托福TPO2閱讀真題及答案Part1
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托福TPO2閱讀真題文本Part1
Desert Formation
The deserts, which already occupy approximately a fourth of the Earth's land surface, have in recent decades been increasing at an alarming pace. The expansion of desert like conditions into areas where they did not previously exist is called desertification. It has been estimated that an additional one-fourth of the Earth's land surface is threatened by this process.
Desertification is accomplished primarily through the loss of stabilizing natural vegetation and the subsequent accelerated erosion of the soil by wind and water. In some cases the loose soil is blown completely away, leaving a stony surface. In other cases, the finer particles may be removed, while the sand-sized particles are accumulated to form mobile hills or ridges of sand.
Even in the areas that retain a soil cover, the reduction of vegetation typically results in the loss of the soil's ability to absorb substantial quantities of water. The impact of raindrops on the loose soil tends to transfer fine clay particles into the tiniest soil spaces, sealing them and producing a surface that allows very little water penetration. Water absorption is greatly reduced; consequently runoff is increased, resulting in accelerated erosion rates. The gradual drying of the soil caused by its diminished ability to absorb water results in the further loss of vegetation, so that a cycle of progressive surface deterioration is established.
In some regions, the increase in desert areas is occurring largely as the result of a trend toward drier climatic conditions. Continued gradual global warming has produced an increase in aridity for some areas over the past few thousand years. The process may be accelerated in subsequent decades if global warming resulting from air pollution seriously increases.
There is little doubt, however, that desertification in most areas results primarily from human activities rather than natural processes. The semiarid lands bordering the deserts exist in a delicate ecological balance and are limited in their potential to adjust to increased environmental pressures. Expanding populations are subjecting the land to increasing pressures to provide them with food and fuel. In wet periods, the land may be able to respond to these stresses. During the dry periods that are common phenomena along the desert margins, though, the pressure on the land is often far in excess of its diminished capacity, and desertification results.
Four specific activities have been identified as major contributors to the desertification processes: overcultivation, overgrazing, firewood gathering, and overirrigation. The cultivation of crops has expanded into progressively drier regions as population densities have grown. These regions are especially likely to have periods of severe dryness, so that crop failures are common. Since the raising of most crops necessitates the prior removal of the natural vegetation, crop failures leave extensive tracts of land devoid of a plant cover and susceptible to wind and water erosion.
The raising of livestock is a major economic activity in semiarid lands, where grasses are generally the dominant type of natural vegetation. The consequences of an excessive number of livestock grazing in an area are the reduction of the vegetation cover and the trampling and pulverization of the soil. This is usually followed by the drying of the soil and accelerated erosion.
Firewood is the chief fuel used for cooking and heating in many countries. The increased pressures of expanding populations have led to the removal of woody plants so that many cities and towns are surrounded by large areas completely lacking in trees and shrubs. The increasing use of dried animal waste as a substitute fuel has also hurt the soil because this valuable soil conditioner and source of plant nutrients is no longer being returned to the land.
The final major human cause of desertification is soil salinization resulting from overirrigation. Excess water from irrigation sinks down into the water table. If no drainage system exists, the water table rises, bringing dissolved salts to the surface. The water evaporates and the salts are left behind, creating a white crustal layer that prevents air and water from reaching the underlying soil.
The extreme seriousness of desertification results from the vast areas of land and the tremendous numbers of people affected, as well as from the great difficulty of reversing or even slowing the process. Once the soil has been removed by erosion, only the passage of centuries or millennia will enable new soil to form. In areas where considerable soil still remains, though, a rigorously enforced program of land protection and cover-crop planting may make it possible to reverse the present deterioration of the surface.
Paragraph 1: The deserts, which already occupy approximately a fourth of the Earth's land surface, have in recent decades been increasing at an alarming pace. The expansion of desertlike conditions into areas where they did not previously exist is called desertification. It has been estimated that an additional one-fourth of the Earth's land surface is threatened by this process.
托福TPO2閱讀真題題目Part1
1. The word threatened in the passage is closest in meaning to
Restricted
Endangered
Prevented
Rejected
Paragraph 3: Even in the areas that retain a soil cover, the reduction of vegetation typically results in the loss of the soil's ability to absorb substantial quantities of water. The impact of raindrops on the loose soil tends to transfer fine clay particles into the tiniest soil spaces, sealing them and producing a surface that allows very little water penetration. Water absorption is greatly reduced; consequently runoff is increased, resulting in accelerated erosion rates. The gradual drying of the soil caused by its diminished ability to absorb water results in the further loss of vegetation, so that a cycle of progressive surface deterioration is established.
2. According to paragraph 3, the loss of natural vegetation has which of the following consequences for soil?
Increased stony content
Reduced water absorption
Increased numbers of spaces in the soil
Reduced water runoff
Paragraph 5: There is little doubt, however, that desertification in most areas results primarily from human activities rather than natural processes. The semiarid lands bordering the deserts exist in a delicate ecological balance and are limited in their potential to adjust to increased environmental pressures. Expanding populations are subjecting the land to increasing pressures to provide them with food and fuel. In wet periods, the land may be able to respond to these stresses. During the dry periods that are common phenomena along the desert margins, though, the pressure on the land is often far in excess of its diminished capacity, and desertification results.
