96年1月 托福聽(tīng)力文字

1. It's such a nice day. Why don't we have lunch outside?
OK. Bur let's find someplace that's not too noisy.
What does the man mean?

2. Look at the time. I'm going to miss my bus.
Don't worry. I'll drive you to the stop. And if the us has already left I can get you to your apartment.
What does the woman mean?

3. Can you recommend a hotel in New York?
Well, I can think of several. What's your budget like?
What does the man imply?

4. Any messages for me?
Someone did call. But there was so much static I couldn't make out what he was saying.
  What does the woman mean?

5. Didn't George give a great speech?
Are you serious?
What can be inferred about the woman?

6. Can I open a checking account here?
I'm sorry. You'll have to step over to the manager's desk.
What does the woman imply?

7. Now that I've finished my exams. I'm going to relax and go to a movie tonight.
Lucky you! I've still got two finals to take.
What can be inferred about the woman?

8. It's very nice of you to give me your tickets for the play.
Please. Don't mention it. I'm going to be out of town this weekend anyway.
What can be inferred about the man?

9. I almost forgot. I still owe you ten dollars from the other night.
Do you have change for a twenty?
Oh--. Not at the moment. Let's just straighten it out some other time.
What does the woman mean?

10. Hey! What happened to all that food we bought? The refrigerator is empty.
My little brother with a big appetite was here. He really combed these out.
What does the man mean?

11. I'm taking Prof. Bam's course next semester. Anything I need to know about it?
If I were you. I'll take careful notes. Her exams are based on her lectures. 
What advice does the man give the woman?

12. I'm glad you finally decided to go skiing with us next week.
I still have to get my supervisor to agree to it.
What does the woman imply?

13. Did you see the college newspaper? They did a story on our voter registration campaign.
I did. Maybe it'll spark some interest on campus. Without more volunteers we'll never meet our goal.
What does the man mean?

14. Have you net the new sales manager yet?
We've been introduced about three times, he seems a little forgetful.
What can be inferred about the sales manager?

15. Excuse me, but do you happen to have some change for the paring meter?
No. But if you go into the restaurant you'll probably be able to change a dollar bill.
What does the woman want to do?

16. I am going to tell that neighbor of mine to turn down that music once and for all.
I see why you are angry. But I've always found that the polite route is the most effective.
What does the man mean?

17. I love your new sofa. But why don't you put it over there under the window?
Oh, but the plants are doing well on the table there.
What does the man imply?

18. At the rate of its being used, the copier is not going to make it through the rest of the year.
The year? It's supposed to be good for five.
What does the woman say about the copier?

19. I've been invited to a dinner party at Janet's. Do you think should bring something?
You could pick up a cake. Chocolate is her favorite.
What does the woman suggest the man do?

20. I'm sorry I missed your soccer game. But I had the flu.
Don't worry about it. We couldn't have played worse.
What does the woman mean?

21. Do you feel like watching the evening news?
You ought to stay away from me. I have a bad could and wouldn't want you to catch it.
What does the woman mean?.

22. Hew! It's a real scorcher today.
And the forecasters are saying there is no end in sight.
What does the man imply?

23. Uh-uh. Look I'm going to be a little late for class. I hope Prof. Clark does start on time today.
Are you kidding? You can set your watch by the start of his class.
What can be inferred about Prof. Clark?

24. Are you keeping count on the news from home since you've been here?
I've been getting weekly updates.
What does the man mean?

25. Well, what did you think of the theater director?
You mean Emily Thompson? She was away attending a conference.
What does the man mean?

26. That movie was awful. And yet it got such great reviews.
It was hardly worth the price of admission.
What does the man mean?

27. I'm just looking for bike that will me get to the library and back.
With the roll of the way they are you'll need a sturdy one.
What does the woman imply?

28. I'll take this suit. It fits me really well. And while I amend it I like the shirt and the tie too.
We have some nice socks that match.
What does the woman mean?

29. Sorry I didn't see you on the news.
Yeah. And it's not likely they are going to rebroadcast it anytime soon.
What does the man imply?

