第二章 8天挑战——24个经典托福话题

Day 1

Great Depression

1.The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression that took place during the 1930s.The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations；however，in most countries it started in 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s.It was the longest，deepest，and most widespread depression of the 20th century.In the 21st century，the Great Depression is commonly used as an example of how far the world's economy might decline.The Great Depression had devastating effects in countries both rich and poor.Personal income，tax revenue，profits and prices dropped in the U.S.，while international trade plunged by more than 50%.Unemployment in the U.S.rose to 25% and in some countries rose as high as 33%.

2.Economic historians usually attribute the start of the Great Depression to the sudden devastating collapse of U.S.stock market prices on October 29，1929，known as Black Tuesday；however，others dispute this conclusion and see the stock crash as a symptom，rather than a cause of the Great Depression.Even after the Wall Street Crash of 1929，optimism persisted for some time.John D.Rockefeller said：“These are days when many are discouraged.In the 93 years of my life，depressions have come and gone.Prosperity has always returned and will again.” The stock market turned upward in early 1930，returning to early 1929 levels by April.This was still almost 30% below the peak of September 1929.Some economic studies have indicated that just as the downturn was spread worldwide by the rigidities of the Gold Standard，it was suspending gold convertibility，or devaluing the currency in gold terms，that did the most to make recovery possible.

3.Every major currency left the gold standard during the Great Depression.Great Britain was the first to do so.Facing speculative attacks on the pound and depleting gold reserves，in September 1931，the Bank of England ceased exchanging pound notes for gold and the pound was floated on foreign exchange markets.Many economists have argued that the sharp decline in international trade after 1930 helped to worsen the depression，especially for countries significantly dependent on foreign trade.Most historians and economists partly blame the American Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act（enacted June 17，1930）for worsening the depression by seriously reducing international trade and causing retaliatory tariffs in other countries.While foreign trade was a small part of overall economic activity in the U.S.and was concentrated in a few businesses like farming，it was a much larger factor in many other countries.The average ad valorem rate of duties on dutiable imports for 1921—1925 was 25.9%，but under the new tariff，it jumped to 50% during 1931—1935.

4.In most countries of the world，recovery from the Great Depression began in 1933.In the U.S.，recovery began in early 1933，but the U.S.did not return to 1929 GNP for over a decade and still had an unemployment rate of about 15% in 1940，albeit down from the high of 25% in 1933.The measurement of the unemployment rate in this time period was unsophisticated and complicated by the presence of massive underemployment，in which employers and workers engaged in rationing of jobs.

5.■In rural and small-town areas around the world，women expanded their operation of vegetable gardens to include as much food production as possible.■In the United States，agricultural organizations sponsored programs to teach housewives how to optimize their gardens and to raise poultry for meat and eggs.■Quilts were created for practical use from various inexpensive materials，which increased social interaction for women and promoted camaraderie and personal fulfillment.■Oral history provides evidence for how housewives in a modern industrial city handled shortages of money and resources.Often they updated strategies their mothers used when they were growing up in poor families.Cheap foods were used，such as soups，beans and noodles.They purchased the cheapest cuts of meat—sometimes even horse meat—and recycled the Sunday roast into sandwiches and soups.They sewed and patched clothing，traded with their neighbors for outgrown items，and made do with colder homes.New furniture and appliances were postponed until better days.Many women also worked outside the home，or took boarders，did laundry for trade or cash，and did sewing for neighbors in exchange for something they could offer.Extended families used mutual aid—extra food，spare rooms，repair-work，cash loans—to help.

6.The common view among economic historians is that the Great Depression ended with the advent of World War Ⅱ.Many economists believe that government spending on the war caused or at least accelerated recovery from the Great Depression，though most of the experts consider that it did not play a very large role in the recovery.It did help in reducing unemployment.The U.S.' entry into the war in 1941 finally eliminated the last effects from the Great Depression and brought the U.S.unemployment rate down below 10%.In the U.S.，massive war spending doubled economic growth rates，either masking the effects of the depression or essentially ending the depression.Businessmen ignored the mounting national debt and heavy new taxes，redoubling their efforts for greater output to take advantage of generous government contracts.

1.In Paragraph 1，the author indicates that

（A）The Great Depression had deep impacts on only underdeveloped countries.

