Section 3

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READING
COMPREHENSION
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Skill 1: ANSWER MAIN IDEA
QUESTIONS CORRECTLY

 Almost every reading passage on the TOEFL test will have a

question about the main idea of a passage. You will be asked to
identify the topic, subject, title, primary idea, or main idea. If a
passage consists only one paragraph, you should study the
beginning of that paragraph to determine the main idea.
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Example I
 The passage:
In the philosophy of John Dewey, a sharp distinction is made between “intelligence” and
“reasoning.” According to Dewey, intelligence is the only absolute way to achieve a balance
between realism and idealism, between practically and wisdom of life. Intelligence involves
“interacting with other things and knowing them,” while reasoning is merely the act of an
observer, “... a mind that beholds or grasps object outside the world of things...” With
reasoning, a level of mental certainty can be achieved, but it is through intelligence that control
is taken of events that shape one’s life.
 The question:
What is the topic of this passage?
(A) The intelligence of John Dewey
(B) Distinctions made by John Dewey
(C) Dewey’s ideas on the ability to reason
(D) How intelligence differs from reasoning in Dewey’s works
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Example I

 The best answer is therefore (D); the idea of how intelligence

differs from reasoning comes from the first sentence of the
passage, which mentions a sharp distinction ... between
“intelligence” and “reasoning.”

 If a passage consists of more than one paragraph, you should

study at the beginning of each paragraph to determine the main
idea.
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Example II
 The passage:
Nitrogen fixation is a process by which nitrogen is continuously fed into biological
circulation. In this process, certain algae and bacteria convert nitrogen into ammonia
(NH,). This newly created am m onia is then for the most part absorbed by plants.
The opposite process of denitrification returns nitrogen to the air. During the process
of denitrification, bacteria cause some of the nitrates from the soil to convert into
gaseous nitrogen or nitrous oxide (N20). In this gaseous form the nitrogen returns to
the atmosphere.
 The question:
Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?
(A) The Process of Nitrogen Fixation
(B) Two Nitrogen Processes
(C) The Return of Nitrogen to the Air
(D) The Effect of Nitrogen on Plant Life
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Example II
 In a passage with more than one paragraph, you should be sure to read the first sentence
of each paragraph to determine the subject, title, or main idea.
 In Example II, the first sentence of the first paragraph indicates that the first paragraph is
about the process of nitrogen fixation .
 If you look only at the first paragraph, you might choose the incorrect answer (A ), which
would be a good title for the first paragraph only.
 The first sentence of the second paragraph indicates that the process of denitrification is
discussed in the second paragraph. Answer (C) is incorrect because the return of nitrogen
to the air is the process of denitrification, and this is discussed in the second paragraph
only.
 Answer (D) is incorrect because the effect of nitrogen on plant life is not discussed in this
passage.
 The best answer to this question is answer (B); the two nitrogen processes are nitrogen
fixation, which is discussed in the first paragraph, and denitrification, which is discussed in
the second paragraph.
 Strategy
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MAIN IDEA QUESTIONS
HOW TO IDENTIFY THE QUESTION What is the topic of the passage?
What is the subject of the passage?
What is the main idea of the passage?
What is the author’s main point in the
passage?
With what is the author primarily concerned?
Which of the following would be the best
title?
WHERE TO FIND THE ANSWER The answer to this type of question can
generally be determined by looking at the
first sentence of each paragraph.
HOW TO ANSWER THE QUESTION 1. Read the first line of each paragraph.
2. Look for a common theme or idea in
the first lines. 3. Pass your eyes quickly
over the rest of the passage to check that
you really have found the topic
sentence(s). 4. Eliminate any definitely
wrong answers and choose the best
answer from the remaining choices.
 EXERCISE 1
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Fort Knox, Kentucky, is the site of a U.S. army post, but it is even more renowned for the Fort
Knox Bullion Depository, the massive vault that contains the bulk of the U.S. government’s
gold deposits. Completed in 1936, the vault is housed in a two-story building constructed of
granite, steel, and concrete; the vault itself is made of steel and concrete and has a door that
weighs more than twenty tons. Naturally, the most up-to-date security devices available are in
place at Fort Knox, and the army post nearby provides further protection.

