theodorethelinguist

[theodorethelinguist]

TOEFL Listening TPO 002-Q5: Bode’s Law

1.Listen to part of a lecture in an astronomy class.

2.You will not need to remember the numbers the professor mentions.

第 2 段

1.OK. Let's get going.

2.Today I'm going to talk about how the asteroid belt was discovered.

3.And... I'm going to start by writing some numbers on the board.

4.Here they are; We'll start with zero, then 3, ... 6, ... 12.

5.Uh, tell me what I'm doing.

第 3 段

1.Multiplying by 2?

2.Right, I'm doubling the numbers, so 2 times 12 is 24, and the next one I'm going to write after 24 would be...

第 4 段

1.48.

第 5 段

1.48. Then 96.

2.We'll stop there for now.

3.Uh, now I'll write another row of numbers under that.

4.Tell me what I'm doing.

5.4, 7, 10... How am I getting the second row?

第 6 段

1.Adding 4 to the numbers in the first row.

第 7 段

1.I'm adding 4 to each number in the first row to give you a second row.

2.So the last two will be 52, 100, and now tell me what I'm doing.

第 8 段

1.Putting in a decimal?

第 9 段

1.Yes, I divided all those numbers by 10 by putting in a decimal point.

2.Now I'm going to write the names of the planets under the numbers.

3.Mercury... Venus... Earth... Mars.

4.So, what do the numbers mean?

5.Do you remember from the reading?

第 10 段

1.Is it the distance of the planets from the Sun?

第 11 段

1.Right. In astronomical units - not perfect, but tantalizingly close.

2.The value for Mars is off by... 6 or 7 percent or so.

3.It's... but it's within 10 percent of the average distance to Mars from the Sun.

4.But I kind of have to skip the one after Mars for now.

5.Then Jupiter's right there at 5-point something, and then Saturn is about 10 astronomical units from the Sun.

6.Um, well, this pattern is known as Bode's Law.

第 12 段

1.Um, it isn't really a scientific law, not in the sense of predicting gravitation mathematically or something, but it's attempting a pattern in the spacing of the planets, and it was noticed by Bode hundreds of years ago.

2.Well, you can imagine that there was some interest in why the 2.8 spot in the pattern was skipped, and um... but there wasn't anything obvious there, in the early telescopes.

3.Then what happened in the late 1700s?

4.The discovery of...?

第 13 段

1.Another planet?

第 14 段

1.The next planet out, Uranus - after Saturn.

第 15 段

1.And look, Uranus fits in the next spot in the pattern pretty nicely, um, not perfectly, but close.

2.And so then people got really excited about the validity of this thing and finding the missing object between Mars and Jupiter.

3.And telescopes, remember, were getting better.

4.So people went to work on finding objects that would be at that missing distance from the Sun, and then in 1801, the object Ceres was discovered.

第 16 段

1.And Ceres was in the right place - the missing spot.

2.Uh, but it was way too faint to be a planet.

3.It looked like a little star.

4.Uh, and because of its star-like appearance, um, it was called an "asteroid".

5.OK? "Aster" is Greek for "star", as in "astronomy".

6.Um, and so, Ceres was the first and is the largest of what became many objects discovered at that same distance.

7.Not just one thing, but all the objects found at that distance form the asteroid belt.

8.So the asteroid belt is the most famous success of this Bode's Law.

9.That's how the asteroid belt was discovered.

[theodorethelinguist]

TOEFL Listening TPO 002-Q4: Aristotle (on Happiness)

第 1 段

1.Listen to part of a lecture in a philosophy class.

第 2 段

1.OK. Another ancient Greek philosopher we need to discuss is Aristotle - Aristotle's ethical theory.

2.What Aristotle's ethical theory is all about is this: he's trying to show you how to be happy - what true happiness is.

第 3 段

1.Now, why is he interested in human happiness?

2.It's not just because it's something that all people want or aim for.

3.It's more than that.

4.But to get there we need to first make a very important distinction.

5.Let me introduce a couple of technical terms: extrinsic value and intrinsic value.

第 4 段

1.To understand Aristotle's interest in happiness, you need to understand this distinction.

第 5 段

1.Some things we aim for and value, not for themselves but for what they bring about in addition to themselves.

2.If I value something as a means to something else, then it has what we will call "extrinsic value".

3.Other things we desire and hold to be valuable for themselves alone.

4.If we value something not as a means to something else, but for its own sake, let us say that it has "intrinsic value".

第 6 段

1.Exercise. There may be some people who value exercise for itself, but I don't, I value exercise because if I exercise, I tend to stay healthier than I would if I didn't.

2.So I desire to engage in exercise and I value exercise extrinsically... not for its own sake, but as a means to something beyond it.

3.It brings me good health.

第 7 段

1.Health. Why do I value good health?

2.Well, here it gets a little more complicated for me.

3.Um, health is important for me because I can't... do other things I want to do - play music, teach philosophy - if I'm ill.

4.So health is important to me - has value to me - as a means to a productive life.

5.But health is also important to me because I just kind of like to be healthy - it feels good.

6.It's pleasant to be healthy, unpleasant not to be.

7.So to some degree I value health both for itself and as a means to something else: productivity.

8.It's got extrinsic and intrinsic value for me.

第 8 段

1.Then there's some things that are just valued for themselves.

2.I'm a musician, not a professional musician; I just play a musical instrument for fun.

3.Why do I value playing music?

4.Well, like most amateur musicians, I only play because, well, I just enjoy it.

5.It's something that's an end in itself.

第 9 段

1.Now, something else I value is teaching.

2.Why? Well, it brings in a modest income, but I could make more money doing other things.

3.I'd do it even if they didn't pay me.

4.I just enjoy teaching.

5.In that sense it's an end to itself.

第 10 段

1.But teaching's not something that has intrinsic value for all people - and that's true generally.

2.Most things that are enjoyed in and of themselves vary from person to person.

3.Some people value teaching intrinsically, but others don't.

第 11 段

1.So how does all this relate to human happiness?

2.Well, Aristotle asks: is there something that all human beings value... and value only intrinsically, for its own sake and only for its own sake?

3.If you could find such a thing, that would be the universal final good, or truly the ultimate purpose or goal for all human beings.

4.Aristotle thought the answer was yes.

5.What is it? Happiness.

6.Everyone will agree, he argues, that happiness is the ultimate end to be valued for itself and really only for itself.

7.For what other purpose is there in being happy?

8.What does it yield?

9.The attainment of happiness becomes the ultimate or highest good for Aristotle.

第 12 段

1.The next question that Aristotle raises is: what is happiness?

2.We all want it; we all desire it; we all seek it.

3.It's the goal we have in life.

4.But what is it? How do we find it?

5.Here he notes, with some frustration, people disagree.

第 13 段

1.But he does give us a couple of criteria, or features, to keep in mind as we look for what true human happiness is.

2.True human happiness should be, as he puts it, complete.

3.Complete in that it's all we require.

4.Well, true human happiness... if you had that, what else do you need?

5.Nothing.

第 14 段

1.And, second, true happiness should be something that I can obtain on my own.

2.I shouldn't have to rely on other people for it.

3.Many people value fame and seek fame.

4.Fame for them becomes the goal.

5.But, according to Aristotle, this won't work either, because fame depends altogether too much on other people.

6.I can't get it on my own, without help from other people.

第 15 段

1.In the end, Aristotle says that true happiness is the exercise of reason - life of intellectual contemplation... of thinking.

2.So let's see how he comes to that.

[theodorethelinguist]

TOEFL Listening TPO 002-Q3: Poetry Club Activity

第 1 段

1.Listen to a conversation between two students. They are both studying to be English teachers.

第 2 段

1.Did you register already for your classes next semester?

第 3 段

1.Yes, I did.

第 4 段

1.What are you taking?

第 5 段

1.Um... contemporary literature, English style, um... the teaching seminar, and I still have to do my student teaching.

2.I'm gonna help teach a writing class of the junior high.

第 6 段

1.That's a heavy schedule.

第 7 段

1.Yeah, it will be really busy and I'm also taking a theory class.

2.But I have to quit my job in a couple of weeks ,cause it will be just too much.

第 8 段

1.Where do you work at?

第 9 段

1.Buster's coffee shop, but just till the end of the month.

2.What are you doing next semester?

第 10 段

1.Actually a teaching seminar too.

2.And I will have to start writing my thesis.

3.You know, I'm also going for my master's degree.

第 11 段

1.So you are not writing any poetry, I imagine.

第 12 段

1.No, I was actually thinking about revising some of my poems and sending them into places for publication.

第 13 段

1.Cool, you should.

2.Um, did you hear about that new poetry club, The Poetry Kitchen?

第 14 段

1.Yeah, no time.

第 15 段

1.It's fun. It's Sunday night.

2.You don't do anything at Sunday nights?

第 16 段

1.I do homework Sunday nights.

第 17 段

1.Well, it's only from 7 to 9.

第 18 段

1.Is it every Sunday?

第 19 段

1.Last Sunday of every month. I don't know about this month, cause it's probably a little too close to Thanksgiving, so they might move it up.

2.I don't know what they are gonna do, but it's a good time, it's fun, some really impressive readings.

第 20 段

1.Who? From our class?

第 21 段

1.Some people from our class are reading.

2.A lot of them go, sometimes even the professor.

第 22 段

1.Really? I don't know if I would wanna read in front of her.

第 23 段

1.You wouldn't have to read, you can just watch.

2.I just watched the first time, but it's a good environment to read them, I think anyway.

第 24 段

1.I probably have to write something new, so maybe during the summer, I just can't now.

第 25 段

1.Yeah, it wouldn't be the same just reading old stuff.

2.Are you gonna do summer school?

第 26 段

1.Definitely. Otherwise, I will be short 6 credits, I have no choice.

第 27 段

1.Yeah, me too.

2.This is the second summer I'll have to take classes.

3.I gotta go now, my Shakespeare class starts in twenty minutes.

[theodorethelinguist]

TOEFL Listening TPO 002-Q2: Manila Hemp

第 1 段

1.Listen to part of a lecture from a Botany class.

第 2 段

1.Hi, everyone. Good to see you all today.

2.Actually, I expected the population to be a lot lower today.

3.It typically runs between 50 and 60 percent on the day the research paper is due.

4.Um, I was hoping to have your exams back today, but, uh, the situation was that I went away for the weekend, and I was supposed to get in yesterday at five, and I expected to fully complete all the exams by midnight or so, which is the time that I usually go to bed.

5.But my flight was delayed, and I ended up not getting in until one o'clock in the morning.

6.Anyway, I'll do my best to have them finished by the next time we meet.

第 3 段

1.OK. In the last class, we started talking about useful plant fibers.

2.In particular, we talked about cotton fibers, which we said were very useful, not only in the textile industry, but also in the chemical industry, and in the production of many products, such as plastics, paper, explosives, and so on.

3.Today we'll continue talking about useful fibers, and we'll begin with a fiber that's commonly known as "Manila hemp".

