托福考试阅读冲刺

时间：2022年12月11日

来源：谁家又在种枇杷

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这里小编给大家分享一些托福考试阅读冲刺，本文共6篇，方便大家学习。本文原稿由网友“谁家又在种枇杷”提供。

篇1：托福考试阅读冲刺

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

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

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

1. The word “it” in line 3 refers to

(A) environment

(B) species

(D) 99 percent

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

(A) exceptionally

(B) dramatically

(D) unfortunately

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

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

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

(D) They are no longer in existence.

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

(A) Temperature changes

(B) Availability of food resources

(D) Competition among species

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

(A) change

(B) recovery

(D) death

6. Why is “plankton” mentioned in line 17?

(A) To demonstrate the interdependence of different species.

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

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

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

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

(B) Extinctions on Earth have generally been massive

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

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

(A) published information

(B) research method

(D) scientific discovery

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

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

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

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

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

(A) It reflects the interrelationship of many species.

(B) It may depend on chance events.

(D) It is associated with astronomical conditions.

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

(A) 26 million years ago

(B) 65 million years ago

(D) 250 million years ago

参考答案：BCDCD AADAB C

篇2：托福考试阅读冲刺

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

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

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

(A) conceal layers of rock

(B) can be found in various places

(D) must be removed from construction sites

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

(A) in desert sand dunes

(B) in forests

(D) near rivers

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

(A) buried

(B) improved

(D) workable

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

(A) it is exposed to freezing and thawing

(B) roots of trees force their way into cracks

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

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

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

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

(D) It is a major component of clay.

6. The word “it” in line 13 refers to

(A) iron

(B) feldspar

(D) clay

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

(A) must be strong

(B) can be porous

(D) are highly decorated

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

(A) reduce

(B) explain

(D) list all of

9. The passage supports which of the following conclusions?

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

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

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

参考试题：BACCD BBBC

篇3：托福考试阅读冲刺

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

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

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

1. What does the passage mainly discuss?

(A) The effects of human activities on prehistoric wildlife

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

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

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

(A) occasionally

(B) unexpectedly

(D) certainly

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

(A) parts

(B) problems

(D) varieties

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

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

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

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

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

(A) caused by

(B) whereas

(D) in favor of

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

(A) became extinct before the Pleistocene epoch

(B) was unusually large for its time

(D) caused the extinction of several species

7. The word “they” in line 22 refers to

(A) human hunters

(B) game animals

(D) large mammals

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

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

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

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

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

(A) large

(B) escaping

(D) local

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

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

(B) large animals moving into a new environment

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

参考答案：ADABC CCDCC

篇4：TOEFL托福考试阅读冲刺

The interrelationship of science, technology, and industry is taken for granted today — summed up, not altogether accurately, as “research and development.” Yet historically this widespread faith in the economic virtues of science is a relatively recent phenomenon, dating back in the United States about 150 years, and in the Western world as a whole not over 300 years at most. Even in this current era of large scale, intensive research and development, the interrelationships involved in this process are frequently misunderstood. Until the coming of the Industrial Revolution, science and technology evolved for the most part independently of each other. Then as industrialization became increasingly complicated, the craft techniques of preindustrial society gradually gave way to a technology based on the systematic application of scientific knowledge and scientific methods. This changeover started slowly and progressed unevenly. Until late in the nineteenth century, only a few industries could use scientific techniques or cared about using them. The list expanded noticeably after 1870, but even then much of what passed for the application of science was “engineering science” rather than basic science.

Nevertheless, by the middle of the nineteenth century, the rapid expansion of scientific knowledge and of public awareness — if not understanding — of it had created a belief that the advance of science would in some unspecified manner automatically generate economic benefits. The widespread and usually uncritical acceptance of this thesis led in turn to the assumption that the application of science to industrial purposes was a linear process, starting with fundamental science, then proceeding to applied science or technology, and through them to industrial use. This is probably the most common pattern, but it is not invariable. New areas of science have been opened up and fundamental discoveries made as a result of attempts to solve a specific technical or economic problem. Conversely, scientists who mainly do basic research also serve as consultants on projects that apply research in practical ways.

In sum, the science-technology-industry relationship may flow in several different ways, and the particular channel it will follow depends on the individual situation. It may at times even be multidirectional.

1. What is the author's main purpose in the passage ?

(A) To show how technology influenced basic science

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

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

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

(A) completely

(B) realistically

(D) understandably

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

(A) decreased

(B) concentrated

(D) advanced

4. The “list” mentioned in line 13 refers to

(A) types of scientific knowledge

(B) changes brought by technology

(D) applications of engineering science

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

(A) Engineering science is not very important.

(B) Fundamental science naturally leads to economic benefits.

(D) Industrial needs should determine what areas fundamental science focuses on.

6. The word “it” in line 16 refers to

(A) understanding

(B) public awareness

(D) expansion

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

(A) regulation

(B) belief

(D) confusion

8. Why does the author mention “consultants” in line 25?

(A) To show how new areas of science have given rise to new professions

(B) To distinguish between scientists who work in industry and those who do not

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

9. Which of the following statements does the passage support?

(A) The development of science and of industry is now interdependent.

(B) Basic scientific research cannot generate practical applications.

