1996年8月托福阅读全真试题

Questions 1-10The word laser was coined as an acronym for Light

Amplification by the Stimulated Emission of Radiation. Ordinary

light， from the Sun or a light bulb， is emitted spontaneously，

when atoms or molecules get rid of excess energy by themselves，

without any outside intervention. Stimulated emission

is different because it occurs when an atom or molecule holding

onto excess energy has been stimulated to emit it as light.Albert Einstein was the first to suggest the existence of

stimulated emission in a paper published in 1917. However ，

for many years physicists thought that atoms and molecules

always were much more likely to emit light spontaneously and

that stimulated emission thus always would be much weaker.

It was not until after the Second World War that physicists

began trying to make stimulated emission dominate. They

sought ways by which one atom or molecule could stimulate

many other to emit light ， amplifying it to much higher

powers. The first to succeed was Charles H.Townes， then at

Colombia University in New York . Instead of working with

light ， however， he worked with microwaves， which have a

much longer wavelength， and built a device he called a

maser for Microwave Amplification by the Stimulated

Emission of Radiation. Although he thought of the key idea in

1951， the first maser was not completed until a couple of years

later. Before long， many other physicists were building masers

and trying to discover how to produce stimulated emission at

even shorter wavelength. The key concepts emerged about 1957. Townes and

Arthur Schawlow， then at Bell Telephone Laboratories， wrote

a long paper outlining the conditions needed to amplify

stimulated emission of visible light waves. At about the same time，

similar ideas crystallized in the mind of Gordon Gould， then a

37- year-old graduate student at Columbia， who wrote them

down in a series of notebooks. Townes and Schawlow

published their ideas in a scientific journal， Physical Review

Letter， but Gould filed a patent application. Three decades later，

people still argue about who deserves the credit for the concept

of the laser.1.The word coined in line 1 could best be replaced by created

mentioned

understood

discovered2.The word intervention in line 5 can best be replaced by need

device

influence

source3.The word it in line 6 refers to light bulb

energy

molecule

atom4.Which of the following statements best describes a laser? A device for stimulating atoms and molecules to emit light.

An atom in a high-energy state.

A technique for destroying atoms or molecules.

An instrument for measuring light waves.5.Why was Townes early work with stimulated emission done with microwaves? He was not concerned with light amplification.

It was easier to work with longer wavelengths.

His partner Schawlow had already begun work on the laser.

The laser had already been developed.6.In his research at Columbia University， Charles Townes worked with all of the following EXCEPT stimulated emission

microwaves

light amplification

a maser7.In approximately what year was the first maser built? 1917

1951

1953

19578.The word emerged in line 28 is closest in meaning to increased

concluded

succeeded

appeared9.The word outlining in line 30 is closest in meaning to assigning

studying

checking

summarizing10.Why do people still argue about who deserves the credit for the concept of the laser? The researchers notebooks were lost.

Several people were developing the idea at the same time.

No one claimed credit for the development until recently.

The work is still incomplete.Questions 11-21Panel painting， common in thirteenth -and fourteenth

-century Europe ， involved a painstaking ， laborious process.

Wooden planks were joined， covered with gesso to prepare the

surface for painting ， and then polished smooth with special

tools. On this perfect surface， the artist would sketch a

composition with chalk， refine it with inks， and then begin the

deliberate process of applying thin layers of egg tempera paint

with small brushes.

The successive layering of these meticulously applied paints

produced the final， translucent colors.Backgrounds of gold were made by carefully applying

sheets of gold leaf， and then embellishing of decorating the

gold leaf by punching it with a metal rod on which a pattern

had been embossed. Every step in the process was slow and

deliberate . The quick-drying tempera demanded that the artist

know exactly where each stroke be placed before the brush met

the panel， and it required the use of fine brushes. It was，

therefore ， an ideal technique for emphasizing the hard linear

edges and pure， fine areas of color that were so much a part of

the overall aesthetic of the time. The notion that an artist

could or would dash off an idea in a fit of spontaneous

inspiration was completely alien to these deliberately produced works. Furthermore， making these paintings was so time-consuming

that it demanded assistance. All such work was done

by collective enterprise in the workshops. The painter or

master who is credited with having created painting may have

designed the work and overseen its production， but it is highly

unlikely that the artists hand applied every stroke of the

brush. More likely， numerous assistants， who had been

trained to imitate the artists style， applied the paint. The carpenters shop probably provided the frame and perhaps supplied

the panel， and yet another shop supplied the gold. Thus，

not only many hands ， but also many shops were involved in

the final product.In spite of problems with their condition， restoration，

and preservation many panel paintings have survived， and

today many of them are housed in museum collections.11.What aspect of panel paintings does the passage mainly discuss? Famous examples

Different styles

Restoration

Production12.According to the passage， what was the first step in making a panel painting? Mixing the paint

Preparing the panel

Buying the gold leaf

Making ink drawings13.The word it in line 6 refers to chalk

composition

artist

surface14.The word deliberate in line 7 is closest in meaning to decisive

careful

natural

unusual15.Which of the following processes produced the translucent colors found on panel paintings? Joining wooden planks to form large sheets.

