託福閱讀TPO7(試題+答案+譯文)第1篇:TheGeologicHistoryoftheMediterranean

TPO是我們常用的託福模考工具，對我們的備考很有價值，下面小編給大家帶來託福閱讀TPO7(試題+答案+譯文)第1篇:The Geologic History of the Mediterranean。

託福閱讀原文

In 1970 geologists Kenneth J.Hsu and William B.F. Ryan were collecting research data while aboard the oceanographicresearch vessel Glomar Challenger.Anobjective of this particular cruise wasto investigate the floor of theMediterranean and to resolve questions aboutits geologic history. One questionwas related to evidence that theinvertebrate fauna (animals without spines) ofthe Mediterranean had changedabruptly about 6 million years ago. Most of theolder organisms were nearlywiped out, although a few hardy species survived. Afew managed to migrate into the Atlantic.Somewhat later, the migrants returned,bringing new species with them. Why didthe near extinction and migrationsoccur?

Another task for the GlomarChallenger’sscientists was to try to determine the origin of the domelikemasses buried deepbeneath the Mediterranean seafloor. These structures had beendetected yearsearlier by echo-sounding instruments, but they had never beenpenetrated in thecourse of drilling. Were they salt domes such as are commonalong the UnitedStates Gulf Coast, and if so, why should there have been somuch solidcrystalline salt beneath the floor of the Mediterranean?

With question such as these clearly beforethem, thescientists aboard the Glomar Challenger processed to the Mediterraneantosearch for the answers. On August 23, 1970, they recovered a sample. Thesampleconsisted of pebbles of hardened sediment that had once been soft,deep-seamud, as well as granules of gypsum and fragments of volcanic rock. Nota singlepebble was found that might have indicated that the pebbles came fromthenearby continent. In the days following, samples of solid gypsumwererepeatedly brought on deck as drilling operations penetrated theseafloor.Furthermore, the gypsum was found to possess peculiarities ofcomposition andstructure that suggested it had formed on desert flats. Sedimentabove andbelow the gypsum layer contained tiny marine fossils, indicatingopen-oceanconditions. As they drilled into the central and deepest part oftheMediterranean basin, the scientists took solid, shiny, crystalline saltfromthe core barrel. Interbedded with the salt were thin layers of whatappeared tobe windblown silt.

The time had come to formulate ahypothesis. The investigators theorized that about 20 million years ago, theMediterranean wasa broad seaway linked to the Atlantic by two narrow straits.Crustal movements closedthe straits, and the landlocked Mediterranean began toevaporate. Increasingsalinity caused by the evaporation resulted in theextermination of scores ofinvertebrate species. Only a few organisms especiallytolerant of very saltyconditions remained. As evaporation continued, the remainingbrine (salt water)became so dense that the calcium sulfate of the hard layerwas precipitated. Inthe central deeper part of the basin, the last of the brineevaporated toprecipitate more soluble sodium chloride (salt). Later, under theweight ofoverlying sediments, this salt flowed plastically upward to form saltdomes.Before this happened, however, the Mediterranean was a vast desert 3,000metersdeep. Then, about 5.5 million years ago came the deluge. As a result ofcrustaladjustments and faulting, the Strait of Gibraltar, where theMediterranean nowconnects to the Atlantic, opened, and water cascadedspectacularly back intothe Mediterranean.Turbulent waters tore into thehardened salt flats, brokethem up, and ground them into the pebbles observed inthe first sample taken bythe Challenger. As the basin was refilled, normalmarine organisms returned.Soon layer of oceanic ooze began to accumulate abovethe old hard layer.

Thesalt and gypsum, the faunal changes, and the unusualgravel provided abundantevidence that the Mediterranean was once a desert.

託福閱讀試題

1.The word “objective”in the passage(paragraph 1) is closest in meaning to

A.achievement

B.requirement

C.purpose

D.feature

2.Which of the following is NOT mentionedin paragraph 1 as a change thatoccurred in the fauna of the Mediterranean?

A.Most invertebrate species disappearedduring a wave of extinctions.

B.A few hardy species wiped out many of theMediterranean’s invertebrates.

C.Some invertebrates migrated to AtlanticOcean.

D.New species of fauna populated theMediterranean when the old migrants returned.

3.1.Whatdoes the author imply by saying“Not a single pebble was found that might have indicated that the

pebbles came from the nearby continent”?(paragraph 3)

A.The most obvious explanation for theorigin of the pebbles was not supported by the evidence.

B.The geologists did not find as manypebbles as they expected.

C.The geologists were looking for aparticular kind of pebble.

D.The different pebbles could not have comefrom only one source.

4.Which of the following can be inferredfrom paragraph 3 about the solidgypsum layer?

A.It did not contain any marine fossil.

B.It had formed in open-ocean conditions.

C.It had once been soft, deep-sea mud.

D.It contained sediment from nearbydeserts.

