托福模擬考試及答案解析14

托福模擬考試及答案解析(14)

(1/53)閱讀理解

第1題

TheFormationofCivilization

Thecriteriaforabodyofpeopletobeconsideredacivilizationincludestheconstructionof

permanentsettlements,theuseofagricultureforfood,theemergenceofaleadershipclass,the

worshipofoneormoredeities,andthedevelopmentofartandwriting.Formostofhuman

history,thesefeatureswerebeyondthereachoftherovingbandsofhunter-gathererswhose

primaryconcernwasobtainingfood.Sometribesmayhavesettledinareastohunt,fish,or

gatherfruitsornutsforshortperiods,buttheirshelterswerenotpermanent,andtheyinevitably

movedonwhentheirfoodsuppliesbecameexhausted.

Thischangedoncehumansdiscoveredhowtofarm.Agriculturedevelopedatdifferenttimes

aroundtheworld,butsometimearound8000B.C.,peopleintheMiddleEastlearnedhowtosow

wildgrainstoproducecrops.Sinceraisingcropstakestime,theseindividualsbuiltpermanent

sheltersandstoodguardovertheirplantstoprotectthemfromotherpeopleandwildanimals.

Thisrequiredadegreeoforganizationandspecialization,sopeoplebegandoingvarioustasks.

Someworkedtheland,othersprotectedthesettlements,andothersraisedanimalsormade

craftssuchaspotteryandwovenbaskets.Hunter-gatherergroupshadalwayshadleaders;

therefore,itwasnaturalforthemtoemergeinthesepermanentsettlements.Because

agriculturedependedupongoodweatherandtimelyrainorfloodwaters,peoplestarted

worshippingdeitiesandprayingforsunshineandrain.

Overtime,thepracticeofagricultureledtopopulationexplosionsandthefoundingof

civilizationsinEgypt,Mesopotamia,China,andtheIndusValley.Theleadersbecamekings,the

protectorsbecamesoldiers,theshamanswhoprayedtodeitiesbecamepriestsinorganized

religions,andthemajorityofpeoplebecamepeasantswhofarmedthelandandworkedon

massiveconstructionprojectsinhonoroftheirkingsandgods.Craftsmenalsobegancreating

beautifulworksofart,and,insomeplaces,writingwasdevelopedtorecordhistoryandto

communicatewithothers.Intheseplaces,civilizationwasborn.

*hunter-gatherer:ahumanthathasnopermanenthomebutwandersthelandwhilehunting,

fishing,andgatheringwildfruits,grains,andvegetables

*shaman:apersonthatactsasanintermediarybetweentherealworldandthespiritworld

Anintroductorysentenceforabriefsummaryofthepassageisprovidedbelow.Completethe

summarybyselectingtheTHREEanswerchoicesthatexpressthemostimportantideasofthe

passage.Somesentencesdonotbelongbecausetheyexpressideasthatarenotpresentedinthe

passageorareminorideasinthepassage.

Thousandsofyearsago,hunter-gathererslearnedtofarmthelandandthendeveloped

civilizationsbasedaroundthepermanentsettlementstheyestablished.

ANSWERCHOICES

?Therearestillsomegroupsofpeopleintheworldwhocanbesaidnottohaveestablished

civilizationsyet.

②Oncepeoplestartedsettlingdowninoneplace,individualsbegantakingonrolessuchasthose

ofking,soldier,shaman,andpeasant.

③SomeofthefirstcivilizationswereestablishedinChina,Egypt,Mesopotamia,andtheIndus

Valley.

?Havingorganizedreligions,creatingart,anddevelopingwritingsystemsarethreeofthe

characteristicsofhumancivilizations.

@ltwasnecessaryforpeopletolearnhowtoraisecropsbyfarmingthelandforthemtostart

establishingcivilizations.

⑥Mostofthepeopleintheearliestcivilizationswerepeasantswhohadtofarmthelandand

servetheirmasters.

