2013年4月托福考试辅导：toefl阅读模拟试题第四套（2）
The Origins of Agriculture
Paragraph 1：How did it come about that farming developed independently in a number of world centers (the Southeast Asian mainland, Southwest Asia, Central America, lowland and highland South America, and equatorial Africa) at more or less the same time? Agriculture developed slowly among populations that had an extensive knowledge of plants and animals. Changing from hunting and gathering to agriculture had no immediate advantages. To start with, it forced the population to abandon the nomad's life and became sedentary, to develop methods of storage and, often, systems of irrigation. While hunter-gatherers always had the option of moving elsewhere when the resources were exhausted, this became more difficult with farming. Furthermore, as the archaeological record shows, the state of health of agriculturalists was worse than that of their contemporary hunter-gatherers.
1.The word “option” in the passage is closest in meaning to
O choice
O benefit
O idea
O experience
题型：词汇题
解题思路： option是一个简单词汇，意思为“选择”，所以A项正确。
重点句子翻译：
While hunter-gatherers always had the option of moving elsewhere when the resources were exhausted, this became more difficult with farming.
然而，当自然资源枯竭的时候，狩猎者永远可以选择搬到别处去，这使得种地变得更加困难。
2. According to paragraph 1, all of the following are advantages of hunting and gathering over agriculture EXCEPT:
O It is a healthier lifestyle.
O It requires less knowledge of plants and animals.
O It does not need storage capabilities.
O It is not tied to any specific location.
题型：排除列举题
定位词： advantages of hunting and gathering over agriculture
解 题思路： 根据定位词定位回原文，A项对应 “the state of health of agriculturalists was worse than that of their contemporary hunter-gatherers”; C项对应“to develop methods of storage”; D项对应” hunter-gatherers always had the option of moving elsewhere”, B项原文未提及，为正确选项。
Paragraph 2：Traditionally, it was believed that the transition to agriculture was the result of a worldwide population crisis. It was argued that once hunter-gatherers had occupied the whole world, the population started to grow everywhere and food became scarce; agriculture would have been a solution to this problem. We know, however, that contemporary hunter-gatherer societies control their population in a variety of ways. The idea of a world population crisis is therefore unlikely, although population pressure might have arisen in some areas.
3. The word “therefore” in the passage is closest in meaning to
O in theory
O obviously
O frequently
O as a result
题型：词汇题
解题思路： therefore是一个简单词汇，表示一种结果。所以D项正确。
4. Which of the following best describes the way paragraph 2 is organized?
O A possible explanation for a phenomenon is presented and then criticized.
O Two similar ways of accounting for a puzzling fact are considered.
O Early societies' response to a problem is contrasted with contemporary societies' response.
O A prehistoric development is first explained in traditional terms and then in contemporary terms.
题型：修辞目的题
解 题思路： 在本段中，文章开头引入了一个社会向农业方向转变的原因－ population crisis, 中间 however 一词说明作者的态度发生了转变，结尾说到这个理论是 unlikely的，所以本段结构是先为一种现象提供了一种解释，随后反驳。A项正确。
Paragraph 3：Climatic changes at the end of the glacial period 13,000 years ago have been proposed to account for the emergence of farming. The temperature increased dramatically in a short period of time (years rather than centuries), allowing for a growth of the hunting-gathering population due to the abundance of resources. There were, however, fluctuations in the climatic conditions, with the consequences that wet conditions were followed by dry ones, so that the availability of plants and animals oscillated brusquely.
5. 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.
O The resources needed by the growing hunting and gathering population increased rapidly once temperatures rose.
O Dramatic temperature increases and the simultaneous growth of the hunting and gathering population led to the need for more resources.
O Higher temperatures led to the existence of increased resources, thus enabling the hunting and gathering population to grow.
O The dramatic temperature increase occurred during the few years when abundant resources allowed the hunting and gathering population to grow.
题型：句子简化题
解题思路： 原句中没有明显的逻辑关系，抓住句子的主干：升高的温度使自然资源更加丰富，导致了捕猎人口数量的增加。选项C抓住了原句主干，所以C项正确。
重点句子翻译：
The temperature increased dramatically in a short period of time (years rather than centuries), allowing for a growth of the hunting-gathering population due to the abundance of resources.
