托福阅读TPO题目解析+翻译-Fossil Preservation(化石保存)

2019年5月22日托福阅读答案解析5月22日托福阅读真题Passage 1 Insect Wings文章解析给了一幅翅膀图，各种专业名词，顿时懵圈。

第一段：引入话题，翅膀化石fossil，引发很多猜测speculation。

第二段：讲了原始翅膀protowings，提出了一个theory，讲了翅膀的作用。

第三段：说第一个理论存有问题，protowing需要和身体以某种方式连接hinged，而且需要有肌肉控制翅膀的拍动，所以提出了另外一个理论解释翅膀的起源。

其中很多专业名词，但是题目特别简单(问什么导致了insect最终能飞行，定位在最后一句话finally，larger muscler让昆虫飞起来。

)第四段：支持第二个理论，反对第一种理论的证据是化学传感器chemical-sensing organs不在背上，在legs上。

[第二三段中有EXCEPT题，问第一个理论的problems是什么，两段的开头句逐个对应即可。

]第五段：提出第三个理论，protowings来自于水中的一种昆虫insect的腮gill。

问句：翅膀是怎么从水中到飞行的?答案是通过翅膀产生推动力浮在水面上，当muscle越来越强大，滑的越来越快，最后一飞冲天[有事实信息题]。

第六段：讲飞行的作用：虽然上面的理论还有争议，但是wing 的作用是传播dispersal或avoid predator，尤其考虑到predators 的数量，躲避predator才是最重要的目的[有句子简化题，注意转折关系]。

躲避predator的机制是一种预警机制warning system，通过sense wind or vibration[有事实信息题，定位后能看懂wind即可选出。

]解析：第一篇文章相关动物的描写是三篇中最难的，难点在于：1. 很多专业术语和专有名词，处理时采用首字母缩写，化零为整的方法，注重句子整体意思和句间关系;2. 长难句遍布，很多倒装句和修饰成分，处理时找句子的主干，课下多做长难句的分析练习。

