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老托福阅读试题及答案：PASSAGE 12
Among the species of seabirds that use the windswept cliffs of the Atlantic coast of Canada in the summer to mate, lay eggs, and rear their young are common murres, Atlantic puffins, black-legged kittiwakes, and northern gannets. Of all the birds on these cliffs, the black-legged kittiwake gull is the best suited for nesting on narrow ledges. Although its nesting habits are similar to those of gulls that nest on flat ground, there are a number of important differences related to the cliff-nesting habit.
The advantage of nesting on cliffs is the immunity it gives from foxes, which cannot scale the sheer rocks, and from ravens and other species of gulls, which have difficulty in landing on narrow ledges to steal eggs. This immunity has been followed by a relaxation of the defenses, and kittiwakes do not react to predators nearly as fiercely as do ground-nesting gulls. A colony of Bonaparte's gulls responds to the appearance of a predatory herring gull by flying up as a group with a clamor of alarm calls, followed by concerted mobbing, but kittiwakes simply ignore herring gulls, since they pose little threat to nests on cliffs. Neither do kittiwakes attempt to conceal their nest. Most gulls keep the nest area clear of droppings, and remove empty eggshells after the chicks have hatched, so that the location of the nest is not given away. Kittiwakes defecate over the edge of the nest, which keeps it clean, but this practice, as well as their tendency to leave the nest littered with eggshells, makes its location very conspicuous.
On the other hand, nesting on a narrow ledge has its own peculiar problems, and kittiwake behavior has become adapted to overcome them. The female kittiwake sits when mating, whereas other gulls stand, so the pair will not overbalance and fall off the ledge. The nest is a deep cup, made of mud or seaweed, to hold the eggs safely, compared with the shallow scrape of other gulls, and the chicks are remarkably immobile until fully grown. They do not run from their nests when approached, and if they should come near to the cliff edge, they instinctively turn back.
1. What aspect of the kittiwake gull does the passage mainly discuss?
(A) Its defensive behavior
(B) It interactions with other gull species
(C) Its nesting habits
(D) Its physical difference from other gull species
2. The word "rear" in line 2 is closest in meaning to
(A) visit
(B) watch
(C) reverse
(D) raise
3. The word "scale" in line 8 is closest in meaning to
(A) climb
(B) avoid
(C) approach
(D) measure
4. The word "immunity" in line 9 is closest in meaning to
(A) distance
(B) transition
(C) protection
(D) reminder
5. Why is it difficult for ravens to steal the kittiwakes' eggs?
(A) The kittiwakes can see the ravens approaching the nest.
(B) The ravens cannot land on the narrow ledges where kittiwakes nest.
(C) The kittiwakes' eggs are too big for the ravens to carry.
(D) The female kittiwakes rarely leave the nest.
6. The author mentions that eggshells litter around the nests of kittiwakes in order to
(A) demonstrate that kittiwakes are not concerned about predators
(B) prove how busy kittiwakes are in caring for their offspring
(C) show a similarity to other types of gulls
(D) illustrate kittiwakes' lack of concern for their chicks
7. According to the passage , it can be inferred that which of the following birds conceal their nest?
(A) Bonaparte's gulls
(B) Atlantic puffins
(C) Kittiwake gulls
(D) Northern gannets
8. The word "it" in line 17 refers to
(A) location
(B) edge
(C) nest
(D) practice
9. The word "conspicuous" in line 18 is closest in meaning to
(A) disordered
(B) suspicious
(C) noticeable
(D) appealing
10. The phrase "On the other hand" in line 19 is closest in meaning to
(A) therefore
(B) however
(C) for example
(D) by no means
正确答案： CDACB AACCB
如何提高托福阅读理解能力?
一、学会概括主旨大意
任何一篇文章都有一个主题思想。能否抓住一篇文章的主题思想，是考生阅读能力的综合体现。主题思想是文章最重要的内容，也是文章的核心。只有抓住了文章的主题思想，才有助于对文章的理解。从文章的构成来看，一篇文章的主题思想通常是通过段落中某一个句子概括出来的，也可能以暗示的方式表达出来，这个句子就是主题句。在找主题句时，需多注意文章或段落的首尾部分。一般来说，文章的主题句通常在文章的第一段首句，第一段末句或者全文的末句。 二、掌握细节题答题策略
在阅读中，作者往往要通过许多具体的细节来解释或说明文章的主题思想，这些解释或说明文章主题思想的句子通常被称作“支撑句”。在回答细节类问题时，考生应带着问题去寻找相关的信息。在选择答案之前首先要看清题目的要求，找出关键词，然后根据关键词迅速在文章中寻找相关信息，最后根据这些信息做出正确的选择。
二、掌握推理解题技巧
在阅读中，推理是一项重要的阅读技能。推理题与细节题的区别在于，作者没有将问题或者观点直接、正面地陈述出来，而是隐含在字里行间。考生需要透过表面文字推断出隐含的意思。这类题的干扰选项有：1)只是原文的简单重述，而非推断出来的结论;2)看似从原文中推断出来的结论，但实际上与原文不符;3)根据常识判断是正确的，但不能从原文推断出来;4)纯属主观臆断。解答这类题时，考生需要根据文章所给的事实进行分析和判断，超越字面的含义，弄清作者的隐含思想。
托福阅读植物学题材整理
82/11 海藻
83/1 地衣 S1/P123
86/1 植物演化
86/5 藤蔓植物，
86/10 地衣 S1/P7
88/1 树的防御机理 S1/P17
88/5 植物形成层和树皮结构 S1/P99
S/P69 植物的根
90/8 浮游生物 P32
91/8 植物学 P54 普样题1
92/8 树的重要性 P71
P89/ 植物拟态的性质和作用
P138/ 沙漠植物的生存
95/10 植物内部运水的机理
96/1 植物的防御机理 北美题
96/5 兰花
96/10 一种野草和牛的传说
98/5 赤扬和森林环境的关系
99/8 菌类和植物的区别及破坏性和用途
托福阅读如何进行精读训练?
1、首先要从单词入手：扩大自己的词汇量，不仅要知道它的汉语解释，还要掌握它的英语定义及用法，尤其是单词在文章中的用法，它有无巧妙之处，是否有特定的意义。
2、其次要从"语法"入手：这里所说的"语法"不仅指句子的主、谓、宾成份及句子主干，更重要的是指对各种语法现象在思想表达方面的作用及相应的结构形式。当然，在开始阶段需对某些语法结构复杂的句子进行分析。
3、再次，是从句型入手：精读时，一定要学习各种好的句型，并模仿造句。同时，对于一些长句要进行分析。
4、最后，要从文章"逻辑"入手：理清作者思想发展的脉络。提炼各个段落的内容，清楚各个段落如何组成了文章有机整体，理解作者运用的事例与他所阐述问题观点之间的联系，明确他是以什么样的方式(讲故事，列举数据，引经据典)来表达自己的观点的。
老托福阅读试题及答案：PASSAGE 12