1、托福（阅读）模拟试卷 15及答案与解析 一、 Sections Three： Reading Comprehension 0 “The Hydrologic Cycle“ The hydrologic cycle is the transfer of water from the oceans to the atmosphere to the land and back to the oceans. The processes involved include evaporation of water from the oceans; precipitation on land; evapor
2、ation from land; and runoff from streams, rivers, and subsurface groundwater. The hydro-logic cycle is driven by solar energy, which evaporates water from oceans, freshwater bodies, soils, and vegetation. Of the total 1.3 billion cubic km water on Earth, about 97% is in oceans, and about 2% is in gl
3、aciers and ice caps. The rest is in freshwater on land and in the atmosphere. Although it represents only a small fraction of the water on Earth, the water on land is important in moving chemicals, sculpturing landscape, weathering rocks, transporting sediments, and providing our water resources. Th
4、e water in the atmosphere only 0.001% of the total on Earth cycles quickly to produce rain and runoff for our water resources. Especially important from an environmental perspective is that rates of transfer on land are small relative to whats happening in the ocean. For example, most of the water t
5、hat evaporates from the ocean falls again as precipitation into the ocean. On land, most of the water that falls as precipitation comes from evaporation of water from land. This means that regional land-use changes, such as the building of large dams and reservoirs, can change the amount of water ev
6、aporated into the atmosphere and change the location and amount of precipitation on land water we depend on to raise our crops and supply water for our urban environments. Furthermore, as we pave over large areas of land in cities, storm water runs off quicker and in greater volume, thereby increasi
7、ng flood hazards. Bringing water into semi-arid cities by pumping groundwater or transporting water from distant mountains through aqueducts may increase evaporation, thereby increasing humidity and precipitation in a region. Approximately 60% of water that falls by precipitation on land each year e
8、vaporates to the atmosphere. A smaller component (about 40%) returns to the ocean surface and subsurface runoff. A This small annual transfer of water supplies resources for rivers and urban and agricultural lands. B Unfortunately, distribution of water on land is far from uniform. C As human popula
9、tion increases, water shortages will become more frequent in arid and semi-arid regions, where water is naturally nonabundant. D At the regional and local level, the fundamental hydrological unit of the landscape is the drainage basin (also called a watershed or catchment). A drainage basin is the a
10、rea that contributes surface runoff to a particular stream or river. The term drainage basin is usually used in evaluating the hydrology of an area, such as the stream flow or runoff from hill slopes. Drainage basins vary greatly in size, from less than a hectare (2.5 acres) to millions of square ki
11、lometers. A drainage basin is usually named for its main stream or river, such as the Mississippi River drainage basin. The main process in the cycle is the global transfer of water from the atmosphere to the land and oceans and back to the atmosphere. Notice that more than 97% of Earths water is in
12、 the oceans; the next largest storage compartment, the ice caps and glaciers, accounts for another 2%. Together, these account for more than 99% of the total water, and both are generally unsuitable for human use because of salinity (seawater) and location (ice caps and glaciers). Only about 0.001%
13、of the total water on Earth is in the atmosphere at any one time. However, this relatively small amount of water in the global water cycle, with an average atmospheric residence time of only about 9 days, produces all our freshwater resources through the process of precipitation. Water can be found
14、in either liquid, solid, or gaseous form at a number of locations at or near Earths surface. Depending on the specific location, the residence time may vary from a few days to many thousands of years. However, as mentioned, more than 99% of Earths water in its natural state is unavailable or unsuita
15、ble for beneficial human use. Thus, the amount of water for which all the people, plants, and animals on Earth compete is much less than 1% of the total. As the worlds population and industrial production of goods increase, the use of water will also accelerate. The world per capita use of water in
16、1975 was about 185,000 gal/year. And the total human use of water was about 700 m3/year or 2000 gal/day. Today, world use of water is about 6,000 km3/year or about 1.58 x 1015 gal/year, which is a significant fraction of the naturally available freshwater. Compared with other resources, water is use
17、d in very large quantities. In recent years, the total mass (or weight) of water used on Earth per year has been approximately 1000 times the worlds total production of minerals, including petroleum, coal, metal ores, and nonmetals. 1 Which of the sentences below best expresses the information in th
