Skill 12: Determine where specific information is found

Sometimes the final question accompanying a reading passage (or one paragraph of a
passage) will ask you to determine where in the passage a piece of information is found. This
type of question is worded differently on the paper TOEFL test and on the computer TOEFL
test. On the paper test, there will be a multiple-choice question that asks where certain
information is found. The answer choices will list possible locations for that information. On
the computer test, the question asks you to click on the sentence that contains certain
information. Look at a multiple-choice example from the paper TOEFL that asks you to
identify where certain information is found.

Example from the Paper TOEFL Test

The passage:
Meter Crater, a great crater approximately forty miles east of Flagstaff, Arizona,
is generally thought by scientists to have formed as a result of the impact of 60,000-ton
meteor about 50,000 years ago. The meteor, made of nickel and iron, disintegrated on
impact and spread half a billion tons of rock over the surface of the land. The
massiveness of the meteor can only be imagined from the mammoth size of the crater,
which measures a mile in diameter and three miles around the top. The rim of the crater
rises more than 150 feet above the plain where the meteor impacted and is visible for
more than ten miles on a clear day.
The question:
Where in the passage does the author discuss the composition of the meteor?
A. stairs
B. walks
C. actions
D. footprints

This question asks you to find where in the passage there is information about the
composition of the crater. You should skim through the lines of the passage listed in the
answers to the question looking for the word composition or something that means
composition. In line 4, you should find the expression made of, and you should recognize that
composition is what something is made of. Answer (B) is therefore the best answer to this
question.
The following chart outlines the key information that you should remember when you
are trying to determine where in the passage something is found:

Questions about Where in the Passage

How to Identify On paper Where the passage…?
Question tests only
On Click on the sentence that indicate …
computer
test only
Where to Find the On paper The answer can be in any of the lines listed in the
Answer tests only answers to the question.
On The answer will be one of the sentences in the
computer paragraph listed in the question.
test only
How to Answer the 1. Choose a key word or idea in the question.
Question 2. Skim the appropriate part(s) of the passage looking for the
key word or idea.
 3. Choose the answer that the contains the key word or Idea.
TOEFL EXERCISE 12: Study each of the passages and choose the best answers to the
questions that follow

1. Where in the passage does the author give the name of a baby beaver?
A. Line 1
B. Line 2
C. Line 3
D. Line 4-5

2. Where in the passage does the author indicate why the young beavers must leave
their parents’ home?
A. Line 1
B. Line 2
C. Line 3
D. Line 4-5

3. Where in the passage does the author give explanation about human capacity in
remembering information?
A. Lines 1-2
B. Lines 2-3
C. Lines 4-5
D. Lines 6

4. Where in the passage does the author show the clear definition of chunk?
A. Lines 1-2
B. Lines 2-3
C. Lines 3-4
D. Lines 4-5
5. Where in the passage does the author explain about the origin of primary
American folk songs?
A. Lines 4-5
B. Lines 3-4
C. Lines 2-3
D. Lines 1-2

6. Where in the passage does the author show the improvement of American folk
songs that gained popularity?
A. Lines 2-3
B. Lines 4-5
C. Lines 5-6
D. Lines 7-8

7. Where in the passage does the author mention the composers who created urban
folk music?
A. Line 5-6
B. Line 7-8
C. Line 8-9
D. Line 9-10

8. Where in the passage does the author discuss the modern definition of chamber
music?
A. Lines 2-3
B. Lines 4-5
 C. Lines 8-9
D. Lines 9-11

9. Where in the passage does the author mention music written for four strings?
A. Lines 2-3
B. Lines 4-5
C. Lines 8-9
D. Lines 9-11

10. Where in the passage does the author discuss the period when ensembles for three
instruments predominated?
A. Lines 2-3
B. Lines 4-5
C. Lines 8-9
D. Lines 9-11

Skill 13: Determine the tone, purpose, or course

Other types of review questions occur occasionally in the reading section of both the
paper TOEFL test and the computer TOEFL test. Possible questions of this type are multiple-
choice questions that asks about (1) the tone (asking if the author is showing any emotion in
his/her writing could be simply informational, explanatory, factual, humorous) of the
passage, (2) the author’s purpose ( asking what the author is trying to do in the passage for
example if the main idea is George Washington’s early life greatly influenced his later career
and if the details give a history of his early life, the author’s purpose could be to show how
George Washington’s early life influenced his later career ) in writing passage, and (3) the
course ( is asking you to decide which university course might have this passage as assigned
reading. For example, if the passage is about George Washington and the details give
historical background on his early life, then this would probably be assigned reading in an
American history class) pin which the passage might be used.

