托福tpo32阅读文本+题目 word版
托福阅读TPO32原文+答案解析+译文托福tpo阅读文本：
Early Children Education
Preschools—educational programs for children under the age of five—differ significantly from one country to another according to the views that different societies hold regarding the purpose of early childhood education. For instance, in a cross-country comparison of preschools in China, Japan, and the United States, researchers found that parents in the three countries view the purpose of preschools very differently. Whereas parents in China tend to see preschools primarily as a way of giving children a good start academically,Japanese parents view them primarily as a way of giving children the opportunity to be members of a group. In the United States, in comparison, parents regard the primary purpose of preschools as making children more independent and self-reliant, although obtaining a good academic start and having group experience are also important.
While many programs designed for preschoolers focus primarily on social and emotional factors, some are geared mainly toward promoting cognitive gains and preparing preschoolers for the formal instruction they will experience when they start kindergarten.In the United Stated, the best-known program designed to promote future academic success is Head Start. Established in the 1960s when the United States declared the War on Poverty, the program has served over 13 million children and their families. The program, which stresses parental involvement, was designed to serve the “whole child”,including children’s physical health, self-confidence, social responsibility, and social and emotional development.
Whether Head Start is seen as successful or not depends on the lens through which one is looking. If, for instance, the program is expected to provide long-term increases in IQ (intelligence quotient) scores, it is a disappointment. Although graduates of Head Start programs tend to show immediate IQ gains, these increases do lot last. On the other hand,it is clear that Head Start is meeting its goal of getting preschoolers ready for school. Preschoolers who participate in Head Start are better prepared for future schooling than those who do not. Furthermore, graduates of Head Start programs have better future school grade. Finally, some research suggests that ultimately Head Start graduates show higher academic performance at the end of high school, although the gains are modest.
In addition, results from other types of preschool readiness programs indicate that those who participate and graduate are less like to repeat grades, and they are more like to complete school than readiness program, for every dollar spent on the program,taxpayers saved seven dollars by the time the graduated reached the age of 27.
The most recent comprehensive evaluation of early intervention programs suggests that, taken as a group, preschool programs can provide significant benefits, and that government funds invested early in life may ultimately lead to a reduction in future costs.For instance, compared with children who did not participate in early intervention programs, participants in various programs showed gains in emotional or cognitive development, better educational outcomes, increased economic self-sufficiency, reduced levels of criminal activity, and improved health-related behaviors. Of course, not every program produced all these benefits, and not every child benefited to the same extent. Furthermore, some researchers argue that less-expensive programs are just as good as relatively expensive ones, such as Head Start. Still, the results of the evaluation were promising, suggesting that the potential benefits of early intervention can be substantial.
Not everyone agrees that programs that seek to enhance academic skills during the preschool years are a good thing.In fact, according to developmental psychologist David Elkind , United States society tends to push children so rapidly that they begin to feel stress and pressure at a young age. Elkind argues that academic success is largely dependent upon factors out of parents’ control, such as inherited abilities and a child’s rate of maturation.Consequently, children of a particular age cannot be expected to master educational material without taking into account their current level of cognitive development.In short, children require development appropriate educational practice,which is education that is based on both typical development and the unique characteristics of a given child.
1. According to paragraph1, parents in Japan tend to think of preschool primarily as a place where children can
A. get a good academic start
B. expand their emotional development
C. become more independent
D. experience being part of a group
2. The word “Whereas” in the passage is closet in meaning to
A. Although
B. Because
C. Moreover
D. Already
3. The word “focus” in the passage is closet in meaning to
A. consider
B. respect
C. concentrate
D. advise
4. It can be inferred from paragraph 2 that the Head Start program was designed to serve children who
A. come from families that do not have a lot of money
B. are not doing very well in kindergarten
C. were born in the 1950s
D. need programs that focus primarily on social and emotional factors
5. According to paragraph 3, the Head Start program had NOT been successful at which of the following?
A. Helping children adjust to school
B. Providing long-term increase in IQ scores
C. Improving school performance throughout high school
D. Preventing children from being placed in special-education classes.
6. In paragraph 4, the author mentions the “results from other types of readiness programs” to
A. provide support for the idea that preschool readiness programs have been somewhat successful
B. question the idea that Head Start is more effective than other preschool readiness programs
C. indicate school completion is usually the most reliable indicator of success in most readiness programs
D. emphasize that participation in readiness programs can be increased if costs are reduced
7. According to paragraph 4, a cost-benefit analysis of one preschool readiness program revealed that
A. only one dollar’s worth of benefit was gained for every seven dollars spent on the program
B. the benefits of the program lasted only until the participants reached age 27
C. taxpayers saved seven dollars for every dollars spent on the program
D. to be successful, the program would need to receive about seven times as much money as it currently receives
8. The word “comprehensive” in the passage is closest in meaning to
A. easily understood
B. thorough
C. respectable
D. objective
9. Paragraph 5 mentions that participants in early intervention programs have been shown to do all of the following better than nonparticipants EXCEPT
A. Take care of there health
B. Support themselves financially
C. Take care of their own children
D. Have increased emotional development
10. According to paragraph 5, which of the following is true about the benefits of early intervention programs?
A. These programs produce good short-term benefits but few long-term benefits.
B. Only the most expensive programs provide substantial benefits.
C. The Head Start program provides a range of benefits that no other program can provide.
D. Some children benefit more than others do from these programs.
11. The word “seek” in the passage is closet in meaning to
A. claim
B. manage
C. fail
D. attempt
12. The passage mentions “developmental psychologist David Elkind” in order to
A. give an example of an expert who has designed an effective early childhood education program
B. introduce an alternative view about the value of early childhood education
C. explain why early childhood education programs are less effective in the United States than in other countries
D. refute the claim that academic success is dependent on factors outside parents’control
14. Directions: An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage is provided below. Complete the summary by selecting the THREE answer choices that express the most important ideas in the passage. Some sentences do not belong in the summary because they express ideas that are not presented in the passages or are minor ideas in the passage. This question is worth 2 points.
Preschool programs provide opportunities for young children to develop socially, emotionally, and cognitively.
Answer Choices
A. In addition to stressing academic development, preschools should be enjoyable, since studies show that children benefit from programs they find fun.
B. Preschool programs such as Head Start have been shown to help prepare children for school and may also have long-team benefits in helping children become effective adults.
C. Studies have shown that preschool programs are most effective when they focus on only one area of development rather than trying to serve the “whole child”.
