最新托福阅读理解真题整合.doc

最新托福阅读理解真题整合 为了让大家更好的准备托福考试，给大家整理一些托福阅读真题，下面就和大家分享，来欣赏一下吧。托福阅读真题1In the North American colonies, red ware, a simple pottery fired at low temperatures, and stone ware, a strong, impervious grey pottery fired at high temperatures, were produced from two different native clays. These kinds of pottery were produced to supplement imported European pottery. When the American Revolution (1775-1783) interrupted the flow of the superior European ware, there was incentive for American potters to replace the imports with comparable domestic goods. Stoneware, which had been simple, utilitarian kitchenware, grew increasingly ornate throughout the nineteenth century, and in addition to the earlier scratched and drawn designs, three-dimensional molded relief decoration became popular. Representational motifs largely replaced the earlier abstract decorations. Birds and flowers were particularly evident, but other subjects lions, flags, and clipper ships are found. Some figurines, mainly of dogs and lions, were made in this medium. Sometimes a name, usually that of the potter, was die-stamped onto a piece.As more and more large kilns were built to create the high-fired stoneware, experiments revealed that the same clay used to produce low-fired red ware could produce a stronger, paler pottery if fired at a hotter temperature. The result was yellow ware, used largely for serviceable items; but a further development was Rockingham ware one of the most important American ceramics of the nineteenth century. (The name of the ware was probably derived from its resemblance to English brown-glazed earthenware made in South Yorkshire.) It was created by adding a brown glaze to the fired clay, usually giving the finished product a mottled appearance. Various methods of spattering or sponging the glaze onto the ware account for the extremely wide variations in color and add to the interest of collecting Rockingham. An advanced form of Rockingham was flint enamel, created by dusting metallic powders onto the Rockingham glaze to produce brilliant varicolored streaks. Articles for nearly every household activity and ornament could be bought in Rockingham ware: dishes and bowls, of course; also bedpans, foot warmers, cuspidors, lamp bases, doorknobs, molds, picture frames, even curtain tiebacks. All these items are highly collectible today and are eagerly sought. A few Rockingham specialties command particular affection among collectors and correspondingly high prices.1. Why did the potters discussed in the passage change the kind of pottery they made?A) They discovered a new kind of clay.B) They were compensation for the loss of an overseas supplier.C) They studied new techniques in Europe.D) The pottery they had been producing was not very strong.2. The word ornate in line 7 is closest in meaning toA) elaborateB) puzzlingC) durableD) common3. The passage suggests that the earliest stonewareA) was decorated with simple, abstract designsB) used three-dimensional decorationsC) was valued for its fancy decorationsD) had no decoration4. How did yellow ware achieve its distinctive color?A) by sponging on a glazeB) by dusting on metallic powdersC) by brown-glazingD) by firing at a high temperature5. The phrase derived from in line 19 is closest in meaning toA) ruined byB) warned againstC) based onD) sold by6. The word It in line 20 refers toA) red wareB) yellow wareC) Rockingham wareD) English brown-glazed earthenware7. The word Various in line 21 is closest in meaning toA) complicatedB) acceptedC) carefulD) different8. The phrase account for in line 22 is closest in meaning toA) explainB) restrictC) financeD) supplement9. What was special about flint enamel?A) its even metallic shineB) its mottled appearanceC) its spattered effectD) its varicolored streaks10. Which of the following kinds of Rockingham ware were probably produced in the greatestquantity?A) picture framesB) dishes and bowlsC) curtain tiebacksD) doorknobs11. The passage would most probably continue with a discussion ofA) what bedpans, foot warmers, and cuspidors were used forB) well-known, modern-day potters who make Rockingham wareC) examples of Rockingham ware that collectors especially wantD) pieces of Rockingham ware that are inexpensive in todays marketPASSAGE 68 BAADC CDADB C托福阅读真题2Newspaper publishers in the United States have long been enthusiastic users and distributors of weather maps. Although some newspapers that had carried the United States Weather Bureaus national weather map in 1912 dropped it once the novelty had passed, many continued to print the daily weather chart provided by their local forecasting office. In the 1930s, when interest in aviation and progress in air-mass analysis made weather patterns more newsworthy, additional newspapers started or resumed the daily weather map. In 1935, The Associated Press (AP) news service inaugurated its WirePhoto network and offered subscribing newspapers morning and afternoon weather maps redrafted by the APs Washington, B.C., office from charts provided by the government agency. Another news service, United Press International (UPI), developed a competing Photowire network and also provided timely weather maps for both morning and afternoon newspapers. After the United States government launched a series of weather satellites in 1966, both the AP and UPI offered cloud-cover photos obtained from the Weather Bureau.In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the weather map became an essential ingredient in the redesign of the American newspaper. News publishers, threatened by increased competition from television for readers attention, sought to package the news more conveniently and attractively. In 1982, many publishers felt threatened by the new USA Today, a national daily newspaper that used a page-wide, full-color weather map as its key design element. That the weather map in USA Today did not include information about weather fronts and pressures attests to the largely symbolic role it played. Nonetheless, competing local and metropolitan newspapers responded in a variety of ways. Most substituted full-color temperature maps for the standard weather maps, while others dropped the comparatively drab satellite photos or added regional forecast maps with pictorial symbols to indicate rainy, snowy, cloudy, or clear conditions. A few newspapers, notably The New York Times, adopted a highly informative yet less visually prominent weather map that was specially designed to explain an important recent or imminent weather event. Ironically, a newspapers richest, most instructive weather maps often are comparatively small and inconspicuous.1. What does the passage mainly discuss?