30. The science exhibit is opening today. You are coming with me this afternoon, aren't you?
I have too much work to do for tomorrow.
What does the man mean?

PART B
31-34  Conversation between a student and guidance counselor
*Hello, John. You must be pleased. After all how many students are lucky enough to have been accepted at their first and their second choices?
*Not many I know. But I'm not sure yet which one to choose.
*Well, you seem to have doubts about the state university. But its biology department has a fine reputation. What more could a biology major want?
*Yeah. And they also have internships for seniors. But a friend told me that for the first two years some lectures have a hundred and fifty students. You probably wouldn't get to know any of your teachers.
*Well, you might actually. Because those classes also have small discussion sections. Twice a week, and have no more than twenty students.
*I know. But I've heard that they are usually taught by graduate students. At White Stone College all classes are taught by professors.
*What about Sating? Do you prefer a small town like White Stone? Or a bigger place like the state capital?
*That doesn't matter to me. What I do care about is getting individual attention from the faculty than making friends.
*Look, I've known you for four years now and you seen to be a pretty outgoing person. I don't think you have any trouble making friends at the state university. It sounds to me that you are learning toward White Stone though?
*I am. The only problem is that the White Stone's tuition is really high and I'm not sure I can afford it.
*You could still apply for a student loan or sign up for a work-study program.
*Yeah. I think I'll look into that.

31. Why did the man go to see the woman?

32. What concern does the man have about the state university?

33. What does the man consider to be an advantage of the White Stone College?

34. What is the man likely to do in the near future?

35-39  Conversation between two students.
*Hi, Claire. How does it feel to be back on campus?
*Keach, hi. Well, to tell you the truth, I have mixed feelings.
*Oh, why?
*I have this great summer job that I really hated to leave. I worked at the wild life research center in Maryland.
*That makes sense for a genetic major. What did you do? Clean the cages?
*This is a wild life center, not a zoo. This place breeds endangered species and tries to prepare them for life in the wild.
*You mean the endangered species like the tiger and the panda?
*Well, endangered species, yes. But not tigers or pandas. I was working with whooping cranes and sandtail cranes. It was really neat. I taught the baby crane how to eat and drink, and I help the vet to give medical check-ups.
*I can see why it was hard to leave that job. But how did you teach a bird how to eat and drink?
*We covered ourselves up with clothes and used puppets made out of stuffed cranes to show the baby chicks what to do. Then the chicks copied what the puppets did.
*Clothes? Puppets? Sounds like fun.
*It was. The clothes and puppets are the key tool of this. We all covered ourselves up, the scientists, the vets, the genial stock, everybody. You see, baby cranes will become attached to their care-takers.
*So if the care-taker is a person, the crane will stay in places where people are.
*Yeah. And their chances for survival aren't very good. But by covering ourselves and by using birds puppets the chicks are more likely to seek out other birds rather than people. And their transition to the wild has a better chance of being successful.
*A chance of being successful? Hasn't this been done before?
*It's been done with sandtail cranes and everyone is optimistic about its work with whooping cranes too.
*Yeah. It's exciting, isn't that?

35. Why does the woman say she has a mixed feelings?

36. What was the woman's job?

37. What is the goal of the wild life center?

38. Why does the man mention the tigers and pandas?

39. Why do the staff members cover themselves with clothes as they work?

PART C  TALKS
40 to 42 A lecture in a architectural design course.
In 1871 the first passenger elevators were used in office buildings and allowed architects to build higher than people could comfortably walk. Another innovation was in building technique. In 1885 the steel skeleton was introduced and allowed for the construction of tall building that could withstand high winds. We take for granted some of the other inventions that enabled people to live and work in skyscrapers. For example, few people realized that the telephone was necessary for vertical communication and that flush toilet and vacuum incinerator made waste disposal possible. Now as we entered the age of super skyscraper, some with more than 200 floors, we see the need for even more technological innovations. In the area of heating and cooling systems for example. For all their benefits, these super tall building do cause problems though. For one thing they place enormous train on parking and traffic row in urban areas. But let's leave behind these technical concerns and move on to consider some of the design elements that have come to characterize the age of the skyscraper.