（B）Consumer prices and international trade declined altogether.

（C）The Great Depression's side effects are still going on across the globe.

（D）The U.S.had shown the worst unemployment rate during the Great Depression.

2.Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in the passage?Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.

（A）Economists think the primary reason of the Great Depression was a sudden destructive collapse of the U.S.stock market prices，but others believe Black Tuesday was a major factor as a symptom.

（B）Economic historians consider the Great Depression as Black Tuesday which led to the sudden deva￣stating collapse of U.S.stock market,but others dispute the Great Depression was a symptom of the stock crash.

（C）While some economic historians believe the main cause of the Great Depression derived from abrupt devastating collapse of U.S.stock market,others who contradict this conclusion think the stock decline as a symptom.

（D）Some economic historians attribute the beginning of the Great Depression to the abrupt collapse of U.S.stock market，known as Black Tuesday，and others refute this conclusion，saying that the stock crash acted as a symptom as well as a major cause.

3.The word peak in the passage is closest in meaning to

（A）summit.

（B）durability.

（C）adornment.

（D）cultivation.

4.The word it in the passage refers to

（A）Gold Standard.

（B）currency.

（C）downturn.

（D）stock market.

5.In Paragraph 2，why does the author mention Rockefeller's quote?

（A）To refute the prevailing economic optimism.

（B）To contrast both traits of the Great Depression.

（C）To comfort those in need of financial aids.

（D）To illustrate existing optimistic pr- ospects.

6.Based on the information in Paragraph 3，which of the following is the primary factor to aggravate the depression?

（A）Ceasing exchanging pound notes.

（B）Great Britain's moratorium.

（C）New tariff.

（D）Decline in international trade.

7.The word albeit in the passage is closest in meaning to

（A）because.

（B）although.

（C）unless.

（D）providing that.

8.All of the following statements are made in Paragraph 4 about indication of economic recovery EXCEPT

（A）Recovery started from 1933 in most countries.

（B）The U.S.didn't return to 1929 GNP level.

（C）Employers and workers were assigned jobs.

（D）The unemployment rate was influenced by the massive government intervention.

9.According to Paragraph 5，which of the following is true?

（A）Women used barter systems with their neighbors.

（B）Many women were not allowed to work outside the home.

（C）Cheap foods，such as soups or beans，were preferred by women rather than men.

（D）Quilts were created for ceremonial purposes from various inexpensive materials.

10.The word eliminated in the passage is closest in meaning to

（A）outdated.

（B）removed.

（C）evidenced.

（D）accommodated.

11.The passage suggests that all of the following could be involved in the advent of World War Ⅱ EXCEPT

（A）The end of the Great Depression.

（B）The reduction of the unemployment rate.

（C）Increasing economic growth rates.

（D）More attention to national debt.

12.Look at the four squares [■] that indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage.

In American cities，African American women quilt makers enlarged their activities，promoted collaboration，and trained neophytes.

Where would the sentence best fit? Click on a square[■] to add the sentence to the passage.

13—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 Great Depression in the U.S.，which caused a lot of economic recession，was overcome by a series of efforts.

Tragedy of Titanic

1.Titanic was a British passenger liner that sank in the North Atlantic Ocean in the early morning of 15 April 1912，after colliding with an iceberg during her maiden voyage from Southampton，UK，to New York City，U.S.The sinking resulted in the deaths of more than 1,500 passengers and crew，making it one of the deadliest commercial peacetime maritime disasters in modern history.

2.The passenger facilities aboard Titanic aimed to meet the highest standards of luxury.According to Titanic's general arrangement plans，the ship could accommodate 833 first class passengers，614 in second class and 1 006 in third class，for a total passenger capacity of 2,453.In addition，her capacity for crew members exceeded 900，as most documents of her original configuration have stated that her full carrying capacity for both passengers and crew was approximately 3,547.Her interior design was a departure from that of other passenger liners，which had typically been decorated in the rather heavy style of a manor house or an English country house.

3.Passengers could use an on-board telephone system，a lending library and a large barber shop.The first class section had a swimming pool，a gymnasium，a squash court，a Turkish bath，an electric bath and a verandah cafe.The first class common rooms were adorned with ornate wood paneling，expensive furniture and other decorations，while the third class general rooms had pine paneling and sturdy teak furniture.The Café Parisien was located on a sunlit veranda fitted with trellis decorations and offered the best French haute cuisine.

