1996年1月托福阅读全真试题
By contrast， a popular culture is a large heterogeneous group， often highly individualistic and constantly changing. Relationships tend to be impersonal， and a pronounced division of labor exists， leading to the establishment of many specialized professions. Secular institutions of control such as the police and army take the place of religion and family in maintaining order， and a money-based economy prevails. Because of these contrasts， "popular" may be viewed as clearly different from "folk". The popular is replacing the folk in industrialized countries and in many developing nations， Folk-made objects give way to their popular equivalent， usually because the popular item is more quickly or cheaply produced， is easier or time saving to use， or lends more prestige to the owner.
19.What does the passage mainly discuss？
（A） Two decades in modern society.
（B） The influence of industrial technology
（C） The characteristics of "folk" and "popular" societies.
（D） The specialization of labor in Canada and United States
20.The word "homogeneous" in line 2 is closest in meaning to
（A） uniform
（B） general
（C） primitive
（D） traditional
21.Which of the following is typical of folk cultures？
（A） There is a money- based economy.
（B） Social change occurs slowly.
（C） Contact with other cultures is encouraged
（D） Each person develops one specialized skill.
22.What does the author imply about the United States and Canada？
（A） They value folk cultures
（B） They have no social classes.
（C） They have popular cultures.
（D） They do not value individualism.
23.The phrase "largely renounces" in line 11 is closest in meaning to
（A） generally rejects
（B） greatly modifies
（C） loudly declares
（D） often criticizes
24.What is the main source of order in Amish society？
（A） The government
（B） The economy
（C） The clan structure
（D） The religion
25.Which of the following statements about Amish beliefs does the passage support？
（A） A variety of religious practices is tolerated.
（B） Individualism and competition are important.
（C） Pre-modern technology is preferred.
（D） People are defined according to their class.
26.Which of the following would probably NOT be found in a folk culture？
（A） A carpenter
（B） A farmer
（C） A weaver
（D） A banker
27.The word "prevails" in line 23 is closest in meaning to
（A） dominates
（B） provides
（C） develops
（D） invests
28.The word "their" in line 26 refer to
（A） folk
（B） nations
（C） countries
（D） objects
29.Which of the following is NOT given as a reason why folk-made objects are replaced by mass-produced objects？
（A） Cost
（B） Prestige
（C） Quality
（D） Convenience
Question 30-40
Many of the most damaging and life-threatening types of weather - torrential rains， severe thunderstorms， and tornadoes - begin quickly， strike suddenly， and dissipate rapidly，devastating small regions while leaving neighboring areas untouched. One such event， a tornado， stuck the northeastern section of Edmonton， Alberta， in July 1987. Total damages from the tornado exceeded $250 million， the highest ever for any Canadian storm. Conventional computer models of the atmosphere have limited value in predicting short - lived local storms like the Edmonton tornado， because the available weather data are generally not detailed enough to allow computers to discern the subtle atmospheric changes that precede these storms. In most nations， for example， weather -balloon observations are taken just once every twelve hours at location typically separated by hundreds of miles. With such limited data， conventional forecasting models do a much better job predicting general weather conditions over large regions than they do forecasting specific local events.
Until recently， the observation - intensive approach needed for accurate， very short - range forecasts， or "Nowcasts，" was not feasible. The cost of equipping and operating many thousands of conventional weather stations was prohibitively high，and the difficulties involved in rapidly collecting and processing the raw weather data from such a network were insurmountable. Fortunately， scientific and technological advances have overcome most of these problems. Radar systems， automated weather instruments， and satellites are all capable of making detailed， nearly continuous observation over large regions at a relatively low cost. Communications satellites can transmit data around the world cheaply and instantaneously， and modern computers can quickly compile and analyzing this large volume of weather information. Meteorologists and computer scientists now work together to design computer programs and video equipment capable of transforming raw weather data into words， symbols， and vivid graphic displays that forecasters can interpret easily and quickly. As meteorologists have begun using these new technologies in weather forecasting offices，Nowcasting is becoming a reality.