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TOEFL READING PRACTICE WITH ANSWERS
TOEFL 8 (READING PASSAGE 2)
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Question
10-19
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Barbed
wire, first patented in the United States in 1867, played an important part
in the development of American farming, as it enabled the settlers to make
effective fencing to enclose their land and keep cattle away from their
crops. This had a considerable effect on cattle ranching, since the herds
no longer had unrestricted use of the plans for grazing, and the fencing
led to conflict between the farmers and the cattle ranchers.
Before
barbed wire came into general use, fencing was often made from serrated
wire, which was unsatisfactory because it broke easily when under strain,
and could snap in cold weather due to contraction. The first practical
machine for producing barbed wire was invented in 1874 by an Illinois
farmer, and between then and the end of the century about 400 types of
barbed wire were devised, of which only about a dozen were ever put to
practical use.
Modern
barbed wire is made from mild steel high-tensile steel, or aluminum. Mild
steel and aluminum barbed wire have two strands twisted together to form a
cable which is stronger than single-strand wire and less affected by
temperature changes. Single-strand wire, round or oval, is made from
high-tensile steel with the barbs crimped or welded on . The steel wires
used are galvanized - coated with zinc to make them rustproof. The two wires
that make up the line wire or cable are fed separately into a machine at
one end. They leave it at the other end twisted-together and barbed. The
wire to make the barbs is fed into the machine from the sides and cut to
length by knives that cut diagonally through the wire to produce a sharp
point. This process continues automatically, and the finished barbed wire
is wound onto reels, usually made of wire in length of 400 meters or in
weights of up to 50 kilograms.
A
variation of barbed wire is also used for military purposes. It is formed
into long cojis or entanglements called concertina wire.
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10
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What is the
main topic of the passage?
(A) Cattle
ranching in the United States.
(B) A type of
fencing
(C) Industrial
uses of wire
(D) A
controversy over land use.
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11
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The word "unrestricted" in line
4 is closest in meaning to
(A) unsatisfactory
(B) difficult
(C) considerable
(D) unlimited
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12
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The word "snap" in line 9 could
best be replaced by which of the following?
(A) freeze
(B) click
(C) loosen
(D) break
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13
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What is the benefit of using two-stranded
barbed wire?
(A) Improved rust-resistance
(B) Increased strength
(C) More rapid attachment of barbs
(D) Easier installation.
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14
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According to the author, the steel wires
used to make barbed wire are specially processed to
(A) protect them against rust
(B) make them more flexible
(C) prevent contraction in cold weather
(D) straighten them.
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15
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The word "fed" in line 20 is
closest in meaning to
(A) put
(B) eaten
(C) bitten
(D) nourished
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16
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The knives referred to in line 21 are used
to
(A) separate double-stranded wire
(B) prevent the reel from advancing too rapidly
(C) twist the wire
(D) cut the wire that becomes barbs
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17
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What is the author's purpose in the third
paragraph?
(A) To explain the importance of the
wire.
(B) To outline the difficulty of making
the wire
(C) To describe how the wire is made
(D) To suggest several different uses of
the wire.
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18
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According to the passage, concertina wire
is used for
(A) livestock management
(B) international communications
(C) prison enclosures
(D) military purposes.
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19
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Which of the following most closely resembles
the fencing described in the passage?
(A) （图）
(B) （图）
(C) （图）
(D) （图）
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ANSWER KEY
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10.
B
11.
D
12.
D
13.
B
14.
A
15.
A
16.
D
17.
C
18.
D
19.
A
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