Example from the Paper TOEFL Test

The passage:
Military awards have long been considered symbolic of royalty, and thus when the
United States was a young nation just finished with revolution and eager to
distance itself from anything tasting of monarchy, there was strong sentiment
against military decoration. For a century, from the end of the Revolutionary War
until the Civil War, the United States awarded no military honors. The institution
of the Medal of Honor in 1861 was a source of great discussion and concern.
From the Civil War until World War 1, the Medal of Honor was the only military
award given by the United States government, and today it is awarded only in the
most extreme cases of heroism. Although the United States is still somewhat wary
of granting military awards, several awards have been instituted since World War
1.
The question:
This passage would probably be assigned reading in course on
A. Military science
B. Psychology
C. American history
D. Interior decoration
 This question asks about the course in which you might be assigned this reading
passage. To draw a conclusion about the course, you should refer to the topic of the passage
and the overall organization of details. Since this passage is about American military awards
in the United States, and the details discuss the history of American military awards using
such time expressions as for a century, in 1861, and since World War 1, you can determine
that this passage might be assigned in a course on American history, you should click on the
third answer to this question.
The following chart outlines the key information that you should remember about
questions on the tone, purpose, or course:

Tone, purpose, or course

How to identify On both paper - What is the tone of the passage?
the question and computer - What is the author’s purpose in this passage?
tests - In which course would this reading be assigned?
Where to find Tone Look for clues throughout the passage that show if the author
the answer is showing some emotion rather than just presenting facts.
Purpose Draw a conclusion about the purpose from the main idea and
supporting ideas.
Course Draw a conclusion about the course from the topic of the
passage and the supporting ideas.
How to answer Tone 1. Skim the passage looking for clues that the author is
the question showing some emotion.
2. Choose the answer that identifies the emotion.
Purpose 1. Study the main idea in the topic sentence and the details
used to support the main idea.
2. Draw a conclusion about the purpose.
Course 1. Study the main idea in the topic sentence and the details
used to support the main idea.
2. Draw a conclusion about the course.

TOEFL EXERCISE 13: Study each of the passages and choose the best answers to the
questions that follow.

Further changes in journalism occurred around this time. In 1846, Richard Hoe
invented the steam cylinder rotary press, making it possible to print newspapers faster and
cheaper. The development of the telegraph made it possible for much speedier collection and
distribution of news. Also in 1846, the first wire service was organized. A new type of
newspaper appeared around this time, one that was more attuned to the spirit and needs of the
new America. Although newspapers continued to cover politics, they came to report more
human interest stories and to record the most recent news, which they could not have done
before the telegraph. New York papers, and those of other northern cities, maintained corps of
correspondents to go into all parts of the country to cover newsworthy events.

1. The main purpose of the passage is to…

A. present a brief history of American journalism.
B. outline certain developments in mid-nineteenth-century journalism.
C. explain the importance of the steam cylinder rotary press.
D. present some biographic information about Richard Hoe.
2. The tone of the passage could best be described as
A. objective.
B. optimistic.
C. angry.
D. humorous.

3. This passage would probably be assigned reading in which of the following courses?
A. Law
B. Linguistics
C. Indonesian History
D. Journalistics

Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood (1966) is a well-known example of the “nonfiction

novel,” a popular type of writing based upon factual events in which the author attempts to
describe the underlying forces, thoughts and emotions that lead to actual events. In Capote’s
book, the author describes the sadistic murder of a family on a Kansas farm, often showing
the point of view of the killers. To research the book, Capote interviewed the murderers, and
he maintains that his book presents a faithful reconstruction of the incident.

4. The purpose of this passage is to…

A. discuss an example of a particular literary genre
B. tell the story of In Cold Blood
C. explain Truman’s Capote’s reasons for writing In Cold Blood
D. describe how Truman Capote researched his nonfiction novel

5. Which of the following best describes the tone of the passage?

A. Cold
B. Sadistic
C. Emotional
D. Descriptive

6. This passage would probably be assigned reading in which of the following courses?
A. Criminal Law
B. American History
C. Modern American Novels
D. Literary Research

