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TOEFL
Reading Comprehension
Passage 5 |
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Directions:
In this section you will read a passage which is followed by several questions
about it.
For the questions you are to choose the one best answer, (А), (В), (C), or (D),
to each question.
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A few scientists are dedicated to researching mysterious unclassified beasts
which other scientists refuse to believe exist. While these cryptozoologists keep an
open mind about their object of study, they are quick to point to cases in which the skeptics were proved mistaken. For example, the pygmy hippopotamus, once claimed to be extinct, was found to exist in East Africa. The giant squid was
dismissed as the product of an overactive imagination until a specimen was washed
up on a beach in 1873.
One of the most intriguing mysteries being investigated by cryptozoologists is
"Bigfoot," a large hairy humanoid creature which many people claim to have seen in parts of North America. In 1967, a film of Bigfoot was actually taken by an
amateur photographer. Some scientists are convinced of Bigfoot's existence, while
others argue that Bigfoot is just an elaborate hoax.
The Loch Ness monster provokes similar disagreements among researchers. In
this case some scientists argue that while some creature may have been seen, it is probably a type of whale which penetrates the loch when the Ness River floods.
The Yeti of the Himalayas may be the most fascinating undiscovered creature.
Many climbers claim to have seen the Yeti or its footprints, and local inhabitants of
the mountains are convinced of its existence. Such well-known mysteries as the
Yeti and less well-known mysteries as the Congo dinosaur and the Queensland tiger will no doubt be the source of much speculation for years to come.
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