1. Which of the following best describes the topic of the passage?

(A) The city of Fort Knox, Kentucky
(B) The federal gold depository
(C) The U.S. army post at Fort Knox
(D) Gold bullion

2. Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?
(A) The Massive Concrete Vault
(B) Fort Knox Security ]
(C) Where the U.S. Keeps Its Gold
(D) A Visit to Kentucky
 EXERCISE 2
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One identifying characteristic of minerals is their relative hardness, which can be determined by
scratching one mineral with another. In this type of test, a harder mineral can scratch a softer
one, but a softer mineral is unable to scratch the harder one. The Mohs’ scale hardness scale is
used to rank minerals according hardness. Ten minerals are listed in this scale, ranging from
talc with a hardness of 1 to diamond with a hardness of 10. On this scale, quartz (number 7) is
harder than feldspar (number 6) and is therefore able to scratch it; however feldspar is unable
to make a mark on quartz.

3. Which of the following best states the subject of this passage?

(A) The hardness of diamonds
(B) Identifying minerals by means of a scratch test.
(C) Feldspar on the Mohs’ scale
(D) Recognizing minerals in their natural state

4. Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?
(A) the hardness of a mineral can be determined by its ability to make a mark on other minerals
(B) diamonds, with a hardness of 10 on the Mohs’ scale, can scratch all other minerals
(C) a softer mineral cannot be scratched by a harder mineral
(D) talc is the first mineral listed on the Mohs’ scale
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Skill 2: ANSWER STATED DETAIL
QUESTIONS CORRECTLY

 A stated detail question asks about one piece of information in

the passage rather than the passage as a whole.
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Example
 The passage:

Williamsburg is a historic city in Virginia situated on a peninsula between two rivers, the York and
the James. It was settled by English colonists in 1633, twenty-six years after the first permanent
English colony in America was settled at Jamestown. In the beginning the colony at Williamsburg
was named Middle Plantation because of its location in the middle of the peninsula. The site for
Williamsburg had been selected by the colonists because the soil drainage was better three than
at the Jamestown location, and there were fewer mosquitoes.

 The questions:

1. According to the passage, Williamsburg is located

(A) on an island

(B) in the middle of a river

(C) where the York and James meet

(D) on a piece of land with rivers on two sides

 Strategy
z STATED DETAILQUESTIONS
HOW TO IDENTIFY THE QUESTION According to the passage, ...
It is stated in the passage...
The passage indicates that...
The author mentions that...
Which of the following is true...?

WHERE TO FIND THE ANSWER The answers to these questions are found in
order in the passage.
HOW TO ANSWER THE QUESTION 1. Choose a key word in the question.
2. Skim in the appropriate part of the
passage for the key word or idea.
3. Read the sentence that contains the
key
word or idea carefully.
4. Look for the answer that restates an
idea in
the passage.
5. Eliminate the definitely wrong answers
and choose the best answer from the
remaining
choices.
 EXERCISE 2
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Ice ages, those periods when ice covered extensive areas of the Earth, are known to have occurred at least
six times. Past ice ages can be recognized from rock strata that show evidence of foreign materials deposited
by moving walls of ice or melting glaciers. Ice ages can also be recognized from land formations that have
been produced from moving walls of ice, such as U-shaped valleys, sculptured landscapes, and polished rock
faces.
1. According to the passage, what happens during an ice age?
(A) Rock strata are recognized by geologists.
(B) Evidence of foreign materials is found
(C) Ice covers a large portion of the Earth’s surface.
(D) Ice melts six times.
2. The passage covers how many different methods of recognizing past ice ages?
(A) One (B) Two (C) Three (D) Four
3. According to the passage, what in the rock strata is a clue to geologists of a past ice age?
(A) Ice
(B) Melting glaciers
(C) U-shaped valleys
(D) Substances from other areas
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Skill 3: FIND PRONOUN REFERENTS

