TOEFL ibt Preparation and Test-taking Strategies SOOHOHOHSOHOHOOHSHSHOHOHHHHOHOSHOHHHHSHSHHHHHHHHHHHHHOHOOOOTable of Contents ‘TOEFL Reading: Overview PB Skimming and Scanning Vocabulary and Context Clues Academic Skills: Paraphrasing and Surmmarting Reading Questions Types: Inference, Negative Factual, Sentence Insertion, Category Chart Practice Readings ‘TOEFL Listening: Overview p.4/.57 Academic Skills: Taking Notes (conversations and lectures) Understanding Attitude Listening Practice and Scripts TOEFL Speaking: Overview p. “Pip Academic Skills: Developing an Argument Speaking Questions: Overview and Strategies by Type Speaking Practice and Scripts TOEFL Writing: Overview p- f Academic Skills: Prewriting and Brainstorming (Mind map) Independent Essay: Structure (Introduction, thesis statement, body, and conclusion) Integrated Essay Wilting Practice and Scripts TOEFL Campus Vocabulary p. AGE Logic of TOEFL {Ws Important to realize that the TOEFL is not a test of your academic knowledge. You need to know the rules and conventions of formal English to understand the Reading and Listening passages and to communicate effectively in the Writing and Speaking sections. However, the TOEFL does not test what you know about academic topics as diverse as chemistry and prehistoricart. There would be no effective way to study for such a test; it's not possible to know something about every topic that might appear in a TOEFL passage. Keep in mind, then, that the TOEFL assesses how well you comprehend and communicate in English. Knowing something about the topic will certainly help you choose the correct answers. However, even if you know nothing about the topic, the passage itself contains everything you need to answer the questions. ‘This is where understanding the logic of the TOEFL becomes central. When you understand what each section of the test measures, you can answer more effectively. For example, the Writing and Speaking sections are not only about whether you can answer a question with sentences that are grammatically correct. They also gauge your ability to express and develop unique ideas and persuade your audience. To do this, you need to know how many points you need to support ‘your main idea, how much detail to include, and how to structure your answer. beceesserecescoccceccecoccecccte ceeeteeccceesTOEFL READING = QUICK INEO + 3-fpassages, 12-14 questions/passage + 60-390 minutes CONTENTS 1. Skimming/Scanning 2. Vocabulary Questions: Context Clues 3. Multiple Choice Questions: Paraphrasing 4, Inference Questions 5. Negative Factual Questions 6. Sentence Insertion Questions 7. Category Chart Questions 8. Extra Practice: a. "The Rise of Teotihuacén” b. “Agriculture, Iron, and the Bantu People” “Running Water on Mars" TIME-SAVING TOEFL TIPS RET ‘© , When the directions appear, click on the “Dismiss Directions” button Ni ‘TYPI WATCH YOUR TIME DON'T READ THE ENTIRE PASSAGE ‘© The questions are in order of the reading, try to answer as many as possible reading the text. © Ifnecessary, SKIM the passage, writing 1-3 words about the main idea of each paragraph on your blank piece of paper. (NO MORE THAN 5 MINUTES READING) hout SI ‘© Go back to these using the “Review” button after answering the other questions. © Write the number of she questipn on your blank plece of papers Note eliminated optinas for Unanswered questions OW SeRap paper to Save ime. NO MORE THAN 1-2. MINI IN ALWAYS ANSWER THE LAST QUESTION (= 2 POINTS) GIVE YOURSELF A FEW MINUTES TO BE SURE YOU HAVE ANSWERED ALL QUESTIONSSkimming/Scanning Warm up: Word Find Find these words in the “Avoiding ‘Hot’ Wheels" text: - + device . + dozen + runway + pinwheel + layers + chunks Review: ‘Skimming: Reading for the main idea. Scanning: Reading for specific information. Practice: 1. Skimming ‘a, Read the title and subtitle. 5 b,, Read the 1s sentence of each paragraph. ¢ Write 1-3 words summarizing each paragraph on the line. 2. Scanning a. Read the question, b, Look at your notes to know where to search. c. Scan the article for the underlined words. 4 e |. Use context clues if necessary. Answer the question. “Avoiding ‘Hot_Wheels" Questions TONFL TIP: 1 ieee | Paper for notes, | mumberforeach | paragraph ofthe j reading, | | 1.) How mauch does a major airline spend each day on tires? a. $4 million b. $20 million : 2.) How does the device help the tires a. Itreduces wear and tear. 7 b. It repairs flats, 3.) What other benefits are they? a. The new tires are less expensive: b, Airports lose money because the device does not Work. 1.) What happens during an asthma attack? a. The heart swells. b Airways in the lungs swell. 2.) What aré PAHS? a.akind ofpollatant b.adisease 3.) What happens to children exposed to PAHs? a. Their growth is stunted, b, They have vision problems. ©. $2 million 4. $22 million c It keeps the tires inflated. , d. It breaks the tires. ¢. Airports save money on removing pieces of damaged tires from the runway. d. You never have to change the new tires. c. Airways in the lungs open, 4. The lungs fill with fluid, .a'person with asthma d.amedicine used for asthma © They definitely get asthma. a. There is more of a chance that they will get asthma.COOOOHOHOSHOHHHSOHHHOHSHSHHOHOHHHHHOHHOHHHECOHHOSEOE Avoiding ‘hot’ wheels Teen designs device that could almost double the life of airplane tires (1) Nervous alr travelers concerned about the risks of aging planes may first worry about how well the wings or engine are holding up. But a plane's tires sutter a lot of wear and tear too. Anew device that attaches to the wheel rims could extend the life of those tires, saving the world's airines millions of dollars per day. 2) When aircraft approach their destination, pilots extend the landing gear to prepare for touchdown. Before the plane lands, its tres arent spinning, notes Phillipe Lothaller. He's a 17-year-old engineer at Rondebosch Boys" High School in Cape Town, South Africa. But the instant a plane's tres hit the runway, they start spinning at véry high speeds. For some aircraft, landing speeds can be as high as 200 kilometers (124 miles) per hour. {@) That instant high acceleration Is very stressful for ate, says Lothallar. Fiction can cause a t's rubber to quickly hit 240" Celsius (464* Fahrenhel), The stresses of landing also tend to pul he layers ofa tre apart, causing them to separate from each other. This separation is known as delamination. Aireraft maintenance crews typcaly reread a plane's tres after every 200 landings, And each tre can be ettead only fve times before i must be replaced. Refiting a plane wih new ‘wheels can be quite costly, with each tre running between $1,500 and $10,000 (4) Those costs can add up quickly, because each plane can have many 3, Large aircraft may have a dozen or more. Indeed, Lothaller found that one of the lz gest altlines worldwide pends more than $2 million per day to purchase and maintain its aircrafts’ tires. (6) Now, Lothatier nas designed a device 1o reduce wear and tear on those tres. He attaches @ large, circular plate to the wheel rin that holds the tie. As pilots come infor 8 landing, several metal plates onthe device pop out, creating scoops. Each scoop is abcut 7 centimeters (2.8 inches) tall and several times that iong. They catch the air, turing the device into a pinwheel, This causes the wheel to start spinning long before it touches the ground, That ‘means the tire won't have to accelerate nearly as much once the plane touches down. The result: far less stress on each tre. (6) The teen's tests suggest that these scoops could reduce tie wear by between 35 and 45 percent. So instead of retreading a tire every 200 landings, crews could wait to do this after every 250 to 260 flights. Lothaller presented his findings May 13 in Phoenix, Ariz., at the Intel International Science & Engineering Fair. The Society for Science & the Public, which Created the fair in 1950, stil runs it. (SSP also publishes Science News for Kids.) _(7} Lothaller points to other benefits from extending the life of airplane tires, For example, airports wouldn't have to spend as much money removing chunks of damaged tires from runways. Those chunks pose a danger to plaries as they land and take off, he notes. An ‘engine might suck them up, causing damage. Or paris of the tread shed by a tire could bounce up ‘and pierce the skin of a plane, risking a fuel leak. (Imagine the damage that could be caused by hitting a chunk of tire on the runway at more than 100 miles per hour!)Bad for breathing New study connects pollution to several common diseases that affect the lungs and airways _ (1) Inhating air pollutants can trigger breathing problems, such as asthma. Asthma itself can be triggered by allergies. So physicians have observed that allergies, asthma {and air pollution go hand in hand in hand. Stil, scientists weren't exactly sure why they were. linked. New data now provide clues. — (2) During an asthma attack, inlarhmation causes the inside of small airways in the lung to swell. This narrows thosé passageways, reducing how much air can move through them in any given breath. This means people will have a hard time drawing in enough alr to breathe comfortably. _ (3) Researchers have now linked a common family of alt pollutants to a breakdown in cells involved in the immune system. It plays a role in allergies. The cells they focused on are called T-regs (shor for T-regulatory cells). Normally, they help protect the body by controlling swelling caused by inflammation, (4) "T-regs are peacekeeper cells,” explains Kari Nadeau of Stanford University. But in people with asthma, she explains, those T-regs don’t,work quite right. Nadeau {s both a physician and a biochemist (a scientist who studies now chemicals'affect cells) in Palo Alto, Calif. ——(5) Her team studied pollutants known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, of PAHs. These form when fuel doesn't burn completely. They may be spewed by diesel and gasoline engines, wood fires, furnaces, wildfires and barbecue grils = (6) To probe the connection between PAHs and T-regs, Nadeau and her coworkers looked at many different types of data. They collected blood tests, lung measurements land other health information from more than 150-children irtFresno: This California city His high ievels of air pollution. The scientists also measured PAH in the air in and near homes of these children. —_— (7) T-regs didn't work as wall as they’stfould In kids living in heavily polluted, areas. Children exposed to high levels of PAH also were much more likely:to have asthma. Nadeau presented her team's new findings in February at a meeting of scientists who study allergies, asthma and the body's immune system, (8) “I think this is a very interesting and thought-provoking study." said Todd Rambasek. He's an allergist practicing in Lorain, Ohio. Previous studies have linked air pollution with asthma, but they did not look specifically at PAHs, he told Science News.Skimming & Scanning Practice MSERT FORMATION © scserts, which already ocoupy approximately a fourth of the Earth’s land surface, have in recent decades increasing at an alarming pace. The expansion of desert-like conditions into areas where they did not fiously exist is called desertification. It has been estimated that an additional one-fourth of the Earth’s land s@ face is thirestSAed by this process, corsification is accomplished primarily through the loss of stabilizing natural vegetation and the subsequent Mielerated erosion of the soil by wind and water. In some cases the loose soil is blown completely away, I@ving a stony ‘surface. In other cases, the finer particles may be removed, while the sand-sized particles are gpomulated to form mobile hills or ridges of sand. ‘Wen in the areas that retain a soil cover, the reduction of vegetation typically results in the loss of the soil’s @ilty to absorb substantial quantities of water. The impact of raindrops on the loose soil tends to transfer fine pp darts into the tiniest Soil spaces, sealing them and producing a surface that allows very little fer penetration. Water absorption is greatly reduced, conséquently runoff is increased, resulting in accelerated @sion rates, The gradual drying of the soil caused by its diminished ability to absorb water results in the finer loss of vegetation so that a cycle of progressive surface deterioration is established. Prome regions, the increase in desert areas is occurring largely as the result of a trend toward drier climatic ‘@bditions. Continued gradual global warming has produced an increase in aridity for some areas over the past ‘thousand years. The process may be accelerated in subsequent decades if global warming resulting from air yagivtion seriously increases. “Bere is little doubt, however, that desertification in most areas results primarily from human activities rather {tg natural processes. The semiarid lands bordering the deserts exist in a delicate ecological balance and are ited in their potential to adjust to increased environmental pressures. Expanding populations subjecting the land to increasing pressures to provide them with food and fuel. In wet periods, the land may Waeble to respond to these stresses. During the dry periods that are common phenomena along the desert ‘zins, though, the pressure on the land is often far in excess of its diminished capacity, and desertification oe 1@2xr specific activities have been identified as major contributors to the desertification processes: over tivation, overgrazing, firewood gathering, and over irrigation. The cultivation of crops has expanded te progressively drier regions as population densities have grown. These regions are especially likely to have ‘ods of severe dryness, so that crop failures are common. Since the raising of most crops necessitates the Wor removal of the natural vegetation, crop failures leave extensive tracts of land dev id of a plant cover agi susceptible to wind and water erosion. 