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(2/53)閱讀理解

第2題

TheExpandingUniverseTheory

TheBigBangTheory,whichpositsthattheuniversebeganfromasinglepointofincrediblydense

matter;isthemostwidelyacceptedtheoryregardingthecreationoftheuniverse.Accordingtoit,

roughlyfourteenbillionyearsago,thismatterexplodedandexpandedtoformthepresent-day

universe.Thistheoryisbaseduponobservationsoftheuniversesuggestingthatitisnotstatic

butisinsteadcontinuallyexpandingoutward.

Forcenturies,astronomersbelievedthattheuniversewasfixedandthatEarthwaslocatedatits

center.Bytheearlytwentiethcentury,thenotionthatEarthwasatthecenteroftheuniverse

hadbeendispelled,butthestaticuniversetheorywasstilltheprevailingmodel.EvenAlbert

Einsteinwasagreatbelieverinit.Then,in1917,hehadarevelation.Hisgeneraltheoryof

relativitydidnotpreciselyagreewiththestaticuniversemodel,yethecouldnotreconcilehis

strongbeliefinastaticuniversewithhistheories,soheconcludedthatsomeunknownforcewas

preventingtheuniversefromexpanding.Simultaneously,otherastronomerswerediscovering

thatEarthandthesunbelongedtoalargecollectionofstarstheycalledagalaxy.In1925,

AmericanastronomerEdwinHubbleprovedothergalaxiesexistedinadditiontoEarth'sgalaxy,

whichhadbeendubbedtheMilkyWay.

Hubblemadefurtherobservationsthathadaprofoundeffectonthestaticuniversetheory.In

1929,herealizedthatthelightcomingfromthegalaxieshewasobservinghadadistinctivered

shiftonthelightspectrum.ThiswasduetotheDopplerEffect,whichmakesanobjectmoving

awayfromanobserverappearredincolor.Thismeantthatthegalaxiesweremovingawayfrom

oneanotherandthattheuniversewasexpandingoutward.TherewasresistancetoHubble's

theory,butEinsteinacceptedit,andotherssoonagreedwiththeexpandinguniversetheoryas

well.Fromit,astronomersconcludedthatiftheuniversewasexpanding,thenitmusthavebeen

muchsmalleratsomepoint.ThatledtotheBigBangTheorybecomingtheacceptedmodelfor

thecreationoftheuniverse.

*static:stationary;unmoving

*DopplerEffect:ashiftinthefrequencyoftheradiationemittedbyasourcethatismoving

relativetoanobserver

Anintroductorysentenceforabriefsummaryofthepassageisprovidedbelow.Completethe

summarybyselectingtheTHREEanswerchoicesthatexpressthemostimportantideasofthe

passage.Somesentencesdonotbelongbecausetheyexpressideasthatarenotpresentedinthe

passageorareminorideasinthepassage.

Thankstodiscoveriesmadebyastronomersinthetwentiethcentury,theexpandinguniverse

modelreplacedthestaticuniversemodelasacceptedscience,

ANSWERCHOICES

①EdwinHubblemadeadiscoverythatshowedthatthegalaxiesintheuniversewerespreading

apartfromoneanother.

②ThetheoryofrelativityshowedAlbertEinsteinthathisnotionthattheuniversewasstaticwas

incorrect.

③MostpeoplethroughouthistoryhavebelievedthattheuniverseisstaticandthatEarthcanbe

foundatitscenter.

@Thebeliefintheexpandinguniversemodelindicatedtoastronomersthattheuniversewas

probablystartedduetotheBigBang.

?AlbertEinsteinandEdwinHubbleworkedtogethertocomeupwiththeexpandinguniverse

model.

@TheDopplerEffectiswhatmakesanobjectappearredwhenitismovingawayfromanother

object.

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(3~11/共53題)閱讀理解

PrionsandIllness

Prionsareproteinsresponsibleforseveralinfectiousdiseasesthatcanaffectbothhumansand

animals.Inhumans,prionscauseanumberofneurologicaldiseaseswhichresultinadecreasein

cognitivefunctionsandthatalmostalwaysendindeath.Creutzfeldt-JacobDisease-oftencalled

madcowdiseasebecauseofitsdebilitatingeffectonbovines—isonesuchpriondiseasethat

strikesthehumanbrain.Someothersarefatalfamilialinsomnia,kuru,and

Gerstmann-Straussler-ScheinkerDisease(GSS).