 Whenever you are asked which noun a pronoun refers to, you
should look before the pronoun to find the noun.
z Example
 The passage:
Carnivorous plants, such as the sundew and the Venus-flytrap, are generally
found in humid areas where there is an inadequate supply of nitrogen in the soil.
In order to survive, these plants have developed mechanism to trap insects
within their foliage. They have digestive fluids to obtain the necessary nitrogen
from the insects. These plants trap the insects in a variety ways. The sundew
has sticky hairs on its leaves; when an insect lands on these leaves, it gets
caught up in the sticky hairs, and the leaf wraps itself around the insect. The
leaves of the Venus-flytrap function more a like a trap, snapping suddenly and
forcefully shut around an insect
 The questions:
1. The pronoun “they” in line 4 refers to
(A) humid areas (B) these plants (C) insects (D) digestive fluids
2. The pronoun "it" in line 7 refers to
(A) a variety (B) the sundew (C) an insect (D) the leaf
 Strategy
z PRONOUN REFERENTS
HOW TO IDENTIFY THE QUESTION The pronoun “...” in line X refers to which
of the following?
WHERE TO FIND THE ANSWER The line where the pronoun is located is
generally given in the question. The noun
that the pronoun refers to is generally found
before the pronoun.
HOW TO ANSWER THE QUESTION 1. Find the pronoun in the passage. (The
line where the pronoun can be found is
generally stated in the question.)
2. Look for nouns that come before the
pronoun.
3. Read the part of the passage before
the
pronoun carefully.
4. Eliminate any definitely wrong
answers and choose the best answer
from the remaining choices
z EXERCISE
 The full moon that occurs nearest the equinox of the Sun has become known as the
harvest moon. It is a bright moon which allows farmers to work late into the night for
several nights; they can work when the moon is at its brightest to bring in the fall
harvest. The harvest moon of course occurs at different times of the year in the
northern and southern hemisphere, the harvest moon occurs in September at the
time of the autumnal equinox. In the southern hemisphere, the harvest moon occurs
in March at the time of the vernal equinox.
1. The pronoun “It” in line 2 refers to
(A) the equinox
(B) the Sun
(C) the harvest moon
(D)the night
2. The pronoun “they” in line 3 refers to
(A) farmers
(B) nights
(C) times of the year
(D) northern and southern hemisphere
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Review Exercises for skill 1 – 3