第 4 段

1.Now, for some strange reason, many people believe that Manila hemp is a hemp plant. But Manila hemp is not really hemp.

2.It's actually a member of the banana family - it even bears little banana-shaped fruits.

3.The "Manila" part of the name makes sense, because Manila hemp is produced chiefly in the Philippine Islands and, of course, the capital city of the Philippines is Manila.

第 5 段

1.Now, as fibers go, Manila hemp fibers are very long.

2.They can easily be several feet in length and they're also very strong, very flexible.

3.They have one more characteristic that's very important, and that is that they are exceptionally resistant to salt water.

4.And this combination of characteristics - long, strong, flexible, resistant to salt water - makes Manila hemp a great material for ropes, especially for ropes that are gonna be used on ocean-going ships.

5.In fact, by the early 1940's, even though steel cables were available, most ships in the United States Navy were not moored with steel cables; they were moored with Manila hemp ropes.

第 6 段

1.Now, why was that? Well, the main reason was that steel cables degrade very, very quickly in contact with salt water.

2.If you've ever been to San Francisco, you know that the Golden Gate Bridge is red.

3.And it's red because of the zinc paint that goes on those stainless steel cables.

4.That, if they start at one end of the bridge and they work to the other end, by the time they finish, it's already time to go back and start painting the beginning of the bridge again, because the bridge was built with steel cables, and steel cables can't take the salt air unless they're treated repeatedly with a zinc-based paint.

第 7 段

1.On the other hand, plant products like Manila hemp, you can drag through the ocean for weeks on end.

2.If you wanna tie your anchor to it and drop it right into the ocean, that's no problem, because plant fibers can stand up for months, even years, in direct contact with salt water.

3.OK. So how do you take plant fibers that individually you could break with your hands and turn them into a rope that's strong enough to moor a ship that weighs thousands of tons?

4.Well, what you do is you extract these long fibers from the Manila hemp plant, and then you take several of these fibers, and you group them into a bundle, because by grouping the fibers you greatly increase their breaking strength - that bundle of fibers is much stronger than any of the individual fibers that compose it.

5.And then you take that bundle of fibers and you twist it a little bit, because by twisting it, you increase its breaking strength even more.

6.And then you take several of these little bundles, and you group and twist them into bigger bundles, which you then group and twist into even bigger bundles, and so on, until eventually, you end up with a very, very strong rope.

[theodorethelinguist]

TOEFL Listening TPO 002-Q1: Write the research project

第 1 段

1.Listen to a conversation between a student and a professor.

第 2 段

1.Uh, excuse me, Professor Thompson.

2.I know your office hours are tomorrow, but I was wondering if you had a few minutes free now to discuss something.

第 3 段

1.Sure, John. What did you want to talk about?

第 4 段

1.Well, I have some quick questions about how to write up the research project I did this semester - about climate variations.

第 5 段

1.Oh, yes. You were looking at variations in climate in the Grant City area, right?

2.How far along have you gotten?

第 6 段

1.I've got all my data, so I'm starting to summarize it now, preparing graphs and stuff.

2.But I'm just... I'm looking at it and I'm afraid that it's not enough, but I'm not sure what else to put in the report.

第 7 段

1.I hear the same thing from every student.

2.You know, you have to remember now that you're the expert on what you've done.

3.So, think about what you'd need to include if you were going to explain your research project to someone with general or casual knowledge about the subject, like ... like your parents

4.That's usually my rule of thumb: would my parents understand this?

第 8 段

1.OK. I get it.

第 9 段

1.I hope you can recognize by my saying that how much you do know about the subject.

第 10 段

1.Right. I understand.

2.I was wondering if I should also include the notes from the research journal you suggested I keep.

第 11 段

1.Yes, definitely.

2.You should use them to indicate what your evolution in thought was through time.

3.So, just set up, you know, what was the purpose of what you were doing - to try to understand the climate variability of this area - and what you did, and what your approach was

第 12 段

1.OK. So, for example, I studied meteorological records;

2.I looked at climate charts;

3.I used different methods for analyzing the data, like certain statistical tests; and then I discuss the results. Is that what you mean?

第 13 段

1.Yes, that's right.

2.You should include all of that.

3.The statistical tests are especially important.

4.And also be sure you include a good reference section where all your published and unpublished data came from, cause you have a lot of unpublished climate data.

第 14 段

1.Hmm... something just came into my mind and went out the other side.

第 15 段

1.That happens to me a lot, so I've come up with a pretty good memory management tool.

2.I carry a little pad with me all the time and jot down questions or ideas that I don't want to forget.

3.For example, I went to the doctor with my daughter and her baby son last week and we knew we wouldn't remember everything we wanted to ask the doctor, so we actually made a list of five things we wanted answers to.

第 16 段

1.A notepad is a good idea.

2.Since I'm so busy now at the end of the semester, I'm getting pretty forgetful these days.

3.OK. I just remembered what I was trying to say before.

第 17 段

1.Good. I was hoping you'd come up with it.

第 18 段

1.Yes. It ends up that I have data on more than just the immediate Grant City area, so I also included some regional data in the report.

2.With everything else it should be a pretty good indicator of the climate in this part of the state.

第 19 段

1.Sounds good.

2.I'd be happy to look over a draft version before you hand in the final copy, if you wish.

第 20 段

1.Great. I'll plan to get you a draft of the paper by next Friday.

2.Thanks very much.

3.Well, see ya.

第 21 段

1.OK.

[theodorethelinguist]

TOEFL Listening TPO 001-Q5: Catalhoyuk

Listen to part of a lecture in an archeology class. OK, we’ve been talking about early agriculture in the near east.So let’s concentrate on one site and see what we can learn from it.Let’s look at Catalhoyuk. Um… I’d better write that down. Catalhoyuk, that’s about as close as we get in English.It’s Turkish, really.The site’s in modern day Turkey,and who knows what the original inhabitants called it.Anyway, uh…Catalhoyuk wasn’t the first agricultural settlement in the near east,but it was pretty early, settled about 9,000 years ago in the Neolithic period.And ... um... the settlement...uh...town really,lasted about a thousand years and grew to a size of about eight or ten thousand people.That certainly makes it one of the largest towns in the world at that time. One of the things that make the settlement of this size impressive is the time period.It’s the Neolithic, remember, the late Stone Age.So the people that lived there had only stone tools,no metals. So everything they accomplished,like building this town, they did with just stone,plus wood, bricks, that sort of thing.But you got to remember that it wasn’t just any stone they had,they had obsidian.And um... obsidian is a black, volcanic,well, almost like glass.It flakes very nicely into really sharp points.The sharpest tools of the entire Stone Age were made of obsidian.And uh... the people of Catalhoyuk got theirs from further inland,from central Turkey, traded for it, probably. Anyway, what I wanna focus on is the way the town was built.The houses are all rectangular,one storey, made of sun-dried bricks.But what’s really interesting is that there are no spaces between them,no streets in other words,and so generally no doors on the houses either.People walked around on the roofs and entered the house through a hatchway on the roof,down a wooden ladder.You can still see the diagonal marks of the ladders in the plaster on the inside walls.Once you were in the house,there would be one main room and a couple of small rooms for storage.The main room had the hearths,for cooking and for heat.It would’ve been pretty cold during the winters.And it also looks like they made their tools near the fire.There tends to be a lot of obsidian flakes and chips in the hearth ashes,but no chimney.The smoke just went out the same hatchway that people used for going in and out themselves.So there would have been an open fire inside the house with only one hole in the roof to let the smoke out.You and I would have found it a bit too smoky in there.You can see on the walls,which they plastered and decorated with paintings.They ended up with a layer of black soot on them,and so did people’s lungs.The bones found in the graves show a layer of soot on the inside of the ribs. And that’s another unusual feature of Catalhoyuk, the burial sites.The graves have all been found under the houses,right under the floors.And it maybe this burial custom that explains why the houses were packed in so tightly without streets.I mean, you might think it was for protection or something,but there has been no evidence found yet of any violent attack that would indicate that kind of danger.It maybe they wanted to live as near as possible to their ancestors’ graves and be buried near them themselves.But it makes a good point.Based on excavations,we can know the layout of the houses and the location of the graves,but we’re only guessing when we tried to say why they did it that way.That’s the way it is with archeology. You are dealing with the physical remains that people left behind.We have no sure access to what they thought and how they felt about things.I mean it’s interesting to speculate.And the physical artifacts can give us clues,but there is a lot we can’t really know.So, for instance, their art.They painted on the plastered walls and usually they painted hunting scenes with wild animals in them.Now they did hunt and they also raised cereal crops and kept sheep,but we don’t know why so many of the paintings are of hunting scenes.Was it supposed to have religious or magical significance?That’s the kind of thing we can only guess at based on clues.And hopefully,further excavation of Catalhoyuk will yield more clues.But we’ll probably never know for sure.

[theodorethelinguist]

TOEFL Listening TPO 001-Q4: Uranium-Lead Dating

第 1 段

1.Listen to part of a lecture in a geology class.

第 2 段

1.Ok, let’s get started. Great.

2.Today I want to talk about a way in which we are able to determine how old a piece of land,

3.or some other geologic feature is - dating techniques.

4.I’m going to talk about a particular dating technique. Why?

5.Good dating is key to good analysis. In other words,

6.if you want to know how a land formation was formed,

7.the first thing you probably want to know is how old it is.

8.It’s fundamental.

第 3 段

1.Uh… Take the Grand Canyon for instance.

2.Now, we geologists thought we had a pretty good idea of

3.how the Grand Canyon in the southwestern United States was formed.

4.We knew that it was formed from sandstone that solidified somewhere

5.between 150 and 300 million years ago.

6.Before it solidified, it was just regular sand.

7.Essentially it was part of a vast desert. And until just recently,

8.most of us thought the sand had come from an ancient mountain range fairly close by that flattened out over time.

9.That’s been the conventional wisdom among geologists for quite some time.

第 4 段

1.But now we’ve learned something different,

2.and quite surprising, using a technique called Uranium-Lead Dating.

3.I should say that Uranium-Lead Dating has been around for quite a while.

4.But there have been some recent refinements.

5.I will get into this in a minute.

6.Anyway, Uranium-Lead Dating has produced some surprises.

7.Two geologists discovered that about half of the sand from the Grand Canyon was actually once part of the Appalachian Mountains.

8.That’s really eye-opening news,

9.since the Appalachian Mountain Range is,

10.of course, thousands of kilometers to the east of the Grand Canyon.

11.Sounds pretty unbelievable, right?

12.Of course, the obvious question is how did that sand end up so far west?

13.The theory is that huge rivers and wind carried the sand west

14.where it mixed in with the sand that was already there.

第 5 段

1.Well, this was a pretty revolutionary finding.

2.Um… and it was basically because of Uranium-Lead Dating. Why?

3.Well, as everyone in this class should know,

4.we usually look at the grain type within sandstone,

5.meaning the actual particles in the sandstone,

6.to determine where it came from.

7.You can do other things too,

8.like look at the wind or water that

9.brought the grains to their location and figure out which way it was flowing.