Q1 The word “agencies” in the passage is closest in meaning to○Combinations○Problems○Forces○ChangesQ2 In paragraph 1, what is the author’s purpose in providing examples of how organisms are destroyed?○To emphasize how surprising it is that so m any fossils exist○To introduce a new geologic theory of fossil preservation○To explain why the fossil record until now has remained incomplete○To compare how fossils form on land and in waterQ3 The word “terrestrial” in the passage is closest in meaning to○Land○Protected○Alternative○SimilarQ4 Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in the passage?Incorrect choices change in the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.看原句的结构，答案结构应和原句一致都是并列A When snail or clam shells are left behind, they must be empty in order to remain durable and resist dissolution.B Although snail and clam shells are durable and resist dissolving, over time they slowly begin to change.C Although the soft parts of snails or clams dissolve quickly, their hard shells resist dissolution for a long time.D Empty snail or clam shells that are strongFossil preservation When one considers the many ways by which organisms are completely destroyed after death, it is remarkable that fossils are as common as they are. Attack by scavengers and bacteria, chemical decay, and destruction by erosion and other geologic agencies make the odds against preservation very high. However, the chances of escaping complete destruction are vastly improved if the organism happens to have a mineralized skeleton and dies in a place where it can be quickly buried by sediment. Both of these conditions are often found on the ocean floors, where shelled invertebrates (organisms without spines) flourish and are covered by the continuous rain of sedimentary particles. Although most fossils are found in marine sedimentary rocks, they also are found in terrestrial deposits left by streams and lakes. On occasion, animals and plants have been preserved after becoming immersed in tar or quicksand, trapped in ice or lave flows, or engulfed by rapid falls of volcanic ash. The term “fossil” often implies petrifaction, literally a transformation into stone. After the death of an organism, the soft tissue is ordinarily consumed by scavengers and bacteria. They empty shell of a snail or clam may be left behind, and if it is sufficiently durable and resistant to dissolution, it may remain basically unchanged for a long period of time. Indeed, unaltered shells of marine invertebrates are known from deposits over 100 million years old. In many marine creatures, however, the skeleton is composed of mineral variety of calcium carbonate called aragonite. Although aragonite has the same composition as the more familiar mineral known as calcite, it has a different crystal form, is relativelyenough not to dissolve may stay in their original state for a long time.Q5 Why does the author ment ion “aragonite” in the passage?○To emphasize that some fossils remain unaltered for millions of years.○To contrast fossil formation in organisms with soft tissue and in organisms with hard shells○To explain that some marine organisms must undergo chemical changes in order to fossilize ○To explain why fossil shells are more likely to survive than are fossil skeletons.Q6 The word “enhance” in the passage is closest in meaning to○Control○Limit○Combine○IncreaseQ7 Which of the following best explains the process of permineralization mentioned in paragraph 3?○Water containing calcium carbonate circulates through a shell and deposits sediment.○Liquid containing chemicals hardens an already existing fossil structure.○Water passes through sediment s urrounding a fossil and removes its chemical content.○A chemical substance enters a fossil and changes its shape.Q8 The word “precise” in the passage is closest in meaning to○Complex○Quick○Exact○Reliable unstable, and in time changes to the more stable calcite.Many other processes may after the shell of the clam or snail and enhance its chances for preservation. Water containing dissolved silica, calcium carbonate, or iron many circulate through the enclosing sediment and be deposited in cavities such as narrow cavities and canals in bone once occupied by blood vessels and nerves. In such cases, the original composition of the bone or shell remains, but the fossil is made harder and more durable. This addition of a chemically precipitated substance into precipitated is termed “permineralization.”Petrifaction may also involve a simultaneous exchange of the original substance of a dead plant or animal with mineral matter of a different composition. This process is termed “replacement” because solutions have dissolved the original material and replaced it with an equal volume of the new substance. Replacement can be a marvelously precise process, so that details of shell ornamentation, tree rings in wood, and delicate structures in bone are accurately preserved.■Another type of fossilization,Q9 Paragraph 5 suggests which of the following about the carbonization process?○It is completed soon after an organism dies.○It does not occur in hard-shell organisms.○It sometimes allows soft-tissued organisms to be preserved with all their parts.○It is a more precise process of preserv ation than is replacement.Q10 The word “prospect” in the passage is closest in meaning to○Completion○Variety○Possibility○SpeedQ11 According to paragraph 7, how do environments containing oxygen affect fossil preservation?○They increase the prob ability that soft-tissued organisms will become fossils.○They lead to more bacteria production.○They slow the rate at which clay and silt are deposited.○They reduce the chance that animal remains will be preserved.Q12 According to the passage, all of the following assist preservation EXCEPT○The presence of calcite in an organism’s skeleton○The presence of large open areas along an ocean floor○The deposition of a fossil n sticky substances such as sap or tar○The rapid burial of an organism under la yers of siltQ13 Look at the four squares that indicate where the following sentence can be added to the passage. But the evidence of past organic life is not limited to petrifaction.Where would the sentence best fit?Click on a square■ to insert the se ntence in the known as carbonization, occurs when soft tissues are preserved as thin film of carbon.■ Leaves and tissue of soft-bodied organisms such as jellyfish or worms may accumulate, become buried and compressed, and lose their volatile constituents.■ The carbon often remains behind as a blackened silhouette.■Although it is certainly true that the possession of hard parts enhances the prospect of preservation, organisms having soft tissues and organs are also occasionally preserved. Insects and even small invertebrates have been found preserved in the hardened resins of conifers and certain other trees. X-ray examination of thin slabs of roc sometimes reveals the ghostly outlines of tentacles, digestive tracts, and visual organs of a variety of marine creatures. Soft parts, including skin, hair, and viscera of ice age mammoths, have been preserved in frozen soil or in the oozing tar of oil seeps.The probability that actual remains of soft tissue will be preserved is improved if the organism dies in an environment of rapid deposition and oxygen deprivation. Under such conditions, the destructive effects of bacteria are diminished. The middle Eocene Messel shale (from about 48 million years ago) of German accumulated in such an environment. The shale was deposited in an oxygen-deficient lake where lethal gases sometimes bubbled up and killed animals. Their remains accumulated on the floor of the lake and were then covered by clay and silt. Among the superbly preserved Messel fossils are insects with iridescent exoskeletons (hard outer coverings), frogs with skin and blood vessels intact, and even entire small mammals with preserved fur and soft tissue.passage.Q14 The remains of ancient life are amazingly well preserved in the form of fossils.Answer choicesA Environmental characteristics like those present on ocean floors increase the likelihood that plant and animal fossils will occur.B Fossils are more likely to the preserved in shale deposits than in deposits of clay and silt.C The shells of organisms can be preserved by processes of chemical precipitation or mineral exchange.D Freezing enables the soft parts of organisms to survive longer than the hard parts.E Comparatively few fossils are found in the terrestrial deposits of streams and lakes.F Thin films of carbon may remain as an indication of soft tissue or actual tissue may be preserved if exposure to bacteria is limited.。

托福TPO34阅读Passage2原文文本+题目+答案解析为了帮助大家高效备考托福，为大家带来托福TPO34阅读Passage2原文文本+题目+答案解析，希望对大家备考有所帮助。

The Development of Steam Power蒸汽机的发展By the eighteenth century,Britain was experiencing a severe shortage of energy.Because of the growth of population,most of the great forests of medieval Britain had long ago been replaced by fields of grain and hay.Wood was in ever-shorter supply,yet it remained tremendously important.It served as the primary source of heat for all homes and industries and as a basic raw material.Processed wood(charcoal)was the fuel that was mixed with iron ore in the blast furnace to produce pig iron(raw iron).The iron industry’s appetite for wood was enormous,and by 1740 the British iron industry was stagnating.Vast forests enabled Russia to become the world’s leading producer of iron,much of which was exported to Britain.But Russia’s potential for growth was limited too,and in a few decades Russia would reach the barrier of inadequate energy that was already holding England back.在18世纪之前，英国正在经历一次严重的能源短缺。

1.agency代理，中介，作用，所以答案是force，选C。

原句说由于腐食动物和细菌的侵袭，化学侵蚀和其他地质什么的作用，使得保存的难度非常大。

combination组合明显不靠谱，problem是个负向词，不靠谱，之前并列的都不是变化，change不对。

2.修辞目的题，修辞点所在句是一个例子，所以往前看，前一句说fossil遭破坏的方式和fossil一样多，后面就跟了很多破坏的方式，所以答案是A，阐释为什么如此多破坏之下还有这么多化石存在。