(D) Science and technology are becoming more separate.

参考答案：CABCB CBDA

篇5：TOEFL托福考试阅读冲刺

The origins of nest-building remain obscure, but current observations of nest-building activities provide evidence of their evolution. Clues to this evolutionary process can be found in the activities of play and in the behavior and movements of birds during mating, such as incessant pulling at strips of vegetation or scraping of the soil. During the early days of the reproductive cycle, the birds seem only to play with the building materials. In preparation for mating, they engage in activities that resemble nest-building, and continue these activities throughout and even after the mating cycle. Effective attempts at construction occur only after mating.

Although nest-building is an instinctive ability, there is considerable adaptability in both site selection and use of materials, especially with those species which build quite elaborate constructions. Furthermore, some element of learning is often evident since younger birds do not build as well as their practiced elders. Young ravens, for example, first attempt to build with sticks of quite unsuitable size, while a jackdaw's first nest includes virtually any movable object. The novelist John Steinbeck recorded the contents of a young osprey nest built in his garden, which included three shirts, a bath towel, and one arrow.

Birds also display remarkable behavior in collecting building materials. Crows have been seen to tear off stout green twigs, and sparrowhawks will dive purposefully onto a branch until it snaps and then hang upside down to break it off. Golden eagles, over generations of work, construct enormous nests. One of these, examined after it had been dislodged by high winds, weighed almost two tons and included foundation branches almost two meters long. The carrying capacity of the eagles, however, is only relative to their size and most birds are able to carry an extra load of just over twenty percent of their body weight.

1. The word “obscure” in line 1 is closest in meaning to

(A) interesting

(B) unclear

(D) complex

2. According to the passage , which of the following activities is characteristic of the early part of the reproductive cycle of birds?

(A) Selecting a mate

(B) Collecting nest-building materials

(D) Building a nest

3. The word “display” in line 17 is closest in meaning to

(A) communicate

(B) imitate

(D) exhibit

4. The novelist John Steinbeck is mentioned in line 14 because he

(A) conducted a scientific study on the behavior of ospreys

(B) was the first to describe where ospreys built their nests

(D) compared the size of osprey nests with the nests of other species

5. Which of the following birds are mentioned as those that build nests that include unusual objects?

(A) Ravens

(B) Ospreys

(D) Sparrowhawks

6. According to the passage , when gathering materials to build their nests, sparrowhawks do which of the following?

(A) Hang upside down

(B) Select only green twigs

(D) Collect more branches than necessary

7. The word “these” in line 20 refers to

(A) golden eagles

(B) generations

(D) nests

8. The word “load” in line 23 is closest in meaning to

(A) weight

(B) number

(D) level

9. The author mentions twenty percent in line 23 to indicate that

(A) eagles are twenty percent bigger than most birds

(B) twenty percent of all nests include foundation branches

(D) birds can carry twenty percent more of their own weight

参考答案：BCDCB ADAD

篇6：TOEFL托福考试阅读冲刺

Newspaper publishers in the United States have long been enthusiastic users and distributors of weather maps. Although some newspapers that had carried the United States Weather Bureau's national weather map in 1912 dropped it once the novelty had passed, many continued to print the daily weather chart provided by their local forecasting office. In the 1930's, when interest in aviation and progress in air-mass analysis made weather patterns more newsworthy, additional newspapers started or resumed the daily weather map. In 1935, The Associated Press (AP) news service inaugurated its WirePhoto network and offered subscribing newspapers morning and afternoon weather maps redrafted by the AP's Washington, B.C., office from charts provided by the government agency. Another news service, United Press International (UPI), developed a competing Photowire network and also provided timely weather maps for both morning and afternoon newspapers. After the United States government launched a series of weather satellites in 1966, both the AP and UPI offered cloud-cover photos obtained from the Weather Bureau.

In the late 1970's and early 1980's, the weather map became an essential ingredient in the redesign of the American newspaper. News publishers, threatened by increased competition from television for readers' attention, sought to package the news more conveniently and attractively. In 1982, many publishers felt threatened by the new USA Today, a national daily newspaper that used a page-wide, full-color weather map as its key design element. That the weather map in USA Today did not include information about weather fronts and pressures attests to the largely symbolic role it played. Nonetheless, competing local and metropolitan newspapers responded in a variety of ways. Most substituted full-color temperature maps for the standard weather maps, while others dropped the comparatively drab satellite photos or added regional forecast maps with pictorial symbols to indicate rainy, snowy, cloudy, or clear conditions. A few newspapers, notably The New York Times, adopted a highly informative yet less visually prominent weather map that was specially designed to explain an important recent or imminent weather event. Ironically, a newspaper's richest, most instructive weather maps often are comparatively small and inconspicuous.

1. What does the passage mainly discuss?

(A) The differences between government and newspaper weather forecasting in the United States.

(B) The history of publishing weather maps in United States newspapers

(D) Information that forms the basis for weather forecasting in the United States

2. The word “resumed” in line 7 is closest in meaning to

(A) began again

(B) held back

(D) referred to

3. According to the passage , one important reason why newspapers printed daily weather maps during the first half of the twentieth century was

(A) the progress in printing technology

(B) a growing interest in air transportation

(D) the improvement of weather forecasting techniques