1、托福阅读全真试题Questions 1-7Joyce Carol Oates published her first collection of short stories. By The Gate, in 1963, two years after she had received her masters degree from the University of Wisconsin and become an instructor of English at the University ofDetroit. Her productivity since then has been pro
2、digious, accumulating in less than two decades to nearly thirty titles, including novels, collections of shortstories and verse, plays, and literary criticism. In the meantime, she has continued to teach,moving in 1967 from the University of Detroit to the University of Windsor, in Ontario, and, in
3、1978, to Princeton University. Reviewers have admired her enormous energy, but find a productivity of such magnitude difficult to assess.In a period characterized by the abandonment of so much of the realistic tradition by authors such as John Barth, Donald Barthelme, and Thomas Pynchon, Joyce Carol
4、 Oates has seemed at times determinedly old-fashioned in her insistence on the essentially mimetic quality of her fiction. Hers is a world ofviolence, insanity, fractured love, and hopeless loneliness.Although some of it appears to come from her own direct observations, her dreams, and her fears, mu
5、ch more is clearly from the experiences of thers. Her first novel, With Shuddering Fall(1964), dealt with stock car racing, though shehad never seen a race. IN Them(1969) she focused on Detroit from the Depression through the notes of 1967, drawing much of her material from the deep impressionmade o
6、n her by the problems of one of her students. Whatever the source and however shocking the events or the motivations, however, her fictive world remains strikingly akin to that real one reflected in the daily newspapers, the television news and talk shows, and the popular magazines of our day.1.What
7、 is the main purpose of the passage?(A)To review Oatess By the North Gate(B)To compare some modern writers(C)To describe Oatess childhood(D)To outline Oatess career2.Which of the following does the passage indicate about Joyce Carol Qates first publication?(A)It was part of her masters thesis.(B)It
8、was a volume of short fiction.(C)It was not successful.(D)It was about an English instructor in Detroit.3.Which of the following does the passage suggest about Joyce Carol Oates in terms of her writing career?(A)She has experienced long nonproductive periods in her writing.(B)Her style is imitative
9、of other contemporary authors(C)She has produced a surprising amount of fictions in a relative short time.(D)Most of her work is based on personal experience.4.The word “characterized“ in line 10 can best replaced by which of the following?(A)Shocked(B)Impressed(C)Distinguished(D)Helped5.What was th
10、e subject of Joyce Carol Oatess first novel?(A)Loneliness(B)Inanity(C)Teaching(D)Racing6.Why does the author mention Oatess book Them?(A)It is a typical novel of the 1960s(B)It is her best piece of nonfiction.(C)It is a fictional work based on the experiences of another person.(D)It is an autobiogra
11、phy.7.Which of the following would Joyce Carol Oates be most likely to write?(A)A story with an unhappy ending(B)A romancer novel set in the nineteenth century(C)A science fiction novel(D)A dialogue for a talk showQuestion 8-18Certainly no creature in the sea is odder than the common sea cucumber. A
12、ll living creature, especially human beings, have their peculiarities, but everything about the little sea cucumber seems unusual. What else can be said about a bizarre animal that, among other eccentricities, eats mud, feeds almost continuously day and night but can live without eating for long per
13、iods, and canbe poisonous but is considered supremely edible by gourmets?For some fifty million years, despite all its eccentricities, the sea cucumberhas subsisted on its diet of mud. It is adaptable enough to live attached to rocks by its tube feet, under rocks in shallow water, or on the surface
14、of mud flats.Common in cool water on both Atlantic and Pacific shores, it has the ability to suck up mud or sand and digest whatever nutrients are present.Sea cucumbers come in a variety of colors, ranging from black to reddish - brown to sand - color and nearly white. One form even has vivid purple
15、 tentacles. Usually the creatures are cucumber - shaped - hence their name - and because they are typically rock inhabitants, this shape, combined with flexibility, enables them to squeeze into crevices where they are safe from predators and ocean currents.Although they have voracious appetites, eat
16、ing day and night, sea cucumbers have the capacity to become quiescent and live at a low metabolic rate - feedingsparingly or not at all for long periods, so that the marine organisms that provide their food have a chance to multiply. If it were not for this faculty, they would devour all the food a
17、vailable in s short time and would probably starve themselves out of existence.But the most spectacular thing about the sea cucumber is the way it defends itself. Its major enemies are fish and crabs,when attacked, it squirts all its internal organs into the water. It also casts off attached structu
18、res such as tentacles. The sea cucumber will eviscerate and regenerate itself if it is attacked or even touched; it will do the same if surrounding water temperature is too high or if the water becomes too polluted.8.What does the passage mainly discuss?(A)The reason for the sea cucumbers name(B)Wha
19、t makes the sea cucumber unusual(C)How to identify the sea cucumber(D)Places where the sea cucumber can be found9.In line 3, the word “bizarre“ is closest meaning to(A)odd(B)marine(C)simple(D)rare10.According to the Passage, why is the shape of sea cucumbers important?(A)It helps them to digest thei