3. The word delicate in the passage is closest in meaning to
Fragile
Predictable
Complex
Valuable
4. According to paragraph 5, in dry periods, border areas have difficulty
Adjusting to stresses created by settlement
Retaining their fertility after desertification
Providing water for irrigating crops
Attracting populations in search of food and fuel
Paragraph 6: Four specific activities have been identified as major contributors to the desertification processes: overcultivation, overgrazing, firewood gathering, and overirrigation. The cultivation of crops has expanded into progressively drier regions as population densities have grown. These regions are especially likely to have periods of severe dryness, so that crop failures are common. Since the raising of most crops necessitates the prior removal of the natural vegetation, crop failures leave extensive tracts of land devoid of a plant cover and susceptible to wind and water erosion.
5. The word progressively in the passage is closest in meaning to
Openly
Impressively
Objectively
Increasingly
6. According to paragraph 6, which of the following is often associated with raising crops?
Lack of proper irrigation techniques
Failure to plant crops suited to the particular area
Removal of the original vegetation
Excessive use of dried animal waste，
7. The phrase devoid of in the passage is closest in meaning to
Consisting of
Hidden by
Except for
Lacking in
Paragraph 9: The final major human cause of desertification is soil salinization resulting from over irrigation. Excess water from irrigation sinks down into the water table. If no drainage system exists, the water table rises, bringing dissolved salts to the surface. The water evaporates and the salts are left behind, creating a white crustal layer that prevents air and water from reaching the underlying soil.
8. According to paragraph 9, the ground’s absorption of excess water is a factor in desertification because it can
Interfere with the irrigation of land
Limit the evaporation of water
Require more absorption of air by the soil
Bring salts to the surface
9. All of the following are mentioned in the passage as contributing to desertification EXCEPT
Soil erosion
Global warming
Insufficient irrigation
The raising of livestock
Paragraph 10: The extreme seriousness of desertification results from the vast areas of land and the tremendous numbers of people affected, as well as from the great difficulty of reversing or even slowing the process. Once the soil has been removed by erosion, only the passage of centuries or millennia will enable new soil to form. In areas where considerable soil still remains, though, a rigorously enforced program of land protection and cover-crop planting may make it possible to reverse the present deterioration of the surface.
10. 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.
Desertification is a significant problem because it is so hard to reverse and affects large areas of land and great numbers of people.
Slowing down the process of desertification is difficult because of population growth that has spread over large areas of land.
The spread of deserts is considered a very serious problem that can be solved only if large numbers of people in various countries are involved in the effort.
Desertification is extremely hard to reverse unless the population is reduced in the vast areas affected.
11. It can be inferred from the passage that the author most likely believes which of the following about the future of desertification?
Governments will act quickly to control further desertification.
The factors influencing desertification occur in cycles and will change in the future.
Desertification will continue to increase.
Desertification will soon occur in all areas of the world.
Paragraph 7:■ The raising of livestock is a major economic activity in semiarid lands, where grasses are generally the dominant type of natural vegetation. ■The consequences of an excessive number of livestock grazing in an area are the reduction of the vegetation cover and the trampling and pulverization of the soil. ■This is usually followed by the drying of the soil and accelerated erosion.■
12. Look at the four squares [■] that indicate where the following sentence can be added to the passage.
This economic reliance on livestock in certain regions makes large tracts of land susceptible to overgrazing.
Where would the sentence best fit?
13-14. Directions: An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage is provided below. Complete the summary by selecting the THREE answer choices that express the most important ideas in the passage. Some answer choices do not belong in the summary because they express ideas that are not presented in the passage or are minor ideas in the passage. This question is worth 2 points.
Many factors have contributed to the great increase in desertification in recent decades.
●
●
●
Answer Choices
1. Growing human populations and the agricultural demands that come with such growth have upset the ecological balance in some areas and led to the spread of deserts.
2. As periods of severe dryness have become more common, failures of a number of different crops have increased.
3. Excessive numbers of cattle and the need for firewood for fuel have reduced grasses and trees, leaving the land unprotected and vulnerable.
4. Extensive irrigation with poor drainage brings salt to the surface of the soil, a process that reduces water and air absorption.
