托福入学测试题

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Opportunists and Competitors
Growth, reproduction, and daily metabolism all require an organism to expend
energy. The expenditure of energy is essentially a process of budgeting, just as
finances are budgeted. If all of one’s money is spent on clothes, there may be none
left to buy food or go to the movies. Similarly, a plant or animal cannot squander all
its energy on growing a big body if none would be left over for reproduction, for this
is the surest way to extinction.

All organisms, therefore, allocate energy to growth, reproduction, maintenance,

and storage. No choice is involved; this allocation comes as part of the genetic
package from the parents. Maintenance for a given body design of an organism is
relatively constant. Storage is important, but ultimately that energy will be used for
maintenance, reproduction, or growth. Therefore the principal differences in energy
allocation are likely to be between growth and reproduction.

Almost all of an organism’s energy can be diverted to reproduction, with very

little allocated to building the body. Organisms at this extreme are “opportunists.”
At the other extreme are “competitors,” almost all of whose resources are invested
in building a huge body, with a bare minimum allocated to reproduction.

Dandelions are good examples of opportunists. Their seed heads raised just high
enough above the ground to catch the wind, the plants are no bigger than they need
be, their stems are hollow, and all the rigidity comes from their water content. Thus,
a minimum investment has been made in the body that becomes a platform for seed
dispersal. These very short-lived plants reproduce prolifically; that is to say they
provide a constant rain of seed in the neighborhood of parent plants. A new plant
will spring up wherever a seed falls on a suitable soil surface, but because they do
not build big bodies, they cannot compete with other plants for space, water, or
sunlight. These plants are termed opportunists because they rely on their seeds’
falling into settings where competing plants have been removed by natural
processes, such as along an eroding riverbank, on landslips, or where a tree falls
and creates a gap in the forest canopy.

Opportunists must constantly invade new areas to compensate for being

displaced by more competitive species. Human landscapes of lawns, fields, or
flowerbeds provide settings with bare soil and a lack of competitors that are perfect
habitats for colonization by opportunists. Hence, many of the strongly opportunistic
plants are the common weeds of fields and gardens.

Because each individual is short-lived, the population of an opportunist species

is likely to be adversely affected by drought, bad winters, or floods. If their
population is tracked through time, it will be seen to be particularly unstable—
soaring and plummeting in irregular cycles.

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 The opposite of an opportunist is a competitor. These organisms tend to have
big bodies, are long-lived, and spend relatively little effort each year on
reproduction. An oak tree is a good example of a competitor. A massive oak claims
its ground for 200 years or more, outcompeting all other would-be canopy trees by
casting a dense shade and drawing up any free water in the soil. The leaves of an
oak tree taste foul because they are rich in tannins, a chemical that renders them
distasteful or indigestible to many organisms. The tannins are part of the defense
mechanism that is essential to longevity. Although oaks produce thousands of
acorns, the investment in a crop of acorns is small compared with the energy spent
on building leaves, trunk, and roots. Once an oak tree becomes established, it is
likely to survive minor cycles of drought and even fire. A population of oaks is likely
to be relatively stable through time, and its survival is likely to depend more on its
ability to withstand the pressures of competition or predation than on its ability to
take advantage of chance events. It should be noted, however, that the pure
opportunist or pure competitor is rare in nature, as most species fall between the
extremes of a continuum, exhibiting a blend of some opportunistic and some
competitive characteristics.

Paragraph 1: Growth, reproduction, and daily metabolism all require an organism to

expend energy. The expenditure of energy is essentially a process of budgeting, just
as finances are budgeted. If all of one’s money is spent on clothes, there may be
none left to buy food or go to the movies. Similarly, a plant or animal cannot
squander all its energy on growing a big body if none would be left over for
reproduction, for this is the surest way to extinction.

1. The word squander in the passage is closest in meaning to

○ Extend
○ Transform
○ Activate
○ Waste
2. The word none in the passage refers to
○ Food
○ Plant or animal
○ Energy
○ Big body
3. In paragraph 1, the author explains the concept of energy expenditure by
○ Identifying types of organisms that became extinct
○ Comparing the scientific concept to a familiar human experience
○ Arguing that most organisms conserve rather than expend energy
○ Describing the processes of growth, reproduction, and metabolism
Paragraph 3 ： Almost all of an organism’s energy can be diverted to reproduction,
with very little allocated to building the body. Organisms at this extreme are
“opportunists.” At the other extreme are “competitors,” almost all of whose
resources are invested in building a huge body, with a bare minimum allocated to
reproduction.