Thesediseases,whiledifferent,sharesomesimilarities,particularlytheircause.Prionproteins

areattachedtocellsurfacesandareusuallynotharmful;however,ineachoftheaforementioned

diseases,aprionproteininthebrainassumesawrongshape,disruptingthecellitisattachedto.

Thissignalsnearbyprionproteinstoformimpropershapes,too.Theprocessslowlyspreads

acrossthebrainasitdestroysneurons,buildsupplaque-likematter,andmakesholesinbrain

tissue.Itisslowmoving,soitmaytakeseveralyearsbeforethefirstsymptomsarerecognized.

Therearethreemainformsofpriondiseases:acquired,genetic,andsporadic.Peopleget

acquiredpriondiseasesthroughinfectionsbybadprions,typicallythroughfood.Kuru,aprion

diseasethatwasoncecommoninNewGuinea,wascausedbycannibalseatingthebrainsof

peoplewithbadprions,andCreutzfeldt-JacobDisease,whichhumansgetfromingestinginfected

beef,isanotherexample.Geneticpriondiseasesarepassedfromparentstochildrenthrough

genesasanerrorcausesthegenesthatcodeprionproteinstomakemutantprionproteinsthat,

asthechildrenage,attachtocellsinthewrongshapes.Fatalfamilialinsomnia,whichisfoundin

afewfamiliesworldwide,causespeopletobeunabletosleep,andeventuallyleadstodeath,is

onesuchexample.Asforsporadicpriondiseases,theyhavenodefinitivecauses.Expertsbelieve

theymanifestbecauseofmutantgenesbutarenotcertainwhypeopleacquirethediseases.

Roughly85%ofpriondiseasesaresporadicastheirvictimsarenotexposedtoinfectedfoodand

havenofamilyhistoryofpriondiseases.

*bovine:ananimalsuchasacoworbuffalo

*neuron:aspecializedcellthatisapartofthenervoussystem

第3題

Anintroductorysentenceforabriefsummaryofthepassageisprovidedbelow.Completethe

summarybyselectingtheTHREEanswerchoicesthatexpressthemostimportantideasofthe

passage.Somesentencesdonotbelongbecausetheyexpressideasthatarenotpresentedinthe

passageorareminorideasinthepassage.

Prionsareproteinsthatcancausevarioustypesofdiseasestoinfectthebrainsoftheirvictims.

ANSWERCHOICES

?Sporadicpriondiseasesarenotcausedbyinfectedfoodorgenetics,sotheircausesarea

completemystery.

②Medicalresearchersbelievethattheycancuresomeofthebest-knownpriondiseases,

includingCreutzfeldt-JacobDisease.

?Sporadicpriondiseasesarethemostcommon,buttherearealsoacquiredandgeneticprion

diseases.

④Whenprionstakethewrongshape,theycauseotherprionstodothesamething,andthiscan

spreadthroughthebrain.

⑤Whenapersonisinfectedbyapriondisease,thatindividual'sthinkingprocessesare

weakened,andthediseaseisnearlyalwaysfatal.

⑥Onlyafewfamiliesaroundtheworldareaffectedbythegeneticpriondiseasethatiscalled

fatalfamilialinsomnia.

第4題

Mapping

Thefollowingchartshowsthestructureofthepassage.Fillintheblankswiththeappropriate

words.

圖片

第5題

Summary

Thefollowingisasummaryofthepassage.Fillintheblankswiththeappropriatewords.

Prionsare5thatcancausevariousdiseasesinbothhumansandanimals.Thediseases

theycauseinhumans,suchasCreutzfeldt-JacobsDisease,fatalfamilialinsomnia,kuru,and

Gerstmann-Straussler-ScheinkerDisease,almostalways6theinfectedpeople.What

happensisthataprionproteininthebrainassumesthewrong7,andthenitcauses

nearbyprionproteinstodothesamething.Thisspreadsacrossthebrain,destroysneurons,

buildsupplaque-likematter;andcreates8inbraintissue.Priondiseasescanbeacquired,

genetic,orsporadic.9priondiseasesaretypicallygottenfromfood.10prion

diseasesarepassedfromparentstochildren,and11priondiseaseshavenoknown

causes.

