托福阅读tpo53-1WORD打印 Evidence of the Earliest Writing
Evidence of the Earliest WritingAlthough literacy appeared independently in several parts of the prehistoric world, the earliest evidence of writing is the cuneiform Sumerian script on the clay tablets of ancient Mesopotamia, which, archaeological detective work has revealed, had its origins in the accounting practices of commercial activity. Researchers demonstrated that preliterate people, to keep track of the goods they produced and exchanged, created a system of accounting using clay tokens as symbolic representations of their products. Over many thousands of years, the symbols evolved through several stages of abstraction until they becamewedge-shaped (cuneiform) signs on clay tablets, recognizable as writing.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.∙Sumerian script, the earliest known form of writing among prehistoric writing systems, was first used on clay tablets for accounting purposes.∙Although the earliest Sumerians engaged in commercial activity and practiced accounting, they were not as literate as people in other parts of the prehistoric world.∙Archaeologists have discovered that literacy was developed in several parts of the world, including ancient Mesopotamia.∙Archaeological detective work has revealed the commercial accounting practices of the Sumerians of ancient Mesopotamia and provided a written record of their intense commercial activity.The original tokens (circa 8500 B.C.E.) were three-dimensional solid shapes-tiny spheres, cones, disks, and cylinders. A debt of six units of grain and eight head of livestock, for example, might have been represented by six conical and eight cylindrical tokens. To keep batches of tokens together, an innovation was introduced (circa 3250 B.C.E.) whereby they were sealed inside clay envelopes that could be broken open and counted when it came time for a debt to be repaid. But because the contents of the envelopes could easily be forgotten, two-dimensional representations of the three-dimensional tokens were impressed into the surface of the envelopes before they were sealed. Eventually, having two sets of equivalent symbols-the internal tokens and external markings-came to seem redundant, so the tokens were eliminated (circa 3250–3100 B.C.E.), and only solid clay tablets withtwo-dimensional symbols were retained. Over time, the symbols became more numerous, varied, and abstract and came to represent more than trade commodities, evolving eventually into cuneiform writing.All of the following are mentioned in paragraph 2 as true of clay envelopes EXCEPT:∙They contained batches of tokens.∙They could be reused frequently.∙They had markings on the outside.∙They could be used to record debts.∙According to paragraph 2, the first two-dimensional symbols were∙pictures of commodities drawn on clay tablets∙images sealed inside conical or cylindrical containers∙numbers used for keeping track of clay envelopes∙images of tokens pressed into the clay of envelopes∙According to paragraph 2, why were tokens eliminated?∙They were not numerous or varied enough to represent all of the trade commodities.∙They were easily broken and then hard to count.∙They were difficult to keep together in batches.∙They were unnecessary when symbols were used on the surface of envelopesThe evolution of the symbolism is reflected in the archaeological record first of all by the increasing complexity of the tokens themselves. The earliest tokens, dating from about 10,000 to 6,000 years ago, were of only the simplest geometric shapes. But about 3500 B.C.E., more complex tokens came into common usage, including many naturalistic forms shaped like miniature tools, furniture, fruit, and humans. The earlier, plain tokens were counters for agricultural products, whereas the complex ones stood for finished products, such as bread, oil, perfume, wool, and rope, and for items produced in workshops, such as metal, bracelets, types of cloth, garments, mats, pieces of furniture, tools, and a variety of stone and pottery vessels. The signs marked on clay tablets likewise evolved from simple wedges, circles, ovals, and triangles based on the plain tokens to pictographs derived from the complex tokens.Which of the following can be inferred from paragraph 3 about the difference between earlier tokens and later tokens?∙Later tokens were made of many different materials, but earlier ones were made only of clay.∙Later tokens often looked like the commodities that they represented, but earlier ones did not.∙Later tokens represented agricultural products, but earlier ones represented finished products.∙Later tokens were based on pictographs, but earlier ones were based on naturalistic forms.The word “likewise” in the passage is closest in meaning to∙probably∙usually∙similarly∙apparentlyBefore this evidence came to light, the inventors of writing were assumed by researchers to have been an intellectual elite. Some , for example, hypothesized that writing emerged when members of the priestly caste agreed among themselves on written signs. But the association of the plain tokens with the first farmers and of the complex tokens with the first artisans-and the fact that the token-and-envelope accounting system invariably represented only small-scale transactions-testifies to the relatively modest social status of the creators of writing.The word “Some” in the passage refers to∙evidence∙inventors∙researchers∙intellectual eliteIn paragraph 4, why does the author mention the association of tokens with farmers and artisans?∙To provide examples of the types of commercial activity that existed in Sumerian society ∙To argue against the theory that writing was developed by an intellectual elite∙To contrast the way farmers used tokens with the way artisans used tokens∙To help explain why farmers and artisans had a relatively modest social status in Sumerian societyThe word “invariably ” in the passage is closest in meaning to∙easily∙accurately∙always∙soonAnd not only of literacy, but numeracy (the representation of quantitative concepts) as well. The evidence of the tokens provides further confirmation that mathematics originated in people`s desire to keep records of flocks and other goods. Another immensely significant step occurred around 3100 B.C. E., when Sumerian accountants extended the token-based signs to include the first real numerals. Previously, units of grain had been represented by direct one-to-one correspondence-by repeating the token or symbol for a unit of grain the required number of times. The accountants, however, devised numeral signs distinct from commodity signs, so that eighteen units of grain could be indicated by preceding a single grain symbol with a symbol denoting "18." Their invention of abstract numerals and abstract counting was one of the most revolutionary advances in the history of mathematics.According to paragraph 5, all of the following statements about the development of numerals are true EXCEPT:∙Numerals first developed around 3100 B.C.E.∙Numerals were created to keep records of commodities.∙The numeral “18” developed from the sign for grain.∙Accountants introduced unique numeral signs for use with signs for commodities.What was the social status of the anonymous accountants who produced this breakthrough? The immense volume of clay tablets unearthed in the ruins of the Sumerian temples where the accounts were kept suggests a social differentiation within the scribal class, with a virtual army of lower-ranking tabulators performing the monotonous job of tallying commodities. We can only speculate as to how high or low the inventors of true numerals were in the scribal hierarchy, but it stands to reason that this laborsaving innovation would have been the brainchild of the lower-ranking types whose drudgery it eased.。
2013年5月18日托福阅读真题回忆与解析
2013年5月18日托福阅读真题回忆Passage 11890’s之前，美国尚未经历City Beautiful Movement，除却极个别的Washington D.C，当时的城市规划最大的特点就是——no urban planning.影响美国人民住址选定的几个因素主要为：economics，preference to live individually, etc.当时的两大特点为：1.随着移民风潮(migration)和大量农村人口涌入城市，城市对于住房的要求开始增长;2.大量城市人口(urbanites)考虑到城市居住诸多隐患，迁移乡村。
主要的城市居住弊端为，大量建筑材料易燃、楼距太近、城市明火使用导致火灾频发;排水系统不完善，进而啮齿类动物传播疾病，危及居民健康。
总而言之，当时的城市规划相当不完善，没有统一的政府监管，基础设施建设相当落后。
Passage 2Topic: Honeybees Juvenile Hormone在蜜蜂种群当中，根据年龄的不同，承担不同的任务，这种现象称之为“age polytheism”。
比如，年幼的蜜蜂，一般在蜂巢工作，feed the queen and pupae;年长一点的蜜蜂，负责找食物(forage)和存储食物。
分工不同的具体解释为，特定举动的频率会比较高，而并非彻底add or eliminate to the total number of the tasks they perform(此处考点)。
研究表明，如此的分工，主要是由于蜜蜂当中一种叫做Juvenile Hormone 的物质进行控制。
Juvenile Hormone随着蜜蜂年龄的增长，分泌的速率提升，JH刺激蜜蜂大脑当中叫做mushroom区域逐渐增大，导致最后行为的不同。
实验验证，摘除蜜蜂分泌JH的区域，人工注射JH类似物，能够使蜜蜂转变行为方式。
Passage 3南美洲太平洋东岸的居民，每年都能迎来由南极洲方向洋流涌向赤道，在季风共同作用下，深层富含营养的冷水涌向海表层，带来大量的鳀鱼(anchovies)。
托福考试阅读模拟试题及答案
