TOEFL Practice Test #2 2

Question 1

A reading passage on coral reefs states: "The symbiotic relationship between coral polyps and zooxanthellae is fundamental to reef survival." The word "symbiotic" most nearly means:

Accepted Answer

Mutually beneficial

Answer

Symbiosis describes a relationship between two organisms that benefits both parties. Coral polyps provide the zooxanthellae with shelter and nutrients, while the algae provide photosynthetic products essential to coral survival—a classic mutually beneficial relationship.

Question 2

A professor lectures on the Industrial Revolution, emphasizing how it changed labor patterns. She says: "Before this period, most families were self-sufficient agricultural units. After it—well, the wage labor system transformed social structure entirely." What is the professor's purpose in contrasting these two periods?

Accepted Answer

To illustrate how dramatically and fundamentally the Industrial Revolution altered social organization

Answer

Contrasting two periods helps listeners grasp the magnitude of change. By juxtaposing self-sufficient agricultural families with wage-labor social structures, the professor highlights the transformational scope of the Industrial Revolution—making the change vivid and concrete.

Question 3

In a TOEFL Reading passage about deep-sea ecosystems, the author writes: "These organisms thrive in conditions once thought inimical to life." The word "inimical" means:

Accepted Answer

Hostile or harmful

Answer

"Inimical" means tending to obstruct or harm; unfavorable or hostile. The sentence notes that deep-sea conditions (high pressure, no sunlight) were once considered hostile to life—making "hostile or harmful" the closest meaning.

Question 4

During a TOEFL Listening conversation, a university librarian explains to a student that access to a restricted database requires faculty approval. The student seems frustrated. What question would test the student's attitude?

Accepted Answer

How does the student feel about the access restriction?

Answer

Attitude questions test whether the listener can infer a speaker's feelings or stance from tone, word choice, and context. Asking "how does the student feel?" directly targets the student's emotional response to the frustrating situation described in the conversation.

Question 5

The TOEFL Reading section contains "Prose Summary" questions. What does this question type require?

Accepted Answer

Identifying and selecting three major ideas that best summarize the passage from six choices

Answer

Prose Summary questions present six sentences and ask students to select the three that represent the most important ideas in the passage. The other three contain minor details, information not in the passage, or incorrect statements. Partial credit may be awarded.