mishum2000 Posted January 25, 2005 Share Posted January 25, 2005 Reading 1 The canopy, the upper level of the trees in the rain forest, holds a plethora of climbing mammals of moderately large size, which may include monkeys, cats, civets, and orcupines. Smaller species, including such rodents as mice and small squirrels, are not as prevalent overall in high tropical canopies as they are in most habitats globally. Small mammals, being warm blooded, suffer hardship in the exposed and turbulent evironment of the uppermost trees. Because a small body has more surface area per unit of weight than a large one of similar shape, it gains or loses heat more swiftly. Thus, in the trees, where shelter from heat and cold may be scarce and conditions may fluctuate, a small mammal may have trouble maintaining its body temperature. Small size makes it easy to scramble among twigs and branches in the canopy for insects, flowers, or fruit, but small mammals are surpassed, in the competition for food, by large ones that have their own tactics for browsing among food-rich twigs. The weight of a gibbon (a small ape) hanging below a branch arches the terminal leaves down so that fruit-bearing foliage drops toward the gibbon’s face. Walking or leaping species of a similar or even larger size access the outer twigs either by snapping off and retrieving the whole branch or by clutching stiff branches with the feet or tail and plucking food with their hands. Small climbing animals may reach twigs readily, but it is harder for them than for large climbing animals to cross the wide gaps from one tree crown to the next that typify the high canopy. A macaque or gibbon can hurl itself farther than a mouse can: it can achieve a running start, and it can more effectively use a branch as a springboard, even bouncing on a limb several times before jumping. The forward movement of a small animal is seriously reduced by the air friction against the relatively large surface area of its body. Finally, for the many small mammals the supplement their insect diet with fruits or seeds, an inability to span open gaps between tree crowns may be problematic, since trees that yield these foods can be sparse. 4. According to paragraph 2, which of the following is true about the small mammals in the rain forest? (A) They have body shapes that are adapted to life in the canopy. (B) They prefer the temperature and climate of the canopy to that of other environments. © They have difficulty with the changing conditions in the canopy. (D) They use the trees of the canopy for shelter from heat and cold. My actual answer to this question was C, but the correct answer was D. I read very carefully the second paragraph and I've found this : "Thus, in the trees, where shelter from heat and cold may be scarce and conditions may fluctuate, a small mammal may have trouble maintaining its body temperature." From this it can be stated that small animals use the cannopy trees for shelter form heat and cold, AND they may (is not for sure if they have or not)have difficulty with the changing conditions in the cannopy. What do you say? The correct answer is D, or there is a mistake in the answer key ? 5. In discussing animal size in paragraph 3, the author indicates that (A) small animals require proportionately more food than larger animals do. (B) a large animal’s size is an advantage in obtaining food in the canopy. © Small animals are often attacked by larger animals in the rain forest. (D) Small animals and large animals are equally adept at obtaining food in the canopy. My answer was B, but the correct answer was A. I really don't find any argument here to sustain the first answer. What do you say ? Reading 3 The end of the nineteenth century and the early years of the twentieth century were marked by the development of an international Art Nouveau style, characterized by sinuous lines, floral and vegetable motifs, and soft evanescent coloration. The Art Nouveau style was an eclectic one, bringing together elements of Japanese art, motifs of ancient cultures, and natural forms. The glass objects of this style were elegant in outline, although often deliberately distorted, with pale or iridescent surfaces. A favored device of the style was to imitate the iridescent surface seen on ancient glass that had been buried. Much of the Art Nouveau glass produced during the years of its greatest popularity had been generically termed "art glass". Art glass was intended for decorative purposes and relied for its effect upon carefully chosen color combinations and innovative techniques. France produced a number of outstanding exponents of the Art Nouveau style: among the most celebrated was Emile Gallé(1846-1901). In the United States, Louis Comfort Tiffany(1848-1933)was the most noted exponent of this style, producing a great variety of glass forms and surfaces, which were widely copied in their time and are highly prized today. Tiffany was a brilliant designer, successfully