TOEFL 12 (READING PASSAGE 3) TOEFL READING PRACTICE WITH ANSWERS

 

TOEFL READING PRACTICE WITH ANSWERS TOEFL 12 (READING PASSAGE 3)

 

Question 23-32 The most easily recognizable meteorites are the iron variety, although they only represent about 5 percent of all meteorite falls. They are composed of iron and nickel along with sulfur, carbon, and traces of other elements. Their composition is thought to he similar to that of Earth's iron core3 and indeed they might have once made up the core of a large planetoid that disintegrated long ago. Due to their dense structure, iron meteorites have the best chance of surviving an impact, and most are found by farmers plowing their fields. One of the best hunting grounds for meteorites is on the glaciers of Antarctica1 where the dark stones stand out in stark contrast to the white snow and ice. When meteorites fall on the continent) they are embedded in the moving ice sheets. At places where the glaciers move upward against mountain ranges, meteorites are left exposed on the surface. Some of the meteorites that have landed in Antarctica are believed to have conic from the Moon and even as far away as Mars, when large impacts blasted out chunks of material and hurled them toward Earth. Perhaps the world's largest source of meteorites is the Nullarbor Plain, an area of limestone that stretches for 400 miles along the southern coast of Western and South Australia. The pale, smooth desert plain provides a perfect backdrop for spotting meteorites, which are usually dark brown of black. Since very little erosion takes place, the meteorites are well preserved and are found just where they landed. Over 1,000. fragments from 150 meteorites that fell during the last 20,000 years have been recovered. One large iron meteorite, called the Mundrabilla meteorite, weighed more than 11 tons. Stony meteorites, called chordates, are the most common type and make up more than 90 percent of all falls . But because they are similar to Earth materials and therefore erode easily, they are often difficult to find. Among the most ancient bodies in the solar system are the carbonaceous chondrites that also contain carbon compounds that might have been the precursors of life on Earth.   23 What is the passage mainly about? (A) Finding meteorites on Earth's surface (B)How the composition of meteorites is similar to that of Earth (C)Why most meteorites do not survive impact with Earth (D) The origins of meteorites 24 The word "core" in line 4 is closest in meaning to (A) center (B) surface (C) mineral (D) field 25 The author mentions "dark stones" and "white snow" in line 9 to illustrate that. (A) meteorites are found most often in Antarctica (B) glaciers stop meteorites from mixing with soil (C) meteorites are easier to find in glacial areas (D) most of Antarctica is covered with meteorites 26 The word "embedded" in line 10 is closest in meaning to (A) isolated (B) encased (C)enhanced (D) enlarged 27 The word "spotting" in line 17 is closest in meaning to (A) removing (B) identifying (C)cooling (D) falling 28 The passage suggests that which of the following is most commonly responsible for the poor preservation of meteorites that fall to Earth? (A) The size of the fragments (B) Ice sheets (C) Erosion (D) Desert heat 29 Where was the Mundrabilla meteorite discovered? (A)On the Nullarbor Plain (B)In a field (C)On a mountain (D)In Antarctic 30 The word "they" in line 25 refers to (A)stony meteorites (B) falls (C)Earth materials (D) ancient bodies 31 Why does the author mention carbonaceous chondrites (line 26)? (A) They are the largest meteorites found on Earth (B) They are most likely to be found whole. (C) They come from outside the solar system. (D) They may be related to the origins of life on Earth. 32 According to the passage, stony meteorites are (A) composed of fragmented materials (B) less likely to be discovered than iron meteorites (C) mostly lost in space (D) found only on the Nullarbor Plain

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ANSWER KEY

23.   A 24.   A 25.   C 26.   B 27.   B 28.   C 29.   A 30.   A 31.    D 32.   B