40. What does the professor mainly discuss?

41. What does the professor say about the invention of the elevator?

42. What will the professor probably discuss next?

43 to 46 Talk in an introductory biology class.
Good morning. Let me welcome all the new members of the ski patrol. My name is Brenda Peters and I've been a ski-patroller for nearly three years. After working in offices and restaurants I find this job very satisfying. After all, if you love the outdoors, it's a great job. You won't get rich but you';; get in great shape and you will be able to help people everyday. And for me the best part of the job is giving ski lessons I've made a lot of friends that way. Of course your main responsibilities will involve ensuring the safety of everyone who skis here. All trails have to be checked daily to make sure they are groomed probably. You also will have to be watching out constantly for people who aren't skiing safely, or who may think they are better skiers than they really are. And to help those who are injured, you'll have to know basic first aid. Tomorrow you will begin training in a first aid system that skiers specifically to the outdoors. We pride ourselves in our ability to get people off the mountain quickly and safely. OK, so you are free to explore the slopes for the test of the day. All in all, I think that being a ski patroller is great job I hope you will all feel the same way.

43. What does the speaker mainly discuss?

44. According to the speaker, what is one advantage of working on a ski patrol?

45. What does the speaker say she likes most about giving ski lessons?

46. According to the speaker, what is one of the man responsibilities of ski patroller?

47-50 A lecture given in a geology class.
If you flew over certain parts of Nebraska and Texas by plane, you might notice some large areas appearing as bright green circles many hundreds of feet across. This green is unusual in the high plains area where the climate is very dry. These green patches are the result of a new technique for mining the underground water. In this technique, miners bore deep holes in the ground until they reach a special geological formation called ocheropher. The water which has collected in this ocherophers for hundreds of years in called fossil water or ground water. It pumped up through the bored hole and spray over the land to irrigate the crops. Raising crops such as cotton and wheat, water in this way creates the fertile green areas that contrasts vividly with the natural brown of the plains. Crop yields have increase dramatically. However they've created a serious environmental problem. The problem is that the water is being removed from many ocherophers faster than it can be replenished naturally. Ground water levels have dropped rapidly and it's becoming more difficult and expensive to get this water. In some parts of Texas, water levels in some of the ocherophers have declined cess of using water faster than it can be replaced is wide-spread and serious.

47. What does the speaker mainly discuss?

48. What benefits have resulted from the technique?

49. What is happening to ground water?

50. What does the speaker imply about ground water?

1996年1月托福閱讀全真試題

Questions 1-7

Joyce Carol Oates published her first collection of short
stories. By The Gate, in 1963, two years after she had
received her master's degree from the University of Wisconsin
and become an instructor of English at the University of
Detroit. Her productivity since then has been prodigious, accumulating
in less than two decades to nearly thirty titles, including
novels, collections of short stories and verse, plays, and literary
criticism. In the meantime, she has continued to teach,
moving in 1967 from the University of Detroit to the University
of Windsor, in Ontario, and, in 1978, to Princeton University.
Reviewers have admired her enormous energy, but
find a productivity of such magnitude difficult to assess.

In a period characterized by the abandonment of so much
of the realistic tradition by authors such as John Barth, Donald
Barthelme, and Thomas Pynchon, Joyce Carol Oates has
seemed at times determinedly old-fashioned in her insistence on
the essentially mimetic quality of her fiction. Hers is a world
of violence, insanity, fractured love, and hopeless loneliness.
Although some of it appears to come from her own direct
observations, her dreams, and her fears, much more is clearly
from the experiences of others. Her first novel, With Shuddering
Fall(1964), dealt with stock car racing, though she
had never seen a race. IN Them(1969) she focused on
Detroit from the Depression through the notes of 1967, drawing
much of her material from the deep impression made on her by
the problems of one of her students. Whatever the source and
however shocking the events or the motivations, however, her
fictive world remains strikingly akin to that real one reflected
in the daily newspapers, the television news and talk shows,
and the popular magazines of our day.

