老托福阅读真题 (11)

2002

年

8

月

TOEFL

试题

Section Three: Reading Comprehension

Question 1-9

Often enough the craft worker’s place of employment in ancient Greece was set in rural

isolation. Potter, for instance, found it convenient to locate their workshops near their source of

clay,

regardless of

its relation to the center of settlement, At Corinth and Athens, however, two

of the best-

known potters’ quarters were situated on the cities’ outskirts, and potters and makers

of terra-cotta figurines were also established well within the city of Athens itself. The techniques

of

pottery

manufacture

had

evolved

well

before

the

Greek

period,

but

marked

stylistic

developments occurred in shape and in decoration, for example, in the interplay of black and

other glazes with the red surface of the fired pot.

Athenian black-figure and red-figure decoration, which emphasized human figures rather

than animal images, was adopted between 630 and 530 B.C.

；

its distinctive color and luster

were

the

result

of

the

skillful

adjustments

of

the

kiln’s

temperat

ure

during

an

extended

three-stage period if firing the clayware. Whether it was the potters or the vase-painters who

initiated

changes

in

firing

is

unclear;

the

functions

of

making

and

decorating

were

usually

divided between them, but neither group can have been so specialized the they did not share in

the concerns of the other.

The

broad

utility

of

terra-cotta

was

such

that

workers

in

clay

could

generally

afford

to

confine

themselves to either decorated ware and housewares like cooking pots and storage

Jars or building materials like roof tiles and drainpipes, some sixth-and fifth-century B.C.

Athenian pottery establishments are known to have concentrated on a limited range of fine

ware, but a rural pottery establishment on the island of Thasos produced many types of pottery

and

roof

tiles

too,

presumably

to

meet

local

demand.

Molds

were

used

to

create

particular

effects

for

some

products,

such

as

relief-decorated

vessels

and

figurines;

for

other

products

such

as

roof

tiles,

which

were

needed

in

some

quantity,

they

were

used

to

facilitate

mass

production. There were also a number of poor-quality figurines and painted pots produced in

quantity

by

easy,

inexpensive

means-

as

numerous

featureless

statuettes

and

unattractive

cases testify.

1. The passage mainly discusses ancient Greek pottery and its

(A) production techniques

(B) similarity to other crafts

(C) unusual materials

(D) resemblance to earlier pottery

2. The phrase “regardless of” in line 3 is closest in meaning to

(A) as a result of

(B) no matter what

(C) proud of

(D) according to

3. It can be inferred from the passage that most pottery establishments in ancient Greece were

situated

(A) in city centers

(B) on the outskirts of cities

(C) where clay could be found

(D) near other potters’ workshops

4. The word “marked” in line 7 is closest in meaning to

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(A) original

(B) attractive

(C) noticeable

(D) patterned

5. The word “confine” in line 17 is closest in meaning to

(A) adapt

(B) train

(C) restrict

(D) organize

6. It can be inferred from the passage that terra-

cotta had which of the following advantages”

(A) It did not break during the firing process.

(B) It was less expensive than other available materials.

(C) Its surface had a lasting shine.

(D) It could be used for many purposes.

7. The word “presumably” in line 21 is closest in meaning to

(A) frequently

(B) practically

(C) preferably

(D) probably

8. The word “they” in line 23 refers to

(A) molds

(B) particular effects

(C) products

(D) vessels and figurines

9.

According

to

the

passage,

all

of

the

following are

true

of

ancient

Greek

potters

and

vase

painters EXCEPT:

(A) Their functions were so specialized that they lacked common concerns.

(B) They sometimes produced inferior ware.

(C) They produced pieces that had unusual color and shine.

(D) They decorated many of their works with human images.

Question 10-19

Geographers say that what defines a place are four properties: soil, climate, altitude, and

aspect, or attitude to t

he Sun. Florida’s ancient scrub demonstrates this principle. Its soil is pure

silica,

so

barren

it

supports

only

lichens

as

ground

cover.(

It

does,

however,

sustain

a

sand-swimming

lizard

that

cannot

live

where

there

is

moisture

or

plant

matter

the

soil.)

Its

climate,

despite

more

than

50

inches

of

annual

rainfall,

is

blistering

desert

plant

life

it

can

sustain

is only the xerophytic, the quintessentially dry. Its altitude is a mere couple of hundred

feet, but it is high ground on a peninsula elsewhere close to sea level, and its drainage is so

critical that a difference of inches in elevation can bring major changes in its plant communities.

Its aspect is flat, direct, brutal

—

and subtropical.

Florida’s

surrounding

lushness

cannot

impinge

on

its

desert

scrub

does

not

sound like an attractive place. It does not look much like one either; Shrubby little oaks, clumps

of scraggly bushes,

prickly pear

, thorns, and tangles. “It

appears s

aid one early naturalist,” to

desire to display the result of the misery through which it has passed

and is passing.” By our

narrow standards, scrub is not beautiful; neither does it meet our selfish utilitarian needs. Even

the

name

is

an

epithet,

a

synonym

for

the

stunted,

the

scruffy,

the

insignificant

,

what

is

beautiful about such a place?