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（12~19/共53題）閱讀理解

HumanismandRenaissanceArt

Humanismistheideathathumanlifeanditsnaturalsurroundingsaremoreimportantthana

religious-centeredviewoftheworld.ItsoriginslieinancientGreeceandcanbeseeninGreekart,

whichdepictshumanswithanatomicallycorrectproportions.Thenotionofhumanismspreadto

otherpartsoftheancientworldbutthendeclinedwhentheRomanEmpirefell.Gradually,

humanismwasreplacedbyreligionastheprimaryfocusoflifeaswellasart.Artworkproduced

intheMiddleAges,whichbeganroughlyafterthefallofRome,isalmostentirelyfocusedon

religionwhilehumanaspectsaresecondaryconcerns.Forinstance,saintsandotherreligious

figuresaredepictedinmedievalpaintingsashavinghalos,andtheholypeoplethemselvesare

muchlargerthannormalhumans.Inaddition,themathematicalprecisionwithwhichthe

ancientsshowedbothscaleanddepthintheirworksbecamealostart.

ItwasnotuntilthelatefourteenthcenturyinFlorence,Italy,thatarevivalofhumanistic

thinkingbegan.Atfirst,itwasmostlyscholarlyandliteraryinform,butovertime,this

rediscoveredphilosophyspreadandhadaprofoundinfluenceonestablishingtheeraknown

todayastheRenaissance.Humanismhadaparticularlypowerfuleffectonartiststhen.Slowly,

artistsmovedawayfromreligionbeingthefocalpointoftheirworkastheybeganshowing

humansinamorerealisticmanner.Inartworkinwhichreligiousfiguresweredepicted,theywere

nolongerwearinghalosorloomingoverotherhumans.Theywereinsteaddrawnorpaintedon

thesamescale.InLeonardodaVinci'sTheLastSupper,forinstance,Jesusandhisdisciplesare

representednaturallyasrealpeopleratherthanasiconicfiguresofChristianity.

NaturebecameprominentinRenaissanceart,too,ashumanswereplacedinnaturalscenes,

andnaturewasrepresentedmorerealistically.Therediscoveringoftheancientmathematical

methodofdrawinghumansandtheusingofdepthinartworkledthewaytopaintingsshowing

peoplemorerealistically.Painterslearnedtheartofforeshortening,whichgavepaintingsan

illusionofdepthnotfoundinpriorperiods.ThedepthandlifelikeaspectofRenaissanceartwas

furtherenhancedbytheinventionofoilpaints,whichenabledartiststoworkinmoredetailand

toincludemorenaturalismintheirworks.?Furthermore,artistsofthattimeembracedthe

humanbodyasaworkofart.?Theyaccomplishedthisbyshowingthebodynudemoreoften

thanclothedandbyputtingthebeautyofthehumanbodyonfulldisplay.?Michelangelo's

sculptureDavidistheprimeexampleofthisasitshowsanudehumanbodyinperfectlychiseled

proportions.?

Artpatrons,suchastheMedicifamilyofFlorence,alsoencouragedtheinfluenceofhumanism

onart.Notsatisfiedonlywithartworkwithreligiousthemes,individualsofwealthandsocial

standingsoughtartistswhocouldprovidemoresecularviewsintheirartandcommissioned

workswithhumanistaspects.AfinalwayinwhichhumanismaffectedRenaissanceartconcerned

howpeopleperceivedartists.Atonetime,artistswereregardedascraftsmenratherthan

specialists,whichiswhyhardlyanyartistsfromtheMiddleAgesareknowntoday.However,

peoplerecognizedthetruegeniusofmensuchasMichelangelo,Leonardo,andRaphael,so

they-andmanyothers-arerememberedtodayforthebrillianceoftheirwork.