1. What is the main purpose of the passage?

(A) To review Oates's By the North Gate
(B) To compare some modern writers
(C) To describe Oates's childhood
(D) To outline Oates's career

2. Which of the following does the passage indicate about Joyce Carol Qate's first publication?

(A) It was part of her master's thesis.
(B) It was a volume of short fiction.
(C) It was not successful.
(D) It was about an English instructor in Detroit.

3. Which of the following does the passage suggest about Joyce Carol Oates in terms of her writing career?

(A) She has experienced long nonproductive periods in her writing.
(B) Her style is imitative of other contemporary authors
(C) She has produced a surprising amount of fictions in a relative short time.
(D) Most of her work is based on personal experience.

4. The word "characterized" in line 10 can best replaced by which of the following?

(A) Shocked
(B) Impressed
(C) Distinguished
(D) Helped

5. What was the subject of Joyce Carol Oates's first novel?

(A) Loneliness
(B) Inanity
(C) Teaching
(D) Racing

6. Why does the author mention Oates's book Them?

(A) It is a typical novel of the 1960's
(B) It is her best piece of nonfiction.
(C) It is a fictional work based on the experiences of another person.
(D) It is an autobiography.

7. Which of the following would Joyce Carol Oates be most likely to write?

(A) A story with an unhappy ending
(B) A romancer novel set in the nineteenth century
(C) A science fiction novel
(D) A dialogue for a talk show

Question 8-18

Certainly no creature in the sea is odder than the common
sea cucumber. All living creature, especially human beings,
have their peculiarities, but everything about the little sea
cucumber seems unusual. What else can be said about a bizarre
animal that, among other eccentricities, eats mud, feeds
almost continuously day and night but can live without eating
for long periods, and can be poisonous but is considered
supremely edible by gourmets?

For some fifty million years, despite all its eccentricities,
the sea cucumber has subsisted on its diet of mud. It is
adaptable enough to live attached to rocks by its tube feet, under
rocks in shallow water, or on the surface of mud flats.
Common in cool water on both Atlantic and Pacific shores, it has
the ability to suck up mud or sand and digest whatever
nutrients are present.

Sea cucumbers come in a variety of colors, ranging from
black to reddish - brown to sand - color and nearly white. One
form even has vivid purple tentacles. Usually the creatures are
cucumber - shaped - hence their name - and because they are
typically rock inhabitants, this shape, combined with flexibility,
enables them to squeeze into crevices where they are safe
from predators and ocean currents.

Although they have voracious appetites, eating day and
night, sea cucumbers have the capacity to become quiescent
and live at a low metabolic rate - feeding sparingly or not at all
for long periods, so that the marine organisms that provide
their food have a chance to multiply. If it were not for this
faculty, they would devour all the food available in s short
time and would probably starve themselves out of existence.

But the most spectacular thing about the sea cucumber is
the way it defends itself. Its major enemies are fish and crabs,
when attacked, it squirts all its internal organs into the water.
It also casts off attached structures such as tentacles. The sea
cucumber will eviscerate and regenerate itself if it is attacked
or even touched; it will do the same if surrounding water
temperature is too high or if the water becomes too polluted.

8. What does the passage mainly discuss?

(A) The reason for the sea cucumber's name
(B) What makes the sea cucumber unusual
(C) How to identify the sea cucumber
(D) Places where the sea cucumber can be found

9. In line 3, the word "bizarre" is closest meaning to

(A) odd
(B) marine
(C) simple
(D) rare

10.According to the Passage, why is the shape of sea cucumbers important?

(A) It helps them to digest their food
(B) It helps them to protect themselves from danger.
(C) It makes it easier for them to move through the mud.
(D) It makes them attractive to fish.

