1、历年托福考试阅读真题汇总含答案0308托福试题阅读（55minutes）Question 1-11If food is allowed to stand for some time, it putrefies .When the putrefied materialis examined microscopically ,it is found to be teeming with bacteria. Where do these bacteria come from , since they are not seen in fresh food Even until the mid-nine
2、teenth century, many people believed that such microorganisms originated by spontaneous(5 ) generation ,a hypothetical process by which living organisms develop from nonlivingmatter.The most powerful opponent of the theory of spontaneous generation was the French chemist and microbiologist Louis Pas
3、teur(1822-1895).Pasteur showed that structures present in air closely resemble the microorganisms seen in putrefying materials .He did (10) this by passing air through guncotton filters, the fibers of which stop solid particles. Afterthe guncotton was dissolved in a mixture of alcohol and ether, the
4、 particles that it had trapped fell to the bottom of the liquid and were examined on a microscope slide .Pasteurfound that in ordinary air these exists a variety of solid structures ranging in size from 0.01 mm to more than 1.0 mm .Many of these bodies resembled the reproductive (15)structures of co
5、mmon molds, single-celled animals, and various other microbial cells .As many as 20 to 30 of them were found in fifteen liters of ordinary air ,and they couldnot be distinguished from the organisms found in much larger numbers in putrefying materials .Pasteur concluded that the organisms found in pu
6、trefying materials originated from the organized bodies present in the air .He postulated that these bodies are constantly(20)being deposited on all objects.Pasteur showed that if a nutrient solution was sealed in a glass flask and heated to boiling to destroy all the living organisms contaminating
7、it, it never putrefied .The proponents of spontaneous generation declared that fresh air was necessary for spontaneous generation and that the air inside the sealed flask was affected in some way (25)by heating so that it would no longer support spontaneous generation. Pasteur constructed a swan-nec
8、ked flask in which putrefying materials could he heated to boiling, but aircould reenter. The bends in the neck prevented microorganisms from getting in the flask. Material sterilized in such a flask did not putrefy.1,What does the passage mainly discuss(a)Pasteurs influence on the development of th
9、e microscope.(b)The origin of the theory of spontaneous generation .(c)The effects of pasteurization on food.(d)Pasteurs argument against the theory of spontaneous generation .2,The phrase “teeming with ”in line 2 is closest in meaning to(a)full of(b)developing into(c)resistant to(d)hurt by 3,Which
10、of the following questions did the theory of spontaneous generation attempt to answer(a)What is the origin of the living organisms are seen on some food(b)How many types of organisms can be found on food(c)What is the most effective way to prepare living organisms for microscopic examination(d)How l
11、ong can food stand before it putrefies4,The word “resemble” in line 9 is closest in meaning to(a)benefit from(b)appear similar to(c)join together with(d)grow from5,The purpose of the “guncotton” mentioned in paragraph 2 was to(a)trap particles for analysis(b)slow the process of putrefaction(c)increa
12、se the airflow to the microscopic slide(d)aid the mixing of alcohol and ether6,The author mention “1.0mm”in line 14 in describing the (a)thickness of a layer of organisms that was deposited on an object(b)diameter of the fibers that were in the guncotton filters(c)thickness of the microscope slides
13、that were used(d)size of the particles that that were collected word “postulated”in line 19 is closest in meaning to(a)analyzed(b)doubted(c)persuaded(d)suggested objects that Pasteut removed from the air in his experiment were remarkable because they were(a)primarily single-celled organisms(b)no dif
14、ferent from objects found in putrefying materials(c)fairly rare(d)able to live in a mixture of alcohol and ether word “it” in line 22 refers to (a)a nutrient solution(b)a glass flask(c)boiling(d)spontaneous generation to paragraph 3,proponents of spontaneous generation believed that which of the fol
15、lowing was important for the process to succeed (a)A sealed container(b)Fresh air(c)Heat(d)The presence of nutrients can be inferred from paragraph 3 that Pasteur employed a swam-necked flask to(a)store sterilized liquids for use in future experiments(b)prevent heat from building up in a solution (c
16、)disprove a criticism of his conclusions(d)estimate the number of organisms in a liter of airQuestions 12-20In the early decades of the United States ,the agrarian movement promoted the farmeras societys hero. In the minds of agrarian thinkers and writers ,the farmer was a person on whose well-being
