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篇1：托福阅读理解真题精选篇
The smooth operation of an ant colony depends on ten to twenty different signals, most of which are pheromones (chemical signals triggering behavioral responses). It is estimated that red fire ants employ at least twelve different chemical signals. The simplest of these is the carbon dioxide from the respiration of an ant cluster, a chemical that acts as a pheromone to promote aggregation. Workers move toward a source of carbon dioxide, resulting in solitary ants moving to join a group. At the other extreme, the most complex of the fire ants' signals is probably colony odor, by which the workers of a particular colony or nest identify another worker as local or foreign. Each ant nest has its own odor as a result of its location, history, and local food supply. The resident ants pick up this odor on their bodies, so that ants of the same species, but from different nests, have different colony odors. This allows ants to identify intruders and maintain colony integrity.
Fire ants also make use of an alarm pheromone to alert workers to an emergency, and their scouts lay down a trail pheromone as a guide during mass migrations. A fire ant queen emits a chemical signal that identifies her to the colony's workers. They respond by scurrying to gather around her. The decomposing corpse of a dead ant also generates a signal, to which workers respond by eliminating the corpse from the nest.
Ants provide examples of both public (accessible to other species) and private messages. One of their most important private messages concerns food, for a food source is worth keeping secret. Each species marks its trails with signals that are meaningless to others, so that an ant crossing a trail left by another ant species typically notices nothing. On the other hand, a secret signal to mark a dead body is unnecessary. Many kinds of ants perceive a natural decomposition product of dead insects as a signal to remove a corpse. If an outsider recognizes this message and moves the body, no harm is done.
1. What aspect of ants does the passage mainly discuss?
(A) The relationship between the queen and the worker ants
(B) Ways in which ants use chemical signals
(C) Methods ants use to identify food sources
(D) The importance of respiration in the production of ant pheromones
2. The phrase smooth operation in line 1 is closest in meaning to
(A) daily activity
(B) effective functioning
(C) delicate balance
(D) permanent location
3. According to the passage , carbon dioxide serves which of the following functions for fire ants?
(A) It protects the queen.
(B) It attracts other ant species.
(C) It informs workers of possible danger.
(D) It encourages the ants to gather together.
4. The word cluster in line 4 is closest in meaning to
(A) organ
(B) activity
(C) group
(D) cycle
5. According to the passage , each nest has a distinct odor that allows its inhabitants to
(A) find the location of the nest in the dark
(B) distinguish worker ants from other ants
(C) distinguish foreign ants from resident ants
(D) signal other inhabitants when foreign ants attack
6. The word alert in line 13 is closest in meaning to
(A) allow
(B) transport
(C) warn
(D) provide
7. What is the role of pheromones in the mass migrations of ants?
(A) Pheromones are used to create a trail that directs the ants during migrations.
(B) Pheromones signal the ants that the nest has been invaded and must be abandoned.
(C) Pheromones control the speed at which ants move from one location to another.
(D) Pheromones enable scouts to identify suitable areas for establishing a new nest.
8. The word scurrying in line 16 is closest in meaning to
(A) agreeing
(B) appearing
(C) competing
(D) rushing
9. The word others in line 21 refers to
(A) private messages
(B) species
(C) trails
(D) signals
10. Why does the author mention dead insects in line 23?
(A) To compare the social behaviors of ants with those of other insects
(B) To emphasize the dangers that all insects encounter
(C) To argue the superiority of ants over other insects
(D) To indicate a behavior that is common among various kinds of ants
11. Which of the following terms is defined in the passage ?
(A) pheromones (line 2)
(B) colony integrity (lines 12)
(C) mass migrations (line 14)
(D) private messages (lines 18-19)
PASSAGE 86 BBDCC CADBD A
篇2：托福阅读理解真题精选篇
Because the low latitudes of the Earth, the areas near the equator, receive more heat than the latitudes near the poles, and because the nature of heat is to expand and move, heat is transported from the tropics to the middle and high latitudes. Some of this heat is moved by winds and some by ocean currents, and some gets stored in the atmosphere in the form of latent heat. The term latent heat refers to the energy that has to be used to convert liquid water to water vapor. We know that if we warm a pan of water on a stove, it will evaporate, or turn into vapor, faster than if it is allowed to sit at room temperature. We also know that if we hang wet clothes outside in the summertime they will dry faster than in winter, when temperatures are colder. The energy used in both cases to change liquid water to water vapor is supplied by heat — supplied by the stove in the first case and by the Sun in the latter case. This energy is not lost. It is stored in water vapor in the atmosphere as latent heat. Eventually, the water stored as vapor in the atmosphere will condense to liquid again, and the energy will be released to the atmosphere.
