honey in special sacs in their digestive systems.37. Lucid dreaming, the ability dreamers to become aware of and to control their dreams while dreaming, is the focus of some current psychological research.38. The sensation of sound is produced how vibrations transmitted through the air strike the eardrum.39. The musical tone of an electric guitar is created not by the resonance of the body of the guitar but by electronically amplification.40. Considered one of the most beautiful of the fine art, ballet is a combination of dance and mime performed to music.。

唐静考研阅读逐句译2000年第5篇第1句If ambition is to be well regarded, the rewards of ambition—wealth, distinction, control over one’s destiny—must be deemed worthy of the sacrifices made on ambition’s behalf.词汇：（从今天开始，词汇按照牛津双解的方式进行，我也主要摘录自牛津双解，为了区别，用红色标注要解释的词汇）ambition //n. ~ (to be/do sth)1 (a) [U, C] strong desire to achieve sth 雄心，野心，志气，抱负，志向*filled with ambition to become famous, rich, powerful, etc 立志要成名, 发财, 有权势等(b) [C] particular desire of this kind 雄心，野心，志气，抱负，志向*have great ambitions 有远大的志向2 [C] object of this desire 目标，夙愿*achieve/realize/fulfil one's ambitions 达到目标[实现抱负/得偿夙愿] distinction //n.1 [C, U] ~ (between A and B ) difference or contrast between one person or thing and another 差别，对比*He drew a quite artificial distinction between men and women readers. 他把男读者和女读者硬是人为地区分开来。

2 (fml 文)(a) [U] separation of things or people into different groups according to quality, grade, etc （事物或人按其质量、品质、等级等的）区分*without distinction (ie regardless) of rank 不分级别(b) [C] detail that separates in this way （按此方式划分的）类别, 等级*distinctions of birth and wealth 按出身和财富划分的类别.3 [C] mark of honour; title, decoration, etc 荣誉的标志; 荣衔、勋章等*an academic distinction, eg a doctor's degree 学术上的荣衔（如博士学位）* win a distinction for bravery 因表现英勇而获得勋章.4 [U] quality of being excellent or distinguished 优秀; 卓越*a writer, novel, work of distinction 优秀的作家、小说、作品* She had the distinction of being the first woman to swim the Channel. 她卓尔不群, 因为她是第一个横渡英吉利海峡的女子。

2000年全真试题Part ⅡReading ComprehensionPassage 1一、核心词汇注释at a loss困惑，不知所措例：I’m at a loss what to do next. 我对下一步做什么心里没谱。

casualtyn. 1. ［C］(事故或战斗中的)伤亡人员*2. ［C］（某特定事件或情况造成的）受害者，损坏物例：Small shops have been a casualty of the recession. 小商店在经济萧条中深受其害。

3. ［U］急救室，急诊室fadevi. *1.to gradually disappear逐渐消失例：Her beauty has faded a little. 她的美貌已有点失色。

2. to become weaker physically(身体)变得虚弱（尤指因此导致重病或死亡）vt.&vi.（使）褪色；（使）失去光泽例：The sun had faded the curtains. 太阳把窗帘晒得褪了色。

glowinga. 1.发红光的，白热的2.热烈赞扬的，热情洋溢的，例：a glowing account/report热情洋溢的叙述/报道*3.光明的，辉煌的；glow v.发热，发光，发红n.光亮，光辉handicapvt. give or be a disadvantage to sb/sth对（某人、某物）设置不利条件; 被施加不利条件例：be handicapped by a lack of education 因文化水平低而吃亏n.［C］1.（由于受到损坏而产生的身体或智力上的）残障，残疾*2.障碍，不利条件例：Illiteracy is a serious handicap in life. 不能读写是生活中的严重障碍。