2 raising of livestock is a major economic activity in semiarid lands, where grasses are generally the @rinant type of natural vegetation. The consequences of an excessive number of livestock grazing in an area the reduction of the vegetation cover and the trampling and pulverization of the soil. This is usually Gover by the drying of the soil and accelerated erosion. H@ewood is the chief fuel used for cooking and heating in many countries. The increased pressures of egpancing populations have led to the removal of woody plants so that many cities and towns are surrounded by gg erees completely lacking in trees and shrubs, ‘The increasing use of dried animal waste as a substitute fuel +has also hurt the soil because this valuable soil conditioner and source of plant nutrients is no longer being returned to the land. The final major human cause of desertification is soil salinization resulting from over irrigation. Excess water from irrigation sinks down into the water table. If no drainage system exists, the water table rises, bringing dissolved salts to the surface. The water evaporates and the salts are left behind, creating a white crustal layer that prevents air and water from reaching the underlying soil. 5 wee TT SRRESSE Dine i as DE cer BEDE Cte BULGE Once te i bas ‘been removed by erosion, only the passage of centuries or millennia will enable new soil to form. In areas ‘where considerable soil still remains, though, a rigorously enforced program of land protection and cover-crop planting may make it possible to reverse the present deterioration of the surface. ‘What percentage of the Earth do teserts cover? How does desertification happen? True or False: In dry periods, desertification is rare. ‘What are the four major contributors to desertification? According to the passage, what type of program may help reverse the affects of desertification? e e e e e e e e ° e e e 7 e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e ®‘TOEFL Reading Question Types The reading section has 10 reading question types. Many TOEFL test-takers find it easier to. complete a reading section on time if they are aware of the reading questions they. encounter, and then be able to identify them. + Facts/Detalls: Fact/Detail questions want to know specific information found in the Passage. Example question: According to the author, in paragraph 4, what might be one cause of a single instance of a phobic-like episode? Negative Facts/Details: These questions sometimes confuse students because they often ask for the wrong answer, not the right answer. These questions are easily identified because they contain the words “NOT” or “EXCEPT.” Example question: According to paragraph 3, all of the following were results of the wide disappearance of American Chestnut trees EXCEPT: + Referent: Another word for “referent” is “pronoun.” These questions require a sharp eye and a solid knowledge of singular/plural, masculine/plural pronouns. Example question: The word it in the passage refers to * Vocabulary: Vocabulary questions ask for definitions of specific words that are closest in meaning out of all four possible answers. Example question: The word promptly in the passage is closest in meaning to + Inference: Inference questions can be difficult because they are asking you to infer or imply something about the passage, meaning it’s not stated outright, like ina fact/detail question. Example question: What can be inferred from paragraph 1? * Purpose: This question type asks the reason, or purpose,behind a reading passage or Portion of a reading passage. Often times, the word “purpose” is actually found in this type of question. Many of the purpose questions will have "why" in the prompt, but. not all. Some other prompts are:"The author begins paragraph # with in order to...", or "The author uses as an example of...", Example question: Why does the author mention European dance music in paragraph 2? * _ Paraphrase/Essential Information: Paraphrasing means saying the same thing in similar words. If you see an entire sentence highlighted in the reading passage, then i must be this type. The question will ask you to choose which of the 4 answer option sentences is equal to the highlighted sentence. Example question: Which of the following best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence? Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information. * Coherence: Another phrase for coherence questions is “sentence insertion.” For these questions, you are required to take a sentence in bold and replace it within the most appropriate place within the passage. Example question: Look at the four squares fill that indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage. 1n fact, is it widely believed that the scope of its devastation far eclipses even that of the fungal disease, also accidentally introduced, that ravaged Dutch Elm trees across Europe and North America, from 1910 to 1928. Summarizing: Summarizing questions ask you to form a summary based on six possible sentences. You are often asked to choose three out of six that most closely resemble a topic sentence given to you — all of which are related to the reading passage. With this reading question, you drag and drop the answers you think are correct from the bottom area of your computer screen into’a blank area above with 3 positions marked off.+ Categorizing nformation/Complete the Table: When approaching categorizing information questions, you are asked to place specific bts of information into categories related to the passage. Often, categorizing questions are found at the end of a 20-minute reading section. You will have this kind of reading question or the complete a summary type once per passage. You will see 2 or 3 categories in an otherwise empty table. From the options provided, you must select which ones. correctly belong to each category. Each correct option is used only once, but there will also be 2 options that won't be used. Example Question: Complete the table below to summarize information about the two types of art discussed in the passage. Match the appropriate statements to the types of art with which they are associated, This question is worth 3 points. Types of Art Statements Select 3 ~| The Applied Arts Select 2 ‘The Fine Arts Statements 1, An object’s purpose is primarily aesthetic. 2. Objects serve a functional purpose. 3. The incidental details of objects do not vary. 4. Artists work to overcome the limitations of their materials. 5. The basic form of objects varies little across cultures. 6. Artists work in concert with their materials. 7. An object's place of origin is difficult to determine. e e e e e e e e e e e e e ® e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e eVocabulary Ou te: ee ©, determine the definition of the bold word. @ 02 of the primary challenges involved in successfully transporting the telescope into space was yrotecting the mirror from the jarring vibrations that occur during launch, It was crucial that the mirror e able to withstand the shuttle’s vicissitudes as well as the volatile atmospheric conditions found in @p2ce.” @ hat does vicissitudes mean in this sentence? ©. Determine the definition of the bold word. 6 decision to build a school in Blackberry Township was arbitrary, without any thought to future @ousing patterns.” nat does arbitrary mean in this sentence? Sie @ {nthe TOEFL, you will have 3-5 vocabulary questions. Useful phrases to indentify these questions: © “The word (or phrase) X in the passage is closest in meaning to...” @ © “The word (or phrase) X in the passage could best be replaced by.” : Reading Passage The Moho go iviing line between the Earth's mantle and crust is called the Moho, which s short for M chorovicic discontinuity and is named .} after the scientist who discovered it. The mantle is the region of @e Earth that extends from the outer edge of the core almost to the surface; it is 2,900 kilometers thick ‘encompasses about 84 per the total volt rth. The crust, on the other hand, is the f outer layer of the Earth. The term Moho is used to indicate where the mantle ends and the crust Jegins. Using the reflection of seismic waves at thousands of different locations, scientists have been able draw some interesting conclusions about the Moho. First ofall, the crust is very thin, averaging only, (@Pout 15 to 20 kilometers in thickness, compared with tens of thousands of kilometers in width. In idition, the Moho varies to a considerable degree in depth and is deepest below the highest mountain nges and shallower below regions with lower surface elevations. The Moho reaches depths of about 70 @lometers beneath massive mountain ranges, approximately 40 kilometers beneath average continental ions, and only 6 kilometers beneath the ocean floor. (Question 1: The word’encompasses in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to: a contains encircles S tssertes directs @*estion 2: The word “draw in paragraph 2 could best be replaced by: a sketch draft bupull 4. make 1nite Practis Use the context to help you find the term that best fits each sentence. 