2022年5月29日托福阅读真题：The Jack Pine and Fire

2022年5月29日托福阅读真题：The Jack Pine and Fire

The jack pine tree of Canada has several qualities that seem to equip it for a life with fire.As in many conifer trees,the branches nearer the ground tend to die off as the tree grows taller,not least because they find themselves without light. ⬛ In the jack pine,however, these dead branches simply fall off. ⬛ If the dead branches were allowed to persist,they would provide a “ladder”for the fire from the ground to the top. ⬛ The physics of fire is in many ways counterintuitive. ⬛ Crucially,a hot fire that burns itself out quickly can be less damaging than one that’s somewhat cooler but lasts longer.Jack pine needles are high in resin (a flammable organic substance secreted by trees) and often low in water,especially in the droughts of spring and summer when fires are likely,and so they burn hot but quick.On much the same principle,the jack pine’s bark is flaky.It picks up surface fires but then burns swiftly and does little harm.The stringy bark of eucalyptus trees in Australia,hanging loosely from the smooth trunk beneath,is protective in much the same way.In both cases the discarded bark prevents the fire from seriously harming the tree.

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

A Surprisingly

B Frequently

C Naturally

D Importantly

2.According to paragraph 1,why is it an advantage for the jack pine tree that its branches near the ground fall off?

A Fallen branches produce hotter fires.

B Fallen branches bum out quickly.

C Fallen branches are not as likely to carry fire from the ground to the top of the tree.

D Fallen branches are less flammable because they lose their resin when they fall.

3.According to paragraph 1,in what way are Canadian jack pines and Australian eucalyptus trees similar?

A Both are destroyed in large numbers during droughts in spring and summer.

B Both have branches that protect their bark from burning.

C Both have bark that bums away so quickly that the fire does not have a chance to do serious harm.

D Both burn so slowly that they can recover quickly from their fire damage.

On the other hand,when jack pine bark accumulates on the ground (as it does if there is a long interval between fires),surface fires—particularly in spring and summer–can be very fierce.Then most trees of all kinds are killed.But the jack pine is typically the first to spring back.For a very hot fire in the summer burns both the leaf litter on the surface and the organic material in the soil itself,leaving a bare,mineral soil behind.Jack pines germinate well in such soil and, indeed,are inhibited by leaf litter.They like bright sunlight,too,and appreciate the open space.

4.The word "fierce" in the passage is closest in meaning to

A common

B intense

C long-lasting

D spread out

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