NEW
Font size
WorksheetsTOEFL Preparation
Total questions: 15
Worksheet time: 21mins
The term “Badlands” is often associated with movies because we think of it as the place where the tough, bad guys come from in the westerns. But this area got its name not because of the people living there, but because of the difficulties and hardships with which it confronted the early American pioneers and hunters. French - Canadian trappers described parts of southwestern South Dakota as “the bad lands to cross.”
What is the main idea of the passage?
(A) The origin of the name “Badlands”
(B) Hunting and trapping in South Dakota
(C) Badlands as a location for movies
(D) Difficult episodes in early American history
(A) The origin of the name “Badlands”
(B) Hunting and trapping in South Dakota
(C) Badlands as a location for movies
(D) Difficult episodes in early American history
The word “pioneers” in line 4 is closest in meaning to
(A) miners
(B) lawmen
(C) settlers
(D) cowboys
The black-necked stilt has certain features that help it find its prey; ironically, some of the same features make this bird a more likely target of its own predators. Long, slender legs allow the stilt to wade into ponds and find aquatic invertebrates, but long, thin legs have little utility as weapons; and black-and-white plumage above grayish blue or red legs makes it difficult for the bird to find hiding places. Essentially the only protection a stilt has comes from being alert and fleeing predators. Living in flocks reduces their chance of being ambushed because there are more birds to keep watch. Even with the difficulties stilts face in protecting themselves, there are up to six stilt species and representatives of the family on every continent except Antarctica.
1. What is the main topic of the passage?
(A) The survival mechanisms of the black- necked stilt
(B) The physical beauty of the black-necked stilt
(C) The black-necked stilt’s legs
(D) The distribution of the black-necked stilt
around the world
2. The word “features” in line 3 is closest in
meaning to which of the following?
(A) systems
(B) abilities
(C) preferences
(D) characteristics
The word “flocks” in line 12 is closest in
meaning to which of the following?
(A) ponds
(B) havens
(C) groups
(D) marshes
In line 13, “their” refers to which of the
following?
(A) stilts
(B) predators
(C) legs
(D) hiding places
According to the passage, the black-necked
stilt protects itself by
(A) using its legs as weapons against predators
(B) hiding its black and white plumage
(C) wading into ponds
(D) remaining vigilant and running from its
enemies
The word “face” in line 15 is closest in meaning to which of the following?
(A) envision
(B) encounter
(C) discern
(D) overcome
Questions 9-18
One of the greatest problems for settlers in Nebraska in the last quarter of the century was fuel. Little of the state was forested when the first settlers arrived, and it is probable that, by 1880, only about one-third of the originally forested area remained, down to a mere one percent of the state’s 77,000 square miles. With wood and coal out of the question, and with fuel needed year round for cooking—and during the harsh winters for heating—some solution had to be found. Somewhat improbably, the buffalo provided the answer. Buffalo chips were found to burn evenly, hotly, and cleanly, with little smoke and, interestingly, no odor. Soon, collecting them became a way of life for the settlers’ children who would pick them up on the way to and from local schools, or take part in competitions designed to counteract their natural reluctance. Indeed, even a young man seeking to impress the girl he wanted to marry would arrive with a large bag of chips rather than with an enticing box of candy or an attractive bunch of flowers.
What is the principal theme of this passage?
(A) The solution to the Nebraskan settlers’ fuel problem
(B) Life in Nebraska in the late nineteenth century
(C) The economic importance of the American buffalo
(D) Deforestation in Nebraska in the late
nineteenth century
The phrase “out of the question” in line 9 is closest in meaning to
(A) irrelevant
(B) impossible
(C) disdained
(D) undesirable
The passage implies that buffalo chips
were needed
(A) in greater amounts in summer
(B) in greater amounts in winter
(C) only in summer
(D) only in winter
The word “harsh” in line 11 is closest in
meaning to
(A) long
(B) cool
(C) severe
(D) wet
In line 21 ‘their’ refers to
(A) Competitions
(B) Buffalo chips
(C) Settlers’ children
(D) Schools
Which of these does the author NOT say about buffalo chips?
(A) They smelled interesting.
(B) They didn’t make a lot of mess when burned.
(C) They provided a lot of heat.
(D) They did not give off much smoke.
Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?
(A) The first settlers arrived in Nebraska in 1880.
(B) Buffalo chips were a valuable
commodity.
(C) The settlers killed buffaloes for fuel.
(D) Some people made a career out of
collecting buffalo chips.