American folk music originated with ordinary people at a time when the rural
population was isolated and music was not yet spread by radio, tapes, CDs, or music videos.
It was transmitted by oral tradition and is noted for its energy, humor, and emotional impact.
The major source of early American folk songs was music from the British Isles, but songs
from Africa as well as songs of the American Indians have a significant part in its heritage.
Later settlers from other countries also contributed songs. In the nineteenth century, composer
Steven Foster wrote some of the most enduringly popular of all American songs, which soon
became part of the folk tradition. Beginning in the 1930s, Woody Guthrie gained great
popularity by adapting traditional melodies and lyrics and supplying new ones as well. In the
1950s and 1960s, signercomposers such as Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan, and Joan Baez continued
this tradition by creating “urban” folk music. Many of these songs dealt with important social
issues, such as racial integration and the war in Vietnam. Later in the 1960s, musical groups
such as the Byrds and the Turtles combined folk music and rock and roll to create a hybrid
form known as folk-rock.
7. The primary purpose of this passage is to
A. trace the development of American folk music.
B. explain the oral tradition.
C. contrast the styles of folk-rock musicians.
D. point out the influence of social issues on “urban” folk music.

Up to now, confessions that have been obtained from defendants in a hypnotic state
have not been admitted into evidence by courts in the United States. Experts in the field of
hypnosis have found that such confessions are not completely reliable. Subjects in a hypnotic
state may confess to crimes they did not commit for one or two reasons. Either they fantasize
that they committed crimes, or they believe that others want them to confess.
A landmark case concerning a confession obtained under hypnosis went all the way to
the U.S. Supreme Court. In the case of Layra v. Denno, a suspect was hypnotized by a
psychiatrist for the district attorney; in a posthypnotic state the suspect signed three separate
confessions to a murder. The Supreme Court ruled that the confessions were invalid because
the confessions had been the only evidence against him.

8. Which of the following best describes the author’s purpose in this passage?
A. To explain the details of a specific court case
B. To demonstrate why confessions made under hypnosis are not reliable
C. To clarify the role of the Supreme Court in invalidating confessions from
hypnotized subjects
D. To explain the legal status of hypnotically induced confessions

9. The tone of this passage could best be described as…

A. Outraged
B. Judicial
C. Hypnotic
D. Informative

10. This passage would probably be assigned reading in a course on…

A. American Law
B. psychiatric healing
C. parapsychology
D. philosophy
Reviews

1. Where in the passage does the author list the components of a zinc alloy?
A. Lines 1-2
B. Lines 4-6
C. Lines 9-10
D. Lines 11-13

2. Where in the passage does the author present the less routinely used process of
galvanization?
A. Lines 1-2
B. Lines 4-6
C. Lines 6-8
D. Lines 9-10

3. The tone of this passage could best be described as…

A. Informative
B. Outraged
C. Cold
D. Emotional

4. Where in the passage does the author describe what happens when iron and oxygen
interact?
A. Lines 4-6
B. Lines 6-8
C. Lines 10-11
D. Lines 11-13
5. The author’s purpose in the passage is to…
A. Enumerate examples
B. Cause the development of schizophrenia
C. Prove that faulty parenting is the main cause of schizophrenia
D. Refute a common misconception

6. Where in the passage does the author discuss the traditionally held view about the
cause of schizophrenia?
A. Lines 1-3
B. Lines 3-5
C. Lines 6-7
D. Lines 9-11

7. Where in the passage does the author present the idea that people may inherit the
tendency for schizophrenia?
A. Lines 2-3
B. Lines 6-7
C. Lines 11-13
D. Lines 13-16

8. Where in the passage does the author give the fraction of twins under study with
irregular fingerprints?
A. Lines 3-5
B. Lines 7-8
C. Lines 9-11
D. Lines 11-13

9. This passage would probably be assigned reading in which of the following courses?
A. Criminology
B. Public Administration
C. Statistics
D. Psychology
10. In which course might this passage the assigned reading?
A. Sociology of Criminal Behaviour
B. Introduction to Law
C. American History
D. Research Methodologies

11. Where in the passage does the author mention who serves on a grand jury?
A. Lines 1-2
B. Lines 6-8
C. Lines 9-11
D. Lines 15-17

12. Where in the passage does the author discuss the problem associated with holding
grand jury meetings in private?
A. Lines 3-6
B. Lines 6-8
C. Lines 12-15
D. Lines 15-17

13. How does the author seem to feel about the grand jury system?
A. Quite assured as to its usefulness
B. Somewhat doubtful about its effectiveness
C. Highly supportive of its use
D. Extremely negative about all aspects
14. The tone of this passage is…
A. emotional
B. enthusiastic
C. expository
D. reactionary

15. Where in the passage does the author explain the effect that probably happen if one
marriage partner shows the mistakes of his or her partner in court?
A. Lines 3-4
B. Lines 5-6
C. Lines 8-9
D. Lines 10-11