托福阅读题来源是哪里
我们经常强调要通过真题备考托福阅读，也鼓励各位TOEFLer多阅读一些和托福阅读真题水平接近的泛英文材料来辅助提高托福阅读能力，那么到底什么样的文章是最接近真题的呢?托福阅读考试时选取的文章都是从哪儿来的?下面小编分享给大家。
从来源去找最“真”的真题：托福阅读文章都从哪儿来?
所谓”真“，也就是有”托福相“的文章，应该从两方面去考虑：内容和难度。内容就是文章在“讲什么”，而难度则是文章“怎样讲”。用内容和难度都与托福一样的文章练出来的能力，一定是最符合托福考试要求的。
出现在托福阅读考试中的文章，都是学术性文章，浑身上下都是科普范。它们基本都来自涉及自然、生物、人文、社科等各个领域的期刊或杂志，来源十分广泛。
下面送上整理好的托福阅读选材范围清单一份(附官方网址)：
1.《纽约时报》The New York Times: http://www.nytimes-se.com
2.《纽约客》The New Yorker: http://www.newyorker.com
3.《泰晤士报》 Times: http://www.thetimes.co.uk
4.《卫报》 The Guardian: http://www.guardian.co.uk
5.《观察家报》 The Observer: http://www.observer.co.uk
6.《星期日报》The Sunday Times: http://www.sunday-times.co.uk
7.《每日快报》 The Daily Express: http://www.express.co.uk
8.《每日邮报》 The Daily Mail: http://www.dailymail.co.uk
9.《世界新闻报》 The News of the World: http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk
10.《国家地理》National Geographic: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/
11.《大西洋月刊》The Atlantic Monthly: http://www.theatlantic.com/
12.《经济学人》The economist http://www.economist.com
13.《旁观者》The Spectator: http://www.spectator.co.uk/
14.《新政治家》The New Statesman: http://www.newstatesman.co.uk/
15.《妇女界》The Woman’s Own: http://www.timeincuk.com/
16.《泰晤士报文学增刊》The Times Literary Supplement: http://www.the-tls.co.uk/
17.《新共和》The New Republic: http://newrepublic.com/
18《连线》Wired: http://www.wired.com/
19.《高等教育纪事报》The Chronicle of Higher Education: http://www.chronicle.com/
有了这些资源，我们从内容上已经离真题之源很近了，下一步就是再继续缩小范围，在这些文章里找到难度也跟托福类似的那些了。
托福阅读的出题来源
一、出题来源
事实上,托福阅读文章主要来自美国大学的教科书,一方面希望考生熟悉美国的教育,留学后可以更快地适应美国大学的课堂生活,另一方面也能让考生了解美国文化,毕竟文化的力量是很强的,一个民族的底蕴都是透过文化传达给人们的。
此外，部分题材来源于出题人对相关文章的整理，使所呈现出来的文章难度度能够与托福阅读题相匹配，能够有效区分和测试不同考生的英语水平。
托福阅读部分的内容涵盖了广泛的知识层面，从自然科学到生物科学，还有一定程度的美国历史和艺术，以及一些社会科学或人文学科。考生如果仔细研究就会发现托福阅读的考试内容就是人类的发展史，由最开始的自然界发展变化，包括地理、气候等，慢慢演变到对生物的探究，如动植物、微生物等。
自人类出现后，人们的生活逐渐变得越来越丰富多彩，他们渴望探索越来越多的领域。这不仅是文化的积淀，也是对历史的回顾和探索
二、阅读考点
1.词汇和语法
对于语言类考试来说，都会涉及到词汇和语法的考察，但不同的考试中，词汇和语法的考试形式会有一定的差异，如有的考试是在阅读中考察单词，有的考试是在单句填空中考察单词。因此，在备考托福阅读中，要科学背单词和语法。
2文章观点
在一篇文章中，所提供的信息并不是同等重要的。有些信息更重要，有些则不那么重要。因此，这部分其实是考察考生对托福阅读文章信息的甄别能力即认知能力。
大多数学生在阅读一篇文章时，大脑里都留下了一堆零碎的信息，但最终发现，所有的记住的信息都不是考试的内容，最直接的考察方法就是问因果，如：文章中提到了……是因为……。实际上考察的就是观点之间的关系。
3.组织结构
读完一篇文章之后，是否形成了清晰完整的文章结构框架，也叫作思维框架。托福阅读中的多项选择题，就是考察对文章架构的掌握，在此基础上，筛选主要信息的能力。
TPO托福阅读真题答案及解析
托福阅读真题：
The Long-Term Stability of Ecosystems
Plant communities assemble themselves flexibly, and their particular structure depends on the specific history of the area. Ecologists use the term “succession” to refer to the changes that happen in plant communities and ecosystems over time. The first community in a succession is called a pioneer community, while the long-lived community at the end of succession is called a climax community. Pioneer and successional plant communities are said to change over periods from 1 to 500 years. These changes—in plant numbers and the mix of species—are cumulative. Climax communities themselves change but over periods of time greater than about 500 years.