5.Select the TWO answer choice from paragraph3 that identify materialsdiscovered in the deepest part of the Mediterraneanbasin. To receive credityou must select TWO answers.

A.Volcanic rock fragments

B.Thin silt layers

C.Soft, deep-sea mud

D.Crystalline salt

6.What is the main purpose of paragraph 3?

A.To describe the physical evidencecollected by Hsu and Ryan

B.To explain why some of the questionsposed earlier in the passage could not be answered by the findings of theGlomar Challenger

C.To evaluate techniques used by Hsu andRyan to explore the sea floor

D.To describe the most difficult problemsfaced by the Glomar Challenger expedition

7.According to paragraph 4, which of thefollowing was responsible for theevaporation of the Mediterranean’s waters?

A.The movements of Earth’s crust

B.The accumulation of sediment layers

C.Changes in the water level of theAtlantic Ocean

D.Changes in Earth’s temperature

8.The word “scores”in the passage(paragraph 4) is closest in meaning to

A.members

B.large numbers

C.populations

D.different types

9.According to paragraph 4, what causedmost invertebrate species in theMediterranean to become extinct?

A.The evaporation of chemicals necessaryfor their survival

B.Crustal movements that connected theMediterranean to the saltier Atlantic

C.The migration of new species through thenarrow straits

D.Their inability to tolerate theincreasing salt content of the Mediterranean

10.Which of the sentences below bestexpresses the essential information inthe highlighted sentence in the passage(paragraph 4) ? Incorrect choices change the meaning inimportant ways or leaveout essential information.

A.The strait of Gibraltar reopened when theMediterranean and the Atlantic became connected and the cascades of water fromone sea to the other caused crustal adjustments and faulting.

B.The Mediterranean was dramaticallyrefilled by water from the Atlantic when crustal adjustments and faultingopened the Strait of Gibraltar, the place where the two seas are joined.

C.The cascades of water from the Atlanticto the Mediterranean were not as spectacular as the crustal adjustments andfaulting that occurred when the Strait of Gibraltar was connected to thoseseas.

D.As a result of crustal adjustments andfaulting and the creation of the Strait of Gibraltar, the Atlantic andMediterranean were connected and became a single sea with spectacular cascadesof water between them.

11.The word “Turbulent”in the passage(paragraph 4) is closest in meaning to

A.Fresh

B.Deep

C.Violent

D.Temperate

12. Look at the four squares [■] thatindicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage. Thus,scientists had information about the shape of the domes but not about theirchemical composition and origin.

■【A】Another task for theGlomar Challenger’s scientists was totry to determine the origin of thedomelike masses buried deep beneath theMediterranean seafloor. ■【B】These structures had been detected years earlierby echo-soundinginstruments, but they had never been penetrated in the courseof drilling. ■【C】Were theysalt domes such as are common alongthe United States Gulf Coast, and if so, whyshould there have been so muchsolid crystalline salt beneath the floor of theMediterranean? ■[D】

Where would the sentence best fit?

13. Direction: An introductory sentence fora brief summary of the passage is provided below. Complete the summary byselecting the THREE answer choices that express the most important ideas in thepassage. Some sentences do not belong in the summary because they express ideasthat are not presented in the passage or are minor ideas in the passage. Thisquestion is worth 2 points.

An expedition to the Mediterranean answeredsome long-standing questionsabout the ocean’s history.

A.The Glomar Challenger expeditioninvestigated changes in invertebrate fauna and some unusual geologic features.

B.Researchers collected fossils todetermine which new species migrated from the Atlantic with older species.

C.Scientists aboard the Glomar Challengerwere the first to discover the existence of domelike masses underneath theseafloor.

D.Samples recovered from the expeditionrevealed important differences in chemical composition and fossil distributionamong the sediment layers.

E.Evidence collected by the GlomarChallenger supports geologists' beliefs that the Mediterranean had evaporatedand become a desert, before it refilled with water.

F.Mediterraneansalt domes formed after crustal movements opened the straits between theMediterranean and the Atlantic, and the Mediterranean refilled with water.

託福閱讀答案

1.C

2.文第四句話說到“Most of theolder organisms were nearly wiped out(大部分更加古老的生物都幾乎滅絕了)”對應選項A;第五句說到“A few managed to migrate into the Atlantic(一些物種成功地遷移到了大西洋)”，對應選項C;第六句說到“the migrants returned, bringing new species with them(這些物種又回到了地中海，並帶回新的物種)”，對應選項D。第一段中沒有提到B 選項，故答案是B選項。