20、r food(B)It helps them to protect themselves from danger.(C)It makes it easier for them to move through the mud.(D)It makes them attractive to fish.11.The words “this faculty“ in line20 refer to the sea cucumbers ability to(A)squeeze into crevices(B)devour all available food in a short time(C)suck u
21、p mud or sand(D)live at a low metabolic rate12.The fourth paragraph of the passage Primarily discusses(A)the reproduction of sea cucumbers(B)the food sources of sea cucumbers(C)the eating habits of sea cucumbers(D)threats to sea cucumbers existence13.The phrase “casts off“ in line 24 is closest in m
22、eaning to(A)grows again(B)grabs(C)gets rid of(D)uses as a weapon14.Of all the characteristics of the sea cucumber, which of the following seems to fascinate the author most?(A)What it does when threatened.(B)Where it lives(C)How it hides from predators(D)What it eats.15.Compared with other sea creat
23、ures the sea cucumber is very(A)dangerous(B)intelligent(C)strange(D)fat16.What can be inferred about the defense mechanisms of the sea cucumber?(A)They are very sensitive to surrounding stimuli.(B)They are almost useless.(C)They require group cooperation.(D)They are similar to those of most sea crea
24、tures.17.Which of the following would NOT cause a sea cucumber to release its internalorgans into the water?(A)A touch(B)Food(C)Unusually warm water(D)Pollution18.Which of the following is an example of behavior comparable with the sea cucumber living at a low metabolic rate?(A)An octopus defending
25、itself with its tentacles(B)A bear hibernating in the winter(C)A pig eating constantly(D)A parasite living on its hosts blood.Question 19-29A folk culture is small, isolated, cohesive, conservative, nearly self-sufficient group that is homogeneous in custom and race, with a strong family orclan stru
26、cture and highly developed rituals. Order is maintained through sanctions based in the religion or family, and interpersonal relationships are strong. Tradition is paramount, and change comes infrequently and slowly. There is relatively little division of labor into specialized duties. Rather, each
27、person is expected to perform a great variety of tasks, though duties many differ between the sexes. Most goods are handmade, and a subsistence economy prevails. Individualism is weakly developed in folk cultures, as are social classes. Unaltered folk cultures no longer exist in industrialized count
28、ries such as the United States and Canada. Perhaps the nearest modern-equivalent in Anglo-America is the Amish, a German American farming sect that largely renounces the products and labor saving device of the industrial age. In Amish areas, horse - drawn buggies still serve as a local transportatio
29、n device, and the faithful are not permitted to own automobiles. The Amishs central religiousconcept of Demut, “humility“, clearly reflects the weakness of individualism andsocial class so typical of folk cultures, and there is a corresponding strengthof Amish group identity. Rarely do the Amish mar
30、ry outside their sect. The religion, a variety of the Mennonite faith, provides the principal mechanism formaintaining order.By contrast, a popular culture is a large heterogeneous group, often highly individualistic and constantly changing. Relationships tend to be impersonal, and a pronounced divi
31、sion of labor exists, leading to the establishment of many specialized professions. Secular institutions of control such as the police and army take the place of religion and family in maintaining order, and a money-based economy prevails. Because of these contrasts, “popular“ may be viewed as clear
32、ly different from “folk“. The popular is replacing the folk in industrialized countries and in many developing nations, Folk-made objects give way to their popular equivalent, usually because the popular item is more quickly or cheaply produced, is easier or time saving to use, or lends more prestig
33、e to the owner.19.What does the passage mainly discuss?(A)Two decades in modern society.(B)The influence of industrial technology(C)The characteristics of “folk“ and “popular“ societies.(D)The specialization of labor in Canada and United States20.The word “homogeneous“ in line 2 is closest in meanin
34、g to(A)uniform(B)general(C)primitive(D)traditional21.Which of the following is typical of folk cultures?(A)There is a money- based economy.(B)Social change occurs slowly.(C)Contact with other cultures is encouraged(D)Each person develops one specialized skill.22.What does the author imply about the
35、United States and Canada?(A)They value folk cultures(B)They have no social classes.(C)They have popular cultures.(D)They do not value individualism.23.The phrase “largely renounces“ in line 11 is closest in meaning to(A)generally rejects(B)greatly modifies(C)loudly declares(D)often criticizes24.What
36、 is the main source of order in Amish society?(A)The government(B)The economy(C)The clan structure(D)The religion25.Which of the following statements about Amish beliefs does the passage support?(A)A variety of religious practices is tolerated.(B)Individualism and competition are important.(C)Pre-mo
37、dern technology is preferred.(D)People are defined according to their class.26.Which of the following would probably NOT be found in a folk culture?(A)A carpenter(B)A farmer(C)A weaver(D)A banker27.The word “prevails“ in line 23 is closest in meaning to(A)dominates(B)provides(C)develops(D)invests28.