1. Ourtrip wasa___one. We took our time. a. leisurely ©. malpractice b. edible d. quixotic 2. The changes in the program were essential, and important, a quixotic significant b. nocturnal d. inundated 3. The president is always hoping for support (support from two parties). a. Spartan’ c. leisurely b. bipartisan d. edible Thad to sue my doctor for professional misconduct, because she operated ‘on my good arm instead of my broken arm. a. fake psyche b. malpractice d. nocturnal 5. You should try to or gather support for your cause. a. repress c. intensify b. psyche d. garner 6. Owlsare____. They fly around and look for food at night. a. nocturnal ©. psyche b. beneficiary d. fake 7, The weather reporter predicted a storm of high. - It sure did have a great deal of energy. ‘a. bipartisan © edible b. intensity d. consequences 8. Iwanted to trace my family’s (history and background). a. genealogy repress b. psyche . external 9. Near the end of the semester, students often feel with work. I,tog felt overwhelmed with my workload. a. significant c. inundated b. Spartan d. subdued 10, Often (outside) forces causes changes in one’s life. Take bipartisan consequences external poop COC CCC CC oe OOOO EOOE DELO OOO OOO DECC CO CON OCCESSPOOHSHOSHOSSSHSSOHSSHOHOOHOHSOHHHOHHHHCHHOOEHOEOES Adapted from Douglas College Learning Centre handout http://www.douglascollege.ca/~/media/6CO78C8CD75945C89A4CBB12FEA1A670.ashx UNDERSTANDING VOCABULARY IN CONTEXT If English is your second language, when you read, you may find many words you don’t understand. It is not good to look up every new word in the dictionary. If you look up every word, your reading is interrupted. You lose track of the ideas. Also, you do not remember the new words, When you read them again, you often just have to look them.up again in the dictionary. [A better way to read is to guess what most of the new words mean. This is a natural way to learn language. This handout gives you some Strategies for guessing the meaning of words from thelr contexts, When you guess the meanings of words, you are like a detective. You need clues to help you solve the mystery. This handout shows you how to use the following kinds of clues: B Your knowledge of the world @ Punctuation clues 1 Definition clues Example clues, [Comparison clues Contrast clues DReferent clues Using Your Knowledge of the World Often you can guess the riveaning of a word just by using your ‘own knowledge of the world and how things work. For example, look at this sentence: I didn’t steep well because my neighbor's dog was yapping all night. You can guess the meaning of yapping by thinking about your knowledge of dogs and your knowledge of sleep. How can dogs wake you up? They can jump on you or make a noise. Because this is the neighbor's dog, not yours, it must make a noise. So, you can guess that yapping Is some kind of noise, probably like barking. In most situations, this is enough information for you to continue reading, It doesn’t matter if you know exactly what kind of noise it is. 1. The driver swerved to miss the little boy who stepped out into the road. To swerve Is to 2. Her tea was tepid, so she put itin the microwave, Tepid means + Punctuation Clues Punctuation clues are one, of the easiest kinds of context clues. With punctuation clues, the meaning of a word is explained immediately after the word between brackets, commas or dashes. This type of clue is very common, especially in college textbooks. Look at the following examples: Brackets: A tornado (a violent storm of twisting wind) struck Edmonton and caused damage. ‘Commas: A tornado,'a violent storm of twisting wind, struck Edmonton and caused damage. Dashes: A tornado~a violent storm of twisting wind — struck Edmonton and caused damage. Notice that the punctuation is around an explanation of the word. 1. The deluge, a flood of rain, threatened to drown the little town. A deluge is ee 132. Sleet (half rain and half snow) can be Very difficult to drive in due to poor visibility. Sleet is 3. Freezing rain — rain which freezes when it hits the earth —also causes many accidents. Freezing rain is. Definition Clues A word’s meaning is often given by including its definition in the sentence. The definition is linked to the word with a linking word, usually a verb. Here are some examples of linking words: is, was, are, means, ie. (that is), involves, is called, that is and resembles, This type of clue is also very common in college textbooks. Look at the following examples: A cane resembles a walking stick. Glggling Involves laughing ina silly way. 1. Breaking even involves making enough money to pay for business costs but no more. Breaking even is, 2. Many new businesses go bankrupt, which means they lose everything, To go bankrupt is Example Clues These clues give you examples of the unknown word. You must figure out what the examples have in common in order to figure out the meaning of the word. Examples are usually introduced by expressions like these: such as, for instance, including, for example, andi lke. Look at this onet Large corporations like General Foods, Shell Oil, Nortel and Canadian Pacificare often less innovative than smaller ones. This sentence gives you 4 examples of large corporations. Think about the examples. What do they have in common? They are all large companies. So, a corporation must be @ eompany. 1. The reporter talked to many auto-industry executives, e.g. company presidents and vice- residents. ‘An executive is 2. The Big Three are designing radical new cars including vehicles that use radar and advanced computers. Radical is, Review 1. Rodents such as mice, rats and beavers, can often do a lot of damage. Arodent is 2, Gardeners curse the mole (a small rodent that likes to dig in soft soil). Amole is 3. She screamed when she saw the arachnid moving across ts web, ‘An arachnid is 4, Many restaurants serve mollusks ~ for example, snails, oysters and clams. A mollusk is 5. Cetaceans, including whales and dolphins, are thought to have high intelligence. A cetacean is ‘Comparison Clues Comparison clues show that two or more things are alike. Words lke similar, as well as, both and likewise show that comparison is possible. Look at this example: Washing windows is a tedious job. Similorly, cleaning the oven is very boring. ‘The word similarly shows that there is something the same in the two sentences. Washing windows and cleaning the oven are different, so the similarity must be in the description. We ean guess that tedious and boring must have similar meanings. : 1. Asoft cloth will soak up a lot of water. Likewise, ‘a sponge is very absorbent. Absorbent means ©0000 H00HOOOOOHOOHOHHOHOOOOHOOOOOEOHOOOHOOOEESCOOCHOOHSHOHHSHSSHHOSHSHSHHHOHHSSHHHOHHOSOHHHSHOOOE 2. Spot cleaners as well as other bleach products are good at getting out stains. A spot cleaner is a Contrast Clues With contrast clues, you use the opposite of known information to figure out the meaning of an unknown word. Connecting words like however, yet, on the other hand, instead of, but, while and although are used to show that meanings are opposite. Look at this example: Although some old people abhor change, most of them enjoy new things and experiences. In this sentence the word although shows that there is some opposite meaning in the two parts of the sentence. Both parts are about old peoplé and their attitudes to change. The opposite meaning must be between abhor and enjoy. Abhor probably means the opposite of enjoy. So, abhor probably means dislike. 1. Alzheimer’s disease is a commen problem In old age, but many old people continue to have healthy minds. Alzheimer's disease is 2, Many old people stay home in inclement weather, yet they go out walking on nice days. Inclement weather is. Referent Clues ‘These clues refer to unknown words by using synonyms or explanations of the words. Synonyms often follow words like this, that, these, those, or the. Sometimes, however, there is no obvious clue word. The reader just sees that the meanings are probably similar from the ideas in the sentence, Look at this example: She yelled out the window at her neighbor's dog. Then she said to her husband, “That hound is always waking me up at night with its barking. Tomorrow I'm going to complain.” In'this example, that comes before the unknown word. This suggests that a hound has. already been mentioned. We can guess that that hound refers to the dog. So, a hound is probably adog. +L. Junk mail is a huge cause of pollution. These flyers advertising all sorts of things are put through ‘the mail slot and usually not even looked at before they are thrown in the garbage, Junk mail is 2. Paul paid his rent late. The delay was caused by Paul's bank. They lost his deposit. Adelay is ee Longman Vocabulary Website: Resource for practicing vocabulary and context clues http:/!wps.ablongman.com/leng_ticklider_vocabulary_2/4/1104/282760.cwlindex.ht ml Using Context Clues Practices hitp:/iwps.ablongman.comilong_| -_vocabulary_2/6/1626/416421.cwlindex.html on‘TOEFL: Academic Skills Paraphrasing Paraphrasing means using different words to express the same meaning. When you paraphrase, you express an idea you have read or heard In your own words. As you are including all the information when you paraphrase, the paraphrase is usually about the same length as the original, Paraphrasing is an important academic skill for success in all TOEFL sections and in college classes. Using someone else's words is plaglarizing, a serious offense that can result in expulsion ffom school. Potential problems to avoid: Don't change the meaning of the original. Don’t leave out information. Don’t copy or use too much wording from the original. Mention Sources Appropriately Sometimes, you need to mention the information source more than once. There Is a pattern that is customarily used to mention the source appropriately. When you cite the source the first time, use the first and last name. When you cite the second time, use the last name only. If you cite a third time, use a pronoun, for example, he or she. In the case of speaker or writers who are not named, the source should still be cited. You may be able to identify the source as a professor, a speaker, an author, or a student, based on the context in which the information is presented. Use this general information to cite the source the first time and a pronoun (if the person's gender is clear) the second time. Summarizing ‘Summarizing is related to paraphrasing because you use your own words to express an idea ‘that you have read or heard. When you paraphrase, you include all the original information. However, when you summarize, you include only the main ideas; therefore the summary is shorter than the original. Do not include details and examples in the summary. Make sure the author's viewpoint is maintained; you do not express your opinion. When you summarize, use the same organization and emphasis as the original and remain objective. ‘Summarizing Strategies: First, determine the organization of the reading or lecture. Then list the major points in the order in which you heard or read them. When you read, think in terms of space. How much space does the author devote to each point. When you listen, think in terms of the time the speaker spends on each point. This will help you maintain the emphasis of the original in your summary. In your summary, you should not agree or disagree with the author's or speaker's Ideas, Don’t make judgments or add information. Do not include your opinions or comments. The summary’s conclusion should be the same as the author's or speaker's. Source: Adapted from Sharpe, Pamela J., and Pamela J. Sharpe. Pass Key to the TOEFL IBT: Test of English as a Foreign Language : Intemet-based Test. 6th ed. Hauppauge, N.Y.: Barron's Educational Series, 2006. Print. OO 000008 OOOOH OOOOHOOOOOOHHHHOOHEOEOOOHOOOOEeae wl choice s: Paraphi ‘Warm up: Without changing the meaning, re-write the sentences using different words, Juan has a good relationship with his neighbors. Should I call Mr. Gonzalez for you? They cancelled the flight because of the storm. ‘The computer is broken so we can’t use it. Review: Sepp In the TOEFL, you will have 1-2 paraphrasing (multiple choice) questions. + Useful phrases to identify these questions: © “Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information...?” Practice: The Great Red Spot One distinctive feature of the reddish-brown clouds. : eicre: The Spot's Clouds, most likely tinted red as a result of the phosphorus that they contain, circulate in a counterclockwise direction. The outer winds require six Earth days to complete the circumference of the Great Red Spot, a length of time indicative of the vastness of the Great Red Spot. Question 4: Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in the passage? /ncorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information. a. The density of the Great Red Spot is much higher than that of the Earth. b, Ifthe diameter of the Great Red Spot were doubled, it would equal that of the Earth. . By placing the Earth next to the Great Red Spot, one could see that the Earth has a much smaller diameter. Because the Earth Is close to the Great Red Spot, Earth is influenced by its huge size. One distinctive feature.of the planet Jupiter is the Great Red Spot, a massive oval of swirling reddish-brown clouds. Were Earth to be juxtaposed with the Great Red Spot, our planet would be dwarfed in comparison, witha diameter less than half that of the Great Red Spot. The Spot's clouds, most likely tinted redas.a regult of the, phosphorus, that they contain, cl counterclockwise direction, een rar i ee en Question 2: Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in the passage? Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information. a. The Earth's outer winds move a distance equal to the circumference of the Great Red Spot. b. The outer winds of the Great Red Spot move more quickly than do those on Earth, ¢. The winds moving across the Great Red Spot finally change direction every six Earth days. . The fact that the winds take so long to move around the Great Red Spot proves how big itis. ItParaphrasing for the TOEFL 1, One of the key elements to a healthy life is your diet. There are many different types of diets that people follow: some don’t eat meat, and are called vegetarians; some are lactose intolerant, which means that they can’t digest dairy products; and others are called vegans, or people who do not eat meat, fish, eggs, or milk products. No matter the diet, it is important to maintain a healthy lifestyle. a. Some people are constantly dieting because they have to follow certain rules about what they can or cannot eat. b. Certain dietary restrictions, such as not consuming meat, dairy, or any by-products of living animals, can vary over a wide range of people's lifestyles. c. Itis important for vegetarians, vegans, and those who are lactose intolerant to diet on a regular basis in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle. 4. Eating meat, dairy, or any other by-product of an animal requires great effort to stay healthy. 2. Psychologists have for some time noted the difference in problem-solving styles of Americans and Chinese, and new research underscores that difference. Psychologists have shown in studies that Americans are specific problem solvers, focusing on one specific element of a problem; while in contrast; Chinese consider the broader context of a problem, considering multiple elements of a problem. a While Chinese and Americans have similar styles of research, in the field of psychology, they solve problems in different ways. b, American psychologists and Chinese psychologists focus on different styles of problem. solving. ©. When faced with a psychological problem, the Chir..se tend to think about a variety of factors relevant to the situation, whereas Americans tend to focus in on one thing ata time. d. According to research, people from China more often than 1.ut approach a problem by taking into consideration a variety of factors, whereas people from the United States have a more narrow view, zeroing in on one particular aspect of the issue 3. The most common type of employee training is, and has always been, employee orientation, training that brings new employees up to speed on how the business and its industry work. a, Businesses have always prepared their new hires by familiarizing them with the day-to-day tasks of the job and the ins and outs of their industry. b. The most common type of employee training used to be orientation but now it is all about how the industry and business work. ©. Employee orientation plays a key factor in helping new employers understand how to do their job. 4, Employee orientation is one of the less popular ways that businesses help new workers get comfortable with their new work environment. e e e e e es e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e ee e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e 4, To be successful in college, at work, and in your everyday life, you need to think critically about everything you see, read, and hear, which means learning to examine ideas, information, rules, and so on before accepting them as truth. a. There are many truths, but to be successful in college, at work, and in everyday life, itis important to learn as much as possible about the media. b. In order to understand the validity of the things that we read, hear, and see, itis critical to analyze and filter the information we receive so we know what to believe. c. Tobe successful at college, work, or in daily life, itis important for critical thinkers to learn about the truth. d._Atschool, work, or in everyday life, we are faced with many false facts,ideas, and . information that seétrue because we fail to give them more than just a moment's thought. .. Most people visit casinos for pure enjoyment and they know to set a limit on how much money they are willing to lose, so that when they reach that amount, they stop; however, addicts éan't stop because they always want to play just one more game to get back what they lost. a. Casinos are becoming problematic because addicts don’t know how to seta limit on their gambling behavior, leading to alcoholism and other bigger problems. b. While a casino isa fun place for most people, itis a terrible place for gambling addicts because they don’t enjoy the people, lights, noise, and food. ¢. Casinos are a fun and exciting place to go, but some people have a problem with their. gambling behavior, unable to set limits on themselves because they want to keep playing to win back their losses. d. Gambling is a serious addiction to casinos, and addicts usually can’t limit the amount of money they lose. Regardless of whether it is accidental or intentional, writers who plagiarize (that is to say, people who take someone else’s intellectual property and pretend that they produced it themselves) risk failing a course, being expelled from school, or losing their jobs and damaging their reputations. a. Plagiarizing someone else's work can be detrimental to your life, affecting your status as a citizen. b. Plagiarism is a relatively inconsequential issue at work and school, and can only modestly affect the way that people view you as a person. c. Stealing words, ideas; or information from somebody else is a serious offense and can lead to big trouble, academically, at work, or in life. d. Using information that is not yours ought to be avoided because it is dishonest. . Employees can learn technical skills on the job and practice them every day, but they need to bring well-developed communication skills to the job because they need to be able to make themselves understood to colleagues, both in speech and in writing, and work cooperatively as part of the team. a. Communication skills are very important to the success of a company, but in order to be understood by colleagues, workers must possess the necessary technical skills as well. b. The specific job skills an employee needs can be learned on the job through experience; however, in order to be truly successful at work the ability to communicate clearly and effectively is paramount. c. Being an able communicator on the job is something that new employees learn once they have been trained on the technical parts of the job. dd. While itis a natural skill to be able to communicate with people, it is a learned skil able to perform the necessary tasks required to do one's job. tobe 198, In the next decade, the number of people at retirement age, namely the "baby-boomer” generation, will increase to a degree never seen before in United States history, creating a vacuum for certain professional jobs, such as teachers, university professors, and medical specialists, a. Because of the number of "baby boomers” getting ready to retire in the next ten years, the number of jobs available will decrease because of the demand for certain professional skills. b. Due to the fact that he number of professional jobs available will increase at a historical level next decade, the number of people in the “baby boomer” generation will also increase. ¢. Inthe next ten years, American society will se an unprecedented number of people retiring, leading to a large demand for people to fill these jobs recently vacated by the "baby boomer” generation. 4. Certain professions, like those in the field of education wand health care, will see a major loss of people able to work because of the “baby boomer” generations. 9. Students are often overwhelmed by the variety of tasks they have to manage. The amount of reading, homework, and projects alone can be enough to cause a great deal of stress. All the more, working college students have to learn how to successfully juggle many responsibilities: doing a good job at work, getting to class regularly and on time, being alert in class, and doing the homework assignments. a, Working at a college, a student can feel very overwhelmed, having the responsibility of juggling, managing, and doing homework assignments. b. While being a student is cause for quite a bit of stress, being a student who also has a job demands great time-management, requiring a balancing act of getting to both work and class punctually, and performing well in both environments. c. juggling all of these things that college students have to deal with can be very overwhelming and stressful, causing them to get a job to manage their time. . Having to do homework assignments on time, get to class on time, get to work én time, and do well at your job and on your school assignments, all require great stress. 10. Training for success ina marathon demands several important steps. Runners should first get a schedule developed by a professional running organization, then commit to carefully following the schedule, and on the night before the morning of the big day, runners should take special considerations into account like diet and sleep to make sure they are prepared for the race. a. Inorder to be successful in running a long race, it is important to have a training schedule detailed by professionals, follow that schedule, and eat well and get sufficient rest on the eve of the race. b. Training for a marathon takes a lot of steps, including but not limited to following a professional schedule, committing to a running organization, and taking extra steps to ready.yourself the night before the race. On the night before the race, its important to follow certain steps to ensure success ina marathon, including getting a professionally developed schedule, and following it carefully. ‘Training for a marathon is not easy, and requires certain steps in order to be successful, including following a professionally developed schedule, and taking special steps on the morning before the night of the race, Adapted from: strictlyenglishusa.com/free-exercises/ SCOSOOHSSOHHOOSSHHHHOHHHSOHOOHHOOOHOHEOOOOOVOOOCEInference Questions Warm up: Read each statement and make your own inference based on the situation. 1. You have just gotten a puppy from an animal rescue shelter. He's lovable but nervous. If you raise your voice for any reason, he hides and trembles. When you got him from the rescue shelter, he walked slowly, his legs appeared injured, and he was wounded on his nose. Inference: 2, You are a high school student sitting in class when a substitute teacher walks in and announces that your regular teacher is ill. Everyone in the class including you erupts in applause. The substitute hits the desk to maintain order, but the students ignore him and talk louder. Inferenc Review: + On the TOEFL, you will have 2-3 inference questions. + Useful phrases to identify them: © “It is implied in paragraph X ...” “it can be inferred from paragraph X “Itis most likely that...” “What probably happened ...?” Practice: Ancient Coins 000 Long before coins were invented, metals such as gold, silver, copper, and bronze were used as a medium of « xchangé for trade. However, each piece of metal had to be weighed each time it was used in trade to establish its value. The Lydians of western Anatolia were the first to begin producing metal coins in standard weights, in the seventh century B.C, impressing seal into the coin to indicate its value. One such coin minted during the time of Lydian King Croesus, who ruled from 560 B.C. to $46 B.C, has been recovered by archeologists; this coin is imprinted with the heads and forelegs of two animals, a bull and a lion, who are facing each other. It was not until 525 B.C. that coins with images on both sides came into being. 