3.推理題考察的是文中沒有明確說到的內容，需要經過推理。選項B、C、D在文中均沒有任何線索體現。對於選項A，如果我們在閱讀文章時，能夠比較好的關注上下文，我們會發現：在原文之中第二段，文中提及“它們是像美國海灣海岸一帶的含鹽圓頂狀巨塊" ---美國海灣的東西怎麼會突然出現在了地中海區域?於是對於這些地中海的大巨塊，最簡單的解釋是他們來自美洲灣。既然第二段提出了問題，第三段做出相應的回答，因此第三段的內容應該與第二段的問題是有聯繫的，支持或者反對。而現在的這句話(“在被發現的樣品中，沒有一個表明這些細礫來自於鄰近的大陸”)，當然打破了這個最爲明顯的可能解釋---關於巨大的塊兒起源的解釋。

4.A

5.BD

6.A

7.A

8.原文該單詞所在句子爲:"Increasingsalinity caused by the evaporation resulted in the extermination of scores ofinvertebrate species." 可以理解爲: "由蒸發引起的越來越高的鹽度造成無脊椎動物種類的滅絕。"

Score是得分的意思，在球類比賽中經常可以聽到，可以根據the extermination of scores of invertebrate species這個結構判斷出scores表示數量的意思，對應選項B(這個還是記住吧)

9.D

10.B

11.C

12.C

13.選項A是正確的，是第一二段的內容

選項B是錯誤的，是文章未提及的內容

選項C是錯位的，與第二段第二句內容相反

選項D是正確的，是第四段的內容

選項E是正確的，是文章最後一段的內容

選項F是錯誤的，與第四段內容不符，是地殼運動和斷層作用打開了地中海和大西洋之間的海峽，並非鹽穹(應該說domes在此之前就形成了)

託福閱讀原文

【1】1970年，地理學家Kenneth J. Hsu 和 William B.F. Ryan在海洋調查船Glomar Challenger號上收集調研資料。這次特別巡航的一個目的是調查地中海的地層以及解決關於其地質歷史的問題。其中一個問題是有關地中海地區無脊椎動物(沒有脊椎的動物)於600萬年前發生劇變的證據。大部分更加古老的生物都幾乎滅絕了，儘管一些頑強的種類得以生存。很少的一些動物成功地遷移到了大西洋。不久後，這些動物又回來了，並帶回來新的物種。爲什麼這次較近的動物滅絕和遷移會發生呢?

【2】Glomar Challenger號上科學家們的另一個任務是嘗試去確定深埋在地中海海底穹頂狀巨塊的起源。這些結構在早些年被迴聲探測器探測過，但是它們從未被鑽探過。它們是像美國墨西哥海灣海岸一帶的含鹽穹頂狀巨塊嗎?如果是的話，爲什麼在地中海海底之下會有這麼多固體的結晶鹽呢?

【3】帶着這些清楚擺在他們面前的問題，科學家們登上Glomar Challenger號前往地中海尋找答案。1970年8月23日，他們找到了一個樣本。這個樣本由石膏塊和火山岩碎塊組成。周圍沒有發現一塊能說明這些小石頭來自附近的大陸。接下來的日子裏，隨着海底岩層鑽探實驗的進行，固體石膏樣本被不斷地放在甲板上。而且，這些膏狀物的組成和結構特性表明它們形成於沙漠。在石膏層上下的沉積物中包含了微小的海洋生物化石，說明了這是開放性的海洋環境。當鑽到地中海盆地中心的最深處時，科學家們從鑽管中獲得了堅實的、光亮的結晶鹽。跟結晶鹽嵌在一起的薄層像是被風吹起的泥沙層。

【4】時間闡明瞭一個假設。調查者們構思了這樣的理論：大約2 000萬年前，地中海是一條寬闊的航道，它通過兩條狹窄的海峽與大西洋連接。地殼運動封閉了海峽，被陸地包圍的地中海也開始蒸發。由蒸發引起的越來越高的鹽度造成無脊椎動物種類的滅絕。只有一些能抵抗高鹽度條件的物種保留下來。隨着蒸發的繼續進行，鹽水濃度太高以致硬地層的硫酸鈣發生沉澱。在盆地的中間深處，剩餘鹽水的持續蒸發形成更多的可溶的氯化鈉(鹽)。後來，在上層沉澱物的重壓下，鹽向上形成了含鹽的圓頂。然而在這之前，地中海是一個3 000米深的大沙漠。然後，550萬年前發生了洪水。作爲地殼調整和斷層作用的結果，現在連接地中海和大西洋的直布羅陀海峽打開了，水流像瀑布一樣壯觀地涌回地中海。湍急的水流衝擊並摧毀了堅硬的含鹽層，把它們磨成了Challenger號獲得的第一份樣本中人們所觀察到的鵝卵石。隨着盆地的填充，普通的海洋生物又回來了。不久後海洋軟泥層開始在原先的硬地層上堆積。

【5】鹽、石膏、動物區系的變更，還有不尋常的沙礫層都爲地中海曾經是片沙漠的理論提供了充分的證據。

託福閱讀TPO7(試題+答案+譯文)第1篇:The Geologic History of the Mediterranean