托福考试阅读模拟试题及答案PARAGRAPH 1 The earliest of the city states of the ancient Near East appeared at the southern end of the Mesopotamian plain, the area between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in what is now Iraq. It was here that the civilization known as Sumer emerged in its earliest form in the fifth millennium. At first sight, the plain did not appear to be a likely home for a civilization. There were few natural resources, no timber, stone, or metals.Rainfall was limited, and what water there was rushed across the plain in the annual flood of melted snow. As the plain fell only 20 meters in 500 kilometers, the beds of the rivers shifted constantly. It was this that made the organization of irrigation, particularly the building of canals to channel and preserve the water, essential. Once this was done and the silt carried down by the rivers was planted, the rewards were rich: four to five times whatrain-fed earth would produce. It was these conditions that allowed an elite to emerge, probably as an organizing class, and to sustain itself through the control of surplus crops. PARAGRAPH 2 It is difficult to isolate the factors that led to the next development—the emergence ofurban settlements. The earliest, that of Eridu, about 4500 B.C.E., and Uruk, a thousand years later, center on impressive temple complexes built of mud brick. In some way, the elite had associated themselves with the power of the gods. Uruk, for instance, had two patron gods—Anu, the god of the sky and sovereign of all other gods, and inanna, a goddess of love and war—and there were others, patrons of different cities. Human beings were at their mercy. The biblical story of the Flood may originate in Sumer. In the earliest version, the gods destroy the human race because its clamor had been so disturbing to them. PARAGRAPH 3 It used to be believed that before 3000 B.C.E. thepolitical and economic life of the cities was centered on their temples, but it now seems probable that the cities had secular rulers from earliest times. Within the city lived administrators, craftspeople, and merchants. (Trading was important, as so many raw materials, the semiprecious stones for the decoration of the temples, timbers for roofs, and all metals, had to be imported.) An increasingly sophisticated system of administration led in about 3300 B.C.E. to the appearance of writing. The earliest script was based on logograms, with a symbol being used to expressa whole word. The logograms were incised on damp clay tablets with a stylus with a wedge shape at its end. (The Romans called the shape cuneus and this gives the scriptits name of cuneiform.) Two thousand logograms have been recorded from these early centuries of writing. A more economical approach was to use a sign to express not a whole word but a single syllable. (To take an example: the Sumerian word for" head" was "sag." Whenever a word including a syllable in which the sound "sag" was to be written, the sign for "sag" could be used to express that syllable with the remaining syllables of the word expressed by other signs.) By 2300 B.C.E. the number of signs required had been reduced to 600, and the range of words that could be expressed had widened. Texts dealing with economic matters predominated, as they always had done; but at this point works of theology, g literature, history, and law also appeared. PARAGRAPH 4 Other innovations of the late fourth millennium include the wheel, probably developed first as a more efficient way of making pottery and then transferred to transport. A tablet engraved about 3000 B.C.E. provides the earliest known example from Sumer, a roofed boxlike sledge mounted on four solid wheels. Amajor development was the discovery, again about 3000B.C.E., that if copper, which had been known in Mesopotamia since about 3500 B.C.E., was mixed with tin, a much harder metal, bronze, would result. Although copper and stonetools continued to be used, bronze was far more successful in creating sharp edges that could be used as anything from saws and scythes to weapons. The period from 3000 to 1000 B.C.E., when the use of bronze became I widespread, is normally referred to as the Bronze Age. PARAGRAPH 1 The earliest of the city states of the ancient Near East appeared at the southern end of the Mesopotamian plain, the area between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in what is now Iraq. It was here that the civilization known as Sumer emerged in its earliest form in the fifth millennium. At first sight, the plain did not appear to be a likely home for a civilization. There were few natural resources, no timber, stone, or metals. Rainfall was limited, and what water there was rushed across the plain in the annual flood of melted snow. As the plain fell only 20 meters in 500 kilometers, the beds of the rivers shifted constantly. It was this that made the organization of irrigation, particularly the building of canals to channel and preservethe water, essential. Once this was done and the silt carried down by the rivers was planted, the rewards were rich: four to five times what rain-fed earth would produce. It was these conditions that allowed an elite to emerge, probably as an organizing class, and to sustain itself through the control of surplus crops. PARAGRAPH 1The earliest of the city states of the ancient Near East appeared at the southern end of the Mesopotamian plain, the area between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in what is now Iraq. It was here that the civilization known as Sumer emerged in its earliest form in the fifth millennium. At first sight, the plain did not appear to be a likely home for a civilization. There were few natural resources, no timber, stone, or metals. Rainfall was limited, and what water there was rushed across the plain in the annual flood of melted snow. As the plain fell only 20 meters in 500 kilometers, the beds of the rivers shifted constantly. It was this that made the organization of irrigation, particularly the building of canals to channel and preserve the water, essential. Once this was done and the silt carried down by the rivers was planted, the rewards were rich: four to five times what rain-fed earth would produce.It was these conditions that allowed an elite to emerge, probably as an organizing class, and to sustain itself through the control of surplus crops. 1、Which of the following is NOT mentioned in paragraph 1 as a disadvantage of the Mesopotamian plain? There was not very much rainfall for most of the year. Melting snow caused flooding every year. The silt deposited by rivers damaged crops. Timber, stone and metals were notreadily available. 2、According to paragraph 1, which of the following made it possible for an elite to emerge? New crops were developed that were better suited to conditions on the Mesopotamian plain. The richest individuals managed to gain control of the most valuable cropland. Control over the few available natural resources made some people four to five times richer than everyone else. The building of canals to increase agricultural output required organization. 3、The word "sustain" in the passage is closest in meaning todefend promote maintain transform PARAGRAPH 2 It is difficult to isolate the factors that led to the next development—the emergence of urban settlements. The earliest, that of Eridu, about 4500B.C.E., and Uruk, a thousand years later, center on impressive temple complexes built of mud brick. In some way, the elite had associated themselves with the power of the gods. Uruk, for instance, had two patron gods—Anu, the god of the sky and sovereign of all other gods, and inanna, a goddess of love and war—and there were others, patrons of different cities. Human beings were at their mercy. The biblical story of the Flood may originate in Sumer. In the earliest version, the gods destroy the human race because its clamor had been so disturbing to them. 4、According to paragraph 2, Eridu and Uruk are examples of urban settlements that lacked the features usually found in other early urban settlements f developed around religious buildings grew much more rapidly than most of the urban settlements found in Sumer were mysteriously destroyed and abandoned 5、The word "sovereign" in the passage is closest in meaning to counselor master defender creator PARAGRAPH 3 It used to be believed that before 3000 B.C.E. the political and economic life of the cities was centered on their temples, but it now seems probable that the cities had secular rulers from earliest times. Within the city lived administrators,craftspeople, and merchants. (Trading was important, as so many raw materials, the semiprecious stones for the decoration of the temples, timbers for roofs, and all metals, had to be imported.) An increasingly sophisticated system of administration led in about 3300 B.C.E. to the appearance of writing. The earliest script was based on logograms, with a symbol being used to express a whole word. The logograms were incised on damp clay tablets with a stylus with a wedge shape at its end. (The Romans called the shape cuneus and this gives the script its name of cuneiform.) Two thousand logograms have been recorded from these early centuries of writing. A more economical approach was to use a sign to express not a whole word but a single syllable. (To take an example: the Sumerian word for" head" was "sag." Whenever a word including a syllable in which the sound "sag" was to be written, the sign for "sag" could be used to express that syllable with the remaining syllables of the word expressed by other signs.) By 2300 B.C.E. the number of signs required had been reduced to 600, and the range of words that could be expressed had widened. Texts dealing with economic matters predominated, as they always had done; but at this pointworks of theology, g literature, history, and law also appeared. 