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托福阅读文章出处是哪里呢

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下面给大家分享托福阅读文章出处是哪里呢，本文共5篇，欢迎阅读!本文原稿由网友“mime”提供。

篇1：托福阅读文章出处是哪里呢

托福阅读文章出处是哪里呢

一、托福评分标准

托福阅读部分的考试满分30分，对于大家而言24分是一个比较高分的成绩了，那么想要拿到24分的话，托福阅读又能错多少呢?以下有这些分析，托福阅读有三篇文章，总共42道题。除每篇文末尾一题每题2分之外，其他题目都是每题一分。也就是说托福阅读的原始分是45分。原始分与结果成绩有个对应关系。根据分数对应关系，托福阅读如果想要拿到24分，原始分就要38分，想要38分的原始分，有以下几个情况，一是两分题都做对了的话，原始分39分基础题可错6道题，二是两分题都做错的情况下，已经扣6分，原始分得分为38分，在这种情况下托福阅读24分只能错3道大题，基础题一道都不能错。三是比较复杂了，如果其中一道题选错一个选项即扣一分，而其他两道题没错，那么错五个基础题就能拿到托福阅读24分;如果错两个选项扣两分，其他两道题没错，那么错四个基础题也能拿到托福阅读24分了。

二、选材出处

托福考试的阅读文章选材范围及其广泛，涉及有自然科学包括：天文学、地质学、生物学、气象学等;人文科学包括：艺术美学、考古学、语言学、文学等;社会科学包括：人类学、政治学、经济学、教育学、等交叉学科。

大家可以多关注一下报纸《纽约时报》、《纽约客》、《卫报》、《泰晤士报》、《每日快报》、《世界新闻报》，同时还有英语的主要期刊《国家地理》、《经济学家》、《旁观者》、《新政治家》、《高等教育纪事报》以及周刊《侦探》、《听众》、《科学美国人》、《发现》、《自然》等。这些都是备考托福考试阅读的好题材出处。

托福阅读推理题的解析

推理题的题干中常出现infer, imply , most likely (least likely) 或probably 等词语。根据OG，在IBT 阅读的3篇文章中，每篇会有0-2道这类问题，一次考试总共有3-4道推断题。

一、推理题的两大分类：有共性的推理题和无共性的推理题。

这里所谓的有共性推理题就是说题干中有和原文内容相同的关键词(也叫线索)。根据关键词回原文定位，然后进行推理。一般来说，大多数的推理题都属于这类题目。对于无共性的推理题，也就是题干中无线索，一般使用排除法，即根据各个选项的关键词回原文定位，通过排除法得出正确答案。返回原文找信息点，采用排除法是解决这两类题型解决的共同策略。

二、推理题的三个具体的解题思路：

1、一般对比推理：根据两个事情的对比特征，问其中一个事物的特征，只要将与之形成对比的另外一个事情的特征否定掉就可以。

2、时间对比推理：在这种推理中，一般有两个形成对比的时间段，它们所具有的特征一般相反。当题干问一个时间段的特征时，只要将与之相反的时间段的特征否定掉就可以了。

3、集合概念推理：一个大的集合的两个方面形成对比，两者之间存在着互补性关系，也就是一个的增加意味着另一个的减少。反之，相同。这个比较抽象，我们来看一个例子：

例如：Both the number and the percentage of people in the United States involved in nonagricultural pursuits expanded rapidly during the half century following the civil war, with some of the most dramatic increases occurring in the domains of transportation, manufacturing, and trade and distribution.

What can be inferred from the passage about the agricultural sector of the economy after the Civil War?

(A) New technological developments had little effect on farmers.

(B) The percentage of the total population working in agriculture declined.

(D) Farmers achieved new prosperity because of better rural transportation.

文中指出：非农业人口的数量和比例都增加了。由此可知农业人口的数量和比例下降，所以(B)为正确答案。

三、解答这类题目需要注意的信息点：

1.日期和数字。

2.关键词：表示多少的副词: many , some, much of, several , a few ,most …;情态动词：may, can , could…;表示过去的：used to be , was, were , at one time, previously ;表示不是唯一的： not only ,not exclusively等。

托福阅读句意解释题

这类型题目的题干表达为：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.