往后看也可以，下一句说如果化石有骨架的话被保留的机会会大增，也就是一直都在说化石存留下来的机会，所以A是正确答案。

3.terrestrial陆地的，陆生的，所以正确答案是A。

原文说尽管大部分的化石都是在海洋中找到的，但也有一些是在河湖中的什么沉积物当中找到的，既然前文都说了大部分是在海洋里找到的，肯定后面会说是在陆地上找到的，所以答案是terrestrial，B/C/D都不靠谱。

4.原句的结构是并列加条件，所以正确答案是D。

A的must be empty原文没说；B和C的关系都错误；D说的是shell会被剩下，如果足够耐腐蚀，就能保存一段时间。

5.修辞目的题，先看例子所在句子，说很多海洋生物的骨骼包含calcite，没有答案，往前看，前一句说一亿年前的沉积物中能发现骨骼不变的海生无脊椎动物，与A靠谱，但A本身不是一个观点，所以A不对；B和D完全没说，不对；强调的中心在例子所在句的下一句，说arogonite的晶体形状不同，相对不那么稳定，会变成更稳定的形式，所以答案是C，想稳定的话必须再变。

6.enhance提升，提高，所以正确答案是D的increase。

原文说很多化学过程都能改变壳体的结构并且怎么样它们作为化石保留下来的机会，combine明显不靠谱；limit和control意思相近，而且这两个词与increase意思相反，所以其他三个都不对。

7.以permineralization做关键词定位至最后一句。

托福TPO6Part2阅读文本及答案解析托福TPO是我们托福阅读的重要参考资料，为了方便大家备考，下面小编给大家整理了托福TPO6Part2阅读文本及答案解析，希望大家喜欢。