4.Under the command of Edward Smith，the ship carried some of the wealthiest people in the world，as well as hundreds of emigrants from Great Britain and Ireland，Scandinavia and elsewhere throughout Europe seeking a new life in North America.A high-power radiotelegraph transmitter was available for sending passenger “marconigrams” and for the ship's operational use.Although Titanic had advanced safety features such as watertight compartments and remotely activated watertight doors，there were not enough lifeboats to accommodate all of those aboard due to outdated maritime safety regulations.Titanic only carried enough lifeboats for 1,178 people-slightly more than half of the number on board，and one third of her total capacity.

5.After leaving Southampton on 10 April 1912，Titanic called at Cherbourg in France and Queenstown in Ireland before heading west to New York.On 14 April 1912，four days into the crossing and about 375 miles south of Newfoundland，she hit an iceberg at 11:40 p.m.ship's time.The collision caused the ship's hull plates to buckle inwards along her starboard side and opened five of her sixteen watertight compartments to the sea；the ship gradually filled with water.Meanwhile，passengers and some crew members were evacuated in lifeboats，many of which were launched only partly loaded.A disproportionate number of men were left aboard because of a “women and children first” protocol followed by some of the officers loading the lifeboats and lack of the number of lifeboats.By 2:20 a.m.，she broke apart and foundered，with well over one thousand people still aboard.Just under two hours after Titanic foundered，the Cunard liner，Carpathia arrived on the scene of the sinking，where she brought aboard an estimated 705 survivors.

6.The disaster was greeted with worldwide shock and outrage at the huge loss of life and the regulatory and operational failures that had led to it.Public inquiries in Britain and the United States led to major improvements in maritime safety.One of their most important legacies was the establishment in 1914 of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea（SOLAS），which still governs maritime safety today.Additionally，several new wireless regulations were passed around the world in an effort to learn from the many missteps in wireless communications-which could have saved many more passengers.

7.The wreck of Titanic remains on the seabed，split in two and gradually disintegrating at a depth of 12,415feet（3,784m）.Since her discovery in 1985，thousands of artifacts have been recovered and are now put on display at museums around the world.Titanic has become one of the most famous ships in history.Even youngsters influenced by those cultural waves actively participate in meaningful events online all across the globe.

15.What can be inferred from the fact mentioned in Paragraph 1?

（A）Titanic cruised across the continent.

（B）Many passengers knew Titanic collided with icebergs.

（C）The Titanic voyage's final destination was Southampton.

（D）The Titanic collapse took place during the wartime.

16.The word accommodate is closest in meaning to

（A）accept.

（B）debilitate.

（C）ameliorate.

（D）impose.

17. Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in the passage?Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.

（A）Her interior design was highly traditional in line with other existing passenger liners，which had been decorated in the heavy style.

（B）Unlike other passenger liners which had typically been adorned with the heavy style，her internal design was an innovation.

（C）While her interior design was decorated in the heavy style like an English country house，those of other passenger liners deviated from it.

（D）Her interior design broke away from that of other passenger liners，which had generally been decorated in the light fashion of a manor house or an English country one.

18. According to Paragraph 3，each class room is equipped with a variety of facilities EXCEPT

（A）The first class had a swimming pool.

（B）The third class general room had pine paneling.

（C）The café offered the best French cuisine.

（D）The first class common rooms were decorated with ornate steel paneling.

19. Based on the information in Paragraphs 4 and 5，what can be inferred about Titanic's safety features?

（A）Titanic was full of hundreds of emigrants.

（B）Advanced devices like radiotelegraph guaranteed passengers' safety precaution.

（C）Lack of the number of lifeboats foreshadowed Titanic's unstable voyage.

（D）Titanic had lack of passenger capacity to board.

20.The word which in the passage refers to

（A）lifeboats.

（B）passengers.

（C）crew members.

（D）number of men.

21. The word foundered in the passage is closest in meaning to

（A）carried.

（B）established.

（C）sank.

（D）prompted.

22. According to Paragraph 5，the au- thor's view of Titanic's collision with an iceberg is

（A）illusionary and religious.

（B）urgent and subjective.

（C）observational and chronological.

