2026年托福阅读考场版真题

2026年托福阅读考场版真题

Passage1

Thedeepocean,oncethoughttobeabarrenandlifelessvoid,hasproventobeoneofthemostvibrantandchemicallyuniqueenvironmentsonEarth.Priortothelate1970s,scientistsbelievedthatalllifeonEarthwasultimatelydependentonphotosynthesis,theprocessbywhichplantsandalgaeconvertsunlightintoenergy.However,thediscoveryofhydrothermalventsalongtheGalapagosRiftin1977shatteredthisparadigm.Thesevents,whicharefissuresintheseafloorthatreleasegeothermallyheatedwaterrichinminerals,supportentireecosystemsthatthriveincompletedarkness.Theprimaryproducersintheseecosystemsarenotplants,butchemosyntheticbacteria,whichderiveenergyfromchemicalreactionsinvolvinginorganicmoleculessuchashydrogensulfide.

Hydrothermalventsareformedwheretectonicplatesmoveapart,creatingcracksintheoceaniccrust.Seawaterseepsintothesecracks,isheatedbyunderlyingmagma,andreactswiththesurroundingrocks.Thisprocessleachesmineralsfromthecrustandenrichesthewaterwithchemicals,mostnotablyhydrogensulfide.Thesuperheatedwater,whichcanreachtemperaturesexceeding400°C,eruptsbackintothecoldoceanwater(whichistypicallyaround2°C).Thissuddencoolingcausesthemineralstoprecipitateoutofthesolution,formingtoweringchimney-likestructurescomposedofmetalsulfides.Thesestructurescangrowtoheightsofseveralmetersandareoftencoloredblackorwhitedependingontheirmineralcomposition.The"blacksmokers"emitdarkcloudsofparticle-ladenfluid,while"whitesmokers"releaselighter,barium-richfluids.

Thebiologicalcommunitiessurroundingtheseventsareremarkablydenseanddiverse.Theyrelyonasymbioticrelationshipbetweenthechemosyntheticbacteriaandlargermacrofauna.Oneofthemosticonicinhabitantsoftheventecosystemisthegianttubeworm,Riftiapachyptila.Thesecreaturescangrowupto2metersinlengthandlackamouth,gut,oranus.Instead,theypossessaspecializedorgancalledatrophosome,whichhousesbillionsofchemosyntheticbacteria.Thetubewormprovidesthebacteriawiththenecessarychemicalcomponents(carbondioxidefromthewater,andoxygenandhydrogensulfideabsorbedbyitsbrightredplume)tocarryoutchemosynthesis.Inreturn,thebacteriaoxidizethehydrogensulfideandproduceorganicmoleculesthatserveasnutritionfortheworm.Thismutualisticrelationshipallowsthetubewormstothriveinanenvironmentthatwouldotherwisebecompletelyinhospitabletoanimallife.

Otherorganisms,suchasventcrabs,mussels,andshrimp,alsorelyonchemosynthesis,thoughtheirmechanismsvary.Some,likethemussels,havesymbioticbacteriawithintheirgills,whileothersgrazeonbacterialmatsthatgrowontherockssurroundingthevents.Theseecosystemsarehighlydynamicandunstable.Themineralstructuresarefragileandcancollapseduetoseismicactivityortheirownweight.Furthermore,theflowofhydrothermalfluidisnotconstant;ventscanopenandshutoffoverperiodsofmonthstoyears.Whenaventceasestoflow,thelocalcommunitydiesoff.However,becausenewventsareconstantlyopeningalongtheriftzones,larvaefromexistingventcommunitiescandriftwithoceancurrentstocolonizenewhabitats.Thiscycleofdestructionandrebirthisadefiningcharacteristicofdeep-seaventecology.

