NEW TOEFL Reading Practice Test #2

Explanation:

The passage begins by introducing the puzzle of Maya civilization's decline, then proceeds to discuss how early single-cause theories have been replaced by more complex multi-factor explanations, and concludes by refining the concept of "collapse" itself. The overall structure is focused on presenting how scholars currently understand the Maya decline. Option A is incorrect because while Maya achievements are mentioned, they serve as context rather than the main focus. Option B is too general; the passage focuses specifically on the Maya, not on why studying ancient civilizations matters broadly. Option D is not supported; the passage does not compare the Maya favorably or unfavorably to other civilizations. The passage is fundamentally about explaining the current scholarly understanding of what happened to the Maya.

Explanation:

The passage explicitly states: "Early theories attributed the Maya collapse to a single catastrophic cause, such as foreign invasion or epidemic disease." This directly supports option B. The passage then contrasts this with modern research that "suggests a more complex picture" involving "a combination of challenges." Option A describes the modern approach, not early theories. Option C might be partially true but is not what the passage emphasizes about early theories; the key characteristic mentioned is the focus on single causes. Option D is not supported; the passage doesn't indicate that early theories blamed the Maya people for moral or cultural failings, but rather pointed to external catastrophes like invasion or disease.

Explanation:

The passage states that "The civilization's success had led to population growth that eventually exceeded the land's carrying capacity." In this context, exceeded means went beyond or surpassed the carrying capacity. If population merely approached or equaled the carrying capacity, there might not be a crisis, but exceeding it means the population grew larger than what the land could sustainably support. This excess would create the problems described in the passage. Option A (approached) suggests getting close but not going beyond. Option B (equaled) suggests matching but not going beyond. Option D (estimated) doesn't make logical sense in this context; carrying capacity is not about estimation but about actual limits being surpassed.

Explanation:

The passage lists several challenges the Maya faced: "prolonged drought, environmental degradation from deforestation, soil depletion, and internal political conflict." Options A, B, and D are all explicitly mentioned in this list. Option C, foreign conquest, is mentioned only as an example of early theories that have been superseded: "Early theories attributed the Maya collapse to a single catastrophic cause, such as foreign invasion or epidemic disease." The passage then contrasts these discredited theories with modern evidence pointing to the combination of factors listed above. Foreign invasion is presented as what researchers used to think happened, not as what actually occurred based on current evidence.

Explanation:

The final paragraph explains: "Importantly, the Maya collapse was not complete extinction. While many lowland cities were abandoned, Maya people and culture persisted in other regions. Some communities actually thrived after the classic period." The passage argues that "collapse" implies total failure or extinction, but the reality was more nuanced, with continuation and transformation. This makes option C correct. Option A is the opposite of what the passage states. Option B is contradicted by the passage, which rejected foreign invasion theories. Option D is not supported; the passage describes the decline as "relatively sudden" in the first paragraph, and the issue with the term "collapse" is not about speed but about the implication of total extinction versus transformation and persistence.