D. The primary purpose of preschool programs varies by country, with some stressing the importance of group experience, and others self-reliance or getting a good academic start.
E. Critics of preschool programs argue that these programs put undue pressure on children and may not be effective of children are not developmentally ready for academic work.
F. David Elkind is a critic of publicity funded preschool programs, arguing that the parent cannot control their children’s emotional development.
详细内容可以看看这个
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托福阅读TPO33(试题+答案+翻译)第3篇:灭绝事件
为了帮助大家备考托福阅读，提高阅读成绩，下面我给大家带来托福阅读TPO33(试题+答案+翻译)第3篇:灭绝事件，希望大家喜欢！
托福阅读TPO33阅读原文
Extinction Episodes of the Past
【1】It was not until the Cambrian period, beginning about 600 million years ago, that a great proliferation of macroscopic species occurred on Earth and produced a fossil record that allows us to track the rise and fall of biodiversity. Since the Cambrian period, biodiversity has generally risen, but there have been some notable exceptions. Biodiversity collapsed dramatically during at least five periods because of mass extinctions around the globe. The five major mass extinctions receive most of the attention, but they are only one end of a spectrum of extinction events. Collectively, more species went extinct during smaller events that were less dramatic but more frequent. The best known of the five major extinction events, the one that saw the demise of the dinosaurs, is the Cretaceous-Tertiary extinction.
【2】Starting about 280 million years ago, reptiles were the dominant large animals in terrestrial environments. In popular language this was the era “when dinosaurs ruled Earth,” when a wide variety of reptile species occupying many ecological niches. However, no group or species can maintain its dominance indefinitely, and when, after over 200 million years, the age of dinosaurs came to a dramatic end about 65 million years ago, mammals began to flourish, evolving from relatively few types of small terrestrial animals into the myriad of diverse species, including bats and whales, that we know today. Paleontologists label this point in Earth’s history as the end of the Cretaceous period and the beginning of the Tertiary period, often abbreviated as the K-T boundary. This time was also marked by changes in many other types of organisms. Overall, about 38 percent of the families of marine animals were lost, with percentages much higher in some groups Ammonoid mollusks went from being very diverse and abundant to being extinct. An extremely abundant set of planktonic marine animals called foraminifera largely disappeared, although they rebounded later. Among plants, the K-T boundary saw a sharp but brief rise in the abundance of primitive vascular plants such as ferns, club mosses, horsetails, and conifers and other gymnosperms. The number of flowering plants (angiosperms) was reduced at this time, but they then began to increase dramatically.
【3】What caused these changes? For many years scientists assumed that a cooling of the climate was responsible, with dinosaurs being particularly vulnerable because, like modern reptiles, they were ectothermic (dependent on environmental heat, or cold-blooded). It is now widely believed that at least some species of dinosaurs had a metabolic rate high enough for them to be endotherms (animals that maintain a relatively consistent body temperature by generating heat internally). Nevertheless, climatic explanations for the K-T extinction are not really challenged by the ideas that dinosaurs may have been endothermic, because even endotherms can be affected by a significant change in the climate.
【4】Explanations for the K-T extinction were revolutionized in 1980 when a group of physical scientists led by Luis Alvarez proposed that 65 million years ago Earth was stuck by a 10-kilometer-wide meteorite traveling at 90,000 kilometers per hour. They believed that this impact generated a thick cloud of dust that enveloped Earth, shutting out much of the incoming solar radiation and reducing plant photosynthesis to very low levels. Short-term effects might have included huge tidal waves and extensive fires. In other words, a series of events arising from a single cataclysmic event caused the massive extinctions. Initially, the meteorite theory was based on a single line of evidence. At locations around the globe, geologists had found an unusually high concentration of iridium in the layer of sedimentary rocks that was formed about 65 million years ago. Iridium is an element that is usually uncommon near Earth’s surface, but it is abundant in some meteorites. Therefore, Alvarez and his colleagues concludedthat it was likely that the iridium in sedimentary rocks deposited at the K-T boundary had originated in a giant meteorite or asteroid. Most scientist came to accept the meteorite theory after evidence came to light that a circular formation, 180 kilometers in diameter in diameter and centered on the north coast of the Yucatan Peninsula, was created by a meteorite impact about 65 million years ago.
托福阅读TPO33阅读试题
1.The word "proliferation" in the passage (paragraph 1) is closest in meaning to
A.decline.
B.extinction.
C.increase.
D.migration.
2.Paragraph 1 supports which of the following statements about life on Earth before the Cambrian period?
A.Biodiversity levels were steady, as indicated by the fossil record.
B.Levels of biodiversity could not be tracked.
C.The most dramatic extinction episode occurred.
D.Few microscopic species existed.
3.Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in the passage? Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.
A.The dominance of dinosaurs came to an end 65 million years ago, at which time mammals began to flourish and diversify.
B.Because no group of species can remain dominant forever, mammals became the dominant group when dinosaurs became extinct.
C.After being the dominant group for more than 200 million years, the age of dinosaurs came to a dramatic end 65 million years ago.
D.The diverse group of mammals that we know today, including bats and whales, evolved from small terrestrial forms that had been dominated by dinosaurs.
4.According to paragraph 2, why are dinosaurs popularly said to have "ruled Earth" during the Cretaceous period?
A.Dinosaurs were the only species of reptile that existed during the whole of the Cretaceous period.
B.Dinosaurs won the battle for food resources over mammals during the Cretaceous period.
C.Dinosaurs survived extinction during the Cretaceous period, whereas many other animal species did not.
D.Dinosaurs were the physically and ecologically dominant animals during the Cretaceous period.
5.According to paragraph 2, which of the following species initially increased in number at the K-T boundary?
A.Dinosaurs.
B.Foraminifera.
C.Ferns.
D.Ammonoid mollusks.
6.Why does the author note that "even endotherms can be affected by a significant change in the climate"(paragraph 3)?
A.To argue that there was a significant climate at the time that endothermic dinosaurs became extinct.
B.To argue that climate change caused some dinosaurs to evolve as endotherms.
C.To support the view that at least some of the dinosaurs that became extinct were endotherms.
D.To defend climate change as possible explanation for the extinction of dinosaurs.
7.The word "generated"(paragraph 4) in the passage is closest in meaning to
A.collected.
B.produced.
C.spread.
D.added.
8.The word "extensive"(paragraph 4) in the passage is closest in meaning to
A.widespread.
B.sudden.
C.numerous.
D.subsequent.