In the atmosphere, a large portion of the Sun's incoming energy is used to evaporate water, primarily in the tropical oceans. Scientists have tried to quantify this proportion of the Sun's energy. By analyzing temperature, water vapor, and wind data around the globe, they have estimated the quantity to be about 90 watts per square meter, or nearly 30 percent of the Sun's energy. Once this latent heat is stored within the atmosphere, it can be transported, primarily to higher latitudes, by prevailing, large-scale winds. Or it can be transported vertically to higher levels in the atmosphere, where it forms clouds and subsequent storms, which then release the energy back to the atmosphere.
1. The passage mainly discusses how heat
(A) is transformed and transported in the Earth's atmosphere
(B) is transported by ocean currents
(C) can be measured and analyzed by scientists
(D) moves about the Earth's equator
2. The passage mentions that the tropics differ from the Earth's polar regions in which of the
following ways?
(A) The height of cloud formation in the atmosphere.
(B) The amount of heat they receive from the Sun.
(C) The strength of their large scale winds.
(D) The strength of their oceanic currents.
3. The word convert in line 6 is closest in meaning to
(A) mix
(B) change
(C) adapt
(D) reduce
4. Why does the author mention the stove in line 10?
(A) To describe the heat of the Sun.
(B) To illustrate how water vapor is stored.
(C) To show how energy is stored.
(D) To give an example of a heat source.
5. According to the passage , most ocean water evaporation occurs especially
(A) around the higher latitudes
(B) in the tropics
(C) because of large-scale winds
(D) because of strong ocean currents
6. According to the passage , 30 percent of the Sun's incoming energy
(A) is stored in clouds in the lower latitudes
(B) is transported by ocean currents
(C) never leaves the upper atmosphere
(D) gets stored as latent heat
7. The word it in line 18 refers to
(A) square meter
(B) the Sun's energy
(C) latent heat
(D) the atmosphere
8. The word primarily in the line 19 is closest in meaning to
(A) chiefly
(B) originally
(C) basically
(D) clearly
9. The word prevailing in line 19 is closest in meaning to
(A) essential
(B) dominant
(C) circular
(D) closest
10. All of the following words are defined in the passage EXCEPT
(A) low latitudes(line 1)
(B) latent heat (line 5)
(C) evaporate (line 7)
(D) atmosphere (line 14)
PASSAGE 87 ABBDB DCABD
篇3：托福阅读理解真题精选篇
Generally, in order to be preserved in the fossil record, organisms must possess hard body parts such as shells or bones. Soft, fleshy structures are quickly destroyed by predators or decayed by bacteria. Even hard parts left on the surface for a certain length of time will be destroyed. Therefore, organisms must be buried rapidly to escape destruction by the elements and to be protected against agents of weathering and erosion. Marine organisms thus are better candidates for fossilization than those living on the land because the ocean is typically the site of sedimentation, whereas the land is largely the site of erosion.
The beds of ancient lakes were also excellent sites for rapid burial of skeletal remains of freshwater organisms and skeletons of other animals, including those of early humans. Ancient swamps were particularly plentiful with prolific growths of vegetation, which fossilized in abundance. Many animals became trapped in bogs overgrown by vegetation. The environment of the swamps kept bacterial decay to a minimum, which greatly aided in the preservation of plants and animals. The rapidly accumulating sediments in flood plains, deltas, and stream channels buried freshwater organisms, along with other plants and animals that happened to fall into the water.
(A) erosion is less destructive than sedimentation.
(B) fossils are most common in areas subject to erosion.
(C) erosion contributes to the destruction of skeletal remains.
(D) few organisms live in areas that experience extensive erosion.
5. According to the passage , why were the remains of organisms trapped in swamps better
preserved for the fossil record than those that were not?
(A) The swamp environment reduced the amount of bacterial decay.
(B) Swamp waters contained higher amounts of materials such as calcium carbonate.
(C) There were fewer sediments in swamps than in other bodies of water.
(D) Swamp vegetation accelerated the decomposition of organisms.
6. The word aided in line 13 is closest in meaning to
(A) reversed
(B) helped
(C) reformed
(D) counted
7. It can be inferred that flood plains, deltas, and stream channels (lines 14 - 15) are similar in
which of the following ways?
(A) Animals rather than plants have been preserved at such locations.