4. According to the passage, the classification of organisms as “opportunists” or

“competitors” is determined by

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○ How the genetic information of an organism is stored and maintained
○ The way in which the organism invests its energy resources
○ Whether the climate in which the organism lives is mild or extreme
○ The variety of natural resources the organism consumes in its environment

Paragraph 4：Dandelions are good examples of opportunists. Their seed heads raised
just high enough above the ground to catch the wind, the plants are no bigger than
they need be, their stems are hollow, and all the rigidity comes from their water
content. Thus, a minimum investment has been made in the body that becomes a
platform for seed dispersal. These very short-lived plants reproduce prolifically; that
is to say they provide a constant rain of seed in the neighborhood of parent plants. A
new plant will spring up wherever a seed falls on a suitable soil surface, but because
they do not build big bodies, they cannot compete with other plants for space,
water, or sunlight. These plants are termed opportunists because they rely on their
seeds’ falling into settings where competing plants have been removed by natural
processes, such as along an eroding riverbank, on landslips, or where a tree falls
and creates a gap in the forest canopy.

5. The word dispersal in the passage is closest in meaning to

○ Development
○ Growth
○ Distribution
○ Protection
6. 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.
○Because their seeds grow in places where competing plants are no longer present,
dandelions are classified as opportunists.
○Dandelions are called opportunists because they contribute to the natural
processes of erosion and the creation of gaps in the forest canopy.
○The term opportunists apply to plants whose seeds fall in places where they can
compete with the seeds of other plants.
○The term opportunists apply to plants whose falling seeds are removed by natural
processes.

Paragraph 7：The opposite of an opportunist is a competitor. These organisms tend

to have big bodies, are long-lived, and spend relatively little effort each year on
reproduction. An oak tree is a good example of a competitor. A massive oak claims
its ground for 200 years or more, outcompeting all other would-be canopy trees by
casting a dense shade and drawing up any free water in the soil. The leaves of an
oak tree taste foul because they are rich in tannins, a chemical that renders them
distasteful or indigestible to many organisms. The tannins are part of the defense
mechanism that is essential to longevity. Although oaks produce thousands of
acorns, the investment in a crop of acorns is small compared with the energy spent
on building leaves, trunk, and roots. Once an oak tree becomes established, it is
likely to survive minor cycles of drought and even fire. A population of oaks is likely
to be relatively stable through time, and its survival is likely to depend more on its
ability to withstand the pressures of competition or predation than on its ability to
take advantage of chance events. It should be noted, however, that the pure
opportunist or pure competitor is rare in nature, as most species fall between the
extremes of a continuum, exhibiting a blend of some opportunistic and some
competitive characteristics.

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7. The word massive in the passage is closest in meaning to
○ Huge
○ Ancient
○ Common
○ Successful
8. All of the following are mentioned in paragraph 7 as contributing to the longevity
of an oak tree EXCEPT
○ The capacity to create shade
○ Leaves containing tannin
○ The ability to withstand mild droughts and fire
○ The large number of acorns the tree produces
9. According to the passage, oak trees are considered competitors because
○ They grow in areas free of opportunists
○ They spend more energy on their leaves, trunks and roots than on their acorns
○ Their population tends to increase or decrease in irregular cycles
○ Unlike other organisms, they do not need much water or sunlight
10. In paragraph 7, the author suggests that most species of organisms
○ Are primarily opportunists
○ Are primarily competitors
○ Begin as opportunists and evolve into competitors
○ Have some characteristics of opportunists and some of competitors
Paragraph 5 ： Opportunists must constantly invade new areas to compensate for
being displaced by more competitive species. Human landscapes of lawns, fields, or
flowerbeds provide settings with bare soil and a lack of competitors that are perfect
habitats for colonization by opportunists. █Hence, many of the strongly
opportunistic plants are the common weeds of fields and gardens. █
Because each individual is short-lived, the population of an opportunist species is
likely to be adversely affected by drought, bad winters, or floods. █If their
population is tracked through time, it will be seen to be particularly unstable—
soaring and plummeting in irregular cycles. █

11. Look at the four squares █ that indicate where the following sentence could be
added to the passage.
Such episodic events will cause a population of dandelions, for example, to vary widely.
Where would the sentence best fit?