6、According to paragraph 3, which of the following led to the appearance of writing? An increasingly sophisticated administrative system Coordination between secular and religious leaders The large volume of trade, particularly imports A rapidly expanding and changing population Paragraph 3 is marked with7、 In paragraph 3, why does the author provide the information that the number of signs in use had dropped from 2,000 to 600 by 2300 B.C.E.? To argue that the development of writing involved periods of growth followed by periods of decline To demonstrate that earlier written texts used a larger vocabulary than later texts, which were aimed at a broader audience | To support the claim that the range of words expressed by logograms varied widely depending on time period and type of text To provide evidence for the increased efficiency of using signs to express syllables rather than whole words 8、According to paragraph 3, ancient texts most commonly dealt with theology literature economics law PARAGRAPH 4 Other innovations of the late fourthmillennium include the wheel, probably developed first as a more efficient way of making pottery and then transferred to transport. A tablet engraved about 3000 B.C.E. provides the earliest known example from Sumer, a roofed boxlike sledge mounted on four solid wheels. A major development was the discovery, again about 3000 B.C.E., that if copper, which had been known in Mesopotamia since about 3500B.C.E., was mixed with tin, a much harder metal, bronze, would result. Although copper and stone tools continued to be used, bronze was far more successful in creating sharp edges that could be used as anything from saws and scythes to weapons. The period from 3000 to 1000 B.C.E., when the use of bronze became I widespread, is normally referred to as the Bronze Age. 9、According to paragraph 4, the earliest wheels probably were first developed in areas outside Mesopotamia were used to make pottery appeared on boxlike sledges were used to transport goods between cities 10、The word "engraved* in the passage is closest in meaning to carved produced dated discovered 11、 Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in the passage? Incorrect choices change themeaning in important ways or leave out essential information. Also around 3000 B.C.E., it was discovered that mixing copper, known from about 3500 B.C.E., with tin would create a much harder metal known as bronze.Although copper had been known since 3500 B.C.E in Mesopotamia, the discovery of bronze did not occur until around 3000 B.C.E. Another major development around 3000 B.C.E. was the discovery that copper could be mixed with a much harder metal known as tin. The development of bronze by mixing copper and tin probably occurred around 3000 B.C.E. but may have happened as early as 3500 B.C.E. 12、The word "widespread" in the passage is closest in meaning to obvious significant necessary common 13、Look at the four squares [ ■ ]that indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage. City life was diverse, and the population was engaged in a variety of occupations. PARAGRAPH 3 It used to be believed that before 3000 B.C.E. the political and economic life of the cities was centered on their temples, but it now seems probable that the cities had secular rulers from earliest times. ■ Within the city lived administrators, craftspeople, and merchants. (Trading was important, as somany raw materials, the semiprecious stones for the decoration of the temples, timbers for roofs, and all metals, had to be imported.) ■ An increasingly sophisticated system of administration led in about 3300 B.C.E. to the appearance of writing. ■ The earliest script was based on logograms, with a symbol being used to express a whole word. ■ The logograms were incised on damp clay tablets with a stylus with a wedge shape at its end. (The Romans called the shape cuneus and this gives the scriptits name of cuneiform.) Two thousand logograms have been recorded from these early centuries of writing. A more economical approach was to use a sign to express not a whole word but a single syllable. (To take an example: the Sumerian word for" head" was "sag." Whenever a word including a syllable in which the sound "sag" was to be written, the sign for "sag" could be used to express that syllable with the remaining syllables of the word expressed by other signs.) By 2300 B.C.E. the number of signs required had been reduced to 600, and the range of words that could be expressed had widened. Texts dealing with economic matters predominated, as they always had done; but at this point works of theology, g literature, history, andlaw also appeared. 14、Direction: 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 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. Irrigation made it possible for the civilization known as sumer to arise on the Mesopotamian plain in the fifth millennium B.C.E. Answer Choices A. The scarcity of natural resources on the plain made it necessary for a powerful elite to emerge and take charge of trade and imports. B. The economy of each city was based on a craft such as pottery or metal working, and the city of Eridu was known for its saws, scythes and weapons.C. Writing appeared in the form of logograms and later developed into a system using signs to represent syllables rather than whole words.D. Priests were powerful figures in the ancient civilization and controlled the political and economic life of the cities.E. The earliest city states had one or more patron gods and were built around central temple complexeF. The developmentof the wheel and the creation of bronze were important innovations in Sumer。
TPO53托福综合写作听力原文
TPO53托福综合写作听力原文TPO53托福综合写作听力原文Now listen to a part of a lecture on the topic you just read about.Asteroid colonization is not a very practical idea. Each of the points in the reading has a serious downside.First, while low gravity on an asteroid would make landing and taking off relatively easy, low-gravity environments also present certain risks. In a low-gravity environment, people start losing muscle mass and their bone density becomes lower. Even astronauts who spend just a few months in spaceships, which are low-gravity environments, suffer from health problems like muscle and bone density loss. Imagine the health problems that long-term colonists would experience on asteroids.Second, the availability of valuable metals might make an asteroid colony seem like a profitable idea but that’s not the whole picture. You have to consider additional factors. One thing is the costs. The costs of supporting a colony and of transporting the metals are likely to be high and will reduce the profits. And furthermore, there’s no guarantee that the price for which you can sell the metals will remain the same. If precious metals are mined in large quantities, it would increase the supply of the metals, which could end up lower in the market price. So mining on asteroids may not be very profitable.Third, even if some asteroids are easy to reach, they may not be easy to return from. Asteroid orbits, the path on which asteroids travel through space, can be unusual. Some orbital paths come close to earth but then move away from earth, often a great distance away from earth. So even if an asteroid getsclose to earth at one point, making it easy for colonists to get to the asteroid, it does not stay close to earth. It can actually travel much farther away from earth than a planet like Mars. Getting back from an asteroid that travels that far would be a challenge.TPO53托福综合写作阅读原文1 Directions: You have 20 minutes to plan and write your response. Yourresponse will be judged on the basis of the quality of your writing and on how well your response presents the points in the lecture and their relationship to the reading passage. Typically, an effective response will be 150 to 225 words.Question: Summarize the points made in the lecture, being sure to explain how they challenge the specific points made in the reading passage.Asteroids are large space objects made of rock and ice. There are hundreds of thousands of asteroids in our solar system. Though we often hear ideas about establishing colonies of humans to live and work on our Moon or our neighboring planet, Mars, some think that sending people to an asteroid would actually be the best colonization option for a number of reasons Low GravityTo begin with, asteroids are often much smaller than planets, so they have lower gravity. When landing a spaceship, the craft would not be pulled as strongly or as forcefully toward the asteroid's surface, making the landing safer than landing on the Moon or Mars; it would also allow a spacecraft to carry much more equipment needed to set up the colony. It would also be easier for the spacecraft to take off again, so the spaceship would need to carry considerably less fuel for the trip back to Earth.Mining Valuable MetalsNext some asteroids are rich in valuable elements and precious metals that are relatively rare on Earth, such as gold and platinum. An asteroid colony would be extremely profitable and a good source of these raw materials. The colonists or businesses sponsoring them could more than pay for the cost of their support by mining minerals and sending them back to Earth.Easy to ReachFinally, asteroids are a good option for colonization because some of them would be very easy to reach. There are a number of asteroids that periodically come within or near Earth's orbit Some of them actually get closer to Earth than our Moon. So these asteroids would be much easier and more affordable to get to andget back from than a planet like Mars, which would require a two-year trip in each direction.。
2021年托福阅读PASSAGE 53 试题及答案