3.（比赛或竞赛中加给强手的）不利条件（以示公平）例：She had a handicap of 7 in golf. 她在高尔夫球比赛中让了7杆。

Part OneA history of long and effortless success can be a dreadful handicap, but, if properly handled, it may become a driving force. When the United States entered just such a glowing period after the end of the Second World War, it had a market eight t imes larger than any competitor, giving its industries unparalleled economies of scale. Its scientists were the world's best, its workers the most skilled. America and Americans were prosperous beyond the dreams of the Europeans and Asians whose economies the war had destroyed.It was inevitable that this primacy should have narrowed as other countries grew richer. Just as inevitably, the retreat from predominance proved painful. By the mid 1980s Americans had found themselves at a loss over their fading industrial competitiveness. Some huge American industries, such as consumer electronics, had shrunk or vanished in the face of foreign competition. By 1987 there was only one American television maker left, Zenith. （Now there is none: Zenith was bought by South Korea's LG Electronics in July.）Foreign made cars and textiles were sweeping into the domestic market. America's machine tool industry was on the ropes. For a while it looked as though the making of semiconductors, which America had invented and which sat at the heart of the new computer age, was going to be the next casualty.All of this caused a crisis of confidence. Americans stopped taking prosperity for granted. They began to believe that their way of doing business was failing, and that their incomes would therefore shortly begin to fall as well. The mid 1980s brought one inquiry after another into the causes of America's industrial decline. Their sometimes sensational findings were filled with warnings about the growing competition from overseas.How things have changed! In 1995 the United States can look back on five years of solid growth while Japan has been struggling. Few Americans attribute this solely to such obvious causes as a devalued dollar or the turning of the business cycle. Self-doubt has yielded to blind pride. "American industry has changed its structure, has gone on a diet, has learnt to be more quick-witted," according to Richard Cavanagh, executive dean of Harvard's Kennedy School of Government. "It makes me proud to be an American just to see how our businesses are improving their productivity," says Stephen Moore of the Cato Institute, a think-tank in Washington, DC. And William Sahlman of the Harvard Business School believes that people will look back on this period as "a golden age of business management in the United States."1. The U.S. achieved its predominance after World War II because ________.[A] it had made painstaking efforts towards this goal[B] its domestic market was eight times larger than before[C] the war had destroyed the economies of most potential competitors[D] the unparalleled size of its workforce had given an impetus to its economy2. The loss of U.S. predominance in the world economy in the 1980s is manifested in the fact that the American ________.[A] TV industry had withdrawn to its domestic market[B] semiconductor industry had been taken over by foreign enterprises[C] machine tool industry had collapsed after suicidal actions[D] auto industry had lost part of its domestic market3. What can be inferred from the passage?[A] It is human nature to shift between self-doubt and blind pride.[B] Intense competition may contribute to economic progress.[C] The revival of the economy depends on international cooperation.[D] A long history of success may pave the way for further development.4. The author seems to believe the revival of the U.S. economy in the 1990s can be attributed to the ____[A] turning of the business cycle [B] restructuring of industry[C] improved business management [D] success in educationUnit 7 （2000）Part1重点词汇：1．handicap （v.阻碍；使不利）←hand+i（n）+cap，据说源自古代一种赌博：将罚金置于帽子里，手进入帽子抽签，抽中者处不利地位。

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

老托福阅读真题及答案解析-CAL-FENGHAI-(2020YEAR-YICAI)_JINGBIAN老托福阅读真题及答案解析托福从听、说、读、写四方面进行英语能力全面考核。

托福频道为大家提供了这四个方面的资料，希望对大家有所帮助。

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

2013年8月25日托福阅读真题解析第一套题：第一篇TOPIC 某古代王国扩张及衰退古代地中海附近的一个国家，不断军事扩张，变得很繁荣。

但随着版图的扩大，周围国家的威胁（如俄国），并且后面几代君主个人能力不行，这个国家渐渐衰弱。

还介绍了他的政治制度，虽然君主一个人掌权，但后来产生了两种职位分权，一种是有一个人会对君主进行授权，另一种是很有权利的女人。

但随着这个国家经济和社会的衰退，最后一段提到了一个解决的办法，但已无法扭转。

解析：本文属历史类话题，介绍了某国家的兴亡过程。

从机经回忆来看，该古代王国应指曾盛极一时的土耳其奥斯曼帝国。

奥斯曼帝国在欧洲历史长河中扮演了非常重要的角色，很多重要的如新航路开辟等历史事件都和奥斯曼帝国的崛起有直接联系，所以也常常在托福的历史类文章中出现，大家应对其有一定了解。

