1997年8月托福考试阅读理解全真试题

Question 1-10

　　In the 1600 s when the Spanish moved into what later was to become the southwestern United States， they encoun- tered the ancestors of the modern-day Pueblo， Hopi， and Zuni peoples. These ancestors， known variously as the Basket Makers， the Anasazi， or the Ancient Ones， had lived in the area for at least 2，000 years. They were an advanced agricultural people who used irrigation to help grow their crops.

　　The Anasazi lived in houses constructed of adobe and wood. Anasazi houses were originally built in pits and were entered from the roof. But around the year 700 A.D.， the Anasazi began to build their homes above ground and join them together into rambling multistoried complexes， which the Spanish called pueblos or villages. Separate subterranean rooms in these pueblos——known as kivas or chapels——were set aside for religious ceremonials. Each kiva had a fire pit and a hole that was believed to lead to the underworld. The largest pueblos had five stories and more than 800 rooms.

　　The Anasazi family was matrilineal， that is， descent was traced through the female. The sacred objects of the family were under the control of the oldest female， but the actual ceremonies were conducted by her brother or son. Women owned the rooms in the pueblo and the crops， once they were harvested. While still growing， crops belonged to the man who，in contrast to most other Native American groups， planted them. The women made baskets and pottery， the men wove textile and crafted turquoise jewelry.

　　Each village had two chiefs. The village chief dealt with land disputes and religious affairs. The war chief led the men in fighting during occasional conflicts that broke out with neighboring villages and directed the men in community building projects. The cohesive political and social organization of the Anasazi made it almost impossible for other groups to conquer them.

　　1. The Anasazi people were considered "agriculturally advanced" because of the way they

　　（A） stored their crops

　　（B） fertilized their fields.

　　（C） watered their crops.

　　（D） planted their fields.

　　2.The Anasazi people were considered "agriculturally advanced" because of the way they

　　（A） stored their crops

　　（B） fertilized their fields

　　（C） watered their crops

　　（D） planted their fields

　　3.The word "pits" in line 9 is closest in meaning to

　　（A） stages

　　（B） scars

　　（C） seeds

　　（D） holes.

　　4.The word "stories" in line 17 is closest in meaning to

　　（A） articles

　　（B） tales

　　（C） levels

　　（D） rumors

　　5.Who would have been most likely to control the sacred objects of an Anasazi family？

　　（A） A twenty-year-old man

　　（B） A twenty-year-old woman

　　（C） A forty-year-old man

　　（D） A forty-year-old woman

　　6.The word "they" in line 22 refers to

　　（A） women

　　（B） crops

　　（C） rooms

　　（D） pueblos

　　7.The word "disputes" in line 28 is closest in meaning to

　　（A） discussions

　　（B） arguments

　　（C） developments

　　（D） purchases

　　8.Which of the following activities was NOT done by Anasazi men？

　　（A） Making baskets

　　（B） Planting crops

　　（C） Building homes

　　（D） Crafting jewelry.

　　9.According to the passage， what made it almost impossible for other groups to conquer the Anasazi？

　　（A） The political and social organization of the Anasazi

　　（B） The military tactics employed by the Anasazi

　　（C） The Anasazi s agricultural technology.

　　（D） The natural barriers surrounding Anasazi willages.

　　10.The passage supports which of the following generalizations？

　　（A） The presence of the Spanish threatened Anasazi society.

　　（B） The Anasazi benefited from trading relations with the Spanish.

　　（C） Anasazi society exhibited a well-defined division of labor.

　　（D） Conflicts between neighboring Anasazi villages were easily resolved.

Question 10-20

　　Barbed wire， first patented in the United States in 1867，played an important part in the development of American farming， as it enabled the settlers to make effective fencing to enclose their land and keep cattle away from their crops. This had a considerable effect on cattle ranching， since the herds no longer had unrestricted use of the plans for grazing， and the fencing led to conflict between the farmers and the cattle ranchers.

　　Before barbed wire came into general use， fencing was often made from serrated wire， which was unsatisfactory because it broke easily when under strain， and could snap in cold weather due to contraction. The first practical machine for producing barbed wire was invented in 1874 by an Illinois farmer， and between then and the end of the century about 400 types of barbed wire were devised， of which only about a dozen were ever put to practical use.

　　Modern barbed wire is made from mild steel high-tensile steel， or aluminum. Mild steel and aluminum barbed wire have two strands twisted together to form a cable which is stronger than single-strand wire and less affected by temperature changes. Single-strand wire， round or oval， is made from high-tensile steel with the barbs crimped or welded on . The steel wires used are galvanized - coated with zinc to make them rustproof. The two wires that make up the line wire or cable are fed separately into a machine at one end. They leave it at the other end twisted-together and barbed. The wire to make the barbs is fed into the machine from the sides and cut to length by knives that cut diagonally through the wire to produce a sharp point. This process continues automatically，and the finished barbed wire is wound onto reels， usually made of wire in length of 400 meters or in weights of up to 50 kilograms.

　　A variation of barbed wire is also used for military purposes. It is formed into long coils or entanglements called concertina wire.

　　11.What is the main topic of the passage？

　　（A） Cattle ranching in the United States.

　　（B） A type of fencing

　　（C） Industrial uses of wire

　　（D） A controversy over land use.

　　12.The word "unrestricted" in line 5 is closest in meaning to

　　（A） unsatisfactory

　　（B） difficult

　　（C） considerable

　　（D） unlimited

　　13.The word "snap" in line 10 could best be replaced by which of the following？

　　（A） freeze

　　（B） click

　　（C） loosen

　　（D） break

　　14.What is the benefit of using two-stranded barbed wire？

　　（A） Improved rust-resistance

　　（B） Increased strength

　　（C） More rapid attachment of barbs

　　（D） Easier installation.

　　15.According to the author， the steel wires used to make barbed wire are specially processed to

　　（A） protect them against rust

　　（B） make them more flexible

　　（C） prevent contraction in cold weather

　　（D） straighten them.

　　16.The word "fed" in line 24 is closest in meaning to

　　（A） put

　　（B） eaten

　　（C） bitten

　　（D） nourished

　　17.The knives referred to in line 27 are used to

　　（A） separate double-stranded wire

　　（B） prevent the reel from advancing too rapidly

　　（C） twist the wire

　　（D） cut the wire that becomes barbs

　　18.What is the author s purpose i

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