2021年托福阅读PASSAGE 53试题及答案PASSAGE 53Glass fibers have a long history. The Egyptians made coarse fibers by 1600 B.C., and fibers survive as decorations on Egyptian pottery dating back to 1375 B.C. During the Renaissance (fifteenth and sixteenth centuries A.D.), glassmakers from Venice used glass fibers to decorate the surfaces of plain glass vessels. However, glassmakers guarded their secrets so carefully that no one wrote about glass fiber production until the early seventeenth century.The eighteenth century brought the invention of "spun glass" fibers. Réne-Antoine de Réaumur, a French scientist, tried to make artificial feathers from glass. He made fibers by rotating a wheel through a pool of molten glass, pulling threads of glass where the hot thick liquid stuck to the wheel. His fibers were short and fragile, but he predicted that spun glass fibers as thin as spider silk would be flexible and could be woven into fabric.By the start of the nineteenth century, glassmakers learned how to make longer, stronger fibers by pulling them from molten glass with a hot glass tube. Inventors wound the cooling end of the thread around a yarn reel, then turned the reel rapidly to pull more fiber from the molten glass. Wandering tradespeople began to spin glass fibers at fairs, making decorations and ornaments as novelties for collectors, but this material was of little practical use; the fibers were brittle, ragged, and no longer than ten feet, the circumference of the largest reels. By the mid-1870's, however, the best glass fibers were finer than silk and could be woven into fabrics or assembled into imitation ostrich feathers to decorate hats. Cloth of white spun glass resembled silver; fibers drawn from yellow-orange glass looked golden.Glass fibers were little more than a novelty until the 1930's, when their thermal and electrical insulating properties were appreciated and methods for producing continuous filaments were developed. In the modern manufacturing process, liquid glass is fed directly from a glass-melting furnace into a bushing, a receptacle pierced with hundreds of fine nozzles, from which the liquid issues in fine streams. As they solidify, the streams of glass are gathered into a single strand and wound onto a reel.1. Which of the following aspects of glass fiber does the passage mainly discuss?(A) The major developments in its production(B) Its relationship with pottery making(C) Important inventors in its long history(D) The variety of its uses in modern industry2. The word "coarse" in line 1 is closest in meaning to(A) decorative(B) natural(C) crude(D) weak3. Why was there nothing written about the making of Renaissance glass fibers until the seventeenth century?(A) Glassmakers were unhappy with the quality of the fibers they could make.(B) Glassmakers did not want to reveal the methods they used.(C) Few people were interested in the Renaissance style of glass fibers.(D) Production methods had been well known for a long time.4. According to the passage , using a hot glass tube rather than a wheel to pull fibers from molten glass made the fibers(A) quicker to cool(B) harder to bend(C) shorter and more easily broken(D) longer and more durable5. The phrase "this material" in line 16 refers to(A) glass fibers(B) decorations(C) ornaments(D) novelties for collectors6. The word "brittle" in line 17 is closest in meaning to(A) easily broken(B) roughly made(C) hairy(D) shiny7. The production of glass fibers was improved in following(A) Adding silver to the molten glass(B) Increasing the circumference of the glass tubes(C) Putting silk thread in the center of the fibers(D) Using yarn reels8. The word "appreciated" in line 23 is closest in meaning to(A) experienced(B) recognized(C) explored(D) increased9. Which of the following terms is defined in the passage ?(A) invention (line 7)(B) circumference (line 17)(C) manufacturing process (line 24)(D) bushing (line 25)ANSWER KEYSPASSAGE 53 ACBDA ADBD。
TPO53托福阅读Passage1原文及答案解析
TPO53托福阅读Passage1原文及答案解析现在大家在进行托福备考时TPO托福模考软件相信是大家用的最多的工具了，对于托福成绩的提升是非常有帮助的今天小编在这里整理了TPO53托福阅读Passage1原文文本+题目+答案解析来分享给大家，希望对大家托福听力备考有帮助。
TPO53托福阅读Passage1原文文本Questions About A Drama ClassListen to a conversation between a student and his drama professor.Professor: Hi Robert. So how's your paper going?Robert: Pretty well. It's a lot of work, but I’m getting into it, so I don't mind. I’ll probably have some questions for you in the next week or so.Professor: Okay. Glad to hear you’re progressing so well.Robert: Um… There was something you said at the end of the lecture on Tuesday, something about there not really being any original plays.Professor: There’s no such thing as an origi nal play. Yes. That's the direct quote from Charles Mee.Robert: Mee… that's with two “e”s, right?Professor: Yep. M-E-E. You'll probably be hearing a lot about him. He's becoming a pretty famous playwright.Robert: Yeah，well, I’ve been thinking about his quote. I mean there must be some original plays out there.Professor: I’ll grant that he's overstating things somewhat. But the theater does have a long tradition of borrowing. Take Shakespeare. Like most writers of his day, he borrowed plots from other sources unabashedly. And the ancient Greeks, all the plays they wrote were based on earlier plays, poems and myths.Robert: And borrowing applies to plays being written nowadays, too?Professor: T o some extent, yes. Mee, for example, he's made a career out o f remaking plays, one of which we’ll be studying soon. It’s called Full Circle and Mee based it on an earlier play by a German playwright.Robert: Oh Full Circle… Wasn't that based on the Caucasian Chalk Circle?Professor: That's right.Robert: I remember hearing about that play from my acting coach.Professor: Okay. Well, the Caucasian Chalk Circle was based on a play by yet another German playwright, someone who was fascinated by the ancient literatures of China, India and Persia, and many of his works were adapted from those literatures, including his version of the Chalk Circle which was based on an early Chinese play.Robert: So this Full Circle play, by Charles Mee, the one we're going to study, it's like the third or fourth remake. Wow… And we complain that Hollywood keeps making the same movies over and over again.Professor: Well, part of what Mee’s trying to do is drive home the point that: One, theater’s always a collaborative effort.Robert: Well, yeah, the playwright, the director, the actors, people have to work together to produce a play.Professor: Yes, of course. But Mee means historically. The dramatic literature of early periods is hugely influential in shaping later dramatic works.Robert: So it's like when the playwright bases a play on a previous playwright's theme or message.It's like they're talking toeach other, collaborating. Uh, just not at the same time right?Professor: Exactly. And the second point Mee's trying to make, I think, is that it's legitimate to retell an old story in a new way, in a way that’s, uh… more in line with contemporary concerns. So when playwrights reinvent or update an earlier play, it shouldn't be construed as a lack of imagination or an artistic failure.TPO53托福阅读Passage1题目Question 1 of 5Why does the man go to see the professor?A. To discuss a play he heard aboutB. To get feedback on a paper he is writingC. To ask about a point made in classD. To get information about an acting coachQuestion 2 of 5Why does the professor mention Shakespeare and the ancient Greek playwrights?A. To support her statement that some original plays do existB. To show that playwrights historically have used themes from earlier playsC. To point out that Shakespeare was greatly influenced by ancient Greek playsD. To give examples of playwrights whose plays have inspired later playwrightsQuestion 3 of 5What does the professor imply about the play Full Circle by Charles Mee?A. It served as the basis for a Hollywood film.B. It is indirectly based on a Chinese play.C. It has influenced a more recent play.D. It uses themes from ancient Greek literature.Question 4 of 5What two points does Charles Mee make about playwriting? Click on 2 answersA. Rewriting old plays to deal with modern issues is a respectable practice.B. Playwrights should preserve as much of the original as possible when updating an older play.C. Older plays tend to show more imagination than newer plays.D. In a way, modern playwrights work with playwrights of the past.Question 5 of 5What does the man imply when he says this:A. He thinks the professor misunderstood his point.B. He has written some original plays himself.C. He doubts that what Charles Mee said is true.D. He has read some original plays by Charles Mee.TPO53托福阅读Passage1解析正确答案：C题目解析：本题定位到原文：Robert: Um… There was something you said at the end of the lecture on Tuesday, something about there're not really being any original plays. 此处原文的大意是：学生提到教授上节课说其实没有完全原创的戏剧。
托福TPO53独立写作题目文本+满分范文
为了帮助大家高效备考托福，为大家带来托福TPO53独立写作题目文本+满分范文，希望对大家备考有所帮助。
托福TPO53独立写作题目原文： Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? It is more important for governments to spend money to improve Internet access than to improve public transportation. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer. 托福TPO53独立写作满分范文： The development of science and technology has come to pervade every aspect of our lives, especially the influence from the internet, which is changing people's life in a quite unprecedented speed, and as a result, some people consider government should spend money to improve internet access. After taking various factors into consideration, I, on the contrary, reckon that improving public transportation deserves more financial support from the government. Firstly, improvement of public transportation could help to solve the serious environmental problems nowadays. Undoubtedly, the disastrous consequence of environmental pollution has been quite obvious, such as the gloomy haze obscuring the top of the skyscrapers, acid rain poisoning farmland and eroding buildings, sea level rise resulting from global temperature rise etc., which urgently calls for effective measures to resolve all these life-threatening challenges. Public transportation capable of vast passenger volume could be one efficient way to take the place of various private vehicles whose exhaust emission is the main pollutants. For example, I am living in one city in North China that suffered bitterly from air pollution. In order to recover the blue sky, last year our government carried out one policy to lower the price of the bus together with improved services. Not surprisingly, more passengers chose to take public transportation. With less exhaust emission from the private vehicles, the air quality was improved since then. Secondly, compared with internet access, public transportation could benefit more people. Admittedly, with the appearance of various social softwares, internet, because of its efficiency and convenience, does serve as one important role in communication, but not everyone can be proficient or even familiar with internet. We should not ignore the sobering fact that there are still a large amount of illiterate people especially in the remote poverty-stricken areas. Being unable to read or type prevents them from getting online no matter how convenient the Internet access is. By contrast, public transportation could help those areas to connect with outside developed urban areas to develop their economy. The railway connecting eastern China and Tibet could be one persuasive example. Before this railway was built, the lagging economic situation in Tibet constrained the improving of people's living standard. Many family even could not afford their children to geteducation, while after the Chinese government built the railway to connect Tibet to the outside developed areas, Tibet's economy has been developing dramatically as the railway introduces more industries and encourages tourism, and as a result, large numbers of local people could benefit from what the public transportation promises. Conclusively, since public transportation could ensure both improved environment and economy, the government is highly advised to spend money on improving public transportation. 以上是给大家整理的托福TPO53独立写作题目文本+满分范文，希望对你有所帮助!。