18、e highlighted statement in the passage? The other choices change the meaning or leave out important information. （ A） It is the hydrologic cycle that causes water to evaporate from plants, soil, and bodies of water inland as well as from the oceans. （ B） Solar energy is the source of power for the h
19、ydrologic cycle, which begins by evaporating water from plants, soil, oceans, and freshwater sources. （ C） The evaporation of water from the oceans, freshwater sources, plants, and soils is the natural process, which we call the hydrologic cycle. （ D） Energy from the sun and the hydrologic cycle are
20、 power sources for plants that require water from the oceans and freshwater sources. 2 Based on information in paragraph 1, which of the following best explains the term “hydro-logic cycle“? （ A） The movement of water from freshwater bodies into the oceans. （ B） Solar energy in the atmosphere that p
21、roduces rain over land and oceans. （ C） Water resources from oceans and freshwater sources inland. （ D） Transportation of water from oceans into the atmosphere and onto the land. 3 The phrase The rest in the passage refers to （ A） oceans （ B） ice caps （ C） glaciers （ D） water 4 According to paragrap
22、h 1, why is freshwater considered important? （ A） It evaporates more quickly than water in the ocean. （ B） It is the largest source of water on Earth. （ C） It determines the landscape of rocks and sediment. （ D） It is the runoff that empties into the oceans. 5 Based on information in paragraph 2, ho
23、w do man-made water resources such as reservoirs and lakes affect the water cycle? （ A） They increase the danger of flooding in the areas surrounding them. （ B） They cause changes in the patterns of rainfall in the immediate area. （ C） They provide water sources for agricultural purposes in dry area
24、s. （ D） They improve the natural flow of water into the oceans. 6 The word component in the passage is closest in meaning to （ A） error （ B） part （ C） estimate （ D） source 7 The word fundamental in the passage is closest in meaning to （ A） diverse （ B） common （ C） basic （ D） attractive 8 Why does th
25、e author mention the “Mississippi River“ in paragraph 4? （ A） The Mississippi River is an example of a drainage basin. （ B） The Mississippi River is one of the largest rivers in the region. （ C） The Mississippi River is used in evaluating the runoff from hills. （ D） The Mississippi River is named fo
26、r the area surrounding it. 9 According to paragraph 5, which of the following is true about the global transfer of water? （ A） Most rainwater stays in the atmosphere for less than a week. （ B） Glaciers are a better source of water than the oceans. （ C） Most of the water in the world is currently in
27、the water cycle. （ D） Less than 1 percent of the water can be used for human consumption. 10 According to paragraph 6, why is water a problem? （ A） There is not enough water available in liquid form in the world. （ B） Bringing water to the surface of the Earth can be difficult. （ C） A comparatively
28、small amount of Earths water is suitable for human use. （ D） Most of the naturally accessible water is too old to be used safely. 11 The word significant in the passage is closest in meaning to （ A） rare （ B） small （ C） important （ D） regular 12 Look at the four squares that show where the following
29、 sentence could be inserted in the passage. As a result, water shortages occur in some areas. Where could the sentence best be added? Click on a square to insert the sentence in the passage. 13 An introduction for a short summary of the passage appears below. Complete the summary by selecting the TH
30、REE answer choices that mention the most important points in the passage. Some sentences do not belong in the summary because they express ideas that are not included in the passage or are minor points from the passage. This question is worth 2 points. The hydrologic cycle transfers water from the o
31、ceans to the atmosphere, from the atmosphere to the land, and back to the oceans. - - - Answer Choices A The global problem is the availability of water that is suitable for human use where and when it is needed. B Only about 0.001% of the total water on Earth is in the atmosphere at a particular po
32、int in time. C Solar energy causes the evaporation of oceans and freshwater lakes and rivers into the atmosphere. D Water shortages will probably become more common as more people begin to live in desert regions. E Precipitation in the form of rainfall replenishes the water in the ocean and in drain
33、age basins on land. F Desalination is a key solution to the problem of adequate water supplies for human use. 13 “Piagets Cognitive Development Theory“ Jean Piaget, the famous Swiss developmental psychologist, changed the way we think about the development of childrens minds. Piagets theory states t