An ecologist who studies a pond today may well find it relatively unchanged in a year’s time. Individual fish may be replaced, but the number of fish will tend to be the same from one year to the next. We can say that the properties of an ecosystem are more stable than the individual organisms that compose the ecosystem.
At one time, ecologists believed that species diversity made ecosystems stable. They believed that the greater the diversity the more stable the ecosystem. Support for this idea came from the observation that long-lasting climax communities usually have more complex food webs and more species diversity than pioneer communities. Ecologists concluded that the apparent stability of climax ecosystems depended on their complexity. To take an extreme example, farmlands dominated by a single crop are so unstable that one year of bad weather or the invasion of a single pest can destroy the entire crop. In contrast, a complex climax community, such as a temperate forest, will tolerate considerable damage from weather to pests.
The question of ecosystem stability is complicated, however. The first problem is that ecologists do not all agree what “stability” means. Stability can be defined as simply lack of change. In that case, the climax community would be considered the most stable, since, by definition, it changes the least over time. Alternatively, stability can be defined as the speed with which an ecosystem returns to a particular form following a major disturbance, such as a fire. This kind of stability is also called resilience. In that case, climax communities would be the most fragile and the least stable, since they can require hundreds of years to return to the climax state.
Even the kind of stability defined as simple lack of change is not always associated with maximum diversity. At least in temperate zones, maximum diversity is often found in mid-successional stages, not in the climax community. Once a redwood forest matures, for example, the kinds of species and the number of individuals growing on the forest floor are reduced. In general, diversity, by itself, does not ensure stability. Mathematical models of ecosystems likewise suggest that diversity does not guarantee ecosystem stability—just the opposite, in fact. A more complicated system is, in general, more likely than a simple system to break down. A fifteen-speed racing bicycle is more likely to break down than a child’s tricycle.
Ecologists are especially interested to know what factors contribute to the resilience of communities because climax communities all over the world are being severely damaged or destroyed by human activities. The destruction caused by the volcanic explosion of Mount St. Helens, in the northwestern United States, for example, pales in comparison to the destruction caused by humans. We need to know what aspects of a community are most important to the community’s resistance to destruction, as well as its recovery.
Many ecologists now think that the relative long-term stability of climax communities comes not from diversity but from the “patchiness” of the environment, an environment that varies from place to place supports more kinds of organisms than an environment that is uniform. A local population that goes extinct is quickly replaced by immigrants from an adjacent community. Even if the new population is of a different species, it can approximately fill the niche vacated by the extinct population and keep the food web intact.
Paragraph 1: Plant communities assemble themselves flexibly, and their particular structure depends on the specific history of the area. Ecologists use the term “succession” to refer to the changes that happen in plant communities and ecosystems over time. The first community in a succession is called a pioneer community, while the long-lived community at the end of succession is called a climax community. Pioneer and successional plant communities are said to change over periods from 1 to 500 years. These changes—in plant numbers and the mix of species—are cumulative. Climax communities themselves change but over periods of time greater than about 500 years.
1. The word “particular” in the passage is closest in meaning to
○Natural
○Final
○Specific
○Complex
2. According to paragraph 1, which of the following is NOT true of climax communities?
○They occur at the end of a succession.
○They last longer than any other type of community.
○The numbers of plants in them and the mix of species do not change.
○They remain stable for at least 500 years at a time.
Paragraph 2: An ecologist who studies a pond today may well find it relatively unchanged in a year’s time. Individual fish may be replaced, but the number of fish will tend to be the same from one year to the next. We can say that the properties of an ecosystem are more stable than the individual organisms that compose the ecosystem.
3. According to paragraph 2, which of the following principles of ecosystems can be learned by studying a pond?
○Ecosystem properties change more slowly than individuals in the system.
○The stability of an ecosystem tends to change as individuals are replaced.
○Individual organisms are stable from one year to the next.