ThestudyofhydrothermalventshasprofoundimplicationsforourunderstandingoftheoriginsoflifeonEarth.Theconditionsfoundatthesevents—highpressure,hightemperature,andanabundanceofchemicalenergy—mirrortheconditionsthatlikelyexistedontheearlyEarthbeforetheatmospherebecameoxygen-rich.Manyscientistsnowhypothesizethatlifemayhaveoriginatedinsimilarenvironments,utilizingchemicalenergyratherthansunlight.Furthermore,thediscoveryofextremophiles—organismsthatthriveinextremeconditions—athydrothermalventshasexpandedthesearchforextraterrestriallife.IflifecanexistonEarthwithoutsunlightandundersuchintensepressure,itistheoreticallypossiblethatsimilarlifeformscouldexistinthesubsurfaceoceansofmoonslikeEuropaorEnceladus,wherehydrothermalactivityissuspectedtooccur.

Questions1-10refertothepassageabove.

1.Theword"barren"inthepassageisclosestinmeaningto

A.fertile

B.empty

C.dangerous

D.frozen

2.Accordingtoparagraph1,whywasthediscoveryofhydrothermalventssignificant?

A.Itprovedthattheoceanfloorwasgeologicallyactive.

B.Itrevealedthatlifecouldexistwithoutsunlight.

C.Itshowedthatalgaecouldliveindeepwater.

D.Itconfirmedtheexistenceofunderwatermountains.

3.Theword"precipitate"inthepassageisclosestinmeaningto

A.fallout

B.dissolve

C.evaporate

D.circulate

4.Whichofthefollowingistrueabout"blacksmokers"and"whitesmokers"?

A.Blacksmokersarehotterthanwhitesmokers.

B.Whitesmokersareformedbylavaflows.

C.Theydifferinthecolorofthefluidtheyemitandtheirmineralcomposition.

D.Onlywhitesmokerssupportbiologicallife.

5.Howdoesthegianttubewormobtainitsnutrition?

A.Itfilterssmallorganismsfromthewaterusingitsplume.

B.Itpossessesamouthandguttodigestsediment.

C.Itreliesonsymbioticbacteriahousedwithinitsbody.

D.Itabsorbsnutrientsdirectlythroughitsskin.

6.Theword"mutualistic"inthepassageisclosestinmeaningto

A.competitive

B.parasitic

C.cooperative

D.aggressive

7.Accordingtoparagraph4,whathappenswhenahydrothermalventceasestoflow?

A.Thebacteriagointoadormantstate.

B.Thesurroundingmineralstructuresimmediatelydissolve.

C.Thelocalbiologicalcommunitydiesoff.

D.Thetectonicplatesstopmoving.

8.Whatallowslarvaefromventcommunitiestocolonizenewhabitats?

A.Thestabilityofthewatertemperature.

B.Themovementofoceancurrents.

C.Theabilitytowalkacrosstheseafloor.

D.Theguidanceofmagneticfields.

9.Theauthormentions"Europa"and"Enceladus"inparagraph5inorderto

A.describethegeologicalhistoryofEarth.

B.explaintheprocessofchemosynthesis.

C.suggestthatlifemightexistelsewhereinthesolarsystem.

D.contrasttheconditionsonEarthwiththoseonMars.

10.Directions:Anintroductorysentenceforabriefsummaryofthepassageisprovidedbelow.CompletethesummarybyselectingtheTHREEanswerchoicesthatexpressthemostimportantideasinthepassage.Somesentencesdonotbelonginthesummarybecausetheyexpressideasthatarenotpresentedinthepassageorareminorideasinthepassage.

Thediscoveryofhydrothermalventsrevolutionizedourunderstandingofbiologicalandchemicalprocessesinthedeepocean.

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A.Hydrothermalventsareformedbyseawaterinteractingwithmagma,creatingmineral-richstructures.

B.Alldeep-seacreaturespossessaspecializedorgancalledatrophosometohousebacteria.

C.UnlikemostecosystemsonEarth,ventcommunitiesrelyonchemosynthesisratherthanphotosynthesis.

D.Theecosystemsaroundventsareunstableanddependonthecolonizationofnewsitesbylarvae.

E.Scientistshaveruledoutthepossibilityoflifeoriginatingindeep-seaenvironments.

F.Thetemperatureathydrothermalventsisuniformandrarelyfluctuates.