10.But that’s only useful up to a point,

11.and that’s not what these two geologists did.

第 6 段

1.Uranium-Lead Dating allowed them to go about it in an entirely different way.

2.What they did was: they looked at the grains of Zircon in the sandstone.

3.Zircon is a material that contains radioactive Uranium,

4.which makes it very useful for dating purposes.

5.Zircon starts off as molten magma,

6.the hot lava from volcanoes.

7.This magma then crystallizes. And when Zircon crystallizes,

8.the Uranium inside it begins to change into Lead.

9.So if you measure the amount of Lead in the Zircon grain,

10.you can figure out when the grain was formed.

11.After that, you can determine the age of Zircon from different mountain ranges.

12.Once you do that,

13.you can compare the age of the Zircon in the sandstone in your sample to the age of the Zircon in the mountains.

14.If the age of the Zircon matches the age of one of the mountain ranges,

15.then it means the sandstone actually used to be part of that particular mountain range.

16.Is everybody with me on that?

17.Good. So, in this case,

18.Uranium-Lead Dating was used to establish that half of the sandstone

19.in the samples was formed at the same time

20.the granite in the Appalachian Mountains was formed.

21.So because of this,

22.this new way of doing Uranium-Lead Dating,

23.we’ve been able to determine that

24.one of our major assumptions about the Grand Canyon was wrong.

第 7 段

1.Like I said before,

2.Uranium-Lead Dating has been with us for a while.

3.But, um… until recently,

4.in order to do it,

5.you really had to study many individual grains.

6.And it took a long time before you got results.

7.It just wasn’t very efficient.

8.And it wasn’t very accurate.

9.But technical advances have cut down on the number of grains you have to study,

10.so you get your results faster.

11.So I’ll predict that Uranium-Lead Dating is going to become an increasingly popular dating method.

第 8 段

1.There are a few pretty exciting possibilities for Uranium-Lead Dating.

2.Here is one that comes to mind.

3.You know the theory that earth’s continents were once joined together

4.and only split apart relatively recently?

5.Well, with Uranium-Lead Dating,

6.we could prove that more conclusively.

7.If they show evidence of once having been joined,

8.that could really tell us a lot about the early history of the planet’s geology.

[theodorethelinguist]

TOEFL Listening TPO 001-Q3: Classroom Management

第 1 段

1.Listen to part of a conversation between a student and his professor.

第 2 段

1.Hi Mathew, I'm glad you could come in today.

2.You've been observing Mr. Grable's third-grade class for your approaches to education paper, right?

第 3 段

1.Um, yes. I go over to Johnson Elementary School, you know, to watch Mr. Grable teach the children in class.

2.It's been amazing, I mean, I'm just learning so much from just watching him.

3.I'm so glad the classroom observations are a requirement for the education program.

4.I mean it's like the best thing ever to prepare you to be a good teacher.

第 4 段

1.Well, I'm glad to see you feel that way, Mathew.

2.You know, that's the goal.

3.So, I've been reading over your observation notes and I'm quite interested in what's going on, in particular with the astronomy unit he's been teaching.

第 5 段

1.The astronomy unit?

第 6 段

1.It seems that Mr. Grable has mastered the interdisciplinary approach to teaching that we've been talking about in class.

第 7 段

1.Oh! OK, yeah, so like when he was teaching them astronomy, he didn't just teach them the names of the planets, he used it as a way to teach mythology.

第 8 段

1.Really! So, how did he do that?

第 9 段

1.Well, some of the students could already name the planets, but they didn't know that the names had any meaning - the stories behind them.

第 10 段

1.So, he...

第 11 段

1.He introduced Greek and Roman mythology as a way of explaining.

2.Like, you know, how like Jupiter's the biggest planet, right, and how Jupiter was the name of the king of the gods in Roman mythology, right?

3.So since Jupiter, the planet, is the largest planet in our solar system, it's like the king of the planets, like Jupiter was the king of all the gods.

第 12 段

1.Oh, Mathew, that's a great example.

第 13 段

1.Yeah! And each student chose a planet and then did research on it to write a report and make a presentation.

2.They went to the library to do the research, then they made presentations about the planet they chose.

第 14 段

1.So, in one science unit, in which the focus was astronomy, the students also learned about the literature of Greek and Roman mythology, used research skills in the library, wrote a report and practiced their oral presentation skills.

第 15 段

1.Exactly! He used this one topic to teach third-graders all that stuff - how to use the books in the library, to write reports, and even how to speak in public.

2.Plus they had a great time doing it.

第 16 段

1.You know, Mathew, this is just what we've been talking about in our class.

2.I'm sure everyone could learn something from your experience.

3.You know, Mathew, I'd love for you to talk about this astronomy unit in class on Wednesday.

第 17 段

1.Really?! Um... cause I don't really think I'll have any time to write my paper by then.

第 18 段

1.Oh, you won't need to write anything new just yet.

2.For Wednesday, use your class observation notes and explain the things we've discussed today.

第 19 段

1.Ok, that sounds all right.

[theodorethelinguist]

TOEFL Listening TPO 001-Q1: Find articles in the library

Find articles in the library

Listen to part of a conversation between a student and a librarian. Hi, um... I really hope you can help me. That's why I'm here. What can I do for you? I'm supposed to do a literature review for my psychology course, but I'm having a hard time finding articles. I don't even know where to start looking. You said this is for your psychology course, right? So your focus is on... Dream Interpretation. Well, you have a focus, so that's already a good start. Hmmm... well, there're a few things... oh wait... have you checked to see if your professor put any materials for you to look at on reserve? Aha, that's one thing I did know to do. I just copied an article, but I still need three more on my topic from three different journals. Let's get you going on looking for those then. We have printed versions of twenty or so psychology journals in the Reference Section. These are ones published within the last year. Now that I think about it... there's a journal named Sleep and Dreams. Oh, yeah, the article I just copied is from that journal, so I've got to look at other sources. Ok, actually, most of our materials are available electronically now. You can access psychology databases or electronic journals and articles through the library's computers. And if you wanted to search by title with the word "dream" for example, just type it in and all the articles with 'dream' in the title will come up on the screen. Cool, that's great! Too bad i can't do this from home. But you can. All of the library's databases and electronic sources can be accessed through any computer connected to the university network. Really?! I can't believe I didn't know that. It still sounds like it's gonna take a while though, you know, going through all of that information, all of those sources. Maybe, but you already narrowed your search down to articles on Dream Interpretation, so it shouldn't be too bad. And you probably notice that there's an abstract or summary at the top of the first page of the article you copied. When you go into the databases and electronic sources, you have the option to display the abstracts on the computer screen, skimming those to decide whether or not you want to read the whole article should cut down some time. Right, abstracts! They'll definitely make the project more doable. I guess I should try out the electronic search while I'm still here then, you know, just in case. Sure, er... that computer is free over there, and I'll be here till five this afternoon. Thanks, I feel a lot better about this assignment now.

[theodorethelinguist]

TOEFL Listening TPO 001-Q2 Rose Frantzen

第 1 段

1.Listen to part of a lecture in a contemporary art class.

第 2 段

1.Ok, I’m going to begin this lecture by giving you your next assignment.

2.Remember I said that at some point during this semester

3.I wanted you to attend an exhibit at the Fairy Street Gallery and then write about it?

4.Well, the exhibit that I want you to attend is coming up.

5.It’s already started in fact,

6.but it’ll be at the gallery for the next month,

7.which should give you plenty of time to complete this assignment.

第 3 段

1.The name of the artist exhibiting there is Rose Frantzen.

2.Frantzen’s work may be unfamiliar to you since she’s a relatively young artist.

3.But she’s got a very unusual style,

4.compared to some of the artists we’ve looked at this term.

5.But anyway, Frantzen’s style is what she herself calls Realistic Impressionism.

6.So you’ve probably studied both of these movements separately,

7.separate movements,

8.Realism and Impressionism,

9.in some of your art history courses.

10.So who can just sum these up?

第 4 段

1.Well, Impressionism started in the late 19th century.

2.Um…the basic impressionist style was very different from earlier styles.

3.It didn’t depict scenes or models exactly as they looked.

4.Um… Impressionist painters tended to apply paint really thickly,

5.and in big brushstrokes,

6.so the texture of the canvas was rough.

第 5 段

1.Good. What else?

2.What were the subjects?

第 6 段

1.Well, a lot of impressionist artists painted everyday scenes,

2.like people on the streets and in cafes,

3.uh, lots of nature scenes, especially landscapes.

第 7 段

1.Good. So when you go to the exhibit,

2.I really want you to take a close look at a certain painting.

3.It’s a farm scene.

4.And you will see it right as you enter the gallery.

5.The reason I think this painting is so important is that

6.it stresses the impressionist aspect of Frantzen’s style.

7.It’s an outdoor scene,

8.an everyday scene.

9.It’s kind of bleak,

10.but you can really see those broad brushstrokes and the blurry lines.

11.The colors aren’t quite realistic.

12.The sky is kind of, well an unnatural pinkish yellow.

13.And the fence in the foreground is blue,

14.but somehow the overall scene gives an impression of a cold,

15.bleak winter day on a farm.

16.So that’s the impressionist side of her work.

第 8 段

1.Oh, and speaking about farms,

2.that reminds me.

3.One interesting thing I read about Franzten is that

4.when she first moved back to Iowa after living abroad,

5.she often visited this place in her town called the Sales Barn.

6.And the Sales Barn,

7.it was basically this place where the local farmers bought and sold their cattle,

8.their farm animals.

9.And the reason Frantzen went there,

10.and she later on would visit other places like dance halls,

11.was to observe people and the ways that they moved.

12.She really found that this helped her work---

13.that it gave her an understanding of body movements and actions,

14.how humans move,

15.and stand still,

16.what their postures were like, too.

第 9 段

1.So, what about Realism?

2.What are the elements of Realism

3.we should be looking for in Frantzen’s work?

第 10 段

1.Um… real honest depictions of subject matter,

2.pretty unidealized stuff,

3.and pretty everyday subject matter, too.

第 11 段

1.Good. One other painting I really want you to look at is of a young woman surrounded by pumpkins.

2.You will notice that the woman’s face is so realistic looking that

3.it’s almost like a photograph.

4.The woman’s nose is a little less than perfect and her hair is kind of messed up.

5.This is realism.

6.But then, the background of the painting,

7.this woman with the pumpkins is wrapped in a blanket of broad thick brushstrokes,

8.and, it’s all kinds of zigzagging brushstrokes and lines,

9.kind of chaotic almost when you look at it close.

10.And there are vibrant colors.

11.There’s lots of orange,

12.with little hints of an electric blue peeking out.

第 12 段

1.I find Frantzen to be a very accessible artist.

2.I mean, some artists, to appreciate them,

3.you have to know their life story.

4.But here’s a little bit about Rose Frantzen’s life anyway.

5.She attended art school,

6.but was told by one of her instructors that

7.she was not good at illustration,

8.that she should go into advertising instead.

