TOEFL Reading Practice Test #51

Explanation:
Paragraph 1 explains that when New Zealand separated from Gondwanaland, creatures unable to cross oceans could not migrate there. Since snakes and most mammals evolved after this separation, they were absent from New Zealand.

C. is correct; it aligns with the passage’s explanation that mammals evolving after the separation could not reach New Zealand.
A. is incorrect; bats and seals arrived in New Zealand by flying or swimming, not originating there.
B. is incorrect; the paragraph specifies that most mammals evolved **after** New Zealand separated, so they were not present beforehand.
D. is incorrect; it is not discussed whether mammals evolved from pre-existing animals in New Zealand—this goes beyond the passage.

Explanation:
Paragraph 2 describes moa as “gigantic wingless birds that stood as much as 10 feet (3 meters) tall and weighed as much as 550 pounds (250 kilograms).” It also notes that moa “may have had relatively low reproductive rates; apparently, they usually laid only one egg at a time.” Furthermore, moa evolved in an environment without mammalian predators, which allowed them to grow very large.

C. is correct; it aligns with the passage’s explanation that moa evolved for 80 million years without mammalian predators.
A. is incorrect; moa were explicitly described as wingless.
B. is incorrect; moa laid only one egg at a time, indicating low reproductive rates.
D. is incorrect; moa were among the largest birds ever, not small or light.

Explanation:
The passage notes that climatic conditions were relatively stable to clarify that climate change was **not** a major factor in the extinction of moa. This sets up the discussion of other causes, such as human hunting and habitat alteration.

A. is correct; the author uses the stability of climate to rule out climate as a plausible explanation for moa extinction.
B. is incorrect; the statement does not address survival into the time of Captain Cook.
C. is incorrect; the passage links survival in remote areas to human factors and habitat, not climate.
D. is incorrect; the passage states the opposite—that climate was stable, not widely varying.

Explanation:
In context, the passage describes the disappearance of moa as occurring quickly rather than over a long period, emphasizing the speed of extinction.

D. is correct; “abrupt” means sudden or happening quickly.
A. is incorrect; gradual implies a slow process, the opposite of abrupt.
B. is incorrect; complete refers to totality, not the speed of occurrence.
C. is incorrect; predicted refers to something anticipated, not sudden.

Explanation:
Paragraph 4 explains that although the Maori burned forests and shrublands, this occurred after the most intensive hunting of moa, and some habitats remained intact. This shows that habitat destruction alone cannot fully explain the extinction.

B. is correct; the passage notes that moa populations were already depleted before major forest burning began.
A. is incorrect; the paragraph mentions that large forest tracts remained, but the key point is the timing relative to population decline, not just location.
C. is incorrect; the passage does not indicate moa extinction happened long after burning stopped.
D. is incorrect; there is no mention of moa adapting to burned forests.

Explanation:
Paragraph 4 uses this example to show the sheer quantity of moa remains found at a site, highlighting the significant hunting pressure exerted by the Maori.

C. is correct; the passage emphasizes that the large volume of remains reflects intensive hunting.
A. is incorrect; the example illustrates hunting intensity, not the original population size.
B. is incorrect; the statement does not focus on scientific interest.
D. is incorrect; there is no indication that hunting was restricted to the South Island.

Explanation:
Paragraph 6 notes that evidence of diseases is difficult to determine directly from paleoecological or archaeological remains, making it challenging to assess their impact on moa populations.

B. is correct; the passage explicitly mentions the difficulty of identifying past diseases from the available remains.
A. is incorrect; there is no discussion of previous research outcomes.
C. is incorrect; the paragraph mentions analyzing ancient DNA as a possibility, so DNA may exist.
D. is incorrect; the passage does not discuss time or cost as reasons for uncertainty.

Explanation:
The highlighted sentence emphasizes that the story of moa extinction illustrates how species are vulnerable to human-caused environmental changes, including specific modifications to vegetation, physical environment, and flora/fauna.

1. Correct; this option captures the essential idea that moa extinction highlights species vulnerability to human-caused environmental changes. It preserves both the example (moa) and the broader ecological concern.
2. Incorrect; while true, it is overly general and omits the human-caused aspect and the specific types of environmental change, losing the main focus of the highlighted sentence.
3. Incorrect; this focuses only on the details of environmental change experienced by moa, leaving out the central point about species vulnerability and the broader ecological lesson.
4. Incorrect; it is vague and only mentions ecologists, not the key idea of species vulnerability to human-induced environmental changes.

Explanation:
The sentence provides specific information about the number of moa species, which logically follows the discussion of the diverse array of remains. It connects evidence from fossils and DNA to the classification of moa species.

[4] is correct; placing the sentence here directly supports and elaborates on the preceding statement about the variety of remains.
[1] is incorrect; this spot introduces the moa in general, and DNA evidence of species count is too detailed to insert here.
[2] is incorrect; this sentence emphasizes the size of moa, so mentioning species number would interrupt the flow.
[3] is incorrect; the focus here is on the description of physical remains, and the DNA evidence is better presented after describing these remains.

Explanation:
Paragraphs 1–6 describe the ecological context of moa, human predation, and the possible contributing factors to their extinction.

A. is correct; the passage emphasizes that moa evolved in New Zealand without mammalian predators and filled ecological roles normally occupied by large herbivorous mammals.
B. is incorrect; the passage mentions low reproductive rates but does not link this to climate changes or a prior high reproductive rate.
C. is incorrect; DNA analysis is discussed in the context of identifying the number of moa species, not the timing of extinction.
D. is correct; human hunting and habitat alteration by the Maori are highlighted as primary causes of moa decline.
E. is incorrect; forest burning is mentioned as a partial factor, not the main cause.
F. is correct; the passage notes that introduced dogs, rats, and possible diseases could have affected moa populations, though direct evidence is lacking.