(B) Such locations are likely to be rich sources of fossils.
(C) Fossilized human remains are only rarely found in such locations.
(D) Rapid sedimentation in such locations makes it difficult to locate fossils.
8. What is the author's main point in paragraph 3?
(A) Weathering makes it impossible to identify many fossils.
(B) Many fossils have been buried forever under the soil.
(C) Fossils provide a limited sample of ancient organisms.
(D) It is easier to find the remains of plants than animals.
9. Why does the author mention aragonite in line 27
(A) To explain why fossils are rare
(B) To compare aragonite fossils and calcite fossils
(C) To argue that certain fossils are more informative than others
(D) To illustrate the kinds of inorganic hard parts that can form fossils
PASSAGE 88 ADBCA BBCD
Only a small fraction of all the organisms that have ever lived are preserved as fossils. Normally, the remains of a plant or animal are completely destroyed through predation and decay. Although it seems that fossilization is common for some organisms, for others it is almost impossible. For the most part, the remains of organisms are recycled in the earth, which is fortunate because otherwise soil and water would soon become depleted of essential nutrients. Also, most of the fossils exposed on Earth's surface are destroyed by weathering processes. This makes for an incomplete fossil record with poor or no representation of certain species.
The best fossils are those composed of unaltered remains. Generally, it is the inorganic hard parts, composed mostly of calcium carbonate, that form the vast majority of unaltered fossils. Calcite and aragonite also contributed to a substantial number of fossils of certain organisms.
1. According to the passage , an organism without hard body parts
(A) is not likely to appear in the fossil record
(B) is not heavy enough to sink below the surface
(C) is not attractive to predators
(D) takes a long time to decay
2. The word agents in line 5 is closest in meaning to
(A) dangers
(B) examples
(C) areas
(D) causes
3. Why are marine organisms good candidates for fossilization?
(A) They have more fleshy structures than land organisms.
(B) It is likely that they will be buried rapidly.
(C) The water environment speeds the decay caused by bacteria.
(D) It takes longer for them to be preserved.
4. The fact that the land is largely the site of erosion (line 7 - 8) is significant because
篇4：TOEFL托福阅读理解真题精选篇
Naturalists and casual observers alike have been struck by the special relationship between squirrels and acorns (the seeds of oak trees). Ecologists, though, cannot observe these energetic mammals scurrying up and down oak trees and eating and burying acorns without wondering about their complex relationship with trees. Are squirrels dispersers and planters of oak forests or pesky seed predators? The answer is not simple. Squirrels may devour many acorns, but by storing and failing to recover up to 74 percent of them as they do when seeds are abundant, these arboreal rodents can also aid regeneration and dispersal of the oaks.
Their destructive powers are well documented. According to one report, squirrels destroyed tens of thousands of fallen acorns from an oak stand on the University of Indiana campus. A professor there estimated that each of the large white oaks had produced between two and eight thousand acorns, but within weeks of seed maturity, hardly an intact acorn could be found among the fallen leaves. Deer, turkey, wild pigs, and bears also feed heavily on acorns, but do not store them, and are therefore of no benefit to the trees. Flying squirrels, chipmunks, and mice are also unlikely to promote tree dispersal, as they often store seeds in tree cavities and underground burrows. Only squirrels — whose behavior of caching (hiding) acorns below the leaf litter — often promote successful germination of acorns, and perhaps blue jays, important long-distance dispersers, seem to help oaks spread and reproduce.
Among squirrels, though, there is a particularly puzzling behavior pattern. Squirrels pry off the caps of acorns, bite through the shells to get at the nutritious inner kernels, and then discard them half-eaten. The ground under towering oaks is often littered with thousands of half-eaten acorns, each one only bitten from the top. Why would any animal waste so much time and energy and risk exposure to such predators as red-tail hawks only to leave a large part of each acorn uneaten? While research is not conclusive at this point, one thing that is certain is that squirrels do hide some of the uneaten portions, and these acorn halves, many of which contain the seeds, may later germinate.
1. What does the passage mainly discuss?
(A) The ecology of oak trees
(B) Factors that determine the feeding habits of Squirrels
(C) Various species of animals that promote the dispersal of tree seeds
(D) The relationship between squirrels and oak trees
2. The word they in line 7 refers to
(A) oak forests
(B) acorns
(C) squirrels
(D) predators
3. According to the passage , what do squirrels do when large quantities of acorns are available?
(A) They do not store acorns.
(B) They eat more than 74 percent of available acorns.
(C) They do not retrieve all the acorns that they have stored.