1) Itcan be inferred from paragraph 1 that gold came into use as a medium of exchange... a. before 700 B.C. b. after 700 B.C, c. during the reign of King Croesus d. in525B.C. 2) It is implied in paragraph 2 that coins from the time of King Croesus were all a. imprinted on one side only b, made of gold imprinted with two animals d., imprinted on both sides 2]Review: + On the TOEFL, you will have 1-2 negative factual questions. * Useful phrases to identify these questions: © “Itis NOT stated...” © "Itis NOT indicatec © “Itis NOT mentioned...” © “All of the following are true © “Itis NOT discussed..." EXCEPT...” © “Itis NOT true. Practice: Reading Passage: Moonbows Many people are. quite familiar with rainbows, but few are as familiar with moonbows. Rainbows are caused by sunlight hitting raindrops and bouncing back. You can see a rainbow when the sun is low in the sky behind you and it is raining ahead of you. Light from the Sun reflects off the inside surfaces of raindrops and is bent as it travels through them. It appears as a band of colors because each of the colors in sunlight is bent to a different angle. Moonbows are far less common than are rainbows, but they are formed in much the same way. They require a very specific set of circumstances to occur. When they do occur, they cour just after a full Moon, a Moon at its brightest, has risen in the east and just after the Sun has set in the west, and it must also be raining in the west. In this situation, a moonbow may be visible to you if you are facing west and if thie Moon is behirid you. Light from the bright Moon reflects. off the inside surfaces of the raindrops in the west and.bends the colors to cieate a moon bow. 1: According to paragraph 1, it is NOT true that you can see a rainbow when a, the Sun is low in the sky b. the Sun isin front of you , it is raining in front of you d. the Sun's rays are reflected off the raindrops 2: itis NOT indicated in paragraph 2: a. where the moon must be in the sky for a moon bow to occur b. at what time of day moon bows occur ¢. which direction you must be facing to see a moonbow din which parts of the world moon bows occur ——— eee “| | There are S answers that are | true and 1 thatis not true or not stated or mentioned in the passage. e e e e e e e e e e e e e ® e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e@ e e e e e e e e =SPOOCHOHOHSOHHSHSSOHSSHHHSHHHOHHHHHSHHHHOHCOHHOHHOOOOSD Sentence Insertion Questions Review: + Onthe TOEFL, you will have 0-1 sentence insertion questions. Practice: The Origin of Chess The origins of the game of chess are not known with certainty, and traditional stories in a number of cultures claim credit for developing the game. [1A] One legend claims that chess was invented during the Trojan Wars. [1B] According to another legend, chess was developed to depict the battle between two royal brothers for the crown of Persia. [1C] In a third legend, chess was the creation of the mythical Arab philosopher Sassa. [1D] Whatever its origins, chess was known to exist in India as early as 500 8.C., and It eventually spread from India to Persia, where it took on much of the terminology that today is part of the game. [2A] Foot soldiers in the Persian army were called piyadah, which became the pawns of today's game, and the Persian chariot was a rukh, which became the rook. [2B] The Persian king was the shah, which evolved into the name chess. [2C] Shahmat, which means "the king is dead” became the expression checkmate. [2D] 1: Where should the following sentence be placed in the paragraph? When one brother was killed, the remaining brother had the game invented to explain the tragic events to his mother. a 1A b. 18 e. 16 4. 1D ' 2: Where should the following sentence be placed in the paragraph? This expression is used during the game to indicate that one player's king is on the verge of being captured. a. 2A b. 2B o. 2c —— 4. 2D | Use the context before and after | the possible insertion places. | Use transition words as clues. I 23Category Questions: Summarize ‘Short Term Memory ‘Most people can remember a phone number for up to thirty seconds. When this short amount of time elapses, however, the numbers are erased from the memory. How did the information get there in the first place? Information that makes its way to the short term memory (STM) does so via the sensory storage area. The brain has a filter which only allows stimuli that is of immediate interest to pass on to the STM, also known as the working memory. ‘There is much debate about the capacity and duration of the short term memory. The most accepted theory comes from George A. Miller, a cognitive psychologist who suggested that humans can remember approximately seven chunks of information. A chunk is defined as a meaningful unit of information, such as a word or name rather than just a letter or number. Modern theorists suggest that one can increase the capacity of the short term memory by chunking, or classifying similar information together. By organizing information, one can optimize the STM, and improve the chances of a memory being passed on to long term storage. When making a conscious effort to memorize something, such as information for an exam, many people engage in "rote rehearsal”. By repeating something over and over again, one is able to. keep a memory alive. Unfortunately, this type of memory maintenance only succeeds if there are no interruptions. As soon as a person stops rehearsing the information, it has the tendency to disappear. When a pen and paper are not handy, people often attempt to remember a phone number by repeating it aloud. If the doorbell rings or the dog barks to come in before a person has the opportunity to make a phone call, he will ikely forget the number instantly. Therefore, rote rehearsal is not an efficient way to pass information from the short term to long term memory. A. better way is to practice “elaborate rehearsal”. This involves assigning semantic meaning to a piece of information so that it can be filed along with other pre-existing long term memories. Encoding information semantically also makes it more retrievable. Retrieving information can be done by recognition or recall. Humans can easily recall memories that are stored in the long term memory and used often; however, if a memory seems to be forgotten, it may eventually be retrieved by prompting. The more cues a person is given (such as pictures), the more likely a memory can be retrieved. This is why multiple choice tests are often used for subjects that require a lot of merorization. An introductory sentence for a summary of the passage is found below. Complete the summary by choosing the THREE answer choices that contain the most important ideas in the passage. ‘The brain stores information that a person may need in the immediate future in a place called the short term memory (STM). 1. Most people can only remember numbers for a short time. 2. Many psychologists agree only a certain amount can be stored in the STM at once. 3. Some techniques for memorization don't work because of potential interruptions. 4. Elaborate rehearsal is generally considered less effective than rote rehearsal. 5. Assigning meaning to information makes it easier for the brain to retrieve. ©0000 OOOO HH00000O00OOO0HOO9OO0OOHOOHHOOHOOOEECOCOOH OHSS OHO SOHHSHOSHHHOHHHHHHOHHHHHHHHHHHOOOSD Extinction of Dinosaurs = Paleontologists have argued for a long time that the demise of the dinosaurs was caused by climatic alterations associated with slow changes in the positions of continents and seas resulting from plate tectonics. Off and on throughout the Cretaceous (the last period of the Mesozoic era, during which dinosaurs flourished), large shallow seas covered extensive areas of the continents. Data from diverse sources, including geochemical evidence preserved in seafloor sediments, indicate that the Late Cretaceous climate was milder than today’s. The days were not too hot, nor the nights too cold. The summers were not too warm, nor the winters too frigid. The shallow seas on the continents probably buffered the temperature of the nearby air, keeping it relatively constant. [At the end of the Cretaceous, the geological record shows that these seaways retreated from the continents back into the major ocean basins. No one knows why. Over a period of about 100,000 years, while the seas pulled back, climates around the world became dramatically more extreme: warmer days, cooler nights; hotter summers, colder winters. Perhaps dinosaurs could not tolerate these extreme temperature changes and became extinct, If true, though, why did cold-blooded animals such as snakes, lizards, turtles, and crocodiles survive the freezing winters and torrid summers? These animals are at the mercy of the climate to maintain a livable body temperature. It's hard to understand why they would not be affected, whereas dinosaurs were left too crippled to cope, especially if, as some scientists believe, dinosaurs were warm-blooded. Critics also point out that the shallow seaways had retreated from and advanced on the continents numerous times during the Mesozoic, so why did the dinosaurs survive the climatic changes associated with the earlier fluctuations but not with this one? Although initially appealing, the hypothesis of a simple climatic change related to sea levels is insufficient to explain all the data. Dissatisfaction with conventional explanations for dinosaur extinctions led to a surprising observation that, in turn, has suggested a new hypothesis. Many plants and animals disappear abruptly from the fossil record as ane moves from layers of rock documenting the end of the Cretaceous up into rocks representing the béginning of the Cenozoic (the era after the Mesozoic). Between the last layer of Cretaceous rock and the first layer of Cenozoic rock, there is often a thi layer of clay. Scientists felt that they could get an idea of how long the extinctions took by determining how long it took to deposit this one centimeter of clay and they thought they could determine the time it took to deposit the clay by determining the amount of the element iridium (ir) it contained. Ir has not been common at Earth's surface since the very beginning of the planet's history. Because it usually exists in a metallic state, it was preferentially incorporated in Earth’s core as the planet cooled and consolidated. Ir is found in high concentrations in some meteorites, in which the solar system’s original chemical composition is preserved. Even today, microscopic meteorites continually bombard Earth, falling on both land and sea. By measuring how many of these meteorites fall to Earth over a given period of time, scientists can estimate how long it might have taken to deposit the observed amount of Ir in the boundary clay. These calculations suggest that @ QTperiod of about one million years would have been required. However, other reliable evidence suggests that the deposition of the boundary clay could not have taken one million years. So the unusually high concentration of Ir seems to require a special explanation. In view of these facts, scientists hypothesized that a single large asteroid, about 10 to 15, kilometers across, collided with Earth, and the resulting fallout created the boundary clay. Thi calculations show that the impact kicked up a dust cloud that cut off sunlight for several months, inhibiting photosynthesis in plants; decreased surface temperatures on continents to below freezing; caused extreme episodes of acid rain; and significantly raised long-term global temperatures through the greenhouse effect. This disruption of food chain and climate would have eradicated the dinosaurs and other organisms in less than fifty years. ‘An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage is provided below. The reason for dinosaurs’ extinction is unknown and continues to fuel debate among scientists. 