2008年6月美国托福英语考试（TOEFL）阅读真题精选及答案解析.doc

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1、2008 年 6 月美国托福英语考试（TOEFL）阅读真题精选及答案解析(总分：120.00，做题时间：150 分钟)一、READING(总题数：5，分数：120.00)Loie FullerThe United States dancer Loie Fuller (18621928) found theatrical dance in the late nineteenth century artistically unfulfilling. She considered herself an artist rather than a mere entertainer, and she, i

2、n turn, attracted the notice of other artists.Fuller devised a type of dance that focused on the shifting play of lights and colors on the voluminous skirts or draperies she wore, which she kept in constant motion principally through movements of her arms, sometimes extended with wands concealed und

3、er her costumes. She rejected the technical virtuosity of movement in ballet, the most prestigious form of theatrical dance at that time, perhaps because her formal dance training was minimal. Although her early theatrical career had included stints as an actress, she was not primarily interested in

4、 storytelling or expressing emotions through dance; the drama of her dancing emanated from her visual effects.Although she discovered and introduced her art in the United States, she achieved her greatest glory in Paris, where she was engaged by the Folies Bergre in 1892 and soon became “La Loie,” t

5、he darling of Parisian audiences. Many of her dances represented elements or natural objectsFire, the Lily, the Butterfly, and so onand thus accorded well with the fashionable Art Nouveau style, which emphasized nature imagery and fluid, sinuous lines. Her dancing also attracted the attention of Fre

6、nch poets and painters of the period, for it appealed to their liking for mystery, their belief in art for arts sake, a nineteenth-century idea that art is valuable in itself rather than because it may have some moral or educational benefit, and their efforts to synthesize form and content.Fuller ha

7、d scientific leanings and constantly experimented with electrical lighting (which was then in its infancy), colored gels, slide projections, and other aspects of stage technology. She invented and patented special arrangements of mirrors and concocted chemical dyes for her draperies. Her interest in

8、 color and light paralleled the research of several artists of the period, notably the painter Seurat, famed for his Pointillist technique of creating a sense of shapes and light on canvas by applying extremely small dots of color rather than by painting lines. One of Fullers major inventions was un

9、derlighting, in which she stood on a pane of frosted glass illuminated from underneath. This was particularly effective in her Fire Dance (1895), performed to the music of Richard Wagners “Ride of the Valkyries.” The dance caught the eye of artist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, who depicted it in a lith

10、ograph.As her technological expertise grew more sophisticated, so did the other aspects of her dances. Although she gave little thought to music in her earliest dances, she later used scores by Gluck, Beethoven, Schubert, Chopin, and Wagner, eventually graduating to Stravinsky, Faur, Debussy, and Mu

11、ssorgsky, composers who were then considered progressive. She began to address more ambitious themes in her dances such as The Sea, in which her dancers invisibly agitated a huge expanse of silk, played upon by colored lights. Always open to scientific and technological innovations, she befriended t

12、he scientists Marie and Pierre Curie upon their discovery of radium and created a Radium Dance, which simulated the phosphorescence of that element. She both appeared in filmsthen in an early stage of developmentand made them herself; the hero of her fairy-tale film Le Lys de la Vie (1919) was playe

13、d by Ren Clair, later a leading French film director.At the Paris Exposition in 1900, she had her own theater, where, in addition to her own dances, she presented pantomimes by the Japanese actress Sada Yocco. She assembled an all-female company at this time and established a school around 1908, but

14、 neither survived her. Although she is remembered today chiefly for her innovations in stage lighting, her activities also touched Isadora Duncan and Ruth St. Denis, two other United States dancers who were experimenting with new types of dance. She sponsored Duncans first appearance in Europe. Her

15、theater at the Paris Exposition was visited by St. Denis, who found new ideas about stagecraft in Fullers work and fresh sources for her art in Sada Yoccos plays. In 1924 St. Denis paid tribute to Fuller with the duet Valse la Loie.（分数：24）(1).What can be inferred from paragraph 1 about theatrical da

16、nce in the late nineteenth century?（分数：2）A.It influenced many artists outside of the field of danceB.It was very similar to theatrical dance of the early nineteenth century.C.It was more a form of entertainment than a form of serious art.D.It was a relatively new art form in the United States(2).Acc

17、ording to paragraph 2, all of the following are characteristic of Fullers type of dance EXCEPT（分数：2）A.experimentation using colorB.large and full costumesC.continuous movement of her costumesD.technical virtuosity of movement(3).The word prestigious in the passage is closest in meaning to（分数：2）A.hig

