戴爾美語練功坊 托福閱讀測驗試題(09/23) - 英檢

戴爾美語練功坊 托福閱讀實力測驗試題(09/23)

About ten percent of the world's deserts are composed of
sand dunes, which are driven across the desert by the wind.
Sand grains march across the desert floor under the influence of
strong winds by a process known as saltation. The grains of sand
become airborne for a moment, and upon landing they dislodge
additional sand grains, which repeat the process. In this manner,
sand dunes engulf everything in their path, including structures
made by people, and pose a major problem in the construction and
maintenance of highways and railroads that cross sandy areas of
desert. Sand-dune migration near desert oases poses another
serious problem, especially when encroaching on villages.
Methods to mitigate damage to structures from sand dunes
include building windbreaks and funneling sand out of the way.
Without such measures, disruption of roads, airports, agricultural
settlements, and towns could become a major problem in desert
regions.
The direction, strength, and variability of the wind, the moisture
content of the soil, the vegetation cover, the underlying topography,
and the amount of movable soil exposed to the wind determine
the size and form of sand dunes. Sand dunes generally have four
basic shapes, determined by the topography of the land and patterns
of wind flow. Linear dunes align in roughly the direction of
strong prevailing winds. Their length is substantially greater than
their width, and they lie parallel to each other, sometimes with
a wavy pattern. Crescent dunes, also called barchans,
are symmetrically shaped, with horns pointing downwind.
They travel across the desert at speeds of up to 50 feet a year.
Parabolic dunes form in areas where sparse vegetation anchors the
side arms while the center is blown outward, causing sand in
the middle to move forward. Star dunes form by shifting winds
that pile up sand into central points that can rise 1,500 feet and more,
with several arms radiating outward, looking much like giant
pinwheels.

詞彙解釋: 　
dune : 沙丘 airborne : 風媒的 ; 空中傳播的 engulf : 使陷落
oasis / oases (複): 綠洲 encroach on : 入侵 mitigate : 舒緩; 減輕
funnel : 漏斗 disruption : 分裂 ; 瓦解 moisture : 濕度
vegetation : 植被 underlying : 位於下面的 topography : 地形
align : 成一直線 crescent : 新月的 symmetrically : 對稱地
horn : 角 parabolic : 拋物線的 anchor : 錨 radiate : 放射

1. What aspect of sand dunes does the passage mainly discuss?
(A) Their location
(B) Their destructiveness
(C) Their formation
(D) Their disappearance

2. The word " they " in the passage refers to
(A) deserts
(B) strong winds
(C) sand grains
(D) structures

3. According to the passage, in what way do sand dunes interfere
with transportation?
(A) They cause travelers to get lost.
(B) They make it difficult to build and repair roadways.
(C) They increase the likelihood of accidents.
(D) They block the most direct routes.

4. The word poses in the passage is closest in meaning to
(A) solves
(B) munches
(C) presents
(D) interprets

5. The word " mitigate " in the passage is closest in meaning to
(A) appease
(B) reinforce
(C) coincide
(D) compress

6. One purpose of the windbreaks mentioned in the passage is to
(A) protect buildings
(B) remove sand dunes
(C) encourage the process of saltation
(D) utilize the power of the wind

7. The word " variability " in the passage is closest in meaning to
(A) ability to cause damage
(B) tendency to change
(C) forward movement
(D) speed

8. The word " substantially " in the passage is closest in meaning to
(A) actually
(B) specifically
(C) frequently
(D) significantly

9. Which of the following is probably most influential in determining
the shape of parabolic dunes?
(A) Moisture
(B) Vegetation
(C) Wind speed
(D) Soil composition

10. Look at the terms saltation, migration, oases, and topography in
the passage. Which of these terms is defined in the passage?
(A) Saltation
(B) Migration
(C) Oases
(D) Topography
Answers:
1.C 2. C 3. B 4.C 5. A 6. A 7. B 8.D 9.B 10. A

