1996年托福阅读全真试题.docx

1996年托福阅读全真试题.docx

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1996年托福阅读全真试题

1996年10月托福阅读全真试题

Question1-8

　　WhenJulesVernewroteJourneytotheCenteroftheEarthin1864，thereweremanyconflictingtheoriesaboutthenatureoftheEarth'sinterior.Somegeologiststhoughtthatitcontainedahighlycompressedballofincandescentgas，whileotherssuspectedthatitconsistedofseparateshells，eachmadeofadifferentmaterial.Today，welloveracenturylater，thereisstilllittledirectevidenceofwhatliesbeneathourfeet.MostofourknowledgeoftheEarth'sinteriorcomesnotfromminesorboreholes，butfromthestudyofseismicwaves-powerfulpulsesofenergyreleasedbyearthquakes.

　　ThewaythatseismicwavestravelshowsthattheEarth'sinteriorisfarfromuniform.Thecontinentsandtheseabedareformedbythecrust-athinsphereofrelativelylight，solidrock.Beneaththecrustliesthemantle，averydifferentlayerthatextendsapproximatelyhalfwaytotheEarth'scenter.Theretherockisthesubjectofabattlebetweenincreasingheatandgrowingpressure.

　　Initshighlevels，themantleisrelativelycool；Atgreaterdepths，hightemperaturesmaketherockbehavemorelikealiquidthanasolid.Deeperstill，thepressureisevenmoreintense，preventingtherockfrommeltinginspiteofahighertemperature.

　　Beyondadepthofaround2，900kilometers，agreatchangetakesplaceandthemantlegiveswaytothecore.Someseismicwavescannotpassthroughthecoreandothersarebentbyit.Fromthisandotherevidence，geologistsconcludethattheoutercoreisprobablyliquid，withasolidcenter.Itisalmostcertainlymadeofiron，mixedwithsmalleramountsofotherelementssuchasnickel.

　　TheconditionsintheEarth'scoremakeitafarmorealienworldthanspace.Itssolidironheartissubjectedtounimaginablepressureandhasatemperatureofabout9，000oF.Althoughscientistscanspeculateaboutitsnature，neitherhumansnormachineswilleverbeabletovisitit.

　　1.Theword"conflicting"inline2isclosestinmeaningto

　　（A）controlling

　　（B）outdated

　　（C）opposing

　　（D）important

　　2.Whatistoday'srichestsourceofinformationabouttheEarth'sinteriorforgeologists？

　　（A）Boreholes

　　（B）Shells

　　（C）Seismicwaves

　　（D）Mines

　　3.Theword"There"inline16referstothe

　　（A）mantle

　　（B）crust

　　（C）seabed

　　（D）Earth'scenter.

　　4.WhichofthefollowingisaprimarycharacteristicoftheEarth'smantle？

　　（A）Light，solidrock

　　（B）Uniformityofcomposition

　　（C）Dramaticallyincreasingpressure

　　（D）Compressed，incandescentgas

　　5.Thephrase"giveswayto"inline24isclosestinmeaningto

　　（A）runsalong

　　（B）rubsagainst

　　（C）turnsinto

　　（D）floatson

　　6.Theword"it"inline26refersto

　　（A）mantle

　　（B）core

　　（C）change

　　（D）depth

　　7.Whydoestheauthorstateinline30-31thattheEarth'scoreis"morealien"thanspace？

　　（A）GovernmentfundsarenotavailabletostudytheEarth'score.

　　（B）Scientistsaren'tinterestedinthecharacteristicsoftheEarth'score.

　　（C）ItisimpossibletogototheEarth'scoretodoresearch.

　　（D）TheEarth'scoreismadeofelementsthataredangeroustohumans.

　　8.Theword"speculate"inline33isclosestinmeaningto

　　（A）report

　　（B）learn

　　（C）worry

　　（D）hypothesize

Question9-20

　　Despitetheroadimprovementsoftheturnpikeera（1790-1830）。

Americanscontinuedasincolonialtimestodependwhereverpossibleonwaterroutesfortravelandtransportation.Thelargerrivers，especiallytheMississippiandtheOhio，becameincreasinglyusefulassteamboatsgrewinnumberandimprovedindesign.

　　RiverboatscarriedtoNewOrleansthecornandothercropsofnorthwesternfarmers，thecottonandtobaccoofsouthwesternplanters.FromNewOrleans，shipstookthecargoesontoeasternseaports.Neitherthefarmersofthewestnorthemerchantsoftheeastwerecompletelysatisfiedwiththispatternoftrade.Farmerscouldgetbetterpricesfortheircropsifthealternativeexistedofsendingthemdirectlyeastwardtomarketandmerchantscouldselllargerquantitiesoftheirmanufacturedgoodsifthesecouldbetransportedmoredirectlyandmoreeconomicallytothewest.

　　Newwaterwayswereneeded.Sectionaljealousiesandconstitutionalscruplesstoodinthewayofactionbythefederalgovernmentandnecessaryexpendituresweretoogreatforprivateenterprise.Ifextensivecanalsweretobedug，thejobwouldbeuptothevariousstates.

　　NewYorkwasthefirsttoact.IthadthenaturaladvantageofacomparativelylevelroutebetweentheHudsonRiverandLakeErie，throughtheonlybreakintheentireAppalachianMountainchain.Yettheengineeringtaskswereimposing.Thedistancewasmorethan350milesandtherewereridgestocrossandawildernessofwoodsandswampstopenetrate.TheErieCanalbegunin1817andcompletedin1825，wasbyfarthegreatestconstructionjobthatAmericanshadeverundertaken.Itquicklyprovedafinancialsuccessaswell.TheprosperityoftheErieencouragedthestatetoenlargeitscanalsystembybuildingseveralbranches.TherangeoftheNewYorkcanalsystemwasstillfurtherextendedwhenthestatesofOhioandIndiana，inspiredbythesuccessoftheErieCanal，providedwaterconnectionsbetweenLakeErieandtheOhioRiver.