托福写作TPO53
TPO53：Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? It is more importantfor governments to spend money to improve Internet access than to improve public transportation. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.Nowadays, with the fast development of technology and the spread-out of mobile phones, the Internet plays a more significant role in people’s daily lives than before. While a huge amount of people are savoring the joy and convenience that Internet brings, plenty of places are still suffering from the lack of information. Government has the responsibility to erase or relieve this inequality of regions. Thus, improving Internet access has its priority over other actions like improving public transportation.To start with, the substantial essence of Internet is exchanging and spreading information, which have different effects on our lives. Living without information could be extremely hard and unimaginable, especially those that have a tense connection with ourselves. The internet gives permission to people to gain information quickly, exactly and abundantly. Suppose some youngsters are planning to travel to Beijing, if there is no Internet, they have to look up for famous cites in the library, and using paper maps to find them. It is so tiring and probably misleading for the information is outdated. Instead, they can easily gain the knowledge by typing and clicks, and follow the instructions in the e-maps through Internet.Aside from giving basic information, Internet also change people’s lifestyles, particularly in shopping. Online shopping is becoming the mainstream today, according to the statistics that TaoBao (the biggest shopping website in China) presented, more than 10 thousand million ’s volume of business had been done during the November in 2017. Due to the irreplaceable convenience thatonline-shopping brings, the number is not surprising as it sounds. Actually from another standpoint, online-shopping could also boost economy at the same time.Moreover, Internet enriches people’s inner worlds. Vastness of high quality educational resources could be obtained by students, online-studying are widely welcomed and admitted by students, parents even companies. Internet provides large scale of ways for people to entertain too, such as ebooks, films, musics, TV series, reality shows, online games, etc. Basically, everything could be find on the Internet. A easier approach to study and entertain possibly leads to a increase of citizens’ happiness index.Admittedly, public transportation is essential to many citizens as well, the improvement in public transportation would make it more comfortable and convenient, also benefits the city. However, improving Internet access have more valuable merits. Internet changes people’s li ves.In summary, if additional money is provided by the government, investing the money in improving Internet access would definitely be the first choice.。
托福阅读 TPO 52-2 WORD 打印 Natufian Culture
Natufian CultureIn the archaeological record of the Natufian period, from about 12,500 to 10,200 years ago, in the part of the Middle East known as the Levant―roughly east of the Mediterranean and north of the Arabian Peninsula―we see clear evidence of agricultural origins. The stone tools of the Natufians included many sickle-shaped cutting blades that show a pattern of wear characteristic of cereal harvesting. Also, querns (hand mills) and other stone tools used for processing grain occur in abundance at Natufian sites, and many such tools show signs of long, intensive use . Along with the sickle blades are many grinding stones, primarily mortars and pestles of limestone or basalt. There is also evidence that these heavy grinding stones were transported over long distances, more than 30 kilometers in some cases, and this is not something known to have been done by people of preceding periods. Fishhooks and weights for sinking fishing nets attest to the growing importance of fish in the diet in some areas. Stone vessels indicate an increased need for containers, but there is no evidence of Natufian clay working or pottery. Studies of the teeth of Natufians also strongly suggest that these people specialized in collecting cereals and may have been cultivating them and in the process of domesticating them, but they were also still hunter-foragers who intensively hunted gazelle and deer in more lush areas and wild goats and equids in more arid zones.All of the following are mentioned in paragraph 1 as evidence that the Natufians may have engaged in the growing and processing of cereals and grains EXCEPT∙tools with a specific pattern of wear∙the widespread presence of grinding stones∙the presence of clay containers∙results from the analysis of Natufian teethWhy doe s the author say that “many such...intensive use” in connection with Natufian agriculture?∙To argue that the Natufian people consumed grains long before they included fish in their diet∙To suggest that Natufian people could not replace their tools frequently because they had to travel very long distances to find grinding stones∙To illustrate the sophistication of the Natufians in the design of stone tools∙To support the claim that the archaeological record of the Natufian period shows clear evidence of agricultural originsThe phrase attest to in the passage is closest in meaning to∙symbolize∙provide evidence of∙are predictive of∙coincide withWhich 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.∙Studies of the teeth of Natufians suggest the importance of cereals in their culture although they still hunted and foraged.∙The Natufians specialized in collecting cereals and may have been in the process of domesticating certain animals.∙Studies of the teeth of Natufians suggest that these people became hunter-foragers after they began domesticating cereals.∙The Natufians’ diet consisted mostly of cereals and lacked sufficient meat.The Natufians had a different settlement pattern from that of their predecessors. Some of their base camps were far larger (over 1,000 square meters) than any of those belonging to earlier periods, and they may have lived in some of these camps for half the year or even more. In some of the camps, people made foundations and other architectural elements out of limestone blocks. Trade in shell, obsidian, and other commodities seems to have been on the rise, and anthropologists suspect that the exchange of perishables (such as skins, foodstuffs) and salt was also on the increase. With the growing importance of wild cereals in the diet, salt probably became for the first time a near necessity: people who eat a lot of meat get many essential salts from this diet, but diets based on cereals can be deficient in salts. Salt was probably also important as a food preservative in early villages.Paragraph 2 suggests that compared with their predecessors, the Natufians∙had smaller camps∙had more permanent settlements∙engaged in trade less often∙had more meat in their dietsThe phrase “be deficient in” in the passage is closest in meaning to∙consist mainly of∙be balanced by∙not have enough∙have adequateThe word “preservative” in the passage is closest in meaning to∙something that adds flavor to food∙something that adds nutritional value to food∙something that keeps food fresh∙something that increases the trade value of foodAccording to paragraph 2, the abundance of wild cereals in the Natufian diet probably meant that the Natufians∙had to move their settlements more often∙needed to supplement their diets with salt∙found it easy to store their food supplies∙no longer needed meat to provide essential mineralsAs always, there is more to a major cultural change than simply a shift in economics. The Natufians made (and presumably wore) beads and pendants in many materials, including gemstones and marine shells that had to be imported, and it is possible that this ornamentation actually reflects a growing sense of ethnic identity and perhaps some differences in personal and group status. Cleverly carved figurines of animals, women, and other subjects occur in many sites, and Natufian period cave paintings have been found in Anatolia, Syria, and Iran.More than 400 Natufian burials have been found, most of them simple graves set in house floors. As archaeologistBelfer-Cohen notes, these burials may reflect an ancestor cult and a growing sense of community emotional ties and attachment to a particular place, and toward the end of the Natufian period, people in this area were making a strict separation between living quarters and burial grounds. In contrast with the Pleistocene cultures of the Levant, Natufian culture appears to have experienced considerable social change.The word “reflects” in the passage is closest in meaning to∙indicates∙causes∙hides∙preventsThe word “ties” in the passage is closest in meaning to∙values∙experiences∙influences∙connectionsThe question of why the Natufians differed from their predecessors in these and other ways and why they made these first steps toward farming as a way of life remains unclear. There were climate changes, of course, and growing aridity and rising population densities may have forced them to intensify the exploitation of cereals, which in turn might have stimulated the development of sickles and other tools and the permanent communities that make agriculture efficient. But precisely how these factors interacted with others at play is poorly understood.。
