三立教育托福历年阅读真题小编汇总了托福历年阅读真题的详细内容,便于大家平时的阅读练习,希望对大家的备考起到作用。PASSAGE29Duringthesecondhalfofthenineteenthcentury,theproductionoffoodandfeedcropsintheUnitedStatesroseatanextraordinarilyrapidrate.Cornproductionincreasedbyfourandahalftimes,haybyfivetimes,oatsandwheatbyseventimes.Themostcrucialfactorbehindthisphenomenalupsurgeinproductivitywasthewidespreadadoptionoflabor-savingmachinerybynorthernfarmers.By1850horse-drawnreapingmachinesthatcutgrainwerebeingintroducedintothemajorgrain-growingregionsofthecountry.Horse-poweredthreshingmachinestoseparatetheseedsfromtheplantswerealreadyingeneraluse.However,itwastheonsetoftheCivilWarin1861thatprovidedthegreatstimulusforthemechanizationofnorthernagriculture.Withmuchofthelaborforceinductedintothearmyandwithgrainpricesontherise,northernfarmersrushedtoavailthemselvesofthenewlabor-savingequipment.In1860therewereapproximately80,000reapersinthecountry;fiveyearslatertherewere350,000.Afterthecloseofthewarin1865,machinerybecameevermoreimportantinnorthernagriculture,andimprovedequipmentwascontinuallyintroduced.By1880aself-bindingreaperhadbeenperfectedthatnotonlycutthegrain,butalso三立教育—runningfrom$1,000to$4,000—theywereusuallyownedbycustomthresherownerswhothenworkedtheirwayfromfarmtofarmduringtheharvestseason.CombineswerealsocomingintouseonthegreatwheatranchesinCaliforniaandthePacificNorthwest.Theseponderousmachines—sometimespulledbyasmanyas40horses—reapedthegrain,threshedit,andbaggedit,allinonesimultaneousoperation.Theadoptionoflabor-savingmachineryhadaprofoundeffectuponthesaleofagriculturaloperationsinthenorthernstates—allowingfarmerstoincreasevastlytheircropacreage.Bytheendofcentury,afarmeremployingthenewmachinerycouldplantandharvesttwoandhalftimesasmuchcornasafarmerhadusinghandmethods50yearsbefore.1.WhataspectoffarmingintheUnitedStatesinthenineteenthcenturydoesthepassagemainlydiscuss?(A)Howlabor-savingmachineryincreasedcropProduction(B)WhysouthernfarmswerenotassuccessfulasSuccessfulasnorthernfarms三立教育(C)FarmingpracticesbeforetheCivilWar(D)Theincreaseinthenumberofpeoplefarming2.Thewordcrucialinline4isclosestinmeaningto(A)obvious(B)unbelievable(C)important(D)desirable3.Thephraseavailthemselvesinline11isclosestinmeaningto(A)takecare(B)makeuse(C)getrid(D)domore4.Accordingtothepassage,whywastheCivilWarastimulusformechanization?(A)Thearmyneededmoregraininordertofeedthesoldiers.(B)Technologydevelopedforthewarcouldalsotheusedbyfarmers.三立教育(C)Itwashopedthatharvestingmoregrainwouldlowerthepriceofgrain.(D)Machineswereneededtoreplaceadisappearinglaborforce.5.ThepassagesupportswhichofthefollowingstatementsaboutmachineryaftertheCivilWar?(A)Manyfarmerspreferrednottousethenewmachinery.(B)Returninglaborersreplacedtheuseofmachinery.(C)Theuseoffarmmachinerycontinuedtoincrease.(D)Poor-qualitymachineryslowedthepaceofcropproduction.6.Combinesandself-bindingreapersweresimilarbecauseeach(A)couldperformmorethanonefunction(B)requiredrelativelylittlepowertooperate(C)wasutilizedmainlyinCalifornia(D)requiredtwopeopletooperate7.Thewordtheyinline19refersto(A)grainstalks(B)threshingmachines三立教育(C)steamengines(D)horses8.Itcanbeinferredfromthepassagethatmostfarmersdidnotownthreshingmachinesbecause(A)farmersdidnotknowhowtousethenewmachines(B)farmershadnospacetokeepthemachines(C)thresherownerhadchancetobuythemachinesbeforefarmersdid(D)themachinesweretooexpensiveforeveryfarmertoown9.Thewordponderousinline21isclosestinmeaningto(A)advanced(B)heavy(C)complex(D)rapidPASSAGE29ACBDCABDB