托福tpo阅读真题训练：地理和地貌.doc

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1、托福tpo阅读真题训练：地理和地貌 小马过河为大家准备了“托福tpo阅读真题训练：地理和地貌”，供各位备考托福的考生们参考使用，来提高自己的托福成绩！免费咨询电话：400-0123-267Geology and LandscapeMost people consider the landscape to be unchanging, but Earth is a dynamic body, and its surface is continually altering-slowly on the human time scale, but relatively rapidly when com

2、pared to the great age of Earth (about 4,500 billion years). There are two principal influences that shape the terrain: constructive processes such as uplift, which create new landscape features, and destructive forces such as erosion, which gradually wear away exposed landforms.Hills and mountains

3、are often regarded as the epitome of permanence, successfully resisting the destructive forces of nature, but in fact they tend to be relatively short-lived in geological terms. As a general rule, the higher a mountain is, the more recently it was formed; for example, the high mountains of the Himal

4、ayas are only about 50 million years old. Lower mountains tend to be older, and are often the eroded relics of much higher mountain chains. About 400 million years ago, when the present-day continents of North America and Europe were joined, the Caledonian mountain chain was the same size as the mod

5、ern Himalayas. Today, however, the relics of the Caledonian orogeny (mountain-building period) exist as the comparatively low mountains of Greenland, the northern Appalachians in the United States, the Scottish Highlands, and the Norwegian coastal plateau.The Earths crust is thought to be divided in

6、to huge, movable segments, called plates, which float on a soft plastic layer of rock. Some mountains were formed as a result of these plates crashing into each other and forcing up the rock at the plate margins. In this process, sedimentary rocks that originally formed on the seabed may be folded u

7、pwards to altitudes of more than 26,000 feet. Other mountains may be raised by earthquakes, which fracture the Earths crust and can displace enough rock to produce block mountains. A third type of mountain may be formed as a result of volcanic activity which occurs in regions of active fold mountain

8、 belts, such as in the Cascade Range of western North America. The Cascades are made up of lavas and volcanic materials. Many of the peaks are extinct volcanoes.Whatever the reason for mountain formation, as soon as land rises above sea level it is subjected to destructive forces. The exposed rocks

9、are attacked by the various weather processes and gradually broken down into fragments, which are then carried away and later deposited as sediments. Thus, any landscape represents only a temporary stage in the continuous battle between the forces of uplift and those of erosion.The weather, in its m

10、any forms, is the main agent of erosion. Rain washes away loose soil and penetrates cracks in the rocks. Carbon dioxide in the air reacts with the rainwater, forming a weak acid (carbonic acid) that may chemically attack the rocks. The rain seeps underground and the water may reappear later as sprin

11、gs. These springs are the sources of streams and rivers, which cut through the rocks and carry away debris from the mountains to the lowlands.Under very cold conditions, rocks can be shattered by ice and frost. Glaciers may form in permanently cold areas, and these slowly moving masses of ice cut ou

12、t valleys, carrying with them huge quantities of eroded rock debris. In dry areas the wind is the principal agent of erosion. It carries fine particles of sand, which bombard exposed rock surfaces, thereby wearing them into yet more sand. Even living things contribute to the formation of landscapes.

13、 Tree roots force their way into cracks in rocks and, in so doing, speed their splitting. In contrast, the roots of grasses and other small plants may help to hold loose soil fragments together, thereby helping to prevent erosion by the wind.Paragraph 1: Most people consider the landscape to be unch

14、anging, but Earth is a dynamic body, and its surface is continually altering-slowly on the human time scale, but relatively rapidly when compared to the great age of Earth (about 4,500 billion years). There are two principal influences that shape the terrain: constructive processes such as uplift, w

15、hich create new landscape features, and destructive forces such as erosion, which gradually wear away exposed landforms.1. According to paragraph 1, which of the following statements is true of changes in Earths landscape?(4)They occur more often by uplift than by erosion.They occur only at special

16、times.They occur less frequently now than they once did.They occur quickly in geological terms.2. The word “relatively” in the passage is closest in meaning to (2) unusually comparatively occasionally naturallyParagraph 2: Hills and mountains are often regarded as the epitome of permanence, successf