解决这类题目的三种方法：

第一种：在保持原句序基本不变的前提下进行重点词汇或者词组的同义替换;

第二种：在句序不变的前提下再进行重点词汇或者词组的同义替换;

第三种：对原句进行总结性重复。

下面我们通过一个例子来看这些方法的具体应用：

Small marketers should be less concerned with whether U.S. and European consumers are alike and more concerned with monitoring the variety of factors that account for potential similarities and differences. Attention to the dynamic nature of those factors will produce opportunities for the alert marketer.

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.

A marketer who is not so smart should be more concerned with the difference of eating habits between U.S. and European consumers and less concerned with monitoring the variety of factors that account for potential similarities and differences.

It is not important whether U.S. and European consumers have a similar eating habit. I t is the potential similarities and differences that people should be more concerned with.

Marketers should focus on the factors that account for difference rather than the difference themselves.

Monitoring the variety of foods could explain the potential similarities and differences.

解题：

首先，我们来分析这个句子，整个主句的主语为Small marketers，谓语为be concerned with，宾语为factors，这个分析完成之后，我们采用同意替换的方法，替换其中的重点词组-谓语be concerned with，其同义词为focus on。这样替换完之后把两个句子的意思进行比较，得出正确答案C。这道题目采用了第一种方法。

托福阅读如何应对文章难句

NO8-1，我们从“词--句-- 篇章”来谈谈这篇文章。

原文：

Geologists have long known that the Earth's mantle is heterogeneous, but its spatial arrangement remains unresolved—is the mantle essentially layered or irregularly heterogeneous? The best evidence for the layered-mantle thesis is the well-established fact that volcanic rocks found on oceanic islands, islands believed to result from mantle plumes arising from the lower mantle,are composed of material fundamentally different from that of the midocean ridge system, whose source, most geologists contend, is the upper mantle.Some geologists, however, on the basis of observations concerning mantle xenoliths, argue that the mantle is not layered, but that heterogeneity is created by fluids rich in “incompatible elements” (elements tending toward liquid rather than solid state) percolating upward and transforming portions of the upper mantle irregularly, according to the vagaries of the fluids' pathways. We believe, perhaps unimaginatively, that this debate can be resolved through further study, and that the underexplored midocean ridge system is the key.

一、难词

spatial: a.1.空间的，太空的;2.存在(或者发生)于宇宙空间的

plume: n.1.羽状物2.柱，地柱

xenolith:俘虏岩

percolate:v.1.渗透2.扩散到，弥漫于

portions: n.一部分

二、难句

1.the best evidence for the layered-mantle thesis is the well-established fact that volcanic rocks found on oceanic islands，islands believed to result from mantle plumes arising from the lower mantle，are composed of material fundamentally different from that of the mid-ocean ridge system， whose source，most geologists contend，is the upper mantle.

对于地幔分层论点来说，最好的证据乃这样一个确认的事实，即在那些海洋岛屿——这些岛屿据信是源于由下层地幔升上来的地幔柱状溶岩流(mantle plume)——上发现的火山岩石，是由与海洋中部山脊系统的物质根本不同的物质构成的，而这一海洋中部山脊系统的成因，大多数地质学家论辩道，为上部地幔。

难句类型：复杂修饰、插入语

解释：本句前面的主干并不算难，即the evidence is the fact that,难就难在fact之后说明fact 的同位语从句。此从句中既有大段插入语，又有从句，较为难读。同位语从句的主语是volcanic rocks，主语后面的found on oceanic islands是分词修饰volcanic rocks的;islands后面又有一个说明islands的同位语islands believed to result from mantle plumes arising from the lower mantle,此同位语实际起到一个分隔主谓的同位语的作用。其后是谓语动词are composed/of fundamentally different from that of the midocean ridge system, whose source, most geologists contend, is the upper mantle。

句中有一些专有词汇。如果抛开文章不说，单看这一个句子，则句首的layered mantle thesis就难以理解。但是如果读者能够读懂句子的大致意思，看到layered mantle thesisr最有力证据就是其材料fundamentally different from… the upper mantle,这应该可以推测出，既然不同于上层地幔，则这个理论一定是在说地幔有不同的层面。

