2024年4月23日发(作者：)

托福（阅读）历年真题试卷汇编8

(题后含答案及解析)

题型有： 3. Reading Comprehension

Sections Three：Reading Comprehension

The Chaco PhenomenonP1: Between about 900 to 1150 AD, a mysterious Stone

Age culture arose, flourished, and then vanished in the semi-desert region of the

Southwestern United States. Named the Chaco culture after the canyon in which the

principal ruins are found, nearly everything about this ancient society is shrouded in

mystery. A truly remarkable transformation in settlement patterns occurred in the San

Juan basin in northwestern New Mexico, with small household farmsteads giving way

to aggregated communities centered on communal masonry buildings that are now

called “great houses.” These multi-level buildings of up to 800 rooms are scattered

over thousands of square miles of the Four Corners area of the Southwest. The entire

episode of great house construction in Chaco, the Bonito phase (A.D. 900-1140), was

signifying an pronounced period of immense cooperative effort. Pueblo Chetro Ketl’s

outer wall alone is calculated to be composed of 30 million stones which were

brought to the canyon from distances between 80 and 150 kilometers away. Many of

the stones had to be shaped before being positioned and built into a huge project. But

by 1140 AD, the massive construction ceased abruptly, followed by a rapid decline in

use of the great houses and apparent abandonment of the canyon in the thirteenth

century.P2: For more than a century archaeologists have struggled to understand the

circumstances surrounding the rise and collapse of Chacoan society—dubbed the

Chaco Phenomenon. Specifically, research has focused on determining why such an

apparently inhospitable place as Chaco, which today is extremely arid and has very

short growing seasons, should have been favored for the concentration of labor that

must have been required for such massive construction projects over brief periods of

time. Until the 1970s, scholars and the public alike had a long-shared notion that

Chaco had been a forested oasis that attracted farmers who initially flourished but

eventually fell victim to their own success and exuberance, as they employed

unsustainable land-use practices to build their impressive communities. Yet there is no

substantial evidence, archaeological or otherwise, to support such contention.P3:

However, recent geological field studies in Chaco have produced some table-turning

evidence that may require a significant reassessment of the assumption that the

canyon was not a favorable agricultural setting. It appears that during the

extraordinary construction boom in the first half of the eleventh century, a devastating

flood occurred, resulting in extreme difficulty irrigating the area. A large natural lake,

near the biggest concentration of great houses, may have existed at the western end of

Chaco and might have suspended sediment, which would then have flowed into the

canyon. The presence of an abundance of water and, equally important, a source of

sediment that replenished agricultural fields, presumably made the canyon an

extremely attractive place for newly arriving people from the northern San Juan River

basin. In fact, during the 1980s, this reconstruction was largely dismissed in response

to evidence that there were only scattered trees along cliffs and escarpments above the

canyon rather than woodlands in the first place, and that canyon soil was highly

sensitive to increases in aridity and temperature and thus unsuitable for farming,

regardless of the amount of trees. As long-standing scientific consensus was

undergoing this transformation, the position of the canyon within a regional network

of dispersed agricultural communities called up more academic attention. P4: The

adoption of a regional perspective in explaining the Chaco Phenomenon was based in

part on the discovery of formal trails. A combination of remote sensing techniques and

ground verification defined a prehistoric road system which extended outward from

Chaco Canyon into the surrounding San Juan Basin, later referred to as Chaco

“outliers.” These trails are densest around the concentration of great houses in the

center, and the canyon itself is roughly at the center of the basin. Consequently, Chaco