*anatomicallycorrect:properlyrepresentingthehumanbody

*halo:adiscorcircleoflightaroundtheheadofadivineorholyindividual

第12題

Vocabulary

=exactness

第13題

=carved

第14題

=toimprove;tomakebetter

第15題

=tothinkof;toconsider

第16題

VocabularyQuestion

Thewordartinthepassageisclosestinmeaningto

A.skill

B.replica

C.painting

D.work

第0題

NegativeFactualInformationQuestion

Inparagraph2,allofthefollowingquestionsareansweredEXCEPT:

A.Whatchangesintherepresentationofreligiousfiguresinartdidhumanismcause?

B.HowinfluentialwasonotherartproducedintheRenaissance?

C.HowimportantwastheideaofhumanismtotheRenaissance?

D.Whenandwheredidhumanismstarttobecomeprominentagain?

第18題

InsertTextQuestion

Lookatthefoursquares[?]thatindicatewherethefollowingsentencecouldbeaddedtothe

passage.

Thepaintsthathadbeenusedpreviouslyhaddriedmorequicklyandbeenlessvivid,whichmade

themproduceworksofinferiorquality.

Wherewouldthesentencebestfit?

第19題

ProseSummaryQuestion

Anintroductorysentenceforabriefsummaryofthepassageisprovidedbelow.Completethe

summarybyselectingtheTHREEanswerchoicesthatexpressthemostimportantideasofthe

passage.Somesentencesdonotbelongbecausetheyexpressideasthatarenotpresentedinthe

passageorareminorideasinthepassage.

Thenotionofhumanismhadagreatimpactontheartworkthatwasproducedduringthe

Renaissance.

ANSWERCHOICES

?LeonardodaVinci'sTheLastSupperisconsideredoneofthegreatestworksofhumanismin

theRenaissance.

?Michelangelo,Leonardo,andRaphaelcouldnothavecreatedtheartworktheymadewithout

theinfluenceofhumanisticideas.

③TherelearningofartistictechniquesfromancienttimesenabledRenaissanceartiststoportray

theirfiguresmorerealistically.

?Renaissanceartistsinfluencedbyhumanismbeganportrayingreligiousfiguresasnormal-sized

humanslackinghalos.

⑤Thedesireofrichindividualstopossessartworkofasecularnatureinducedmanyartiststo

abandonpaintingpictureswithreligiousthemes.

⑥TheancientGreekswereamongthefirstpeopletodevelopvariousnotionsofhumanismand

toimplementthoseideasintheirartwork.

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（20~27/共53題）閱讀理解

TheWildernessRoad

Forthefirstcenturyandahalffollowingtheirfounding,theAmericancolonies—aswellasthe

Americanpeople-weremainlyconfinedtotheEasternSeaboardalongthecoastoftheAtlantic

Ocean.WestoftheAppalachianMountains,thelandwastooruggedforeasytravel,anditwas

alsotheterritoryofnumerousNativeAmericantribesthatcontestedattemptsatwestward

settlementwithviolence.Itwasnotuntil1775thataroutetothewestwasestablishedwhen

frontiersmanDanielBoonecutatrailfromTennesseenorthwestthroughthetailendofVirginia

andthenthroughtheCumberlandGapintoKentucky.CalledtheWildernessRoad,thistrail,

whicheventuallystretchedmorethan300kilometers,becametheprincipalroutewestwardfor

thenextfiftyyears.

TheWildernessRoadwasnotentirelyhackedoutoftheforestsasitfollowedlong-used

animalandnativetrails.PreviousexpeditionsintoKentuckyhadfollowedthesepaths,butthe

explorershadbeenharassedbybandsofCherokeeandShawneeIndians.DanielBoonetriedto

leadagroupofsettlersintotheregionin1773butwasturnedbackbyanattackduringwhichhis

oldestsonwascapturedandlaterkilled.Twoyearslater;agroupofwealthyinvestorsfromNorth

CarolinawhowereledbyRichardHenderson,aprominentjudge,formedtheTransylvania

CompanyforthepurposeofmakingatrailintoKentuckytosettleintheregionandtocreatea

newcolony,whichtheyintendedtonameTransylvania.Toleadtheexpedition,theinvestors

hiredDanielBoone,whowasreputedtobethemanwhoknewthemostaboutKentuckyandthe

waywest.BeforeBoonesetout,heandHendersonnegotiatedpeacewiththelocaltribes,but

notalloftheirmemberswerewillingtoabidebythetermsofthesettlement.