9.According to paragraph 4, all of the following contributed to the massive extinctions of the K-T period EXCEPT:
A.tidal waves.
B.fires.
C.insufficient solar radiation.
D.iridium.
10.According to paragraph 4, which of the following statements explains the importance of the discovery of high levels of iridium rocks?
A.It provided evidence that overexposure to solar radiation led to the K-T extinction.
B.It showed that more than one cataclysmic event was responsible for the K-T extinction.
C.It suggested that the cause of the K-T extinction may have been a meteorite striking Earth.
D.It provided evidence that the K-T extinction occurred 65 million years ago.
11.According to paragraph 4, which of the following is true about the Yucatan Peninsula?
A.The circular formation there was caused by a meteorite impact 65 million years ago.
B.Sedimentary rocks from that area have the lowest iridium concentration of any rocks on Earth.
C.There is evidence that a huge tidal wave occurred there 65 million years ago.
D.Evidence found there challenged the meteorite impact theory.
12.Which of the following can be inferred from paragraph 4 about the meteorite theory?
A.The data originally presented as evidence for the theory were eventually rejected.
B.Many scientists did not accept it when it was first proposed.
C.It has not been widely accepted as an explanation for the K-T extinction.
D.Alvarez subsequently revised it after a circular formation was found in the Yucatan Peninsula.
13. Look at the four squares [■] that indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage. Where would the sentence best fit? This focused on the chemical composition of ancient rocks.
Explanations for the K-T extinction were revolutionized in 1980 when a group of physical scientists led by Luis Alvarez proposed that 65 million years ago Earth was stuck by a 10-kilometer-wide meteorite traveling at 90,000 kilometers per hour. They believed that this impact generated a thick cloud of dust that enveloped Earth, shutting out much of the incoming solar radiation and reducing plant photosynthesis to very low levels. Short-term effects might have included huge tidal waves and extensive fires. In other words, a series of events arising from a single cataclysmic event caused the massive extinctions. ■【A】Initially, the meteorite theory was based on a single line of evidence. ■【B】At locations around the globe, geologists had found an unusually high concentration of iridium in the layer of sedimentary rocks that was formed about 65 million years ago. ■【C】Iridium is an element that is usually uncommon near Earth's surface, but it is abundant in some meteorites. ■【D】Therefore, Alvarez and his colleagues concluded that it was likely that the iridium in sedimentary rocks deposited at the K-T boundary had originated in a giant meteorite or asteroid. Most scientist came to accept the meteorite theory after evidence came to light that a circular formation, 180 kilometers in diameter in diameter and centered on the north coast of the Yucatan Peninsula, was created by a meteorite impact about 65 million years ago.
14. Prose Summary
The K-T extinction 65 million years ago is the best known of the five major extinction episodes since the Cambrian period.
A.Collectively, the five major extinction episodes resulted in the elimination of a larger number of species than did all the minor extinction events.
B.The K-T extinction eliminated the dinosaurs and ammonoid mollusks but was followed by the diversification of mammals and gymnospermous plants.
C.An extreme cooling of the climate could not have caused the K-T extinction of dinosaurs, because, while most dinosaurs depended on environmental heat, some did not.
D.The K-T extinction of the dinosaurs is the only mass extinction that has been explained by the impact of a meteorite.
E.In 1980 Luis Alvarez proposed that the K-T extinction was caused by ecological disasters brought about by the impact of a meteorite striking Earth.
F.A high concentration of iridium in sedimentary rocks at the K-T boundary and a large impact crater in the Yucatan Peninsula from 65 million years ago strongly support Alvarez' hypothesis.
托福阅读TPO33 阅读答案
1.proliferation，繁殖，激增，对应C。
2.推断题：定位句It was not until the Cambrian period, beginning about 600 million years ago, that a great proliferation of macroscopic species occurred on Earth and produced a fossil record that allows us to track the rise and fall of biodiversity.主要意思是直到寒武纪才能够监测生物多样性。言外之意就是在寒武纪之前就不能监测生物多样性，对应B选项。
3.解析 句子 简化题：该长句其实是2个长句的并列;主要分成2个意思：第一是没有任何一种生物能永远地统治，第二是恐龙灭亡之后，哺乳动物开始发展统治，且两层意思之间可以构成因果关系。所以只有B选项满足所有条件。
4.解析细节题：定位句Starting about 280 million years ago, reptiles were the dominant large animals in terrestrial environments. In popular language this was the era "when dinosaurs ruled Earth," when a wide variety of reptile species occupying many ecological niches.对应D选项。
5.解析细节题：定位句Paleontologists label this point in Earth's history as the end of the Cretaceous period and the beginning of the Tertiary period，often abbreviated as the K-T boundary. This time was also marked by changes in many other types of organisms. Overall, about 38 percent of the families of marine animals were lost, with percentages much higher in some groups
Ammonoid mollusks went from being very diverse and abundant to being extinct.题干中的范围限定initially，因此只可能是Ammonoid mollusk.选D。
6.解析修辞目的题：题干中的even甚至，表示程度的递进。定位句Nevertheless, climatic explanations for the L-T extinction are not really challenged by the ideas that dinosaurs may have been endothermic。即后半句的原因解释了气候理论为什么不被反驳。
7.generate，产生，选B。
8.extensive，广泛的，选A。
9.解析否定细节题：定位句 Short-term effects might have included huge tidal waves and extensive fires. In other words, a series of events arising from a single cataclysmic event caused the massive extinctions.对应A选项，B选项。定位句 They believed that its impact generated a thick cloud of dust that enveloped Earth, shutting out much of the incoming solar radiation and reducing plant photosynthesis to very low levels.意思是这种冲击产生了大量的厚尘云，遮蔽了天空和阳光。对应C选项。而D选项，iridium是有关灭绝的证据，但并非构成灭绝的原因。
10.解析细节题：定位句Initially, the meteorite theory was based on a single line of evidence. At locations around the globe, geologists have found an unusually high concentration of iridium in the layer of sedimentary rocks that was formed about 65 million years ago.意思是说小行星撞击理论一开始主要的证据就 是在地球的岩石中发现了大量的iridium (铱)。因此其重要性就是说明该撞击理论是物种大灭绝的原因。
11.解析细节题：定位句Most scientists came to accept the meteorite theory after evidence came to light that a circular formation, 180 kilometers in diameter and centered on the north coast of the Yucatan Peninsula, was created by a meteorite impact about 65 million years ago.意思是说在Yucatan Peninsula背岸的大坑是陨石撞击的结果。对应A选项。
12.解析推断题：定位句 Initially, the meteorite theory was based on a single line of evidence. 一开始仅依赖于单一证据的理论，暗示了证据还不够充分。定位句 Most scientists came to accept the meteorite theory after evidence came to light that a circular formation，180 kilometers in diameter and centered on the north coast of the Yucatan Peninsula, was created by a meteorite impact about 65 million years ago.在环形坑证据出现之后大多数的科学家才开始接受小 行星撞击理论，就是说一开始大多数科学家对该理论是持有怀疑态度的。即答案就是B。
13.解析句子插入题：给出的句子中出现了this的指代提示，表示前面的内容可能 与石头的化学组成无关，而该句的下一句应该与化学组成有关。因此只有 第二个方框满足条件。在第二个方框之后才出现了对于iridium的讨论。
14.The K-T extinction eliminated the dinosaurs and ammonoid mollusks but was followed by the diversification of mammals and gymnospermous plants.正确。对应第二段段落大意，没有永生的统治者，恐龙之后现在是哺乳动物和植物的天下。
In 1980 Luis Alvarez proposed that the K-T extinction was caused by ecological disasters brought about by the impact of a meteorite striking Earth.正确。对应第四段主旨：小行星撞击地球假说。
A high concentration of iridium in sedimentary rocks at the K-T boundary and a large impact crater in the Yucatan Peninsula from 65 million years ago strongly support Alvarez, hypothesis.正确。对应第四段解释小行星撞击地球假说的重要证据。一个证据是Iridium在 地球岩石中的大量出现，另一个证据是巨大环形坑的发现。
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为了帮助大家备考托福阅读，提高成绩，下面我给大家带来托福阅读TPO26(试题+答案+译文)第1篇:Energy and the Industrial Revolution，希望大家喜欢!