Canyon was intimately related to other settlements in a single cultural web flung

across 30,000 square miles and which reached into Colorado and Utah, all tied

together by a network of ancient roads. The current consensus view is that religion

provided the fundamental explanation for this centrifugal pattern.P5: After close study

of great kivas (multipurpose rooms used for religious, political, and social functions),

archeologists tend to depict Chaco as a location of high devotional expression and the

pilgrimage center of a sacred landscape. The kiva structure itself, of whatever size,

occupies a special and sacred place in Pueblo architecture. Excavation of some of

these vaults suggests that they were once associated with ceremonies. Archaeological

record presented some ritual artifacts, including caches of turquoise beads and

pendants, unusual ceramic vessels and wooden objects, several rooms with multiple

human burials, and especially the large number of kivas found in great houses. Most

of these indicators occur only at Pueblo Bonito, but archaeologists generally assume

that all the great houses had a similar ritual function. Some scholars have even argued

that the great houses were temples instead of residences.P4: ■ The adoption of a

regional perspective in explaining the Chaco Phenomenon was based in part on the

discovery of formal trails.■ A combination of remote sensing techniques and ground

verification defined a prehistoric road system which extended outward from Chaco

Canyon into the surrounding San Juan Basin, later referred to as Chaco “outliers.”■

These trails are densest around the concentration of great houses in the center, and the

canyon itself is roughly at the center of the basin. Consequently, Chaco Canyon was

intimately related to other settlements in a single cultural web flung across 30,000

square miles and which reached into Colorado and Utah, all tied together by a

network of ancient roads. ■ The current consensus view is that religion provided the

fundamental explanation for this centrifugal pattern.

1． The word “signifying” in the passage is closest in meaning to

A．creating

B．indicating

C．initiating

D．requiring

正确答案：B

解析：【词汇题】signifying意为“代表”。

2． The word “ceased” in the passage is closest in meaning to

A．slow down

B．accelerated

C．stopped

D．changed in style

正确答案：C

解析：【词汇题】ceased意为“停止”。

3． According to paragraph 1, all of the following provide evidence that the

Bonito phase was a time of immense cooperative effort EXCEPT

A．the large amounts of material needed

B．the size of the Pueblo Bonito complex

C．the unusual materials used in construction

D．the distance the materials needed to be transported

正确答案：C

解析：【否定事实信息题】其他三个选项文中均有对应信息，只有C文中未

提及。

4． 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.

A．Researchers have tried to establish why an area as dry as Chaco was the site

of such large construction efforts.

B．Researchers have tried to establish whether the concentration of massive

construction projects in a brief period of time made Chaco the dry area that it is today.

C．Researchers have established that Chaco’s brief growing season required a

concentration of labor to produce large quantities of food in a short period of time.

D．Researchers have established that the hot, dry climate of Chaco forced

workers to complete construction on large buildings in short periods of time.

正确答案：A

解析：【句子简化题】原文是个带宾语从句的复杂句，主干为research has

focused on determining why…。只有A选项在句子主干和句意上与此相符。

5． According to paragraph 2, before 1970, scholars believed that Chacoan

society collapsed because

A．Chaco never had the forests that were needed for the development of a stable

agricultural economy.

B．farmers used up the natural resources in Chaco that had originally allowed the

society to succeed.

C．Chaco suffered a long-term drought that prevented farmers from growing

enough food.

D．laborers left Chaco to find other work after they finished building the great

houses there.

正确答案：B

解析：【事实信息题】倒数第2句提到“…fell victim to their own success and

exuberance，as they…”，因此答案为B。

6． It can be inferred from paragraph 2 that the pre-1970s theory about the Chaco

Phenomenon

A．was based on the widespread farm and tool remains found by archaeologists

on the site.

B．was largely reinforced by findings in the 1980s.

C．was not supported by substantial evidence.

D．was so strong that it went unchallenged for many decades.

正确答案：C

解析：【推断题】末句提到“Yet there is no substantial evidence,…”，因此答

案为C。

7． According to paragraph 3, why did scientists change their view about the

cause of the collapse of Chacoan society?

A．They found evidence that Chaco had always lacked trees and good soil.

B．They discovered that Chaco Canyon was much drier than they had previously

believed.

C．They learned that the population was not large enough to supply the laborers

needed to build the great houses.

D．They found evidence that the farming economy was excessively concentrated

in the central canyon.

正确答案：A

解析：【事实信息题】首句提到“produced some table-turning evidence that…”，

说明有新的证据出现。第5句说明了依据的具体内容，因此答案为A。

8． According to paragraph 3, what is the possible significance of new geological

field studies in Chaco?

A．They indicate that during the construction boom the Chaco area probably did

have enough water and sediment to attract farmers to that area.

