2019年8月10日托福阅读真题+题目+答案：Archaeopteryx and Flight

2019年8月10日托福阅读真题+题目+答案：Archaeopteryx and Flight

it is not known whether Archaeopteryx, the earliest birdlike creature for which fossils have been found, could fly—but it probably did, at least for short distances. We can make reasoned guesses about how it might have done so, but there is no conclusive evidence about flying in Archaeopteryx because while fossils can tell us about an animal's physiology, they cannot tell us about an animal's behavior. First, we should look at the methods that animals other than birds use to become airborne. Even though birds have the most astounding abilities of flight, they are not the only creatures to take to the air. Some existing species of frogs, snakes, lizards, and mammals launch themselves from a height and glide for considerable distances in the air. They do so by using skin flaps on the sides of their bodies or by extending broad，sail-like limbs. ■The gliders of Australia are typical examples of this kind of flight.■ Some of the ancient reptiles living in the late Triassic period more than 200 million years ago used this method of flying. A fossil record of a flying reptile (a saurian) called Protoaxis texensis has been dated to that time. ■That species could represent one of the first steps toward the evolution of birds, but many ancient reptiles had flaps of skin or long scalelike structures that they could have used for gliding or even more sustained flying.■

Archaeopteryx could have used its feathers to aid gliding after climbing up a high tree, using its finger claws, and then launching itself into the air. This is known as the trees-down hypothesis. Alternatively, it could have used its wings to obtain liftoff after running fast on the ground with its wings flapping. This is known as the ground-up, or cursorial, hypothesis. Archaeopteryx might，for example，have used running and flapping flight to catch insects. 。。。。。。余下托福阅读真题省略！

1.The word "conclusive" in the passage is closest in meaning to

A possible

B convincing

C surviving

D favorable

2.The word ‘extending’ in the passage is closest in meaning to

A developing

B spreading

C using

D flapping

3.According to paragraph 1, why have scientists looked for clues to Archaeopteryx flight by studying how other animals fly?

A Complete Archaeopteryx fossils have not been found.

B They discovered the remains of late Triassic reptiles that seemed to fly.

C Archaeopteryx activity cannot be determined from its remains.

D Archaeopteryx fossils are not detailed enough to make important aspects of its physiology clear.

。。。。。。余下托福阅读题目省略！

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