ToefliBTPracticeTest

TPO13WritingNo.ofQuestions:2BeginTestTime:approx.60minutes

CONTINUENowputonyourheadsetClickonCONTINUEtogoon

Begin

readingYouhave3minutestoreadthepassage.Clicktobeginreadingnow.Privatecollectorshavebeensellingandbuyingfossils,thepetrifiedremainsofancientorganisms,eversincetheeighteenthcentury.Inrecentyears,however,thesaleoffossils,particularlyofdinosaursandotherlargevertebrates,hasgrownintoabigbusiness.Rareandimportantfossilsarenowbeingsoldtoprivateownershipformillionsofdollars.Thisisanunfortunatedevelopmentforbothscientistsandthegeneralpublic.Thepublicsuffersbecausefossilsthatwouldotherwisebedonatedtomuseumswhereeveryonecanseethemaresoldtoprivatecollectorswhodonotallowthepublictoviewtheircollections.Makingitharderforthepublictoseefossilscanleadtoadeclineinpublicinterestinfossils,whichwouldbeapity.Moreimportantly,scientistsarelikelytoloseaccesstosomeofthemostimportantfossilsandtherebymissoutonpotentiallycrucialdiscoveriesaboutextinctlifeforms.Wealthyfossilbuyerswithadesiretoowntherarestandmostimportantfossilscanspendvirtuallylimitlessamountsofmoneytoacquirethem.Scientistsandthemuseumsanduniversitiestheyworkforoftencannotcompetesuccessfullyforfossilsagainstmillionairefossilbuyers.Moreover,commercialfossilcollectorsoftendestroyvaluablescientificevidenceassociatedwiththefossilstheyunearth.Mostcommercialfossilcollectorsareuntrainedoruninterestedincarryingoutthecarefulfieldworkanddocumentationthatrevealthemostaboutanimallifeinthepast.Forexample,scientistshavelearnedaboutthebiologyofnest-buildingdinosaurscalledoviraptorsbycarefullyobservingtheexactpositionofoviraptorfossilsinthegroundandthepresenceofotherfossilsintheimmediatesurroundings.Commercialfossi