Passage2

ThehistoryofagricultureintheAndeanregionofSouthAmericaischaracterizedbyremarkableadaptationstoextremeenvironmentalchallenges.Amongthemostsignificantoftheseadaptationswasthedevelopmentofcomplexagriculturalterracingsystems.Whileterracingisknowntohavebeenusedinvariouspartsoftheworld,includingtheMediterraneanandAsia,theAndeanterraceswereuniqueintheirscale,engineeringsophistication,andintegrationwithlocalwatermanagementstrategies.Theseagriculturalplatformsallowedpre-Columbiansocieties,suchastheIncaandtheirpredecessors,tocultivatecropsonsteepmountainslopesthatwouldotherwisebeunsuitableforfarming,therebysupportingdensepopulationsinhigh-altitudeenvironments.

Theprimaryfunctionofterracingistocreatearablelandonsteepslopesbyflatteningareasinastep-likefashion.Thisprocessreducessoilerosionbydecreasingthespeedofwaterrunoff.IntheAndes,whererainfallcanbeintenseandseasonal,uncontrolledrunoffwouldwashawaythethin,nutrient-poortopsoil.Byconstructingstonewallstoretainthesoil,farmerswereabletobuildupadeeplayeroffertileearth.Furthermore,thesewallsactedasthermalregulators.Thestonesabsorbedheatduringthedayandreleaseditslowlyatnight,helpingtomitigatetheriskoffrost—acriticaladvantageinthecoldhigh-altitudeclimateknownasthepuna.Thismicroclimatemanagementextendedthegrowingseasonandallowedforthecultivationofcropslikemaize,potatoes,andquinoaataltitudeswheretheywouldnormallyfail.

WatermanagementwasintricatelylinkedtoterracingintheAndes.Farmersdesignedcanalsystemstochannelmeltwaterfromglaciersandsnowfieldsdowntotheterraces.Thesecanalswereoftenlinedwithstonestopreventseepageandwerecarefullygradedtomaintainaconsistentflow.Asophisticatedtechniqueinvolveddivertingwaterintotheterracesnotjustforirrigation,buttopercolatethroughthesoillayersslowly.Thishelpedfilterthewaterandrechargegroundwateraquifers.Insomearidregions,atechniqueknownas"waruwaru"orraised-fieldagriculturewasused.Thisinvolvedconstructingraisedplantingbedssurroundedbywater-filledcanals.Thewaterinthecanalsabsorbedheatduringthedayandreleaseditatnight,effectivelycreatingathermalbufferthatprotectedcropsfromfreezingtemperatures,whilealsoprovidingmoistureduringdroughts.

Theconstructionandmaintenanceoftheseterracesrequiredahighdegreeofsocialorganizationandcommunallabor.Thestate,particularlyundertheIncaEmpire,oftenplayedacentralroleinorganizingtheconstructionoflarge-scaleterracingprojects.TheIncautilizedthe"mit'a"system,aformoflabortax,wherecitizenscontributedworkonpublicprojects,includingagriculturalinfrastructure.Thiscollectiveeffortensuredthattheimmensemanpowerrequiredtomovetonsofstoneandearthwasavailable.Theterraceswerenotjustagriculturalplots;theyweresymbolsofstatepowerandtheabilityoftheempiretodominateandtransformthenaturallandscape.Theagriculturalsurplusgeneratedbytheseefficientsystemswasstoredinstategranaries(qullqas)andusedtofeedthearmy,thepriesthood,andthepopulationduringtimesofscarcity.

Despitetheiringenuity,Andeanterracingsystemsfacedlimitationsandvulnerabilities.Theyrequiredconstantmaintenancetoclearcanalsofdebrisandrepairstonewallsdamagedbyearthquakesorheavyrains.Thelabor-intensivenatureofthesystemmeantthatanydisruptiontothesocialorder—suchasthepopulationcollapsecausedbythearrivalofEuropeansandtheintroductionofOldWorlddiseases—couldleadtotherapidabandonmentoftheterraces.FollowingtheSpanishconquest,thepopulationplummeted,andtheknowledgerequiredtomaintainthesecomplexsystemswaslostinmanyregions.Consequently,once-productiveterracesrevertedtograsslandorforest,andtheagriculturalcapacityoftheAndesdiminishedsignificantly.Moderneffortsareunderwaytorehabilitatetheseancientterraces,recognizingtheirpotentialforsustainableagricultureinthefaceofcontemporaryclimatechallenges.