9.So she took advertising classes and fine arts classes too,

10.until she was convinced by the head of an advertising agency

11.that her work was really good,

12.that she could be an artist. But of course,

13.it’s not as easy as that,

14.and so Frantzen had to paint other people’s portraits at places like

15.art fairs just to make money to buy paint for her more serious art work.

16.No matter what, she never stopped painting.

17.And now, Frantzen is doing extremely well.

18.And her work is being shown all over the country.

19.So I think most of us would be discouraged

20.if we had to face challenges and difficulties like that.

21.But what’s important is that you keep at it that you don’t give up.

22.That’s what is really important to remember.

[theodorethelinguist]

Reading TPO 002

Question 11-21          Printmaking is the generic term for a number of processes, of which woodcut andengraving are two prime examples. Prints are made by pressing a sheet of paper (or othermaterial) against an image-bearing surface to which ink has been applied. When the paperis removed, the image adheres to it, but in reverse.Line(5)               The woodcut had been used in China from the fifth century A.D. for applying patterns totextiles. The process was not introduced into Europe until the fourteenth century, first fortextile decoration and then for printing on paper. Woodcuts are created by a relief process;first, the artist takes a block of wood, which has been sawed parallel to the grain, covers itwith a white ground, and then draws the image in ink. The background is carved away,(10)   leaving the design area slightly raised. The woodblock is inked, and the ink adheres to theraised image. It is then transferred to damp paper either by hand or with a printing press.          Engraving, which grew out of the goldsmith's art, originated in Germany and northern Italyin the middle of the fifteenth century. It is an intaglio process (from Italian intagliare, "tocarve"). The image is incised into a highly polished metal plate, usually copper, with a(15)   cutting instrument, or burin. The artist inks the plate and wipes it clean so that some inkremains in the incised grooves. An impression is made on damp paper in a printing press,with sufficient pressure being applied so that the paper picks up the ink.          Both woodcut and engraving have distinctive characteristics. Engraving lends itself tosubtle modeling and shading through the use of fine lines. Hatching and cross-hatching(20)   determine the degree of light and shade in a print. Woodcuts tend to be more linear, withsharper contrasts between light and dark. Printmaking is well suited to the production ofmultiple images. A set of multiples is called an edition. Both methods can yield severalhundred good-quality prints before the original block or plate begins to show signs of wear.Mass production of prints in the sixteenth century made images available, at a lower cost,(25)   to a much broader public than before. 11. What does the passage mainly discuss?

(A) The origins of textile decoration                            

(B) The characteristics of good-quality prints

(C) Two types of printmaking                                       

(D) Types of paper used in printmaking

12. The word "prime" in line 2 is closest in meaning to

(A) principal                        (B) complex                       

(C) general                         (D) recent

13. The author's purposes in paragraph 2 is to describe

(A) the woodcuts found in China in the fifth century

(B) the use of woodcuts in the textile industry

(C) the process involved in creating a woodcut

(D) the introduction of woodcuts to Europe

14. The word "incised" in line 14 is closest in meaning to

(A) burned                          (B) cut                                 

(C) framed                         (D) baked

15. Which of the following terms is defined in the passage/

(A) "patterns" (line 5)                                                     (B) "grain" (line 8)

(C) "burin" (line 15)                                                       (D) "grooves" (line 16)

16. The word "distinctive" in line 18 is closest in meaning to

(A) unique                          (B) accurate                       

(C) irregular                       (D) similar

17. According to the passage, all of the following are true about engraving EXCEPT that it

(A) developed from the art of the goldsmiths

(B) requires that the paper be cut with a burin

(C) originated in the fifteenth century

(D) involves carving into a metal plate

18. The word "yield" in line 22 is closest in meaning to

(A) imitate                           (B) produce                        

(C) revise                           (D) contrast

19. According to the passage, what do woodcut and engraving have in common?

(A) Their designs are slightly raised.

(B) They achieve contrast through hatching and cross-hatching.

(C) They were first used in Europe.

(D) They allow multiple copies to be produced from one original.

20. According to the author, what made it possible for members of the general public to own prints in the sixteenth century?

(A) Prints could be made at low cost.

(B) The quality of paper and ink had improved.

(C) Many people became involved in the printmaking industry.

(D) Decreased demand for prints kept prices affordable.

21. According to the passage, all of the following are true about prints EXCEPT that they

(A) can be reproduced on materials other than paper

(B) are created from a reversed image

(C) show variations between light and dark shades

(D) require a printing press Answer Online

[theodorethelinguist]

Reading TPO 001

Question 1-10  All mammals feed their young. Beluga whale mothers, for example, nurse their calves forsome twenty months, until they are about to give birth again and their young are able tofind their own food. The behavior of feeding of the young is built into the reproductiveLine   system. It is a nonselective part of parental care and the defining feature of a mammal, the(5)     most important thing that mammals-- whether marsupials, platypuses, spiny anteaters, orplacental mammals -- have in common.

         But not all animal parents, even those that tend their offspring to the point of hatching orbirth, feed their young. Most egg-guarding fish do not, for the simple reason that theiryoung are so much smaller than the parents and eat food that is also much smaller than(10)   the food eaten by adults. In reptiles, the crocodile mother protects her young after theyhave hatched and takes them down to the water, where they will find food, but she doesnot actually feed them. Few insects feed their young after hatching, but some make otherarrangement, provisioning their cells and nests with caterpillars and spiders that they haveparalyzed with their venom and stored in a state of suspended animation so that their(15)   larvae might have a supply of fresh food when they hatch.          For animals other than mammals, then, feeding is not intrinsic to parental care. Animalsadd it to their reproductive strategies to give them an edge in their lifelong quest fordescendants. The most vulnerable moment in any animal's life is when it first finds itselfcompletely on its own, when it must forage and fend for itself. Feeding postpones that(20)   moment until a young animal has grown to such a size that it is better able to cope. Youngthat are fed by their parents become nutritionally independent at a much greater fractionof their full adult size. And in the meantime those young are shielded against the vagariesof fluctuating of difficult-to-find supplies. Once a species does take the step of feeding itsyoung, the young become totally dependent on the extra effort. If both parents are(25)   removed, the young generally do no survive. 1. What does the passage mainly discuss?

(A) The care that various animals give to their offspring.

(B) The difficulties young animals face in obtaining food.

(C) The methods that mammals use to nurse their young.

(D) The importance among young mammals of becoming independent.

2. The author lists various animals in line 5 to

(A) contrast the feeding habits of different types of mammals

(B) describe the process by which mammals came to be defined

(C) emphasize the point that every type of mammal feeds its own young

(D) explain why a particular feature of mammals is non-elective

3. The word "tend" in line 7 is closest in meaning to

(A) sit on                             (B) move                            

(C) notice                           (D) care for

4. What can be inferred from the passage about the practice of animal parents feeding their young?

(A) It is unknown among fish.                                       

(B) It is unrelated to the size of the young.

(C) It is dangerous for the parents.                             

(D) It is most common among mammals.

5. The word "provisioning" in line 13 is closest in meaning to

(A) supplying                      (B) preparing                     

(C) building                        (D) expanding

6. According to the passage, how do some insects make sure their young have food?

(A) By storing food near their young.

(B) By locating their nests or cells near spiders and caterpillars.

(C) By searching for food some distance from their nest.

(D) By gathering food from a nearby water source.

7. The word "edge" in line 17 is closest in meaning to

(A) opportunity                   (B) advantage                    

(C) purpose                       (D) rest

8. The word "it" in line 20 refers to

(A) feeding                         (B) moment                        

(C) young animal                          (D) size

9. According to the passage, animal young are most defenseless when

(A) their parents are away searching for food

(B) their parents have many young to feed

(C) they are only a few days old

(D) they first become independent

10. The word "shielded" in line 22 is closest in meaning to

(A) raised                           (B) protected                      

(C) hatched                        (D) valued Answer Online

[theodorethelinguist]