2021年托福阅读模拟试题及答案(卷一)
2021年托福阅读模拟试题及答案（卷一）托福阅读原文The Development of Steam Power【1】By the eighteenth century, Britain wasexperiencing a severe shortage of energy. Because ofthe growth of population, most of the great forests of medieval Britain had long ago beenreplaced by fields of grain and hay. Wood was in ever-shorter supply, yet it remainedtremendously important. It served as the primary source of heat for all homes and industriesand as a basic raw material. Processed wood (charcoal) was the fuel that was mixed with ironore in the blast furnace to produce pig iron (raw iron). The iron industry’s appetite for woodwas enormous, and by 1740 the British iron industry was stagnating. Vast forests enabledRussia 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 thebarrier of inadequate energy that was already holding England back.【2】As this early energy crisis grew worse, Britain looked toward its abundant and widelyscattered reserves of coal as an alternative to its vanishing wood. Coal was first used in Britainin the late Middle Ages as a source of heat. By 1640 most homes in London were heated withit, and it also provided heat for making beer, glass, soap, and other products.Coal was notused, however, to produce mechanical energy or to power machinery. It was there thatcoal’s potential wad enormous.【3】As more coal was produced, mines were dug deeper and deeper and were constantlyfilling with water. Mechanical pumps, usually powered by hundreds of horses waling in circles atthe surface, had to be installed Such power was expensive and bothersome. In an attempt toovercome these disadvantages, Thomas Savery in 1698 and Thomas Newcomen in 1705 invented the first primitive steam engines. Both engines were extremely inefficient. Bothburned coal to produce steam, which was then used to operate a pump. However, by theearly 1770s, many of the Savery engines and hundreds of the Newcomen engines wereoperating successfully, though inefficiently, in English and Scottish mines.【4】In the early 1760s, a gifted young Scot named James Watt was drawn to a critical studyof the steam engine. Watt was employed at the time by the University of Glasgow as a skilledcrafts worker making scientific instruments. In 1763: Watt was called on to repair a Newcomenengine being used in a physics course. After a series of observations, Watt saw that theNewcomen’s waste of energy could be reduced by adding a separate condenser. This splendidinvention, patented in 1769, greatly increased the efficiency of the steam engine. The steamengine of Watt and his followers was the technologicaladvance that gave people, at least for awhile, unlimited power and allowed the invention and use of all kinds of power equipment.【5】The steam engine was quickly put to use in several industries in Britain. It drained minesand made possible the production of ever more coal to feed steam engines elsewhere. Thesteam power plant began to replace waterpower in the cotton-spinning mills as well as otherindustries during the 1780s, contributing to a phenomenal rise in industrialization. TheBritish iron industry was radically transformed. The use of powerful, steam-driven bellows inblast furnaces helped iron makers switch over rapidly from limited charcoal to unlimited coke(which is made from coal) in the smelting of pig iron (the process of refining impure iron) after1770 in the 1780s, Henry Cort developed the puddling furnace, which allowed pig iron to berefined in turn with coke. Cort also developed heavy-duty, steam-powered rolling mills, whichwere capable of producing finished iron in every shape and form.【6】The economic consequence of these technical innovations in steam power was a greatboom in the British iron industry. In 1740 annual British iron production was only 17:000 tons, but by 1844: with the spread of coke smelting and the impact of Cort’s inventions, it hadincreased to 3,000:000 tons. This was a truly amazing expansion. Once scarce and expensive, iron became cheap, basic, and indispensable to the economy.托福阅读试题1.What can be inferred from paragraph 1 aboutBritain's short supply of wood in the eighteenthcentury?A.Wood from Britain’s great forests was beingexported to other countries for profit.B.A growing population had required cutting down forests to increase available land forfarming.rger families required the construction of larger homes made from wood.D.What was left of the great forests after the medieval period was being strictly protected.2.Select TWO answer choices that, according to paragraph 1, are true statementsabout Russia’s iron industry in the eighteenth century. To obtain credit, you mustselect TWO answer choices.A.Russia reached its maximum production of iron at the same time as Britain.B.Russia exported much of its iron production to Britain.C.Russia’s appetite for iron increased rapidly after 1740.D.Russia’s energy resourceseventually became insufficient and limited the growth of its iron industry.3.The word "abundant" in the passage is closest in meaning toA.reliableB.plentifulC.well-preservedD.existing4.Why are "beer, glass, soap, and other products" mentioned in the discussion ofBritain’s energy?A.To help explain why the energy crisis was so severeB.To show that despite the energy crisis and as early as 1640, London homes were advancedand well suppliedC.To emphasize that after 1640, British homes required energy for more than heatD.To indicate that coal had been used for the production of certain products before theeighteenth century5.According to paragraph 3, all of the following are ways in which the Savery andNewcomen engines were similar EXCEPT:A.Both became relatively inexpensive after the 1770s.B.Both produced steam by burning coal.C.Both were used to operate pumps.D.Both were very inefficient.6.The word "gifted" in the passage is closest in meaning toA.independentB.talentedC.famousD.ambitious7.According to paragraph 4, what was James Watt’s major achievement?A. He was able to apply his understanding of physics to invent a variety of scientificinstruments and tools for skilled crafts workers.B.He taught university physics courses to outstanding students whose observations led tomany patented inventions.C.He improved the efficiency of Newcomen’s engine by preventing energy from being lost.D.He redesigned Newcomen’s engine so that it no longer needed a separate condenser.8.The word "splendid" in the passage is closest in meaning toA.originalB.necessaryC.magnificentD.popular9.Which of the following is NOT mentioned in paragraph 5 as a development thatgreatly changed the production of iron?A.The use of coke in the smelting of pig ironB.The invention of a furnace that used coke to refine ironC.The discovery of a method for increasing the production of charcoalD.The invention of powerful machinery that could shape, form, and finish iron10.In paragraph 6, why does the author compare British iron production in 1740 withthat of 1844?A.To contrast the amounts of iron needed in Britain in two different centuriesB.To illustrate how easy it was to make money using Cort’s inventionC.To demonstrate the tremendous growth of the iron industry in BritainD.To demonstrate how inexpensive coal had become11.The word "indispensable" in the passage is closest in meaning toA.advantageousB.essentialC.less costlyD.highly stimulating12.According to the passage, which of the following is true about the development ofsteam power?A.The steam engine’s basic technology can be traced back to medieval Britain when steam-powered machinery was being tried in farming activities.B.Although Russia and Britain developed steam-power technologysimultaneously, Britain wasfirst to try it in a large-scale industry due to a greater need for iron.C.Steam-power technology was largely the result of improvements developed to increase thesupply of coal as a primary source of energy.D.Adaptations to steam engines required for their use in cotton-spinning mills led to radicaldevelopments in machinery used in the iron industry.13. Look at the four squares [■] that indicate where the following sentence could beadded to the passage. Where would the sentence best fit? Energy had not been aproblem for Britain in the past because it relied on a rich source of energy: its vastforests.By the eighteenth century, Britain was experiencing a severe shortage of energy. ■【A】Because of the growth of population, most of the great forests of medieval Britain had longago been replaced by fields of grain and hay. ■【B】Wood was in ever-shorter supply, yet itremained tremendously important. ■【C】It served as the primary source of heat for allhomes and industries and as a basic raw material. ■【D】Processed wood (charcoal) was thefuel that was mixed with iron ore in the blast furnace to produce pig iron (raw iron). The ironindustry’s appetite for wood was enormous, and by 1740 the British iron industry wasstagnating. Vast forests enabled Russia to become the world’s leading producer of iron, much ofwhich was exported to Britain. ButRussia’s potential for growth was limited too, and in a fewdecades Russia would reach the barrier of inadequate energy that was already holdingEngland back.14. Directions: An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage of thepassage is provided below. Complete the summary by selecting the THREE answerchoices that express the most important ideas in the passage. Some answer choicesdo not belong in the summary because they express ideas that are not presented inthe passage or are minor ideas in the passage. This questions is worth 2 points.By the eighteenth century, Britain was experiencing a severe shortage of energy.A.The development of blast furnaces for the manufacture of pig iron made the Britain lessdependent on wood.B.After the medieval period, both Russia and Britain began to look for alternative sources ofenergy, such as steam power, in order to maintain the growth of their iron industries.C.Two inventors designed the first steam engines in order to overcome the disadvantages ofrelying on horses to power the pumps used in mining coal.D.James Watt was able to improve upon the efficiency of the steam engine and make it usefulto several industries.E.The puddling furnace increased the availability of charcoal to avariety of industries fromcotton to iron production.F.Steam power increased coal production, which in turn allowed extraordinary growth of theiron industry and the British economy.