托福阅读原文
【1】For years historians have sought to identify crucial elements in the eighteenth-century rise in industry, technology, and economic power known as the Industrial Revolution, and many give prominence to the problem of energy. Until the eighteenth century, people relied on energy derived from plants as well as animal and human muscle to provide power. Increased efficiency in the use of water and wind helped with such tasks as pumping, milling, or sailing. However, by the eighteenth century, Great Britain in particular was experiencing an energy shortage. Wood, the primary source of heat for homes and industries and also used in the iron industry as processed charcoal, was diminishing in supply. Great Britain had large amounts of coal; however, there were not yet efficient means by which to produce mechanical energy or to power machinery. This was to occur with progress in the development of the steam engine.
【2】In the late 1700s James Watt designed an efficient and commercially viable steam engine that was soon applied to a variety of industrial uses as it became cheaper to use. The engine helped solve the problem of draining coal mines of groundwater and increased the production of coal needed to power steam engines elsewhere. A rotary engine attached to the steam engine enabled shafts to be turned and machines to be driven, resulting in mills using steam power to spin and weave cotton. Since the steam engine was fired by coal, the large mills did not need to be located by rivers, as had mills that used water- driven machines. The shift to increased mechanization in cotton production is apparent in the import of raw cotton and the sale of cotton goods. Between 1760 and 1850, the amount of raw cotton imported increased 230 times. Production of British cotton goods increased sixtyfold, and cotton cloth became Great Britain’s most important product, accounting for one-half of all exports. The success of the steam engine resulted in increased demands for coal, and the consequent increase in coal production was made possible as the steam-powered pumps drained water from the ever-deeper coal seams found below the water table.
【3】The availability of steam power and the demands for new machines facilitated the transformation of the iron industry. Charcoal, made from wood and thus in limited supply, was replaced with coal-derived coke (substance left after coal is heated) as steam-driven bellows came into use for producing of raw iron. Impurities were burnt away with the use of coke, producing a high-quality refined iron. Reduced cost was also instrumental in developing steam-powered rolling mills capable of producing finished iron of various shapes and sizes. The resulting boom in the iron industry expanded the annual iron output by more than 170 times between 1740 and 1840, and by the 1850s Great Britain was producing more tons of iron than the rest of the world combined. The developments in the iron industry were in part a response to the demand for more machines and the ever-widening use of higher-quality iron in other industries.
【4】Steam power and iron combined to revolutionize transport, which in turn had further implications. Improvements in road construction and sailing had occurred, but shipping heavy freight over land remained expensive, even with the use of rivers and canals wherever possible. Parallel rails had long been used in mining operations to move bigger loads, but horses were still the primary source of power. However, the arrival of the steam engine initiated a complete transformation in rail transportation, entrenching and expanding the Industrial Revolution. As transportation improved, distant and larger markets within the nation could be reached, thereby encouraging the development of larger factories to keep pace with increasing sales. Greater productivity and rising demands provided entrepreneurs with profits that could be reinvested to take advantage of new technologies to further expand capacity, or to seek alternative investment opportunities. Also, the availability of jobs in railway construction attracted many rural laborers accustomed to seasonal and temporary employment. When the work was completed, many moved to other construction jobs or to factory work in cities and towns, where they became part of an expanding working class.
托福阅读试题
1.Why does the author provide the information that “Great Britain had large amounts of coal”(paragraph 1)?
A.To reject the claim that Britain was facing an energy shortage in the eighteenth century.
B.To explain why coal rather than other energy resources became the primary source of heat for homes and industries in eighteenth-century Britain.
C.To indicate that Britain’s energy shortage was not the result of a lack of fuel.
D.To explain why coal mining became an important industry in nineteenth-century.
2.What was “the problem of energy" that had to be solved to make the Industrial Revolution of the eighteenth century possible?
A.Water and wind could not be used efficiently.
B.There was no efficient way to power machinery.
C.Steam engines required large amounts of coal, which was in short supply.
D.Neither humans nor animals were strong enough to provide the power required for industrial application.
3.Which of the following is NOT mentionedin paragraph 2 as a development in cotton mills brought about by Watt’s steamengine?
A.The importing of huge quantities of raw cotton by Britain.
B.Increased mechanization.
C.More possibilities for mill location.
D.Smaller mills.
4.The phrase “apparent in” in the passage(paragraph 2)is closest in meaning to
A.clearly seen in.
B.aided by.
C.associated with.
D.followed by.
5.According to paragraph 2, what was Britain’s most important export by 1850?
A.Raw cotton.
B.Cotton cloth.
C.Steam-powered pumps.
D.Coal.
6.The word “consequent”(paragraph 2)in the passage is closest in meaning to
A.resulting.
B.encouraging.
C.well documented.
D.immediate.