Depletion of the Ogallala Aquifer

Depletion of the Ogallala Aquifer The vast grasslands of the High Plains in the central United States were settled by farmers and ranchers in the 1880’s. This region has a semiarid climate, and for 50 years after its settlement, it supported a low-intensity agricultural economy of cattle ranching and wheat farming. In the early twentieth century, however, it was discovered that much of the High Plains was underlain by a huge aquifer (a rock layer containing large quantities of groundwater). This aquifer was named the Ogallala aquifer after the Ogallala Sioux Indians, who once inhabited the region. The Ogallala aquifer is a sandstone formation that underlies some 583,000 square kilometers of land extending from northwestern Texas to southern South Dakota. Water from rains and melting snows has been accumulating in the Ogallala for the past 30,000 years. Estimates indicate that the aquifer contains enough water to fill Lake Huron, but unfortunately, under the semiarid climatic conditions that presently exist in the region, rates of addition to the aquifer are minimal, amounting to about half a centimeter a year. The first wells were drilled into the Ogallala during the drought years of the early 1930’s. The ensuing rapid expansion of irrigation agriculture, especially from the 1950’s onward, transformed the economy of the region. More than 100,000 wells now tap the Ogallala. Modern irrigation devices, each capable of spraying 4.5 million liters of water a day, have produced a landscape dominated by geometric patterns of circular green islands of crops. Ogallala water has enabled the High Plains region to supply significant amounts of the cotton, sorghum, wheat, and corn grown in the United States. In addition, 40 percent of American grain-fed beef cattle are fattened here. This unprecedented development of a finite groundwater resource with an almost negligible natural recharge rate—that is, virtually no natural water source to replenish the water supply—has caused water tables in the region to fall drastically. In the 1930’s, wells encountered plentiful water at a depth of about 15 meters; currently, they must be dug to depths of 45 to 60 meters or more. In places, the water table is declining at a rate of a meter a year, necessitating the periodic deepening of wells and the use of ever-more-powerful pumps. It is estimated that at current withdrawal rates, much of the aquifer will run dry within 40 years. The situation is most critical in Texas, where the climate is driest, the greatest amount of water is being pumped, and the aquifer contains the least water. It is projected that the remaining Ogallala water will, by the year 2030, support only 35 to 40 percent of the irrigated acreage in Texas that is supported in 1980. The reaction of farmers to the inevitable depletion of the Ogallala varies. Many have been attempting to conserve water by irrigating less frequently or by switching to crops that require less water. Other, however, have adopted the philosophy that it is best to use the water while it is still economically profitable to do so and to concentrate on high-value crops such as cotton. The incentive of the farmers who wish to conserve water is reduced by their knowledge that many of their neighbors are profiting by using great amounts of water, and in the process are drawing down the entire region’s water supplies. In the face of the upcoming water supply crisis, a number of grandiose schemes have been developed to transport vast quantities of water by canal or pipeline from the Mississippi, the Missouri, or the Arkansas rivers. Unfortunately, the cost of water obtained through any of these schemes would increase pumping costs at least tenfold, making the cost of irrigated agricultural products from the region uncompetitive on the national and international markets. Somewhat more promising have been recent experiments for releasing capillary water (water in the soil) above the water table by injecting compressed air into the ground. Even if this process proves successful, however, it would almost triple water costs. Genetic engineering also may provide a partial solution, as new strains of drought-resistant crops continue to be developed. Whatever the final answer to the water crisis may be, it is evident that within the High Plains, irrigation water will never again be the abundant, inexpensive resource it was during the agricultural boom years of the mid-twentieth century. Paragraph 1：The vast grasslands of the High Plains in the central United States were settled by farmers and ranchers in the 1880’s. This region has a semiarid climate, and for 50 years after its settlement, it supported a low-intensity agricultural economy of cattle ranching and wheat farming. In the early twentieth century, however, it was discovered that much of the High Plains was underlain by a huge aquifer (a rock layer containing large quantities of groundwater). This aquifer was named the Ogallala aquifer after the Ogallala Sioux Indians, who once inhabited the region. 1．According to paragraph 1, which of the following statements about the High Plains is true? ○Until farmers and ranchers settled there in the 1880’s, the High Plains had never been inhabited. ○The climate of the High Plains is characterized by higher-than-average temperatures. ○The large aquifer that lies underneath the High Plains was discovered by the Ogallala Sioux Indians. ○Before the early 1900’s there was only a small amount of farming and ranching in the High Plains. Paragraph 2：The Ogallala aquifer is a sandstone formation that underlies some 583,000 square kilometers of land extending from northwestern Texas to southern South Dakota. Water from rains and melting snows has been accumulating in the Ogallala for the past 30,000 years. Estimates indicate that the aquifer contains enough water to fill Lake Huron, but unfortunately, under the semiarid climatic conditions that presently exist in the region, rates of addition to the aquifer are minimal, amounting to about half a centimeter a year. 2. According to paragraph 2, all of the following statements about the Ogallala aquifer are true EXCEPT: ○The aquifer stretches from South Dakota to Texas. ○The aquifer’s water comes from underground springs. ○Water has been gathering in the aquifer for 30,000 years. ○The aquifer’s water is stored in a layer of sandstone. 3. 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. ○Despite the current impressive size of the Ogallala aquifer, the region’s climate keeps the rates of water addition very small. ○Although the aquifer has been adding water at the rate of only half a centimeter a year, it will eventually accumulate enough water of fill Lake Huron. ○Because of the region’s present climatic conditions, water is being added each year to the aquifer. ○Even when the region experiences unfortunate climatic conditions, the rates of addition of water continue to increase. Paragraph 3:The first wells were drilled into the Ogallala during the drought years of the early 1930’s. The ensuing rapid expansion of irrigation agriculture, especially from the 1950’s onward, transformed the economy of the region. More than 100,000 wells now tap the Ogallala. Modern irrigation devices, each capable of spraying 4.5 million liters of water a day, have produced a landscape dominated by geometric patterns of circular green islands of crops. Ogallala water has enabled the High Plains region to supply significant amounts of the cotton, sorghum, wheat, and corn grown in the United States. In addition, 40 percent of American grain-fed beef cattle are fattened here. 4. The word “ensuing” in the passage is closest in meaning to ○Continuing ○Surprising ○Initial ○Subsequent 5. In paragraph 3, why does the author provide the information that 40 percent of American cattle are fattened in the High Plains? ○To suggest that crop cultivation is not the most important part of the economy of the High Plains ○To indicate that not all economic activity in the High Plains is dependent on irrigation ○To provide another example of how water from the Ogallala has transformed the economy of the High Plains ○To contrast cattle-fattening practices in the High Plains with those used in other region of the United States Paragraph 4：This unprecedented development of a finite groundwater resource with an almost negligible natural recharge rate—that is, virtually no natural water source to replenish the water supply—has caused water tables in the region to fall drastically. In the 1930’s, wells encountered plentiful water at a depth of about 15 meters; currently, they must be dug to depths of 45 to 60 meters or more. In places, the water table is declining at a rate of a meter a year, necessitating the periodic deepening of wells and the use of ever-more-powerful pumps. It is estimated that at current withdrawal rates, much of the aquifer will run dry within 40 years. The situation is most critical in Texas, where the climate is driest, the greatest amount of water is being pumped, and the aquifer contains the least water. It is projected that the remaining Ogallala water will, by the year 2030, support only 35 to 40 percent of the irrigated acreage in Texas that is supported in 1980. 6. The word “unprecedented” in the passage is closest in meaning to ○Difficult to control ○Without any restriction ○Unlike anything in the past ○Rapidly expanding 7. The word “virtually” in the passage is closest in meaning to ○Clearly ○Perhaps ○Frequently ○Almost 8. According to paragraph 4, all of following are consequences of the heavy use of the Ogallala aquifer for irrigation EXCEPT: ○The recharge rate of the aquifer is decreasing. ○Water tables in the region are becoming increasingly lower. ○Wells now have to be dug to much greater depths than before. ○Increasingly powerful pumps are needed to draw water from the aquifer. 9. According to paragraph 4, compared with all other states that use Ogallala water for irrigation, Texas ○Has the greatest amount of farmland being irrigated with Ogallala water ○Contains the largest amount of Ogallala water underneath the soil ○Is expected to face the worst water supply crisis as the Ogallala runs dry ○Uses the least amount of Ogallala water for its irrigation needs Paragraph 5：The reaction of farmers to the inevitable depletion of the Ogallala varies. Many have been attempting to conserve water by irrigating less frequently or by switching to crops that require less water. Other, however, have adopted the philosophy that it is best to use the water while it is still economically profitable to do so and to concentrate on high-value crops such as cotton. The incentive of the farmers who wish to conserve water is reduced by their knowledge that many of their neighbors are profiting by using great amounts of water, and in the process are drawing down the entire region’s water supplies. 10. The word “inevitable” in the passage is closest in meaning to ○Unfortunate ○Predictable ○Unavoidable ○Final 11．Paragraph 5 mentions which of the following as a source of difficulty for some farmers who try to conserve water? ○Crops that do not need much water are difficult to grow in the High Plains. ○Farmers who grow crops that need a lot of water make higher profits. ○Irrigating less frequently often leads to crop failure. ○Few farmers are convinced that the aquifer will eventually run dry. Paragraph 6：In the face of the upcoming water supply crisis, a number of grandiose schemes have been developed to transport vast quantities of water by canal or pipeline from the Mississippi, the Missouri, or the Arkansas rivers. Unfortunately, the cost of water obtained through any of these schemes would increase pumping costs at least tenfold, making the cost of irrigated agricultural products from the region uncompetitive on the national and international markets. Somewhat more promising have been recent experiments for releasing capillary water (water in the soil) above the water table by injecting compressed air into the ground. Even if this process proves successful, however, it would almost triple water costs. Genetic engineering also may provide a partial solution, as new strains of drought-resistant crops continue to be developed. Whatever the final answer to the water crisis may be, it is evident that within the High Plains, irrigation water will never again be the abundant, inexpensive resource it was during the agricultural boom years of the mid-twentieth century. 12．According to paragraph 6, what is the main disadvantage of the proposed plans to transport river water to the High Plains? ○The rivers cannot supply sufficient water for the farmer’s needs. ○Increased irrigation costs would make the products too expensive. ○The costs of using capillary water for irrigation will increase. ○Farmers will be forced to switch to genetically engineered crops. Paragraph 5—6：The reaction of farmers to the inevitable depletion of the Ogallala varies. Many have been attempting to conserve water by irrigating less frequently or by switching to crops that require less water.█ Other, however, have adopted the philosophy that it is best to use the water while it is still economically profitable to do so and to concentrate on high-value crops such as cotton.█ The incentive of the farmers who wish to conserve water is reduced by their knowledge that many of their neighbors are profiting by using great amounts of water, and in the process are drawing down the entire region’s water supplies.█ In the face of the upcoming water supply crisis, a number of grandiose schemes have been developed to transport vast quantities of water by canal or pipeline from the Mississippi, the Missouri, or the Arkansas rivers. █Unfortunately, the cost of water obtained through any of these schemes would increase pumping costs at least tenfold, making the cost of irrigated agricultural products from the region uncompetitive on the national and international markets. Somewhat more promising have been recent experiments for releasing capillary water (water in the soil) above the water table by injecting compressed are into the ground. Even if this process proves successful, however, it would almost triple water costs. Genetic engineering also may provide a partial solution, as new strains of drought-resistant crops continue to be developed. Whatever the final answer to the water crisis may be, it is evident that within the High Plains, irrigation water will never again be the abundant, inexpensive resource it was during the agricultural boom years of the mid-twentieth century. 13．Look at the four squares [█] that indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage. But even if uncooperative farmers were to join in the conservation efforts, this would only delay the depletion of the aquifer. Where would the sentence best fit? Click on a square to add the sentence to the passage. 14．Directions: An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage is provided below. Complete the summary by selecting the THREE answer choices that express the most important ideas in the passage. Some sentences do not belong in the summary because they express ideas that are not presented in the passage or are minor ideas in the passage. This question is worth 2 points. The Ogallala is a large underground source of water in the High Plains region of the United States. ● ● ● Answer choices ○The use of the Ogallala for irrigation has allowed the High Plains to become one of the most productive agricultural regions in the United States. ○Given the aquifer’s low recharge rate, its use for irrigation is causing water tables to drop and will eventually lead to its depletion. ○Releasing capillary water and introducing drought-resistant crops are less-promising solutions to the water supply crisis than bringing in river water ○The periodic deepening of wells and the use of more-powerful pumps would help increase the natural recharge rate of the Ogallala. ○In Texas, a great deal of attention is being paid to genetic engineering because it is there that the most critical situation exists. ○Several solutions to the upcoming water supply crisis have been proposed, but none of them promises to keep the costs of irrigation low. Answer Online 下載教學

[theodorethelinguist]

RPRT TOEFL 托福專區

托福的知識領域

：(托福一般實力提升)              

托福英文常識名詞測試

Listening

聽寫練習 (1) -- 不同課程            文字稿 (需要等待30秒)      備用

線上作答

聽寫練習 (2)-- 短語聽寫            文字稿 (需要等待30秒)        備用

線上作答

聽寫練習 (3)  -- 聽寫並練習筆記   文字稿(需要等待30秒)      備用

線上作答

聽寫練習 (4)  -- 練習"圖像式"筆記    文字稿 (需要等待30秒)    備用

線上作答

聽寫練習 (5)  -- 短句聽寫          文字稿 (需要等待30秒)           備用

線上作答

聽寫練習 (6) --形容詞/名詞/動詞/換句話說  文字稿 (需等待30秒) 備用

線上作答

聽寫練習 (7) -- 節錄名言           文字稿 (需要等待30秒)      備用

線上作答

聽寫練習 (8) -- 短文聽寫             文字稿 (需要等待30秒)    備用

線上作答

聽寫練習 (9) -- 語言學              文字稿 (需要等待30秒)        備用

聽寫練習 (10)-- 社會學             文字稿 (需要等待30秒)       備用

聽寫練習 (11)-- 植物學              文字稿 (需要等待30秒)       備用

聽寫練習(12)--  化學                文字稿 (需要等待30秒)        備用

聽寫練習 (13)-- 英文                文字稿 (需要等待30秒)         備用

聽寫練習 (14)-- 工程學             文字稿 (需要等待30秒)        備用

聽寫練習 (15) -- 生物學            文字稿 (需要等待30秒)        備用

聽寫練習 (16) -- 人類學            文字稿 (需要等待30秒)        備用

聽寫練習 (17) -- 心理學            文字稿 (需要等待30秒)        備用

聽寫練習 (18) -- 地質學            文字稿 (需要等待30秒)         備用

聽寫練習 (19) -- 生物學2          文字稿 (需要等待30秒)         備用

聽寫練習 (20) -- 遷移               文字稿 (需要等待30秒)         備用

聽寫練習 (21) -- 人口               文字稿 (需要等待30秒)         備用

聽寫練習 (22) -- 稻田圈            文字稿 (需要等待30秒)         備用

聽寫練習 (23) -- 策略聯盟        文字稿 (需要等待30秒)         備用

TOEFL ��力基礎練習：

Conversation-Flu shot         備用      文字稿         

Talk -- Zoology Class    備用        文字稿

Talk-- History  Mayan Empire         文字稿 (需要等待30秒)            備用

Words to learn --(1)

