2014年4月27日托福考前冲刺题(一)_第2页

　Passage 2

　　Botany, the study of plants, occupies a peculiar position in the history of human knowledge.

　　For many thousands of years it was the one field of awareness about which humans had

　　anything more than the vaguest of insights. It is impossible to know today just what our Stone

　　Age ancestors knew about plants, but from what we can observe of preindustrial societies that

　　(5) still exist, a detailed learning of plants and their properties must be extremely ancient. This is

　　logical. Plants are the basis of the food pyramid for all living things, even for other plants. They

　　have always been enormously important to the welfare of people, not only for food, but also for

　　clothing, weapons, tools, dyes, medicines, shelter, and a great many other purposes. Tribes

　　living today in the jungles of the Amazon recognize literally hundreds of plants and know

　　(10) many properties of each. To them botany, as such, has no name and is probably not even

　　recognized as a special branch of "knowledge" at all.

　　Unfortunately, the more industrialized we become the farther away we move from direct

　　contact with plants, and the less distinct our knowledge of botany grows. Yet everyone comes

　　unconsciously on an amazing amount of botanical knowledge, and few people will fail to

　　(15) recognize a rose, an apple, or an orchid. When our Neolithic ancestors, living in the Middle

　　East about 10,000 years ago, discovered that certain grasses could be harvested and their seeds

　　planted for richer yields the next season, the first great step in a new association of plants and

　　humans was taken. Grains were discovered and from them flowed the marvel of agriculture:

　　cultivated crops. From then on, humans would increasingly take their living from the controlled

　　(20) production of a few plants, rather than getting a little here and a little there from many varieties

　　that grew wild-and the accumulated knowledge of lens of thousands of years of experience

　　and intimacy with plants in the wild would begin to fade away.

　　12. Which of the following assumptions about early

　　humans is expressed in the passage?

　　(A) They probably had extensive knowledge of

　　plants.

　　(B) They divided knowledge into well-defined　fields.

　　(C) They did not enjoy the study of botany.

　　(D) They placed great importance on ownership　of property.

　　13. The word "peculiar" in line 1 is closest in　meaning to

　　(A) clear

　　(B) large

　　(C) unusual

　　(D) important

　　14. What does the comment "This is logical" in　lines 5-6 mean?

　　(A) There is no clear way to determine the　extent of our ancestors knowledge of plants.

　　(B) It is not surprising that early humans had a　detailed knowledge of plants.

　　(C) It is reasonable to assume that our ancestors　behave very much like people in　preindustrial societies.

　　(D) Human knowledge of plants is well　organized and very detailed.

　　15. The phrase "properties of each" in line 10 refers　to each

　　(A) tribe

　　(B) hundred

　　(C) plant

　　(D) purpose

　　16. According to the passage, why has general　knowledge of botany declined?

　　(A) People no longer value plants as a useful　resource.

　　(B) Botany is not recognized as a special branch　of science.

　　(C) Research is unable to keep up with the　increasing number of plants.

　　(D) Direct contact with a variety, of plants has　decreased.

　　17. In line 15, what is the author's purpose in　mentioning "a rose, an apple, or an orchid"?

　　(A) To make the passage more poetic

　　(B) To cite examples of plants that are attractive

　　(C) To give botanical examples that most readers　will recognize

　　(D) To illustrate the diversity of botanical life

　　18. According to the passage, what was the first　great step toward the practice of agriculture?

　　(A) The invention of agricultural implements　and machinery

　　(B) The development of a system of names for　plants

　　(C) The discovery of grasses that could be　harvested and replanted

　　(D) The changing diets of early humans

　　19. The word "controlled" in line 19 is closest in　meaning to

　　(A) abundant

　　(B) managed

　　(C) required

　　(D) advanced

　　20. The relationship between botany and agriculture　is similar to the relationship between zoology　(the study of animals )

　　(A) deer hunting

　　(B) bird watching

　　(C) sheep raising

　　(D) horseback riding

　　21. Where in the passage does the author describe　the benefits people derive from plants?

　　(A) Line 1

　　(B) Lines 6-8

　　(C) Lines 10-11

　　(D) Lines 13-15