Polishing the gesso.

Applying many layers of paint.

Covering the background with gold leaf.16.Whar characteristic of tempera paint is mentioned in the passage? It dries quickly.

It is difficult to make.

It dissolves easily.

It has to be applied directly to wood.17.The word demanded in line 24 is closest in meaning to ordered

reported

required

questioned18.The collective enterprise mentioned in line 25 includes all of the following EXCEPT supplying the gold leaf

building the panels

applying the paint

selling the painting19.The word imitate in line 30 is closest in meaning to copy

illustrate

promote

believe in20.The author mentions all of the following as problems with the survivals of panel painting EXCEPT condition

theft

preservation

restoration21.The word them in line 37 refers to problems

condition， restoration， preservation

panel paintings

museum collectionsQuestions 22-32Crows are probably the most frequently met and easily

identifiable members of the native fauna of the United States.

The great number of tales， legends， and myths about these

birds indicates that people have been exceptionally interested in

them for a long time. On the other hand， when it comes to

substantive -- particularly behavioral -- information， crows

are less well known than many comparably common species

and， for that matter， not a few quite uncommon ones: the

endangered California condor， to cite one obvious example.

There are practical reasons for this.Crows are notoriously poor and aggravating subjects for

field research. Keen observers and quick learners， they are

astute about the intentions of other creatures， including

researchers， and adept at avoiding them. Because they are so

numerous， active， and monochromatic， it is difficult to

distinguish one crow from another. Bands， radio transmitters， or

other identifying devices can be attached to them ， but this of

course requires catching live crows， who are among the wariest

and most untrappable of birds. Technical difficulties aside ， crow research is daunting

because the ways of these birds are so complex and various.

As preeminent is generalists， members of this species

ingeniously exploit a great range of habitats and resources， and

they can quickly adjust to changes in their circumstances.

Being so educable， individual birds have markedly different interests

and inclinations， strategies and scams. For example， one

pet crow learned how to let a dog out of its kennel by pulling

the pin on the door. When the dog escaped， the bird went into

the kennel and ate its food.22.What is the main topic of the passage? The ways in which crows differ from other common birds.

The myths and legends about crows.

The characteristics that make crows difficult to study.

The existing methods for investigating crow behavior.23.According to the first paragraph， what evidence is there that crows have interested people for a long time? The large number of stories about crows.

The frequency with which crows are sighted.

The amount of research that has been conducted on crows.

The ease with which crows are identified.24.The word comparably in line 7 is closest in meaning to interestingly

similarly

otherwise

sometimes25.In line 9， the author mentions the endangered California condor as an example of a species that is smaller than the crow

easily identifiable

featured in legends

very rare26.The word them in line 10 refers to crows

subjects

intentions

researchers27.According to the second paragraph， crows are poor subjects for field research for all of the following reasons EXCEPT They can successfully avoid observers.

They are hard to distinguish from one another.

They can be quite aggressive.

They are difficult to catch.28.In the second paragraph， the author implies that using radio transmitters would allow a researcher who studies crow to identify individual crows

follow flocks of crows over long distances

record the times when crows are most active

help crows that become sick or injured29.According to the third paragraph， which of the following is true about crows? They seldom live in any one place for very long.

They thrive in a wide variety of environments.

They have marked preferences for certain kinds of foods.

They use up the resources in one area before moving to another.30.In line 26， the word inclinations is closest in meaning to tricks

opportunities

preferences

experiences31.In lines 26-29， the author mentions a pet crow to illustrate which of the following? The clever ways that crows solve problems.

The differences between pet crows and wild crows.

The ease with which crows can be tamed.

The affection that crows show to other creatures32.Which of the following statements is supported by the passage? Crows have relatively long lives.

Crows have keen vision.

Crows are usually solitary.

Crows are very intelligent.Questions 33-41In the early days of the United States， postal charges

were paid by the recipient and Charges varied with the

distance carried. In 1825， the United States Congress permitted

local postmasters to give letters to mail carriers for home

delivery， but these carriers received no government salary and their

entire compensation depended on what they were paid by the

recipients of individual letters.In 1847 the United States Post Office Department

adopted the idea of a postage stamp， which of course simplified

the payment for postal service but caused grumbling by those

who did not like to prepay. Besides， the stamp covered only

delivery to the post office and did not include carrying it to a

private address. In Philadelphia， for example， with a population

of 150，000， people still had to go to the post office to get

their mail. The confusion and congestion of individual citizens

looking for their letters was itself enough to discourage use of

the mail. It is no wonder that， during the years of these

cumbersome arrangements， private letter-carrying and express

businesses developed. Although their activities were only

semilegal， they thrived， and actually advertised that between

Boston and Philadelphia they were a half-day speedier than the

government mail. The government postal service lost volume

to private competition and was not able to handle efficiently

even the business it had. Finally， in 1863， Congress provided that the mail carriers

who delivered the mail from the post offices to private addresses

should receive a government salary， and that there should

be no extra charge for that delivery. But this delivery service

was at first confined to cities， and free home delivery became a

mark of urbanism. As late as 1887， a town had to have 10，000

people to be eligible for free home delivery. In 1890， of

the 75 million people in the United States， fewer than 20

million had mail delivered free to their doors. The rest， nearly

three-quarters of the population， still received no mail unless

they went to their post office.33.What does the passage mainly discuss? The increased use of private mail services.