38、The word “their“ in line 26 refer to(A)folk(B)nations(C)countries(D)objects29.Which of the following is NOT given as a reason why folk-made objects are replaced by mass-produced objects?(A)Cost(B)Prestige(C)Quality(D)ConvenienceQuestion 30-40Many of the most damaging and life-threatening types of we
39、ather - torrential rains, severe thunderstorms, and tornadoes - begin quickly, strike suddenly, anddissipate rapidly, devastating small regions while leaving neighboring areas untouched. One such event, a tornado, stuck the northeastern section of Edmonton, Alberta, in July 1987. Total damages from
40、the tornado exceeded $250 million, the highest ever for any Canadian storm. Conventional computer models of the atmosphere have limited value in predicting short - lived local storms like the Edmonton tornado, because the available weather data are generally not detailed enough to allow computers to
41、 discern the subtle atmospheric changes that precede these storms. In most nations, for example, weather -balloon observations are taken just once every twelve hours at location typically separated by hundreds of miles. With such limited data, conventional forecastingmodels do a much better job pred
42、icting general weather conditions over large regions than they do forecasting specific local events.Until recently, the observation - intensive approach needed for accurate, veryshort - range forecasts, or “Nowcasts,“ was not feasible. The cost of equipping and operating many thousands of convention
43、al weather stations was prohibitively high, and the difficulties involved in rapidly collecting and processing the rawweather data from such a network were insurmountable. Fortunately, scientific and technological advances have overcome most of these problems. Radar systems, automated weather instru
44、ments, and satellites are all capable of making detailed, nearly continuous observation over large regions at a relatively low cost. Communications satellites can transmit data around the world cheaply and instantaneously, and modern computers can quickly compile and analyzing this large volume of w
45、eather information. Meteorologists and computer scientists now work together to design computer programs and video equipment capable of transforming raw weather data into words, symbols, and vivid graphic displays that forecasters can interpret easily and quickly. As meteorologists have begun using
46、these new technologies in weather forecasting offices,Nowcasting is becoming a reality.30.What does he passage mainly discuss?(A) Computers and weather(B) Dangerous storms(C) Weather forecasting(D) Satellites31.Why does the author mention the tornado in Edmonton, Canada?(A)To indicate that tornadoes
47、 are common in the summer(B)To give an example of a damaging storm(C)To explain different types of weather(D)To show that tornadoes occur frequently in Canada32.The word “subtle“ in line 8 is closest in meaning to(A)complex(B)regular(C)imagined(D)slight33.Why does the author state in line 10 that ob
48、servations are taken “just once every twelve hours?“(A)To indicate that the observations are timely(B)To show why the observations are on limited value(C)To compare data from balloons and computers(D)To give an example of international cooperation34.The word “they“ in line 13 refers to(A)models(B)co
49、nditions(C)regions(D)events35.Which of the following is NOT mentioned as an advance in short - range weather forecasting?(A)Weather balloons(B)Radar systems(C)Automated instruments(D)Satellites36.The word “compile“ in line 23 is closest in meaning to(A)put together(B)look up(C)pile high(D)work over37.With Nowcasting, it first became possible to provide information about(A)short-lived local storms(B)radar networks(C)long - range weather forecasts(D)general weather conditions38.The word “raw“ in line 25 is closest in meaning to(A)stormy(B)inaccurate(C)uncooked(D)unprocessed39.With
