TOEFL 2 0 0 3 . 0 1

hoxemagic · November 8, 2003

[bomb]

Section 3: Reading Comprehension

Questions 1-10

By far the most important United States export product in the eighteenth and

nineteenth centuries was cotton, favored by the European textile industry over flax or

wool because it was easy to process and soft to tile touch. Mechanization of spinning

Line and weaving allowed significant centralization and expansion in the textile industry during

5 this period, and at the same time the demand for cotton increased dramatically. American

producers were able to meet this demand largely because of tile invention of the cotton gin

by Eli Whitney in 1793. Cotton could be grown throughout the South, but separating the

fiber---or lint--from the seed was a laborious process. Sea island cotton was relatively

easy to process by hand, because its fibers were long and seeds were concentrated at the

10 base of the flower, but it demanded a long growing season, available only along the

nation's eastern seacoast. Short-staple cotton required a much shorter growing season,

but the shortness of the fibers and their mixture with seeds meant that a worker could

hand-process only about one pound per day. Whitney's gin was a hand-powered machine

with revolving drums and metal teeth to pull cotton fibers away from seeds. Using the gin,

15 a worker could produce up to '50 pounds of lint a day. The later development of larger

gins, powered by horses, water, or steam, multiplied productivity further.

The interaction of improved processing and high demand led to the rapid spread of

the cultivation of cotton and to a surge in production. It became the main American

export, dwarfing all others. In 1802, cotton composed 14 percent of total American

20 exports by value. Cotton had a 36 percent share by 1810 and over a 50 percent share

in 1830. In 1860, 61 percent of the value of American exports was represented by cotton.

In contrast, wheat and wheat flour composed only 6 percent of the value of American

exports in that year. Clearly, cotton was king in the trade of the young republic. The

growing market for cotton and other American agricultural products led to an

25 unprecedented expansion of agricultural settlement, mostly in the eastern half of the

United States---west of the Appalachian Mountains and east of the Mississippi River.

1. The main point of the passage is that the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries were a time when

(A) the European textile industry increased its demand for American export products

(B) mechanization of spinning and weaving dramatically changed the textile industry

(D) cotton became the most important American export product

2. The word "favored" in line 2 is closest in meaning to

(A) preferred

(B) recommended

(D) included

3. All of the following are mentioned in the passage as reasons for the increased demand for

cotton EXCEPT

(A) cotton's softness

(B) cotton's ease of processing

(D) the growth that occurred in the textile industry.

4. The word "laborious" in line 8 is closest in meaning to

(A) unfamiliar

(B) primitive

(D) difficult

5. According to the passage, one advantage of sea island cotton was its

(A) abundance of seeds

(B) long fibers

(D) adaptability to different climates

6. Which of the following can be inferred from the passage about cotton production in the United

States after the introduction of Whitney's cotton gin?

(A) More cotton came from sea island cotton plants than before.

(B) More cotton came from short-staple cotton plants than before.

(D) Most cotton produced was exported to England.

7. The word "surge" in line 18 is closest in meaning to

(A) sharp increase

(B) sudden stop

(D) excess amount

8. The author mentions "wheat and wheat flour" in line 22 in order to

(A) show that Americans exported more agricultural products than they imported.

(B) show the increase in the amount of wheat products exported.

(D) demonstrate that wheat farming was becoming more profitable.

9. The word "unprecedented" in line 25 is closest in meaning to

(A) slow

(B) profitable

(D) never explained

10. According to the passage, the Mississippi River was

(A) one of the boundaries of a region where new agricultural settlement took place

(B) a major source of water for agricultural crops

(D) a main source of power for most agricultural machinery

Questions 11-19

The origins of nest-building remain obscure, but current observation 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,

Line such as incessant pulling at strips of vegetation or scraping of the soil. During the early

5 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

10 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

15 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

20 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 ant1 most birds are able to carry an extra load of just over twenty percent of their

body weight.

11. The word "obscure" in line 1 is closest in meaning to

(A) interesting

(B) unclear

(D) complex

12. 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

(D) Building a nest

13. The word "display" in line 17 is closest in meaning to

(A) communicate

(B) imitate

(D) exhibit

14. 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

(D) compared the size of osprey nests with the nests of other species

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

objects?