11.The words "this faculty" in line20 refer to the sea cucumber's ability to

(A) squeeze into crevices
(B) devour all available food in a short time
(C) suck up mud or sand
(D) live at a low metabolic rate

12.The fourth paragraph of the passage Primarily discusses

(A) the reproduction of sea cucumbers
(B) the food sources of sea cucumbers
(C) the eating habits of sea cucumbers
(D) threats to sea cucumbers' existence

13.The phrase "casts off" in line 24 is closest in meaning to

(A) grows again
(B) grabs
(C) gets rid of
(D) uses as a weapon

14.Of all the characteristics of the sea cucumber, which of the following seems to fascinate the author most?

(A) What it does when threatened.
(B) Where it lives
(C) How it hides from predators
(D) What it eats.

15.Compared with other sea creatures the sea cucumber is very

(A) dangerous
(B) intelligent
(C) strange
(D) fat

16.What can be inferred about the defense mechanisms of the sea cucumber?

(A) They are very sensitive to surrounding stimuli.
(B) They are almost useless.
(C) They require group cooperation.
(D) They are similar to those of most sea creatures.

17.Which of the following would NOT cause a sea cucumber to release its internal organs into the water?

(A) A touch
(B) Food
(C) Unusually warm water
(D) Pollution

18.Which of the following is an example of behavior comparable with the sea cucumber living at a low metabolic rate?

(A) An octopus defending itself with its tentacles
(B) A bear hibernating in the winter
(C) A pig eating constantly
(D) A parasite living on its host's blood.

Question 19-29

A folk culture is small, isolated, cohesive, conservative,
nearly self-sufficient group that is homogeneous in custom and
race, with a strong family or clan structure and highly
developed rituals. Order is maintained through sanctions based in
the religion or family, and interpersonal relationships are
strong. Tradition is paramount, and change comes infrequently
and slowly. There is relatively little division of labor into
specialized duties. Rather, each person is expected to perform
a great variety of tasks, though duties many differ between the
sexes. Most goods are handmade, and a subsistence economy
prevails. Individualism is weakly developed in folk cultures, as
are social classes. Unaltered folk cultures no longer exist in
industrialized countries such as the United States and Canada.
Perhaps the nearest modern-equivalent in Anglo-America is the
Amish, a German American farming sect that largely renounces
the products and labor saving device of the industrial
age. In Amish areas, horse - drawn buggies still serve as a local
transportation device, and the faithful are not permitted to
own automobiles. The Amish's central religious concept of
Demut, "humility", clearly reflects the weakness of individualism
and social class so typical of folk cultures, and there is a
corresponding strength of Amish group identity. Rarely do the
Amish marry outside their sect. The religion, a variety of the
Mennonite faith, provides the principal mechanism for maintaining
order.

By contrast, a popular culture is a large heterogeneous
group, often highly individualistic and constantly changing.
Relationships tend to be impersonal, and a pronounced division
of labor exists, leading to the establishment of many specialized
professions. Secular institutions of control such as the police
and army take the place of religion and family in maintaining
order, and a money-based economy prevails. Because of these
contrasts, "popular" may be viewed as clearly different from
"folk". The popular is replacing the folk in industrialized countries
and in many developing nations, Folk-made objects give
way to their popular equivalent, usually because the popular
item is more quickly or cheaply produced, is easier or time
saving to use, or lends more prestige to the owner.

19.What does the passage mainly discuss?

(A) Two decades in modern society.
(B) The influence of industrial technology
(C) The characteristics of "folk" and "popular" societies.
(D) The specialization of labor in Canada and United States

20.The word "homogeneous" in line 2 is closest in meaning to

(A) uniform
(B) general
(C) primitive
(D) traditional

21.Which of the following is typical of folk cultures?

(A) There is a money- based economy.
(B) Social change occurs slowly.
(C) Contact with other cultures is encouraged
(D) Each person develops one specialized skill.

22.What does the author imply about the United States and Canada?

(A) They value folk cultures
(B) They have no social classes.
(C) They have popular cultures.
(D) They do not value individualism.