Ottoman EmpireOriginsThe Ottoman state began as one of many small Turkish states that emerged in Asia Minor during the breakdown of the empire of the Seljuk Turks. The Ottoman Turks began to absorb the other states, and during the reign (1451–81) of Muhammad II they ended all other local Turkish dynasties. The early phase of Ottoman expansion took place under Osman I, Orkhan, Murad I, and Beyazid I at the expense of the Byzantine Empire, Bulgaria, and Serbia. Bursa fell in 1326 and Adrianople (the modern Edirne) in 1361; each in turn became the capital of the empire. The greatOttoman victories of Kosovo Field (1389) and Nikopol (1396) placed large parts of the Balkan Peninsula under Ottoman rule and awakened Europe to the Ottoman danger. The Ottoman siege of Constantinople was lifted at the appearance of Timur, who defeated and captured Beyazid in 1402. The Ottomans, however, soon rallied. The Period of Great ExpansionThe empire, reunited by Muhammad I, expanded victoriously under Muhammad's successors Murad II and Muhammad II. The victory (1444) at Varna over a crusading army led by Ladislaus III of Poland was followed in 1453 by the capture of Constantinople. Within a century the Ottomans had changed from a nomadic horde to the heirs of the most ancient surviving empire of Europe. Their success was due partly to the weakness and disunity of their adversaries, partly to their excellent and far superior military organization. Their army comprised numerous Christians—not only conscripts, who were organized as the corps of Janissaries, but also volunteers. Turkish expansion reached its peak in the 16th cent. under Selim I and Sulayman I (Sulayman the Magnificent).The Hungarian defeat (1526) at Mohács prepared the way for the capture (1541) of Buda and the absorption of the major part of Hungary by the Ottoman Empire; Transylvania became a tributary principality, as did Walachia and Moldavia. The Asian borders of the empire were pushed deep into Persia and Arabia. Selim I defeated the Mamluks of Egypt and Syria, took Cairo in 1517, and assumed the succession to the caliphate. Algiers was taken in 1518, and Mediterranean commerce was threatened by corsairs, such as Barbarossa, who sailed under Turkishauspices. Most of the Venetian and other Latin possessions in Greece also fell to the sultans.During the reign of Sulayman I began (1535) the traditional friendship between France and Turkey, directed against Hapsburg Austria and Spain. Sulayman reorganized the Turkish judicial system, and his reign saw the flowering of Turkish literature, art, and architecture. In practice the prerogatives of the sultan were limited by the spirit of Muslim canonical law (sharia), and he usually shared his authority with the chief preserver ( sheyhülislam ) of the sharia and with the grand vizier (chief executive officer).In the progressive decay that followed Sulayman's death, the clergy ( ulema ) and the Janissaries gained power and exercised a profound, corrupting influence. The first serious blow by Europe to the empire was the naval defeat of Lepanto (1571; see Lepanto, battle of), inflicted on the fleet of Selim II by the Spanish and Venetians under John of Austria. However, Murad IV in the 17th cent. temporarily restored Turkish military prestige by his victory (1638) over Persia. Crete was conquered from Venice, and in 1683 a huge Turkish army under Grand Vizier Kara Mustafa surrounded Vienna. The relief of Vienna by John III of Poland and the subsequent campaigns of Charles V of Lorraine, Louis of Baden, and Eugene of Savoy ended in negotiations in 1699 (see Karlowitz, Treaty of), which cost Turkey Hungary and other territories.DeclineThe breakup of the state gained impetus with the Russo-Turkish Wars in the 18thcent. Egypt was only temporarily lost to Napoleon's army, but the Greek War of Independence and its sequels, the Russo-Turkish War of 1828–29 (see Adrianople, Treaty of), and the war with Muhammad Ali of Egypt resulted in the loss of Greece and Egypt, the protectorate of Russia over Moldavia and Walachia, and the semi-independence of Serbia. Drastic reforms were introduced in the late 18th and early 19th cent. by Selim III and Mahmud II, but they came too late. By the 19th cent. Turkey was known as the Sick Man of Europe.Through a series of treaties of capitulation from the 16th to the 18th cent. the Ottoman Empire gradually lost its economic independence. Although Turkey was theoretically among the victors in the Crimean War, it emerged from the war economically exhausted. The Congress of Paris (1856) recognized the independence and integrity of the Ottoman Empire, but this event marked the confirmation of the empire's dependency rather than of its rights as a European power.The rebellion (1875) of Bosnia and Herzegovina precipitated the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–78, in which Turkey was defeated despite its surprisingly vigorous stand. Romania (i.e., Walachia and Moldavia), Serbia, and Montenegro were declared fully independent, and Bosnia and Herzegovina passed under Austrian administration. Bulgaria, made a virtually independent principality, annexed (1885) Eastern Rumelia with impunity.Sultan Abd al-Majid, who in 1839 issued a decree containing an important body of civil reforms, was followed (1861) by Abd al-Aziz, whose reign witnessed the rise ofthe liberal party. Its leader, Midhat Pasha, succeeded in deposing (1876) Abd al-Aziz. Abd al-Hamid II acceded (1876) after the brief reign of Murad V. A liberal constitution was framed by Midhat, and the first Turkish parliament opened in 1877, but the sultan soon dismissed it and began a rule of personal despotism. The Armenian massacres (see Armenia) of the late 19th cent. turned world public opinion against Turkey. Abd al-Hamid was victorious in the Greco-Turkish war of 1897, but Crete, which had been the issue, was ultimately gained by Greece. CollapseIn 1908 the Young Turk movement, a reformist and strongly nationalist group, with many adherents in the army, forced the restoration of the constitution of 1876, and in 1909 the parliament deposed the sultan and put Muhammad V on the throne. In the two successive Balkan Wars (1912–13), Turkey lost nearly its entire territory in Europe to Bulgaria, Serbia, Greece, and newly independent Albania. The nationalism of the Young Turks, whose leader Enver Pasha gained virtual dictatorial power by a coup in 1913, antagonized the remaining minorities in the empire. The outbreak of World War I found Turkey lined up with the Central Powers. Although Turkish troops succeeded against the Allies in the Gallipoli campaign (1915), Arabia rose against Turkish rule, and British forces occupied (1917) Baghdad and Jerusalem. Armenians, accused of aiding the Russians, were massacred and deported from Anatolia beginning in 1915; an Armenian uprising in Van (1915) survived until relieved by Russian forces. In 1918, Turkish resistance collapsed in Asia and Europe. An armistice was concluded in October, and the Ottoman Empirecame to an end. The Trea ty of Sèvres (see Sèvres, Treaty of) confirmed its dissolution. With the victory of the Turkish nationalists, who had refused to accept the peace terms and overthrew the sultan in 1922, modern Turkey's history began. 第二篇TOPIC 基因的意外发现科学家做实验室为某种目的，但往往会有意外地发现。