The development of a government postal system.

A comparison of urban and postal services.

The history of postage stamps.34.The word varied in line 2 could best be replaced by increased

differed

returned

started35.Which of the following was seen as a disadvantage of the postage stamp? It had to be purchased by the sender in advance.

It increased the cost of mail delivery.

It was difficult to affix to letters.

It was easy to counterfeit.36.Why does the author mention the city of Philadephia in line 13? It was the site of the first post office in the United States.

Its postal service was inadequate for its population.

It was the largest city in the United States in 1847.

It was commemorated by the first United States postage stamp.37.The word cumbersome in line 17 is closest in meaning to burdensome

handsome

loathsome

quarrelsome38.The word they in line 20 refers to Boston and Philadephia

businesses

arrangements

letters39.The private postal services of the nineteenth century claimed that they could do which of the following better than the government? Deliver a higher volume of mail.

Deliver mail more cheaply.

Deliver mail faster.

Deliver mail to rural areas.40.In 1863 the United States government began providing which of the following to mail carriers? A salary

Housing

Transportation

Free postage stamps41.The word confined in line 29 is closest in meaning to granted

scheduled

limited

recommendedQuestions 42-50Archaeology has long been an accepted tool for studying

prehistoric cultures. Relatively recently the same techniques

have been systematically applied to studies of the more

immediate past. This has been called historical archaeology， a

term that is used in the United States to refer to any

archaeological investigation into North American sites that postdate

the arrival of Europeans.Back in the 1930s and 1940s， when building restoration

was popular， historical archaeology was primarily a tool of

architectural reconstruction. The role of archaeologists was to

find the foundations of historic buildings and then take a back

seat to architects. The mania for reconstruction had largely subsided by the

1950s and 1960s. Most people entering historical archaeology

during this period came out of university anthropology de-

partments.， where they had studied prehistoric cultures. They

were， by training， social scientists， not historians， and their

work tended to reflect this bias. The questions they framed

and the techniques they used were designed to help them

understand， as scientists， how people behaved. But because they

were treading on historical ground for which there was often

extensive written do cumentation and because their own knowledge

of these periods was usually limited， their contributions

to American history remained circumscribed. Their reports，

highly technical and sometimes poorly written， went unread. More recently， professional archaeologists have taken

over. These researchers have sought to demonstrate that their

work can be a valuable tool not only of science but also of

history， providing fresh insights into the daily lives of ordinary

people whose existences might not otherwise be so well

documented. This newer emphasis on archaeology as social history

has shown great promise， and indeed work done in this area

has lead to a reinterpretation of the United States past. In Kingston， New York， for example， evidence has

uncovered that indicates that English goods were being

smuggled into that city at a time when the Dutch supposedly

controlled trading in the area. And in Sacramento an

excavation at site of a fashionable nineteenth-century hotel

revealed that garbage had been stashed in the buildings base-

ment despite sanitation laws to the contrary.42.What does the passage mainly discuss? Why historical archaeology was first developed.

How the methods and purpose of historical archaeology have changed.

The contributions architects make to historical archaeology.

The attitude of professional archaeologists toward historical archaeology.43.According to the first paragraph， what is a relatively new focus in archaeology? Investigating the recent past.

Studying prehistoric cultures.

Excavating ancient sites in what is now the United States.

Comparing finding made in North America and Europe.44.According to the passage， when had historical archaeologists been trained as anthropologist? Prior to the 1930s

During the 1930s and 1940s

During the 1950s and 1960s

After the 1960s

45.The word framed in line 18 is closest in meaning to understood

read

avoided

posed46.In the third paragraph， the author implies that the techniques of history and the techniques of social science are quite different from each other

equally useful in studying prehistoric cultures

usually taught to students of archaeology

both based on similar principles47.The phrase their contributions in line 23 refers to the contributions of social scientists

prehistoric cultures

historians

documentation and knowledge48.The author mentions an excavation at the site of a hotel in Sacramento in order to give an example of a building reconstruction project

the work of the earliest historical archaeologists

a finding that conflicts with written records

the kind of information that historians routinely examine49.The word supposedly in line 36 is closest in meaning to ruthlessly

tightly

barely

seemingly50.The word sanitation in line 40 is closest in meaning to city

housing

health

trade

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