(D) They hide acorns in tree cavities.
4. The word estimated in line 11 is closest in meaning to
(A) commented
(B) judged
(C) observed
(D) discovered
5. Why does the author mention the University of Indiana campus in line 10 -11?
(A) to provide evidence that intact acorns are hard to find under oak trees
(B) to indicate a place where squirrels can aid seed dispersal of oaks
(C) to argue in favor of additional studies concerning the destructive force of squirrels
(D) to support the claim that squirrels can do great damage to oak stands
6. It can be inferred from paragraph 3 that chipmunks do not aid in the dispersal of oak trees
because
(A) they store their acorns where they cannot germinate
(B) they consume most of their stored acorns
(C) their stored acorns are located and consumed by other species
(D) they cannot travel the long distance required for dispersal
7. According to the passage , which of the following do squirrels and blue jays have in common?
(A) They travel long distances to obtain acorns.
(B) They promote the reproduction of oak trees.
(C) They bury acorns under fallen leaves.
(D) They store large quantities of acorns.
8. The phrase pry off in line 21 is closest in meaning to
(A) swallow
(B) remove
(C) squeeze
(D) locate
9. The word littered in line 22 is closest in meaning to
(A) covered
(B) displayed
(C) fertilized
(D) planted
10. According to the passage , scientists cannot explain which of the following aspects of squirrel
behavior?
(A) Where squirrels store their acorn caches
(B) Why squirrels prefer acorns over other seeds
(C) Why squirrels eat only a portion of each acorn they retrieve
(D) Why squirrels prefer acorns from a particular species of oak trees
PASSAGE 98 DCCBD DBBAC
篇5：TOEFL托福阅读理解真题精选篇
Of all modern instruments, the violin is apparently one of the simplest. It consists in essence of a hollow, varnished wooden sound box, or resonator, and a long neck, covered with a fingerboard, along which four strings are stretched at high tension. The beauty of design, shape, and decoration is no accident: the proportions of the instrument are determined almost entirely by acoustical considerations. Its simplicity of appearance is deceptive. About 70 parts are involved in the construction of a violin. Its tone and its outstanding range of expressiveness make it an ideal solo instrument. No less important, however, is its role as an orchestral and chamber instrument. In combination with the larger and deeper-sounding members of the same family, the violins form the nucleus of the modern symphony orchestra.
The violin has been in existence since about 1550. Its importance as an instrument in its own right dates from the early 1600's, when it first became standard in Italian opera orchestras. Its stature as an orchestral instrument was raised further when in 1626 Louis XIII of France established at his court the orchestra known as Les vingt-quatre violins du Roy (The King's 24 Violins), which was to become widely famous later in the century.
In its early history, the violin had a dull and rather quiet tone resulting from the fact that the strings were thick and were attached to the body of the instrument very loosely. During the eighteenth and nineteenth century, exciting technical changes were inspired by such composer-violinists as Vivaldi and Tartini. Their instrumental compositions demanded a fuller, clearer, and more brilliant tone that was produced by using thinner strings and a far higher string tension. Small changes had to be made to the violin's internal structure and to the fingerboard so that they could withstand the extra strain. Accordingly, a higher standard of performance was achieved, in terms of both facility and interpretation. Left-hand technique was considerably elaborated, and new fingering patterns on the fingerboard were developed for very high notes.
1. The word standard in line 12 is closest in meaning to
(A) practical
(B) customary
(C) possible
(D) unusual
2. The King's 24 Violins is mentioned in line 15 to illustrate
(A) how the violin became a renowned instrument
(B) the competition in the 1600's between French and Italian orchestras
(C) the superiority of French violins
(D) why the violin was considered the only instrument suitable to be played by royalty
3. What is the main idea presented in paragraph 3?
(A) The violin has been modified to fit its evolving musical functions.
(B) The violin is probably the best known and most widely distributed musical instrument in the
world.
(C) The violin had reached the height of its popularity by the middle of the eighteenth century.
(D) The technique of playing the violin has remained essentially the same since the 1600's.
4. The author mentions Vivaldi and Tartini in line 19 as examples of composers whose music
(A) inspired more people to play the violin
(B) had to be adapted to the violin
(C) demanded more sophisticated violins
(D) could be played only by their students
5. The word they in line 22 refers to
(A) Civaldi and Tartini
(B) thinner strings and a higher string tension
(C) small changes
(D) internal structure and fingerboard
6. The word strain in line 22 is closest in meaning to
(A) struggle
(B) strength
(C) strategy
(D) stress
7. The word Accordingly in line 23 is closest in meaning to
(A) However
(B) Consequently
(C) Nevertheless
(D) Ultimately
8. According to the passage , early violins were different from modern violins in that early violins
(A) were heavier
(B) broke down more easily
(C) produced softer tones
(D) were easier to play
9. According to the passage , which of the following contributes to a dull sound being produced
by a violin?