combining ancient Egyptian. The Art Nouveau style was a major force in the decorative arts from 1895 until 1915, although its influence continued throughout the mid-1920’s. It was eventually to be overtaken by a new school of thought known as Functionalism that had present since the turn of the century. At first restricted to a small avant-garde group of architects and designers. Functionalism emerged as the dominant influence upon designers alter the First World War. The basic tenet of the movement – that function should determine form – was not a new concept. Soon a distinct aesthetic code evolved: form should be simple, surfaces plain, and any ornament should be based on geometric relationships. This new design concept, coupled with the sharp postwar reactions to the style and conventions of the preceding decades, created an entirely new public taste which caused Art Nouveau types of glass to fall out of favor. The new taste demanded dramatic effects of contrast stark outline, and complex textural surfaces. 20. What does paragraph 1 mainly discuss ? (A) Design elements in the Art Nouveau style (B) The popularity of the Art Nouveau style © Production techniques for art glass (D) Color combinations typical of the Art Nouveau style My answer was A, but the correct answer was B. It seems to me that the first paragraph discusses mainly the design elements not the popularity. Popularity, production techniques for art glass and color combinations are mentioned only toward the end of the passage... What do you say ? Reading 4 During most of their lives, surge glaciers behave like normal glaciers, traveling perhaps only a couple of inches per day. However, at intervals of 10 to 100 years, these glaciers move forward up to 100 times faster than usual. The surge often progress along a glacier like a great wave, proceeding from one section to another. Subglacial streams of meltwater might act as a lubricant, allowing the glacier to flow rapidly toward the sea. The increasing water pressure under the glacier might lift it off its bed, overcoming the friction between ice and rock, thus freeing the glacier, which rapidly slides downhill. Surge glaciers also might be influenced by the climate, volcanic heat, or earthquakes. However, many of these glaciers exist in the same areas as normal glaciers, often almost side by side. Some 800 years ago, Alaska’s Hubbard Glacier advanced toward the sea, retreated,and advanced again 500 years later. Since 1895, this seventy-mile-long river of ice has been flowing steadily toward the Gulf of Alaska at a rate of approximately 200 feet per year. In June 1986, however, the glacier surged ahead as much as 47 feet a day. Meanwhile, a western tributary, called Valerie Glacier, advanced up to 112 feet per day. Hubbard’s surge closed off Russell Fiord with a formidable ice dam, some 2,500 feet wide and up to 800 feet high, whose caged waters threatened the town of Yakutat to the south. About 20 similar glaciers around the Gulf of Alaska are heading toward the sea. If enough surge glaciers reach the ocean and raise sea levels, West Antarctic ice shelves could rise off the seafloor and become adrift. A flood of ice would then surge into the Southern Sea. With the continued rise in sea level, more ice would plunge into the ocean, causing sea levels to rise even higher, which in turn would release more ice and set in motion a vicious cycle. The additional sea ice floating toward the tropics would increase. Earth’s albedo and lower global temperatures, perhaps enough to initiate a new ice age. This situation appears to have occurred at the end of the last warm interglacial (the time between glaciations), called the Sangamon, when sea ice cooled the ocean dramatically, spawning the beginning of the Ice Age. 35. According to the passage, the Hubbard Glacier (A) moves more often than the Valerie Glacier. (B) began movement toward the sea in 1895 © is 800 feet wide. (D) has moved as fast as 47 feet per day. This is a really tricky question.My answer was B as results according to the test. But the key answer was D. Now the D answer is a present perfect one.Since we can't determine the time when the glacier started to move I think this is a wrong answer. If "has moved" makes reference to the period after 1986 it's ok, but if it makes reference to the period between 1895 and 1986 it's not ok, because the glacier moved then with the speed of 200 feet per year, which is much less than 47 feet per day ! What do you say ? Thanks ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
