1997年10月托福考试阅读理解全真试题
Beads are miniature bundles of secrets waiting to be revealed： their history， manufacture， cultural context， economic role， and ornamental use are all points of information one hopes to unravel. Even the most mundane beads may have traveled great distances and been exposed to many human experiences. The bead researcher must gather information from many diverse fields. In addition to having to be a generalist while specializing in what may seem to be a narrow field， the researcher is faced with the problem of primary materials that have little or no documentation. Many ancient beads that are of ethnographic interest have often been separated from their original cultural context.
The special attractions of beads contribute to the uniqueness of bead research. While often regarded as the "small change of civilizations"， beads are a part of every culture， and they can often be used to date archaeological sites and to designate the degree of mercantile， technological， and cultural sophistication.
8. What is the main subject of the passage？
（A） Materials used in making beads.
（B） How beads are made
（C） The reasons for studying beads
（D） Different types of beads
9. The word "adorned" in line 5 is closest in meaning to
（A） protected
（B） decorated
（C） purchased
（D） enjoyed
10.The word "attire" in line 14 is closest in meaning to
（A） ritual
（B） importance
（C） clothing
（D） history
11.All of the following are given as characteristics of collectible objects EXCEPT
（A） durability
（B） portability
（C） value
（D） scarcity.
12.According to the passage， all of the following are factors that make people want to touch beads EXCEPT the
（A） shape
（B） color
（C） material
（D） odor
13.The word "unravel" in line 23 is closest in meaning to
（A） communicate
（B） transport
（C） improve
（D） discover
14.The word "mundane" in line 16 is closest in meaning to
（A） carved
（B） beautiful
（C） ordinary
（D） heavy
15.It is difficult to trace the history of certain ancient beads because they
（A） are small in size
（B） have been buried underground
（C） have been moved from their original locations
（D） are frequently lost
16.Knowledge of the history of some beads may be useful in the studies done by which of the following？
（A） Anthropologists
（B） Agricultural experts
（C） Medical researchers
（D） Economists
17.Where in the passage does the author describe why the appearance of beads may change？
（A） Lines 3-4
（B） Lines 6-8
（C） Lines 12-13
（D） Lines 20-22.
Question 18-31
In the world of birds， bill design is a prime example of evolutionary fine-tuning. Shorebirds such as oystercatchers use their bills to pry open the tightly sealed shells of their prey，hummingbirds have stiletto-like bills to probe the deepest nectar-bearing flowers， and kiwis smell out earthworms thanks to nostrils located at the tip of their beaks. But few birds are more intimately tied to their source of sustenance than are crossbills. Two species of these finches， named for the way the upper and lower parts of their bills cross， rather than meet in the middle， reside in the evergreen forests of North America and feed on the seeds held within the cones of coniferous trees.
The efficiency of the bill is evident when a crossbill locates a cone. Using a lateral motion of its lower mandible， the bird separates two overlapping scales on the cone and exposes the seed. The crossed mandibles enable the bird to exert a powerful biting force at the bill tips， which is critical for maneuvering them between the scales and spreading the scales apart. Next， the crossbill snakes its long tongue into the gap and draws out the seed. Using the combined action of the bill and tongue， the bird cracks open and discards the woody seed covering action and swallows the nutritious inner kernel. This whole process takes but a few seconds and is repeated hundreds of times a day.
The bills of different crossbill species and subspecies vary - some are stout and deep， others more slander and shallow. As a rule， large-billed crossbills are better at securing seeds from large cones， while small-billed crossbills are more deft at removing the seeds from small， thin-scaled cones. Moreover，the degree to which cones are naturally slightly open or tightly closed helps determine which bill design is the best.