17、ully resisting the destructive forces of nature, but in fact they tend to be relatively short-lived in geological terms. As a general rule, the higher a mountain is, the more recently it was formed; for example, the high mountains of the Himalayas are only about 50 million years old. Lower mountains

18、 tend to be older, and are often the eroded relics of much higher mountain chains. About 400 million years ago, when the present-day continents of North America and Europe were joined, the Caledonian mountain chain was the same size as the modern Himalayas. Today, however, the relics of the Caledoni

19、an orogeny (mountain-building period) exist as the comparatively low mountains of Greenland, the northern Appalachians in the United States, the Scottish Highlands, and the Norwegian coastal plateau.3. Which of the following can be inferred from paragraph 2 about the mountains of the Himalayas? (2)T

20、heir current height is not an indication of their age.At present, they are much higher than the mountains of the Caledonian range.They were a uniform height about 400 million years ago.They are not as high as the Caledonian mountains were 400 million years ago.4. The word “relics” in the passage is

21、closest in meaning to(3)resemblancesregionsremainsrestorationsParagraph 3: The Earths crust is thought to be divided into huge, movable segments, called plates, which float on a soft plastic layer of rock. Some mountains were formed as a result of these plates crashing into each other and forcing up

22、 the rock at the plate margins. In this process, sedimentary rocks that originally formed on the seabed may be folded upwards to altitudes of more than 26,000 feet. Other mountains may be raised by earthquakes, which fracture the Earths crust and can displace enough rock to produce block mountains.

23、A third type of mountain may be formed as a result of volcanic activity which occurs in regions of active fold mountain belts, such as in the Cascade Range of western North America. The Cascades are made up of lavas and volcanic materials. Many of the peaks are extinct volcanoes.5. According to para

24、graph 3, one cause of mountain formation is the(3)effect of climatic change on sea levelslowing down of volcanic activityforce of Earths crustal plates hitting each otherreplacement of sedimentary rock with volcanic rockParagraph 5: The weather, in its many forms, is the main agent of erosion. Rain

25、washes away loose soil and penetrates cracks in the rocks. Carbon dioxide in the air reacts with the rainwater, forming a weak acid (carbonic acid) that may chemically attack the rocks. The rain seeps underground and the water may reappear later as springs. These springs are the sources of streams a

26、nd rivers, which cut through the rocks and carry away debris from the mountains to the lowlands.6. Why does the author mention Carbon dioxide in the passage?(1)To explain the origin of a chemical that can erode rocksTo contrast carbon dioxide with carbonic acidTo give an example of how rainwater pen

27、etrates soilTo argue for the desirability of preventing erosion7. The word “seeps” in the passage is closest in meaning to (2)dries graduallyflows slowlyfreezes quicklywarms slightlyParagraph 6: Under very cold conditions, rocks can be shattered by ice and frost. Glaciers may form in permanently col

28、d areas, and these slowly moving masses of ice cut out valleys, carrying with them huge quantities of eroded rock debris. In dry areas the wind is the principal agent of erosion. It carries fine particles of sand, which bombard exposed rock surfaces, thereby wearing them into yet more sand. Even liv

29、ing things contribute to the formation of landscapes. Tree roots force their way into cracks in rocks and, in so doing, speed their splitting. In contrast, the roots of grasses and other small plants may help to hold loose soil fragments together, thereby helping to prevent erosion by the wind.8. Th

30、e word them in the passage refers to (2)cold areasmasses of icevalleysrock debrisParagraph 2: Hills and mountains are often regarded as the epitome of permanence, successfully resisting the destructive forces of nature, but in fact they tend to be relatively short-lived in geological terms. As a gen

31、eral rule, the higher a mountain is, the more recently it was formed; for example, the high mountains of the Himalayas are only about 50 million years old. Lower mountains tend to be older, and are often the eroded relics of much higher mountain chains. About 400 million years ago, when the present-

32、day continents of North America and Europe were joined, the Caledonian mountain chain was the same size as the modern Himalayas. Today, however, the relics of the Caledonian orogeny (mountain-building period) exist as the comparatively low mountains of Greenland, the northern Appalachians in the Uni