2. some geologists，however，on the basis of observations concerning mantle xenoliths， argue that the mantle is not layered，but that heterogeneity is created by fluids rich in “incompatible elements” (elements tending toward liquid rather than solid state)percolating upward and transforming portions of the upper mantle irregularly，according to the vagaries of the fluids’ pathways. (4+)

但是，某些地质学家，以对地幔捕虏岩体(xenolith)所作的观察为依据，指出地幔并非是分层排列的，相反，地幔的异质性是由那些富含“不相容成分”的流质构成的，这些成分趋向于流体而非固体的状态，自下而上渗透扩散，并依照这些流质流向的任意性，不规则地将上部地幔的某些部分予以改变。

难句类型：复杂修饰、插入语

解释：本句的主句中有一个长插入语however,on the basis of observations concerning mantle xenoliths,割裂了主谓，但句子的主要难度还是在that引导的宾语从句中，从句中有由but 所连接的两个句子，一起延续到句末。首选是rich in incompatible elements修饰fluids;后面又有一个同位语和一个分词结构，都是修饰incompatible elements的，最后还有一个状语来修饰那个分词结构，层层修饰，比较复杂。

三、文章结构

Ts是文章的第一句，因此这一篇短文章是结论解释型。文章开始说出了地幔是heterogeneous,然后又指出了他的spatial arrangement remains unresolved,然后提出了两种理论，一是layyered-mantle thesis,另外一个是irregularly heterogeneous.然后分别对这两种理论进行describe.最后作者指出，We believe,perhaps unimaginatively, that this debate can be resolved through further study, and that the underexplored midocean ridge system is the key.

篇2：托福阅读文章题材出处总结

托福阅读的文章一般也来自于各大媒体刊登的内容，具体的我们了解了文章的出处，可以寻找这些刊物作文泛读练习的材料，这对于我们阅读的备考，也有很大的帮助。

托福阅读文章题材出处总结

1、英语高级报纸(1)、《纽约时报》The New York Times：www.nytimes-se.com

(2)、《纽约客》The New Yorker：www.newyorker.com

(3)、《泰晤士报》 Times：www.thetimes.co.uk

(4)、《卫报》 The Guardian：www.guardian.co.uk

(5)、《观察家报》 The Observer：www.observer.co.uk

(6)、《星期日报》The Sunday Times：www.sunday-times.co.uk

2、英语通俗报纸

(1)、《每日快报》 The Daily Express：www.express.co.uk

(2)、《每日邮报》 The Daily Mail：www.dailymail.co.uk

(3)、《世界新闻报》 The News of the World：www.newsoftheworld.co.uk

3、英语主要期刊简介

(1)、《国家地理》National Geographic

(2)、《大西洋月刊》The Atlantic Monthly

(3)、《经济学家》The Economist 1843年创刊，与《金融时报》同属“皮尔逊父子公司”所有。www.economist.com

(4)、《旁观者》The Spectator创刊于1828年，是英国全国性周刊中历史最久的杂志。www.spectator.co.uk

(5)、《新政治家》The New Statesman 创刊于1934年，主要发表有关政治、社会问题、书刊、电影、戏剧等方面的评论。www.newstatesman.co.uk

(6)、《妇女界》The Woman’s Own创刊于1932年，是图文并茂的妇女月刊，女性朋友必看。www.ipcmedia.com

(7)、《泰晤士报文学增刊》The Times Literary Supplement, The TLS每周出一期，是英国最有影响的文学周刊之一。www.the-tls.co.uk

(8)、《新共和》The New Republic

(9)、《连线》Wired

(10)、《高等教育纪事报》The Chronicle of Higher Education

4、其他周刊及科普刊物

周刊 (Weeklies) ：

(1)、《侦探》 (Private Eye)：www.private-eye.co.uk (适合喜欢破案类小说的中学生)

(2)、《笨拙》 (Punch)：www.punch.co.uk (不错的漫画类杂志)

(3)、《听众》 (The Listener) ： www.listener.co.nz

(4)、《闲暇》 (Time Out) ： www.timeout.com/london (是伦敦一本很好的休闲杂志，它的网站也很棒)

科普 (Scientific periodicals)：

(1)、《科学美国人》Scientific American

(2)、《发现》 Discovery www.discovery.com

(3)、《自然》 Nature www.nature.com

托福阅读材料：威廉王子明年搬家或辞职

Since Duke and Duchess of Cambridge became parents three years ago, they have turned Anmer Hall in Norfolk into their perfect family home, offering a “normal” childhood for Prince George and Princess Charlotte away from prying eyes.