○A change in the members of an organism does not affect an ecosystem’s properties
Paragraph 3: At one time, ecologists believed that species diversity made ecosystems stable. They believed that the greater the diversity the more stable the ecosystem. Support for this idea came from the observation that long-lasting climax communities usually have more complex food webs and more species diversity than pioneer communities. Ecologists concluded that the apparent stability of climax ecosystems depended on their complexity. To take an extreme example, farmlands dominated by a single crop are so unstable that one year of bad weather or the invasion of a single pest can destroy the entire crop. In contrast, a complex climax community, such as a temperate forest, will tolerate considerable damage from weather of pests.
4. According to paragraph 3, ecologists once believed that which of the following illustrated the most stable ecosystems?
○Pioneer communities
○Climax communities
○Single-crop farmlands
○Successional plant communities
Paragraph 4: The question of ecosystem stability is complicated, however. The first problem is that ecologists do not all agree what “stability” means. Stability can be defined as simply lack of change. In that case, the climax community would be considered the most stable, since, by definition, it changes the least over time. Alternatively, stability can be defined as the speed with which an ecosystem returns to a particular form following a major disturbance, such as a fire. This kind of stability is also called resilience. In that case, climax communities would be the most fragile and the least stable, since they can require hundreds of years to return to the climax state.
5. According to paragraph 4, why is the question of ecosystem stability complicated?
○The reasons for ecosystem change are not always clear.
○Ecologists often confuse the word “stability” with the word “resilience.”
○The exact meaning of the word “stability” is debated by ecologists.
○There are many different answers to ecological questions.
6. According to paragraph 4, which of the following is true of climax communities?
○They are more resilient than pioneer communities.
○They can be considered both the most and the least stable communities.
○They are stable because they recover quickly after major disturbances.
○They are the most resilient communities because they change the least over time.
Paragraph 5: Even the kind of stability defined as simple lack of change is not always associated with maximum diversity. At least in temperate zones, maximum diversity is often found in mid-successional stages, not in the climax community. Once a redwood forest matures, for example, the kinds of species and the number of individuals growing on the forest floor are reduced. In general, diversity, by itself, does not ensure stability. Mathematical models of ecosystems likewise suggest that diversity does not guarantee ecosystem stability—just the opposite, in fact. A more complicated system is, in general, more likely than a simple system to break down. (A fifteen-speed racing bicycle is more likely to break down than a child’s tricycle.)
7. Which of the following can be inferred from paragraph 5 about redwood forests?
○They become less stable as they mature.
○They support many species when they reach climax.
○They are found in temperate zones.
○They have reduced diversity during mid-successional stages.
8. The word “guarantee” in the passage is closest in meaning to
○Increase
○Ensure
○Favor
○Complicate
9. In paragraph 5, why does the author provide the information that “(A fifteen-speed racing bicycle is more likely to break down than a child’s tricycle)”?
○To illustrate a general principle about the stability of systems by using an everyday example
○To demonstrate that an understanding of stability in ecosystems can be applied to help understand stability in other situations
○To make a comparison that supports the claim that, in general, stability increases with diversity
○To provide an example that contradicts mathematical models of ecosystems
Paragraph 6: Ecologists are especially interested to know what factors contribute to the resilience of communities because climax communities all over the world are being severely damaged or destroyed by human activities. The destruction caused by the volcanic explosion of Mount St. Helens, in the northwestern United States, for example, pales in comparison to the destruction caused by humans. We need to know what aspects of a community are most important to the community’s resistance to destruction, as well as its recovery.
10. The word “pales” in the passage is closest in meaning to
○Increases proportionally
○Differs
○Loses significance
○Is common
Paragraph 7：Many ecologists now think that the relative long-term stability of climax communities comes not from diversity but from the “patchiness” of the environment, an environment that varies from place to place supports more kinds of organisms than an environment that is uniform. A local population that goes extinct is quickly replaced by immigrants from an adjacent community. Even if the new population is of a different species, it can approximately fill the niche vacated by the extinct population and keep the food web intact.
11.Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in the passage? Incurred choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.
○Ecologists now think that the stability of an environment is a result of diversity rather than patchiness.
○Patchy environments that vary from place to place do not often have high species diversity.
○Uniform environments cannot be climax communities because they do not support as many types of organisms as patchy environments.
○A patchy environment is thought to increase stability because it is able to support a wide variety of organisms.
12.The word “adjacent” in the passage is closest in meaning to
○Foreign
○Stable
○Fluid
○Neighboring
Paragraph 6: Ecologists are especially interested to know what factors contribute to the resilience of communities because climax communities all over the world are being severely damaged or destroyed by human activities. The destruction caused by the volcanic explosion of Mount St. Helens, in the northwestern United States, for example, pales in comparison to the destruction caused by humans. We need to know what aspects of a community are most important to the community’s resistance to destruction, as well as its recovery.