托福阅读答案1.B2.BD3.B4.D5.A6.B7.C8.C9.C10.C11.B12.C13.A14.CDF托福阅读原文Protection of Plants by Insects【1】Many plants - one or more species of at least68 different families - can secrete nectar even whenthey have no blossoms, becausethey bear extrafloral nectaries (structures that producenectar) on stems, leaves, leaf stems, or other structures.These plants usually occur where antsare abundant, most in the tropics but some in temperate areas. Among those of northeasternNorth America are various plums, cherries, roses, hawthorns, poplars, and oaks. Like floralnectar, extrafloral nectar consists mainly of water with a high content of dissolved sugars and, in some plants, small amounts of amino acids. The extrafloral nectaries of some plants areknown to attract ants and other insects, but the evolutionary history of most plants with thesenectaries is unknown. Nevertheless, most ecologists believe that all extrafloral nectaries attractinsects that will defend the plant.【2】Ants are portably the most frequent and certainly the most persistent defenders ofplants. Since the highly active worker ants require a great deal of energy, plants exploit thisneed by providing extrafloral nectar that supplies ants with abundant energy. To return thisfavor, ants guard the nectaries, driving away or killing intruding insects that might competewith ants for nectar. Many of these intruders are herbivorous and would eat the leaves of theplants.【3】Biologists once thought that secretion of extrafloral nectar has some purely internalphysiological function, and that ants provide no benefit whatsoever to the plants that secreteit. This view and the opposing “protectionist”hypothesis that ants defend plants hadbeendisputed for over a hundred years when, in 1910, a skeptical William Morton Wheelercommented on the controversy. He called for proof of the protectionist view: that visitations ofthe ants confer protection on the plants and that in the absence of the insects a much greaternumber would perish or fail to produce flowers or seeds than when the insects are present. That we now have an abundance of the proof that was called for was established whenBarbara Bentley reviewed the relevant evidence in 1977, and since then many moreobservations and experiments have provided still further proof that ants benefit plants.【4】One example shows how ants attracted to extrafloral nectaries protect morning gloriesagainst attacking insects. The principal insect enemies of the North American morning gloryfeed mainly on its flowers or fruits rather than its leaves. Grasshoppers feeding on flowersindirectly block pollination and the production of seeds by destroying the corolla or thestigma, which receives the pollen grains and on which the pollen germinates. Without theircolorful corolla, flowers do not attract pollinators and are not fertilized. An adult grasshoppercan consume a large corolla, about 2.5 inches long, in an hour. Caterpillars and seed beetlesaffect seed production directly. Caterpillars devour the ovaries, where the seeds are produced, and seed beetle larvae eat seeds as they burrow in developing fruits.【5】Extrafloral nectaries at the base of each sepal attract several kinds of insects, but 96 percent of them are ants, several different species of them. When buds are still small, lessthan a quarter of an inch long, the sepal nectaries are already present and producing nectar. They continue to do so as the flower develops and while the fruit matures. Observations leavelittle doubt that ants protect morning glory flowers and fruits from the combined enemy forceof grasshoppers, caterpillars, and seed beetles. Bentley compares the seed production of sixplants that grew where there were no ants with that of seventeen plants that were occupied byants. Unprotected plants bore only 45 seeds per plant, but plants occupied by ants bore 211 seeds per plant. Although ants are not big enough to kill or seriously injure grasshoppers, theydrive them away by nipping at their feet. Seed beetles are more vulnerable because they aremuch smaller than grasshoppers. The ants prey on the adult beetles, disturb females astheylay their eggs on developing fruits, and eat many of the eggs they do manage to lay.托福阅读试题1.According to paragraph 1，floral nectar andextrafloral nectar are alike in thatA.they are likely to be produced by the same plants.B.they basically consist of the same chemicalcomponents.C.they attract only insects that will defend the plant.D.they are produced by the same parts of the plant.2.To say that ants are "persistent" defenders of plants means thatA.they defend plants against a wide variety of threats.B.they continue to defend plants for as long as the plants are threatened.C.they are successful defenders of plants.D.they are easily observable defenders of plants.3.What can be inferred from paragraph 2 about the ants that are attracted to theextrafloral nectaries?A.They do not eat the leaves of the plants that produce extrafloral nectar.B.They live almost entirely on extrafloral nectar.C.They spend most of their energy guarding extrafloral nectaries.D.They frequently fight among themselves over extrafloral nectar.4.According to paragraph 3, what was the position of the opponents of the"protectionist" hypothesis?A.Extrafloral nectar provides plants with a direct defense against attack by insects.B.Ants substantially benefit plants that secrete extrafloral nectar.C.The secretion of extrafloral nectar plays a role in the plant’s internal functioning.D.Ants visit plants that secrete extrafloral nectar as often as theyvisit plants that do not.5.The word "skeptical" in the passage is closest in meaning toA.curious.B.doubtful.C.open-minded.D.practical.6.Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information jn thehighlighted sentence in the passage Incorrect choices change the meaning inimportant ways or leave out essential information.A.We now have ample proof that ants benefit plants.B.Barbara Bentley has called for additional proof that ants benefit plants.C.In 1977 Barbara Bentley conducted research that proved that all prior studies were wrong.D.Proof that ants benefit plants will require many more observations and experiments.7.According to paragraph 4, what effect does the destruction of the corolla have onplants.A.It leaves the seeds exposed and unprotected.B.It prevents the stigma from developing.C.It keeps pollen grains from attaching properly.D.It prevents the flower from attracting pollinators.8.The word "devour" in the passage is closest in meaning toA.attack.B.eat.C.damage.D.prefer.9.What role does paragraph 5 play in the passage?A.It offers various kinds of evidence for the protectionist view.B.It presents the study that first proved that ants benefit plants.C.It explains how insects find sources of nectar.D.It presents information that partly contradicts the protectionist view.10.The word "vulnerable" in the passage is closest in meaning toA.numerous.B.harmful.C.open to attack.D.difficult to locate.11.According to paragraph 5, what did Bentley’s comparative study show?A.Many more plants grew in places where ants were present than where they were absent.B.The ants preferred plants with low seed production to plants with high seed production.C.The plants occupied by ants produced many more seeds than those that were not occupiedby ants.D.The plants that grew in places without ants were much smaller and weaker than those thatgrew in places where ants were present.12.According to paragraph 5, ants defend morning glory plants from seed beetles ineach of the following ways EXCEPT:A.driving adult beetles off the plants by nipping at their feet.B.catching and eating adult beetles.C.eating beetle eggs they find on developing fruits.D.making it difficult for beetles to lay eggs on developing fruits.13. Look at the four squares [■] that indicate where the following sentence could beadded to the passage. Where would the sentence best fit? Sometimes they capture theinsects to feed their protein-hungry larvae.Ants are portably the most frequent and certainly the most persistent defenders of plants. ■【A】Since the highly active worker ants require a great deal of energy, plants exploit thisneed by providing extrafloral nectar that supplies ants with abundant energy. ■【B】Toreturn this favor, ants guard the nectaries, driving away or killing intruding insects that mightcompete with ants for nectar. ■【C】Many of these intruders are herbivorous and would eatthe leaves of the plants. ■【D】14. Directions: An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage of thepassage is provided below. Complete the summary by selecting the THREE answerchoices that express the most important ideas in the passage. Some answer choicesdo not belong in the summary because they express ideas that are not presented inthe passage or are minor ideas in the passage. This questions is worth 2 points.Many plants have extrafloral nectaries that produce nectar even during periods inwhich the plant is not flowering.A.Evolutionary history shows that plants that produce extrafloral nectar originated in thetropics.B.Extrafloral nectar has a higher concentration of sugar than floral nectar and is moreattractive to ants and other insects.C.The protectionist hypothesis is that extrafloral nextar attracts ants, and that the ants, inorder to preserve this energy-rich food source, attack insects that might harm the plant.D.Evidence accumulated during the twentieth century proved that ants provide significantbenefits for plants with extrafloral nectaries.E.Research has shown that American morning glory plants that are protected by ants producesignificantly more seeds than morning glory plants that are not protected by ants.F.Ants generally ignore small insects, but they will eat the adults of large insect species aswell as their eggs and larvae.