23.The phrase "largely renounces" in line 11 is closest in meaning to

(A) generally rejects
(B) greatly modifies
(C) loudly declares
(D) often criticizes

24.What is the main source of order in Amish society?

(A) The government
(B) The economy
(C) The clan structure
(D) The religion

25.Which of the following statements about Amish beliefs does the passage support?

(A) A variety of religious practices is tolerated.
(B) Individualism and competition are important.
(C) Pre-modern technology is preferred.
(D) People are defined according to their class.

26.Which of the following would probably NOT be found in a folk culture?

(A) A carpenter
(B) A farmer
(C) A weaver
(D) A banker

27.The word "prevails" in line 23 is closest in meaning to

(A) dominates
(B) provides
(C) develops
(D) invests

28.The word "their" in line 26 refer to

(A) folk
(B) nations
(C) countries
(D) objects

29.Which of the following is NOT given as a reason why folk-made objects are replaced by mass-produced objects?

(A) Cost
(B) Prestige
(C) Quality
(D) Convenience

Question 30-40

Many of the most damaging and life-threatening types of
weather - torrential rains, severe thunderstorms, and tornadoes
- begin quickly, strike suddenly, and dissipate rapidly,
devastating small regions while leaving neighboring areas
untouched. One such event, a tornado, stuck the northeastern
section of Edmonton, Alberta, in July 1987. Total damages
from the tornado exceeded $250 million, the highest ever for
any Canadian storm. Conventional computer models of the
atmosphere have limited value in predicting short - lived local
storms like the Edmonton tornado, because the available
weather data are generally not detailed enough to allow computers to discern the subtle atmospheric changes that precede
these storms. In most nations, for example, weather -balloon
observations are taken just once every twelve hours at location
typically separated by hundreds of miles. With such limited
data, conventional forecasting models do a much better job
predicting general weather conditions over large regions than
they do forecasting specific local events.

Until recently, the observation - intensive approach needed
for accurate, very short - range forecasts, or "Nowcasts," was
not feasible. The cost of equipping and operating many thousands
of conventional weather stations was prohibitively high,
and the difficulties involved in rapidly collecting and processing
the raw weather data from such a network were insurmountable.
Fortunately, scientific and technological advances have
overcome most of these problems. Radar systems, automated
weather instruments, and satellites are all capable of making
detailed, nearly continuous observation over large regions at
a relatively low cost. Communications satellites can transmit
data around the world cheaply and instantaneously, and modern
computers can quickly compile and analyzing this large volume
of weather information. Meteorologists and computer
scientists now work together to design computer programs and
video equipment capable of transforming raw weather data into
words, symbols, and vivid graphic displays that forecasters
can interpret easily and quickly. As meteorologists have begun
using these new technologies in weather forecasting offices,
Nowcasting is becoming a reality.

30.What does he passage mainly discuss?
(A) Computers and weather
(B) Dangerous storms
(C) Weather forecasting
(D) Satellites

31.Why does the author mention the tornado in Edmonton, Canada?

(A) To indicate that tornadoes are common in the summer
(B) To give an example of a damaging storm
(C) To explain different types of weather
(D) To show that tornadoes occur frequently in Canada

32.The word "subtle" in line 8 is closest in meaning to

(A) complex
(B) regular
(C) imagined
(D) slight

33.Why does the author state in line 10 that observations are taken "just once every twelve hours?"

(A) To indicate that the observations are timely
(B) To show why the observations are on limited value
(C) To compare data from balloons and computers
(D) To give an example of international cooperation

34.The word "they" in line 13 refers to

(A) models
(B) conditions
(C) regions
(D) events

35.Which of the following is NOT mentioned as an advance in short - range weather forecasting?

(A) Weather balloons
(B) Radar systems
(C) Automated instruments
(D) Satellites

36.The word "compile" in line 23 is closest in meaning to

(A) put together
(B) look up
(C) pile high
(D) work over



37.With Nowcasting, it first became possible to provide information about

(A) short-lived local storms
(B) radar networks
(C) long - range weather forecasts
(D) general weather conditions

38.The word "raw" in line 25 is closest in meaning to

(A) stormy
(B) inaccurate
(C) uncooked
(D) unprocessed

39.With which of the following statements is the author most likely to agree?