（D）timely and scientific.

23. The author would most likely agree with which of the following statements?

（A）Details about wireless communications have been improved for recurrence prevention.

（B）Continental voyage was suspended until further advanced technologies were introduced.

（C）Public inquiries in maritime safety had been ignored over time.

（D）Some people raised a doubt on establishing the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea.

24. The word legacies in the passage is closest in meaning to

（A）deliveries.

（B）menaces.

（C）experiments.

（D）heritages.

25. According to Paragraph 7，the wreck of Titanic brought all of the following EXCEPT

（A）Recollection of artifacts.

（B）Placed as one of the best ships in history.

（C）Discovery deep in the sea in 1985.

（D）Recreated with a variety of literary works.

26. Look at the four squares [■] that indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage.

Her memory is kept alive by numerous works of popular culture，including books，folk songs，films，exhibits，and memorials.

Where would the sentence best fit? Click on a square[■] to add the sentence to the passage.

27—28. Directions：Select the appropri-　　　　　　　ate phrases from the answer choices and match them to the term to which they relate.Two of the answer choices will NOT be used.

This question is worth 2 points.

The Iron Curtain

1.The iron curtain formed the imaginary boundary dividing Europe into two separate areas from the end of World War Ⅱ in 1945 until the end of the cold war in 1991.■The term symbolized efforts by the Soviet Union to block itself and its satellite states from open contact with the west and non-Soviet-controlled areas.■On either side of the iron curtain，states developed their own international economic and military alliances.■Physically，the iron curtain took the form of border defenses between the countries of Europe in the middle of the continent.■The most notable border was marked by the Berlin Wall and its checkpoint Charlie，which served as a symbol of the curtain as a whole.The events that demolished the iron curtain started in discontent in Poland，and continued in Hungary，the German Democratic Republic（East Germany），Bulgaria，Czechoslovakia，and Romania.Romania became the only communist state in Europe to overthrow its government with violence.

2.The use of the term iron curtain as a metaphor for strict separation goes back at least as far as the early 19th century.It originally referred to fireproof curtains in theaters.Although its popularity as a cold war symbol is attributed to its use in a speech Winston Churchill gave in March 1946 in Fulton，Missouri，Nazi minister of propaganda，Joseph Goebbels had already used the term in reference to the Soviet Union.The antagonism between the Soviet Union and the west that came to be described as the “iron curtain” had various origins.

3.The allied powers and the central powers including the U.S.and the western countries had backed the white movement against the Bolsheviks of the Soviet Union during the 1918—1920 Russian civil war，and the Soviets had not forgotten the fact.Relations between the west and the Soviets deteriorated further when the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany engaged in an extensive economic relationship by which the Soviet Union sent Germany vital oil，rubber，manganese and other materials in exchange for German weapons，manufacturing machinery and technology.Nazi-Soviet trade ended in June 1941 when Germany broke the pact and invaded the Soviet Union in Operation Barbarossa.

4.In January 1947 Harry Truman appointed general George Marshall as Secretary of State，scrapped Joint Chiefs of Staff（JCS）directive 1067，which embodied the Morgenthau Plan，and supplanted it with JCS 1779.This confidential claimed that an orderly and prosperous Europe requires the economic contributions of a stable and productive Germany.Administration officials met with Soviet foreign minister Vyacheslav Molotov and others to press for an economically self-sufficient Germany，including a detailed infrastructure already removed by the Soviets.

5.After several weeks of negotiations，Molotov refused the demands and the talks were adjourned.Marshall was particularly discouraged after personally meeting with Stalin，who expressed little interest in a solution to German economic problems.The United States concluded that a solution could not wait any longer.In a 5 June 1947 speech，Marshall announced a comprehensive program of American assistance to all European countries wanting to participate，including the Soviet Union and those of Eastern Europe，called the Marshall Plan.