B．They could undermine the theory of Chaco as a religious center.

C．They show the presence of excessive amounts of water, which may have led

to the departure of most of the people living there during the Bonito phase.

D．They suggest that the kind of sediment present in Chaco in the eleventh

century was not favorable for agriculture.

正确答案：A

解析：【修辞目的题】首句提到“produced some table-turning evidence that…”，

说明此处为题目所问的重要发现，后文说明了发现的具体内容，因此答案为A。

9． Why does the author state that “A large natural lake, near the biggest

concentration of great houses, may have existed at the western end of Chaco”?

A．To suggest that geological studies are better than archaeological studies in

identifying the historical uses of land

B．To demonstrate that large construction projects require a large population of

workers

C．To support the idea that Chaco may have been favorable to agriculture during

the Bonito phase

D．To show that the Chacoan people preferred to build their homes near water

正确答案：C

解析：【修辞目的题】题目中信息与前一句都是对主题句的解释说明，因此

答案为C。

10． The word “dispersed” in the passage is closest in meaning to

A．connected

B．scattered

C．stable

D．developed

正确答案：B

解析：【词汇题】dispersed意为“分散的”。

11． According to paragraphs 5, which of the following best describes how

archaeologists arrived at their current view of the nature of Chaco during the Bonito

phase?

A．They discovered a large number of kivas, which probably served as temporary

houses for pilgrims on their way to the main temple.

B．They found a series of paths leading to the outliers, which seem to have been

centers of trade for makers of jewelry and other products.

C．They found turquoise beads and pendants and other valuable objects, leading

to the theory that the great houses were wealthy residences.

D．They discovered many objects and rooms associated with ritual activity,

leading to the theory that Chaco was a religious center.

正确答案：D

解析：【事实信息题】首句提到“archaeologists tend to depict Chaco as a location

of…”，并在后文做了详细说明，因此答案为D。

12． The word “function” in the passage is closest in meaning to

A．center

B．practice

C．design

D．purpose

正确答案：D

解析：【词汇题】function意为“目的、作用”。

13． Look at the four squares [■] that indicate where the following sentence can

be added to the rs have attempted to find a reason for this web like

arrangement of great houses around a central would the sentence best

fit?Click on a square [■] to add the sentence to the passage.

正确答案：D

解析：【句子插入题】插入文本中提到“Scholars have attempted to find a reason

for this web like arrangement”说明上文提到了网状的分布，后文和学者提出的猜

测有关，因此答案为D。

14． 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 sentences 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 View population of the

Chaco Canyon in New Mexico changed significantly between the tenth and eleventh

centuries, as evidenced by the remains of its great houses.---Answer ChoicesA Before

the 1970s, scholars believed that the fall of Chacoan society was caused by farmers’

cutting down all the trees to build their great houses. B After discovering trails

connecting Chaco to surrounding communities, scholars came to believe that there

were many forested oases to support those communities. C Archaeological evidence

has led current scholars to believe that Chaco was a religious center during the Bonito

phase. D Archaeological findings indicate that Chaco Canyon was completely

abandoned by the end of the thirteenth century. E Researchers’ findings in the 1980s

revealed that Chaco Canyon had been a fertile agricultural area that caused the

population near the center of the canyon to increase steadily during the Bonito phase.

F Recent geological studies indicating the presence of water in Chaco Canyon in the

eleventh century may alter scholars’ belief that the area was not favorable for farming.

正确答案：A，C，E

解析：【文章总结题】文章主要涉及关于查科地区人口变化的一些猜想，A C

E围绕主旨展开，概括了三种不同的发现。而D、F是文章细节信息，B文中未

提及。

The Climate of JapanP1: Meteorological features in Japan are mainly shaped by

two factors. On one hand, tropical cyclone activity peaks in the late summer, when the

difference between temperatures aloft and sea surface temperatures is the greatest. On

the other hand, during winter months heavy masses of cold air from Siberia dictate the

weather around Japan. Persistent cold winds skim across the Sea of Japan from the

northwest, picking up moisture that they deposit as several feet of snow on the

western side of the mountain ranges on Honshu Island. As the cold air drops its

moisture, it flows over high ridges and down eastern slopes to bring cold, relatively

dry weather to valleys, coastal plains, and cities.P2: In spring, the Siberian air mass

warms and loses density, enabling atmospheric currents over the Pacific to steer

warmer air into northeast Asia. This warm, moisture-laden air covers most of southern

