TOEFL Reading Practice Test #48

Explanation:
In the first paragraph, the passage states that “biodiversity…is distributed over the land surface of the planet.” Here, “distributed” refers to how biodiversity is spread across different regions of the Earth.

C. is correct; “spread” matches the meaning of “distributed” in this context.
A. is wrong because “represented” implies a symbol or example, not the physical presence over an area.
B. is incorrect; “collected” suggests gathering together, which is the opposite of spreading out.
D. is misleading; “managed” refers to control or regulation, which is not implied here.

Explanation:
The highlighted sentence explains that the tropics actually have more land area than higher latitudes, that map projections distort this perception, and that some biogeographers link this to differences in species diversity.

1. Incorrect; it reverses the meaning, suggesting biogeographers believe the tropics appear larger than they are, which is the opposite of the original idea.
2. Correct; this accurately paraphrases the highlighted sentence: it states the tropics have more land area, acknowledges projection distortions, and notes that some biogeographers attribute diversity differences to this fact.
3. Incorrect; it emphasizes disagreement among biogeographers about the representation, which is not the main point of the highlighted sentence.
4. Incorrect; it overstates consensus (“most biogeographers agree”) and misrepresents the original text, which only mentions that some biogeographers consider the effect relevant.

Explanation:
Paragraph 3 states that plant growth is favored where “temperatures are relatively high and uniform and where there is an ample supply of water.” The focus is on warm, steady temperatures and plentiful water.

C. is correct; high latitude is not mentioned as beneficial—in fact, higher latitudes generally have less favorable conditions.
A. is wrong because high temperatures are explicitly mentioned.
B. is incorrect because steady (uniform) temperatures are listed as favorable.
D. is misleading; plentiful water is specifically cited as supporting plant growth.

Explanation:
Paragraph 3 mentions “the precise number of layers varying with age and the nature of the forest.” Here, “precise” refers to the exact number, emphasizing accuracy rather than estimation.

A. is correct; “exact” matches the meaning of “precise.”
B. is wrong because “predicted” implies forecasting, which is unrelated.
C. is incorrect; “approximate” is the opposite of precise.
D. is misleading; “required” suggests necessity, not accuracy.

Explanation:
Paragraph 3 distinguishes structure from composition: “Structure is essentially the architecture of vegetation, and as in the case of some tropical forests, it can be extremely complicated,” whereas composition “refers to the species of organisms forming the community.” Structure is about arrangement; composition is about species identity.

C. is correct; it accurately conveys that structure is the arrangement of plants and composition identifies which species are present.
A. is wrong because structure is not limited to aboveground material, nor is composition about roots specifically.
B. is incorrect; structure is not about age, and composition is more specific than simply “nature.”
D. is misleading because structure involves more than canopy shape, and composition is not about counting crowns.

Explanation:
The passage uses the Amazon forest to illustrate how tropical forests can have multiple canopy layers, showing the complexity of vegetation structure. This serves as a concrete example to support the general idea of structural complexity.

B. is correct; the Amazon forest exemplifies the complex architecture of vegetation in tropical forests.
A. is wrong because the author does not dispute layering; layering is being explained.
C. is misleading; the passage specifies four layers, but the point is to illustrate complexity, not to suggest an unusually high number.
D. is incorrect; the discussion focuses on aboveground layers, not as evidence of root layers.

Explanation:
Paragraph 4 explains that the complexity of vegetation structure influences animal diversity, with more complex plant biomass creating varied microclimates that support more species. Therefore, a region rich in animal species likely has complex plant structure and high biomass.

A. is correct; high animal diversity correlates with abundant plant biomass and structural complexity, which implies a high diversity of plant species.
B. is wrong because complex vegetation leads to multiple microclimates, not fewer.
C. is incorrect; high animal diversity arises in regions with more complex, not less complex, plant structures.
D. is misleading; high diversity is associated with tropical biomass, which is greater than that of higher latitudes.

Explanation:
In paragraph 4, the passage says, “the structure of vegetation is simpler and the animal diversity is consequently lower.” Here, “consequently” shows a cause-and-effect relationship between simpler vegetation and lower animal diversity.

D. is correct; “therefore” conveys the same causal meaning.
A. is wrong because “usually” indicates frequency, not causation.
B. is incorrect; “obviously” suggests clarity, not a result.
C. is misleading; “however” indicates contrast, which is the opposite of the intended meaning.

Explanation:
Insertion questions require placing a sentence where it logically supports or illustrates the surrounding ideas. The sentence about Panama provides a concrete example of the higher species richness in the tropics, so it should directly follow the general statement about tropical biodiversity.

[1] is correct; the sentence fits here because it exemplifies the point that the tropics contain many more species than higher latitudes.
[2] is wrong because the sentence is about tropical abundance, not about why higher latitudes have lower diversity.
[3] is incorrect; this location focuses on land area explanations, not specific examples of tropical diversity.
[4] is misleading; the sentence would interrupt the discussion of map projections and biogeographers’ analyses.

Explanation:
Summary questions focus on the main points that explain why biodiversity differs across latitudes. Minor details or overly specific statements are not included.

A. is correct; the passage emphasizes that land area alone does not fully explain biodiversity differences.
B. is correct; favorable conditions for plant growth lead to abundant vegetation, which supports higher species diversity.
E. is correct; complex vegetation structure allows more species to inhabit a region.
C. is wrong because the passage emphasizes differences in structure complexity between tropical and temperate forests, not similarity.
D. is misleading; microclimate contributes indirectly but is not the main idea of the passage.
F. is incorrect; temperature affects vegetation indirectly, but the passage does not claim it solely determines animal behavior.