Questions11-20refertothepassageabove.

11.Theword"arable"inthepassageisclosestinmeaningto

A.fertile

B.dry

C.steep

D.rocky

12.Accordingtoparagraph2,howdidstonewallscontributetoagricultureintheAndes?

A.Theypreventedfrostbycompletelyblockingthewind.

B.Theyreducedsoilerosionandregulatedtemperature.

C.Theystoredwaterforuseduringthedryseason.

D.Theyincreasedtheamountofsunlightreachingthecrops.

13.Theword"mitigate"inthepassageisclosestinmeaningto

A.cause

B.ignore

C.reduce

D.study

14.Whydoestheauthormention"waruwaru"inparagraph3?

A.Toprovideanexampleofawatermanagementtechniqueusedinaridregions.

B.Toarguethatterracingwaslesseffectivethanraised-fieldagriculture.

C.TodescribetheprimarycropgrownbytheInca.

D.ToexplainhowtheIncatransportedstonestotheconstructionsites.

15.Accordingtoparagraph3,waterinthecanalsofraised-fieldsystemshelpedcropsby

A.drowningpeststhatlivedinthesoil.

B.providingasourceofmineralsforthestonewalls.

C.creatingathermalbufferandsupplyingmoisture.

D.allowingfarmerstofishforfood.

16.Theword"intricately"inthepassageisclosestinmeaningto

A.simply

B.thoroughly

C.complexly

D.carelessly

17.Whichofthefollowingcanbeinferredfromparagraph4aboutthe"mit'a"system?

A.Itwasavoluntarysystemthatpaidworkersingold.

B.Itwasforcedlaborusedforprivateagriculturalprojects.

C.Itenabledtheconstructionoflarge-scaleinfrastructurebyorganizinglabor.

D.Itwasexclusivelyusedforthebuildingofreligioustemples.

18.Accordingtoparagraph5,whatwasamajorconsequenceoftheSpanishconquest?

A.Theintroductionofnewterracingtechnologies.

B.Thecollapseofthesocialstructureneededtomaintaintheterraces.

C.Theimmediateconversionofallterracesintograzinglandforcattle.

D.Thediscoveryofnewcropsthatreplacednativepotatoes.

19.Lookatthefourletters[A,B,C,D]thatindicatewherethefollowingsentencecouldbeaddedtothepassage.

Thisrelianceoncollectiveefforthighlightstheinterconnectednessofagriculture,politics,andengineeringinAndeansociety.

Wherewouldthesentencebestfit?

A.Theconstructionandmaintenanceoftheseterracesrequiredahighdegreeofsocialorganizationandcommunallabor.[A]

B.Thestate,particularlyundertheIncaEmpire,oftenplayedacentralroleinorganizingtheconstructionoflarge-scaleterracingprojects.[B]

C.TheIncautilizedthe"mit'a"system,aformoflabortax,wherecitizenscontributedworkonpublicprojects,includingagriculturalinfrastructure.[C]

D.Thiscollectiveeffortensuredthattheimmensemanpowerrequiredtomovetonsofstoneandearthwasavailable.[D]

20.Directions:Anintroductorysentenceforabriefsummaryofthepassageisprovidedbelow.CompletethesummarybyselectingtheTHREEanswerchoicesthatexpressthemostimportantideasinthepassage.Somesentencesdonotbelonginthesummarybecausetheyexpressideasthatarenotpresentedinthepassageorareminorideasinthepassage.

Andeansocietiesdevelopedadvancedagriculturaltechniquestosurviveinaharshmountainousenvironment.

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A.Terracingallowedfarmingonsteepslopesbypreventingerosionandmanagingmicroclimates.

B.TheIncaEmpireimportedalloftheirfoodfromneighboringregionstoavoidfarmingdifficulties.

C.Watermanagementsystems,includingcanalsandraisedfields,wereessentialforirrigationandfrostprotection.

D.Thesuccessofthesesystemsdependedonorganizedlaborandstatesupport.

