1. Young that are fed by their parents become nutritionally independent at a much greater fraction of their full adult size. And in the meantime those young are shielded against the vagaries of fluctuating of difficult-to-find supplies.
The word "shielded" is closest in meaning to which of following?
(A) raised
(B) protected
(C) hatched
(D) valued
2. A second, more dense atmosphere, however, gradually enveloped Earth as gasses from molten rocks within its hot interior escaped through volcanoes and steam vents.
The word "enveloped" is closest in meaning to which of following?
(A) surrounded
(B) changed
(C) escaped
(D) characterized
3. With much of the water vapor already condensed into water and the concentration of carbon dioxide dwindling, the atmosphere gradually became rich nitrogen.
The word "gradually" is closest in meaning to which of following?
(A) accidentally
(B) quickly
(C) in the end
(D) by degrees
4. At any rate, plant growth greatly enriched our atmosphere with oxygen. The reason for this enrichment is that plants, in the presence of sunlight, process carbon dioxide and water to produce oxygen.
The word "At any rate" is closest in meaning to which of following?
(A) regardless
(B) in addition
(C) although unlikely
(D) fortunately
5. Over 25,000 islands are scattered across the surface of the Pacific, more than in all the other oceans combined, but their land area adds up to little more than 125,000 square kilometers, about the size of New York State, and their inhabitants total less than two million people, about a quarter of the number that live in New York City.
The word "scattered" is closest in meaning to which of following?
(A) widely known
(B) usually estimated
(C) rarely inhabited
(D) irregularly distributed
6. Many are uninhabitable, by virtue of their small size and particular characteristics, but even the most favored are very isolated fragments of land, strictly circumscribed by the ocean, strictly limited in terms of the numbers of people they can support.
The phrase "by virtue of" is closest in meaning to which of following?
(A) regarding
(B) because of
(C) taking advantage of
(D) in place of
The word "circumscribed" is closest in meaning to which of following?
(A) located
(B) flooded
(C) restricted
(D) pushed
7. Simply surviving those ocean crossings of indeterminate length, in open canoes, to arrive on the shores of uninhabited and hitherto unknown islands, was a formidable achievement.
The word "indeterminate" is closest in meaning to which of following?
(A) undecided
(B) uncertain
(C) unacceptable
(D) increasing
8. The Rosetta stone thwarted scholars' efforts for several decades until the early nineteenth century when several key hieroglyphic phrases were decoded using the Greek inscriptions.
The word "thwarted" is closest in meaning to which of following?
(A) continued
(B) influenced
(C) encouraged
(D) frustrated
9. Lichens, probably the hardiest of all plants, live where virtually nothing else can---not just on rugged mountain peaks but also on sunbaked desert rocks.
The word "hardest" is closest in meaning to which of following?
(A) most unusual
(B) most basic
(C) most abundant
(D) most vigorous
10. Unlike other members of the plant kingdom, lichens are actually a partnership between two plants. The framework of a lichen is usually a network of minute hairlike fungus that anchors the plant.
The word "framework" is closest in meaning to which of following?
(A) structure
(C) condition
(D) environment
参考答案：
1 B
2 A
3 D
4 A
5 D
6 C C
7 B
8 D
9 D
10 A
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