托福阅读真题集锦(七).docx

托福阅读真题集锦（七） PASSAGE 13Any rock that has cooled and solidified from a molten state is an igneous rock. Therefore, if the Earth began as a superheated sphere in space, all the rocks making up its crust may well have been igneous and thus the ancestors of all other rocks. Even today, approximately 95 percent of the entire crust is igneous. Periodically, molten material wells out of the Earths interior to invade the surface layers or to flow onto the surface itself. This material cools into a wide variety of igneous rocks. In the molten state, it is called magma as it pushes into the crust and lava when it runs out onto the surface.All magma consists basically of a variety of silicate minerals (high in silicon-oxygen compounds), but the chemical composition of any given flow may differ radically from that of any other. The resulting igneous rocks will reflect these differences. Igneous rocks also vary in texture as well as chemistry. Granite, for instance, is a coarse-grained igneous rock whose individual mineral crystals have formed to a size easily seen by the naked eye. A slow rate of cooling has allowed the crystals to reach this size. Normally, slow cooling occurs when the crust is invaded by magma that remains buried well below the surface. Granite may be found on the surface of the contemporary landscape, but from its coarse texture we know that it must have formed throughslow cooling at a great depth and later been laid bare by erosion. Igneous rocks with this coarse-grained texture that formed at depth are called plutonic.On the other hand, if the same magma flows onto the surface and is quickly cooled by the atmosphere, the resulting rock will be fine-grained and appear quite different from granite,although the chemical composition will be identical. This kind of rock is called rhyolite. The most finely grained igneous rock is volcanic glass or obsidian, which has no crystals. Some researchers believe this is because of rapid cooling; others believe it is because of a lack of water vapor and other gases in the lava. The black obsidian cliffs of Yellowstone National Park are the result of a lava flow of basalt running head on into a glacier. Some of the glacier melted on contact, but suddenly there also appeared a huge black mass of glassy stone.1. In the first paragraph, the author mentions that 95% of the Earths crust is composed of igneousrock to support the idea that(A) the Earth began as a molten mass(B) a thin layer of magma flows beneath the Earths crust(C) the minerals found in igneous rock are very common(D) igneous rock is continually being formed2. The word invade in line 5 is closest in meaning to(A) move into(B) neutralize(C) cover(D) deposit3. The word contemporary in line 15 is closest in meaning to(A) vast(B) natural(C) existing(D) uneven4. The word it in line 16 refers to(A) granite(B) surface(C) landscape(D) texture5. Granite that has been found above ground has been(A) pushed up from below the crust by magma(B) produced during a volcanic explosion(C) gradually exposed due to erosion(D) pushed up by the natural shifting of the Earth6. Which of the following is produced when magma cools rapidly?(A) granite(B) plutonic rock(C) rhyolite(D) mineral crystals7. The word finely in line 22 is closest in meaning to(A) minutely(B) loosely(C) sensitively(D) purely8. Which of the following is another name for volcanic glass?(A) Plutonic rock(B) Crystal(C) Lava(D) ObsidianPASSAGE 14Television has transformed politics in the United States by changing the way in which information is disseminated, by altering political campaigns, and by changing citizens patterns of response to politics. By giving citizens independent access to the candidates, television diminished the role of the political party in the selection of the major party candidates. By centering politics on the person of the candidate, television accelerated the citizens focus on character rather than issues.Television has altered the forms of political communication as well. The messages on which most of us rely are briefer than they once were. The stump speech, a political speech given by traveling politicians and lasting 11/2 to 2 hours, which characterized nineteenth-century political discourse, has given way to the 30-second advertisement and the 10 second sound bite in broadcast news. Increasingly the audience for speeches is not that standing in front of the politician but rather the viewing audience who will hear and see a snippet of the speech on the news.In these abbreviated forms, much of what constituted the traditional political discourse of earlier ages has been lost. In 15 or 30 seconds, a speaker cannot establish the historical context that shaped the issue in question, cannot detail the probable causes of the problem, and cannot examine alternative proposals to argue that one is preferable to others. In snippets, politicians assert but do not argue.Because television is an intimate medium, speaking through it require a changed political style that was more conversational, personal, and visual than that of the old-style stump speech.Reliance on television means that increasingly our political world contains memorable pictures rather than memorable words. Schools teach us to analyze words and print. However, in a word in which politics is increasingly visual, informed citizenship requires a new set of skills.Recognizing the power of televisions pictures, politicians craft televisual, staged events, called pseudo-event, designed to attract media coverage. Much of the political activity we see on television news has been crafted by politicians, their speechwriters, and their public relations advisers for televised consumption. Sound bites in news and answers to questions in debates increasingly sound like advertisements.1. What is the main point of the passage ?(A) Citizens in the United States are now more informed about political issues because oftelevision coverage.(B) Citizens in the United States prefer to see politicians on television instead of in person.(C) Politics in the United States has become substantially more controversial since theintroduction of television.(D) Politics in the United States has been significantly changed by television.2. The word disseminated in line 2 is closest in meaning to(A) analyzed(B) discussed(C) spread(D) stored3. It can be inferred that before the introduction of television, political parties(A) had more influence over the selection of political candidates(B) spent more money to promote their political candidates(C) attracted more members(D) received more money4. The word accelerated in line 5 is closest in meaning to(A) allowed(B) increased(C) required(D) started5. The author mentions the stump speech in line 7 as an example of(A) an event created by politicians to attract media attention(B) an interactive discussion between two politicians(C) a kind of political presentation typical of the nineteenth century(D) a style of speech common to televised political events6. The phrase given way to in line 10 is closest in meaning to(A) added interest to(B) modified(C) imitated(D) been replaced by7. The word that in line 12 refers to(A) audience(B) broadcast news(C) politician(D) advertisement8. According to the passage , as compared with televised speeches, traditional political discourse was more successful at(A) allowing news coverage of political candidates(B) placing political issues within a historical context(C) making politics seem more intimate to citizens(D) providing detailed information about a candidates private behavior9. The author states that politicians assert but do not argue (line 18) in order to suggest thatpoliticians(A) make claims without providing reasons for the claims(B) take stronger positions on issues than in the past(C) enjoy explaining the issue to broadcasters(D) dislike having to explain their own positions on issues to citizens10. The word Reliance in line 21 is closest in meaning to(A) abundance(B) clarification(C) dependence(D) information11. The purpose of paragraph 4 is to suggest that(A) politicians will need to learn to become more personal when meeting citizens(B) politicians who are considered very attractive are favored by citizens over politicians who areless attractive(C