نمونه Reading تافل

Toefl Reading sample 

In 1881, a new type of weed began spreading across the northern Great Plains. Unlike other weeds, the tumbleweed did not spend its life rooted to the soil; instead, it tumbled and rolled across fields in the wind. The weed had sharp, spiny leaves that could lacerate the flesh of ranchers and horses alike. It exploited the vast area of the plains, thriving in regions too barren to support other plants. With its ability to generate and disseminate numerous seeds quickly, it soon became the scourge of the prairies.

To present-day Americans, the tumbleweed symbolizes the Old West. They read the Zane Grey novels in which tumbleweeds drift across stark western landscapes and see classic western movies in which tumbleweeds share scenes with cowboys and covered wagons. Yet just over a century ago, the tumbleweed was a newcomer. The first sign of the invasion occurred in North and South Dakota in the late 1870s.

Farmers had noticed the sudden appearance of the new, unusual weed. One group of immigrants, however, did not find the weed at all unfamiliar. The tumbleweed, it turns out, was a native of southern Russia, where it was known as Tartar thistle. It was imported to the United States by unknown means.

Frontier settlers gave the plants various names: saltwort, Russian cactus, and wind witch. But botanists at the Department of Agriculture preferred the designation Russian thistle as the plant’s common name. However, these botanists had a much harder time agreeing on the plant’s scientific name. In general, botanists compare a plant to published accounts of similar plants, or to samples kept as specimens. Unfortunately, no book described the weed and no samples existed in herbaria in the United States.

1. Which of the following can be inferred about tumbleweeds?

A. They have strong, deep roots.

B. They require a lot of care.

C. They reproduce efficiently.

D. They provided food for ranchers and animals.

2. The passage suggests that most present-day Americans

A. consider the tumbleweed beneficial.

B. don’t know when tumbleweeds came to North America.

C. have never heard of tumbleweeds.

D. believe tumbleweeds are newcomers to the United States.

3. It is probable that the “group of immigrants” mentioned in paragraph 3

A. was from southern Russia.

B. had lived in North and South Dakota for many years.

C. imported tumbleweeds into the United States.

D. wrote several accounts about tumbleweeds.

4. From the passage it can be inferred that the botanists at the Department of

Agriculture

A. could not find any tumbleweeds on the plains.

B. gave the names saltwort, Russian cactus, and wind witch to the tumbleweed.

C. could not decide on a common designation for the tumbleweed.

D. found it difficult to classify the plant scientifically.

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Answer key: 1. C 2. B 3. A 4. D