(A) Communications satellites can predict severe weather.
(B) Meteorologists should standardize computer programs.
(C) The observation - intensive approach is no longer useful.
(D) Weather predictions are becoming more accurate.

40.Which of the following would best illustrate Nowcasting?

(A) A five-day forecast
(B) A warning about a severe thunderstorm on the radio
(C) The average rainfall for each month
(D) A list of temperatures in major cities

Question 41-50

People in the United States in the nineteenth century
were haunted by the prospect that unprecedented change in
he nation's economy would bring social chaos. In the years
following 1820, after several decades of relative stability, the
economy entered a period of sustained and extremely rapid
growth that continued to the end of the nineteenth century.
Accompanying that growth that was a structural change that
featured increasing economic diversification and a gradual shift
in the nation's labor force from agriculture to manufacturing
and other nonagricultural pursuits.

Although the birth rate continued to decline from its high
level of the eighteenth and early nineteenth century. The
population roughly doubled every generation during the
nineteenth centuries. As the population grew, its makeup also
changed. Massive waves of immigration brought new ethnic
groups into the country. Geographic and social mobility -
downward as well as upward - touched almost everyone. Local
studies indicate that nearly three - quarters of the population -
in the North and South, in the emerging cities of the Northeast,
and in the restless rural counties of the West - changed
their residence each decade. As a consequence, historian David
Donald has written, "Social atomization affected every
segment of society," and it seemed to many people that "all the
recognized values of orderly civilization were gradually being
eroded."
Rapid industrialization and increased geographic mobility
in the nineteenth century had special implications for women
because these tended to magnify social distinctions. As
the roles men and women played in society became more rigidly
defined, so did the roles they played in the home. In the
context of extreme competitiveness and dizzying social change,
the household lost many of its earlier functions and the home
came to serve as a haven of tranquillity and order. As the size
of families decreased, the roles of husband and wife became
more clearly differentiated than ever before. In the middle
class especially, men participated in the productive economy
while women ruled the home and served as the custodians of
civility and culture. The intimacy of marriage that was
common in earlier periods was rent, and a gulf that at times
seemed unbridgeable was created between husbands and
wives.

41.What does the passage mainly discuss?

(A) The economic development of the United States in the eighteenth century
(B) Ways in which economic development led to social changes in the United States
(C) Population growth in the western United States
(D) The increasing availability of industrial jobs for women in the United States

42.The word "Prospect" in line 1 is closest in meaning to

(A) regret
(B) possibility
(C) theory
(D) circumstance

43.According to the passage, the economy of the United States between 1820 and 1900 was

(A) expanding
(B) in sharp decline
(C) stagnate
(D) disorganized

44.The word "roughly" in line 9 is closest in meaning to

(A) harshly
(B) surprisingly
(C) slowly
(D) approximately

45.The word "its" in line 10 refers to

(A) century
(B) population
(C) generation
(D) birth rate

46.According to the passage, as the nineteenth century progressed, the people of the United States

(A) emigrated to other countries
(B) often settled in the West
(C) tended to change the place in which they lived
(D) had a higher rate of birth than ever before

47.Which of the following best describes the society about which David Donald wrote?

(A) A highly conservative society that was resistant to new ideas
(B) A society that was undergoing fundamental change
(C) A society that had been gradually changing since the early 1700's
(D) A nomadic society that was starting permanent settlements

48.The word "magnify" in line 20 is closest in meaning to

(A) solve
(B) explain
(C) analyze
(D) increase

49.Which of the following is NOT mentioned as an example of the social changes occurring in the United States after 1820?

(A) Increased social mobility
(B) Increased immigration
(C) Significant movement of population
(D) Strong emphasis on traditional social values

50.The word " distinctions" in line 21 is closest in meaning to

(A) Differences
(B) Classes
(C) Accomplishments
(D) characteristics