自从剑桥公爵夫妇于三年前成为父母，他们就把诺福克的安莫堡当成自己理想的家园，从而为乔治王子和夏洛特公主提供一个远离窥视的“正常”童年生活。

In , however, they are expected to leave it behind after deciding Prince George should be schooled in London and that Kensington Palace should be their full-time base.

然而，，在决定让乔治王子去伦敦上学后，他们有望离开安莫堡，把肯辛顿宫作为大本营。

The Duke and Duchess are also ready to step up their royal duties, with the Duke contemplating giving up his career as a helicopter pilot to take up a full-time public role.

剑桥公爵夫妇也准备履行他们的皇家职责，而威廉王子打算放弃他的直升机飞行员事业来全职从事公共服务。

Sources close to the couple have said they are committed to expanding their own Royal Foundation charity by giving more time to pet causes including mental health.

知情人士表示，剑桥公爵夫妇致力于投入更多的时间关注宠物事业以及心理健康，来发展他们自己的皇家慈善基金会。

They have told friends they expect 2017 to be a milestone year, in which they settle into roles that will last until they become king and queen.

他们告诉朋友，希望20会成为具有里程碑意义的一年，这一年他们将逐步适应自己的皇室角色直到他们成为国王和王后。

The Duke and Duchess and Prince Harry have carried out more engagements this year than in .

与相比，今年剑桥公爵夫妇以及哈里王子就承担了更多的皇室职责。

Royal sources said that trend would continue in 2017 as they help to lighten the workload for the Queen, who will be 91 in April, and the Duke of Edinburgh, who will be 96 in June.

据皇室消息透露，2017年，他们会延续这一趋势，帮助女王减轻工作负担，(毕竟)4月份女王就91岁了，而6月份爱丁堡公爵就96岁了。

Before Christmas the Queen passed on her patronages of 25 organisations to members of the Royal family including the Duke and Duchess.

圣诞节之前，女王把她在25个组织中的职权传给了剑桥公爵夫妇等皇室家族成员。

托福阅读材料：林肯的10句经典名言

1.Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power.

1.几乎所有的人都能忍受逆境，但如果你想测试一个人的性格，那就给他权力。

2.Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.

2.大多数人的快乐程度都是他们自己设定的。

3.And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.

3.最后，重要的不是你活了多久，而是怎么活。

4.Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other.

4.永远记住，你成功的决心比什么都重要。

5.You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can not fool all of the people all of the time.

5.你可以一直欺骗一些人，也可以在一定时间内欺骗所有人，但你不可能一直欺骗所有人。

6.A house divided against itself cannot stand.

6.一个分裂的家是没有立足之地的。

7.Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.

7.做一个消除一切疑虑的出头鸟，还不如保持沉默被当成傻子。

8.Whatever you are, be a good one.

8.无论你是什么，都要做到最好。

9.Character is like a tree and reputation like a shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing.

9人品就像是树，而声誉是树荫。我们想到的是树荫，而树才是本体。

10.Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves.

10.那些不愿给别人自由的人，不配拥有它。

托福阅读材料：咖啡厅里的故事

I used to believe courtesy was a thing of the past. Very seldom have I encountered a courteous human being in this modern era of the so called Generation X.

我曾经一度认为礼节是过去才为人崇尚的事。在如今这个被称作“被遗忘的一代”的现代社会中，我已经很难碰到一个能被称作是“绅士”的人。

Recently, I had to change my thinking, when I came face to face with just such a human being. I had gone to a happening coffee place, with two of my grown up daughters. The place was crowded with the usual loud crowd and we had to climb a steep flight of stairs in order to find an empty table. After enjoying coffee and snacks, we were at the steep descent down the stairs, where the narrow space made climbing down only possible in a single file, with hardly any space for another person to either climb up or come down.

