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以下是小编为大家收集的托福阅读真题整合【汇编五篇】，仅供参考，欢迎大家阅读。

第一篇: 托福阅读真题整合

PASSAGE 9

Prehistoric mammoths have been preserved in the famous tar pits of Rancho La Brea (Brea is the Spanish word for tar) in what is now the heart of Los Angeles, California. These tar pits have been known for centuries and were formerly mined for their natural asphalt, a black or brown petroleum-like substance. Thousands of tons were extracted before 1875, when it was first noticed that the tar contained fossil remains. Major excavations were undertaken that established the significance of this remarkable site. The tar pits were found to contain the remains of scores of species of animals from the last 30,000 years of the Ice Age.

Since then, over 100 tons of fossils, 1.5 million from vertebrates, 2.5 million from invertebrates, have been recovered, often in densely concentrated and tangled masses. The creatures found range from insects and birds to giant ground sloth"s, but a total of 17 proboscides (animals with a proboscis or long nose) — including mastodons and Columbian mammoths — have been recovered, most of them from Pit 9, the deepest bone-bearing deposit, which was excavated in 1914. Most of the fossils date to between 40,000 and 10,000 years ago.

The asphalt at La Brea seeps to the surface, especially in the summer, and forms shallow puddles that would often have been concealed by leaves and dust. Unwary animals would become trapped on these thin sheets of liquid asphalt, which are extremely sticky in warm weather. Stuck, the unfortunate beasts would die of exhaustion and hunger or fall prey to predators that often also became stuck.

As the animals decayed, more scavengers would be attracted and caught in their turn. Carnivores greatly outnumber herbivores in the collection: for every large herbivore, there is one saber-tooth cat, a coyote, and four wolves. The fact that some bones are heavily weathered shows that some bodies remained above the surface for weeks or months. Bacteria in the asphalt would have consumed some of the tissues other than bones, and the asphalt itself would dissolve what was left, at the same time impregnating and beautifully preserving the saturated bones, rendering them dark brown and shiny.

1. What aspect of the La Brea tar pits does the passage mainly discuss?

(A) The amount of asphalt that was mined there

(B) The chemical and biological interactions between asphalt and animals

(C) The fossil remains that have been found there

(D) Scientific methods of determining the age of tar pits

2. In using the phrase the heart of Los Angeles in line 2, the author is talking about the city"s

(A) beautiful design

(B) central area

(C) basic needs

(D) supplies of natural asphalt

3. The word noticed in line 5 closest in meaning to

(A) predicted

(B) announced

(C) corrected

(D) observed

4. The word tangled in line 10 is closest in meaning to

(A) buried beneath

(B) twisted together

(C) quickly formed

(D) easily dated

5. The word them in line 13 refers to

(A) insects

(B) birds

(C) cloths

(D) proboscideans

6. How many proboscideans have been found at the La Brea tar pits?

(A) 9

(B) 17

(C) 1.5 million

(D) 2.5 million

7. The word concealed in line 17 is closest in meaning to

(A) highlighted

(B) covered

(C) transformed

(D) contaminated

8. Why does the author mention animals such as coyotes and wolves in paragraph 4?

(A) To give examples of animals that are classified as carnivores

(B) To specify the animals found least commonly at La Brea

(C) To argue that these animals were especially likely to avoid extinction.

(D) To define the term scavengers

第二篇: 托福阅读真题整合

Newspaper 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 Bureau"s 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 1930"s, 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 AP"s 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 1970"s and early 1980"s, 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 newspaper"s 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 United

States.

(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 States

2. The word resumed in line 7 is closest in meaning to

(A) began again

(B) held back

(C) thought over

(D) referred to

3. According to the passage , one important reason why newspapers printed daily weather maps

during 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 techniques

4. What regular service did The Associated Press and United Press International begin to offer

subscribing newspapers in the 1930"s?

(A) A new system of weather forecasting

(B) An air-mass analysis

(C) Twice daily weather maps

(D) Cloud-cover photographs

5. 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 of

6. The word others in line 24 refers to

(A) newspapers

(B) ways

(C) temperature maps

(D) weather maps

7. The word drab in line 24 is closest in meaning to

(A) precise

(B) poor

(C) simple

(D) dull

8. In contrast to the weather maps of USA Today, weather maps in The New York Times tended to

be

(A) printed in foil color

(B) included for symbolic reasons

(C) easily understood by the readers

(D) filled with detailed information

9. The word prominent in line 27 is closest in meaning to

(A) complex

(B) noticeable

(C) appealing

(D) perfect

10. The author uses the term Ironically in line 28 to indicate that a weather map"s 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 sales

PASSAGE 69 BABCD ADDBB

第三篇: 托福阅读真题整合

In 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 to

A) elaborate

B) puzzling

C) durable

D) common

3. The passage suggests that the earliest stoneware

A) was decorated with simple, abstract designs

B) used three-dimensional decorations

C) was valued for its fancy decorations

D) had no decoration

4. How did yellow ware achieve its distinctive color?

A) by sponging on a glaze

B) by dusting on metallic powders

C) by brown-glazing

D) by firing at a high temperature

5. The phrase derived from in line 19 is closest in meaning to

A) ruined by

B) warned against

C) based on

D) sold by

6. The word It in line 20 refers to

A) red ware

B) yellow ware

C) Rockingham ware

D) English brown-glazed earthenware

7. The word Various in line 21 is closest in meaning to

A) complicated

B) accepted

C) careful

D) different

8. The phrase account for in line 22 is closest in meaning to

A) explain

B) restrict

C) finance

D) supplement

9. What was special about flint enamel?

A) its even metallic shine

B) its mottled appearance

C) its spattered effect

D) its varicolored streaks

10. Which of the following kinds of Rockingham ware were probably produced in the greatest

quantity?

