Irma

 Geology and Landscape- TOEFL 托福閱讀考古題 Questions (二) 

Paragraph 5: The weather, in its many forms, is the main agent of erosion. Rain washes away loose soil and penetrates cracks in the rocks. Carbon dioxide in the air reacts with the rainwater., forming a weak acid (carbonic acid) that may chemically attack the rocks. The rain seeps underground and the water may reappear later as springs. These springs are the sources of streams and rivers, which cut through the rocks and carry away debris from the mountains to the lowlands.

6. Why does the author mention Carbon dioxide in the passage?

○ To explain the origin of a chemical that can erode rocks

○ To contrast carbon dioxide with carbonic acid

○ To give example of how rainwater soil

○ To argue for the desirability of preventing erosion

7. The word seeps in the passage is closest in meaning to

○ Dries gradually

○ Flows slowly

○ Freezes quickly

○ Warms slightly

Paragraph 6: Under very cold conditions, rocks can be shattered by ice and frost. Glaciers may form in permanently cold areas, and these slowly moving masses of ice cut out valleys, carrying with them huge quantities of eroded rock debris. In dry areas the wind is the principal agent of erosion. It carries fine particles of sand, which bombard exposed rock surfaces, thereby wearing them into yet more sand. Even living things contribute to the formation of landscapes. Tree roots force their way into cracks in rocks and, in so doing, speed their splitting =. In contrast, the roots of grasses and other small plants may help to hold loose soil fragment together, thereby helping to prevent erosion by the wind.

8. The word them in the passage refers to

○ Cold areas

○ Masses of ice

○ Valleys

○ Rock debris

Paragraph 2: Hills and mountains are often regarded as the epitome of permanence, successfully resisting the destructive forces of nature, but in fact they tend to be relatively short-lived in geological terms. As a general rule, the Himalayas are only about 50 million years old. Lower mountains tend to be older, and are often the eroded relics of much higher mountain chains. About 400 million years ago, when the present-day continents of North America and Europe were joined, the Caledonian mountain chain was the same size as the modern Himalayas. Today, however, the relics of the Caledonian orogeny (mountain-building, period) exist as the comparatively low mountains of Greenland, the northern Appalachians in the United States, the Scottish Highlands, and the Norwegian coastal plateau.

9. Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in the passage?

Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.

○ When they are relatively young, hills and mountains successfully resist the destructive forces of nature.

○ Although they seem permanent, hills and mountains exist for a relatively short period of geological time.

○ Hills and mountains successfully resist the destructive forces of nature, but only for a short time.

○ Hills and mountains resist the destructive forces of nature better than other types of landforms.

Paragraph 6: Under very cold conditions, rock can be shattered by ice and frost. Glaciers may form in permanently cold areas, and these slowly moving masses of ice cut out valleys, carrying with them huge quantities of eroded rock debris. ■ In dry areas the wind is the principal agent of erosion. ■ It carries fine particles of sand, which bombard exposed rock surfaces, thereby wearing them into yet more sand.

■ Even living things contribute to the formation of landscapes. ■ Tree roots force their way into cracks in rock and, in so doing, speed their splitting. In contrast, the roots of grasses and other small plants may help to hold loose soil fragments together, thereby helping to prevent erosion by the wind.

10. According to paragraph 6, which of the following is both a cause and result of erosion?

○ Glacial activity

○ Rock debris

○ Three roots

○ Sand

11. Look at the four squares [■] that indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage. Under different climatic conditions, another type of destructive force contributes to erosion. Where would the sentence best fit?

12. Directions: Three of the answer choices below are used in the passage to illustrate constructive processes and two are used to illustrate destructive processes. Complete the table by matching appropriate answer choices to the processes they are used to illustrate. This question is worth 3 points.

Answer Choices:

○ Collision of Earth’s crustal plates

○ Separation of continents

○ Wind-driven sand

○ Formation of grass roots in soil

○ Earthquakes

○ Volcanic activity

○ Weather processes