Conversation -- Newton's Laws       文字稿 (需要等待30秒)            備用

Lecture -- Film class - Nickelodeons (http://wurm-pit.blogspot.tw/2007/08/nickelodeon.html)

                                        文字稿 (需要等待30秒)            備用

Talk-- Paleontology (Pleistocene Period)          備用       文字稿

Talk -- Economics Class    備用                 文字稿 (需要等待30秒)            備用

Lecture -- Art Class            備用                 文字稿 (需要等待30秒)            備用

Lecture -- Astronomy Class  備用               文字稿 (需要等待30秒)            備用

Lecture -- Biology Class     備用                  文字稿 (需要等待30秒)            備用

Lecture -- Architecture Class    備用            文字稿 (需要等待30秒)            備用

Lecture -- Art Class 2     備用                       文字稿 (需要等待30秒)            備用

Lecture -- Psychology Class     備用            文字稿 (需要等待30秒)            備用

Conversation--  Reserving the auditorium

備用

文字稿

(需要等待30秒)            

備用

Lecture-- Engineering (Photovoltaic cells)  

備用

文字稿

(需要等待30秒)            

備用

TOEFL Listening: (聽力模擬測驗：附有計時及計分功能，十分方便)

閱讀：聽力增強的關鍵

1) 做題目:

2) 讀懂文稿 (找出聽不懂的地方)

3) Shadowing Task (必須要在一樣快的速度下)

4) 再做題 (達到滿分)

聽力練習 (文稿)：

TPO 001

Q1     Q2     Q3     Q4     Q5

TPO 002

Q1     Q2     Q3     Q4     Q5

TPO 003

Q1     Q2     Q3     Q4     Q5

TPO 004

Q1     Q2     Q3     Q4     Q5

TPO 005

Q1     Q2     Q3     Q4     Q5

TPO 006

Q1     Q2     Q3     Q4     Q5

TPO 007

Q1     Q2     Q3     Q4     Q5

TPO 008

Q1     Q2     Q3     Q4     Q5

TPO 009

Q1     Q2     Q3     Q4     Q5

TPO 010

Q1     Q2     Q3     Q4     Q5

TPO 011

Q1     Q2     Q3     Q4     Q5

TPO 012

Q1     Q2     Q3     Q4     Q5

TPO 013

Q1     Q2     Q3     Q4     Q5

TPO 014

Q1     Q2     Q3     Q4     Q5

TPO 015

Q1     Q2     Q3     Q4     Q5

TPO 016

Q1     Q2     Q3     Q4     Q5

TPO 017

Q1     Q2     Q3     Q4     Q5

TPO 018

Q1     Q2     Q3     Q4     Q5

TPO 019

Q1     Q2     Q3     Q4     Q5

TPO 020

Q1     Q2     Q3     Q4     Q5

TOEFL 閱讀單句理解

STRUCTURE(1)

STRUCTURE(2)

STRUCTURE(3)--插入句結構

STRUCTURE(4)-- Noun Phrases

STRUCTURE(5)-- Adverbial

STRUCTURE(6)-- Nouns and Verbs

STRUCTURE(7)-- Transitive and intransitive

STRUCTURE(8)-- Verbals

STRUCTURE(9)-- Active and passive voice

STRUCTURE(10)--Verbals-2 (Participles and gerunds)

STRUCTURE (11)

STRUCTURE (12)

STRUCTURE (13)

STRUCTURE (14)

STRUCTURE (15)

STRUCTURE (16)

TOEFL Reading:

閱讀入門(1)-word meaning：

閱讀入門(2)-word meaning：

閱讀入門(3)-word meaning：

閱讀入門(4)-pronoun referencing：

閱讀入門(5)-pronoun referencing：

閱讀入門(6)-pronoun referencing：

閱讀入門(7)-sentence interpretation：

閱讀入門(8)- Sentence Interpretation：

TOEFL 托福閱讀測驗模擬題 001

TOEFL 托福閱讀測驗模擬題002

TOEFL 托福閱讀測驗模擬題003

TOEFL 托福閱讀測驗模擬題004

TOEFL 托福閱讀測驗模擬題005

TOEFL 托福閱讀測驗模擬題006

TOEFL 托福閱讀測驗模擬題007

TOEFL 托福閱讀測驗模擬題008

TOEFL 托福閱讀測驗模擬題 009

TOEFL 托福閱讀測驗模擬題010

TOEFL 托福閱讀測驗模擬題011

TOEFL 托福閱讀測驗模擬題 012

TOEFL 托福閱讀測驗模擬題013

TOEFL 托福閱讀測驗模擬題014

TOEFL 托福閱讀測驗模擬題 015

TOEFL 托福閱讀測驗模擬題016

TOEFL 托福閱讀測驗模擬題017

TOEFL 托福閱讀測驗模擬題 018

TOEFL 托福閱讀測驗模擬題019

TOEFL 托福閱讀測驗模擬題020

TOEFL 托福閱讀測驗模擬題021

TOEFL 托福閱讀測驗模擬題022

TOEFL 托福閱讀測驗模擬題023

TOEFL 托福閱讀測驗模擬題024

TOEFL 托福閱讀測驗模擬題025

TOEFL 托福閱讀測驗模擬題026

TOEFL 托福閱讀測驗模擬題 027

TOEFL 托福閱讀測驗模擬題028

TOEFL 托福閱讀測驗模擬題029

TOEFL 托福閱讀測驗模擬題 030

TOEFL 托福閱讀測驗模擬題031

TOEFL 托福閱讀測驗模擬題032

TOEFL 托福閱讀測驗模擬題 033

TOEFL 托福閱讀測驗模擬題034

TOEFL 托福閱讀測驗模擬題035

TOEFL 托福閱讀測驗模擬題 036

TOEFL 托福閱讀測驗模擬題037

TOEFL 托福閱讀測驗模擬題038

TOEFL 托福閱讀測驗模擬題 039

TOEFL 托福閱讀測驗模擬題040

TOEFL 托福閱讀測驗模擬題041

TOEFL 托福閱讀測驗模擬題 042

TOEFL 托福閱讀測驗模擬題043

TOEFL 托福閱讀測驗模擬題044

TOEFL 托福閱讀測驗模擬題 045

TOEFL 托福閱讀測驗模擬題046

TOEFL 托福閱讀測驗模擬題047

TOEFL 托福閱讀測驗模擬題 048

TOEFL 托福閱讀測驗模擬題049

TOEFL 托福閱讀測驗模擬題050

TOEFL 托福閱讀測驗模擬題 051

TOEFL 托福閱讀測驗模擬題052

TOEFL 托福閱讀測驗模擬題053

TOEFL 托福閱讀測驗模擬題 054

TOEFL 托福閱讀測驗模擬題055

TOEFL 托福閱讀測驗模擬題056

TOEFL 托福閱讀測驗模擬題 057

TOEFL 托福閱讀測驗模擬題058

TOEFL 托福閱讀測驗模擬題059

TOEFL 托福閱讀測驗模擬題 060

TOEFL 托福閱讀測驗模擬題061

TOEFL 托福閱讀測驗模擬題062

TOEFL 托福閱讀測驗模擬題 063

TOEFL 托福閱讀測驗模擬題064

TOEFL 托福閱讀測驗模擬題065

TOEFL 托福閱讀測驗模擬題066

TOEFL 托福閱讀測驗模擬題067

TOEFL 托福閱讀測驗模擬題068

TOEFL 托福閱讀測驗模擬題069

TPO Reading  001                        

TPO Reading  002

TPO Reading  003

TPO Reading  004

TPO Reading  005

TPO Reading  006

TPO Reading  007

TPO Reading  008

TPO Reading  009

TPO Reading  010

TPO Reading  011

TPO Reading  012

TPO Reading  013

TPO Reading  014

TPO Reading  015

TPO Reading  016

TPO Reading  017

TPO Reading  018

TPO Reading  019

TPO Reading  020

TPO Reading  021

TPO Reading  022

TPO Reading  023

TPO Reading  024

TPO Reading  025

TPO Reading  026

TPO Reading  027

TPO Reading  028

TPO Reading  029

TPO Reading  030

TPO Reading  031

TPO Reading  032

TPO Reading  033

TPO Reading  034

TPO Reading  035

TPO Reading  036

TPO Reading  037

TPO Reading  038

TPO Reading  039

TPO Reading  040

TPO Reading  041

TPO Reading  042

TPO Reading  043

TPO Reading  044

TPO Reading  045

TPO Reading  046

TPO Reading 047

TPO Reading 048

TPO Reading 049

TPO Reading 050

TPO Reading 051

TPO Reading 052

TPO Reading 053

TPO Reading 054 

TPO Reading 055

TPO Reading 056

TPO Reading 057

TPO Reading 058

TPO Reading 059

TPO Reading 060

TOEFL Writing:

@Integrated Writing

RPRT 01

Reading            Listening                Writing examples:  score 90

TPO 01           

Reading            Listening                Writing examples:

TPO 02          

Reading            Listening                Writing examples:

TPO 03          

Reading            Listening                 Writing examples

:

TPO 04          

Reading            Listening                  Writing examples

:

TPO 05           

Reading            Listening                Writing examples:

TPO 06           

Reading            Listening                Writing examples:

TPO 07          

Reading             Listening                Writing examples

:

TPO 08          

Reading             Listening                 Writing examples

:

TPO 09          

Reading             Listening                Writing examples

: G

TPO 10          

Reading             Listening                 Writing examples

:  G

TPO 11          

Reading              Listening                 Writing examples

:  G

TPO 12           

Reading            Listening                Writing examples:

TPO 13          

Reading              Listening                 Writing examples

:  G

TPO 14          

Reading              Listening                 Writing examples

:  G

TPO 15          

Reading              Listening                 Writing examples

:  G

TPO 16           Reading            Listening                Writing examples:

TPO 17           Reading            Listening                Writing examples:

TPO 18           Reading            Listening                Writing examples:

TPO 19           Reading            Listening                Writing examples:

TPO 20           Reading            Listening                Writing examples:

TPO 21           Reading            Listening                Writing examples:

TPO 22           Reading            Listening                Writing examples:

TPO 23           Reading            Listening                Writing examples:

TPO 24           Reading            Listening                Writing examples:

TPO 25           Reading            Listening                Writing examples:

TPO 26           Reading            Listening                Writing examples:

TPO 27           Reading            Listening                Writing examples:

TPO 28           Reading            Listening                Writing examples:

TPO 29           Reading            Listening                Writing examples:

TPO 30           Reading            Listening                Writing examples:

TPO 31           Reading            Listening                Writing examples:

TPO 32           Reading            Listening                Writing examples:

TPO 33           Reading            Listening                Writing examples:

TPO 61          

Reading            Listening                 Writing examples

:

@ Independent Writing topics and examples:

Writing Reflections

Sentence patterns you can use

Writing Device

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Providing Internet access is just as important as other services, such as building roads, so governments should offer Internet access to all of their citizens at no cost. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

Student's version     Tedd's version

Do you agree ordisagree with the following statement: A leader should admit if they made a bad decision. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

A person you know isplanning to move to your town or city

. What do you think this person would like and dislike about living in your town or city? Why? Use specific reasons and details to develop your essay.