5. Animal dung enriches the soil by providing nutrients for plant growth.
6. Grasses are generally the dominant type of natural vegetation in semiarid lands
托福TPO2閱讀真題答案Part1
參考答案：
1. 2
2. 2
3. 1
4. 1
5. 4
6. 3
7. 4
8. 4
9. 3
10. 1
11. 3
12. 2
13-14.1 3 4
托福TPO2閱讀真題Part1原文翻譯：
眾所周知，鯨類動(dòng)物是哺乳動(dòng)物,如鯨魚、鼠海豚和海豚。它們用肺呼吸，而不是鰓，屬于胎生。鯨類動(dòng)物呈流線型的身體，后腿的消失，尾片和氣孔的出現(xiàn)，這些特征都不能掩飾它們和陸生哺乳動(dòng)物的相似之處。然而，想知道世上第一只鯨長什么樣并非易事，不像還原海獺及鰭足類動(dòng)物(四肢水陸兩用如海豹，海獅，海象)的原貌那么簡單。一些完全水生的鯨類動(dòng)物雖然已經(jīng)滅絕，但仍可通過化石來對(duì)它們進(jìn)行考察。陸棲哺乳動(dòng)物和海洋鯨類之間有何聯(lián)系?近期發(fā)現(xiàn)的化石已經(jīng)可以很清晰地幫助人們了解這個(gè)問題，以及他們之間的過渡關(guān)系。
科學(xué)家們通過一些令人振奮的發(fā)現(xiàn)重現(xiàn)了鯨類動(dòng)物幾近真實(shí)的起源。1979 年，在巴基斯坦北部，一個(gè)尋找化石的考察隊(duì)發(fā)掘到了最古老的鯨魚化石。這塊化石被官方命名為Pakicifus，以紀(jì)念人們發(fā)現(xiàn)它的地方。這塊化石是在一條河的沉積巖中發(fā)現(xiàn)的，這條河有 5200 萬年的歷史，離古地中海不遠(yuǎn)。
Pakicifus 包括一個(gè)完整原始動(dòng)物的頭蓋骨，它的主人是現(xiàn)代鯨類的祖先。盡管只是個(gè)頭蓋骨，但它卻提供了研究原始鯨類動(dòng)物起源的珍貴信息。這個(gè)頭蓋骨和鯨類動(dòng)物的很像，但它的下頜骨和現(xiàn)代鯨類略有不同，現(xiàn)代鯨類動(dòng)物的下頜骨中含有額外的空間儲(chǔ)存脂肪或者油脂來吸收水下的聲音。Pakicifus 的主人可能會(huì)像陸生哺乳動(dòng)物那樣通過張開的耳朵來探測聲音。另外，這個(gè)頭蓋骨沒有呼吸孔，而鯨類動(dòng)物有，這便是鯨類動(dòng)物為了適應(yīng)水生環(huán)境的另一種適應(yīng)性表現(xiàn)。然而，專家認(rèn)為 Pakicifus 的其它特征表明它們是已滅絕的食肉哺乳動(dòng)物(中獸科動(dòng)物)和鯨類動(dòng)物的過渡型。有人認(rèn)為 Pakicifus 靠吃淺水的魚類為生，未能適應(yīng)在遼闊的大海里生活。它們很有可能在陸地進(jìn)行生育繁殖。
1989年，在埃及有了另一個(gè)重大發(fā)現(xiàn)。人們在古地中海殘留的沉積物中發(fā)現(xiàn)了另一類早期鯨魚 Basilosaurus 的一些骨骸，這些骨骸如今暴露在撒哈拉大沙漠上。Basilosaurus 生活在大約 4000 萬年前，比 Pakicifus 鯨魚晚了 1200 萬年。盡管發(fā)現(xiàn)的這些骨骼并不完整，但這是專家們第一次在原始動(dòng)物身上發(fā)現(xiàn)完整的后肢，它有三個(gè)小腳趾作為的足部特征?？蛇@些后肢還太小，遠(yuǎn)無法支撐 50 英尺長的Basilosaurus 在陸地行走。因此，Basilosaurus 必定是完全水生的鯨魚，它們的后肢已經(jīng)不起任何作用，或者說已經(jīng)退化。
1994年，巴基斯坦報(bào)道了一個(gè)更令人興奮的發(fā)現(xiàn)。目前已經(jīng)滅絕的鯨魚Ambulocetus natans(可以步行的鯨類)4900 萬年前曾在古地中海生活過。比Pakicetus 晚大約300 萬年，比 Basilosaurus 早900 萬年左右。幸運(yùn)的是，被發(fā)現(xiàn)的 Ambulocetus natans 保留著完整的后肢。它的后肢很強(qiáng)壯，底部有長足，非常像現(xiàn)在的鰭足類動(dòng)物。這些后肢使得他們既能在陸地行走又能在海里游行。雖然 Ambulocetus natans 保留了尾巴，但它們?nèi)鄙佻F(xiàn)代水生鯨類動(dòng)物用于行動(dòng)的主要身體部位——尾片。不過，從 Ambulocetus 的脊椎結(jié)構(gòu)上可以看出，即使缺少尾片，它們也能像現(xiàn)代鯨魚那樣通過身體背部的上下擺動(dòng)來游走。大的后肢通常被當(dāng)作是水中前行的發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)。在它們可能交配繁殖的陸地上，Ambulocetus 行動(dòng)起來非常像現(xiàn)代海獅。毫無疑問，鯨魚是連接著陸地生命和海洋生命的物種。
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