34、hat children go through four stages as they actively construct their understanding of the world. Two processes underlie this cognitive construction of the world: organization and adaptation. To make sense of our world, we organize our experiences. For example, we separate important ideas from less i
35、mportant ideas and we connect one idea to another. In addition to organizing our observations and experiences, we adapt, adjusting to new environmental demands. As the infant or child seeks to construct an understanding of the world, said Piaget, the developing brain creates schemes. These are actio
36、ns or mental representations that organize knowledge. Assimilation and Accommodation. To explain how children use and adapt their schemes, Piaget offered two concepts: assimilation and accommodation. Assimilation occurs when children use their existing schemes to deal with new information or experie
37、nces. Accommodation occurs when children adjust their schemes to take new information and experiences into account. Think about a toddler who has learned the word car to identify the familys car. The toddler may call all moving vehicles on roads “cars,“ including motorcycles and trucks; the child ha
38、s assimilated these objects to his or her existing scheme. But the child soon learns that motorcycles and trucks are not cars and fine-tunes the category to exclude motorcycles and trucks, accommodating the scheme. Assimilation and accommodation operate even in the very young infants life. Newborns
39、reflexively suck everything that touches their lips; they assimilate all sorts of objects into their sucking scheme. By sucking different objects, they learn about their taste, texture, shape, and so on. After several months of experience though, they construct their understanding of the world diffe
40、rently. Some objects, such as fingers and the mothers breast, can be sucked, but others, such as fuzzy blankets, should not be sucked. In other words, they accommodate their sucking scheme. Piaget also held that we go through four stages in understanding the world. Each of the stages is age-related
41、and consists of distinct ways of thinking. Remember, it is the different way of understanding the world that makes one stage more advanced than another; knowing more information does not make the childs thinking more advanced, in the Piagetian view. This is what Piaget meant when he said the childs
42、cognition is qualitatively different in one stage compared to another. A What are Piagets four stages of cognitive development? B The sensorimotor stage, which lasts from birth to about 2 years of age, is the first Piagetian stage. In this stage, infants construct an understanding of the world by co
43、ordinating sensory experiences (such as seeing and hearing) with physical, motoric actions hence the term sensorimotor. C At the end of the stage, 2-year-olds have sophisticated sensorimotor patterns and are beginning to operate with primitive symbols. D The preoperational stage, which lasts from ap
44、proximately 2 to 7 years of age, is Piagets second stage. In this stage, children begin to go beyond simply connecting sensory information with physical action. However, according to Piaget, preschool children still lack the ability to perform what he calls operations, which are internalized mental
45、actions that allow children to do mentally what they previously did physically. For example, if you imagine putting two sticks together to see whether they would be as long as another stick without actually moving the sticks, you are performing a concrete action. The concrete operational stage, whic
46、h lasts from approximately 7 to 11 years of age, is the third Piagetian stage. In this stage, children can perform operations, and logical reasoning replaces intuitive thought as long as reasoning can be applied to specific or concrete examples. For instance, concrete operational thinkers cannot ima
47、gine the steps necessary to complete an algebraic equation, which is too abstract for thinking at this stage of development. The formal operational stage, which appears between the ages of 11 and 15, is the fourth and final Piagetian stage. In this stage, individuals move beyond concrete experiences
48、 and think in abstract and more logical terms. As part of thinking more abstractly, adolescents develop images of ideal circumstances. They might think about what an ideal parent is like and compare their parents to this ideal standard. They begin to entertain possibilities for the future and are fa
49、scinated with what they can be. In solving problems, formal operational thinkers are more systematic, developing hypotheses about why something is happening the way it is, then testing these hypotheses in a deductive manner. 14 Which of the sentences below best expresses the information in the highlighted statement in the passage? The other choices change the meaning or leave out important information. （ A） Our new experiences require that we adjust in order to understand information that we have never seen. （ B） Understanding new ideas is easier if we include