33、ted States, the Scottish Highlands, and the Norwegian coastal plateau.9. 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.(2)When they are relati

34、vely young, hills and mountains successfully resist the destructive forces of nature.Although they seem permanent, hills and mountains exist for a relatively short period of geological time.Hills and mountains successfully resist the destructive forces of nature, but only for a short time.Hills and

35、mountains resist the destructive forces of nature better than other types of landforms.Paragraph 6: Under very cold conditions, rocks can be shattered by ice and frost. Glaciers may form in permanently cold areas, and these slowly moving masses of ice cut out valleys, carrying with them huge quantit

36、ies of eroded rock debris. In dry areas the wind is the principal agent of erosion. It carries fine particles of sand, which bombard exposed rock surfaces, thereby wearing them into yet more sand. Even living things contribute to the formation of landscapes. Tree roots force their way into cracks in

37、 rocks and, in so doing, speed their splitting. In contrast, the roots of grasses and other small plants may help to hold loose soil fragments together, thereby helping to prevent erosion by the wind.10. According to paragraph 6, which of the following is both a cause and result of erosion?(4)glacia

38、l activityrock debristree rootssand11. Look at the four squares that indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage.(1)Under different climatic conditions, another type of destructive force contributes to erosion.Where would the sentence best fit?12. Directions: Three of the ans

39、wer choices below are used in the passage to illustrate constructive processes and two are used to illustrate destructive processes. Complete the table by matching appropriate answer choices to the processes they are used to illustrate. This question is worth 3 points.CONSTRUCTIVE PROCESSESDESTRUCTI

40、VE PROCESSSES (1)(5)(6) (3) (7)Answer ChoicesCollision of Earths crustal platesSeparation of continentsWind-driven sandFormation of grass roots in soilEarthquakesVolcanic activityWeather processes参考答案：1. 4This is a Factual Information question asking for specific information that can be found in par

41、agraph 1. The correct answer is choice 4. Sentence 1 of the paragraph explicitly states that Earths landscape changes relatively rapidly compared to Earths overall age. Choice 1, on the frequency of landscape changes, is contradicted by the paragraph. Choice 2, that landscape changes occur only at s

42、pecial times, is also contradicted by the paragraph. Choice 3, the frequency of landscape changes, is not mentioned.2. 2This is a Vocabulary question. The word being tested is relatively, and it is highlightedin the passage. The correct answer is choice 2. The sentence in which relatively appears is

43、 comparing Earths time scale to the human time scale, so comparatively is the correct answer.3. 2This is an Inference question asking for an inference that can be supported by paragraph 2. The correct answer choice 2, the Himalayas arc higher than the Caledonian mountains. The paragraph states that

44、younger mountains are general& higher than older mountains. It also states that the Himalayas are much younger than the Caledonians. Since the Himalayas are the younger range and Lounger mountain ranges are higher- than older ranges, we can infer that the younger Himalayas are higher than the older

45、Caledonians.Choices 1 and 4 are incorrect because that explicitly contradict the passage. The height of the Himalayas is an indication of their age, and the Himalayas are about the same height that the Caledonians were 400 million years ago. Choice 3 is incorrect because nothing there is nothing in

46、the paragraph about uniform height.4. 3This is a Vocabulary question. The word being tested is relics, and it is highlighted in the passage. Choice 3 is the correct answer. The 1.e1ic.s of the Caledonian range are what is left of them. Remains means what is left of something, so it is the correct an

47、swer.5. 3This is a Factual Information question asking for specific information that can be found in paragraph 3. The correct answer is choice 3, mountains are formed by crustal plates hitting each other. The paragraph states that mountains are formed in three ways: by, crustal plates hitting each o

48、ther, by earthquakes, and by volcanoes. Choices 1,2, and 4 are not among these causes of mountain formation, so they are therefore incorrect.6. 1This is a Rhetorical Purpose question. It asks why the author mentions carbon dioxide in the passage. This term is highlighted in the passage. The correct answer is choice 1; carbon dioxide is mentioned to explain the origin of a chemical that can erode rocks. The author is