The most important remaining patches of scrub lie along the Lake Wales Ridge, a chain of

paleoislands running for a hundred miles down the center of Florida, in most places less than

ten miles wide. It is relict seashore, tossed up millions of years ago when ocean levels were

higher and the rest of the peninsula was submerged. That ancient emergence is precisely what

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makes

Lake

Wales

Ridge

so

precious:

it

has

remained

unsubmerged,

its

ecosystems

essentially undisturbed, since the Miocene era. As a result, it has gathered to itself one of the

largest collections of rare organisms in the world. Only about 75 plant species survive there, but

at least 30 of these are found nowhere else on Earth.

10. What does the passage mainly discuss?

(A) How geographers define a place

(B) The characteristics of Florida’s ancient scrub

(C) An early naturalist’s opinion of

Florida

(D)The history of the Lake Wales Ridge

11. The author mentions all of the following as factors that define a place EXCEPT

(A) aspect

(B) altitude

(C) soil

(D) life-forms

12. It can be inferred from the passage that soil composed of silica

(A) does not hold moisture

(B) is found only in Florida

(C) nourishes many kinds of ground cover

(D) provides food for many kinds of lizards

13. The word” sustain” in line 6 is closets in meaning to

(A) select

(B) strain

(C) support

(D) store

14. The author mentions the prickly pear (line 12) as an example of

(A) valuable fruit-bearing plants of the scrub area

(B) unattractive plant life of the scrub area

(C) a pant discovered by an early naturalist

(D) plant life that is extremely are

15. The author suggests that human standards of beauty are

(A) tolerant

(B) idealistic

(C) defensible

(D) limited

16. The word “insignificant” in line 16 is closest in meaning to

(A) unimportant

(B) undisturbed

(C) immature

(D) inappropriate

17. According to the passage, why is the Lake Wales Ridge valuable?

(A) It was originally submerged in the ocean.

(B) It is less than ten miles wide.

(C) It is located near the seashore.

(D) It has ecosystems that have long remained unchanged

18. The word “it” in line 22

refers to

(A) Florida

(B) the peninsula

(C) the Lake Wales Ridge

(D) the Miocene era

19. The passage probably continues with a discussion of

(A) ancient scrub found in other areas of the country

(B) geographers who study Florida’s scrub

(C) the climate of the Lake Wales Ridge

(D) the unique plants found on the Lake Wales Ridg

Question 20-30

It is estimated that over 99 percent of all species that ever existed have become extinct.

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What causes extinction? When a species is no longer adapted to a changed environment,

it

may

perish.

The

exact

causes

of

a

species’

death

vary

from

situation

to

situation.

Rapid

ecological change may render an environment hostile to a species. For example, temperatures

may

change

and

a

species

may

not

be

able

to

adapt.

Food

resources

may

be

affected

by

environmental changes, which will then cause problems for a species requiring these resources.

Other

species

may

become

better

adapted

to

an

environment,

resulting

in

competition

and,

ultimately

, in the death of a species.

The

fossil

record

reveals

that

extinction

has

occurred

throughout

the

history

of

Earth.

Recent analyses have also revealed that on some occasions many species became extinct at

the

same

time

—

a

mass

extinction.

One

of

the

best-known

examples

of

mass

extinction

occurred 65 million years ago with the

demise

of dinosaurs and many other forms of life.

Perhaps

the

largest

mass

extinction

was

the

one

that

occurred

225

million

years

ago,

when

approximately

95

percent

of

all

species

died,

Mass

extinctions

can

be

caused

by

a

relatively

rapid

change

in

the

environment

and

can

be

worsened

by

the

close

interrelationship

of

many

species.

If,

for

example,

something

were

to

happen

to

destroy

much of the

plankton

in the oceans, then the oxygen content of Earth would drop, affection

even

organisms

not

living

in

the

oceans.

Such

a

change

would

probably

lead

to

a

mass

extinction.

One

interesting,

and

controversial,

finding

is

that

extinctions

during

the

past

250

Million years have tended to be more intense every 26 million years. This periodic extinction

might be due to intersection of the Earth’s orbit

with a cloud of comets, but this theory is purely

speculative. Some researchers have also speculated tat extinction may often be random. That

is, certain species may be eliminated and others may survive

for no particular reason. A species’

survival may have nothing to do with its ability or inability to adapt. If so, some of evolutionary

history may reflect a sequence of essentially random events.

20. The word “it” in line 3 refers to

(A) environment

(B) species

(C) extinction

(D) 99 percent

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

(A) exceptionally

(B) dramatically

(C) eventually

(D) unfortunately

22. What does the author say in paragraph 1 regarding most species in Earth’s

history?

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

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

(C) They have caused rapid change in the environment.

(D) They are no longer in existence.

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

change?

(A) Temperature changes

(B) Availability of food resources

(C) Introduction of new species

(D) Competition among species

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

(A) change

(B) recovery

(C) help

(D) death

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