7.What is the role of paragraph 2 in the passage as a whole?
A.It explains how by increasing the supply of raw materials from other countries, British industries were able to reduce costs and increase production.
B.It explains how the production of mechanical energy and its benefits spread quickly across countries that were linked commercially with Great Britain.
C.It demonstrates why developments in a single industry could not have caused the Industrial Revolution.
D.It illustrates why historians have assigned great importance to the issue of energy in the rise of the Industrial Revolution.
8.According to paragraph 3, why was the use of coke important for the ironindustry?
A.It helped make wood into charcoal.
B.It reduced the dependency on steam-powered machines used for the production of iron.
C.It replaced charcoal in the production of raw and refined iron.
D.It powered the machines used to extract coal in coal mines.
9.According to paragraph 3, all of the following were true of the ironindustry in Great Britain during the 1800s EXCEPT
A.Steam-driven bellows were used to produce raw iron.
B.By the 1850s Britain was the world’s largest producer of iron.
C.Steam-powered mills made it possible to produce iron of different shapes and sizes.
D.Greater demand for higher-quality iron increased its price.
10.The word “initiated”in the passage is closest in meaning to
A.anticipated.
B.accelerated.
C.spread.
D.started.
11.Paragraph 4 implies which of the following about the transformation inrail transportation?
A.Because railway construction employed mostly rural laborers, unemployment increased among urban workers.
B.It resulted in more trade within the country, but less trade with markets that could be reached only by ocean shipping.
C.It made shipping freight overland to distant markets less expensive.
D.It resulted in higher wages for factory workers.
12.The phrase “accustomed to" in the passage is closest in meaning to
A.in need of.
B.used to.
C.tired of.
D.encouraged by.
13. Look at the four squares [■] that indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage. Click on a square to add the sentence to the passage. The first steam-powered locomotives were slow but they rapidly improved in speed and carrying capacity.
Steam power and iron combined to revolutionize transport, which in turnhad further implications. Improvements in road construction and sailing had occurred, but shipping heavy freight over land remained expensive, even with the use of rivers and canals wherever possible. Parallel rails had long been used in mining operations to move bigger loads, but horses were still the primary source of power. ■【A】However, the arrival of the steam engine initiated a complete transformation in rail transportation, entrenching and expanding the Industrial Revolution. ■【B】As transportation improved, distant and larger markets within the nation could be reached, thereby encouraging the development of larger factories to keep pace with increasing sales. ■【C】Greater productivity and rising demands provided entrepreneurs with profits that could be reinvested to take advantage of new technologies to further expand capacity, or to seek alternative investment opportunities. ■【D】Also, the availability of jobs in railway construction attracted many rural laborers accustomed to seasonal and temporary employment. When the work was completed,many moved to other construction jobs or to factory work in cities and towns, where they became part of an expanding working class.
14. Directions: An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage is provided below. Complete the summary by selecting the THREE answer choices that express the most important ideas in the passage. Some sentences do not belong in the summary because they express ideas that are not presented in the passage or are minor ideas in the passage. This question is worth 2 points.
The coming of the Industrial Revolution in eighteenth-century Britaindepended on the development of the steam engine to power machinery.
A.For years, historians disregarded the issue of energy as a major element in the rise of the Industrial Revolution and focused instead on technological developments and increased production.
B.The introduction and growth of steam-powered rail transport was a major factor in Britain's economic expansion during the Industrial Revolution.
C.An expansion of the Industrial Revolution outside Great Britain occurred when British industries began to import raw cotton and high-quality iron.
D.By 1850, the use of steam power in Britain's mills, mines, and iron industry made Britain a world leader in the production of cotton cloth and iron.
E.Since the basic infrastructure was in place, the Industrial Revolution fueled itself with enlarging markets requiring ever more expansion of factories and workforce.