托福TPO6阅读文本Part2William SmithIn 1769 in a little town in Oxfordshire, England, a child with the very ordinary name of William Smith was born into the poor family of a village blacksmith. He received rudimentary village schooling, but mostly he roamed his uncle's farm collecting the fossils that were so abundant in the rocks of the Cotswold hills. When he grew older, William Smith taught himself surveying from books he bought with his small savings, and at the age of eighteen he was apprenticed to a surveyor of the local parish. He then proceeded to teach himself geology, and when he was twenty-four, he went to work for the company that was excavating the Somerset Coal Canal in the south of England.This was before the steam locomotive, and canal building was at its height. The companies building the canals to transport coal needed surveyors to help them find the coal deposits worth mining as well as to determine the best courses for the canals. This job gave Smith an opportunity to study the fresh rock outcrops created by the newly dug canal. He later worked on similar jobs across the length and breadth of England, all the while studying the newly revealed strata and collecting all the fossils he could find. Smith used mail coaches to travel as much as 10,000 miles per year. In 1815 he published the first modern geological map, "A Map of the Strata of England and Wales with a Part of Scotland," a map so meticulously researched that it canstill be used today.In 1831 when Smith was finally recognized by the Geological Society of London as the "father of English geology," it was not only for his maps but also for something even more important. Ever since people had begun to catalog the strata in particular outcrops, there had been the hope that these could somehow be used to calculate geological time. But as more and more accumulations of strata were cataloged in more and more places, it became clear that the sequences of rocks sometimes differed from region to region and that no rock type was ever going to become a reliable time marker throughout the world. Even without the problem of regional differences, rocks present a difficulty as unique time markers. Quartz is quartz-a silicon ion surrounded by four oxygen ions-there's no difference at all between two-million-year-old Pleistocene quartz and Cambrian quartz created over 500 million years ago.As he collected fossils from strata throughout England, Smith began to see that the fossils told a different story from the rocks. Particularly in the younger strata, the rocks were often so similar that he had trouble distinguishing the strata, but he never had trouble telling the fossils apart. While rock between two consistent strata might in one place be shale and in another sandstone, the fossils in that shale or sandstone were always the same. Some fossils endured through so many millions of years that they appear in many strata, but others occur only in a few strata, and a few species had their births and extinctions within one particular stratum. Fossils are thus identifying markers for particular periods in Earth's history.Not only could Smith identify rock strata by the fossils they contained, he could also see a pattern emerging: certain fossilsalways appear in more ancient sediments, while others begin to be seen as the strata become more recent. By following the fossils, Smith was able to put all the strata of England's earth into relative temporal sequence. About the same time, Georges Cuvier made the same discovery while studying the rocks around Paris.Soon it was realized that this principle of faunal (animal) succession was valid not only in England or France but virtually everywhere. It was actually a principle of floral succession as well, because plants showed the same transformation through time as did fauna. Limestone may be found in the Cambrian or-300 million years later-in the Jurassic strata, but a trilobite-the ubiquitous marine arthropod that had its birth in the Cambrian-will never be found in Jurassic strata, nor a dinosaur in the Cambrian.Paragraph 1: In 1769 in a little town in Oxfordshire, England, a child with the very ordinary name of William Smith was born into the poor family of a village blacksmith. He receivedrudimentary village schooling, but mostly he roamed his uncle's farm collecting the fossils that were so abundant in the rocks of the Cotswold hills. When he grew older, William Smith taught himself surveying from books he bought with his small savings, and at the age of eighteen he was apprenticed to a surveyor of the local parish. He then proceeded to teach himself geology, and when he was twenty-four, he went to work for the company that was excavating the Somerset Coal Canal in the south of England.托福TPO6阅读题目Part21. The word "rudimentary" in the passage is closest in meaning to○thorough○strict○basic○occasional2. According to paragraph 1, which of the following statements about William Smith is NOT true?○Smith learned surveying by reading and by apprenticing for a local surveyor.○Smith's family lived in a small English town and possessed little wealth.○Smith learned about fossils from books he borrowed from his uncle.○Smith eventually left his village to work on the excavation of an English canal.Paragraph 2: This was before the steam locomotive, and canal building was at its height. The companies building the canals to transport coal needed surveyors to help them find the coal deposits worth mining as well as to determine the best courses for the canals. This job gave Smith an opportunity to study the fresh rock outcrops created by the newly dug canal. He later worked on similar jobs across the length and breadth of England, all the while studying the newly revealed strata and collecting all the fossils he could find. Smith used mail coaches to travel as much as 10,000 miles per year. In 1815 he published the first modern geological map, "A Map of the Strata of England and Wales with a Part of Scotland," a map so meticulously researched that it can still be used today.3. Which of the following can be inferred from paragraph 2 about canal building?○ Canals were built primarily in the south of England ratherthan in other regions.○ Canal building decreased after the steam locomotive was invented.○ Canal building made it difficult to study rock strata which often became damaged in the process.○ Canal builders hired surveyors like Smith to examine exposed rock strata.4. According to paragraph2, which of the following is true of the map published by William Smith?○It indicates the locations of England's major canals.○It became most valuable when the steam locomotive made rail travel possible.○The data for the map were collected during Smith's work on canals.○It is no longer regarded as a geological masterpiece.5. The word "meticulously" in the passage is closest in meaning to○carefully○quickly○frequently○obviouslyParagraph 3: In 1831 when Smith was finally recognized by the Geological Society of London as the "father of English geology," it was not only for his maps but also for something even more important. Ever since people had begun to catalog the strata in particular outcrops, there had been the hope that these could somehow be used to calculate geological time. But as more and more accumulations of strata were cataloged in more and more places, it became clear that the sequences of rocks sometimes differed from region to region and that no rocktype was ever going to become a reliable time marker throughout the world. Even without the problem of regional differences, rocks present a difficulty as unique time markers. Quartz is quartz-a silicon ion surrounded by four oxygen ions-there's no difference at all between two-million-year-old Pleistocene quartz and Cambrian quartz created over 500 million years ago.6. Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in the passage? Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.○The discovery of regional differences in the sequences of rocks led geologists to believe that rock types could someday become reliable time markers.○Careful analysis of strata revealed that rocks cannot establish geological time because the pattern of rock layers varies from place to place.○Smith's catalogs of rock strata indicated that the sequences of rocks are different from place to place and from region to region.○Because people did no t catalog regional differences in sequences of rocks, it was believed that rocks could never be reliable time markers.7. Why does the author use the phrase "Quartz is quartz"?○To describe how the differences between Pleistocene and Cambrian quartz reveal information about dating rocks ○To point out that the chemical composition of quartz makes it more difficult to date than other rocks○To provide an example of how regional differences in rock sequences can make a particular rock difficult to date○To explain that rocks are difficult to use for dating because their chemical compositions always remain the same over time Paragraph 4: As he collected fossils from strata throughout England, Smith began to see that the fossils told a different story from the rocks. Particularly in the younger strata, the rocks were often so similar that he had trouble distinguishing the strata, but he never had trouble telling the fossils apart. While rock between two consistent strata might in one place be shale and in another sandstone, the fossils in that shale or sandstone were always the same. Some fossils endured through so many millions of years that they appear in many strata, but others occur only in a few strata, and a few species had their births and extinctions within one particular stratum. Fossils are thus identifying markers for particular periods in Earth's history.8. According to paragraph 4, it was difficult for Smith to distinguish rock strata because○the rocks fr om different strata closely resembled each other ○he was often unable to find fossils in the younger rock strata ○their similarity to each other made it difficult for him to distinguish one rock type from another○the type of rock between two consistent st rata was always the same9. The word "endured" in the passage is closest in meaning to○vanished○developed○varied○survivedParagraph 5: Not only could Smith identify rock strata by the fossils they contained, he could also see a pattern emerging:certain fossils always appear in more ancient sediments, while others begin to be seen as the strata become more recent. By following the fossils, Smith was able to put all the strata of England's earth into relative temporal sequence. About the same time, Georges Cuvier made the same discovery while studying the rocks around Paris. Soon it was realized that this principle of faunal (animal) succession was valid not only in England or France but virtually everywhere. It was actually a principle of floral succession as well, because plants showed the same transformation through time as did fauna. Limestone may be found in the Cambrian or-300 million years later-in the Jurassic strata, but a trilobite-the ubiquitous marine arthropod that had its birth in the Cambrian-will never be found in Jurassic strata, nor a dinosaur in the Cambrian.10. The word "virtually" in the passage is closest in meaning to○possibly○absolutely○surprisingly○nearly11. Select the TWO answer choices that are true statements based upon the discussion of the principle of faunal succession in paragraph 5. To receive credit, you must select TWO answers.○It was a principle that applied to fauna but not to flora.○It was discovered independently by two different geologists.○It describes how fo ssils are distributed in rock strata.○It explains why plants and animals undergo transformations through time.12. In mentioning "trilobite", the author is making which of the following points?○Fossils cannot be found in more than one rock stratum.○Faunal succession can help put rock layers in relative temporal sequence.○Faunal succession cannot be applied to different strata composed of the same kind of rock.○The presence of trilobite fossils makes it difficult to date a rock.Paragraph 5: Not only could Smith identify rock strata by the fossils they contained, he could also see a pattern emerging: certain fossils always appear in more ancient sediments, while others begin to be seen as the strata become more recent. █By following the fossils, Smith was able to put all the strata of England's earth into relative temporal sequence. █About the same time, Georges Cuvier made the same discovery while studying the rocks around Paris. █Soon it was realized that this principle of faunal (animal) succession was valid not only in England or France but virtually everywhere. █It was actually a principle of floral succession as well, because plants showed the same transformation through time as did fauna. Limestone may be found in the Cambrian or-300 million years later-in the Jurassic strata, but a trilobite-the ubiquitous marine arthropod that had its birth in the Cambrian-will never be found in Jurassic strata, nor a dinosaur in the Cambrian.13.Look at the four squares [█]that indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passageThe findings of these geologists inspired others to examine the rock and fossil records in different parts of the world.Where would the sentence best fit?14. Directions: An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage is provided below. Complete the summary byselecting the THREE answer choices that express the most important ideas in the passage. Some sentences do not belong in the summary because they express ideas that are not presented in the passage or are minor ideas in the passage. This question is worth 2 points.William Smith's contributions to geology have increased our knowledge of the Earth's history.●●●Answer Choices○Smith found success easily in his profession because he came from a family of geologists and surveyors.○Smith's work on canals allowed him to collect fossils and study rock layers all over England.○Smith found that fossils are much more reliable indicators of geological time than rock strata are.○Smith was named "the father o f English geology" for his maps rather than for his other contributions to the field.○Smith and Cuvier discovered that fossil patterns are easier to observe in ancient rock strata than in younger rock strata.○The discovery of the principle of faunal succ ession allowed geologists to establish the relative age of Earth's rock layers 托福TPO6阅读答案Part2参考答案：1. ○32. ○33. ○24. ○35. ○16. ○27. ○4.8. ○19. ○410. ○411. ○2, 312. ○213. ○314. Smith's work on canals allowedSmith found that fossils areThe discovery of the principle托福TPO6阅读翻译Part2参考翻译：威廉;史密斯1769年，在英国牛津郡的一个小镇上，一个小男孩儿出生在村里一户穷铁匠家，他的名字很普通，叫做威廉o史密斯。