A) picture frames

B) dishes and bowls

C) curtain tiebacks

D) doorknobs

11. The passage would most probably continue with a discussion of

A) what bedpans, foot warmers, and cuspidors were used for

B) well-known, modern-day potters who make Rockingham ware

C) examples of Rockingham ware that collectors especially want

D) pieces of Rockingham ware that are inexpensive in today"s market

PASSAGE 68 BAADC CDADB C

第四篇: 托福阅读真题整合

The 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 jackdaw"s 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) complex

2. 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 nest

3. The word display in line 17 is closest in meaning to

(A) communicate

(B) imitate

(C) initiate

(D) exhibit

4. 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 species

5. Which of the following birds are mentioned as those that build nests that include unusual

objects?

(A) Ravens

(B) Ospreys

(C) Crows

(D) Sparrowhawks

6. According to the passage , when gathering materials to build their nests, sparrowhawks do

which of the following?

(A) Hang upside down

(B) Select only green twigs

(C) Use objects blowing in the wind

(D) Collect more branches than necessary

7. The word these in line 20 refers to

(A) golden eagles

(B) generations

(C) winds

(D) nests

8. The word load in line 23 is closest in meaning to

(A) weight

(B) number

(C) section

(D) level

9. 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 weight

PASSAGE 70 BCDCB ADAD

第五篇: 托福阅读真题整合

PASSAGE 31

Rent control is the system whereby the local government tells building owners how much they can charge their tenants in rent. In the United States, rent controls date back to at least World War II.

In 1943 the federal government imposed rent controls to help solve the problem of housing shortages during wartime. The federal program ended after the war, but in some locations, including New York City, controls continued. Under New York"s controls, a landlord generally cannot raise rents on apartments as long as the tenants continue to renew their leases. In places such as Santa Monica, California, rent controls are more recent. They were spurred by the inflation of the 1970"s, which, combined with California"s rapid population growth, pushed housing prices, as well as rents, to record levels. In 1979 Santa Monica"s municipal government ordered landlords to roll back their rents to the levels charged in 1978. Future rents could only go up by two-thirds as much as any increase in the overall price level.

In any housing market, rental prices perform three functions: (1) promoting the efficient maintenance of existing housing and stimulating the construction of new housing, (2) allocating existing scarce housing among competing claimants, and (3) rationing use of existing housing by potential renters.

One result of rent control is a decrease in the construction of new rental units. Rent controls have artificially depressed the most important long-term determinant of profitability — rents. Consider some examples. In a recent year in Dallas, Texas, with a 16 percent rental vacancy rate but no rent control laws, 11,000 new housing units were built. In the same year, in San Francisco, California, only 2,000 units were built. The major difference? San Francisco has only a 1.6 percent vacancy rate but stringent rent control laws. In New York City, except for government-subsidized construction, the only rental units being built are luxury units, which are exempt from controls. In Santa Monica, California, new apartments are not being constructed. New office rental space and commercial developments are, however. They are exempt from rent controls.

1. What does the passage mainly discuss?

(A) The construction of apartments in the United States.

(B) Causes and effects of rent control

(C) The fluctuations of rental prices

(D) The shortage of affordable housing in the United States.

2. The word They in line 9 refers to

(A) the tenants

(B) their leases

(C) places

(D) rent controls.

3. Which of the following was NOT a reason for the introduction of rent controls in Santa Monica,California?

(A) rapid population growth

(B) inflation

(C) economic conditions during wartime

(D) record-high housing prices

4. The phrase roll back in line 11 is closest in meaning to

(A) credit

(B) measure

(C) vary

(D) reduce

5. The word stimulating in line 15 is closest in meaning to

(A) experimenting with

(B) identifying

(C) estimating

(D) encouraging

6. It can be inferred that the purpose of rent control is to

(A) protect tenants

(B) promote construction

(C) increase vacancy rates

(D) decrease sales of rental units

7. The word depressed in line 19 is closest in meaning to

(A) saddened

(B) created

(C) lowered

(D) defeated

8. The information in the last paragraph supports which of the following statements?

(A) San Francisco has eliminated its rent control laws.

(B) Rent control leads to a reduction in the construction of housing units

(C) Luxury apartments are rarely built when there is rent control

(D) There is a growing need for government-subsidized housing.

9. According to the passage , which of the following cities does NOT currently have rent controls?

(A) Santa Monica

(B) Dallas

(C) San Francisco

(D) New York City

10. The word stringent in line 23 is closest in meaning to

(A) straightforward

(B) strict

(C) expanded

(D) efficient

11. According to the passage , which of the following is NOT exempt from rent control?

(A) Luxury apartments

(B) Commercial development

(C) Moderately priced apartments

(D) Office space.

PASSAGE 31 BDCDD ACBBB C

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