The Power of Perseverance in the Pursuit ofDreamsIn the fast-paced and often unpredictable world of modern life, the journey towards achieving one's dreams can be a challenging and demanding endeavor. This is especially true when faced with obstacles and setbacks that seem insurmountable. However, as the fifth text of the 2000 Graduate Entrance Examination (GEE) aptly illustrates, perseverance and determination are the key ingredients in overcoming these challenges and ultimately achieving success.The text, which focuses on the life and achievements of a renowned scientist, Dr. Jane Goodall, serves as a powerful reminder of the transformative power of perseverance. Despite facing numerous difficulties and doubts in her quest to study chimpanzees in their natural habitat, Dr. Goodall never gave up. Her坚定的信念和不屈不挠的精神enabled her to overcome obstacles and make groundbreaking discoveries about chimpanzee behavior.The lesson here is clear: perseverance is not just about stubbornly sticking to one's goals despite setbacks,but about learning from failures, adapting to changing circumstances, and never losing sight of the end goal. Itis about finding the balance between persistence and flexibility, between staying focused and being open to new possibilities.In the world of academics, perseverance is perhaps even more crucial. The journey towards acquiring knowledge and achieving academic success often requires years of hard work, dedication, and perseverance. Students must bewilling to put in the hours, endure the frustrations, and persevere in the face of difficulties. Only through consistent effort and dedication can they hope to achieve their academic goals.Moreover, perseverance also plays a vital role in personal growth and development. It is through persevering in the face of challenges that we learn to grow and become stronger. Whether it's overcoming a personal fear, achieving a fitness goal, or simply staying committed to a daily routine, perseverance is the key to success.However, it is important to note that perseverance does not mean stubbornly sticking to a single path. Sometimes,the wisest course of action is to reevaluate one's goals and objectives in the light of changing circumstances. This kind of flexible perseverance allows us to adapt to new situations and seize new opportunities that may arise.In conclusion, the power of perseverance is an invaluable asset in the pursuit of dreams. It is thedriving force that propels us forward in the face of difficulties and setbacks. By combining perseverance with adaptability and a willingness to learn from failures, we can achieve anything we set our minds to. Let us draw inspiration from Dr. Jane Goodall's life and embrace the power of perseverance in our own journey towards success. **坚持梦想的力量**在现代社会快节奏且充满不确定性的生活中，追求梦想的旅程往往充满挑战和艰辛。