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TOEFL Directory > TOEFL writing > TOEFL Reading Class Unit 1_Passage 1_Question 1-11
TOEFL Reading Class Unit 1_Passage 1_Question 1-11
You have about 15 minutes to finish this passage.
First,use about 3-4 minutes to read the passage, try to understand the main idea of this passage.
Don't read it so slowly or try to remember all details.You need to do "fast reading",and "scan" the passage.
Second, read questions 1-11, and with questions you go back the passage again and look for correct answers.
Questions 1-11
Passage 1
The Northwest Coast, a complex pattern of islands, coastal plains, foothills, and mountain ranges, extends from California north to Alaska, encompassing all the territory west of the Cascade and Coast Ranges. Its climate is one of even, moderate temperatures (except in the mountains) and relatively heavy rainfall. This combination of mild temperatures and abundant rainfall produces a lush, dense forest vegetation of conifers, deciduous trees, mosses, and ferns.
To its Native American inhabitants of the 1400's, the long, slender coastal region presented both a favorable and a forbidding environment. The sea and the rivers held many resources, but to exploit them required the development of super craft to navigate waters that were often stormy and rough. The forests were rich with game and many edible plant foods, but the vegetation of much of the area was so dense that land travel was extremely difficult, and large parts of the heavily forested foothills and rugged mountains were unsuitable for human settlements. Villages instead were located along the rivers, on the shores of bays and low-lying offshore islands, and occasionally even at sheltered locations fronting on the open ocean.
It is estimated that the Northwest Coast of the 1400's had a population of about 130,000 and thus was one of the most heavily populated areas of North America north of Mexico. The people had no agriculture but, over thousands of years, had developed techniques and equipment to exploit their environment, basing their economy on fishing in streams and coastal waters that teemed with salmon, halibut, and other varieties of fish; gathering abalone, mussels, clams, and other shellfish from the rocky coastline; hunting land and sea ammals; and collecting wild plant foods. By the end of the century,they reached a high cultural level usually found only among agricultural people, enjoying a stability that allowed the development of a complex social and ceremonial life, an elaborate technology, and one of the world's great art styles.
1. Which of the following is the main point the author makes about Native Americans of the Northwest Coast?
a) They raised crops unique to North America.
b) They made good use of the environment to build a successful society.
c) Their technology helped them survive in the area's harsh climate.
d) Their culture was heavily influenced by the culture of Mexico.
2. The climate of the Northwest Coast region is generally
a) warm and dry
b) extremely cold
c) neither very hot nor very cold
d) constantly changing
3. The word game in the passage is closest in meaning to
a) sport
b) tricks
c) wood
d) animals
4. According to the passage, what probably discouraged people from trying to go from one part of the Northwest Coast region to another?
a) Large areas thick with bushes and trees
b) Vast fields of broken ice
c) Inability to understand other languages
d) Disagreements over hunting areas
5. According to the passage, the Native Americans of the Northwest Coast region generally did not live
a) in villages
b) on offshore islands
c) close to rivers
d) in the mountains
6. The phrase teemed with in the passage is closest in meaning to
a) varied according to
b) competed for
c) were combined with
d) were full of
7. The author implies that the Native Americans of the Northwest Coast differed from most other highly developed societies of the time because
a) they did not depend on agriculture
b) they lacked good means of transportation
c) their society arose in an arctic climate
d) their society was based on ownership of domestic animals.
8. The word they in the passage refers to
a) land and sea mammals
b) wild plant foods
c) the people of the Northwest Coast
d) agricultural people
9. All of the following are mentioned in the passage as being important to the people of the Northwest Coast EXCEPT
a) boat-building skills
b) forest plants for food
c) wood for building durable homes
d) plentiful supplies of seafood
10. It is clear that the author has a high opinion of the region's traditional
a) gardens
b) art
c) architecture
d) music
11. The author mentions the area's population in order to demonstrate that
a) the environment could support many people
b) trade with Mexico was of great importance
c) environmental problems were likely to arise
d) many people had migrated from Mexico to the area
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