TOEFL 5 (READING PASSAGE 3) TOEFL READING PRACTICE WITH ANSWERS

 

TOEFL READING PRACTICE WITH ANSWERS TOEFL 5 (READING PASSAGE 3)

 

Questions 21-31 Legend has it that sometime toward the end of the Civil War (1861-1865) a government train carrying oxen traveling through the northern plains of eastern Wyoming was caught in a snowstorm and had to be abandoned. The driver returned the next spring to see what had become of his cargo. Instead of the skeletons he had expected to find, he saw his oxen, living, fat, and healthy. How had they survived? The answer lay in a resource that unknowing Americans lands trampled underfoot in their haste to cross the "Great American Desert" to reach lands that sometimes proved barren. In the eastern parts of the United States, the preferred grass for forage was a cultivated plant. It grew well with enough rain, then when cut and stored it would cure and become nourishing hay for winter feed. But in the dry grazing lands of the West that familiar bluejoint grass was often killed by drought. To raise cattle out there seemed risky or even hopeless. Who could imagine a fairy-tale grass that required no rain and somehow made it possible for cattle to feed themselves all winter? But the surprising western wild grasses did just that. They had wonderfully convenient features that made them superior to the cultivated eastern grasses. Variously known as buffalo grass, grama grass, or mesquite grass, not only were they immune to drought; but they were actually preserved by the lack of summer and autumn rains. They were not juicy like the cultivated eastern grasses, but had short, hard stems. And they did not need to be cured in a barn, but dried right where they grew on the ground. When they dried in this way, they remained naturally sweet and nourishing through the winter. Cattle left outdoors to fend for themselves thrived on this hay. And the cattle themselves helped plant the fresh grass year after year for they trampled the natural seeds firmly into the soil to be watered by the melting snows of winter and the occasional rains of spring. The dry summer air cured them much as storing in a barn cured the cultivated grasses.   21. What does the passage mainly discuss? (A) Western migration after the Civil War (B) The climate of the western United States (C) The raising of cattle. (D) A type of wild vegetation 22. What can be inferred by the phrase "Legend has it" in line 1? (A) The story of the train may not be completely factual. (B) Most history books include the story of the train. (C) The driver of the train invented the story. (D) The story of the train is similar to other ones from that time period. 23. The word "they" in line 5 refers to (A) plains (B) skeletons (C) oxen (D) Americans 24. What can be inferred about the "Great American Desert" mentioned in line 7? (A) It was not originally assumed to be a fertile area. (B) Many had settled there by the 1860's. (C) It was a popular place to raise cattle before the Civil War. (D) It was not discovered until the late 1800's. 25. The word "barren" in line 8 is closest in meaning to (A) lonely (B) dangerous (C) uncomfortable (D) infertile. 26. The word "preferred" in line 8 is closest in meaning to (A) ordinary (B) available (C) required (D) favored 27. Which of the following can be inferred about the cultivated grass mentioned in the second paragraph? (A) Cattle raised in the western United States refused to eat it. (B) It would probably not grow in the western United States. (C) It had to be imported into the United States. (D) It was difficult for cattle to digest. 28. Which of the following was NOT one of the names given to the Western grasses? (A) Grama grass (B) Bluejoint grass (C) Buffalo grass (D) Mesquite grass 29. Which of the following was NOT mentioned as a characteristic of western grasses? (A) They have tough stems. (B) They are not affected by dry weather. (C) They can be grown indoors. (D) They contain little moisture. 30. The word "hard" in line 19 is closest in meaning to (A) firm (B) severe (C) difficult (D) bitter 31. According to the passage, the cattle helped promote the growth of the wild grasses by (A) stepping on and pressing the seeds into the ground (B) naturally fertilizing the soil (C) continually moving from one grazing area to another (D) eating only small quantities of grass.

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ANSWER KEY

21.     D 22.    A 23.    C 24.    A 25.    D 26.    D 27.    B 28.    B 29.    C 30.    A 31.     A