Do you agree or disagree withthe following statement

? Classmates are a more important influence than parents on a child's success in school. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

Topic: Environmental problems are too big an issue for a single country or individuals to address. In other word, we have reached the stage that environmental problems must be solved from an international perspective. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

If you could change one important thing about your country, what would you change? Use reasons and specific examples to support your answer.

(Sample writing)

If your teacher says something incorrect in a class, what will you do?　　

1. Interrupt your teacher right away;　　

2. keep silent;

3. correct your teacher after class.

(Sample Writing)

In the past, people were more friendly than people are today.

(Sample Writing)

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? In the past young people depended on their parents for making decisions. Today, young people are better able to make decisions on their own.

(Sample Writing)

Is it better to enjoy your money when you earn it or is it better to save your money for some time in the future? Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion

(Sample Writing)

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement：It is easier for parents to raise children nowadays than 50 years ago.

(Sample Writing)

Do you agree or disagree with following statement? It is important to have rules about the types of clothing that people are allowed to wear at work and at school.

(Sample Writing)

It is impossible to always be honest to your friends.

(Sample Writing)

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement:

It is more fun to watch a movie in a cinema (or theatre) than to watch a movie at home.

(Start the argument with a story)

(Sample Writing)

Movies and TV programs made in one’s own country are more interesting than those made in other countries.

(Students' and Tedd's Examples)

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Parents now spend too much time on determining the futures of their children; children should be allowed to make their own choices.

(Students' and Tedd's examples)

TOEFL Speaking:

TOEFL Speaking Q1 topics:

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

Q5

Q6

Q7

Q8

Q9

Q10

Q11

Q12

Q13

Q14

Q15

Q16

Q17

Q18

Q19

Q20

Q21

Q22

Q23

Q24

Q25

Q26

Q27

Q28

Q29

Q30

Q31

Q32

Q33

Q34

Q35

Q36

Q37

Q38

Q39

Q40

Q41

Q42

Q43

Q44

Q45

Q46

Q47

Q48

Q49

Q50

Q51

Q52

Q53

Q54

Q55

Q56

Q57

Q58

Q59

Q60

Q61

Q62

Q63

Q64

Q65

Q66

Q67

Q68

Q69

Q70

Q81

Q82

Q83

Q84

Q85

Q86

Q87

Q88

Q89

Q90

Q2-

001

002

 (TPO 25 Speaking)

003

(TPO 26 Speaking)

004

(TPO 27 Speaking)

005 (TPO 28 Speaking)

006 (TPO 29 Speaking)

007 (TPO 30 Speaking)

008

(TPO 45 Speaking)

009  ()

010  ()

011  ()

012  ()

013  ()

Q3-

001  (TPO 25 Speaking)

002

 (TPO 26 Speaking)

003

 (TPO 27 Speaking)

004  (TPO 28 Speaking)

005  (TPO 29 Speaking)

006  (TPO 30 Speaking)

007  (TPO 31 Speaking)

008  (TPO 32 Speaking)

009

 (TPO 49 --Procedural Memory)

010  ()

011  ()

012  ()

013  ()

 Q4

001

 (TPO 25 Speaking)

002  (TPO 26 Speaking)

003  (TPO 27 Speaking)

004  (TPO 28 Speaking)

005  (TPO 29 Speaking)

006  (TPO 30 Speaking)

007  (TPO 31 Speaking)

008  (TPO 32 Speaking)

009

 (TPO 49 Benefits of living in Groups)

010  ()

想請老師幫你規劃完整課程及講解？

聽聽成功學生的見證留言：推薦一、推薦二、其他

參考收費標準

請加入Line ID: cyc1120

之後留言："欲報名托福課程" 以方便老師預留時間及安排課程

[theodorethelinguist]

THE ORIGINS OF CETACEANS

It should be obvious that cetaceans-whales, porpoises, and dolphins-are mammals. They breathe through lungs, not through gills, and give birth to live young. Their streamlined bodies, the absence of hind legs, and the presence of a fluke1 and blowhole2 cannot disguise their affinities with land dwelling mammals. However, unlike the cases of sea otters and pinnipeds (seals, sea lions, and walruses, whose limbs are functional both on land and at sea), it is not easy to envision what the first whales looked like. Extinct but already fully marine cetaceans are known from the fossil record. How was the gap between a walking mammal and a swimming whale bridged? Missing until recently were fossils clearly intermediate, or transitional, between land mammals and cetaceans.

Very exciting discoveries have finally allowed scientists to reconstruct the most likely origins of cetaceans. In 1979, a team looking for fossils in northern Pakistan found what proved to be the oldest fossil whale. The fossil was officially named Pakicetus in honor of the country where the discovery was made. Pakicetus was found embedded in rocks formed from river deposits that were 52 million years old. The river that formed these deposits was actually not far from an ancient ocean known as the Tethys Sea.

The fossil consists of a complete skull of an archaeocyte, an extinct group of ancestors of modern cetaceans. Although limited to a skull, the Pakicetus fossil provides precious details on the origins of cetaceans. The skull is cetacean-like but its jawbones lack the enlarged space that is filled with fat or oil and used for receiving underwater sound in modern whales. Pakicetus probably detected sound through the ear opening as in land mammals. The skull also lacks a blowhole, another cetacean adaptation for diving. Other features, however, show experts that Pakicetus is a transitional form between a group of extinct flesh-eating mammals, the mesonychids, and cetaceans. It has been suggested that Pakicetus fed on fish in shallow water and was not yet adapted for life in the open ocean. It probably bred and gave birth on land.

Another major discovery was made in Egypt in 1989. Several skeletons of another early whale, Basilosaurus, were found in sediments left by the Tethys Sea and now exposed in the Sahara desert. This whale lived around 40 million years ago, 12 million years after Pakicetus. Many incomplete skeletons were found but they included, for the first time in an archaeocyte, a complete hind leg that features a foot with three tiny toes. Such legs would have been far too small to have supported the 50-foot-long Basilosaurus on land. Basilosaurus was undoubtedly a fully marine whale with possibly nonfunctional, or vestigial, hind legs.

An even more exciting find was reported in 1994, also from Pakistan. The now extinct whale Ambulocetus natans ("the walking whale that swam") lived in the Tethys Sea 49 million years ago. It lived around 3 million years after Pakicetus but 9 million before Basilosaurus. The fossil luckily includes a good portion of the hind legs. The legs were strong and ended in long feet very much like those of a modern pinniped. The legs were certainly functional both on land and at sea. The whale retained a tail and lacked a fluke, the major means of locomotion in modern cetaceans. The structure of the backbone shows, however, that Ambulocetus swam like modern whales by moving the rear portion of its body up and down, even though a fluke was missing. The large hind legs were used for propulsion in water. On land, where it probably bred and gave birth, Ambulocetus may have moved around very much like a modern sea lion. It was undoubtedly a whale that linked life on land with life at sea

1.       Fluke: the two parts that constitute the large triangular tail of a whale

2.       "Blowhole: a hole in the top of the head used for breathing

在線上作答可直接繳交

線上作答

Paragraph 1:It should be obvious that cetaceans-whales, porpoises, and dolphins-are mammals. They breathe through lungs, not through gills, and give birth to live young. Their streamlined bodies, the absence of hind legs, and the presence of a fluke3 and blowhole4 cannot disguise their affinities with land-dwelling mammals. However, unlike the cases of sea otters and pinnipeds (seals, sea lions, and walruses, whose limbs are functional both on land and at sea), it is not easy to envision what the first whales looked like. Extinct but, already fully marine cetaceans are known from the fossil record. How was the gap between a walking mammal and a swimming whale bridged? Missing until recently were fossils clearly intermediate, or transitional, between land mammals and cetaceans.

1. In paragraph 1, what does the author say about the presence of a blowhole in cetaceans?

○It clearly indicates that cetaceans are mammals.

○It cannot conceal the fact that cetaceans are mammals.

○It is the main difference between cetaceans and land-dwelling mammals.

○It cannot yield clues about the origins of cetaceans.

2. Which of the following can be inferred from paragraph 1 about early sea otters?

○It is not difficult to imagine what they looked like

○There were great numbers of them.

○They lived in the sea only.

○They did not leave many fossil remains.

Paragraph 3:The fossil consists of a complete skull of an archaeocyte, an extinct group of ancestors of modern cetaceans. Although limited to a skull, the Pakicetus fossil provides precious details on the origins of cetaceans. The skull is cetacean-like but its jawbones lack the enlarged space that is filled with fat or oil and used for receiving underwater sound in modern whales. Pakicetus probably detected sound through the ear opening as in land mammals. The skull also lacks a blowhole, another cetacean adaptation for diving. Other features, however, show experts that Pakicetus is a transitional form between a group of extinct flesh-eating mammals, the mesonychids, and cetaceans. It has been suggested that Pakicetus fed on fish in shallow water and was not yet adapted for life in the open ocean. It probably bred and gave birth on land.

3. The word precious in the passage is closest in meaning to

○Exact

○Scarce

○Valuable

○Initial

4. Pakicetus and modern cetaceans have similar

○Hearing structures

○Adaptations for diving

○Skull shapes

○Breeding locations

5. The word it in the passage refers to

○Pakicetus

○Fish

○Life

○ocean

Paragraph 4:Another major discovery was made in Egypt in 1989. Several skeletons of another early whale, Basilosaurus, were found in sediments left by the Tethys Sea and now exposed in the Sahara desert. This whale lived around 40 million years ago, 12 million years after Pakicetus. Many incomplete skeletons were found but they included, for the first time in an archaeocyte, a complete hind leg that features a foot with three tiny toes. Such legs would have been far too small to have supported the 50-foot-long Basilosaurus on land. Basilosaurus was undoubtedly a fully marine whale with possibly nonfunctional, or vestigial, hind legs.