托福阅读TPO20(试题+答案+译文)第3篇:FossilPreservationTPO是我们常用的托福模考工具，对我们的备考很有价值，下面小编给大家带来托福阅读TPO20(试题+答案+译文)第3篇:Fossil Preservation。

托福阅读原文【1】When one considers the many ways by which organisms are completely destroyed after death, it is remarkable that fossils are as common as they are. Attack by scavengers and bacteria, chemical decay, and destruction by erosion and other geologic agencies make the odds against preservation very high. However, the chances of escaping complete destruction are vastly improved if the organism happens to have a mineralized skeleton and dies in a place where it can be quickly buried by sediment. Both of these conditions are often found on the ocean floors, where shelled invertebrates (organisms without spines) flourish and are covered by the continuous rain of sedimentary particles. Although most fossils are found in marine sedimentary rocks, they also are found in terrestrial deposits left by streams and lakes. On occasion, animals and plants have been preserved after becoming immersed in tar or quicksand, trapped in ice or lava flows, or engulfed by rapid falls of volcanic ash.【2】The term "fossil" often implies petrifaction, literally a transformation into stone. After the death of an organism, the soft tissue is ordinarily consumed by scavengers and bacteria. The empty shell of a snail or clam may be left behind, and if it is sufficiently durable and resistant to dissolution, it may remain basically unchanged for a long period of time. Indeed, unaltered shells of marine invertebrates are known from deposits over 100million years old. In many marine creatures, however, the skeleton is composed of a mineral variety of calcium carbonate called aragonite. Although aragonite has the same composition as the more familiar mineral known as calcite, it has a different crystal form, is relatively unstable, and in time changes to the more stable calcite.【3】Many other processes may alter the shell of a clam or snail and enhance its chances for preservation. Water containing dissolved silica, calcium carbonate, or iron may circulate through the enclosing sediment and be deposited in cavities such as marrow cavities and canals in bone once occupied by blood vessels and nerves. In such cases, the original composition of the bone or shell remains, but the fossil is made harder and more durable. This addition of a chemically precipitated substance into pore spaces is termed "permineralization."【4】Petrifaction may also involve a simultaneous exchange of the original substance of a dead plant or animal with mineral matter of a different composition. This process is termed " replacement" because solutions have dissolved the original material and replaced it with an equal volume of the new substance. Replacement can be a marvelously precise process, so that details of shell ornamentation, tree rings in wood, and delicate structures in bone are accurately preserved.【5】Another type of fossilization, known as carbonization, occurs when soft tissues are preserved as thin films of carbon. Leaves and tissue of soft-bodied organisms such as jellyfish or worms may accumulate, become buried and compressed, and lose their volatile constituents. The carbon often remains behind as a blackened silhouette.【6】Although it is certainly true that the possession of hardparts enhances the prospect of preservation, organisms having soft tissues and organs are also occasionally preserved. Insects and even small invertebrates have been found preserved in the hardened resins of conifers and certain other trees. X-ray examination of thin slabs of rock sometimes reveals the ghostly outlines of tentacles, digestive tracts, and visual organs of a variety of marine creatures. Soft parts, including skin, hair, and viscera of ice age mammoths, have been preserved in frozen soil or in the oozing tar of oil seeps.【7】The probability that actual remains of soft tissue will be preserved is improved if the organism dies in an environment of rapid deposition and oxygen deprivation. Under such conditions, the destructive effects of bacteria are diminished. The Middle Eocene Messel Shale (from about 48 million years ago) of Germany accumulated in such an environment. The shale was deposited in an oxygen-deficient lake where lethal gases sometimes bubbled up and killed animals. Their remains accumulated on the floor of the lake and were then covered by clay and silt. Among the superbly preserved Messel fossils are insects with iridescent exoskeletons (hard outer coverings), frogs with skin and blood vessels intact, and even entire small mammals with preserved fur and soft tissue.托福阅读试题1.The word "agencies" in the passage (paragraph 1) is closest in meaning tobinations.B.problems.C.forces.D.changes.2.In paragraph 1, what is the author's purpose in providingexamples of how organisms are destroyed?A.To emphasize how surprising it is that so many fossils exist.B.To introduce a new geologic theory of fossil preservation.C.To explain why the fossil record until now has remained incomplete.D.To compare how fossils form on land and in water.3.The word "terrestrial" in the passage (paragraph 1) is closest in meaning tond.B.protected.C.alternative.D.similar.4.Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in the passage (paragraph 2)? Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.A.When snail or clam shells are left behind, they must be empty in order to remain durable and resist dissolution.B.Although snail and clam shells are durable and resist dissolving, over time they slowly begin to change.C.Although the soft parts of snails or clams dissolve quickly, their hard shells resist dissolution for a long time.D.Empty snail or clam shells that are strong enough not to dissolve may stay in their original state for a long time.5.Why does the author mention "aragonite" in the passage (paragraph 2)?A.To emphasize that some fossils remain unaltered for millions of years.B.To contrast fossil formation in organisms with soft tissue and in organisms with hard shells.C.To explain that some marine organisms must undergo chemical changes in order to fossilize.D.To explain why fossil shells are more likely to survive than are fossil skeletons.6.The word "enhance" in the passage (paragraph 3) is closest in meaning toA.control.B.limit.bine.D.increase.7.Which of the following best explains the process of permineralization mentioned in paragraph 3?A.Water containing calcium carbonate circulates through a shell and deposits sediment.B.Liquid containing chemicals hardens an already existing fossil structure.C.Water passes through sediment surrounding a fossil and removes its chemical content.D.A chemical substance enters a fossil and changes its shape.8.The word "precise" in the passage (paragraph 4) is closest in meaning toplex.B.quick.C.exact.D.reliable.9.Paragraph 5 suggests which of the following about the carbonization process?A.It is completed soon after an organism dies.B.It does not occur in hard-shell organisms.C.It sometimes allows soft-tissued organisms to bepreserved with all their parts.D.It is a more precise process of preservation than is replacement.10.The word "prospect" in the passage (paragraph 6) is closest in meaning topletion.B.variety.C.possibility.D.speed.11.According to paragraph 7, how do environments containing oxygen affect fossil preservation?A.They increase the probability that soft-tissued organisms will become fossils.B.They lead to more bacteria production.C.They slow the rate at which clay and silt are deposited.D.They reduce the chance that animal remains will be preserved.12.According to paragraph 7， all of the following assist in fossil preservation EXCEPTA.the presence of calcite in an organism's skeleton.B.the presence of large open areas along an ocean floor.C.the deposition of a fossil in sticky substances such as sap or tar.D.the rapid burial of an organism under layers of silt.13. Look at the four squares [■] that indicate where the following sentence can be added to the passage. Where would the sentence best fit? Click on a square [■] to insert the sentence in the passage. But the evidence of past organic life is not limited to petrifaction. ■【A】Another type of fossilization, known as carbonization, occurs when soft tissues are preserved as thinfilms of carbon. ■【B】Leaves and tissue of soft-bodied organisms such as jellyfish or worms may accumulate, become buried and compressed, and lose their vola tile constituents. ■【C】The carbon often remains behind as a blackened silhouette.■【D】14. Directions: An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage is provided below. Complete the summary by selecting the THREE answer choices that express the most important ideas in the passage. Some answer choices do not belong in the summary because they express ideas that are not presented in the passage or are minor ideas in the passage. This question is worth 2 points. The remains of ancient life are amazingly well preserved in the form of fossils.A.Environmental characteristics like those present on ocean floors increase the likelihood that plant and animal fossils will occur.B.Fossils are more likely to be preserved in shale deposits than in deposits of clay and silt.C.The shells of organisms can be preserved by processes of chemical precipitation or mineral exchange.D.Freezing enables the soft parts of organisms to survive longer than the hard parts.paratively few fossils are found in the terrestrial deposits of streams and lakes.F.Thin films of carbon may remain as an indication of soft tissue or actual tissue may be preserved if exposure to bacteria is limited.托福阅读答案1.agency代理，中介，作用，所以答案是force，选C。