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. (A) Extreme changes in daily and seasonal climates preceded the retreat of the seas back into the major ocean basins. (8) A simple climate change does not explain some important data related to the extinction of the dinosaurs at the end of the Cretaceous. (C) The retreat of the seaways at the end of the Cretaceous has not been fully explained. (0) The abruptness of extinctions at the end of the Cretaceous and the high concentration of Ir found in clay deposited at that time have fueled the development of a new hypothesis {E) Some scientists hypothesize that the extinction of the dinosaurs resulted from the effects of an asteroid collision with Earth {F) Boundary clay layers like the one between the Mesozoic and Cenozoic are used by scientists to determine the rate at which an extinct species declined,Complete the Table Questions For this question, you will see a partially completed classification table based on information in the passage. You must complete the table by choosing correct answer choices and matching them to the related locations in the table. This question type measures your ability to conceptualize and organize major ideas and other important information from across the passage and then to place them in appropriate categories. “Typically, passages used with Complete the Table items have more than one focus of development in that they include more than one point of view or perspective and have the following types of organization: compare/contrast, problem/solution, eause/effect, and alternative arguments (such as theories, hypotheses), Correct answers represent major ideas and important supporting information in the passage. ‘That are likely to be abstract concepts based on passage information or paraphrases of passege information. Correct answers will be easy to confirm by able readers who can remember or easily locate relevant text information. ‘William Faulkner Author William Faulkner is today recognized as one of America’s greatest writers om the basis of a body of novels that so convincingly portray the culture ofthe South inthe years following the Civil War, with its citizens overcome by grief and defeat and trying to cling to old values while struggling to take their place in a changing world. The acclaim that today is Faulkner's, however, was slow in coming, ‘Though Faulkner was praised by some critics and reviewers during the first part of is career, his novels did not sell well and he was considered a fairly marginal author. For the first few decades of his career, he made his living writing magazine articles and working as a screenwriter rather than as a novelist, “Throughout this period, he continued to writ, though his novels, sometimes noted forthe stirring portrait that they presented of life in the post-Civil War South, were generally relegated to the category of strictly regional writing and were not widely appreciated, Beginning in 1946, Faullmer’s career took an unexpected and dramatic turn as Faulkner eame to be recognized as considerably more than a regional writer. The Portable Faulkner was published in that year by Viking Press; two years later he was elected to the prestigious National Academy of Arts and Letters; he ‘was awarded the Nobel Prize for iterature in 1949. Over the next decade, his work was recognized in various ways, including a National Book Award and two Pulitzer Prizes, and he became a novelist in residence at the University of Virginia, His success led toa degree of affluence that enabled him to take up the life ofa southem gentleman, including horseback riding and fox hunting. Ironically, he died as a result ofan accident related to these gentlemanly pursuits, succumbing asa result of injuries suffered during a {all from a horse. QFDirections: Select the appropriate phrases from the answer choices, and match them to the phrase of ‘William Faulkner's career to which they relate. TWO of the answer choices will not be used. This question is worth 3 point Faulkner in the first phase of his career Answer Choices (choose 6 to complete the chart): (@) Was considered one of America’s greatest writers (2) Received a small amount of critical acclaim (2) Died as a result of a horseback-riding incident (4) Received numerous awards and acclaim (5) Was considered merely a regional writer (©) Wrote novels about various American regions (7) Made his living as a novelist (8) Made his living with writing other than novels COCO OOOO CROCE LEO CEOOOE DODO LO OOEOO OO OOOOOCSe e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e Allexamples (unless otherwise noted) are taken from: http://www.learnenglish-test.com/index.php/toefl/toefl-reading/toeft-reading-skills 29 ibere ga itaAe Neto alec ‘actice Set 1: Passage and Questions Read the passage. Then answer the questions. Give yourself 20 minutes to complete this practi’ set. THE RISE OF TEOTIHUACAN \ ap 1 The city of Teotinuacan, which lay about 50 kilometers northeast of modern-day Mexico City, began its growth by 200 -100 B.C, At its height, between about A.D. ~” 180 and 760, t probaby had a population of mere than 125/000 people and coved at least 20 square kilometers. It had over 2,000 apartment complexes, a great: TTarket,a large numberof industrial workshops, an edmitratve conier & numberof HIBEIEN roigious ectovs, and arogor gd patton of etects anc buldngs, Cleary much planning and central control were involved in the expansion and ordering of this Great mottopols. Moreover, the city had seonomis and perhaps reigiocs corte Wi most pats of Mesoamerica modern Cental Ameria ana Menco), 2 How did this tremendous development take place, and why did it happen in the ‘Teotihuacdn Valley? Among the main factors are Teotihuacan's geographic location on a natural trade route to the south ahd east of the Valley of Mexico, the obsidian! resources in the Teotihuacén Valley itsef, and the valley's potential for extensive irigation. The exact role of other factors is much more difficult to EINER] —for instance, Teotinuacan's religious significance as a shrine, the historical situation In and around the Valley of Mexicy toward the end of the fst millennium B.C., the [EBEHEI] and foresighteciness of Teotihuacan'’s elte, and, finally, the impact of natural disasters, such as the voleanic eruztions of the late frst milennium B.C. 3. This last factor is at least circumstantially implicated in Teotihuacén's rise. Prior to 200 B.C. a number of relatively small centers coexisted in and near the Valley of Mexico. Around this time, the largest of these canters, Cuicullco, was seriously affected by a volcanic eruption, with much of its agricultural land covered by lava. With Cuicuilco eliminated as a potential rival, any one of a number of relatively modest towns might have emerged as a leading economic and poltical power in Central Mexico. The archaeological evidence clearly indicates, though, that | Teothuacan was the center that did arise as the SEESENRETE force in the area by the first century A.D. 4 It seems likely that Teotihuacén’s natural resources —along with the city elite's ability to recognize their potential—gave the city , ‘The valley, like many other places in Mexican and Guatemalan highlands, was rich in obsidian. The hard voloanic stone was a resource that had been in great demand for many years, at least since the rise of the Oimecs (a people who flourished between 1200 and 400 B.C.), and it apparently had a secure market. Moreover, recent research on obsidian tools found at Oimec sites has shown > that some of the obsidian obtained by the Oimecs originated near Teotihuacan. Teotihuacén obsidian must have been recognized as a valuable commodity for many centuries before the great city arose. CO COCHOOOCOLOOCEEEOCOOOOE OOO OCOROOOOOLOOOLOESParagrash = & . Long-distance trade in obsidian probably gave the elite residents of Teotinuacén access to a wide variety of exotic goods, as well as a relatively prosperous life. Such success may have attracted immigrants to Teotihuacan. In addition, Teothuacan's elite may have consciously attempted to attract new inhabitants. It is also probable that as early as 200 B.C. Teotihuacén may have achieved some religious significance and its shrine (or shrines) may have served as an additional population magnet. Finally, the growing population was probably fed by increasing the number and size of irigated fields. The picture of Teotthuacén that emerges Is a classic picture of positive feedback ‘among obsidian mining and working, trade, population growth, iigation, and religious tourism. SEEM MAR TERIEMEBERISE. tor exarnple, would necessitate ‘more miners, additional manufacturers of obsidian too's, and adcitional traders to carry the goods to new markets. All this ld to increased wealth, which in turn ‘would attract more immigrants to Teotihuacén. The growing power of the elite, who ccontrolied the economy, would give them the means to physically coerce people to move to Teotinuacén and serve as additions to the labor force. More irigation ‘works would have to be built to feed the growing population, and this resulted in more power and wealth for the elite. ‘obsidian: = tye f volcanic ginsslea rock uso for manufacturing table and ceremonial objects Now answer the questions. 1. The word in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to (A) ancient ®) carefully planned (C) very large (0) carefully protected 2. In paragraph 1, each of the following is mentioned as a feature of the city of Teotihuacén between AD. 160 and 700 EXCEPT (A) regularly arranged streets (@) several administrative centers spread across the city (©) many manutécturing workshops (©) apartment complexes 3. The word “BIREEIR" in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to (AJ identify precisely (®) make an argument for (C) describe (D) understand READING PRACTICE SET 1(A) ambition @) sincerity (C) faith (0) cleverness Which of the following is NOT mentioned In paragraph 2 as a main factor in the development of Teotihuacdn? (A) The presence of obsidian in the Teotinuacdn Valley (©) The potential for extensive irrigation of Teotinuacén Valley lands (©)A long period of volcanic inactivity in the Teotihuacan Valley (©) Teotihuacén'’s location on a natural trade route 6. Which of the following can be inferred from paragraphs 2 and 3 about the volcanic eruptions of the late first millennium 8.C.? (A) They were more frequent than historians once thought. (8) They may have done more damage to Teotinuacdn than to neighboring centers. (©) They may have played a major role in the rise of Teolinuacén, (0) They increased the need for extensive irrigation in the TeotIhuacén Valley. 7. What can be inferred from paragraph 3 about Cuiculleo prior to 200 B.C.? (A) It was a fairly srrall city unti that date. (©) It was located outside the Valley of Mexion, (C) it emerged rapialy as an eccnomical and political center (0) Its economy refed heavily on agriculture. 8. The word “SESEIEIEW! in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to (A) most aggressive (8) most productive (©) principal (D) earliest 9. Which of the following allowed Teotihuacsn to have “SESE T RENEE NATE"? (A) A well-exploited and readily avaliable commodity (8) The presence of a highly stabie elte class (©) Knowledge derived directly from the Olmecs about the art of toolmaking (0) Scarce natural resources in nearby areas such as those located in what are now the Guatemalan and Mexican highlands 10. According to paragraph 4, what has recent research on obsidian tools found at Olmec sites shown? (A) Obsidian’ value was understood only when Teotihuacdn became an important city. (6) The residents of Teotihuacén were sophisticated toolmekers. (©) The residents of Teotinuacén traded obsidian with the Oimecs as early as 400 B.C. (©) Some of the obsidian used by the Olmecs came from the area around Teotihuacén,rela rereetei gar) ipsa ekas Nelo eel 11, Select the TWO answer choices that aré mentioned in paragraph 5 as being features of Teotihuacan that may have attracted immigrants to the city. To receive credit, you must select TWO answers. [A] The prosperity of the elite {B] Plenty of available housing [C] Opportunities for well-paid agricuttural employment. [D] The presence of one or more religious shrines. 