　　9.Whatdoesthepassagesuggestwastheprincipalroutefortransportingcropstotheeastpriorin1825？

　　（A）Rivertoroad

　　（B）Canaltoriver

　　（C）Rivertoocean

　　（D）Roadtocanal.

　　10.ItcanbeinferredfromthepassagethatshippingcargoeastbywayofNewOrleanswas

　　（A）Advantageousformanufactures

　　（B）Inexpensiveformerchants

　　（C）Noteconomicalforfarmers

　　（D）Consideredeconomicalbythegovernment

　　11.Theword"alternative"inline13isclosestinmeaningto

　　（A）option

　　（B）transition

　　（C）intention

　　（D）authorization

　　12.Theword"them"inline9refersto

　　（A）crops

　　（B）farmers

　　（C）prices

　　（D）merchants

　　13.Whichofthefollowingproductswouldanorthwesternfarmerintheearlynineteenthcenturybemostlikelytopurchasefromtheeast？

　　（A）Grain

　　（B）Vegetables

　　（C）Textiles

　　（D）Fruit.

　　14.Accordingtothepassage，wherewastheErieCanallocated？

　　（A）BetweenOhioandIndiana.

　　（B）AlongtheAppalachianMountains

　　（C）BetweenLakeErieandtheOhioRiver

　　（D）AcrossNewYorkState.

　　15.Theword"imposing"inline26couldbestbereplacedby

　　（A）impractical

　　（B）successful

　　（C）demanding

　　（D）misleading

　　16.Theword"penetrate"inline28isclosestinmeaningto

　　（A）cutdown

　　（B）gothrough

　　（C）fillup

　　（D）takeover

　　17.Theword"its"inline32refersto

　　（A）prosperity

　　（B）Erie

　　（C）System

　　（D）State

　　18.Theword"extended"inline34isclosestinmeaningto

　　（A）increased

　　（B）constructed

　　（C）deepened

　　（D）measured

　　19.Accordingtothepassage，IndianaandOhiosupportedthedevelopmentoftheNewYorkcanalsystemby

　　（A）helpingtobuildtheErieCanal.

　　（B）BuildingbranchestoconnectitwiththeOhioRiver

　　（C）ProvidingmuchofthewaterfortheErieCanal.

　　（D）Contributingfinanciallytotheconstructioncosts

　　20.Whatdoestheparagraphfollowingthepassageprobablydiscuss？

　　（A）IndustryonLakeErie

　　（B）CanalsinOhioandIndiana

　　（C）SectionaljealousiesinIndianaandOhio

　　（D）TravelontheErieCanal.

Question21-31

　　LegendhasitthatsometimetowardtheendoftheCivilWar（1861-1865）agovernmenttraincarryingoxentravelingthroughthenorthernplainsofeasternWyomingwascaughtinasnowstormandhadtobeabandoned.Thedriverreturnedthenextspringtoseewhathadbecomeofhiscargo.Insteadoftheskeletonshehadexpectedtofind，hesawhisoxen，living，fat，andhealthy.Howhadtheysurvived？

　　TheanswerlayinaresourcethatunknowingAmericanslandstrampledunderfootintheirhastetocrossthe"GreatAmericanDesert"toreachlandsthatsometimesprovedbarren.IntheeasternpartsoftheUnitedStates，thepreferredgrassforforagewasacultivatedplant.Itgrewwellwithenoughrain，thenwhencutandstoreditwouldcureandbecomenourishinghayforwinterfeed.ButinthedrygrazinglandsoftheWestthatfamiliarbluejointgrasswasoftenkilledbydrought.Toraisecattleoutthereseemedriskyorevenhopeless.

　　Whocouldimagineafairy-talegrassthatrequirednorainandsomehowmadeitpossibleforcattletofeedthemselvesallwinter？

Butthesurprisingwesternwildgrassesdidjustthat.Theyhadwonderfullyconvenientfeaturesthatmadethemsuperiortothecultivatedeasterngrasses.Variouslyknownasbuffalograss，gramagrass，ormesquitegrass，notonlyweretheyimmunetodrought；buttheywereactuallypreservedbythelackofsummerandautumnrains.Theywerenotjuicylikethecultivatedeasterngrasses，buthadshort，hardstems.Andtheydidnotneedtobecuredinabarn，butdriedrightwheretheygrewontheground.Whentheydriedinthisway，theyremainednaturallysweetandnourishingthroughthewinter.Cattleleftoutdoorstofendforthemselvesthrivedonthishay.Andthecattlethemselveshelpedplantthefreshgrassyearafteryearfortheytrampledthenaturalseedsfirmlyintothesoiltobewateredbythemeltingsnowsofwinterandtheoccasionalrainsofspring.Thedrysummeraircuredthemmuchasstoringinabarncuredthecultivatedgrasses.

　　21.Whatdoesthepassagemainlydiscuss？

　　（A）WesternmigrationaftertheCivilWar

　　（B）TheclimateofthewesternUnitedStates

　　（C）Theraisingofcattle.

　　（D）Atypeofwildvegetation

　　22.Whatcanbeinferredbythephrase"Legendhasit"inline1？

　　（A）Thestoryofthetrainmaynotbecompletelyfactual.

　　（B）Mosthistorybooksincludethestoryofthetrain.

　　（C）Thedriverof