F.By the end of the 1800s, railway construction attracted so many laborers that factories could not find enough workers to keep up with increasing sales.
托福 阅读答案
1.目的题，读highlight所在句，说英国有煤，但没法变成能量来运行机器，选项C同时说了由煤木有能量，是正确答案。A错在不是reject，原文承认缺能量，A说反;B错在原文没讲other energy resources怎么样;D错在coal mining变成重要行业没讲。
2.以the problem of energy做关键词定位至第二句，但这句话没有内容，于是往后看，下一句讲依靠动植物和人作为能量的来源，看完这句话最大的可能是选D，但原文没说动植物和人的能源不够，所以D不对。排除法，A说风和水能没有有效利用，而原文第四句说越来越多的使用，所以A错;C跟上一题相反，错;B跟上一题相同，正确。
3.A的huge quantity of raw cotton定位至倒数第三句，说进口增加了230倍，正确，不选;B定位至第五句，说机械化越来越多，正确，不选;C的mill location定位至第四句，说mill不用在水边了，也就是C说的更多可能的位置，正确，不选;也同样在这句话里说大的mills，跟D说的相反，所以D错，选。
4.apparent in明显，所以正确答案是A的clearly seen in。词根是pare，意思是可见，想想透明transparent和appear。代入，原文讲转向不断增加的mechanization是什么样的通过进口raw cotton，紧接着后面就用数字讲进口cotton怎么怎么样，说明很显著。B帮忙和C相关明显不通。前后两句没有明显的先后关系，所以follow不通。
5.以most important export和1850做关键词定位至倒数第二句和倒数第三句，说raw cotton进口增加了230倍，cotton cloth变成了最重要的产品，占了出口的一半，所以正确答案是B的cotton cloth。注意A的raw cotton是进口的。
6.consequent结果的，所以正确答案是resulting。之前有讲蒸汽机的成功result in了煤炭需求的增加，和consequent煤炭生产的增加，需求增加当然导致生产增加，所以正确答案是A，C和D完全不对，A和B相比A更好。
7.问整段的，看首尾。首句讲1700年代瓦特发明了蒸汽机，随着越来越便宜，应用越来越广;尾句说steam engine的成功导致煤炭需求和生产的增加。MS没有正确答案，可采用排除法，首先没讲除英国之外的其他国家，所以A和B都不对，C说一个行业不能引起工业革命，原文也没讲。D正确的原因是煤炭的应用解决了能源问题，正确，不记得的话看看第一段的末尾。
8.以coke做关键词定位至第二句，讲在制铁的过程中，coke替代了charcoal，但没讲coke能干嘛，所以往下看，说impurity随着coke的使用被烧掉了，也就是除杂质，所以正确答案是C，B和D的machine没讲;A说把木头变成charcoal，原文也没说。
9.A的steam-driven bellows定位至第二句，正确，不选;B的1850s和Britain定位至第五句，说英国的产量等于其他国家产量之和，当然是最大生产国，所以B正确，不选;C的different shapes and sizes定位至第四句，正确，不选;D的price没讲，错，选。
10.initiated开始，所以正确答案是D。代入，说steam engine的到来怎么了铁路运输的彻底改变，能说得通的只有B和D。因为之前没有说到变化，所以不是加速，开始了一种全新的变化更好些。
11.以transformation in rail transportation做关键词定位至第四句和第五句，说随着transportation改善，能到达更远更大的国内市场，导致更大的销量和更大的工厂，所以正确答案是C。A的rural laborers，B的ocean shipping和D的wage原文都没有有说。
12.accustomed to习惯，所以正确答案是B，used to意思完全一样。不认识的同学看custom，风俗习惯，前面的ac前缀和后面的ed均没有实际意义。代入，说铁路建设提供的工作机会吸引了工人，这些工人是怎么样季节性迁徙的，C厌倦和D鼓励说不通。A需要和B习惯就要看词汇量了。
13.此题名词过渡不容易找，只能找到动词improve，所以正确答案非B即C。B之后有as transportation improved，也就是给出improve之后的结果，应该是先有improve后有结果，所以正确答案是B。
14.For years选项与首段第二句相反，错。The introduction选项对应最后一段，正确。An expansion选项中的outside Great Britain怎么样原文没讲，错。By 1850选项对应原文第二段和第三段，正确。Since the basic选项对应原文最后一段后半部分，正确。By the end选项中的工厂找不到工人跟上increasing sales没说，错。
托福阅读译文
【1】多年来，历史学家试图找到18世纪工业革命在工业、技术和经济领域兴起的关键因素，许多人把能源问题放在突出位置。直到18世纪，人们依靠工厂、畜力以及人力来提供动力。高效地利用水能和风能有助于完成诸如抽泵、碾磨或航海等工作。然而，到了18世纪，尤其是大不列颠却经历了能源短缺。木材，这一为家庭和工业供暖供能,同时也以加工木炭的形式被使用在钢铁工业中的主要能源，其供应量日益减少。大不列颠有大
量的煤矿;然而，还没有产生机械能或为机器提供动力的有效 方法 。这一切随着蒸汽机的改良而发生。
【2】在18世纪末期，詹姆斯?瓦特设计了一款高效且具商业利益的蒸汽机，由于其价格低廉，很快就被运用到各项工业生产之中。这款蒸汽机帮助解决了煤矿中地下水的排水问题并且提高了煤的产量，这些煤用来为别处的蒸汽机提供动力。与蒸汽机相连的旋转式发动机带动轴承转动，从而驱动机器，运用蒸汽动力纺织棉布的纺织厂随之出现。因为蒸汽机靠燃煤而驱动，一些大型棉纺织厂就不再像那些使用水力驱动机器的工厂一样必须依河而建。这种棉纺织业日益机械化的转变在棉花原料的进口和棉纺产品的销售中得到突出的体现。在1760年到1850年间，原棉的进口量增长了230倍。英国棉纺产品的生产量增加了60倍，而棉布则成了英国最重要的产品，占出口总额的一半。蒸汽机的成功带来了对煤需求量的增加，而且随着蒸汽动力泵从位于地下水位下的更深的煤层中排出水来，随之而来的煤产量的增加成为可能。
【3】蒸汽动力的可利用性以及对新机器的需求促进了钢铁工业的转型。当蒸汽驱动风箱投入到生铁生产中后，木炭这种用木材烧成因此供应量有限的物质就被焦炭(煤加热后残留的物质)替代了。随着焦炭的使用，生铁中的杂质被燃烧完，从而生产出更高质量的精炼铁。降低的成本也有助于那些能够生产不同形状和尺寸的成品铁制品的蒸汽动力轧钢厂的发展。因此导致的钢铁工业的繁荣使钢铁的年产量在1740年到1840年间增长了170多倍，到19世纪50年代，大不列颠生产的钢铁比世界其他地区生产的总和还要高。钢铁工业的发展从某种意义上说，是对更多机器的需求以及在其他工业中更广泛使用高质量铁的一种回应。
【4】蒸汽动力和钢铁带来了交通运输的革新，反过来也有着更加深远的影响。道路设施以及航海的改善已经初见成效，但是船运重型货物到陆地的费用仍然很高，即使在可以使用河流和运河的地方。平行铁轨长期以来被用于采矿作业来运输大型货物，但是马匹仍然是主要的动力来源。然而，蒸汽机的到来引发了铁路运输的彻底变革，巩固和扩大了工业革命的成果。随着交通运输的改善，全国范围内更远更大的市场可以到达，因此鼓励着大型工厂的生产与日益增长的销售量保持同步。更大规模的生产和日益增长的需求给企业家带来了利润，这种利润可用于再投资新技术，进一步扩大产能或寻求其他的投资机会。同时，铁道建设方面的更多就业机会也吸引了那些习惯于季节性工作或者短工制的农村劳动力。一旦工作完成，其中的很多人就会参与到其他的建筑工作中或是城镇中的工厂工作中，并成为其中的不断壮大的工人阶级。
托福阅读TPO26(试题+答案+译文)第1篇:Energy and the Industrial Revolution相关 文章 ：
托福TPO7阅读原文及参考答案Part1
托福TPO是我们托福阅读的重要参考资料，为了方便大家备考，下面我给大家整理了托福TPO1阅读文本及题目答案Part2，希望大家喜欢。
托福TPO7阅读原文Part1
The Geologic History of the Mediterranean
In 1970 geologists Kenneth J. Hsu and William B.F. Ryan were collecting research data while aboard the oceanographic research vessel Glomar Challenger. An objective of this particular cruise was to investigate the floor of the Mediterranean and to resolve questions about its geologic history. One question was related to evidence that the invertebrate fauna (animals without spines) of the Mediterranean had changed abruptly about 6 million years ago. Most of the older organisms were nearly wiped out, although a few hardy species survived. A few managed to migrate into the Atlantic. Somewhat later, the migrants returned, bringing new species with them. Why did the near extinction and migrations occur?
Another task for the Glomar Challenger's scientists was to try to determine the origin of the domelike masses buried deep beneath the Mediterranean seafloor. These structures had been detected years earlier by echo-sounding instruments, but they had never been penetrated in the course of drilling. Were they salt domes such as are common along the United States Gulf Coast, and if so, why should there have been so much solid crystalline salt beneath the floor of the Mediterranean?