Japan during June and July. The resulting late spring rains then give way to a drier

summer that is sufficiently hot and muggy, despite the island chain’s northerly latitude,

to allow widespread rice cultivation. In addition to the rain and sweltering

temperatures of summer, the months of August and early September are also

considered typhoon season, when high pressure systems formed in the tropical areas

of the western Pacific Ocean occasionally strike Japan’s southern regions, inflicting

torrential rain and strong wind. The arrival of autumn in late September usually brings

drier conditions and a drop in temperatures.P3: Each season has its own

characteristics, with the highest precipitation in most areas falling during the rainy

season, when temperatures can soar into the high 90’s daily with almost 100%

humidity. While the moisture fosters an exceptionally abundant forest, the

combination of precipitous slopes and heavy rainfall also gives the islands one of the

world’s highest rates of natural erosion, intensified by both human activity and the

natural shocks of earthquakes and volcanism. These factors have in turn contributed

to mountainsides that are extremely susceptible to erosion and landslides, and hence

generally unsuitable for agricultural manipulation.P4: The climate of Japan is

predominantly temperate, but varies greatly from north to south and Japan’s

geographical features divide it into six principal climatic zones. Generally sunny

winters along the Pacific seaboard have made habitation there relatively pleasant.

Along the Sea of Japan, on the other hand, cold, snowy winters have discouraged

settlement. Furthermore, the combination of warm waters and monsoons results in

strong evaporation of the relatively high annual precipitation, leaving little moisture

for farming.P5: In the summer, the region of Honshu is cooler than the Pacific area,

though it sometimes experiences extremely hot temperatures because of the foehn.

This has also discouraged agriculture. The area is subject to the yamase effect, when

cool air from the north sometimes lowers temperatures sharply and damages farm

production. As the the rice grown in Japan requires a mean summer temperature of

20°C or higher, a drop of 2°C -3°C can lead to a 30-50 percent drop in rice yield,

and the yamase effect is capable of exceeding that level. This yamase effect does not,

however, extend very far south, where most precipitation comes in the form of rain

rather than snow and the bulk of it in spring, summer, and fall, when most useful for

cultivation. Even the autumn typhoons, which deposit most of their moisture along the

southern seaboard, are beneficial because they promote the start of the winter crops

that for centuries have been grown in southern Japan.P6: To conclude, meteorological

factors, including both climate on a large scale and precipitation patterns, have forced

the Japanese to cluster their settlements along the southern coast, most densely along

the sheltered Inland Sea, moving out of the northeast in the past two millennia. There

the limits that topography imposed on production have been tightened by climate,

with the result that agricultural output has been more modest and less reliable, making

the risk of crop failure and hardship greater.P3: ■ Each season has its own

characteristics, with the highest precipitation in most areas falling during the rainy

season, when temperatures can soar into the high 90’s daily with almost 100%

humidity. ■ While the moisture fosters an exceptionally abundant forest, the

combination of precipitous slopes and heavy rainfall also gives the islands one of the

world’s highest rates of natural erosion, intensified by both human activity and the

natural shocks of earthquakes and volcanism. ■ These factors have in turn

contributed to mountainsides that are extremely susceptible to erosion and landslides,

and hence generally unsuitable for agricultural manipulation.■

15． According to paragraph 1, all of the following are true of the cold air from

Siberia EXCEPT:

A．It gathers moisture as it moves across the Sea of Japan.

B．It is responsible for the snow that falls on the western side of Honshu Island.

C．It determines the weather in winter by the tropical cyclone activity.

D．It is responsible for the cold, dry weather of the eastern valleys and coastal

plains and cities.

