《1998年5月托福考试阅读理解全真试题》

Questions 1-11

Before the 1500 s, the western plains of North America
were dominated by farmers. One group, the Mandans, lived
in the upper Missouri River country, primarily in present-day
North Dakota. They had large villages of houses built close
together. The tight arrangement enabled the Mandans to protect
themselves more easily from the attacks of others who might
seek to obtain some of the food these highly capable farmers
stored from one year to the next.
The women had primary responsibility for the fields.
They had to exercise considerable skill to produce the desired
results, for their northern location meant fleeting growing
seasons. Winter often lingered; autumn could be ushered in by
severe frost. For good measure, during the spring and summer,
drought, heat, hail, grasshoppers, and other frustrations
might await the wary grower.
Under such conditions, Mandan women had to grow
maize capable of weathering adversity. They began as early as
it appeared feasible to do so in the spring. clearing the land,
using fire to clear stubble from the fields and then planting.
From this point until the first green corn could be harvested,
the crop required labor and vigilance.
Harvesting proceeded in two stages. In August the Mandans
picked a smaller amount of the crop before it had matured
fully. This green corn was boiled, dried, and shelled, with
some of the maize slated for immediate consumption and the
rest stored in animal-skin bags. Later in the fall, the people
picked the rest of the corn. They saved the best of the harvest
for seeds or for trade, with the remainder eaten right away or
stored for later use in underground reserves. With appropriate
banking of the extra food, the Mandans protected themselves
against the disaster of crop failure and accompanying hunger.

The women planted another staple, squash, about the
firstof June, and harvested it near the time of the green corn
harvest. After they picked it, they sliced it, dried it, and
strung the slices before they stored them. Once again, they
saved the seed from the best of the year s crop. The Mandans
also grew sunflowers and tobacco; the latter was the particular
task of the old men.

1. The Mandans built their houses close together in order to
(A) guard their supplies of food
(B) protect themselves against the weather
(C) allow more room for growing corn
(D) share farming implements

2.The word "enabled" in line 5 is closest in meaning to
(A)covered
(B) reminded
(C)helped
(D)isolated

3.The word "considerable" in line 10 is closest in meaning to
(A) planning
(B) much
(C) physical
(D) flew

4.Why does the author believe that the Mandans were skilled farmers?
(A) They developed effective fertilizers.
(B) They developed new varieties of corn.
(C) They could grow crops in most types of soil.
(D) They could grow crops despite adverse weather.

5. Tile word "consumption" in line 25 is closest in meaning to
(A) decay
(B) planting
(C) eating
(D) conversion

6.Which of the following processes does the author imply was done by both men and women?
(A) Clearing fields
(B) Planting corn
(C) Harvesting corn
(D) harvesting squash.

7.The word "disaster" in line 31 is closest in meaning to
(A)control
(B)catastrophe
(C)avoidance
(D)history

8. According to the passage, the Mandans preserved their food by
(A)smoking
(B)drying
(C)freezing.
(D)salting

9.The word "it" in line 34 refers to
(A)June
(B)corn
(C)time
(D)squash