With question such as these clearly before them, the scientists aboard the Glomar Challenger processed to the Mediterranean to search for the answers. On August 23, 1970, they recovered a sample. The sample consisted of pebbles of hardened sediment that had once been soft, deep-sea mud, as well as granules of gypsum and fragments of volcanic rock. Not a single pebble was found that might have indicated that the pebbles came from the nearby continent. In the days following, samples of solid gypsum were repeatedly brought on deck as drilling operations penetrated the seafloor. Furthermore, the gypsum was found to possess peculiarities of composition and structure that suggested it had formed on desert flats. Sediment above and below the gypsum layer contained tiny marine fossils, indicating open-ocean conditions. As they drilled into the central and deepest part of the Mediterranean basin, the scientists took solid, shiny, crystalline salt from the core barrel. Interbedded with the salt were thin layers of what appeared to be windblown silt.
The time had come to formulate a hypothesis. The investigators theorized that about 20 million years ago, the Mediterranean was a broad seaway linked to the Atlantic by two narrow straits. Crustal movements closed the straits, and the landlocked Mediterranean began to evaporate. Increasing salinity caused by the evaporation resulted in the extermination of scores of invertebrate species. Only a few organisms especially tolerant of very salty conditions remained. As evaporation continued, the remaining brine (salt water) became so dense that the calcium sulfate of the hard layer was precipitated. In the central deeper part of the basin, the last of the brine evaporated to precipitate more soluble sodium chloride (salt). Later, under the weight of overlying sediments, this salt flowed plastically upward to form salt domes. Before this happened, however, the Mediterranean was a vast desert 3,000 meters deep. Then, about 5.5 million years ago came the deluge. As a result of crustal adjustments and faulting, the Strait of Gibraltar, where the Mediterranean now connects to the Atlantic, opened, and water cascaded spectacularly back into the Mediterranean. Turbulent waters tore into the hardened salt flats, broke them up, and ground them into the pebbles observed in the first sample taken by the Challenger. As the basin was refilled, normal marine organisms returned. Soon layer of oceanic ooze began to accumulate above the old hard layer.
The salt and gypsum, the faunal changes, and the unusual gravel provided abundant evidence that the Mediterranean was once a desert.
gypsum: a mineral made of calcium sulfate and water
Paragraph 1: In 1970 geologists Kenneth J. Hsu and William B.F. Ryan were collecting research data while aboard the oceanographic research vessel Glomar Challenger. An objective of this particular cruise was to investigate the floor of the Mediterranean and to resolve questions about its geologic history. One question was related to evidence that the invertebrate fauna (animals without spines) of the Mediterranean had changed abruptly about 6 million years ago. Most of the older organisms were nearly wiped out, although a few hardy species survived. A few managed to migrate into the Atlantic. Somewhat later, the migrants returned, bringing new species with them. Why did the near extinction and migrations occur?
托福TPO7阅读题目Part1
1. The word "objective" in the passage is closest in meaning to
○achievement
○requirement
○purpose
○feature
2. Which of the following is NOT mentioned in paragraph 1 as a change that occurred in the fauna of the Mediterranean?
○Most invertebrate species disappeared during a wave of extinctions.
○A few hardy species wiped out many of the Mediterranean's invertebrates.
○Some invertebrates migrated to Atlantic Ocean.
○New species of fauna populated the Mediterranean when the old migrants returned.
Paragraph 3: With question such as these clearly before them, the scientists aboard the Glomar Challenger processed to the Mediterranean to search for the answers. On August 23, 1970, they recovered a sample. The sample consisted of pebbles of hardened sediment that had once been soft, deep-sea mud, as well as granules of gypsum and fragments of volcanic rock. Not a single pebble was found that might have indicated that the pebbles came from the nearby continent. In the days following, samples of solid gypsum were repeatedly brought on deck as drilling operations penetrated the seafloor. Furthermore, the gypsum was found to possess peculiarities of composition and structure that suggested it had formed on desert flats. Sediment above and below the gypsum layer contained tiny marine fossils, indicating open-ocean conditions. As they drilled into the central and deepest part of the Mediterranean basin, the scientists took solid, shiny, crystalline salt from the core barrel. Interbedded with the salt were thin layers of what appeared to be windblown silt.
3. What does the author imply by saying "Not a single pebble was found that might have indicated that the
pebbles came from the nearby continent"?
○The most obvious explanation for the origin of the pebbles was not supported by the evidence.
○The geologists did not find as many pebbles as they expected.
○The geologists were looking for a particular kind of pebble.
○The different pebbles could not have come from only one source.
4.Which of the following can be inferred from paragraph 3 about the solid gypsum layer?
○It did not contain any marine fossil.
○It had formed in open-ocean conditions.
○It had once been soft, deep-sea mud.
○It contained sediment from nearby deserts.
5. Select the TWO answer choice from paragraph 3 that identify materials discovered in the deepest part of the Mediterranean basin. To receive credit you must select TWO answers.
○Volcanic rock fragments.
○Thin silt layers
○Soft, deep-sea mud
○Crystalline salt
6. What is the main purpose of paragraph 3?
○To describe the physical evidence collected by Hsu and Ryan
○To explain why some of the questions posed earlier in the passage could not be answered by the findings of the Glomar Challenger
○To evaluate techniques used by Hsu and Ryan to explore the sea floor
○To describe the most difficult problems faced by the Glomar Challenger expedition
Paragraph 4: The time had come to formulate a hypothesis. The investigators theorized that about 20 million years ago, the Mediterranean was a broad seaway linked to the Atlantic by two narrow straits. Crustal movements closed the straits, and the landlocked Mediterranean began to evaporate. Increasing salinity caused by the evaporation resulted in the extermination of scoresof invertebrate species. Only a few organisms especially tolerant of very salty conditions remained. As evaporation continued, the remaining brine (salt water) became so dense that the calcium sulfate of the hard layer was precipitated. In the central deeper part of the basin, the last of the brine evaporated to precipitate more soluble sodium chloride (salt). Later, under the weight of overlying sediments, this salt flowed plastically upward to form salt domes. Before this happened, however, the Mediterranean was a vast desert 3,000 meters deep. Then, about 5.5 million years ago came the deluge. As a result of crustal adjustments and faulting, the Strait of Gibraltar, where the Mediterranean now connects to the Atlantic, opened, and water cascaded spectacularly back into the Mediterranean. Turbulent waters tore into the hardened salt flats, broke them up, and ground them into the pebbles observed in the first sample taken by the Challenger. As the basin was refilled, normal marine organisms returned. Soon layer of oceanic ooze began to accumulate above the old hard layer.
