TOEFL Reading
Early American Ornithology
[1] Ornithology is the study of birds. It
is an interesting field of science because it is not
just limited to trained professionals – it is
possible for amateurs to make valuable
contributions through careful observations
using equipment as simple as binoculars. When
the original United States were still British
colonies, some observant individuals began the
process of categorizing the various birds found
throughout North America in ways that birds
had been categorized in Europe and elsewhere.
[2] William Bartram (1739-1823) is
considered the first ornithologist to be born in
North America. As a young man in
Pennsylvania, he helped in his father’s botanical
garden and drew many detailed pictures. In
particular, he collected specimens of fourteen
birds for the British author George Edwards to
use in a volume about natural history. Bartram
spent his long life traveling and documenting
various plant and animal species, and is
credited with being the first person to
systematically take detailed notes about
Florida’s tropical forests.
[3] If Bartram had not been so
successful, the field of American ornithology
might have been very different. However, on
his travels, Bartram met an adventurous young
poet named Alexander Wilson (1766-1813),
who wanted to earn more money. Wilson had
emigrated from Scotland to the United States in
May of 1794. He had been trained as a weaver,
but there were few opportunities as a weaver in
Pennsylvania, so he accepted a position as a
teacher. In reality, Wilson was not very excited
about teaching, either. He was most interested
in poetry, though his ribald satires about a mill
owner in Scotland had led to his arrest and a
fine. The resulting political troubles were what
had encouraged him to venture to the New
World and start afresh. Bartram was more
interested in Wilson’s ability as an artist than as
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Directions: Answer the questions.
1. According to paragraph 1, ornithology is a special field of
science because
A. it began when the United States were still British
colonies.
B. a wide variety of materials are needed to
participate.
C. most ornithologists categorize birds from North
America.
D. people who are not trained can still help the
science.
2. According to paragraph 2, which of the following is NOT
true of William Bartram?
A. He lived during the nineteenth century.
B. He helped his father when he was young.
C. He grew up in Florida’s tropical forests.
D. He gave samples of birds to an author from Britain.
3. According to paragraph 3, what helped Bartram change
Wilson’s career interests towards ornithology?
A. Bartram’s attention to detail
B. Bartram’s success in the field
C. Wilson’s talent as a weaver
D. Wilson’s interest in nature
4. Which of the following describes the author's purpose in
stating that Wilson’s troubles “encouraged him to venture
to the New World and start afresh”?
A. To offer the reason for Wilson’s interest in a new
profession
B. To provide a reason that some people traveled to
the United States
C. To suggest why Wilson decided to train as a weaver
D. To explain why Wilson was not a successful teacher
5. The word “enduring” in the passage is closest in meaning
to
A. innovative
B. persevering
C. expressive
D. lasting
6. According to paragraph 4, each of the following is true
about American Ornithology EXCEPT:
A. it included species that were not in previous books
B. Merriweather Lewis drew some of the pictures for
the book
C. Alexander Wilson did not finish the last book
D. different people provided money so Wilson could
print the book
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TOEFL Reading
a poet, though. Bartram realized that Wilson
had enough talent and attention to detail to
become an excellent ornithologist.
[4] Wilson was fascinated by the idea of
ornithology and walked from his home in Gray’s
Ferry, Pennsylvania to Niagara Falls, looking for
as many birds as he could along the way; he
also composed some poems about his journey.
When he returned from his explorations in
1805, he sent 28 completed drawings of birds
to Bartram for approval. Encouraged by
Bartram, he then spent the rest of his short life
trying to document every bird species in North
America. He became friends with Merriweather
Lewis – of the famous Lewis and Clark
expedition across the continent – and even
drew pictures using bird specimens that Lewis,
among others, obtained. He found subscribers
to pay for the publication of what turned out to
be a 9-volume series titled American
Ornithology. The series was published between
1808 and 1814. Of the 268 species included in
the series were 26 that had never before been
described. The final volume was completed by
his patron and friend George Ord. Wilson’s
efforts were sufficient to earn him the enduring
reputation as the “Father of American
Ornithology.”
[5] Wilson’s impact on ornithology was
not limited to his books, though. He also
influenced the famous naturalist John James
Audubon (1785-1851). It is said that Audubon
was impressed with the success of American
Ornithology and decided to publish his own
books in a similar style. Audubon used similar
techniques in posing and arranging the bird
specimens in his major work, The Birds of
America, which is now considered one of the
finest works in the field. Audubon identified 25
new species and established the scientific
names for many others of the birds he
described.
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7. According to paragraph 5, what was an important
contribution John James Audubon made to ornithology?
A. He came up with a new technique for posing birds.
B. He wrote one of the books in the American
Ornithology series.
C. He created the names that scientists use for many
birds.
D. He wrote a book about exactly 25 bird species.
8. Which of the following can be inferred from paragraph 6
about the methods that Barton, Wilson, and Audubon used
when studying birds?
A. They often studied birds that were no longer living.
B. They counted specimens of all the birds they saw.
C. They were most interested in migration patterns.
D. They usually took videos of the birds they studied.
9. Look at the four squares [] that indicate where the
following sentence could be added to the passage.
Audubon had tried several business ventures such as
operating a mine and a general store, but none were
profitable, so was seeking a new career path.
Where would the sentence best fit? Click on a square to
add the sentence to the passage.
 Wilson’s impact on ornithology was not limited to his
books, though.  He also influenced the famous naturalist
John James Audubon (1785-1851).  It is said that
Audubon was impressed with the success of American
Ornithology and decided to publish his own books in a
similar style. Audubon used similar techniques in posing
and arranging the bird specimens in his major work, The
Birds of America, which is now considered one of the finest
works in the field.  Audubon identified 25 new species
and established the scientific names for many others of the
birds he described.
10. Directions: An introductory sentence for a brief
summary of the passage is provided below. Complete the
summary by selecting the THREE answer choices that
express the most important ideas in the passage. Some
sentences do not belong in the summary because they
express ideas that are not presented in the passage or are
minor ideas in the passage. This question is worth 2 points.
Drag your choices to the spaces where they belong. To
review the passage, click on View Text.
Bartram, Wilson, and Audubon were three of the main
early contributors to the field of ornithology in America.
A. None of the three men were trained as scientists
before they started studying birds.
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TOEFL Reading
[6] Though they were not formally
trained in ornithology, these three men formed
the foundation of virtually all later studies of
birds in North America. Today, other amateurs
who love watching birds continue in their
tradition. Techniques have changed over time,
so instead of careful drawings of dead birds
posed in a studio, people can take photographs
and videos of living specimens. People can also
contribute to the field by counting species that
they see in a certain area to help studies
regarding populations and migratory patterns.
There is still room for interested individuals
who are not scientists to expand the knowledge
of birds in America and around the world.
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B. Bartram did not only study birds, but also made
detailed observations of plants and other animals in
many places, including in Florida.
C. Wilson is the first famous ornithologist to be born in
the United States, though he originally trained as a
weaver.
D. Wilson drew pictures of birds that were collected by
other people, such as Merriweather Lewis, to include
in his series.
E. Audubon’s book is considered even better than
Wilson’s series because it includes more species that
had never before been identified.
F. Unlike in the early days of the science, now
ornithologists must have more complex equipment
and a longer period of training.
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