6.Following a period of economic and political stagnation under Brezhnev and his immediate successors，the Soviet Union decreased its intervention in Eastern Bloc politics.Mikhail Gorbachev，general secretary from 1985，decreased adherence to the Brezhnev Doctrine，which held that if socialism was threatened in any state，then other socialist governments would have an obligation to intervene to preserve it，in favor of the Sinatra Doctrine.He also initiated the policies of glasnost，openness，and perestroika，which means economic restructuring in English.A wave of revolutions occurred throughout the eastern bloc in 1989.On 19 August 1989，more than 600 East Germans attending the Pan-European Picnic on the Hungarian border broke through the Iron Curtain and fled into Austria.Hungarian border guards had threatened to shoot anyone crossing the border，but when the time came，they did not intervene and allowed the people to cross.In a historic session from 16 to 20 October，the Hungarian parliament adopted legislation providing for multi-party parliamentary elections and a direct presidential election.

7.The Berlin Wall officially remained guarded after 9 November 1989，although the inter-German border had become effectively meaningless.The official dismantling of the wall by the East German military did not begin until June 1990.In July 1990，the day East Germany adopted the West German currency，all border-controls ceased and West German Chancellor Helmut Kohl convinced Gorbachev to drop Soviet objections to a reunited Germany within NATO in return for substantial German economic aid to the Soviet Union.

29. The author would most likely agree with which of the following statements in Paragraph 1?

（A）The iron curtain was conducive to globalization beyond the European continent.

（B）The iron curtain shaped the physical boundary dividing Europe into two separate areas in 1945.

（C）Both states cooperated each other for the sake of international economic and military alliances.

（D）The Soviet Union played an important role in separating both fractions.

30. The word notable in the passage is closest in meaning to

（A）hectic.

（B）flexible.

（C）remarkable.

（D）sedentary.

31. According to Paragraph 1，countries which contributed to the collapse of the iron curtain are EXCEPT

（A）Romania.

（B）East Germany.

（C）The Soviet Union.

（D）Bulgaria.

32. According to Paragraph 2，which of the following is true about the iron curtain?

（A）The adverse relations between the Soviet Union and the western countries gendered many origins.

（B）Winston Churchill first named its term in his Missouri speech in 1946.

（C）Joseph Goebbels antagonized its term against the Soviet Union.

（D）Its term was frequently used in theaters at that time.

33.The word deteriorated in the passage is closest in meaning to

（A）proliferated.

（B）aggravated.

（C）encompassed.

（D）deciphered.

34. Based on Paragraph 3，the author indicates that

（A）Through economic relationship，the Soviet and Nazi Germany prospered in economy.

（B）During the Russian civil war，Nazi-Soviet trade ended up.

（C）The Soviet Union gained military benefits from Nazi-Germany.

（D）Some western countries supported the Bolsheviks movement during the Russian civil war.

35. Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in the passage?Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.

（A）Administration officials met with Soviet foreign minister Vyacheslav Molotov and others and ask Germany to remove the Soviet's infrastructure.

（B）While administration officials met with Soviet foreign minister，others forced him to press for an independent Germany whose economy had already been destroyed by the Soviets.

（C）Government officials met Soviet diplomats to push an economically independent Germany whose infrastructure had already been removed by the Soviets.

（D）Administration officials met Soviet foreign minister and others to ask for a self-sufficient Germany,because its economy was dependent on a detailed infrastructure of the Soviets.

36.According to Paragraph 5，Marshall Plan was established for which of the following reasons?

（A）To give financial aids from America to European countries.

（B）To avoid the potential power or influence of the Soviet Union.

（C）To let all European countries to participate in helping the Soviet economy.

（D）To extend America's influence over the European countries against the Soviet Union.

37. The word it in the passage refers to

（A）obligation.

（B）Sinatra Doctrine.

（C）any state.

（D）Brezhnev Doctrine.

38. Which of the following can be inferred from Paragraph 6 about a clear manifestation of revolutions?

（A）The Hungarian parliament had been controlled by other socialist governments.

（B）Brezhnev's successors had to go through economic recession.

（C）The Hungarian government didn't allow refugees from Austria to come into their borders.

（D）The policies of glasnost and pe- restroika failed to be carried out by Brezhnev.

39. The word adopted in the passage is closest in meaning to

（A）promoted.

（B）introduced.

（C）plagiarized.

（D）discarded.

40. Look at the four squares [■] that indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage.

On the east side of the iron curtain were the countries that were connected to or influenced by the Soviet Union.

Where would the sentence best fit? Click on a square[■] to add the sentence to the passage.

41—42.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 Iron Curtain spread over the world，splitting into two parts between the western and the eastern and causing ideological and economic tension.