正确答案：C

解析：【否定事实信息题】根据第2句提供的信息，tropical cyclone是夏季

的特征，不是冬季。

16． The word “enabling” in the passage is closest in meaning to

A．preparing

B．requiring

C．allowing

D．distributing

正确答案：C

解析：【词汇题】enabling意为“使成为可能”。

17． Why does the author include the phrase “despite the island chain’s northerly

latitude” in the paragraph?

A．To indicate that one would not expect such hot, muggy weather at Japan’s

latitude

B．To compare Japan’s climate to the climates of more northerly latitudes

C．To give a reason for the hot, muggy weather experienced in Japan during the

summer

D．To explain why Japan’s climate is only suitable for rice cultivation

正确答案：A

解析：【修辞目的题】文中提到尽管日本的纬度较高，但是随之而来的暮春

时节的雨水还是带来了干燥、高温、闷热的夏天，表明日本这么高纬度的位置还

能有炎热的夏天是出乎人们意料的。

18． All of the following are mentioned in paragraph 3 as contributing to the

high rate of erosion in the Japanese islands EXCEPT:

A．very steep slopes and heavy rainfall

B．intense agricultural manipulation

C．earthquakes and volcanic activities

D．human activity

正确答案：B

解析：【否定事实信息题】原文末句明确指出农业活动很少，与B选项矛盾。

19． The word “susceptible to” in the passage is closest in meaning to

A．slow to recover from

B．likely to be affected by

C．unable to benefit from

D．well-known for

正确答案：B

解析：【词汇题】susceptible to意为“易受……影响”。

20． According to paragraph 4, which of the following is a major factor in the

limited habitation in the area along the Sea of Japan?

A．It has too many mountains.

B．It is vulnerable to floods during spring runoff.

C．Its climate is highly irregular and unpredictable.

D．It is cold and snowy during winter.

正确答案：D

解析：【事实信息题】倒数第2句提到日本海沿岸的冬季寒冷多雪，阻碍了

人们定居。

21． According to paragraph 5, how can the yamase effect lead to lower rice

production in northern Honshu?

A．It can cause temperatures to drop below the level required for rice to grow

well.

B．It can limit the amount of summer rainfall, resulting in less water for

cultivation.

C．It can damage a large portion of the land on which rice is grown.

D．It can prevent rice cultivation during sessions other than summer.

正确答案：A

解析：【事实信息题】第4句提到日本的水稻种植需要20摄氏度或更高的夏

季平均温度，但是本州地区深受山背效应影响，北方的冷空气会降低气温，破坏

农业生产。

22． Which of the following can be inferred from paragraph 5 about farming in

southern Japan?

A．Farming is limited to rice cultivation.

B．Farming is difficult because of the yamase effect.

C．Farming takes place throughout the year.

D．Farming suffers from the effects of autumn typhoons.

正确答案：C

解析：【推断题】末句提到山背效应并没有影响南方地区，且南方在春季、

夏季和秋季都有降雨，对于农业有帮助，秋季的台风也给南部沿海地区带来了大

量水分，而且水分能够促进冬季作物的生长。所以从中可以推断出日本南部全年

都可以种植庄稼。

23． The word “exceeding” in the passage is closest in meaning to

A．almost reaching

B．going beyond

C．maintaining

D．reducing

正确答案：B

解析：【词汇题】exceeding意为“超越”。

24． The word “cluster” in the passage is closest in meaning to

A．build

B．group

C．move

D．expand

正确答案：B

解析：【词汇题】cluster意为“聚集”。

25． 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.

A．Agricultural production has been more successful in northeastern Japan than

along the Inland Sea, where topography and climate make life difficult for people.

B．Topography and climate have combined to limit agricultural production in

northeastern Japan, resulting in an increased risk of crop failure and hardship.

C．Along the Inland Sea, where topography makes the climate more severe,

decreased agricultural output has resulted from crop failure and hardship.

D．The risk of crop failure in northeastern Japan has caused greater hardship than

have climate and topography.

正确答案：B

解析：【句子简化题】原文为一系列因果关系：There the limits…have been

tightened…，with the result that…，making…。只有B选项表达了这种因果关系。

26． Look at the four squares [■] that indicate where the following sentence

could be added to the a large amount of rainfall has both positive and

negative effects on the environment of the Japanese would the sentence

best fit?Click on a square [■] to add the sentence to the passage.