OnMarch10,1775,Booneledalargepartyofmenwieldingaxestobegincuttingatrailfrom

Tennessee.TheirstartingpointwastheHolstonRivernearKingsport.Themenmadegood

progressbyfollowingexistingtrailswhentheycouldandbycrossingriversatshallowfords.They

passedthroughanotchintheAppalachiansthatwasknownastheCumberlandGapandwent

downintoKentucky.Booneandhismensufferedsomelosseswhentheywereattackedbyhostile

nativesinviolationofthepeacesettlement,buttheattacksfailedtodeterthem,andthey

reachedtheKentuckyRiverinApril.There,Boonefoundedasettlementthatwasnamed

Boonesboroughafterhim.ArrivinglaterwereHendersonandalargerbodyofmenandwagons

astheyhadfollowedBoone,widenedthetrail,andbroughtalongplentyofprovisionsforthe

newsettlement.

Thewaywestwasnowopen,buttheWildernessRoadwasnotmuchmorethanamuddypath

barelywideenoughforwagonstotraverseinitsfirstfewyears.Itwasalsodangeroussince

warfarewiththenativesthatwouldlastfortwentyyearserupted.Travelerswentwellarmed,

andattackswerefrequent.Nevertheless,thelureoflandattractedmanywestward,anditis

estimatedthat300,000settlershadmovedintoKentuckyby1810.Henderson'sattemptstoform

thecolonyofTransylvaniawereopposedbyVirginia,whichlaidclaimtotheregion.Whenthe

AmericanRevolutionbrokeoutin1775,HendersonappealedtotheContinentalCongressfor

statehood,buttherepresentativesrefusedtorecognizeTransylvaniaasastate.Eventually,in

1792,theAmericangovernmentadmittedKentuckyasthefifteenthstateintheUnitedStates.

*EasternSeaboard:thelandintheAmericancolonies,andlatertheUnitedStates,alongside

theAtlanticOcean

*hack:tocutwithanaxe

*ford:aplacewhereariver,stream,orotherbodyofwaterisshallowenoughtobecrossed

bywalking

第20題

Vocabulary

=rough;rocky

第21題

=tofollow;toobey

第22題

=tochallenge;toattempttostop

第23題

=toholdanduseatoolorweapon

第24題

RhetoricalPurposeQuestion

Inparagraph1,whydoestheauthormentionDanielBoone?

A.TopointoutthathediscoveredtheexistenceoftheCumberlandGap

B.ToblamehimforthehostilitiessettlersfacedfromNativeAmericans

C.ToarguethathewasresponsibleforthecolonizingofthelandwestoftheAppalachians

D.TogivehimcreditasthepersonwhocreatedtheWildernessRoad

第25題

FactualInformationQuestion

Inparagraph2,theauthor'sdescriptionofTransylvaniamentionswhichofthefollowing?

A.Whythefoundersofitdecidedtogivethecolonythatparticularname

B.Thegeneralareathatthecolonywasintendedtobeestablishedin

C.Theindividualswhoweresupposedtohaveexecutivepositionsinit

D.Thenumberofpeoplewhowerehopingthattheycouldsettleinit

第26題

ReferenceQuestion

Thewordtheminthepassagerefersto

A.Booneandhismen

B.somelosses

C.hostilenatives

D.theattacks

第27題

ProseSummaryQuestion

Anintroductorysentenceforabriefsummaryofthepassageisprovidedbelow.Completethe

summarybyselectingtheTHREEanswerchoicesthatexpressthemostimportantideasofthe

passage.Somesentencesdonotbelongbecausetheyexpressideasthatarenotpresentedinthe

passageorareminorideasinthepassage.

DanielBoonewasthepersonmostlyresponsibleforthemakingoftheWildernessRoad,which

openedtheinteriorofAmericatocolonists.

ANSWERCHOICES

①TheapplicationofthecolonyofTransylvaniaforAmericanstatehoodwasrejectedbythe

ContinentalCongress.