tpo39三篇托福阅读TOEFL原文译文题目答案译文背景知识阅读-1 (2)原文 (2)译文 (5)题目 (8)答案 (15)背景知识 (16)阅读-2 (18)原文 (18)译文 (21)题目 (24)答案 (33)背景知识 (33)阅读-3 (37)原文 (37)译文 (40)题目 (43)答案 (53)背景知识 (53)阅读-1原文Early Writing Systems①Scholars agree that writing originated somewhere in the Middle East, probably Mesopotamia, around the fourth millennium B.C.E. It is from the great libraries and word-hoards of these ancient lands that the first texts emerged. They were written on damp clay tablets with a wedged (or V-shaped) stick; since the Latin word for wedge is cunea, the texts are called cuneiform. The clay tablets usually were not fired; sun drying was probably reckoned enough to preserve the text for as long as it was being used. Fortunately, however, many tablets survived because they were accidentally fired when the buildings they were stored in burned.②Cuneiform writing lasted for some 3,000 years, in a vast line of succession that ran through Sumer, Akkad, Assyria, Nineveh, and Babylon, and preserved for us fifteen languages in an area represented by modern-day Iraq, Syria, and western Iran. The oldest cuneiform texts recorded the transactions of tax collectors and merchants, the receipts and bills of sale of an urban society. They had to do with things like grain, goats, and real estate. Later, Babylonian scribes recorded thelaws and kept other kinds of records. Knowledge conferred power. As a result, the scribes were assigned their own goddess, Nisaba, later replaced by the god Nabu of Borsippa, whose symbol is neither weapon nor dragon but something far more fearsome, the cuneiform stick.③Cuneiform texts on science, astronomy, medicine, and mathematics abound, some offering astoundingly precise data. One tablet records the speed of the Moon over 248 days; another documents an early sighting of Halley's Comet, from September 22 to September 28, 164 B.C.E. More esoteric texts attempt to explain old Babylonian customs, such as the procedure for curing someone who is ill, which included rubbing tar and gypsum on the sick person's door and drawing a design at the foot of the person's bed. What is clear from the vast body of texts (some 20,000 tablets were found in King Ashurbanipal's library at Nineveh) is that scribes took pride in their writing and knowledge.④The foremost cuneiform text, the Babylonian Epic of Gilgamesh, deals with humankind's attempts to conquer time. In it, Gilgamesh, king and warrior, is crushed by the death of his best friend and so sets out on adventures that prefigure mythical heroes of ancient Greek legends such as Hercules. His goal is not just to survive his ordeals but to make sense of this life. Remarkably, versions of Gilgamesh span1,500 years, between 2100 B.C.E and 600 B.C.E., making the story the epic of an entire civilization.⑤The ancient Egyptians invented a different way of writing and a new substance to write on -papyrus, a precursor of paper, made from a wetland plant. The Greeks had a special name for this writing: hieroglyphic, literally "sacred writing". This, they thought, was language fit for the gods, which explains why it was carved on walls of pyramids and other religious structures. Perhaps hieroglyphics are Egypt's great contribution to the history of writing: hieroglyphic wiring, in use from 3100 B.C.E. until 394 C.E., resulted in the creation of texts that were fine art as well as communication. Egypt gave us the tradition of the scribe not just as educated person but as artist and calligrapher.⑥Scholars have detected some 6,000 separate hieroglyphic characters in use over the history of Egyptian writing, but it appears that never more than a thousand were in use during any one period. It still seems a lot to recall, but what was lost in efficiency was more than made up for in the beauty and richness of the texts. Writing was meant to impress the eye with the vastness of creating itself. Each symbol or glyph - the flowering reed (pronounced like V), the owl ("m"), the quail chick ("w"), etcetera -was a tiny work of art. Manuscripts werecompiled with an eye to the overall design. Egyptologists have noticed that the glyphs that constitute individual words were sometimes shuffled to make the text more pleasing to the eye with little regard for sound or sense.译文早期书写体系①学者们一致认为，书写起源于大约在公元前4000年左右的中东的某个地区，很有可能是美索不达米亚。