12. Directions: Complete the table by matching the phrases below

Directions: Select the appropriate phrases from the answer choices and match them
to the type of organism to which they relate. TWO of the answer choices will NOT be
used. This question is worth 3 points.
Opportunists Competitors
1 1
2 2
3 3
4

Answer Choices

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○Vary frequently the amount of energy they spend in body maintenance
○ Have mechanisms for protecting themselves from predation
○Succeed in locations where other organisms have been removed
○Have relatively short life spans
○Invest energy in the growth of large, strong structures
○Have populations that are unstable in response to climate conditions
○Can rarely find suitable soil for reproduction
○Produce individuals that can withstand changes in the environmental conditions
○Reproduce in large numbers

听力
Directions: Mark your answer by filling in the oval or square next to your choice.

Listen to Audio Track 11.

Questions
1. Why does the student go to see the professor?
○ To prepare for her graduate school interview
○ To get advice about her graduate school application
○ To give the professor her graduate school application
○ To find out if she was accepted into graduate school

2. According to the professor, what information should the student include in her statement of
purpose?
Choose 2 answers.
Her academic motivation
Her background in medicine
Some personal information
The ways her teachers have influenced her

3. What does the professor consider unusual about the student’s background?
○ Her work experience
○ Her creative writing experience
○ Her athletic achievements
○ Her music training

4. Why does the professor tell a story about his friend who went to medical school?
○ To warn the student about how difficult graduate school can be
○ To illustrate a point he is making
○ To help the student relax
○ To change the subject

5. What does the professor imply about the people who admit students to graduate school?
○ They often lack expertise in the fields of the applicants.
○ They do not usually read the statement of purpose.
○ They are influenced by the appearance of an application

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○ They remember most of the applications they receive.

Listen to Audio Track 12.

Questions
6. What are the students mainly discussing?
○ Drugs that are harmful to the human body
○ Bacteria that produce antibiotics
○ DNA that is related to athletic performance
○ Genes that protect bacteria from antibiotics

7. Listen again to part of the conversation by playing Track 13.

Then answer the question.
Why does the woman say this?
○ To find out if the man has done his assignment
○ To ask the man to find out if the library is open
○ To let the man know that she cannot study much longer
○ To ask if the man has ever met her roommate

8. According to the conversation, why are transposons sometimes called “jumping genes”?
○ They are able to move from one bacteria cell to another.
○ They are found in people with exceptional jumping ability.
○ They occur in every other generation of bacteria.
○ Their movements are rapid and unpredictable.

9. According to the conversation, what are two ways in which bacteria cells get resistance
genes?
Choose 2 answers.
The resistance genes are carried from nearby cells.
The resistance genes are carried by white blood cells.
The resistance genes are inherited from the parent cell.
The resistance genes are carried by antibiotics.

10. What can be inferred about the resistance genes discussed in the conversation?
○ They are found in all bacteria cells.
○ They are not able to resist antibiotics.
○ They make the treatment of bacterial diseases more difficult.
○ They are essential to the body’s defenses against bacteria.

Listen to Audio Track 14.

Questions
11. What is the talk mainly about?
○ A common method of managing water supplies
○ The formation of underground water systems
○ Natural processes that renew water supplies
○ Maintaining the purity of underground water systems

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12. What is the professor’s point of view concerning the method of “safe yield”?
○ It has helped to preserve the environment.
○ It should be researched in states other than Arizona.
○ It is not an effective resource policy.
○ It ignores the different ways people use water.

13. According to the professor, what are two problems associated with removing water from
an underground system?
Choose 2 answers.
Pollutants can enter the water more quickly.
The surface area can dry and crack.
The amount of water stored in the system can drop.
Dependent streams and springs can dry up.

14. Listen again to part of the lecture by playing Track 15.

Then answer the question.
Why does the professor say this?
○ To find out whether the students are familiar with the issue
○ To introduce a new problem for discussion
○ To respond to a student’s question
○ To encourage the students to care about the topic

15. What is a key feature of a sustainable water system?

○ It is able to satisfy short-term and long-term needs.
○ It is not affected by changing environmental conditions.
○ It usually originates in lakes, springs, or streams.
○ It is not used to supply human needs.

16. What does the professor imply about water systems managed by the “safe yield” method?
○ They recharge at a rapid rate.
○ They are not sustainable.
○ They must have large storage areas.
○ They provide a poor quality of water.