气温在一个很短的时间急剧增加（年，而不是世纪），由于自然资源充足使得狩猎人口大量增长。
6. According to paragraph 3, the abundance of resources fluctuated sharply after the end of the glacial period because
O locally abundant resources were quickly exhausted by hunter-gatherers
O the temperature became much higher in some areas over others
O different types of plants and animals became available as the climate changed
O the amount of rainfall varied radically from one period to the next
题型：细节题
定位词： the abundance of resources fluctuated sharply after the end of the glacial period
解题思路：最后一句中“the availability of plants and animals oscillated brusquely” 是定位词的同义改写，所以答案就是这句话中说的雨季、旱季的更替使得动植物剧烈波动。所以选项D正确。
重点句子翻译：
There were, however, fluctuations in the climatic conditions, with the consequences that wet conditions were followed by dry ones, so that the availability of plants and animals oscillated brusquely.
然而，气候条件的波动带来的潮湿、干旱的更替，使得动植物资源剧烈波动。
原文来源： 2013年4月托福考试辅导：toefl阅读模拟试题第四套（2）
Paragraph 4：It would appear that the instability of the climatic conditions led populations that had originally been nomadic to settle down and develop a sedentary style of life, which led in turn to population growth and to the need to increase the amount of food available. Farming originated in these conditions. Later on, it became very difficult to change because of the significant expansion of these populations. It could be argued, however, that these conditions are not sufficient to explain the origins of agriculture. Earth had experienced previous periods of climatic change, and yet agriculture had not been developed.
7. It can be inferred from paragraph 4 that it was difficult for people to change from farming back to hunting and gathering because
O people had become more used to different types of food
O climatic conditions were no longer favorable for hunting and gathering
O populations had become too large to be supported by hunting and gathering
O the farmer's sedentary life was easier than the hunter-gatherer's nomadic life
题型：推理题
定位词： that it was difficult for people to change from farming back to hunting and gathering
解题思路：根据定位词定位到“because of the significant expansion of these populations”，可以推测出人口的剧烈扩张使得捕猎不再适应于人们的生活方式。所以C项正确。
重点句子翻译：
Later on, it became very difficult to change because of the significant expansion of these populations.
后来，它变得很难改变，因为这些人口大幅增长。
Paragraph 4：It would appear that the instability of the climatic conditions led populations that had originally been nomadic to settle down and develop a sedentary style of life, which led in turn to population growth and to the need to increase the amount of food available. Farming originated in these conditions. Later on, it became very difficult to change because of the significant expansion of these populations. It could be argued, however, that these conditions are not sufficient to explain the origins of agriculture. Earth had experienced previous periods of climatic change, and yet agriculture had not been developed.
8. Why does the author state that "Earth had experienced previous periods of climatic change, and yet agriculture had not been developed"?
O To suggest that climate change had occurred long before the development of agriculture
O To argue that climate change does not properly explain why agriculture developed
O To challenge the assumption that agriculture developed only in some parts of the world
O To question the claim that climate change occurred at the time when agriculture developed
题型：修辞目的题
解题思路： 论据是为了证明论点而存在的，题干句的前一句是一个论点，说这些条件不足以解释农业的起源，这一论点是反驳本段开头的观点即气候条件的变化导致农业发展的，所以B项正确。
重点句子翻译：
It could be argued, however, that these conditions are not sufficient to explain the origins of agriculture.
但是，会有争论说这些条件不足以解释农业的起源。
Paragraph 5：It is archaeologist Steven Mithen's thesis, brilliantly developed in his book The Prehistory of the Mind(1996), that approximately 40,000 years ago the human mind developed cognitive fluidity, that is, the integration of the specializations of the mind: technical, natural history (geared to understanding the behavior and distribution of natural resources), social intelligence, and the linguistic capacity. Cognitive fluidity explains the appearance of art, religion, and sophisticated speech. Once humans possessed such a mind, they were able to find an imaginative solution to a situation of severe economic crisis such as the farming dilemma described earlier. Mithen proposes the existence of four mental elements to account for the emergence of farming: (1) the ability to develop tools that could be used intensively to harvest and process plant resources; (2) the tendency to use plants and animals as the medium to acquire social prestige and power; (3) the tendency to develop "social relationships" with animals structurally similar to those developed with people—specifically, the ability to think of animals as people (anthropomorphism) and of people as animals (totemism); and (4) the tendency to manipulate plants and animals.