托福TPO24综合写作及材料原文托福TPO24综合写作范文及材料原文因为化石里面的动物活性组织大部分都被矿物质代替了，所以动物化石很难帮助人们研究动物的软组织。

当时科学家们发现一个7千万年前的霸王龙化石中可能存在真正的动物软组织。

下面是店铺分享的关于这方面的托福TPO24综合写作范文材料，希望能对大家有所帮助!托福TPO24综合写作范文The reading passage points out three evidences that indicate the existence of actually tissue in dinosaur fossil. However, the professor doubts the accuracy ofthese evidences. In fact, he offers some alternative explanations for the substances found in the fossil.First and foremost, he challenges the existence of blood vessels. Instead, he points out that bacteria may occupy the hollows inside the bones. Therefore, it is highly possible that the soft substance in the branching channels of the bone is the moist residue of bacteria, rather than blood vessels of the dinosaur.Moreover, the professor casts doubt about the red substance in sphere, which according to the reading passage is the remain of red blood cells. In fact, the professor claims that this red substance was also found in some other animals, which lived in the same place but had no red blood vessels at all. The professor argues that the sphere can be pieces of red minerals.Additionally, the professor doubts the existence of collagen in the fossil. On the contrary to the reading passage, he points out that the earliest collagen that has ever found is in fossils 100000 ago. It is unlikely for collagen to last for more than 70 million years. As a result, the professor suggests that the collagenmay come from recent sources, such as the skin of researchers who handed the fossil.托福TPO24综合写作阅读材料：Animal fossils usually provide very little opportunity to study the actual animal tissues because in fossils the animals' living tissues have been largely replaced by minerals. Thus, scientists were very excited recently when it appeared that a70-‐million-‐year-‐old fossil of Tyrannosaurus rex (T. rex), a dinosaur, might stillcontain remains of the actual tissues of the animal. The discovery was made whenresearcher s deliberately broke open the T. rex’s leg bone, thereby exposing its insides to reveal materials that seem to be remains of blood vessels, red blood cells, and collagen matrix.动物化石很难帮助人们研究动物的软组织，这是因为化石里面的动物活性组织大部分都被矿物质代替了。

TPO55 阅读-2 Evolution of the Flowering Plants原文 (1)译文 (2)题目 (4)答案 (7)背景知识 (8)原文Evolution of the Flowering Plants①Many aspects of the history of flowering plants (angiosperms) remain mysterious. Evidence of the earliest angiosperms comes from fossilized leaves, stems, fruits, pollen, and, very rarely, flowers. In addition, there has been much study of modern plant morphology (structure) and genetics in order to determine which living species might be most closely related to the ancient ancestors of angiosperms. Despite intensive efforts for over 200 years, scientists have still not reached consensus on which type of plant was the ancestor to the angiosperms, and when and where the angiosperms first evolved. Indeed, Charles Darwin himself called the origin of the flowering plants an “abominable mystery.”②What type of plant was the ancestor to the angiosperms? Most botanists now agree that the flowering plants are monophyletic in origin, meaning that they evolved from a common ancestor. Some paleontologists have suggested that the common ancestor may have been a type of cycad (palmlike tropical plants). Other paleontologists maintain that the angiosperms may have evolved from seed-bearing ferns. Finally, analysis of the morphological traits of some primitive living plants suggests that the ancestor may have been related to the modern pines. The question of angiosperm ancestry remains unresolved.③The time and place of the first appearance of flowering plants have long been a topic of great interest. There is good fossil evidence that early angiosperms, including a number resembling modern magnolias, were present in the Early Cretaceous geologic period (more than 100 million years ago). Angiosperms became increasingly abundant during this period. Between 100 million and 65 million years ago, a period known as the Late Cretaceous, angiosperms increased from less than 1 percent of flora (plant life) to well over 50 percent. Many of the modern plant families appeared during this time period. In the Early Tertiary period which followed, angiosperms increased to comprise 90 percent or more ofEarth’s total flora. Where did these successful plants first originate and spread from?④Analysis of the fossil leaf structure and geographic distribution of the earliest Cretaceous angiosperms has led many biogeographers to conclude that they evolved in the tropics and then migrated poleward. It is known that angiosperms did not become dominant in the high latitudes until the Late Cretaceous. Paleontologists have recovered fossil angiosperm leaves, stems, and pollen from Early Cretaceous deposits in eastern South America and western Africa. These two continents were joined together as part of Gondwanaland, one of two supercontinents that existed at that time. The locations of these early angiosperm finds would have been close to the equator during the Early Cretaceous and are conformable with a model by which angiosperms spread from the tropics poleward.⑤Not all botanists agree with an African-South American center for the evolution and dispersal of the angiosperms, pointing out that many of the most primitive forms of flowering plants are found in the South Pacific, including portions of Fiji, New Caledonia, New Guinea, eastern Australia, and the Malay Archipelago. Recent genetic research has identified the rare tropical shrub Amborella as being the living plant most closely related to the ancient ancestor of all the angiosperms. This small shrub, which has tiny yellow-white flowers and red fruit, is found only on New Caledonia, a group of islands in the South Pacific. Many botanists conclude that the best explanation for the large numbers of primitive living angiosperms in the South Pacific region is that this is where the flowering plants first evolved and these modern species are relics of this early evolution. Comparisons of the DNA of Amborella and many hundreds of species of flowering plants suggest that the first angiosperm arose and the development of separate species occurred about 135 million years ago.⑥Recently discovered fossils complicate our understanding of the origin of the angiosperms even further. Paleontologists from China have found beautifully preserved fossils of an angiosperm plant, including flowers and seeds, in Jurassic period deposits from China. The site, which is about 130 million years old, is near modern Beijing. The new fossil plant found at the site is one of the oldest known angiosperms. The age of the fossils and the very primitive features of the flowers have led the discoverers to suggest that the earliest flowering plants may have evolved in northern Asia.译文开花植物进化史①开花植物(被子植物)历史的很多方面仍然是神秘的。