12, In paragraph 6, the author discusses *PERTMICEESCENEESEMEN” in order to (A) explain why manufacturing was the main industry of Teotinuacan (8) give an example of an industry that took very littie time to develop in Teotihuacan (C) lustrate how several factors influenced each other to make Teotihuacén a powerful and wealthy city (© explain how a successful industry can be a source of wealth and a source of confictat the samme time 13. In paragraph 1 of the passage, there is a missing sentence. The paragraph is repeated below and shows four letters (A, B, C, and D) that indicate where the following sentence could be added. In fact, artifacts and pottery from Teotihuacén have been discovered in sites as far away as the Mayan lowlands, the Guatemalan highlands, northern Mexico, and the Gulf Coast of Mexico. ‘Where would the sentence best fit? ; The city of Teotihuacén, which lay about 50 kilometars northeast of modern-day Mexico City, began its growth by 200-100 B.C. At its height, between about A.D. 150 and 700, it probably had a population of more than 125,000 people and covered at least 20 square Fometers. (A) It had over 2,000 apartment complexes, a great market, a large number of industrial workshops, an administrative center, a number of massive religious edifices, and a regular grid pattem of streets and buildings. (B) Ciearly, much planning and central control were involved in the expansion and ordering of this great metropolis. (C) Moreover, the city had economic and perhaps religious contacts with most parts of Mesoamerica (modern Central America and Mexico). (D) (A) Option A (8) Option B (©) Option (©) Option D 14, 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. Write your answer choices in the spaces where they belong. You can either write the letter of your answer choice or you can copy the sentence. 33brelap mesmo cd) zAeNchap ulate} ‘Teotihuacan was a highly developed city in Mesoamerica that reached its peak between about A.D. 150 and 700, rs a | | Answer Choices (A) The number and sophistication of the architectural, aciministrative, commercial, and religious features of Teotihuacén indicate the existence of centralized planning and control. (8) Teotinuacén may have developed its own specific local religion as a result of the cultural ‘advances made possible by the city’s great prosperity, (©) Several factors may account for Teotihuacdn’s extraordinary development, inoluding its location, rich natural resources, irrigation potential, intelligent elite, ancl the misfortune of rival communities. +0) AS a result of its large number of religious shrines, by the first century A.D., Tevtihuacén became the most influential religious center in all of Mesoamerica. (©) In many important areas, trom the obsidian industry to religious tourism, Teotihuacén’s success and prosperity typified the classic positive feedback cycle. (Although many immigrants settled in Teotihuacén between A.D. 150 and 700, the increasing threat of coerced labor discouraged further settlement and limited Teotihuacan's population growth. yeaz 000000 0000000000 000000000000 0000 CCC OSetizAal lena ote) @Reading Practice Set 1: Passage and Questions @P'"2ctions: Read the passage. Then answer the questions. Give yourself 20 minutos to complete this practice set. AGRICULTURE, IRON, AND THE BANTU PEOPLE, Paragraph 1. There Is evidence of agriculture in Africa prior to 3000 a.c. It may have developed independently, but many scholars believe that the spread of agricutture and iron throughout Africa Inked it to the major centers of the Near East and Mediterranean ‘world. The drying up of what is now the Sahara desert had pushed many peoples to the south into sub-Saharan Africa. These peoples settled at first in scattered hunting- and-gathering bands, aithough in some places neer lakes and rivers, people who fished, with a more secure food supply, lived in larger population concentrations, Agricuiture seems to have reached these people from the Ned East, since the frst | domesticated crops were millets and sorghum whose origins are not Aican but | West Asian. Once the idea of planting | Aficans began to develop their ‘own crops, such as certain varieties of rice, and they demonstrated a continued receptiveness to new imports. The proposed areas of the domestication of African crops le in a band that extends from Ethiopia across southern Sudan to West Africa. ‘Subsequently, other crops, such as bananas, were introduced from Southeast Asia. | 2 Livestock also came from outside A\rica. Cattle were introduced from Asia, 2s probably were domestic sheep and goats. Horses were apparently introduced by the Hyksos invaders of Egypt (1780-1560 e.c.) and then spread across the Sudan to West Africa. Rock paintings in the Sahara indicate that horses and chariots were used to traverse the desert and that by 300-200 s.c., thers were trade routes across the Sahara. Horses were adopted by peoples of the West Affican savannah, and i later their powerful cavalry forces allowed them to carve out large empires. Finally, the ‘camel was introduced around the first century «0. This was an important innovation, because the camel's ability to thrive in harsh desert conditions and to cary large loads cheaply made it an effective and efficient means of transportation. The camel transformed the desert from a barrier into a stil dificult, but more accessible, route of trade and communication, lion came from West Asia, although its routes of diffusion were somewhat different than those of agriculture. Most of Africa presents a curious case in which societies | moved directly from a technology of stone to iron without passing through the intermediate stage of copper or bronze metallurgy, although some early copper | ‘working sites have been found in West Africa. Knowledge of iron making penetrated into the forests and savannahé of West Africa at roughly the same time that iron ‘making was reaching Europe. Evidence of iron making has been found in Nigeria, (Ghana, and Mal. oBio) agi isteg eta eo) shel 4 This technological shift caused fi changes in the complexity of Aftican societies. Iron represented power. In West Africa the blacksmith who made tools and weapons had an important place in society, offen with special religious powers and functions. Iron hoes, which made the land more productive, and iron weapons, which made the warrior more powerful, had symbolic meaning in a number of West African societies. Those who knew the secrets of making iron gaine and sometimes Poltical power, Paragraph hed ihe carbon ad iron ore necsesary for making iron. Uae eee Fight into the Iron Age, taking the basic technology and adapting it to local conditions and resources, © The diffusion of agriculture and later of ton was accompanied by a great movernent ‘of people who may have carried these innovations. These people probably originated in eastem Nigeria. Their migration may have been set in motion by an increase in Population caused by a movement of peoples (IEEIEM the desiccation, or drying up, of the Sahara. They spoke a language, proto-Bantu ("bantu" means “the people"), ‘which is the parent tongue of a large number of Bantu languages stil spoken ‘throughout sub-Saharan Africa. Why and how these people spread out into central and southern Attica remains a mystery, but archaeologists believe that their on weapons allowed them to conquer their hunting-gathering opponel as, who stil used stone implements. Stil, the process is uncertain, and peaceful migration—or simply rapid demographic growth—may have also caused the Bantu explosion. | | | | In the passage is closest in meaning to (A) emerged (8) was understood (C)spread (O) developed 2, According to paragraph 1, why do researchers doubt that agriculture developed independently in Africa? 2 (A) African lakes and rivers already provided enough food for people to survive without agriculture. (6) The earliest examples of cultivated plants discovered in Africa are native to Asia. (C)Africa's native plants are very difficult to domesticate. (0) Aftican communities were not large enough to support agriculture. 8. In paragraph 1, what does the author imply about changes in the African environment during this time period? (A) The climate was becoming milder, allowing for a greater variety of crops to be grown. (8) Although periods of drying forced people south, they returned once their food supply was secure. (C) Population growth along rivers and lakes was dramatically decreasing the availability of fish. (0) region that had once supported many people was becoming a desert where few could survive,oes 4. According to paragraph 2, camels were important because they (A) were the first domesticated animal to be introduced to Africa (B) allowed the people of the West African savannahs to carve out large empires (C)helped African peoples defend themselves against Egyptian invaders (0) made it cheaper and easier to cross the Sahara 8. According to paragraph 2, which of the following were subjects of rock paintings in the Sahara? (A) Horses and chariots (B)Sheep and goats (©) Hyksos invaders from Egypt (0) Camels and cattle 6. What function does paragraph 8 serve in the organization of the passage as a whole? (A) It contrasts the development of iron technology in West Asia and West Africa. (@) It discusses a non-agricultural contribution to Africa from Asia. (©) It introduces evidence that a knowledge of copper working reached Africa and Europe at the same time, {D)It compares the rates at which iron technology developed in different parts of Africa. 7. The word "ESEMRE!' in the passage is closest in meaning to (A) fascinating () far-reaching (C)necessary ()temporary 8. The word “UE (A) military ®)physical (C\ceremonial (O)permanent in the passage is closes! meaning to 9, According to paragraph 4, all of the following were social effects of the new metal technology in Africa EXCEPT: (A) Access to metal tools and weapons created greater social equality. (8) Metal weapons increased the power of warriors. (C)lron tools helped increase the food supply. (0) Technical knowledge gave religious power t its holders. 10. Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in the passage? Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information. (A) While American iron makers developed the latest furnaces, African iron mekers continued using earlior techniques. (®) Africans produced iron much earlier than Americans, inventing technologically sophisticated heating systems. (C)lron making developed earlier in Africa than in the Americas because of the ready availability of carbon and iron ore. {D) Both Africa and the Americas cleveloped the capacity for making iron early, but African metallurgy developed at a slower rate.| 11. The word "[EEIq)’ in the passage is closest in meaning to A afraid of © displaced by (©) running away from (0) responding to 12, Paragraph 6 mentions all of the following as possible causes of the “Bantu explosion” EXCEPT (A) superior weapons {@) better hunting skis (C) peaceful migration (©) increased population 13. In paragraph 6 of the passage, there is a missing sentence. The paragraph is repeated below and shows four letters (A, B, C, and D) that indicate where the following sentence could be added. ‘These people had a significant linguistic impact on the continent as well. Where would the sentence best fit? ‘The diffusion of agriculture and later of iron was accompanied by a great movement of people who may have carried these innovations. These people probably originated in eastern Nigeria. (A) Their migration may have been set in motion by an increase in population caused by a movement of peoples fleeing the desiccation, or drying up, of the Sahara. (B) They spoke a language, proto-Bantu ("bantu" means “the people"), whic: is the parent tongue of a large number of Bantu languages stil spoken througi.sut ‘sub-Saharan Attica. Why and how these people spread out into central and southern Aftica remains ‘a mystery, but archaeologists believe that their iron weapons allowed them to conquer their hunting- gathering opponents, who stil used stone implements. (C) Stil, the process is uncertain, and peaceful migration—or simply rapid demographic growth~—may have also caused the Bantu explosion. (D) (A) Option A (©) Option B {C) Option C (©) Option D 14. 