18、hly regardedB.financially rewardingC.demandingD.serious(4).Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in the passage?（分数：2）A.Fuller was more interested in dances visual impact than in its narrative or emotional possibilitiesB.Fuller used visual

19、effects to dramatize the stories and emotions expressed in her work.C.Fuller believed that the drama of her dancing sprang from her emotional style of storytellingD.Fullers focus on the visual effects of dance resulted from her early theatrical training as an actress.(5).The word engaged in the pass

20、age is closest in meaning to（分数：2）A.noticedB.praisedC.hiredD.attracted(6).The word synthesize in the passage is closest in meaning to（分数：2）A.improveB.defineC.simplifyD.integrate(7).According to paragraph 3, why was Fullers work well received in Paris?（分数：2）A.Parisian audiences were particularly inte

21、rested in artists and artistic movements from the United States.B.Influential poets tried to interest dancers in Fullers work when she arrived in Paris.C.Fullers work at this time borrowed directly from French artists working in other media.D.Fullers dances were in harmony with the artistic values a

22、lready present in Paris.(8).According to paragraph 4, Fullers Fire Dance was notable in part for its（分数：2）A.use of colored gels to illuminate glassB.use of dyes and paints to create an image of fireC.technique of lighting the dancer from beneathD.draperies with small dots resembling the Pointillist

23、technique of Seurat(9).Why does the author mention Fullers The Sea?（分数：2）A.To point out a dance of Fullers in which music did not play an important roleB.To explain why Fuller sometimes used music by progressive composersC.To illustrate a particular way in which Fuller developed as an artistD.To ill

24、ustrate how Fullers interest in science was reflected in her work(10).The word agitated in the passage is closest in meaning to（分数：2）A.emerged from beneathB.created movement inC.arranged themselves inD.pretended to be(11).According to paragraph 6, what was true of Fullers theater at the Paris Exposi

25、tion?（分数：2）A.It presented some works that were notB.It featured performances by prominent male as well as female dancersC.It became a famous school that is still named in honor of Fuller.D.It continued to operate as a theater after Fuller died.(12).The passage mentions which of the following as a da

26、nce of Fullers that was set to music?（分数：2）A.Fire DanceB.Radium DanceC.Le Lys de la VieD.Valse la LoieGreen IcebergsIcebergs are massive blocks of ice, irregular in shape; they float with only about 12 percent of their mass above the sea surface. They are formed by glacierslarge rivers of ice that b

27、egin inland in the snows of Greenland, Antarctica, and Alaskaand move slowly toward the sea. The forward movement, the melting at the base of the glacier where it meets the ocean, and waves and tidal action cause blocks of ice to break off and float out to sea.Icebergs are ordinarily blue to white,

28、although they sometimes appear dark or opaque because they carry gravel and bits of rock. They may change color with changing light conditions and cloud cover, glowing pink or gold in the morning or evening light, but this color change is generally related to the low angle of the Sun above the horiz

29、on. However, travelers to Antarctica have repeatedly reported seeing green icebergs in the Weddell Sea and, more commonly, close to the Amery Ice Shelf in East Antarctica.One explanation for green icebergs attributes their color to an optical illusion when blue ice is illuminated by a near-horizon r

30、ed Sun, but green icebergs stand out among white and blue icebergs under a great variety of light conditions. Another suggestion is that the color might be related to ice with high levels of metallic compounds, including copper and iron. Recent expeditions have taken ice samples from green icebergs

31、and ice coresvertical, cylindrical ice samples reaching down to great depthsfrom the glacial ice shelves along the Antarctic continent. Analyses of these cores and samples provide a different solution to the problem.The ice shelf cores, with a total length of 215 meters (705 feet), were long enough

32、to penetrate through glacial icewhich is formed from the compaction of snow and contains air bubblesand to continue into the clear, bubble-free ice formed from seawater that freezes onto the bottom of the glacial ice. The properties of this clear sea ice were very similar to the ice from the green i

33、ceberg. The scientists concluded that green icebergs form when a two-layer block of shelf ice breaks away and capsizes (turns upside down), exposing the bubble-free shelf ice that was formed from seawater.A green iceberg that stranded just west of the Amery Ice Shelf showed two distinct layers: bubb

34、ly blue-white ice and bubble-free green ice separated by a one-meter- long ice layer containing sediments. The green ice portion was textured by seawater erosion. Where cracks were present, the color was light green because of light scattering; where no cracks were present, the color was dark green.