17、 the health of the new country depended .The period between the Revolution, which ended in 1783,and the Civil War ,which ended in 1865 ,was the age of (5 )the farmer in the United States .Agrarian philosophers ,represented most eloquently byThomas Jefferson, celebrated farmers extravagantly for thei
18、r supposed centrality in a good society, their political virtue ,and their Superior morality .And virtually all policy makers, whether they subscribed to the tenets of the philosophy held by Jefferson or not, recognized agriculture as the key component of the American economy .Consequently ,governme
19、nt at (10) all levels worked to encourage farmers as a social group and agriculture as economic enterprise.Both the national and state governments developed transportation infrastructure,building canals, roads, bridges, and railroads ,deepening harbors ,and removing obstructions from navigable strea
20、ms .The national government imported plant and animal varieties and(15) launched exploring expeditions into prospective farmlands in the West .In addition ,government trade policies facilitated the exporting of agricultural products.For their part ,farmers seemed to meet the social expectations agra
21、rian philosophershad for them ,as their broader horizons and greater self-respect, both products of the Revolution ,were reflected to some degree in their behavior .Farmers seemed to become (20) more scientific ,joining agricultural societies and reading the farm newspapers that sprang up throughout
22、 the country .They began using improved implements, tried new crops and pure animal breeds , and became more receptive to modern theories of soil improvement .They also responded to inducements by national and state governments .Farmers streamed to the West ,filling frontier lands with stunning rapi
23、dity .But farmers responded (25) less to the expectations of agrarians and government inducements than to growing market opportunities .European demand for food from the United States seemed insatiable . War, industrialization , and urbanization all kept demand high in Europe . United States cities
24、and industries grew as well; even industries not directly related to farming thrived because of the market, money ,and labor that agriculture provided . does the passage mainly discuss(a)The agrarian philosophy of Thomas Jefferson(b)The role of the national government in the development of agricultu
25、re(c)Improvements in farming techniques(d)The impact of the increased importance of the farmer word “depended” in line 3 is closest in meaning to(a)improved(b)relied(c)demanded(d)explained author mentions Thomas Jefferson in paragraph 1 as an example of(a)a leader during the Revolution(b)an inventor
26、 of new farming techniques(c)a philosopher who believed farmers were essential to the creation of a good society(d)a farmer who guided the agrarian movement toward an emphasis on economic development phrase “subscribed to” in line 8 is closest in meaning to(a)contributed to(b)agreed with(c)thought a
27、bout(d)expanded on of the following statements is supported by the information in paragraph 1(a)All government policy makers accepted Jeffersons views of agriculture and farmers.(b)Agricultural production declined between 1783 and 1861.(c)The majority of farmers worked for the government.(d)Agricult
28、ure was a vital part of the nations economy. to the passage , the national and state governments did all of the following EXCEPT(a)build roads(b)import new plant varieties(c)give farmers money for their crops(d)develop policies that helped farmers export their products of the following are mentioned
29、 as examples of farmers meeting the expectations of agrarian philosophers EXCEPT(a)obtaining information from farm newspapers(b)accumulating personal wealth(c)planting new crops (d)becoming more scientific word “stunning” in line 24 is closest in meaning to(a)predictable(b)impressive(c)famous(d)grad
30、ual of the following statements is best supported by paragraph 4(a)Agricultural development contributed to development in other parts of the economy.(b)European agricultural products were of a higher quality than those produced in the United States.(c)The growing settlement of the West led to a decr
31、ease in agricultural production.(d)Farmers were influenced more by government policies than by market opportunities.Question 21-29 The wide variety of climates in North America has helped spawn a complex pattern of soil regions. In general, the realms soils also reflect the broad environmental parti
32、tioning into “humid America” and “arid America.” Where annual precipitation exceeds 20 inches(50 centimeters),soils in humid areas tend to be acidic in chemical content, Since crops (5 ) do best in soils that are neither acidic(higher in acid content) nor alkaline(higher in salt content).fertilization is necessary to achieve the desired level of neutrality between the tw