 Text 1
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Hurricanes generally occur in the North Atlantic from May through November, with the peak of the hurricane
season in September; only rarely will they occur from December through April in that part of the ocean. The
main reason for the occurrence of hurricanes during this period is that he temperature on the waters surface is
at its warmest and the humidity of the air is at its highest.
Of the tropical storms that occur each year in the North Atlantic, only about five, on the average, are powerful
enough to be called hurricanes. To be classified as a hurricane, a tropic must have winds reaching speeds of
at least 117 kilometers per hour, but the winds are often much stronger than that; the winds of intense
hurricanes can easily surpass 240 kilometers per hour.
1. The passage mainly discusses
(A) how many hurricanes occur each year
(B) the strength of hurricanes
(C) the weather in the North Atlantic
(D) hurricanes in one part of the world
2. The best title for this passage would be
(A) The North Atlantic Ocean
(B) Storms of the Northern Atlantic
(C) Hurricanes: The Damage and Destruction
(D) What Happens from May through November
 Text 2
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The human heart is divided into four chambers, each of which serves its own function in the cycle of
pumping blood. The atria are the thin-walled upper chambers that gather blood as it flows from the veins
between heartbeats. The ventricles are the thick-walled lower chambers that receive blood from the atria
and push it into the arteries with each contraction of the heart. The left atrium and ventricle work
separately from those on the right. The role of the chambers on the right side of the heart is to receive
oxygen-depleted blood from the body tissues and send it on to the lungs; the chambers on the left side of
the heart then receive the oxygen-enriched blood from the lungs and send it back out to the body tissues.
3. The passage indicates that the ventricles
(A) have relatively thin walls
(B) send blood to the atria
(C) are above the atria
(D) force blood into the arteries
4. According to the passage, when is blood pushed into the arteries from the ventricles?
(A) As the heart beats
(B) Between heartbeats
(C) Before each contraction of the heart
(D) Before it is received by the atria
 Text 2
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The human heart is divided into four chambers, each of which serves its own
function in the cycle of pumping blood. The atria are the thin-walled upper chambers
that gather blood as it flows from the veins between heartbeats. The ventricles are
the thick-walled lower chambers that receive blood from the atria and push it into
the arteries with each contraction of the heart. The left atrium and ventricle work
separately from those on the right. The role of the chambers on the right side of the
heart is to receive oxygen-depleted blood from the body tissues and send it on to
the lungs; the chambers on the left side of the heart then receive the oxygen-
enriched blood from the lungs and send it back out to the body tissues.
5. According to the passage, which part of the heart gets blood from the body
tissues and passes it on to the lungs?
(A) The atria
(B) The ventricles
(C) The right atrium and ventricle
(D) The left atrium and ventricle
 Text 3
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Mardi Gras, which means “Fat Tuesday” in French, was introduced to
America by French colonists in the early eighteenth century. From that time it
has grown in popularity, particularly in New Orleans, and today it is actually a
legal holiday in several southern states. The Mardi Gras celebration in New
Orleans begins well before the actual Mardi Gras Day. Parades, parties,
balls, and numerous festivities take place throughout the week before Mardi
Gras Day; tourists from various countries throughout the world flock to New
Orleans for the celebration, where they take part in a week of nonstop
activities before returning home for some much-needed rest.
3. The pronoun “it” in line 2 refers to
(A) Mardi Gras (B) French (C) that time (D) New Orleans
4. The pronoun "they" in line 8 refers to
(A) numerous festivities (B) tourists (C) various countries (D) nonstop
activities
 Text 4
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The financial firm Dow Jones and Company computes business statistics every hour on
the hour of each of the business days of the year, and these statistics are known as the
Dow Jones averages. They are based on a select group of stocks and bonds that are
traded on the New York Stock Exchange. The Dow Jones averages are composed of
four different types of averages: the average price of the common stock of thirty
industrial firms, the average price of the common stock prices of twenty transportation
companies, the average price of the common stock prices of fifteen utility companies,
and an overall average of all the sixty-five stocks used to compute the first three
averages. Probably the average that is the most commonly used is the industrial
average; it is often used by an investor interested in checking the state of the stock
market before making an investment in an industrial stock.
5. The pronoun "They" in line 3 refers to
(A) the business days (B) these statistics (C) stocks and bonds (D) four different types
6. The pronoun “it" in line 9 refers to
(A) the industrial average (B) an investor (C) the state of the stock market (D) an
investment
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See you next meeting

 Skill 4: ANSWER IMPLIED DETAIL QUESTIONS CORRECTLY

 Skill 5: ANSWER TRANSITION QUESTIONS CORRECTLY
 Skill 6: FIND DEFINITIONS FROM STRUCTURAL CLUES
 Skill 7: DETERMINE WHERE SPECIFIC INFORMATION IS
FOUND
 Skill 8: DETERMINE THE TONE, PURPOSE, OR COURSE
 PROGRESS CHART
 
STRUCTURE AND
LISTENING READING
WRITTEN OVERALL SCORE
COMPREHENSION COMPREHENSION
EXPRESSION

Practice 1  25 20  25   457

Practice 2        

Practice 3        

Target!
Listening 25 48
Structure and Written Expression 20 44
Reading 25 45
OVERALL SCORE 457