9. The word "imaginative" in the passage is closest in meaning to
O complex
O creative
O immediate
O reliable
题型：词汇题
解题思路： imaginative 来自于名词 imagine（想像），所以其形容词意思为“有想像力的”，B项正确。
Paragraph 5：It is archaeologist Steven Mithen's thesis, brilliantly developed in his book The Prehistory of the Mind (1996), that approximately 40,000 years ago the human mind developed cognitive fluidity, that is, the integration of the specializations of the mind: technical, natural history (geared to understanding the behavior and distribution of natural resources), social intelligence, and the linguistic capacity. Cognitive fluidity explains the appearance of art, religion, and sophisticated speech. Once humans possessed such a mind, they were able to find an imaginative solution to a situation of severe economic crisis such as the farming dilemma described earlier. Mithen proposes the existence of four mental elements to account for the emergence of farming: (1) the ability to develop tools that could be used intensively to harvest and process plant resources; (2) the tendency to use plants and animals as the medium to acquire social prestige and power; (3) the tendency to develop "social relationships" with animals structurally similar to those developed with people—specifically, the ability to think of animals as people (anthropomorphism) and of people as animals (totemism); and (4) the tendency to manipulate plants and animals.
10. According to paragraph 5, Steven Mithen believes that all of the following contributed to the emergence of farming EXCEPT
O the development of a mind flexible enough to come up with solutions to complex problems
O the tendency to use plants and animals to acquire power
O the tendency to emphasize the differences between animals and people
O the ability to make tools that could be used for the large-scale harvesting of plants
题型：排除列举题
定位词： Steven Mithen believes … contributed to the emergence of farming
解 题思路： 原文用（1）、（2）、（3）等标出了 Steven Mithen的观点，选项D是（1）的同义改写，选项B是（2）的同义改写，选项C原文中未提及人们开始区别人和动物，前文还阐述了 Cognitive fluidity的作用，选项A是其同意改写。所以C项正确。
Paragraph 6：The fact that some societies domesticated animals and plants, discovered the use of metal tools, became literate, and developed a state should not make us forget that others developed pastoralism or horticulture (vegetable gardening) but remained illiterate and at low levels of productivity; a few entered the modem period as hunting and gathering societies. It is anthropologically important to inquire into the conditions that made some societies adopt agriculture while others remained hunter-gatherers or horticulturalists. However it should be kept in mind that many societies that knew of agriculture more or less consciously avoided it. Whether Mithen's explanation is satisfactory is open to contention, and some authors have recently emphasized the importance of other factors.
11. The word "contention" in the passage is closest in meaning to
O investigation
O improvement
O debate
O interpretation
题型：词汇题
解题思路：原文中的动宾搭配是“open to contention”，可以先排除选项B和D，而且主语是一个人的解释是否另人满意，根据句义可得出正确答案为C。
重点句子翻译：
Whether Mithen's explanation is satisfactory is open to contention, and some authors have recently emphasized the importance of other factors.
米森的解释是否令人满意被开放讨论，一些作家最近强调了其他因素的重要性。
原文来源： 2013年4月托福考试辅导：toefl阅读模拟试题第四套（2）
Paragraph 6：The fact that some societies domesticated animals and plants, discovered the use of metal tools, became literate, and developed a state should not make us forget that others developed pastoralism or horticulture (vegetable gardening) but remained illiterate and at low levels of productivity; a few entered the modern period as hunting and gathering societies. It is anthropologically important to inquire into the conditions that made some societies adopt agriculture while others remained hunter-gatherers or horticulturalists. However, it should be kept in mind that many societies that knew of agriculture more or less consciously avoided it. Whether Mithen's explanation is satisfactory is open to contention, and some authors have recently emphasized the importance of other factors.