7. According to paragraph 4, which of the following was responsible for the evaporation of the Mediterranean's waters?
○The movements of Earth's crust
○The accumulation of sediment layers
○Changes in the water level of the Atlantic Ocean
○Changes in Earth's temperature
8. The word "scores" in the passage is closest in meaning to
○members
○large numbers
○populations
○different types
9. According to paragraph 4, what caused most invertebrate species in the Mediterranean to become extinct?
○The evaporation of chemicals necessary for their survival
○Crustal movements that connected the Mediterranean to the saltier Atlantic
○The migration of new species through the narrow straits
○Their inability to tolerate the increasing salt content of the Mediterranean
10. Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in the passage? Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.
○The strait of Gibraltar reopened when the Mediterranean and the Atlantic became connected and the cascades of water from one sea to the other caused crustal adjustments and faulting.
○The Mediterranean was dramatically refilled by water from the Atlantic when crustal adjustments and faulting opened the Strait of Gibraltar, the place where the two seas are joined.
○The cascades of water from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean were not as spectacular as the crustal adjustments and faulting that occurred when the Strait of Gibraltar was connected to those seas.
○As a result of crustal adjustments and faulting and the creation of the Strait of Gibraltar, the Atlantic and Mediterranean were connected and became a single sea with spectacular cascades of water between them.
11. The word "Turbulent" in the passage is closest in meaning to
○Fresh
○Deep
○Violent
○Temperate
Paragraph 2 ■Another task for the Glomar Challenger's scientists was to try to determine the origin of the domelike masses buried deep beneath the Mediterranean seafloor. ■These structures had been detected years earlier by echo-sounding instruments, but they had never been penetrated in the course of drilling. ■Were they salt domes such as are common along the United States Gulf Coast, and if so, why should there have been so much solid crystalline salt beneath the floor of the Mediterranean? ■
12. Look at the four squares [■] that indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage.
Thus, scientists had information about the shape of the domes but not about their chemical composition and origin.
Where would the sentence best fit?
13.Direction: An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage is provided below. Complete the summary by selecting the THREE answer choices that express the most important ideas in the passage. Some sentences do not belong in the summary because they express ideas that are not presented in the passage or are minor ideas in the passage. This question is worth 2 points.
An expedition to the Mediterranean answered some long-standing questions about the ocean's history.
●
●
●
Answer choices
○The Glomar Challenger expedition investigated changes in invertebrate fauna and some unusual geologic features.
○Researchers collected fossils to determine which new species migrated from the Atlantic with older species.
○Scientists aboard the Glomar Challenger were the first to discover the existence of domelike masses underneath the seafloor.
○Samples recovered from the expedition revealed important differences in chemical composition and fossil distribution among the sediment layers.
○Evidence collected by the Glomar Challenger supports geologists' beliefs that the Mediterranean had evaporated and become a desert, before it refilled with water.
○Mediterranean salt domes formed after crustal movements opened the straits between the Mediterranean and the Atlantic, and the Mediterranean refilled with water.
托福TPO7 阅读答案 Part1
参考答案：
1.○ 3
2.○ 2
3.○ 1
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13. The Glomar Challenger
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托福TPO7阅读原文翻译Part1
参考翻译：地中海的地质历史
1970年，地理学家Kenneth J. Hsu 和 William B.F. Ryan在海洋调查船Glomar Challenger号上收集调研资料。这次特别巡航的一个目的是调查地中海的地层以及解决关于其地质历史的问题。其中一个问题是有关地中海地区无脊椎动物(没有脊椎的动物)于600万年前发生剧变的证据。大部分更加古老的生物都几乎灭绝了，尽管一些顽强的种类得以生存。很少的一些动物成功地迁移到了大西洋。不久后，这些动物又回来了，并带回来新的物种。为什么这次较近的动物灭绝和迁移会发生呢?
Glomar Challenger号上科学家们的另一个任务是尝试去确定深埋在地中海海底穹顶状巨块的起源。这些结构在早些年被回声探测器探测过，但是它们从未被钻探过。它们是像美国墨西哥海湾海岸一带的含盐穹顶状巨块吗?如果是的话，为什么在地中海海底之下会有这么多固体的结晶盐呢?
带着这些清楚摆在他们面前的问题，科学家们登上Glomar Challenger号前往地中海寻找答案。1970年8月23日，他们找到了一个样本。这个样本由石膏块和火山岩碎块组成。周围没有发现一块能说明这些小石头来自附近的大陆。接下来的日子里，随着海底岩层钻探实验的进行，固体石膏样本被不断地放在甲板上。而且，这些膏状物的组成和结构特性表明它们形成于沙漠。在石膏层上下的沉积物中包含了微小的海洋生物化石，说明了这是开放性的海洋环境。当钻到地中海盆地中心的最深处时，科学家们从钻管中获得了坚实的、光亮的结晶盐。跟结晶盐嵌在一起的薄层像是被风吹起的泥沙层。
时间阐明了一个假设。调查者们构思了这样的理论：大约2 000万年前，地中海是一条宽阔的航道，它通过两条狭窄的海峡与大西洋连接。地壳运动封闭了海峡，被陆地包围的地中海也开始蒸发。由蒸发引起的越来越高的盐度造成无脊椎动物种类的灭绝。只有一些能抵抗高盐度条件的物种保留下来。随着蒸发的继续进行，盐水浓度太高以致硬地层的硫酸钙发生沉淀。在盆地的中间深处，剩余盐水的持续蒸发形成更多的可溶的氯化钠(盐)。后来，在上层沉淀物的重压下，盐向上形成了含盐的圆顶。然而在这之前，地中海是一个3 000米深的大沙漠。然后，550万年前发生了洪水。作为地壳调整和断层作用的结果，现在连接地中海和大西洋的直布罗陀海峡打开了，水流像瀑布一样壮观地涌回地中海。湍急的水流冲击并摧毁了坚硬的含盐层，把它们磨成了Challenger号获得的第一份样本中人们所观察到的鹅卵石。随着盆地的填充，普通的海洋生物又回来了。不久后海洋软泥层开始在原先的硬地层上堆积。
盐、石膏、动物区系的变更，还有不寻常的沙砾层都为地中海曾经是片沙漠的理论提供了充分的证据。
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