E.Spanishcolonizationhadlittleimpactonthecontinueduseoftheseterracingsystems.

F.Stonewallswereprimarilyusedasdefensivefortificationsagainstenemytribes.

Passage3

Thedetectionofexoplanets—planetsorbitingstarsotherthantheSun—hastransformedplanetarysciencefromastudyofasinglesystemtoastatisticalsurveyofthegalaxy.Sincethefirstconfirmeddiscoveryinthe1990s,thousandsofexoplanetshavebeenidentified,rangingfromgasgiantslargerthanJupitertosmall,rockyworldssimilarinsizetoEarth.Whilethemereexistenceoftheseplanetsisfascinating,theprimarygoalofcontemporaryexoplanetresearchisthecharacterizationoftheiratmospheres.Byanalyzingthechemicalcompositionofanexoplanet'satmosphere,scientistshopetoidentifybiosignatures—gasesorcombinationsofgasesthatindicatethepresenceofbiologicalactivity.Thesearchfora"secondEarth"iseffectivelyasearchforlifeitself,andatmosphericanalysisisthekeytoolinthisendeavor.

Themostsuccessfulmethodfordetectingandcharacterizingexoplanetatmospherestodateisthetransitmethod.Thistechniqueworksbyobservingthedipinastar'sbrightnesswhenaplanetpassesinfrontofit,ortransits.Duringatransit,atinyfractionofthestar'slightfiltersthroughtheplanet'satmospherebeforereachingthetelescope.Differentmoleculesintheatmosphereabsorblightatspecificwavelengths,creatingauniquespectralfingerprint.Bycomparingthespectrumofthestar'slightbeforeandduringthetransit,astronomerscandeterminewhichgasesarepresentintheplanet'satmosphere.Thismethod,knownastransmissionspectroscopy,isparticularlyeffectiveforlargeplanetswithextendedatmospheresorbitingbrightstars.SpacetelescopesliketheHubbleSpaceTelescopeand,morerecently,theJamesWebbSpaceTelescope(JWST),haveutilizedthismethodtodetectwatervapor,carbondioxide,andmethaneintheatmospheresofvariousexoplanets.

However,transmissionspectroscopyhaslimitations.Itrequirestheplanet'sorbittobealignedperfectlywithourlineofsight.Statistically,onlyasmallpercentageofplanetshavesuchfavorableorientations.Furthermore,thesignalisweakandcanbecontaminatedbystellaractivity,suchasstarspots,whichcanmimicorobscureatmosphericfeatures.Toovercomethesechallenges,scientistsaredevelopingalternativemethods,oneofwhichishigh-resolutionspectroscopy.ThistechniqueinvolvesobservingtheDopplershiftoftheplanet'sspectrallines.Astheplanetorbitsitsstar,itmovestowardsandawayfromEarth.Thismotioncausesthewavelengthsofthelightabsorbedbytheplanet'satmospheretoshiftslightly.Byseparatingtheseshiftingplanetarysignalsfromthestationarystellarsignals,astronomerscanisolatetheplanet'sspectrumevenwhentheplanetisnottransiting.Thisallowsforthestudyofnon-transitingplanetsandprovidesaclearerviewoftheatmosphericcomposition.

Theinterpretationofatmosphericdataiscomplex.Adetectionofoxygen,forexample,isoftencitedasapotentialbiosignaturebecauseoxygenishighlyreactiveandwouldquicklydisappearfromtheatmospherewithoutacontinuoussource,suchasphotosynthesis.However,abioticprocessescanalsoproduceoxygen.Photolysis—thebreakupofwatermoleculesbyultravioletradiation—canreleaseoxygenintotheatmosphereofaplanetclosetoahotstar.Therefore,thedetectionofasinglegasisrarelysufficienttoclaimthediscoveryoflife.Scientistslookfor"chemicaldisequilibrium"—mixturesofgasesthatshouldnotcoexistinastableatmospherewithoutabiologicaldriver.Forinstance,thesimultaneouspresenceofmethaneandoxygeninanEarth-likeatmosphereisastrongindicatoroflife,becausethesegasesreactwitheachotherrapidly;theirpersistentcoexistenceimpliesthattheyarebeingconstantlyreplenishedbybiologicalprocesses.