托福阅读答案1.B2.B3.A4.D5.A6.A7.C8.B9.B10.C11.C12.A13.C14.CDEThe history of clinical nutrition, or the study of the relationship between health and how the body takes in and utilizes food substances, can be divided into four distinct eras: the first began in the nineteenth century and extended into the early twentieth century when it was recognized for the first time that food contained constituents that were essential for human function and that different foods provided different amounts of these essential agents. Near the end of this era, researchstudies demonstrated that rapid weight loss was associated with nitrogen imbalance and could only be rectified by providing adequate dietary protein associated with certain foods.The second era was initiated in the early decades of the twentieth century and might be called "the vitamin period." Vitamins came to be recognized in foods, and deficiency syndromes were described. As vitamins became recognized as essential food constituents necessary for health, it became tempting to suggest that every disease and condition for which there had been no previous effective treatment might be responsive to vitamin therapy. At that point in time, medical schools started to become more interested in having their curricula integrate nutritional concepts into the basic sciences. Much of the focus of this education was on the recognition of vitamin deficiency symptoms. Herein lay the beginning of what ultimately turned from ignorance to denial of the value of nutritional therapies in medicine. Reckless claims were made for effects of vitamins that went far beyond what could actually be achieved from the use of them.In the third era of nutritional history in the early 1950's to mid-1960s, vitamin therapy began to fall into disrepute. Concomitant with this, nutrition education in medical schools also became less popular. It was just a decade before this that many drug companies had found their vitamin sales skyrocketing and were quick to supplypracticing physicians with generous samples of vitamins and literature extolling the virtue of supplementation for a variety of health-related conditions. Expectations as to the success of vitamins in disease control were exaggerated. As is known in retrospect, vitamin and mineral therapies are much less effective when applied to health-crisis conditions than when applied to long-term problems of undernutrition that lead to chronic health problems.1. What does the passage mainly discuss?(A) The effects of vitamins on the human body(B) The history of food preferences from the nineteenth century to the present(C) The stages of development of clinical nutrition as a field of study(D) Nutritional practices of the nineteenth century2. It can be inferred from the passage that which of the following discoveries was made during the first era in the history of nutrition?(A) Protein was recognized as an essential component of diet.(B) Vitamins were synthesized from foods.(C) Effective techniques of weight loss were determined.(D) Certain foods were found to be harmful to good health.3. The word "tempting诱惑人的" in line 12 is closest in meaning to(A) necessary(B) attractive(C) realistic(D) correct4. It can be inferred from the passage that medical schools began to teach concepts of nutrition in order to(A) convince medical doctors to participate in research studies on nutrition(B) encourage medical doctors to apply concepts of nutrition in the treatment of disease(C) convince doctors to conduct experimental vitamin therapies on their patients(D) support the creation of artificial vitamins5. The word "Reckless鲁莽的，不顾后果的" in line 18 is closest in meaning to(A) recorded(B) irresponsible(C) informative(D) urgent 紧急的，紧迫的6. The word 'them" in line 19 refers to(A) therapies 治疗(B) claims(C) effects(D) vitamins7. Why did vitamin therapy begin losing favor in the 1950's(A) The public lost interest in vitamins.(B) Medical schools stopped teaching nutritional concepts.(C) Nutritional research was of poor quality(D) Claims for the effectiveness of vitamin therapy were seen to be exaggerated.8. The phrase "concomitant with" in line 21 is closest in meaning to(A) in conjunction with = together with(B) prior to 优先于(C) in dispute with 与。
托福阅读tpo53R-1原文+译文+题目+答案+背景知识
TPO53 阅读-1Evidence of the Earliest Writing原文 (1)译文 (2)题目 (4)答案 (8)背景知识 (10)原文Evidence of the Earliest Writing①Although literacy appeared independently in several parts of the prehistoric world, the earliest evidence of writing is the cuneiform Sumerian script on the clay tablets of ancient Mesopotamia, which, archaeological detective work has revealed, had its origins in the accounting practices of commercial activity. Researchers demonstrated that preliterate people, to keep track of the goods they produced and exchanged, created a system of accounting using clay tokens as symbolic representations of their products. Over many thousands of years, the symbols evolved through several stages of abstraction until they became wedge-shaped (cuneiform) signs on clay tablets, recognizable as writing.②The original tokens (circa 8500 B.C.E.) were three-dimensional solid shapes—tiny spheres, cones, disks, and cylinders. A debt of six units of grain and eight head of livestock, for example might have been represented by six conical and eight cylindrical tokens. To keep batches of tokens together, an innovation was introduced (circa 3250 B. C. E.) whereby they were sealed inside clay envelopes that could be broken open and counted when it came time for a debt to be repaid. But because the contents of the envelopes could easily be forgotten, two-dimensional representations of the three-dimensional tokens were impressed into the surface of the envelopes before they were sealed. Eventually, having two sets of equivalent symbols—the internal tokens and external markings—came to seem redundant, so the tokens were eliminated (circa 3250-3100 B.C.E.), and only solid clay tablets with two-dimensional symbols were retained. Over time, the symbols became more numerous, varied, and abstract and came to represent more than trade commodities, evolving eventually into cuneiform writing.③The evolution of the symbolism is reflected in the archaeological record first of all by the increasing complexity of the tokens themselves. The earliest tokens, dating from about 10,000 to 6,000 years ago, were of only the simplest geometricshapes. But about 3500 B.C.E., more complex tokens came into common usage, including many naturalistic forms shaped like miniature tools, furniture, fruit, and humans. The earlier, plain tokens were counters for agricultural products, whereas the complex ones stood for finished products, such as bread, oil, perfume, wool, and rope, and for items produced in workshops, such as metal, bracelets, types of cloth, garments, mats, pieces of furniture, tools, and a variety of stone and pottery vessels. The signs marked on clay tablets likewise evolved from simple wedges, circles, ovals, and triangles based on the plain tokens to pictographs derived from the complex tokens.④Before this evidence came to light, the inventors of writing were assumed by researchers to have been an intellectual elite. Some, for example, hypothesized that writing emerged when members of the priestly caste agreed among themselves on written signs. But the association of the plain tokens with the first farmers and of the complex tokens with the first artisans—and the fact that the token-and-envelope accounting system invariably represented only small-scale transactions—testifies to the relatively modest social status of the creators of writing.⑤And not only of literacy, but numeracy (the representation of quantitative concepts) as well. The evidence of the tokens provides further confirmation that mathematics originated in people’s desire to keep records of flocks and other goods. Another immensely significant step occurred around 3100 B.C.E., when Sumerian accountants extended the token-based signs to include the first real numerals. Previously, units of grain had been represented by direct one-to-one correspondence―by repeating the token or symbol for a unit of grain the required number of times. The accountants, however, devised numeral signs distinct from commodity signs, so that eighteen units of grain could be indicated by preceding a single grain symbol with a symbol denoting “18.”Their invention of abstract numerals and abstract counting was one of the most revolutionary advances in the history of mathematics.⑥What was the social status of the anonymous accountants who produced this breakthrough? The immense volume of clay tablets unearthed in the ruins of the Sumerian temples where the accounts were kept suggests a social differentiation within the scribal class, with a virtual army of lower-ranking tabulators performing the monotonous job of tallying commodities. We can only speculate as to how high or low the inventors of true numerals were in the scribal hierarchy, but it stands to reason that this laborsaving innovation would have been the brainchild of the lower-ranking types whose drudgery is eased.译文最早文字的证据①虽然读写能力是在史前世界的几个地方分别出现的，但书写的最早证据是古代美索不达米亚泥板上的苏美尔楔形文字，根据考古探查工作揭示，它起源于商业活动的会计实践。