正确答案：B

解析：【句子插入题】空前提到了雨季降水量很大，跟such a large amount of

rainfall吻合，并且空后讲了降水量多的好处及坏处。

27． 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. Drag your choices to the spaces

where they belong. To review the passage, click on View ’s yearly weather

cycle influences settlement patterns and agriculture across the islands.---Answer

ChoicesA Cold, westerly winds from Siberia and cyclonic airflows from the Pacific

Ocean provide ample rainfall for farming but contribute to high rates of erosion. B

Settlements are most concentrated along the Pacific seaboard to the south, where

climate and topography are more suitable for crop cultivation. C The yamase effect

has a great impact on rice growing in northern Japan but does not affect cultivation in

southern Japan, where precipitation comes in the form of rain rather than snow. D

Japan’s yearly weather cycle makes farming possible only in the summer, as the

effects of the Siberian air mass result in winters that are too cold and snowy for

agriculture. E Agricultural practices that stabilize sediments have reduced erosion and

landslides and allowed the growth of lush forests in Japan. F Climate changes during

the last two millennia have caused the Japanese to move their settlements toward the

northeast, where the climate is more favorable to agriculture.

正确答案：A，B，C

解析：【文章总结题】本文主要讲了日本的气候特征以及对农耕和人口分布

的影响。来自西伯利亚的寒冷西风和来自太平洋的旋风气流带来了大量降雨，但

同时也导致了大范围的土地侵蚀；南部沿海降水充足，温度也适宜农业发展，所

以人们大多定居在那里；山背效应降低了日本北部的气温，影响了农业种植，但

是南方却不受影响。因此涉及日本气候的A、B、C选项正确。D、E、F三个选

项与文章内容不一致。

The Cosmological PrincipleP1: Cosmologists hypothesized that the distribution

of matter in the universe is homogeneous and isotropic when viewed on a large

enough scale, since the forces are expected to act uniformly throughout the universe,

and should, therefore, produce no observable irregularities on the large scale. This

amounts to the strongly philosophical statement that the Passage of the universe

which we can see is fair sample, and that the same physical laws apply throughout. In

essence, this in a sense says that the universe is knowable and is playing fair with

scientists.P2: In the 1920s, astronomer Edwin Hubble made a groundbreaking

discovery that the universe is not static, but rather is expanding. In 1998, the Hubble

Space Telescope, named for the astronomer, studied distant supemovae and found that

the universe was expanding more slowly a long time ago compared with the pace of

its expansion today. But one thing that’s certain is that the expansion of the universe

was the primary fact of cosmological significance that cosmological theories had to

accommodate. In every direction we look, distant galaxies are moving away from

each other. The scientific community was once divided between supporters of two

different expanding universe theories: the evolutionary (Big Bang) and the Steady

State theory.P3: The essential idea of evolutionary cosmology is that there was a

beginning— a moment of creation at which the universe came into existence in a hot,

violent explosion—the Big Bang. Scientists believe that the entire vastness of the

observable universe was compressed into a hot, dense mass just a few millimeters

across. This nearly incomprehensible state is theorized to have existed for just a

fraction of the first second of time. Scientists can’t be sure exactly how the universe

evolved after the big bang. Many believe that as time passed and matter cooled, more

diverse kinds of atoms began to form, and they eventually condensed into the stars

and galaxies of our present universe some 10 billion to 20 billion years ago.P4: In the

steady-state theory, the universe would have existed for ever and would have looked

the same at all times, thus adhering to the perfect cosmological principle, a principle

that asserts that the observable universe is basically the same at any time as well as at

any place. This view is consistent with philosophical approaches that reject the notion

of an absolute beginning of the universe as unacceptable. The steady-state universe

would have no beginning and no end.P5: In an expanding universe, as galaxies moved

apart, spreading matter more thinly over space, new galaxies would form from matter