(A) A long fingerboard
(B) A small body
(C) High string tension
(D) Thick strings
10. Which of the following terms is defined in the passage ?
(A) resonator (line 2)
(B) solo (line 7)
(C) left-hand technique (line 25)
(D) fingering patterns (lines 24-25)
11. All of the following are mentioned in the passage as contributing to the ability to play modern
violin music EXCEPT
(A) more complicated techniques for the left hand
(B) different ways to use the fingers to play very high notes
(C) use of rare wood for the fingerboard and neck
(D) minor alterations to the structure of the instrumentANSWER KEYS
PASSAGE 100 BAACD DBCAA C
篇6：TOEFL托福阅读理解真题精选篇
Scientists have discovered that for the last 160,000 years, at least, there has been a consistent relationship between the amount of carbon dioxide in the air and the average temperature of the planet. The importance of carbon dioxide in regulating the Earth's temperature was confirmed by scientists working in eastern Antarctica. Drilling down into a glacier, they extracted a mile-long cylinder of ice from the hole. The glacier had formed as layer upon layer of snow accumulated year after year. Thus drilling into the ice was tantamount to drilling back through time.
The deepest sections of the core are composed of water that fell as snow 160,000 years ago. Scientists in Grenoble, France, fractured portions of the core and measured the composition of ancient air released from bubbles in the ice. Instruments were used to measure the ratio of certain isotopes in the frozen water to get an idea of the prevailing atmospheric temperature at the time when that particular bit of water became locked in the glacier.
The result is a remarkable unbroken record of temperature and of atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide. Almost every time the chill of an ice age descended on the planet, carbon dioxide levels dropped. When the global temperature dropped 9 F (5 C°), carb°on dioxide levels dropped to 190 parts per million or so. Generally, as each ice age ended and the Earth basked in a warm interglacial period, carbon dioxide levels were around 280 parts per million. Through the 160,000 years of that ice record, the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere fluctuated between 190 and 280 parts per million, but never rose much higher-until the Industrial Revolution beginning in the eighteenth century and continuing today.
There is indirect evidence that the link between carbon dioxide levels and global temperature change goes back much further than the glacial record. Carbon dioxide levels may have been much greater than the current concentration during the Carboniferous period, 360 to 285 million years ago. The period was named for a profusion of plant life whose buried remains produced a large fraction of the coal deposits that are being brought to the surface and burned today.
1. Which of the following does the passage mainly discuss?
(A) Chemical causes of ice ages
(B) Techniques for studying ancient layers of ice in glaciers
(C) Evidence of a relationship between levels of carbon dioxide and global temperature
(D) Effects of plant life on carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere
2. The word accumulated in line 6 is closest in meaning to.
(A) spread out
(B) changed
(C) became denser
(D) built up
3. According to the passage , the drilling of the glacier in eastern Antarctica was important
because it
(A) allowed scientists to experiment with new drilling techniques
(B) permitted the study of surface temperatures in an ice-covered region of Earth
(C) provided insight about climate conditions in earlier periods
(D) confirmed earlier findings about how glaciers are formed
4. The phrase tantamount to in line 7 is closest in meaning to
A) complementary to
(B) practically the same as
(C) especially well suited to
(D) unlikely to be confused with
5. According to the passage , Grenoble, France, is the place where
(A) instruments were developed for measuring certain chemical elements
(B) scientists first recorded atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide
(C) scientists studied the contents of an ice core from Antarctica
(D) the relationship between carbon dioxide and temperature was discovered
6. According to the passage , scientists used isotopes from the water of the ice core to determine
which of following?