armie480 Posted January 28, 2005 Share Posted January 28, 2005 Hi Mishum2000 In a rush of a real test I would answer the same way: 4 C, 5 B, 20 A, 35 B. Some of the 'correct' answers are just absurd, while others may well be fine for very profound readers ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dingus Posted January 28, 2005 Share Posted January 28, 2005 Reading 1 Small mammals, being warm blooded, suffer hardship in the exposed and turbulent evironment of the uppermost trees. Because a small body has more surface area per unit of weight than a large one of similar shape, it gains or loses heat more swiftly. Thus, in the trees, where shelter from heat and cold may be scarce and conditions may fluctuate, a small mammal may have trouble maintaining its body temperature. 4. According to paragraph 2, which of the following is true about the small mammals in the rain forest? (A) They have body shapes that are adapted to life in the canopy. (B) They prefer the temperature and climate of the canopy to that of other environments. © They have difficulty with the changing conditions in the canopy. (D) They use the trees of the canopy for shelter from heat and cold. My actual answer to this question was C, but the correct answer was D. I read very carefully the second paragraph and I've found this : "Thus, in the trees, where shelter from heat and cold may be scarce and conditions may fluctuate, a small mammal may have trouble maintaining its body temperature." From this it can be stated that small animals use the cannopy trees for shelter form heat and cold, AND they may (is not for sure if they have or not)have difficulty with the changing conditions in the cannopy. What do you say? The correct answer is D, or there is a mistake in the answer key ? I totally agree that the correct answer to this question is C. Notice the lines in bold. Essentially the para is starting as well as ending with the same point. This is the main idea of the para. As for the usage of "may", it is merely a style of speech, not to be taken very seriously. Go with your instinct Michael, your grasp of English is very good. Many times, the answer keys may be wrong. Small size makes it easy to scramble among twigs and branches in the canopy for insects, flowers, or fruit, but small mammals are surpassed, in the competition for food, by large ones that have their own tactics for browsing among food-rich twigs. The weight of a gibbon (a small ape) hanging below a branch arches the terminal leaves down so that fruit-bearing foliage drops toward the gibbon’s face. Walking or leaping species of a similar or even larger size access the outer twigs either by snapping off and retrieving the whole branch or by clutching stiff branches with the feet or tail and plucking food with their hands. 5. In discussing animal size in paragraph 3, the author indicates that (A) small animals require proportionately more food than larger animals do. (B) a large animal’s size is an advantage in obtaining food in the canopy. © Small animals are often attacked by larger animals in the rain forest. (D) Small animals and large animals are equally adept at obtaining food in the canopy. [/font]My answer was B, but the correct answer was A. I really don't find any argument here to sustain the first answer. What do you say ? Clearly the answer is B, the references to size and body structure of larger mammals which aid in food-gathering are discussed throughout the para. Reading 3 The end of the nineteenth century and the early years of the twentieth century were marked by the development of an international Art Nouveau style, characterized by sinuous lines, floral and vegetable motifs, and soft evanescent coloration. The Art Nouveau style was an eclectic one, bringing together elements of Japanese art, motifs of ancient cultures, and natural forms. The glass objects of this style were elegant in outline, although often deliberately distorted, with pale or iridescent surfaces. A favored device of the style was to imitate the iridescent surface seen on ancient glass that had been buried. Much of the Art Nouveau glass produced during the years of its greatest popularity had been generically termed "art glass". Art glass was intended for decorative purposes and relied for its effect upon carefully chosen color combinations and innovative techniques. 20. What does paragraph 1 mainly discuss ? (A) Design elements in the Art Nouveau style B) The popularity of the Art Nouveau style © Production techniques for art glass (D) Color combinations typical of the Art Nouveau style My answer was A, but the correct answer was B. It seems to me that the first paragraph discusses mainly the design elements not the popularity. Popularity, production techniques for art glass and color combinations are mentioned only toward the end of the passage... What do you say ? A wins hands down! Look at the bolded text within the para. Each refers to some distinct element of the Art Nouveau style. There is no mention of the: --> why people liked it or --> how many people liked it --> how widely did it sell --> how many artists adopted the style --> how did it fare compared to other styles etc. etc. This, if mentioned, would constitute statements in support of its popularity. Some 800 years ago, Alaska’s Hubbard Glacier advanced toward the sea, retreated,and advanced again 500 years later. Since 1895, this seventy-mile-long river of ice has been flowing steadily toward the Gulf of Alaska at a rate of approximately 200 feet per year. In June 1986, however, the glacier surged ahead as much as 47 feet a day. Meanwhile, a western tributary, called Valerie Glacier, advanced up to 112 feet per day. Hubbard’s surge closed off Russell Fiord with a formidable ice dam, some 2,500 feet wide and up to 800 feet high, whose caged waters threatened the town of Yakutat to the south. 