—in the form of hydrogen— that was supposed to be continually being created

throughout space. In addition, the perfect cosmological principle requires that the

universe is always expanding but maintaining a constant average density, matter being

continuously created to form new stars and galaxies at the same rate that old ones

become unobservable with available instruments as a consequence of their increasing

distance and velocity of recession. Thus in the steady-state universe, from any point

within it the view on the grand scale—the general character and the overall density—

is the same. Galaxies of all possible ages are intermingled. Through continuous

creation, the steady-state theory is finally compatible with the expanding universe. In

this special sense, the steady-state universe itself does not evolve.P6: Both of the two

theories account for the cosmological principle effectively. However, the discovery in

the 1960s of comparatively small star-like objects called quasars tipped the scales in

favor of Big Bang cosmology. Many astronomers believe that quasars are the most

distant objects yet detected in the universe, emitting radio waves and visible light up

to 100 times the luminosity of the entire Milky Way Galaxy.P7: Despite their

brightness, due to their great distance from Earth, no quasars can be seen with an

unaided eye. Energy from quasars takes billions of years to reach the Earth’s

atmosphere. ■ For this reason, the study of quasars can provide astronomers with

information about the state of the universe billions of years ago. ■ The fact that

almost all quasars are very far away implies that earlier in the history of the universe

quasars were developing more frequently than they are now. ■ This evolution is

consistent with the Big Bang theory, but it violates the perfect cosmological principle.

■

28． 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.

A．Cosmologists make the assumption that the universe would appear basically

the same from anywhere within it.

B．Cosmologists simplify their assumptions because they are basically trying to

understand the whole universe.

C．Cosmologists make an assumption about the universe basically in an effort to

avoid stationing observers in remote places.

D．Cosmologists incorrectly assumed the universe to be far simpler that it really

is when viewed on a larger scale.

正确答案：A

解析：【句子简化题】原文虽然是个因果关系，但重点在于强调字宙是统一

的，即原文的前半部分。

29． The word “significance” in the passage is closest in meaning to

A．change

B．expansion

C．activity

D．importance

正确答案：D

解析：【词汇题】significance意为“重要性”。

30． According to paragraph 2, what is true of both the evolutionary and

steady-state theories?

A．Both were based on the work of the same observer of the galaxies.

B．Both were used to overturn the theories of the early twentieth century.

C．Both took 30 years to become widely accepted by cosmologists.

D．Both accommodate the fact that the galaxies are moving apart.

正确答案：D

解析：【事实信息题】倒数第2句提到宇宙进化有两种理论，但是唯一确定

的是宇宙在不断地扩张，也就是星系渐行渐远。

31． The word “essential” in the passage is closest in meaning to

A．familiar

B．new

C．fundamental

D．controversial

正确答案：C

解析：【词汇题】essential意为“基本的”。

32． According to paragraph 3, which of the following is NOT a feature of the

Big Bang cosmology?

A．A tiny, hot mass contained the whole cosmos.

B．More atoms began to appear.

C．Temperature rose significantly over time.

D．A violent explosion occurred suddenly.

正确答案：C

解析：【否定事实信息题】A、B、D都明显都对应，选项C中说温度急剧上

升，而末句是说随着时间推移，物质慢慢冷却下来。

33． The word “notion” in the passage is closest in meaning to

A．nature

B．argument

C．question

D．idea

正确答案：D

解析：【词汇题】notion意为“观点”。

34． Why does the author state that The steady-state universe would have no

beginning and no end?

A．To present evidence against the steady-state view of the universe

B．To clarify why the steady-state view is attractive to certain philosophical

approaches

C．To contrast cosmology with philosophy

D．To indicate that the steady-state view is the most accepted view among

cosmologists

正确答案：B

解析：【修辞目的题】前文说到哲学方法反对宇宙有一个绝对的开端，所以

作者提及恒态的宇宙没有开端也没有尽头是为了说明恒态论与哲学论点相同。

35． The word “compatible” in the passage is closest in meaning to

A．respected

B．equivalent

C．consistent

D．competitive

正确答案：C

解析：【词汇题】compatible意为“一致的”。

36． Which of the following is true of the concept of continuous creation?

A．It suggests that hydrogen for new stars is created as galaxies move farther

apart.

B．It asserts that matter in the universe becomes denser as hydrogen is created.

C．It explains why the galaxies are moving away from each other.