最近，在我遇到这样一个人后，我的想法改变了。我和两个已成年的女儿一起去了一家咖啡厅。但这家咖啡厅挤满了吵闹的人群，所以我们不得不爬上陡峭的楼梯才找到了空桌。在享用过咖啡和点心之后，我们走在陡峭的楼梯上准备下楼，在那样狭窄的空间里只能供一个人上下楼，几乎没有任何空间可以让另一个人爬上去或下来。

Just as I was in the middle of my descent, a gentleman entered the main entrance of the restaurant which was right in front of the staircase. I was sure I would be pushed roughly by this man who will want to go up in a hurry. I kept coming down as fast as I could, holding on to the bannister, in lieu of my advanced years. My agile daughters were already down, looking up at me worriedly, hoping I would reach them before the stranger started up the stairs, knowing I was a nervous sort.

当我下楼梯走到一半时，一个绅士从咖啡厅的正门，也是楼梯的右前方走了进来。我敢肯定我会被这个着急上楼的人粗暴地推开。于是我抓住了扶手，并用我有史以来最快的速度下楼。我那两个动作敏捷的女儿已经下楼了，她们忧心忡忡地抬头看着我，希望我能够在这个陌生人上楼前下来，因为她们知道我是一个容易神经紧张的人。

Nearly reaching them, I noticed the man still standing near the door. I reached my daughters and passed the stranger at the entrance door which he kept holding open. I looked back thinking he was still at the door, deciding whether to go in or find another less crowded place. I saw him going up the stairs, two at a time. I told my daughters about it and all three of us felt bad that we did not even thank the courteous gentleman who was actually holding the door open for us ladies to pass through before going up.

在快走到楼下时，我注意到那个人仍然站在门口。我走到我的女儿身边，经过那个站在门口的陌生人身旁时发现他用手抵住了门。我回头看了看，以为他还在门口，决定着是否要进去光顾或是找另一家人少的店。但我看见他以一步两阶楼梯的速度上了楼。我把我看到的告诉了女儿们，我们三个人都因为那位彬彬有礼的绅士在上楼前拉住了门让我们先行，但我们因没有感谢他而深感愧疚。

We applauded his chivalry for both, waiting for us to come down before going up himself and also holding the main entrance door open for us to go out. Such well mannered people are hard to find these days, when shoving, jostling and pushing is very common in our advanced but aggressive society. Till date, I remember this gentleman and pray to God to make more human beings like him.

那位绅士在上楼前等待我们先下楼，并且为我们拉开门以方便我们出去，我们都为他这样的骑士精神赞不绝口。在当今推搡冲撞现象横行、先进却激进的社会中，这样有礼貌的人着实难寻。直到今天，我仍记得这位先生，祈求上帝能让更多的人和他一样以礼待人。

篇3：托福阅读文章难度和出处你知道吗

托福阅读文章分析阅读文章难度和出处

一. 托福文章选材范围

托福阅读文章的选材范围非常广泛，涉及自然科学、人文科学和社会科学三个方面，其实都是学术性文章。其中自然科学包括：天文学、地质学、生物学、气象学等;人文科学包括：艺术美学、考古学、语言学、文学等;社会科学包括：政治学、经济学、教育学、人类学等交叉学科。

其实，所有托福阅读文章都对考生的知识储备广度有不低的要求，但是也不会是非常深入的涉猎某一个领域，所以，一些常识性的内容一定要知晓。

二. 托福文章出处和文章分析

托福文章大部分出自英国和美国的一些杂志和期刊，另外还包括一些普通期刊或者科普期刊，大家在闲暇的时候可以多看一看这类的报刊杂志，扩充自己的知识量和词汇储备。也能锻炼自己的阅读速度。

我们在文章前面提到过，托福阅读文章大多是学术性文章，其实它们还可以分为三类，分别是说明文、议论文、史实文。文章的逻辑遵循比较固定的机构模式。一般都是总述话题，然后各个方面论述，再表明态度，做阅读时按照这样的方法来看文章，可以很快抓住文章的脉络和逻辑结构。

