TOEFL Reading Practice Test #32

Explanation:

(A) not formulated a theory about → Incorrect because scientists have formulated multiple theories, but they have not agreed on which one is correct.

(C) not been able to explain → Incorrect because explanations have been proposed, but there is no agreement.

(D) not found evidence for → Incorrect because the passage discusses different types of evidence used to study angiosperms.

Explanation:

(A) fossils of angiosperm stems and leaves → Included in the passage as sources of evidence.

(B) knowledge of the structure of modern angiosperms → Mentioned as "modern plant morphology (structure)."

(D) genetic studies of modern angiosperms → Mentioned as part of the research.

Explanation:

(A) reply → Incorrect because "maintain" does not mean "respond to something."

(B) assume → Incorrect because "assume" implies something is accepted without evidence, whereas "maintain" suggests a firm stance.

(C) suspect → Incorrect because "suspect" implies uncertainty, while "maintain" suggests confidence.

Explanation:

(A) The ancestor of today’s angiosperms was most likely a palmlike tropical plant → Incorrect because the passage presents multiple possibilities (cycads, seed-bearing ferns, pines).

(C) Angiosperms likely evolved from three very different plants → Incorrect because the passage presents three competing theories, not a combination of all three.

(D) Angiosperms share a common ancestor with modern pines → Incorrect because this is just one hypothesis, not the agreed-upon conclusion.

Explanation:

(B) Their numbers remained stable during this period → Incorrect because their numbers increased.

(C) They existed in forms that are very unlike plants living today → Incorrect because many resembled modern magnolias.

(D) They only rarely left traces in the fossil record → Incorrect because fossils of early angiosperms were found.

Explanation

(B) To explain how scientists have determined the geographical location of supercontinents during Earth’s early history. → Incorrect because the passage does not focus on reconstructing the positions of ancient landmasses. Instead, it uses fossil evidence to track angiosperm evolution.

(C) To provide evidence that angiosperms evolved in similar ways in different parts of the world. → Incorrect because the passage does not suggest independent evolution of angiosperms in different locations. Instead, it argues that angiosperms likely originated in one place (tropical Gondwanaland) and then spread.

(D) To challenge the idea that angiosperms spread toward the poles during the Cretaceous. → Incorrect because the passage actually supports the idea that angiosperms spread from the tropics outward, which aligns with the hypothesis that they migrated toward the poles over time.

Explanation:

(A) Some botanists who agree with the idea of an African-South American center for the dispersal of angiosperms point to primitive South Pacific angiosperms as evidence. → Incorrect because botanists who believe in the African-South American origin do not use South Pacific plants as supporting evidence. Instead, it is the scientists who challenge that theory who focus on the South Pacific.

(C) Angiosperms in Fiji, New Caledonia, New Guinea, eastern Australia, and the Malay Archipelago are more primitive than angiosperms in other parts of the world. → Incorrect because the passage does not say that South Pacific angiosperms are the most primitive overall. It only mentions that some primitive forms exist there.

(D) Botanists disagree over whether the most primitive forms of living plants are located in parts of Africa and South America or in the South Pacific. → Incorrect because the debate is not just about where primitive plants are found, but rather about where angiosperms first evolved. The disagreement is about the origin of angiosperms, not just their modern distribution.

Explanation:

(B) They contain flowers that appear modern for the age of the fossils. → Incorrect because the passage describes these fossils as having very primitive flowers, not modern ones.

(C) They convinced most botanists that angiosperms did not originate in northern Asia. → Incorrect because the passage does not say that most botanists reject the idea of an Asian origin. Instead, it presents the fossil discovery as an important piece of evidence that complicates the debate.

(D) They are not as old as angiosperm fossils discovered in the South Pacific. → Incorrect because the passage does not mention angiosperm fossils in the South Pacific that are older than the Chinese fossils. In fact, the 130-million-year-old Chinese fossils are among the earliest known angiosperm fossils.

Explanation:
The sentence states that the origin and evolution of angiosperms have been disputed, which logically introduces the discussion of different hypotheses about their ancestors.

Placing it before the discussion of cycads, seed-bearing ferns, and pines helps set up the idea that there is no scientific consensus.

The other placements would disrupt the logical flow of the passage, as the sentence serves as a transition into the various theories.

Explanation:

(A) is incorrect because the passage does not highlight the rarity of angiosperm fossils as a primary issue; it discusses fossil findings, not their scarcity.

(B) is correct because the passage mentions that angiosperms existed as early as the Early Cretaceous and eventually dominated the planet's flora.

(C) is correct because fossil evidence suggests that angiosperms evolved in the tropics and then spread toward the poles, which is a significant point in the passage.

(D) is incorrect because the passage only mentions that some early angiosperms resembled magnolias, not that they were confirmed as the direct ancestor.

(E) is incorrect because the passage does not claim that angiosperms appeared later than previously thought; it only discusses how new discoveries complicate the understanding of their evolution.

(F) is correct because the passage discusses two theories: one based on South Pacific angiosperms and another from recent fossil discoveries in China.