13.Look at the four squares [ ] that indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage.
In fact, damage to the environment by humans is often much more severe than damage by natural events and processes.
Where would the sentence best fit? Click on a square to add the sentence to the passage.
14.Directions: An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage is provided below. Complete the summary by selecting the THREE answer choices that express the most important ideas in the passage. Some sentences do not belong in the summary because they express ideas that are not presented in the passage or are minor ideas in the passage. This question is worth 2 points.
The process of succession and the stability of a climax community can change over time.
Answer choices
○The changes that occur in an ecosystem from the pioneer to the climax community can be seen in one human generation.
○A high degree of species diversity does not always result in a stable ecosystem.
○The level of resilience in a plant community contributes to its long-term stability.
○Ecologists agree that climax communities are the most stable types of ecosystems.
○Disagreements over the meaning of the term “stability” make it difficult to identify the most stable ecosystems.
○The resilience of climax communities makes them resistant to destruction caused by humans.
托福阅读真题参考答案：
1. ○3 2. ○3 3. ○1 4. ○2 5. ○3 6. ○2 7. ○3 8. ○2 9. ○1 10. ○3 11. ○4 12. ○4 13. ○2 14. ○2 3 5
托福阅读真题译文：
生态系统的长期稳定
植物群体可以自由地聚集，他们特殊的结构取决于聚集区域的具体历史。生态学家使用“演替”来诠释植物群落和生态系统随着时间推移所发生的变化。演替中的第一个群落被称作先锋群落，而处于演替最后那个长期生存的群落被称为顶极群落。先锋群落和紧接着的植物群落的变化周期是从1到500年不等，植物数量和混合种类数量的变化是慢慢积累的。顶极群落本身也改变，但其变化周期超过500年。
现代一个研究池塘的生态学会发现池塘在一年当中相对而言是不变的。个别鱼类可能被替换，但一年一年鱼的总数都趋于一致。也就是说，生态系统自身的性质比组成生态系统的单个生物体更为稳定。
生态学家们一度认为物种的多样性使生态系统稳定，生态系统物种越多样则生态系统越稳定。通过观察得出的结论支持了这个观点，长期持久的顶极群落通常要比先锋群落具备更为复杂的食物网和更多的物种。生态学家家们得出的结论是：顶点生态系统的稳定性明显取决于他们的复杂化程度。举个极端的例子，在单一作物的农田中，一年的恶劣天气或单一害虫的入侵就可以摧毁所有作物。与此相反，在一个复杂的顶极群落里，如温带森林，他们便可以抵御来自气候和害虫的入侵。
不管怎样，生态系统稳定性的问题非常复杂。首先，不是所有的生态学家都赞同“稳定”的含义。稳定性可以简单地定义为缺乏变化。如果是这样的话，顶极群落将被视为最稳定的，因为根据定义，他们随着时间推移而变化是最少。另外，稳定性也可以界定为生态系统在经历了严重破坏之后回复原貌的速度，比如火灾。这种稳定性也被称作弹性。在这种情况下，顶极群落将是最脆弱和最不稳定的，因为他们可能需要数百年时间才能恢复到顶点状态。
即使是这种被定义为简单地缺乏变化的稳定性并非总是与最多样的物种联系起来。至少在温带地区，会经常在演替过程中发现最多物种，而不是在顶极群落中。例如，红树林一旦成熟，其中的物种数量以及单个物种的数量都会减少。总的来说，多样性本身并不能保证稳定性，生态系统的数学模型也可以得出同样的结论。一般来说，一个更复杂的系统可能比一个简单的系统更容易被破坏(一个十五速的赛车比一个孩子的三轮车更容易损坏)。
生态学家们更想弄清楚到底哪些因素有助于促成群落的恢复，因为世界各地的顶极群落都因为人类活动而遭受到严重的损坏或毁坏。就像美国西北部圣海伦火山的猛烈喷发所造成的破坏，在人类活动对环境造成的的破坏面前也相形见绌。我们必须了解对群落抵抗破坏和恢复来说哪些是最重要的。
现在的很多生态学家们认为，顶极群落相对长期的稳定性并非来于自多样性，而是来自环境的“补缀”，随处变化的环境比统一的环境更有利于多种有机体的生存。当地物种灭亡后，马上就会被相邻群落的移民取代。即便是另一种不同的物种，他们也可以填补那些已灭绝生物的空缺，并保持食物网的完整。
托福阅读题来源是哪里相关文章：
