TOEFL Reading Test 3 Page $445-451

TOEFL Reading Test 3 Page 445-451

Multiple Choice

The word ‘’ particular’’  in the passage is closest in meaning to

 

• Natural

• Final

   

•  Specific

• Complex 

Multiple Choice

According to paragraph 1, which of the following is NOT  true of climax communities?

• they occur at the end of a succession

• they last longer than any other type of community

• the  numbers  of plants in them and the mix of species do not change

•  they remain stable for at least 500 years at a time 

Multiple Choice

According to paragraph 2, which of the following principles of ecosystems can be learned by studying a pond?

• ecosystem properties change more slowly than individuals in the system

• the stability of an ecosystem tends to change as individuals are replaced

• individual organisms are stable from one year to the next

• a change in the numbers of an organism does not affect an ecosystems properties

Multiple Choice

According to paragraph 3, ecologists once believed that which of the following Illustrated the most stable ecosystems?

 

•  Pioneer communities

• climax communities

•  single crop farmlands

• successional plant communities

Multiple Choice

According to paragraph 4, why is the question of ecosystem stability complicated?

•  the reasons for ecosystem change are not always clear

•  ecologists often confuse the word ‘’ stability’’  with the word

  ‘’ resilience’’

•  the exact meaning of the word ‘’ stability’’  is debated by ecologists

• there are many different answers to the ecological questions 

Multiple Choice

According to paragraph 4, which of the following is true of climax communities?

•  they are more resilient than Pioneer communities

• they can be considered both the most and least stable communities

•  they are stable because they recover quickly after major disturbances

•  they are the most resilient communities because they change the least over time 

Multiple Choice

Which of the following can be inferred from paragraph 5 about redwood forests?

• they become less stable as they mature

•  they support many species when they reach climax

•  they are found in temperate zones

• they have reduced diversity during mid successional  stages 

Multiple Choice

The word ‘’ guarantee’’  in the passage is closest in meaning to

•  Increase

   

•  Ensure

   

• Favor

   

• Complicate

Multiple Choice

In paragraph 5, why does the author provide information that ‘’ a 15 speed racing bicycle is more likely to break down than a child's tricycle’’?

• to illustrate a general principle about the stability of systems by using an everyday example

• to demonstrate that and understanding of stability in ecosystems can be applied to help understand stability in other situations

•  to make a comparison that supports the claim that, in general, stability increases with diversity

• to provide an example that contradicts mathematical models of ecosystems 

Multiple Choice

The word ‘’ pales’’  in the passage is closest in meaning to

•  increases proportionally

   

•  differs

   

•  loses significance

   

•  is common

Multiple Choice

Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in the passage? incorrect choices may change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information. 

• Ecologists now think that the stability of an environment is a result of diversity rather than patchiness 

• Patchy environments that vary from place to place do not often have high species diversity 

• Uniform environments cannot be climax communities because they do not support as many types of organisms as patchy environments 

• A patchy environment is thought to increase the stability because it is able to support a wide variety of organisms 

Multiple Choice

The word ‘’ adjacent’’  in the passage is closest in meaning to

• Foreign

   

•  Stable

   

•  Fluid

•  Neighboring

Multiple Choice

QUESTION 13

• 1

• 2

• 3

• 4

Multiple Choice

QUESTION 14

• 1,2,4

• 3,4,5

• 1,4,5

• 2,3,5