(A) Ravens

(B) Ospreys

(D) Sparrowhawks

16. 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

(D) Collect more branches than necessary

17. The word "these" in line 20 refers to

(A) golden eagles

(B) generations

(D) nests

18. The word "load" in line 23 is closest in meaning to

(A) weight

(B) number

(D) level

19. 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

(D) birds can carry twenty percent of their own weight

Questions 20-30

A survey is a study, generally in the form of an interview or a questionnaire, that provides

information concerning how people think and act. In the United States, the best-known

surveys are the Gallup poll and the Harris poll. As anyone who watches the news during Line presidential campaigns knows, these polls have become an important part of political life in

5 the United States.

North Americans are familiar with the many "person on the street? interviews on local

television news shows. While such interviews can be highly entertaining, they are not

necessarily an accurate indication of public opinion. First, they reflect the opinions of only

those people who appear at a certain location. Thus, such samples can be biased in favor

10 of commuters, middle-class shoppers, or factory workers, depending On which area the

newspeople select. Second, television interviews tend to attract outgoing people who are

willing to appear on the air, while they frighten away others who may feel intimidated by

a camera. A survey must be based on a precise, representative sampling if it is to genuinely

reflect a broad range of the population.

15 In preparing to conduct a survey, sociologists must exercise great care in the wording

of questions. An effective survey question must be simple and clear enough for people to

understand it. It must also be specific enough so that there are no problems in interpreting

the results. Even questions that are less structured must be carefully phrased in order to elicit

the type of information desired. Surveys can be indispensable sources of information, but

20 only if the sampling is done properly and the questions are worded accurately.

There are two main forms of surveys: the interview and the questionnaire. Each of these

forms of survey research has its advantages. An interviewer can obtain a high response rate

because people find it more difficult to turn down a personal request for an interview than

to throw away a written questionnaire. In addition, an interviewer can go beyond written

25 questions and probe for a subject's underlying feelings and reasons. However, questionnaires

have the advantage of being cheaper and more consistent.

20. What does the passage mainly discuss?

(A) The history of surveys in North America

(B) The principles of conducting surveys

(D) The importance of polls in American political life

21. The word "they" in line 8 refers to

(A) North Americans

(B) news shows

(D) opinions

22. According to the passage, the main disadvantage of person-on-the-street interviews is that

they

(A) are not based on a representative sampling

(B) are used only on television

(D) reflect political opinions

23. The word "precise" in line 13 is closest in meaning to

(A) planned

(B) rational

(D) accurate

24. According to paragraph 3, which of the following is most important for an effective survey?

(A) A high number of respondents

(B) Carefully worded questions

(D) A sociologist who is able to interpret the results

25. The word "exercise" in line 15 is closest in meaning to

(A) utilize

(B) consider

(D) defend

26. The word "elicit" in line 18 is closest in meaning to

(A) compose

(B) rule out

(D) bring out

27. It can be inferred from the passage that one reason that sociologists may become frustrated

with questionnaires is that

(A) respondents often do not complete and return questionnaires

(B) questionnaires are often difficult to read

(D) respondents are too eager to supplement questions with their own opinions

28. According to the passage, one advantage of live interviews over questionnaires is that live

interviews

(A) cost less

(B) can produce more information

(D) minimize the influence of the researcher

29. The word "probe" in line 25 is closest in meaning to

(A) explore

(B) influence

(D) apply

30. Which of the following terms is defined in the passage?

(A) Survey (line 1)

(B) Public opinion (line 8)

(D) Response rate (line 22)

Questions 31-39

Perhaps one of the most dramatic and important changes that took place in the

Mesozoic era occurred late in that era, among the small organisms that populate the

uppermost, sunlit portion of the oceans--the plankton. The term "plankton" is a broad

Line one, designating all of the small plants and animals that float about or weakly propel

5 themselves through the sea. In the late stages of the Mesozoic era. during the Cretaceous

period, there was a great expansion of plankton that precipitated skeletons or shells

composed of two types of mineral: silica and calcium carbonate. This development

radically changed the types of sediments that accumulated on the seafloor, because,

while the organic parts of the plankton decayed after the organisms died, their mineralized

10 skeletons often survived and sank to the bottom. For the first time in the Earth's long

history, very large quantities of silica skeletons, which would eventually harden into rock,

began to pile up in parts of the deep sea. Thick deposits of calcareous ooze made up of

the tiny remains of the calcium carbonate-secreting plankton also accumulated as never

before. The famous white chalk cliffs of Dover, in the southeast of England, are just one

15 example of the huge quantities of such material that amassed during the Cretaceous

period; there are many more. Just why the calcareous plankton were so prolific during

the latter part of the Cretaceous period is not fully understood. Such massive amounts

of chalky sediments have never since been deposited over a comparable period of time.