(A) The differences between government and newspaper weather forecasting in the UnitedStates.(B) The history of publishing weather maps in United States newspapers(C) A comparison of regional and national weather reporting in the United States.(D) Information that forms the basis for weather forecasting in the United States2. The word resumed in line 7 is closest in meaning to(A) began again(B) held back(C) thought over(D) referred to3. According to the passage , one important reason why newspapers printed daily weather mapsduring the first half of the twentieth century was(A) the progress in printing technology(B) a growing interest in air transportation(C) a change in atmospheric conditions(D) the improvement of weather forecasting techniques4. What regular service did The Associated Press and United Press International begin to offersubscribing newspapers in the 1930s?(A) A new system of weather forecasting(B) An air-mass analysis(C) Twice daily weather maps(D) Cloud-cover photographs5. The phrase attests to in line 21 is closest in meaning to(A) makes up for(B) combines with(C) interferes with(D) gives evidence of6. The word others in line 24 refers to(A) newspapers(B) ways(C) temperature maps(D) weather maps7. The word drab in line 24 is closest in meaning to(A) precise(B) poor(C) simple(D) dull8. In contrast to the weather maps of USA Today, weather maps in The New York Times tended tobe(A) printed in foil color(B) included for symbolic reasons(C) easily understood by the readers(D) filled with detailed information9. The word prominent in line 27 is closest in meaning to(A) complex(B) noticeable(C) appealing(D) perfect10. The author uses the term Ironically in line 28 to indicate that a weather maps appearance(A) is not important to newspaper publishers(B) does not always indicate how much information it provides(C) reflects how informative a newspaper can be(D) often can improve newspaper salesPASSAGE 69 BABCD ADDBB托福阅读真题3The origins of nest-building remain obscure, but current observations of nest-building activities provide evidence of their evolution. Clues to this evolutionary process can be found in the activities of play and in the behavior and movements of birds during mating, such as incessant pulling at strips of vegetation or scraping of the soil. During the early days of the reproductive cycle, the birds seem only to play with the building materials. In preparation for mating, they engage in activities that resemble nest-building, and continue these activities throughout and even after the mating cycle. Effective attempts at construction occur only after mating.Although nest-building is an instinctive ability, there is considerable adaptability in both site selection and use of materials, especially with those species which build quite elaborate constructions. Furthermore, some element of learning is often evident since younger birds do not build as well as their practiced elders. Young ravens, for example, first attempt to build with sticks of quite unsuitable size, while a jackdaws first nest includes virtually any movable object. The novelist John Steinbeck recorded the contents of a young osprey nest built in his garden, which included three shirts, a bath towel, and one arrow.Birds also display remarkable behavior in collecting building materials. Crows have been seen to tear off stout green twigs, and sparrowhawks will dive purposefully onto a branch until it snaps and then hang upside down to break it off. Golden eagles, over generations of work, construct enormous nests. One of these, examined after it had been dislodged by high winds, weighed almost two tons and included foundation branches almost two meters long. The carrying capacity of the eagles, however, is only relative to their size and most birds are able to carry an extra load of just over twenty percent of their body weight.1. The word obscure in line 1 is closest in meaning to(A) interesting(B) unclear(C) imperfect(D) complex2. According to the passage , which of the following activities is characteristic of the early part of the reproductive cycle of birds?(A) Selecting a mate(B) Collecting nest-building materials(C) Playing with nest-building materials(D) Building a nest3. The word display in line 17 is closest in meaning to(A) communicate(B) imitate(C) initiate(D) exhibit4. The novelist John Steinbeck is mentioned in line 14 because he(A) conducted a scientific study on the behavior of ospreys(B) was the first to describe where ospreys built their nests(C) described the materials ospreys can use to build their nests(D) compared the size of osprey nests with the nests of other species5. Which of the following birds are mentioned as those that build nests that include unusualobjects?(A) Ravens(B) Ospreys(C) Crows(D) Sparrowhawks6. According to the passage , when gathering materials to build their nests, sparrowhawks dowhich of the following?(A) Hang upside down(B) Select only green twigs(C) Use objects blowing in the wind(D) Collect more branches than necessary7. The word these in line 20 refers to(A) golden eagles(B) generations(C) winds(D) nests8. The word load in line 23 is closest in meaning to(A) weight(B) number(C) section(D) level9. The author mentions twenty percent in line 23 to indicate that(A) eagles are twenty percent bigger than most birds(B) twenty percent of all nests include foundation branches(C) the nests of eagles are twenty percent of larger than those of other birds(D) birds can carry twenty percent more of their own weightPASSAGE 70 BCDCB ADAD最新托福阅读理解真题整合