TheJamesWebbSpaceTelescope(JWST)hasrevolutionizedthisfieldbyobservingintheinfraredspectrum,whichisidealforstudyingthethermalradiationofplanetsandthespectralsignaturesofkeymoleculeslikewater,carbondioxide,andmethane.JWST'shighsensitivityallowsittostudytheatmospheresofsmaller,rockyplanetsthatwerepreviouslybeyondthereachofourinstruments.RecentobservationsofplanetslikeTRAPPIST-1bhaveprovidedinitialdataontheiratmosphericproperties,rulingoutthepresenceofthick,cloud-dominatedatmospheresinsomecases.Astechnologyadvances,futuremissionswillaimtodirectlyimageEarth-likeexoplanets,blockingoutthelightoftheirhoststarstoanalyzethereflectedlightfromtheplanetsthemselves.Thiswouldallowforthedetectionofsurfacefeatures,suchasoceansandcontinents,andprovideevenstrongerevidenceforhabitability.

Questions21-30refertothepassageabove.

21.Theword"characterization"inthepassageisclosestinmeaningto

A.creation

B.description

C.location

D.transformation

22.Accordingtoparagraph1,whyistheanalysisofexoplanetatmospheresimportant?

A.Itallowsscientiststodeterminetheexactageofthestar.

B.Ithelpstocalculatetheplanet'sorbitalspeed.

C.Itistheprimarymethodforidentifyingsignsoflife.

D.Itisnecessarytoconfirmtheplanet'smass.

23.Howdoesthetransitmethodwork?

A.Itmeasuresthewobbleofastarcausedbyaplanet'sgravity.

B.Itanalyzesthelightfilteringthroughaplanet'satmosphereduringatransit.

C.Itdirectlyimagestheplanetusingacoronagraph.

D.ItobservestheDopplershiftofthestar'slight.

24.Theword"contaminated"inthepassageisclosestinmeaningto

A.purified

B.measured

C.polluted

D.replaced

25.Whatisamajoradvantageofhigh-resolutionspectroscopyoverthetransitmethod?

A.Itcanbeusedtostudyplanetsthatdonottransittheirstar.

B.Itrequireslesspowerfultelescopes.

C.Itworksbetterwithgasgiantsthanwithrockyplanets.

D.Itcandetectplanetsatmuchgreaterdistances.

26.Accordingtoparagraph4,whyisthesimultaneouspresenceofmethaneandoxygenconsideredastrongbiosignature?

A.Theyarebothrareelementsintheuniverse.

B.Theyareproducedonlybydeep-seabacteria.

C.Theyreactwitheachotherandrequireconstantreplenishmenttocoexist.

D.Theyaredifficulttodetectwithcurrenttechnology.

27.Theword"abiotic"inthepassageisclosestinmeaningto

A.non-living

B.rapid

C.biological

D.ancient

28.Whydoestheauthormention"photolysis"inparagraph4?

A.Toexplainhowwatervaporisdetectedbytelescopes.

B.Toillustrateanabioticprocessthatcanproduceoxygen.

C.Todescribethemainmethodofenergyproductiononexoplanets.

D.Toprovethatlifecannotexistwithoutsunlight.

29.Accordingtoparagraph5,whathastheJamesWebbSpaceTelescope(JWST)enabledscientiststodo?

A.Observethesurfacefeaturesofexoplanetsinvisiblelight.

B.Detectatmospheresaroundsmaller,rockyplanets.

C.TraveltotheTRAPPIST-1systemtotakesamples.

D.ConfirmthatlifeexistsonTRAPPIST-1b.

30.Directions:Anintroductorysentenceforabriefsummaryofthepassageisprovidedbelow.CompletethesummarybyselectingtheTHREEanswerchoicesthatexpressthemostimportantideasinthepassage.Somesentencesdonotbelonginthesummarybecausetheyexpressideasthatarenotpresentedinthepassageorareminorideasinthepassage.

Scientistsemployvarioustechniquestostudytheatmospheresofexoplanetsinthesearchforextraterrestriallife.