The high biological productivity of the Cretaceous oceans also led to ideal conditions

20 for oil accumulation. Oil is formed when organic material trapped in sediments is slowly

buried and subjected to increased temperatures and pressures, transforming it into

petroleum. Sediments rich in organic material accumulated along the margins of the

Tethys Seaway, the tropical east-west ocean that formed when Earth's single landmass

(known as Pangaea) split apart during the Mesozoic era. Many of today's important oil

25 fields are found in those sediments--in Russia, the Middle East, the Gulf of Mexico, and

in the states of Texas and Louisiana in the United States.

31. What does the passage mainly discuss?

(A) How sediments were built up in oceans during the Cretaceous period

(B) How petroleum was formed in the Mesozoic era

(D) The differences between plankton found in the present era and Cretaceous plankton

32. The passage indicates that the Creiaceous period occurred

(A) in the early part of the Mesozoic era

(B) in the middle part of the Mesozoic era

(D) after the Mesozoic era

33. The passage mentions all of the following aspects of plankton EXCEPT

(A) the length of their lives

(B) the level of the ocean at which they are found

(D) their size

34. The word "accumulated" in line 8 is closest in meaning to

(A) depended

(B) matured

(D) collected

35. According to the passage, the most dramatic change to the oceans caused by plankton during

the Cretaceous period concerned

(A) the depth of the water

(B) the makeup of the sediment on the ocean floor

(D) a decline in the quantity of calcareous ooze on the seafloor

36. The "white chalk cliffs of Dover" are mentioned in line 14 of the passage to

(A) show where the plankton sediment first began to build up

(B) provide an example of a plankton buildup that scientists cannot explain

(D) indicate the largest single plankton buildup on Earth

37. The word "prolific" in line 16 is closest in meaning to

(A) fruitful

(B) distinct

(D) energetic

38. The word "ideal" in line 19 is closest in meaning to

(A) common

(B) clear

(D) immediate

39. The word "it" in line 21 refers to

(A) biological productivity

(B) oil

(D) petroleum

Questions 40-50

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

Line design, shape, and decoration is no accident: the proportions of the instrument are

5 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

10 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

15 violons 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

20 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

25 and interpretation. Left-hand technique was considerably elaborated, and new fingering

patterns on the fingerboard were developed for very high notes.

40. The word "standard" in line 12 is closest in meaning to

(A) practical

(B) customary

(D) unusual

41. "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

(D) why the violin was considered the only instrument suitable to be played by royalty

42. 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.

(D) The technique of playing the violin has remained essentially the same since the 1600's.

43. The author mentions Vivaldi and Tartini in line 20 as examples of composers whose music

(A) inspired more people to play the violin

(B) had to be adapted to the violin

(D) could be played only by their students

44. The word "they" in line 23 refers to

(A) Civaldi and Tartini

(B) thinner strings and a higher string tension

(D) internal structure and fingerboard

45. The word "strain" in line 23 is closest in meaning to

(A) struggle

(B) strength

(D) stress

46. The word "Accordingly" in line 24 is closest in meaning to

(A) However

(B) Consequently

(D) Ultimately

47. According to the passage, early violins were different from modern violins in that early violins

(A) were heavier

(B) broke down more easily

(D) were easier to play

48. 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

(D) Thick strings

49. Which of the following terms is defined in the passage?

(A) resonator (line 2)

(B) solo (line 7)

(D) fingering patterns (lines 25-26)

50. 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

(D) minor alterations to the structure of the instrument

:drunk:

soakaibabaridge · January 29, 2004

Where is the key for these questions???

Caltrop · March 5, 2004

Originally posted by soakaibabaridge

Where is the key for these questions???

Please check with this key: DACDB DACCA BCDCC ADADB CADBA DABAA ACADB CACCB AACDD BCDAC.

Good luck!:)

joyyoj · March 6, 2004

Thanx Caltrop I'm just looking for the key I got 45 out of 50 isn't a good score though?

NaTTaN · April 10, 2004

Hi

Can you explain me why the question 15's answer is c not b? I thought the osprey is stranger than the others. Thank you.

kennyp · April 20, 2004

The osprey's nest "contains"unususual objects(the passage refers to "contents") . The crow collects building materials to construct its nest so the nest would "include" these materials.

Sign In

TOEFL 2 0 0 3 . 0 1

Recommended Posts

hoxemagic

Link to comment

Share on other sites

soakaibabaridge

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Caltrop

Link to comment

Share on other sites

joyyoj

Link to comment

Share on other sites

NaTTaN

Link to comment

Share on other sites

kennyp

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Join the conversation

Browse

Activity