35、 No air bubbles were present in the green ice, suggesting that the ice was not formed from the compression of snow but instead from the freezing of seawater. Large concentrations of single-celled organisms with green pigments (coloring substances) occur along the edges of the ice shelves in this reg

36、ion, and the seawater is rich in their decomposing organic material. The green iceberg did not contain large amounts of particles from these organisms, but the ice had accumulated dissolved organic matter from the seawater. It appears that unlike salt, dissolved organic substances are not excluded f

37、rom the ice in the freezing process. Analysis shows that the dissolved organic material absorbs enough blue wavelengths from solar light to make the ice appear green.Chemical evidence shows that platelets (minute flat portions) of ice form in the water and then accrete and stick to the bottom of the

38、 ice shelf to form a slush (partially melted snow). The slush is compacted by an unknown mechanism, and solid, bubblefree ice is formed from water high in soluble organic substances. When an iceberg separates from the ice shelf and capsizes, the green ice is exposed.The Amery Ice Shelf appears to be

39、 uniquely suited to the production of green icebergs. Once detached from the ice shelf, these bergs drift in the currents and wind systems surrounding Antarctica and can be found scattered among Antarcticas less colorful icebergs.（分数：24）(1).According to paragraph 1, all of the following are true of

40、icebergs EXCEPT:（分数：2）A.They do not have a regular shape.B.They are formed where glaciers meet the ocean.C.Most of their mass is above the sea surface.D.Waves and tides cause them to break off glaciers(2).According to paragraph 2, what causes icebergs to sometimes appear dark or opaque?（分数：2）A.A hea

41、vy cloud coverB.The presence of gravel or bits of rockC.The low angle of the Sun above the horizonD.The presence of large cracks in their surface(3).Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in the passage?（分数：2）A.One explanation notes that gre

42、en icebergs stand out among other icebergs under a great variety of light conditions, but this is attributed to an optical illusionB.One explanation for the color of green icebergs attributes their color to an optical illusion that occurs when the light from a near-horizon red Sun shines on a blue i

43、ceberg.C.One explanation for green icebergs attributes their color to a great variety of light conditions, but green icebergs stand out best among other icebergs when illuminated by a near-horizon red Sun.D.One explanation attributes the color of green icebergs to an optical illusion under special l

44、ight conditions, but green icebergs appear distinct from other icebergs under a great variety of light conditions.(4).The word penetrate in the passage is closest in meaning to（分数：2）A.collectB.pierceC.meltD.endure(5).According to paragraph 4, how is glacial ice formed?（分数：2）A.By the compaction of sn

45、owB.By the freezing of seawater on the bottom of ice shelvesC.By breaking away from the ice shelfD.By the capsizing of a two-layer block of shelf ice(6).According to paragraph 4, ice shelf cores helped scientists explain the formation of green icebergs by showing that（分数：2）A.the ice at the bottom of

46、 green icebergs is bubble-free ice formed from frozen seawaterB.bubble-free ice is found at the top of the ice shelfC.glacial ice is lighter and floats better than sea iceD.the clear sea ice at the bottom of the ice shelf is similar to ice from a green iceberg(7).Why does the author mention that “Th

47、e green ice portion was textured by seawater erosion”?（分数：2）A.To explain why cracks in the iceberg appeared light green instead of dark greenB.To suggest that green ice is more easily eroded by seawater than white ice isC.To support the idea that the green ice had been the bottom layer before capsiz

48、ingD.To explain how the air bubbles had been removed from the green ice(8).The word accumulated in the passage is closest in meaning to（分数：2）A.collectedB.frozenC.releasedD.covered(9).The word excluded in the passage is closest in meaning to（分数：2）A.kept outB.compressedC.damagedD.gathered together(10)

49、.The word accrete in the passage is closest in meaning to（分数：2）A.advanceB.transferC.flatten outD.come together(11).Which of the following is NOT explained in the passage?（分数：2）A.Why blocks of ice break off where glaciers meet the oceanB.Why blocks of shelf ice sometimes capsize after breaking offC.Why green icebergs are commonly produced in some parts of AntarcticaD.Why green icebergs contain large amounts of dissolved organic pigments(12).The passage supports which of the following statements about the Amery Ice Shelf?（分数：2）A.The Amery Ice Shelf produces