(A) The amount of air that had bubbled to the surface since the ice had formed
(B) The temperature of the atmosphere when the ice was formed
(C) The date at which water had become locked in the glacier
(D) The rate at which water had been frozen in the glacier
7. The word remarkable in line 14 is closest in meaning to
(A) genuine
(B) permanent
(C) extraordinary
(D) continuous
8. The word link in line 23 is closest in meaning to
(A) tension
(B) connection
(C) attraction
(D) distance
9. The passage implies that the warmest temperatures among the periods mentioned occurred
(A) in the early eighteenth century
(B) 160,000 years ago
(C) at the end of each ice age
(D) between 360 and 285 million years ago
10. According to the passage , the Carboniferous period was characterized by
(A) a reduction in the number of coal deposits
(B) the burning of a large amount of coal
(C) an abundance of plants
(D) an accelerated rate of glacier formation
11. The passage explains the origin of which of the following terms?
(A) glacier (line 5)
(B) isotopes (line 11)
(C) Industrial Revolution (line 21)
(D) Carboniferous period (lines 26)
PASSAGE 99 CDCBC BCBAC D
篇7：托福阅读理解真题精选
Molting is one of the most involved processes of a bird's annual life cycle. Notwithstanding preening and constant care, the marvelously intricate structure of a bird's feather inevitably wears out. All adult birds molt their feathers at least once a year, and upon close observation, one can recognize the frayed, ragged appearance of feathers that are nearing the end of their useful life. Two distinct processes are involved in molting. The first step is when the old, worn feather is dropped, or shed. The second is when a new feather grows in its place. When each feather has been shed and replaced, then the molt can be said to be complete. This, however, is an abstraction that often does not happen: incomplete, overlapping, and arrested molts are quite common.
Molt requires that a bird find and process enough protein to rebuild approximately one-third of its body weight. It is not surprising that a bird in heavy molt often seems listless and unwell. But far from being random, molt is controlled by strong evolutionary forces that have established an optimal time and duration. Generally, molt occurs at the time of least stress on the bird. Many songbirds, for instance, molt in late summer, when the hard work of breeding is done but the weather is still warm and food still plentiful. This is why the woods in late summer often seem so quiet, when compared with the exuberant choruses of spring.
Molt of the flight feathers is the most highly organized part of the process. Some species, for example, begin by dropping the outermost primary feathers on each side (to retain balance in the air) and wait until the replacement feathers are about one-third grown before shedding the next outermost, and so on. Others always start with the innermost primary feathers and work outward. Yet other species begin in the middle and work outward on both sides. Most ducks shed their wing feathers at once, and remain flightless for two or three weeks while the replacement feathers grow.
1. The passage mainly discusses how
(A) birds prepare for breeding
(B) bird feathers differ from species
(C) birds shed and replace their feathers
(D) birds are affected by seasonal changes
2. The word Notwithstanding in line 2 is closest in meaning to
(A) despite
(B) because of
(C) instead of
(D) regarding
3. The word intricate in line 2 is closest in meaning to
(A) regular
(B) complex
(C) interesting
(D) important
4. The word random in line 12 is closest in meaning to
(A) unfortunate
(B) unusual
(C) unobservable
(D) unpredictable
5. The word optimal in line 13 is closest in meaning to
(A) slow
(B) frequent
(C) best
(D) early
6. Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a reason that songbirds molt in the late summer?
(A) Fewer predators are in the woods.
(B) The weathers are still warm.
(C) The songbirds have finished breeding.
(D) Food is still available.
7. Some birds that are molting maintain balance during flight by
(A) constantly preening and caring for their remaining feathers
(B) dropping flight feathers on both sides at the same time
(C) adjusting the angle of their flight to compensate for lost feathers
(D) only losing one-third of their feathers
8. The word Others in line 21 refers to
(A) ducks
(B) sides
(C) species
(D) flight feathers
9. The author discusses ducks in order to provide an example of birds that
(A) grow replacement feathers that are very long
(B) shed all their wing feathers at one time
(C) keep their innermost feathers
(D) shed their outermost feathers first
10. It can be inferred from the discussion about ducks that the molting of their flight feathers
takes
(A) a year
(B) a season
(C) several months
(D) a few weeks
PASSAGE 62 CABDC ABCBD
篇8：托福阅读理解真题
Glass 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. R é ne-Antoine de R é 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 industry
2. The word coarse in line 1 is closest in meaning to
(A) decorative
(B) natural
(C) crude
(D) weak
3. 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 durable
5. The phrase this material in line 16 refers to
(A) glass fibers
(B) decorations
(C) ornaments
(D) novelties for collectors
6. The word brittle in line 17 is closest in meaning to
(A) easily broken
(B) roughly made
(C) hairy
(D) shiny
7. The production of glass fibers was improved in the nineteenth century by which of the
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 reels
8. The word appreciated in line 23 is closest in meaning to
(A) experienced
(B) recognized
(C) explored
(D) increased
9. 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)
PASSAGE 53 ACBDA ADBD
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