*[1;33m戴爾美語練功坊 托福閱讀實力測驗試題(09/23) *[m
*[1;32m Glacier Formation *[m

About ten percent of the world's deserts are composed of
sand dunes, which are driven across the desert by the wind.
Sand grains march across the desert floor under the influence of
strong winds by a process known as saltation. The grains of sand
become airborne for a moment, and upon landing they dislodge
additional sand grains, which repeat the process. In this manner,
sand dunes engulf everything in their path, including structures
made by people, and pose a major problem in the construction and
maintenance of highways and railroads that cross sandy areas of
desert. Sand-dune migration near desert oases poses another
serious problem, especially when encroaching on villages.
Methods to mitigate damage to structures from sand dunes
include building windbreaks and funneling sand out of the way.
Without such measures, disruption of roads, airports, agricultural
settlements, and towns could become a major problem in desert
regions.
The direction, strength, and variability of the wind, the moisture
content of the soil, the vegetation cover, the underlying topography,
and the amount of movable soil exposed to the wind determine
the size and form of sand dunes. Sand dunes generally have four
basic shapes, determined by the topography of the land and patterns
of wind flow. Linear dunes align in roughly the direction of
strong prevailing winds. Their length is substantially greater than
their width, and they lie parallel to each other, sometimes with
a wavy pattern. Crescent dunes, also called barchans,
are symmetrically shaped, with horns pointing downwind.
They travel across the desert at speeds of up to 50 feet a year.
Parabolic dunes form in areas where sparse vegetation anchors the
side arms while the center is blown outward, causing sand in
the middle to move forward. Star dunes form by shifting winds
that pile up sand into central points that can rise 1,500 feet and more,
with several arms radiating outward, looking much like giant
pinwheels.

詞彙解釋: 　
dune : 沙丘 airborne : 風媒的 ; 空中傳播的 engulf : 使陷落
oasis / oases (複): 綠洲 encroach on : 入侵 mitigate : 舒緩; 減輕
funnel : 漏斗 disruption : 分裂 ; 瓦解 moisture : 濕度
vegetation : 植被 underlying : 位於下面的 topography : 地形
align : 成一直線 crescent : 新月的 symmetrically : 對稱地
horn : 角 parabolic : 拋物線的 anchor : 錨 radiate : 放射

1. What aspect of sand dunes does the passage mainly discuss?
(A) Their location
(B) Their destructiveness
(C) Their formation
(D) Their disappearance

2. The word " they " in the passage refers to
(A) deserts
(B) strong winds
(C) sand grains
(D) structures

3. According to the passage, in what way do sand dunes interfere
with transportation?
(A) They cause travelers to get lost.
(B) They make it difficult to build and repair roadways.
(C) They increase the likelihood of accidents.
(D) They block the most direct routes.

4. The word poses in the passage is closest in meaning to
(A) solves
(B) munches
(C) presents
(D) interprets

5. The word " mitigate " in the passage is closest in meaning to
(A) appease
(B) reinforce
(C) coincide
(D) compress

6. One purpose of the windbreaks mentioned in the passage is to
(A) protect buildings
(B) remove sand dunes
(C) encourage the process of saltation
(D) utilize the power of the wind

7. The word " variability " in the passage is closest in meaning to
(A) ability to cause damage
(B) tendency to change
(C) forward movement
(D) speed

8. The word " substantially " in the passage is closest in meaning to
(A) actually
(B) specifically
(C) frequently
(D) significantly

9. Which of the following is probably most influential in determining
the shape of parabolic dunes?
(A) Moisture
(B) Vegetation
(C) Wind speed
(D) Soil composition

10. Look at the terms saltation, migration, oases, and topography in
the passage. Which of these terms is defined in the passage?
(A) Saltation
(B) Migration
(C) Oases
(D) Topography
Answers:
1.C 2. C 3. B 4.C 5. A 6. A 7. B 8.D 9.B 10. A


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