D．It predicts a change in density of matter in the universe over time.

正确答案：A

解析：【事实信息题】文中提到在扩张的宇宙中，随着星系渐行渐远，太空

中的物质也渐渐变得稀薄，以氢的形式存在的物质会在太空中不断出现，最终形

成新的星系。

37． According to paragraph 5, which of the following is characteristic of the

steady-state theory?

A．The rate of expansion it predicts is too slow to be measured by current

instruments.

B．New stars and galaxies are formed, but the large-scale properties of the

universe remain the same.

C．The density of matter changes over time as the universe evolves.

D．The creation of new galaxies will eventually stop the universe from

expanding.

正确答案：B

解析：【推断题】根据首末两句，不断被创造出来的物质会构成新的星星与

星系，而老的物质也会慢慢退出可观测的范围，因此在恒态的宇宙中，从任何一

个角度观察，大体的特征和总体的密度是不变的。

38． Paragraph 6 answers which of the following questions about quasars?

A．What is the ratio of the number of quasars to the number of spiral galaxies?

B．Why was the discovery of quasars of importance for cosmologists?

C．Why were quasars not discovered before the 1960s?

D．How do quasars produce so much light?

正确答案：B

解析：【修辞目的题】文中提到类星体为科学家偏向大爆炸理论起决定性作

用，所以说明类星体的发现对宇宙学家具有重要作用。

39． Which of the following best describes the relationship between paragraphs 6

and 7?

A．Paragraph 6 makes a claim about support for the Big Bang cosmology and

paragraph 7 describes how the distribution of quasars provides that support.

B．Paragraph 6 describes the similarities between the steady-state and Big Bang

theories, while paragraph 7 explains the differences between them.

C．Paragraph 6 presents a question about quasars while paragraph 7 provides

several possible answers to that question.

D．Paragraph 6 describes the chemical composition of quasars while paragraph 7

describes the locations of quasars.

正确答案：A

解析：【推断题】第六段提出类星体的发现对科学家偏向大爆炸理论起决定

性作用，并且介绍类星体的特征，第七段详细说明类星体能够帮助天文学家了解

到宇宙几十亿年前的状态，并解释了原因。

40． Look at the four squares [■] that indicate where the following sentence

could be added to the turn this means that over a period of billions of years

the large-scale distribution of the kinds of galaxies the universe contains has

fundamentally would the sentence best fit?Click on a square [■] to

add the sentence to the passage.

正确答案：C

解析：【句子插入题】空前提到类星体如此遥远能够说明它们在宇宙形成的

初期出现的频率要比现在更高。插入句说这就意味着宇宙中星系的分度出现了变

化，与空后的结论吻合。

41． 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. Drag your choices to the spaces

where they belong. To review the passage, click on View ionary and

steady-state theories have been proposed to explain the large-scale structure of the

universe.---Answer ChoicesA The Big Bang theory maintains that the continuous

creation of matter is the explanation for why the universe is expanding at a constant

rate. B While the steady-state cosmology rejects the belief that the universe has an

end, it accepts the possibility that the universe had a beginning. C The distribution of

quasars suggests that the large-scale structure of the universe has changed over time

and thus makes the evolutionary theory more plausible than the steady-state theory. D

The evolutionary theory maintains that the universe had a beginning with a high

density explosion and has been expanding to yield a less dense distribution of matter

ever since. E The steady-state theory maintains that the expanding universe has

existed forever, with new matter being continuously created to keep the large-scale

density of matter the same as we observe it today. F The extreme brightness of

quasars is proof of an explosion that marked the beginning of the universe as

hypothesized by the evolutionary cosmology.

正确答案：C，D，E

解析：【文章总结题】本文介绍了字宙扩张的两种理论，大爆炸理论认为宇

宙是由一个炙热剧烈的爆炸产生，后来随着时间迁移，物质冷却变稀少；恒态论

认为宇宙永远存在，且里面的物质恒定不变；但是后来科学家发现了类星体，于

是更加偏向大爆炸理论。因此涉及宇宙扩张理论的C、D、E选项正确。A、B、

F三个选项与文章内容不一致。