②In1775,agroupofmenundertheleadershipofDanielBoonecutapaththroughthe

AppalachianMountainsfromTennesseetoKentucky.

③ThecreatingoftheWildernessRoadwasdifficultbecauseNativeAmericansoftenattacked

andevendestroyedsomepartsofthetrail.

④TheWildernessRoadwasutilizedbyhundredsofthousandsofsettlersheadingwestinthehalf

centuryafteritwascreated.

?RichardHendersonwasthemanwhohiredDanielBoonetomaketheWildernessRoadsince

hewantedtofoundanewAmericanstate.

@OnceDanielBoone'smenmadeittoKentucky,theyfoundedBoonesboroughforthelarger

groupthatwasfollowingthem.

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（28~41/共53題）閱讀理解

PacificIslandPlantandAnimalMigration

ThePacificOceaniscoveredbyavastarchipelagoofislandsthatarespreadoutinlongchains

coveringthousandsofkilometerswithsomeclosetolargelandmassesandothersmuchfarther

away.WhenEuropeanexplorerschancedupontheseislands,almostallofthemwereinhabited,

andmosthadsignificantamountsofvegetationaswellaslargepopulationsofvariousspeciesof

animals.Becausenearlyalloftheseislandswerecreatedbyvolcanicactivity,suchlife—both

plantandanimal-wouldhavebeenabsentfromthemwhentheyroseabovetheocean*ssurface.

Theplantsandanimalslivingonthemmigratedfromelsewherebybothairandsea.Inmany

cases,theyaccomplishedthisontheirown,butsomeofthemgothelpinghandsfromhumans.

PlantlifeonthedesolatevolcanicPacificislandsmostlikelyinitiallyarrivedduetothewind.

Smallseedssuchasthistleseedsandthesporesoffernsarelightweightenoughtohavebeen

carriedaloftgreatdistanceswhereasheavyseedswouldhavehadmoredifficultybeing

transportedthatway,especiallytoremote,isolatedislandssuchasEasterIslandandthe

GalapagosIslands.Thelattergrouphasmanylichens,ferns,andmosses,whichallgrowfrom

lightspores,yetithasfewvascularplants,whichhaveheavierseeds.Asforvascularplantlife,it

couldhavearrivedonotherislandsthroughtwoways:bywaterorbirds.Thecoconuttreeis

widespreadthroughoutthePacificislandsinspiteofitsenormousseedsbeingtooheavytobe

carriedbythewind,yetitislightenoughtofloat,soithasmovedallacrosstheoceaninthatway.

Birdsmayhavealsoconsumedvariousheavyseeds,flowntoislands,andthendefecatedthe

seedsontothesenewlands,whereupontheythenbegantogrow.Theremaynothavebeen

suitablesoilforseedstogrowinonthesevolcanicislandsatfirst,but,overtime,asnewplantlife

arrived,thesoilwassufficientlybrokenupandfilledwithnutrients,therebyallowingmanyplant

speciestotakeroot.

Similarly,animalsarrivedbyairandsea.ThebirdsthatfirstarrivedonthePacificislands

indisputablyflewfromnearbylargerlandmasses.Overmanygenerations,theycouldhave

island-hoppedfromoneplacetoanother.Smallinsects—andpossiblytinyinvertebrates—may

havebeenlightenoughtobewindblowntovariousislands.Certainly,seacreaturessuchas

turtlesandpenguinsarrivedontheislandsbyswimmingtothem.Smallmammalsandreptiles

mayhavearrivedonthembywater,mostlikelyafterfloatingonraftsofdensevegetationthat

wereblownouttoseaduringstrongstorms.Somespeciesofmicehavebeenknowntodothis,

andlizardshavealsobeenfoundonraftsfarfromtheirnativehomelands.

Today,manyPacificislandsarehometoawidevarietyofplantsandanimalsthatreside

throughouttherestoftheworld.Thereasonisthattheywerebroughttotheislandsasaresult

ofhumanmigration.Overthousandsofyears,peoplespreadfrommainlandAsiaintothePacific

islandsastheyreachedasfarsouthasNewZealand,asfareastasEasterIsland,andasfarnorth

asHawaii.Duringthesegreatmigrations,peopleto