1998年5月托福考试阅读理解全真试题
21. What does this passage mainly discuss？
（A） The processing of wool
（B） Linsey-woolsey bedcovers
（C） Sleeping habits of colonial Americans
（D） Quilts made in England
22. The word "prominent" in line 3 is closest in meaning to
（A） isolated
（B） concerned
（C） generous
（D） distinguished
23.The author mention the Revolutionary War as a time period when
（A） quills were supplied to the army
（B） more immigrants arrived from England
（C） quills imported from England became harder to find
（D） people s attitudes toward England changed.
24.The phrase "applied to" in line 11 is closest in meaning to
（A） sewn onto
（B） compared to
（C） used for
（D） written down on
25.The term "linsey-woolsey" originally meant fabric used primarily in
（A）quilts
（B）sheets
（C）clothing
（D） pillows
26.The word "coarser" in line 17 is closest in meaning to
（A）older
（B） less heavy
（C）more attractive
（D） rougher
27.The quilts described in the second and third paragraphs were made primarily of
（A） wool
（B） linen
（C） cotton
（D） a mixture of fabrics
28.It can be inferred from the third paragraph that the sleeping habits
of most Americans have changed since the 1700 s in all the following ways EXCEPT
（A） the position in which people sleep
（B） the numbers of bolsters or pillows people sleep on
（C） the length of time people sleep
（D） the number of people who sleep in one bed
29.The word "afforded" in line 33 is closest in meaning to
（A） provided
（B） spent
（C） avoided
（D） absorbed
30.Which of the following was most likely to be found in a bedroom in the colder areas of the American colonies？
（A）A linsey-woolsey
（B）A vent from a central healing system
（C）A fireplace
（D）A wood stove
Questions 31-40
Growing tightly packed together and collectively weaving a dense canopy of branches， a stand of red alder trees can totally dominate a site to the exclusion of almost everything else. Certain species such as salmonberry and sword ferns have Line adapted to the limited sunlight dappling through the canopy，but few evergreen trees （S） will survive there； still fewer can compete with the early prodigious growth of alders. A Douglas fir tree reaches its maximum rate of growth ten years later than an alder， and if the two of them begin life at the same time，the alder quickly outgrows and dominates the Douglas fir. After an alder canopy has closed， the Douglas fir suffers a marked decrease in growth， often dying within seven years. Even more shade-tolerant species of trees such as hemlock may remain badly suppressed beneath aggressive young alders.
Companies engaged in intensive timber cropping naturally take a dim view of alders suppressing more valuable evergreen trees. But times are changing； a new generation of foresters seems better prepared to Include in their management plans consideration of the vital ecological role alders， play. Among the alder s valuable ecological contributions is its capacity to fix nitrogen in nitrogen-deficient soils. Alder roots contain clusters of nitrogen-fixing nodules like those found on legumes such as beans. in addition， newly developing soils exposed by recent glacier retreat and planted with alders show that these trees are applying the equivalent of ten bags of high- nitrogen fertilizer to each hectare per year. Other chemical changes to soil in which they are growing Include a lowering of the base content and rise In soil acidity， as well as a substantial addition of carbon and calcium. to the soil.
Another important role many alders play in the wild， particularly in mountainous areas， is to check the rush of water during spring melt. In Japan and elsewhere， the trees are planted to stabilize soil on steep mountain slopes. Similarly，alders have been planted to stabilize and rehabilitate waste material left over from old mines， flood deposits， and landslide areas in both Europe and Asia.
31.What does the passage mainly discuss？
（A）Differences between alder trees and Douglas fir trees
（B）Alder trees as a source of timber