Toefl ETS Question Day 2
Slides in this set (4)
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- 1. The word “pose” on line 2 is closest in meaning to
- a. claim
- b. model
- c. assume
- d. present
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- 2. In paragraph 2, why does the author include the information that dinosaurs had flourished for tens of millions of years and then suddenly disappeared?
- a. To support the claim that the mass extinction at the end of the Cretaceous is the best-documented of the dozen or so mass extinctions in the geological record
- b. To explain why as many as half of the species on Earth at the time are believed to have become extinct at the end of the Cretaceous
- c. To explain why paleontologists have always been intrigued by the mass extinction at the end of the Cretaceous
- d. To provide evidence that an impact can be large enough to disturb the environment of the entire planet and cause an ecological disaster
- 3. Which of the following can be inferred from paragraph 3 about the location of the
- meteorite impact in Mexico?
- a. The location of the impact site in Mexico was kept secret by geologists
- from 1980 to 1990.
- b. It was a well-known fact that the impact had occurred in the Yucatán
- region.
- c. Geologists knew that there had been an impact before they knew where it
- had occurred.
- d. The Yucatán region was chosen by geologists as the most probable impact
- site because of its climate.
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- 4. According to paragraph 3, how did scientists determine that a large meteorite had
- impacted Earth?
- a. They discovered a large crater in the Yucatán region of Mexico.
- b. They found a unique layer of sediment worldwide.
- c. They were alerted by archaeologists who had been excavating in the
- Yucatán region.
- d. They located a meteorite with a mass of over a trillion tons.
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- 5. The word “excavating” on line 25 is closest in meaning to
- a. digging out
- b. extending
- c. destroying
- d. covering up
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- 6. The word “consumed” on line 32 is closest in meaning to
- a. changed
- b. exposed
- c. destroyed
- d. covered
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- 7. According to paragraph 4, all of the following statements are true of the impact at
- the end of the Cretaceous period EXCEPT:
- a. A large amount of dust blocked sunlight from Earth.
- b. Earth became cold and dark for several months.
- c. New elements were formed in Earth’s crust.
- d. Large quantities of nitric acid were produced.
- 8. The phrase “tentatively identified” on line 36 is closest in meaning to
- a. identified after careful study
- b. identified without certainty
- c. occasionally identified
- d. easily identified
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- 9. The word “perspective” on line 46 is closest in meaning to
- a. sense of values
- b. point of view
- c. calculation
- d. complication
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- 10. Paragraph 6 supports which of the following statements about the factors that are essential for the survival of a species?
- a. The most important factor for the survival of a species is its ability to compete and adapt to gradual changes in its environment.
- b. The ability of a species to compete and adapt to a gradually changing environment is not the only ability that is essential for survival.
- c. Since most extinctions of species are due to major meteorite impacts, the ability to survive such impacts is the most important factor for the survival of a species.
- d. The factors that are most important for the survival of a species vary significantly from one species to another.
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- 11. Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the following sentence?
- Earth is a target in a cosmic shooting gallery, subject to random violent events that were unsuspected a few decades ago.
- Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.
- a. Until recently, nobody realized that Earth is exposed to unpredictable violent impacts from space.
- b. In the last few decades, the risk of a random violent impact from space has increased.
- c. Since most violent events on Earth occur randomly, nobody can predict when or where they will happen.
- d. A few decades ago, Earth became the target of random violent events originating in outer space.
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- 12. According to the passage, who conducted investigations about the current dangers posed by large meteorite impacts on Earth?
- a. Paleontologists
- b. Geologists
- c. The United States Congress
- d. NASA
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- 13. Look at the four letters (A, B, C, and D) that indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage in paragraph 6.
- This is the criterion emphasized by Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection.
- Where would the sentence best fit? Impacts by meteorites represent one mechanism that could cause global catastrophes and seriously influence the evolution of life all over the planet.
- (A) According to some estimates, the majority of all extinctions of species may be due to such impacts. (B) Such a perspective fundamentally changes our view of biological evolution.(C) The standard criterion for the survival of a species is its success in competing with other species and adapting to slowly changing environments.(D) Yet an equally important criterion is the ability of a species to survive random global ecological catastrophes due to impacts.
- Choose the place where the sentence fits best.
- a. Option A
- b. Option B
- c. Option C
- d. Option D
- 14. An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage is
- provided below. Complete the summary by selecting the THREE (3)
- 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.
- Write your answer choices in the spaces where they belong. You can
- write in the number of the answer choice or the whole sentence.
- Scientists have linked the mass extinction at the end of the Cretaceous with a
- meteorite impact on Earth.
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- •
- •
- Answer choices
- (1) Scientists had believed for centuries that meteorite activity influenced
- evolution on Earth.
- (2) The site of the large meteorite impact at the end of the Cretaceous
- period was identified in 1990.
- (3) There have also been large meteorite impacts on the surface of the
- Moon, leaving craters like Tycho.
- (4) An iridium-enriched sediment layer and a large impact crater in the
- Yucatán provide evidence that a large meteorite struck Earth about
- 65 million years ago.
- (5) Large meteorite impacts, such as one at the end of the Cretaceous
- period, can seriously affect climate, ecological niches, plants, and
- animals.
- (6) Meteorite impacts can be advantageous for some species, which
- thrive, and disastrous for other species, which become extinct.