20260516-托福阅读真题解析|Dinosaur Feathers,也是老姥䎜朋友了~

那我们开始吧！本篇文章的标题为恐龙的羽毛，文本和题目如下，大家可以先花7分钟左右的时间完成一下，然后咱们就可以看解析啦！

Dinosaur Feathers

Paleontologists once thought dinosaurs were completely covered in scales. Recent discoveries have overturned this idea. Fossils found in China reveal some dinosaurs had feathers. These fossils, dating back approximately 126 million years, show traces of feathers around skeletons. The feathers were not for flight but likely for insulation or display.

One significant find was the feathered dinosaur Sinosauropteryx. This small, meat-eating dinosaur had simple, hairlike feathers on its body. This discovery showed that feathers were more common among dinosaurs than previously thought. Another discovery involved the larger, more complex feathers of Caudipteryx. These feathers were similar to those of modern birds, suggesting that feathers evolved in stages, becoming more sophisticated over time.

█ Researchers are now studying how feathered dinosaurs might have used their plumage. █ Some theories suggest that feathers helped regulate body temperature, while other theories propose that feathers were used for mating displays or camouflage. █ Understanding feather function in dinosaurs provides insights into their behavior and evolution. █

The idea that birds are direct descendants of dinosaurs has gained support from the findings about feathers. Fossil evidence reveals that many theropod dinosaurs, such as Velociraptor, had feathers similar to those of modern birds. These similarities in feather structures, including quill knobs and complex branching patterns, strengthen the theory that birds evolved from theropod dinosaurs.

1. The word “traces” in the passage is closest in meaning to

A development

B signs

C copies

D shadows

2. The discovery of Sinosauropteryx suggested which of the following?

A. Not all dinosaurs were relatively small meat-eaters.

B. Many dinosaurs likely had feathers on their bodies.

C. Dinosaur fossils are more likely to be found in China than in other parts of the world.

D. Feathered dinosaurs were generally smaller than those without feathers.

3. Why does the author provide information about Caudipteryx?

A. To show another example of a dinosaur with hairlike feathers

B. To suggest that Sinosauropteryx likely evolved from Caudipteryx

C. To make the point that dinosaur feathers likely became more complex over time

D. To show that there is less variety among types of dinosaur feathers than has been commonly assumed

4. What is the relationship between paragraphs 2 and 3?

A. Paragraph 3 provides an example to support the general point about feathers introduced in paragraph 2.

B. Paragraph 3 challenges an idea about feathers proposed in paragraph 2.

C. Paragraph 3 focuses on the roles played by the feathers described in paragraph 2.

D. Paragraph 3 summarizes the ideas about feathers presented in paragraph 2.

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

Dinosaurs may have also used their feathers to protect their eggs.

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

答案：B / B / C / C / C

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题目完成了，大家正确率怎么样？我们一起做一下文章的回顾和总结吧！

标题：恐龙的羽毛

这篇文章难度为CEFR B2水平，处于2026年改革后托福学术阅读的中等区间。虽涉及古生物学话题，但未包含冷门专业概念，题目答案直接，无需复杂推理，完全契合改革后淘汰偏难怪题的命题导向。题型上也覆盖了改革后保留的核心学术题型，包括词汇题、细节题、推断题、目的题、段落关系题和插入句子题。