12. According to paragraph 6, which of the following is a weakness of Mithen's explanation?
O It does not clearly distinguish agriculture from pastoralism and horticulture.
O It fails to explain why some societies adopted agriculture while others did not.
O It explains the domestication of plants and animals but not the development of metal tools.
O It overlooks the fact that illiteracy and low productivity remain problems even today
题型：细节题
定位词： a weakness of Mithen's explanation
解题思路：文中 should not make us forget 提示了一个值得人思考的现象：有些社会采用了农业生产模式而有些社会仍维持捕猎模式，所以B项正确。
重点句子翻译：
It is anthropologically important to inquire into the conditions that made some societies adopt agriculture while others remained hunter-gatherers or horticulturalists.
从人类学上说调查导致有些社会采用了农业生产模式而有些社会仍维持捕猎模式的条件很重要。
How did it come about that farming developed independently in a number of world centers (the Southeast Asian mainland, Southwest Asia, Central America, lowland and highland South America, and equatorial Africa) at more or less the same time? Agriculture developed slowly among populations that had an extensive knowledge of plants and animals. ■Changing from hunting and gathering to agriculture had no immediate advantages. ■ To start with, it forced the population to abandon the nomad's life and become sedentary, to develop methods of storage and, often, systems of irrigation. ■While hunter-gatherers always had the option of moving elsewhere when the resources were exhausted, this became more difficult with farming. ■ Furthermore, as the archaeological record shows, the state of health of agriculturalists was worse than that of their contemporary hunter-gatherers.
13. Look at the four squares ■that indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage.
Because humans had built up this knowledge as hunter-gatherers, it is logical to conclude that over time they would have become extremely efficient.
Where would the sentence best fit? Click on a square to add the sentence to the passage.
题型：句子插入题
解题思路：所给句子是一个原因，并且描述了人们捕猎的高效率，第二个方框前的句子对农业和捕猎的好处下了一个论点性的结论，后面三句话举了三个原因，由于后面的原因有一个较为紧密的逻辑联系，所以排除后两个方框，应把句子插入第二个框。
重点句子翻译：
Because humans had built up this knowledge as hunter-gatherers, it is logical to conclude that over time they would have become extremely efficient.
因为人类所建立的这个狩猎者的知识，这是合乎逻辑的结论：随着时间的推移，他们会变得非常有效。
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.
It is unclear why hunter-gatherers in different parts of the world independently developed agriculture at roughly the same time.
●
●
●
Answer choices:
A. One obstacle to the transition from nomadic lifestyle to the sedentary lifestyle required by agriculture was that hunter-gathers had not developed storage techniques.
B. The origins of agriculture may be linked to climate change at the end of the last ice age, but this does explain why earlier climatic instability had not led to agriculture.
C. One recent theory suggests that the invention of agriculture was made possible by the integration of various mental capacities in the human mind.
D. It seems unlikely that agriculture emerged in response to a food shortage brought on by a worldwide population crisis that developed once the whole world was occupied.
E. The only available means of understanding the social organization and technical abilities of ancient hunter-gatherer societies is the study of contemporary hunter-gatherers.
F. Little is known about why only some societies that adopted agriculture rapidly progressed to using metal tools, becoming literate, and developing a state.
题型：总结题
解题思路：选项A属于细节内容，非文章主要论述的内容；选项B是原文第三、四段主要内容的概括； 选项C是原文第五段主要内容的概括；选项D是原文第一、二段主要内容的概括；选项E是一个细节内容，与文章主旨无关；选项F原文未提及。综上，正确答案为B、D、E。
本文核心词汇：
extensive: adj. 广阔的，深刻的
abandon: v. 抛弃
sedentary: adj. 定居的，不迁徙的
exhaust: v. 用尽，耗尽；使疲惫
contemporary: adj. 当代的；同时代的
crisis: n. 危机
scarce: adj. 缺乏的，罕见的
emergence: n. 出现；曝露
oscillate: v. 使摆动
brusquely: adv. 唐突地；粗率地
nomadic: adj. 游牧的；流浪的
cognitive: adj. 认知的
linguistic: adj. 语言的
manipulate: v. 操纵
literate: adj. 有读写能力的；有文化修养的