托福阅读文章是有一定难度的，但是有句话叫“会者不难，难者不会”，所以，只要打好基础，提升阅读速度，一定可以在托福阅读中取得高分。

托福阅读真题原题

The first birds appeared during late Jurassic times. These birds are known from four very good skeletons, two incomplete skeletons, and an isolated feather, all from the Solnhofen limestone of Bavaria, Germany. This fine-grained rock, which is extensively quarried for lithographic stone, was evidently deposited in a shallow coral lagoon of a tropical sea, and flying vertebrates occasionally fell into the water and were buried by the fine limy mud, to be preserved with remarkable detail. In this way, the late Jurassic bird skeletons, which have been named Archaeopteryx, were fossilized. And not only were the bones preserved in these skeletons, but also were imprints of the feathers. If the indications of feathers had not been preserved in association with Archaeopteryx, it is likely that these fossils would have been classified among the dinosaurs, for they show numerous theropod characteristics. Archaeopteryx were animals about the size of a crow, with an archeosaurian type of skull, a long neck, a compact body balanced on a pair of strong hind limbs, and a long tail. The forelimbs were enlarged and obviously functioned as wings.

Modern birds, who are the descendants of these early birds, are highly organized animals, with a constant body temperature and a very high rate of metabolism. In addition, they are remarkable for having evolved extraordinarily complex behavior patterns such as those of nesting and song, and the habit among many species of making long migrations from one continent to another and back each year.

Most birds also have very strong legs, which allow them to run or walk on the ground as well as to fly in the air. Indeed, some of the waterbirds, such as ducks and geese, have the distinction of being able to move around proficiently in the water, on land, and in the air, a range in natural locomotor ability that has never been attained by any other vertebrate.

1. According to the author, all of the following evidence relating to the first birds was found EXCEPT

(A) nesting materials

(B) four skeletons in good condition

(D) a single feather

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

(A) confused with others

(B) gradually weakened

(D) lost permanently

3. It can be inferred from the passage that the Archaeopteryx were classified as birds on the basis

(A) imprints of bones

(B) imprints of feathers

(D) skeletons

4. The word they in line 10 refers to

(A) indications

(B) fossils

(D) characteristics

5. Why does the author mention a crow in line 11?

(A) to indicate the size of Archaeopteryx

(B) To specify the age of the Archaeopteryx fossils

(D) To demonstrate the superiority of the theropod to Archaeopteryx

6. It can be inferred from the passage that theropods were

(A) dinosaurs

(B) birds

(D) crows

7. The word constant in line 16 is closest in meaning to

(A) comfortable

(B) combined

(D) complementary

8. The author mentions all of the following as examples of complex behavior patterns evolved by

birds EXCEPT

(A) migrating

(B) nesting

(D) running

9. The word attained in line 23 is closest in meaning to

(A) required

(B) achieved

(D) merited

PASSAGE 59 ACBBA ACDB

托福阅读真题原题

No two comets ever look identical, but they have basic features in common, one of the most obvious of which is a coma. A coma looks like a misty, patch of light with one or more tails often streaming from it in the direction away from the sun.

At the heart of a comet's coma lies a nucleus of solid material, typically no more than 10 kilometers across. The visible coma is a huge cloud of gas and dust that has escaped from the nucleus, which then surrounds like an extended atmosphere. The coma can extend as far as a million kilometers outward from the nucleus. Around the coma there is often an even larger invisible envelope of hydrogen gas.

The most graphic proof that the grand spectacle of a comet develops from a relatively small and inconspicuous chunk of ice and dust was the close-up image obtained in 1986 by the European Giotto probe of the nucleus of Halley's Comet. It turned out to be a bit like a very dark asteroid, measuring 16 by 8 kilometers. Ices have evaporated from its outer layers to leave a crust of nearly black dust all over the surface. Bright jets of gas from evaporating ice burst out on the side facing the Sun, where the surface gets heated up, carrying dust with them. This is how the coma and the tails are created.

Comets grow tails only when they get warm enough for ice and dust to boil off. As a comet's orbit brings it closer to the sun, first the coma grows, then two distinct tails usually form. One, the less common kind, contains electrically charged (i.e., ionized) atoms of gas, which are blown off directly in the direction away from the Sun by the magnetic field of the solar wind. The other tail is made of neutral dust particles, which get gently pushed back by the pressure of the sunlight itself. Unlike the ion tail, which is straight, the dust tail becomes curved as the particles follow their own orbits around the Sun.

1. The passage focuses on comets primarily in terms of their

(A) orbital patterns

(B) coma and tails

(D) size

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

(A) equally fast

(B) exactly alike

(D) invisible

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

(A) center

(B) edge

(D) beginning