______________________________________________________________________

A.Thetransitmethodanalyzesstarlightfilteringthroughanatmospheretoidentifychemicalcompositions.

B.High-resolutionspectroscopyallowsforthestudyofnon-transitingplanetsbyanalyzingDopplershifts.

C.Chemicaldisequilibrium,suchasthemixtureofmethaneandoxygen,suggestsbiologicalactivity.

D.Allexoplanetshavebeenfoundtohavethick,cloud-dominatedatmospheres.

E.Thesearchforexoplanetshasbeenabandonedduetothehighcostsinvolved.

F.Scientistsonlylookforoxygenbecauseitistheonlygasnecessaryforlife.

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AnswerKeyandExplanations

Passage1:HydrothermalVents

1.B

Explanation:Theword"barren"inthecontextof"barrenandlifelessvoid"meansemptyorlackingvegetation."Fertile"istheopposite."Dangerous"and"frozen"arenotsupportedbythecontext.

2.B

Explanation:Paragraph1statesthatthediscovery"shatteredthisparadigm"(thatalllifedependsonphotosynthesis).Itrevealedecosystemsthatthriveincompletedarkness,provinglifecanexistwithoutsunlight.

3.A

Explanation:"Precipitate"inachemicalcontextmeansasubstanceseparatingfromasolutioninasolidform."Fallout"istheclosestsynonym."Dissolve"istheoppositeprocess.

4.C

Explanation:Paragraph2statesthat"blacksmokers"emitdarkclouds,while"whitesmokers"releaselighter,barium-richfluids.Thisdifferenceincolorandmineralcompositionisthedefiningdistinctiondescribed.

5.C

Explanation:Paragraph3explainsthatthetubewormlacksamouthandgut.Instead,itreliesonbacteriahousedinitstrophosometoproduceorganicmoleculesfornutrition.

6.C

Explanation:"Mutualistic"referstoarelationshipwherebothpartiesbenefit.Thewormprovideschemicals;thebacteriaprovidefood."Cooperative"capturesthisessence.

7.C

Explanation:Paragraph4explicitlystates:"Whenaventceasestoflow,thelocalcommunitydiesoff."

8.B

Explanation:Paragraph4mentionsthat"larvaefromexistingventcommunitiescandriftwithoceancurrentstocolonizenewhabitats."

9.C

Explanation:Theauthormentionsthesemoonsinthecontextofexpandingthesearchforextraterrestriallife,suggestingthatsimilarconditions(hydrothermalactivity)therecouldsupportlife.

10.A,C,D

Explanation:

A:Correct.Paragraph2detailstheformationofventsandmineralstructures.

C:Correct.Paragraph1and3discusstherelianceonchemosynthesis(bacteria)ratherthanphotosynthesis(plants).

D:Correct.Paragraph4discussestheinstabilityofventsandthecycleofcolonization.

Bisincorrect:Onlytubewormsareexplicitlydescribedashavingatrophosome.Bisincorrect:Onlytubewormsareexplicitlydescribedashavingatrophosome.

Eisincorrect:Paragraph5saysscientistshypothesizelifemayhaveoriginatedthere.Eisincorrect:Paragraph5saysscientistshypothesizelifemayhaveoriginatedthere.

Fisincorrect:Paragraph2notestemperaturescanexceed400°C,contrastingwiththe2°Cwater.Fisincorrect:Paragraph2notestemperaturescanexceed400°C,contrastingwiththe2°Cwater.

Passage2:AndeanTerracing

11.A

Explanation:"Arable"landislandthatissuitableforgrowingcrops."Fertile"iscloselyrelatedinthiscontext."Dry,""steep,"and"rocky"generallydescribelandthatisnotarable.

12.B

Explanation:Paragraph2statesthatthewallsreducesoilerosionand"actedasthermalregulators"byabsorbingandreleasingheat.

13.C

Explanation:"Mitigate"meanstomakelesssevereorintense."Reduce"isthebestsynonym.Thecontextisreducingtheriskoffrost.

14.A

Explanation:Theauthorintroduces"waruwaru"asasophisticatedtechniqueusedin"somearidregions"tomanagewaterandtemperature,servingasanexampleof