2014年4月27日托福考前冲刺题(一)_第8页

　Passage 12

　　Legend has it that sometime toward the end of the Civil War (1861-1865) a

　　government train carrying oxen traveling through the northern plains of eastern

　　Wyoming was caught in a snowstorm and had to be abandoned. The driver returned the

　　Line next spring to see what had become of his cargo. Instead of the skeletons he had

　　(5) expected to find, he saw his oxen, living, fat, and healthy. How had they survived?

　　The answer lay in a resource that unknowing Americans had trampled underfoot in

　　their haste to cross the "Great American Desert" to reach lands that sometimes proved

　　barren. In the eastern parts of the United States, the preferred grass for forage was a

　　cultivated plant. It grew well with enough rain, then when cut and stored it would cure

　　(10) and become nourishing hay for winter feed. But in the dry grazing lands of the West,

　　that familiar blue joint grass was often killed by drought. To raise cattle out there

　　seemed risky or even hopeless.

　　Who could imagine a fairy-tale grass that required no rain and somehow made it

　　possible for cattle to feed themselves all winter? But the surprising western wild

　　(15) grasses did just that. They had wonderfully convenient features that made them

　　superior to the cultivated eastern grasses. Variously known as buffalo grass, grama

　　grass, or mesquite grass, not only were they immune to drought; but they were actually

　　preserved by the lack of summer and autumn rains. They were not juicy like the

　　cultivated eastern grasses, but had short, hard stems. And they did not need to be cured

　　(20) in a barn, but dried right where they grew on the ground. When they dried in this way,

　　they remained naturally sweet and nourishing through the winter. Cattle left outdoors

　　to fend for themselves thrived on this hay. And the cattle themselves helped plant the

　　fresh grass year after year, for they trampled the natural seeds firmly into the soil to be

　　watered by the melting snows of winter and the occasional rains of spring. The dry

　　(25) summer air cured them, much as storing in a barn cured the cultivated grasses.

　　54. What does the passage mainly discuss?

　　(A) Western migration after the Civil War

　　(B) The climate of the western United States

　　(C) The raising of cattle

　　(D) A type of wild vegetation

　　55. What can be inferred by the phrase "Legend has　it" in line 1?

　　(A) The story of the train may not be completely　factual.

　　(B) Most history books include the story of the　train.

　　(C) The driver of the train invented the story.

　　(D) The story of the train is similar to other ones　from that time period.

　　56. The word "they" in line 5 refers to

　　(A) plains

　　(B) skeletons

　　(C) oxen

　　(D) Americans

　　57. What can be inferred about the "Great American　Desert" mentioned in line 7?

　　(A) It was not originally assumed to be a fertile　area.

　　(B) Many had settled there by the 1860's.

　　(C) It was a popular place to raise cattle before the　Civil War.

　　(D) It was not discovered until the late 1800's.

　　58. The word "barren" in line 8 is closest in meaning　to

　　(A) lonely

　　(B) dangerous

　　(C) uncomfortable

　　(D) infertile

　　59. The word "preferred" in line 8 is closest in　meaning to

　　(A) ordinary

　　(B) available

　　(C) required

　　(D) favored

　　60. Which of the following can be inferred about the　cultivated grass mentioned in the second　paragraph?

　　(A) Cattle raised in the western United States　refused to eat it.

　　(B) It would probably not grow in the western　United States.

　　(C) It had to be imported into the United States.

　　(D) It was difficult for cattle to digest.

　　61. Which of the following was NOT one of the　names given to the Western grasses?

　　(A) Grama grass

　　(B) Bluejoint grass

　　(C) Buffalo grass

　　(D) Mesquite grass

　　62. Which of the following was NOT mentioned as a　characteristic of western grasses?

　　(A) They have tough stems

　　(B) They are not affected by dry weather

　　(C) They can be grown indoors.

　　(D) They contain little moisture.

　　63. The word "hard" in line 19 is closest in meaning　to

　　(A) firm

　　(B) severe

　　(C) difficult

　　(D) bitter

　　64. According to the passage, the cattle helped　promote the growth of the wild grasses by

　　(A) stepping on and pressing the seeds into the　ground

　　(B) naturally fertilizing the soil

　　(C) continually moving from one grazing area to　another

　　(D) eating only small quantities of grass