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. Write your answer choices in the spaces where they belong. You can either write the letter of your answer choice or you can copy the sentence. NG PRACTICE SEr1 | | oePE WIetcreas ae Agriculture and iron working probably spread to Africa from neighboring regions. . Answer Choices (A) Onee Africans developed their own native crops, they no longer borrowed from other regions. (®) The harshnéss of the African climate meant that agriculture could not develop until after the introduction of iron tools. (C) The use of livestock improved transportation and trade and allowed for new forms of political control (0) As the Sahara expanded, the camel gained in importance, eventually coming to have religious significance. in Africa. A) Today's Bantu-speaking peoples are descended from a technologically advanced people who spread throughout Africa, e e e e e e © e e e e e e e e e e . (©) The spread of ron working had far-reaching effects on social, economic, and poltical organization e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e[aah te liane) Reading Practice Set 1: Passage and Questions Directions: Read the passage. Then answer the questions. Give yourself 20 minutes to complete this practice set. Paragraph RUNNING WATER ON MARS? 1 Photographic evidence suggests that liquid water once existed in great quantity Cn the surface of Mars. Two types of flow features are seen: runoff channels and ‘outflow channels. Runoff channels are found in the southern highlands. These flow features are extensive systems — sometimes hundreds of kilometers in total length—of interconnecting, twisting channels that seem to| to larger, wider channels. ‘They bear a strong resemblance to river systems on Earth, and geologists think that they are dried-up beds of long-gone rivers that once carried rainfall on Mars from the mountains down into the valleys. Runoff channels on Mars speak of a time 4 billion years ago (the age of the Martian highlands), when the atmosphere was thicker, the ‘surface warmer, and liquid water widespread. 2 Outflow channels are probably EES of catastrophic fiooding on Mars long ago. They appear only in equatorial regions and generally do not form extensive interconnected networks. Instead, they are probably the paths taken by huge volumes of water raining from the southem highlands into the northem plains. The onrushing water arising from these flash floods likely also formed the odd teardrop-shaped “islands” (Cesembiing the [IRENE versions seen in the wet sand of our beaches at low tide) that have been found on the plains close to the ends of the outflow channels, Judging from the wicth and depth of the channels, the flow rates must have been truly enormous —perhsos as much as a hundred times greater than the 105 tons Per second carried by the great Amazon river. Flooding shaped the outtiow channels, approximately 3 bilion years ago, about the same time as the northém volcanic plains formed. 3 Some scientists speculate that Mars may have enjoyed an extended early period uring which rivers, lakes, and perhaps even oceans adomed its surface. A 2003 Mars Global Surveyor image shows what mission specialists think may be a delta—a fan-shaped network of channels and sediments where a river once flowed into a larger body of water, in this case a lake filing a crater in the southern highlands. Other researchers go even further, suggesting that the data provide evidence for large open expanses of water on the early Martian surface. A computer-generated view of the Martian north polar region shows the extent of what may have been an ancient ocean covering much of the northern lowlands, The Hellas Basin, which measures some 3,000 kilometers across and has a floor that lles nearly & kilometers below the basin's rim, is another candidate for an ancient Martian sea. READING PRACTICE SET.4 .4 These ideas remain controversial. Proponents point to features such as the terraced “beaches” shown in one image, which could concelvably have been left behind as a NEES] Furthermore, Mars Global Surveyor data released in 2003 seem to incicate ‘that the Martian surface contains too few carbonate rock layers—layers containing ‘compounds of carbon and oxygen—that should have been formed in abundance in anancient ocean. Their absence supports the picture of a cold, dry Mars thet never experienced the extended mild period required to form lakes and oceans. However, more recent data imply that at least some parts of the planet did in fact experience long periods in the past during which liquid water existed on the surface, 5 Aside from some small-scale gullies (channels) found since 2000, which are inconclusive, astronomers have no direct evidence for liquid water anywhere on the surface of Mars today, and the amount of water vapor in the Martian atmosphere is tiny. Yet even setting aside the unproven [Ig of ancient oceans, the extent of the outflow channels suggests that a huge total volume of water existed on Mars in the past. Where cid all the water go? The answer may be that virtually all the water on Mats is now locked in the permafrost layer under the surface, with more contained in the planet's polar caps. rections: Now answer the questions. 1. The word EEE" (A) expand (©) separate (C) straighten out (0) combine in the passage is closest in meaning to What does the discussion in paragraph 1 of runoff channels in the southem highlands suggest about Mars? (A) The atmosphere of Mars was once thinner than itis today. (®) Large amounts of rain once fell on parts of Mars. (©) The river systems of Mars were once more extensive than Earth's. (0) The rivers of Mars began to dry up about 4 billion years ago. 3. The word “ERIE in the passage is closest in meaning to (A) remains @ sites (©) requirements (0) sourcesREADING PRAGTICE SET { 4. The word “GRTEWNE" in the passage is closest in meaning to () temporary (8) small (C) multiple (0) familiar 5. In paragraph 2, why does the author include the information that 105 tons of water flow through the Amazon River per second? (A) To emphasize the great size of the volume of water that seems to have flowed through Mars" outflow channels (8) To indicate data Used by scientists to estimate how long ago Mars’ outflow channels were formed (C)To argue that flash floods on Mars may have been powerful enough to cause tear-shaped "islands" to form. (0) To argue that the force of flood waters on Mars wes powerful enough to shape the northern volcanic plains 6. According to paragraph 2, all of the following are true of the outflow channels on Mars EXCEPT: (A) They formed at around the same time that volcanic activity was occurring on the northem plains. (8) They are found only on certain parts of the Martian surface. (©) They sometimes empty onto whet appear to have once been the wet sands of tidal beaches. (©) They are thought to have carried water northward from the equatorial regions. 7. All of the following questions about geological features on Mars are answered in paragraph 3 EXCEPT: (A) What are some regions of Mars that may have once been covered with an ocean? (8) Where do mission scientists believe that th : river forming the delta emptied? (©) Approximately how many craters on Mars do mission scientists believe may once have been lakes filed with water? (0) During what period of Mars’ history do some scientists think it may have had large bodies of water? 8. According to paragraph 3, images of Mars’ surface have been interpreted as support for the Idea that 4A) the polar regions of Mars were once more extensive than they are now (®)a large part of the northern lowlands may once have been under water (C)deltas were once a common feature of the Martian landscape (O)the shape of the Hellas Basin has changed considerably over time What can be inferred from paragraph 3 about liquid water on Mars? (A) if ancient oceans ever existed on Mars’ surface, itis likely that the water in them has evaporated by now. (B)|f there is any liquid weter at all on Mars’ surface today, its quantity is much smaller than the amount that ikely existed there in the past. (©) Small-scale gullies on Mars provide convincing evidence that liquid water existed on Mars in the recent past. (0) The small amount of water vapor in the Martian atmosphere suggests that there has never been liquid water on Mars. © 00000 0000000000 0000000000 0000000000000CCCCCe10. Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in the passage? Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information. (A) But detractors argue that geological activity may be responsible for the water assoviated with the terraces. (©) But detractors argue that the terraces may have been formed by geological activity rather than by the presence of water. (C) But detractors argue that the terraces may be related to geological forces in the Northern Hemisphere of Mars, rather than to Martian water in the south. (0) But detractors argue that geological forces depressed the Northern Hemisphere so far below the level of the south that the terraces could not have been formed by water. 11. According to paragraph 4, what do the 2003 Global Surveyor data suggest about Mars? (A) Ancient oceans on Mars contained only small amounts of carbon. (©) The cimate of Mars may not have been suitable for the formation of large bodies of water. (©) Liquid water may have existed on some parts of Mars’ surface for long periods of time, (©) The ancient oceans thet formed on Mars dried up during periods of cold, dry weather. 12. The word “hints” in the passage is closest in meaning to (A) clues (© features (©)arguments O)etfects 13. In paragraph 2 of the passage, there is a missing sentence. The paragraph is repeated below and ‘shows four letters (A, B, C, and D) that i.-Jicate where the following sentence could be added. ‘These landscape features differ from runoff channels in a number of ways. ‘Where would the sentence best fit? ( cuttow channels are probably rs of catastrophic fooding on Mars long ago. (A) They appear only in equatorial regions and generally do not form extensive interconnected networks. (B) Instéad, they | ate probably the paths taken by huge volumes of water draining from the southern highiands into the | northern plains. (C) The onrushing water arising from these flash floods likely also formed the odd teardrop-shaped “islands” (resembling the miniature versions seen in the wet sand of our beaches at low tide) that have been found on the plains close to the ends of the outflow channels. (D) Judging | from the width and depth of the channels, the flow rates must have been tiuly enormous —perhaps as much as a hundred times greater than the 108 tons per second carried by the great Amazon River. | Flooding sheped the outflow channels approximately 3 billion years ago, about the same time as the | northern volcanic plains formed. {porter Ph (A) Option A (8) Option B (©) Option & ©) Option DREADING PRACTICE SET 1 14, 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. Write your answer choices in the spaces where they belong. You can either write the letter of your answer choice or you can copy the sentence, ‘There is much debate concerning whether Mars once had water. i \° ) Answer Choices (A Various types of images have been used to dert.nstrate that most of the Martian surface contains evidence of lowing water. (2)The runoff and outflow channels of Mars apparently caried a higher volume of water and formed more extensive networks than do Earths river systems. (©)Mars' runoff and outflow channels ae large-scale, cstinctve features that suggest that large quantities of quid water once flowed on Mars. (PyAthough some researchers claim thet Mars may once have had oceans, others dispute ths, pointing ton absence of evidence or offering alternative interpretations of evidorice (2) While numerous ules have been discovered on Mars since 2000, many astronomers dismiss them 23 evidence that Mars once had quid water (F) There is very little evidence of iquid water on Mars today, and itis assumed that all the water that once existed on the planet is frozen beneath its surface.