35. According to the passage, the Hubbard Glacier (A) moves more often than the Valerie Glacier. (B) began movement toward the sea in 1895 © is 800 feet wide. (D) has moved as fast as 47 feet per day. [/font]This is a really tricky question.My answer was B as results according to the test. But the key answer was D. Now the D answer is a present perfect one.Since we can't determine the time when the glacier started to move I think this is a wrong answer. If "has moved" makes reference to the period after 1986 it's ok, but if it makes reference to the period between 1895 and 1986 it's not ok, because the glacier moved then with the speed of 200 feet per year, which is much less than 47 feet per day ! What do you say ? Here, my choice would be D. I think "has" is used in the context : has (sometime in the past) --> This would include all the years in the past. Since we are now in the present, there is no point splitting the time periods into pre and post-1986. It can also be arrived at if you eliminate the other answers: (A) moves more often than the Valerie Glacier. Nopes. No evidence. (B) began movement toward the sea in 1895 No. Look at the first sentence. It says that the glacier DID advance towards the sea 800 years ago. Of course, it retreated later, BUT 500 years later it didn't BEGIN movement. It merely CONTINUED its movement towards the sea. How do you know whether the intial advance was EQUIVALENT to the retreat? You don't. For all practical purposes, after retreating some distance, it just stopped moving. Later this movement re-intiated in 1895. © is 800 feet wide. No, it formed a dam 2500 ft wide and 800 ft high. The dam may not be in proportion to the glacier's dimensions due to buckling, crowding etc. The other 800 in the para is 800 years. This answer is just there to confuse people. Hope that helps. Have faith in yourself Michael, you are going to do very very well! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mishum2000 Posted January 29, 2005 Author Share Posted January 29, 2005 Hey Dingus thanks for your nice words. :). I agree with your explanations for all of the questions except the last one :). I agree that using POE (Process of Elimination) we can reach at the D as being the "best" answer choice, but not necessarily the correct one :). This is one of the TOEFL curiosities. The D answer states that the Hubbard Glacier has moved (somewhere in the past) as fast as 47 feet per day. This suggests that the glacier has move with the speed of 47 feet per day all the time in the past,which is not true (as I said in my previous post, the glacier moved with that speed only after 1986). This was the reason for which I didn't choose this answer. I thought that as fast as means "with the speed of". What is the interpretation of the "as fast as" ? It means "with the speed of" ? Or it means "with the maximum speed of" ? If it is so then we might say that the D answer is the "best" and the "correct" one. If not we can only say that the D answer is the "best" answer :p . I hope I made my point of view :) . Thanks a lot for helping me ! Best regards, Michael. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wasleys Posted January 29, 2005 Share Posted January 29, 2005 What is the interpretation of the "as fast as" ? It means "with the speed of" ? Or it means "with the maximum speed of" ? mishum2000, I haven't read the previous posts thoroughly but this may help with as fast as. I think there can be two uses. 1. Eg "It has moved as fast as X mph" = a maximum speed. 2. Eg "A has moved as fast as B" = at the same speed as (this might refer to maximum speed depending on context). Michael 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dingus Posted January 29, 2005 Share Posted January 29, 2005 What is the interpretation of the "as fast as" ? It means "with the speed of" ? Or it means "with the maximum speed of" ? If it is so then we might say that the D answer is the "best" and the "correct" one. If not we can only say that the D answer is the "best" answer :p . I hope I made my point of view :) . What you write here is a much better explanation than mine. You have hit the nail on its head! :) Yes, "as fast as" means reaching a "maximum speed of". That phrase is the deciding factor indeed, as you point out. See, you have solved your query yourself! :) EDIT: Oops, didn't see wasleys's post above. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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