6. The word exposed in the passage is closest in meaning to

○Explained

○Visible

○Identified

○Located

7. The hind leg of Basilosaurus was a significant find because it showed that Basilosaurus

○Lived later than Ambulocetus natans

○Lived at the same time as Pakicetus

○Was able to swim well

○Could not have walked on land

8. It can be inferred that Basilosaurus bred and gave birth in which of the following locations

○On land

○Both on land and at sea

○In shallow water

○In a marine environment

Paragraph 5:An even more exciting find was reported in 1994, also from Pakistan. The now extinct whale Ambulocetus natans ("the walking whale that swam") lived in the Tethys Sea 49 million years ago. It lived around 3 million years after Pakicetus but 9 million before Basilosaurus. The fossil luckily includes a good portion of the hind legs. The legs were strong and ended in long feet very much like those of a modern pinniped. The legs were certainly functional both on land and at sea. The whale retained a tail and lacked a fluke, the major means of locomotion in modern cetaceans. The structure of the backbone shows, however, that Ambulocetus swam like modern whales by moving the rear portion of its body up and down, even though a fluke was missing. The large hind legs were used for propulsion in water. On land, where it probably bred and gave birth, Ambulocetus may have moved around very much like a modern sea lion. It was undoubtedly a whale that linked life on land with life at sea

9. Why does the author use the word luckily in mentioning that the Ambulocetus natans fossil included hind legs?

○Fossil legs of early whales are a rare find.

○The legs provided important information about the evolution of cetaceans.

○The discovery allowed scientists to reconstruct a complete skeleton of the whale.

○Until that time, only the front legs of early whales had been discovered.

10. 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.

○Even though Ambulocetus swam by moving its body up and down, it did not have a backbone.

○The backbone of Ambulocetus, which allowed it to swim, provides evidence of its missing fluke.

○Although Ambulocetus had no fluke, its backbone structure shows that it swam like modern whales.

○By moving the rear parts of their bodies up and down, modern whales swim in a different way from the way Ambulocetus swam.

11. The word propulsion in the passage is closest in meaning to

○Staying afloat

○Changing direction

○Decreasing weight

○Moving forward

Paragraph 1:Extinct but already fully marine cetaceans are known from the fossil record.

■How was the gap between a walking mammal and a swimming whale bridged? ■Missing until recently were fossils clearly intermediate, or transitional, between land mammals and cetaceans.■Very exciting discoveries have finally allowed scientists to reconstruct the most likely origins of cetaceans. ■In 1979, a team looking for fossils in northern Pakistan found what proved to be the oldest fossil whale.

12. Look at the four squares [■] that indicate where the following sentence can be added to the passage.

This is a question that has puzzled scientists for ages.

Where would the sentence best fit?

13-14. Directions: An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage is provided below. Complete the summary by selecting the THREE answer choices that express the most important ideas in the passage. Some answer choices do not belong in the summary because they express ideas that are not presented in the passage or are minor ideas in the passage.

This question is worth

2 points.

This passage discusses fossils that help to explain the likely origins of cetaceans-whales, porpoises, and dolphins.

●

●

●

Answer Choices

○Recent discoveries of fossils have helped to show the link between land mammals and cetaceans.

○The discovery of Ambulocetus natans provided evidence for a whale that lived both on land and at sea.

○The skeleton of Basilosaurus was found in what had been the Tethys Sea, an area rich in fossil evidence.

○Pakicetus is the oldest fossil whale yet to be found.

○Fossils thought to be transitional forms between walking mammals and swimming whales were found.

○Ambulocetus' hind legs were used for propulsion in the water.

在線上作答可直接繳交

線上作答

參考答案下載

(無毒請享用，但下載要等候30秒)

[theodorethelinguist]

APPLIED ARTS AND FINE ARTS Although we now tend to refer to the various crafts according to the materials used to construct them-clay, glass, wood, fiber, and metal-it was once common to think of crafts in terms of function, which led to their being known as the "applied arts." Approaching crafts from the point of view of function, we can divide them into simple categories: containers, shelters and supports. There is no way around the fact that containers, shelters, and supports must be functional. The applied arts are thus bound by the laws of physics, which pertain to both the materials used in their making and the substances and things to be contained, supported, and sheltered. These laws are universal in their application, regardless of cultural beliefs, geography, or climate. If a pot has no bottom or has large openings in its sides, it could hardly be considered a container in any traditional sense. Since the laws of physics, not some arbitrary decision, have determined the general form of applied-art objects, they follow basic patterns, so much so that functional forms can vary only within certain limits. Buildings without roofs, for example, are unusual because they depart from the norm. However, not all functional objects are exactly alike; that is why we recognize a Shang Dynasty vase as being different from an Inca vase. What varies is not the basic form but the incidental details that do not obstruct the object's primary function. Sensitivity to physical laws is thus an important consideration for the maker of applied-art objects. It is often taken for granted that this is also true for the maker of fine-art objects. This assumption misses a significant difference between the two disciplines. Fine-art objects are not constrained by the laws of physics in the same way that applied-art objects are. Because their primary purpose is not functional, they are only limited in terms of the materials used to make them. Sculptures must, for example, be stable, which requires an understanding of the properties of mass, weight distribution, and stress. Paintings must have rigid stretchers so that the canvas will be taut, and the paint must not deteriorate, crack, or discolor. These are problems that must be overcome by the artist because they tend to intrude upon his or her conception of the work. For example, in the early Italian Renaissance, bronze statues of horses with a raised foreleg usually had a cannonball under that hoof. This was done because the cannonball was needed to support the weight of the leg. In other words, the demands of the laws of physics, not the sculptor's aesthetic intentions, placed the ball there. That this device was a necessary structural compromise is clear from the fact that the cannonball quickly disappeared when sculptors learned how to strengthen the internal structure of a statue with iron braces (iron being much stronger than bronze). Even though the fine arts in the twentieth century often treat materials in new ways, the basic difference in attitude of artists in relation to their materials in the fine arts and the applied arts remains relatively constant. It would therefore not be too great an exaggeration to say that practitioners of the fine arts work to overcome the limitations of their materials, whereas those engaged in the applied arts work in concert with their materials.                                                           在線上作答可直接繳交 線上作答 Paragraph 1: Although we now tend to refer to the various crafts according to the materials used to construct them-clay, glass, wood, fiber, and metal-it was once common to think of crafts in terms of function, which led to their being known as the "applied arts." Approaching crafts from the point of view of function, we can divide them into simple categories: containers, shelters and supports. There is no way around the fact that containers, shelters, and supports must be functional. The applied arts are thus bound by the laws of physics, which pertain to both the materials used in their making and the substances and things to be contained, supported, and sheltered. These laws are universal in their application, regardless of cultural beliefs, geography, or climate. If a pot has no bottom or has large openings in its sides, it could hardly be considered a container in any traditional sense. Since the laws of physics, not some arbitrary decision, have determined the general form of applied-art objects, they follow basic patterns, so much so that functional forms can vary only within certain limits. Buildings without roofs, for example, are unusual because they depart from the norm. However, not all functional objects are exactly alike; that is why we recognize a Shang Dynasty vase as being different from an Inca vase. What varies is not the basic form but the incidental details that do not obstruct the object's primary function. 3. The word they in the passage refers to ○Applied-art objects ○The laws of physics ○Containers ○The sides of pots 4. Which of the following best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence? Incorrect answer choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information. ○Functional applied-art objects cannot vary much from the basic patterns determined by the laws of physics. ○The function of applied-art objects is determined by basic patterns in the laws of physics. ○Since functional applied-art objects vary only within certain limits, arbitrary decisions cannot have determined their general form. ○The general form of applied-art objects is limited by some arbitrary decision that is not determined by the laws of physics. Paragraph 2: Sensitivity to physical laws is thus an important consideration for the maker of applied-art objects. It is often taken for granted that this is also true for the maker of fine-art objects. This assumption misses a significant difference between the two disciplines. Fine-art objects are not constrained by the laws of physics in the same way that applied-art objects are. Because their primary purpose is not functional, they are only limited in terms of the materials used to make them. Sculptures must, for example, be stable, which requires an understanding of the properties of mass, weight distribution, and stress. Paintings must have rigid stretchers so that the canvas will be taut, and the paint must not deteriorate, crack, or discolor. These are problems that must be overcome by the artist because they tend to intrude upon his or her conception of the work. For example, in the early Italian Renaissance, bronze statues of horses with a raised foreleg usually had a cannonball under that hoof. This was done because the cannonball was needed to support the weight of the leg. In other words, the demands of the laws of physics, not the sculptor's aesthetic intentions, placed the ball there. That this device was a necessary structural compromise is clear from the fact that the cannonball quickly disappeared when sculptors learned how to strengthen the internal structure of a statue with iron braces (iron being much stronger than bronze). 5. According to paragraph 2, sculptors in the Italian Renaissance stopped using cannonballs in bronze statues of horses because ○They began using a material that made the statues weigh less ○They found a way to strengthen the statues internally ○The aesthetic tastes of the public had changed over time ○The cannonballs added too much weight to the statues 6. Why does the author discuss the bronze statues of horses created by artists in the early Italian Renaissance? ○To provide an example of a problem related to the laws of physics that a fine artist must overcome ○To argue that fine artists are unconcerned with the laws of physics ○To contrast the relative sophistication of modern artists in solving problems related to the laws of physics ○To note an exceptional piece of art constructed without the aid of technology 7. An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage is provided below. Complete the summary by selecting the THREE answer choices that express the most important ideas in the passage. Some sentences do not belong in the summary because they express ideas that are not presented in the passage or are minor ideas in the passage. This question is worth 2 points. This passage discusses fundamental differences between applied-art objects and fine-art objects. ● ● ● Answer Choices ○Applied-art objects fulfill functions, such as containing or sheltering, and objects with the same function have similar characteristics because they are constrained by their purpose. ○It is easy to recognize that Shang Dynasty vases are different from Inca vases. ○Fine-art objects are not functional, so they are limited only by the properties of the materials used. ○Renaissance sculptors learned to use iron braces to strengthen the internal structures of bronze statues. ○In the twentieth century, fine artists and applied artists became more similar to one another in their attitudes toward their materials. ○In all periods, fine artists tend to challenge the physical limitations of their materials while applied artists tend to cooperate with the physical properties of their materials. 8. Directions: Complete the table below to summarize information about the two types of art discussed in the passage. Match the appropriate statements to the types of art with which they are associated. This question is worth 3 points. TYPES OF ART STATEMENTS The Applied Arts Select 3 ● ● ● The Fine Arts Select 2 ● ● Statements ○An object's purpose is primarily aesthetic. ○Objects serve a functional purpose. ○The incidental details of objects do not vary. ○Artists work to overcome the limitations of their materials. ○The basic form of objects varies little across cultures. ○Artists work in concert with their materials.       ○An object's place of origin is difficult to determine. 在線上作答可直接繳交 線上作答