READING (35) BUILDING SKILLS CAMBRIDGE PREPARATION FOR THE TOEFL® IBT TEST

 

CAMBRIDGE PREPARATION FOR THE TOEFL® IBT TEST BUILDING SKILLS READING (35)

 

Exercises R15-R21 Use Exercises R15-R21 to build your skills in making inferences and drawing conclusions in reading passages. EXERCISE R21 Reviewing inferences Read each passage and the items that follow it. Then choose the letter of the best answer for each. Question 1-4 The Malabar Pied-Hornbill usually nests in the fruit trees that bear its food. First, the female enters a hole in the tree and sheds her feathers. Then, she and her mate seal the hollow with mud and dung, leaving a crack through which he feeds her. When the chicks hatch and her plumage returns, she breaks out, resealing the nest to guard the young, which emerge later.   1 The Malabar Pied-Hornbill is probably a A chicken B seal C bird D bear 2 What can be said about the Malabar Pied-Hornbill nest? A It is padded with feathers. B It is so warm that the female Malabar Pied-Hornbill loses its plumage. C The female Malabar Pied-Hornbill breaks it up after losing her plumage. D Its cracks are covered by the feathers which the female Malabar Pied-Hornbill plucks off herself. 3 Which of the following statements can be inferred? A The male is afraid of other males and, therefore, forces his mate into the nest and seals it. B The female is so involved in building her nest that she doesn't realize she's locked herself inside it. C The female purposely imprisons herself to lay her eggs. D The female has to keep the male from hurting the babies, so she encloses herself in the nest. 4 The male Malabar Pied-Hornbill probably A feeds the eggs through a crack in the nest B doesn't help the female until she has enclosed herself in the nest C uses his plumage to guard the recently hatched chicks D doesn't hatch the eggs by keeping them warm with his own body   Questions 5-7 The Mississippi River and its tributaries form the world's fourth-longest river system. Two Canadian provinces and all or parts of 31 states in the United States have rivers that drain into the Mississippi. As the Mississippi River flows down to join the sea, it deposits sand, silt, and clay, building the delta seaward across Louisiana's shallow continental shelf. The delta marsh and its bays, lakes, and sounds provide shelter and nutrients for North America's most fertile marine nursery.   5 It can be inferred from the passage that A Canada has only two drainage areas in its provinces B there are 31 states in the United States C the 31 states mentioned have no other river systems to carry silt, sand, and clay D some of the silt deposited in the Louisiana delta is from Canada 6 It is probably true that A the delta system formed by the Mississippi River is very important for marine life B nurseries have been set up in the delta so that children can take part in aquatic sports in the bays, lakes, and sounds C the delta marshland is an excellent area for medical people to study diseases caused by mosquitoes and other insects D the United States government has established nurseries to provide shelter and food for migrating birds 7 It can be inferred from the passage that A the delta is being destroyed by the Mississippi River depositing sand, silt, and clay B the geographic features of the delta are always changing C the sea movement is building a delta on the continental shelf at the mouth of the Mississippi D the river, delta, and sea all play an important role in building Louisiana's continental shelf   Questions 8-10 An ultralight airplane is very different from a conventional airplane. It looks like a lawn chair with wings, weighs no more than 254 pounds, flies up to 60 miles an hour, and carries about 5 gallons of fuel. Most ultralights are sold as kits and take about 40 hours to assemble. Flying an ultralight is so easy that a pilot with no experience can fly one. Accidents are rarely fatal or even serious because the ultralight lands so slowly and gently and carries so little fuel. Some models now have parachutes attached, while others have parachute packs which pilots can wear.   8 Ultralights are powered by A an engine B human energy C remote control D solar energy 9 It is probably true that A an ultralight can be purchased at the airport  B people can put their own ultralights together C people who fly ultralights have no experience D ultralight builders need to have training in aviation 10 It can be inferred from the passage that A accident statistics are inaccurate because ultralights are not registered at airports B fatal accidents are frequent because of the lack of experienced pilots C ultralight pilots can walk away from most of the accidents they are in D because of the frequency of fatal accidents, laws requiring parachutes have been enacted

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