TOEFL Practice Test #3 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A passage about the history of cinema states: "Early silent films relied heavily on exaggerated physical performance to convey emotion in the absence of dialogue." What inference can be drawn from this statement?
- Silent film actors were poorly trained compared to modern actors.
- Audiences of early silent films were unable to understand subtle expressions.
- Physical expressiveness became more important when verbal communication was unavailable. (Correct answer)
- The absence of dialogue made silent films less popular than later sound films.
Correct answer: Physical expressiveness became more important when verbal communication was unavailable.
The passage states that exaggerated performance compensated for the "absence of dialogue"—directly implying that physical expression served the communicative function that dialogue would later fulfill. The inference is that physical performance filled the communication gap that dialogue would have provided.
Question 2: A TOEFL Listening lecture is about the development of antibiotics. The professor says: "Fleming's discovery of penicillin was, in a sense, accidental—but the key point is that he recognized the significance of what he had observed." What is the professor emphasizing?
- That accidental discoveries are not valuable in science
- That the ability to recognize the importance of unexpected findings is as crucial as the discovery itself (Correct answer)
- That Fleming deliberately set up the conditions that led to the discovery
- That penicillin was not the first antibiotic to be discovered
Correct answer: That the ability to recognize the importance of unexpected findings is as crucial as the discovery itself
The professor acknowledges the accidental nature of the discovery but immediately pivots to what mattered: recognition of significance. This emphasizes that scientific insight and observational acuity—knowing when something unexpected is important—are essential research qualities.
Question 3: In a TOEFL Reading passage about the water cycle, a "Reference" question asks: "The word 'this' in paragraph 3 refers to which of the following?" This question type tests:
- The student's knowledge of hydrology terminology
- The student's ability to identify the antecedent of a pronoun or demonstrative in context (Correct answer)
- Whether the student understands the main argument of the paragraph
- The student's ability to paraphrase a complex sentence
Correct answer: The student's ability to identify the antecedent of a pronoun or demonstrative in context
Reference questions test pronoun and demonstrative reference tracking. Students must identify what word, phrase, or concept a pronoun ("it," "they," "this," "these") refers back to, demonstrating reading comprehension at the sentence and paragraph level.
Question 4: Which of the following most accurately describes the TOEFL Reading section format?
- 2–3 passages, 700–750 words each, 10 questions per passage, 54–72 minutes total (Correct answer)
- One long passage with 20 questions, completed in 30 minutes
- 5 short passages with 5 questions each, 45 minutes total
- 3–4 passages, unlimited time, varying question types
Correct answer: 2–3 passages, 700–750 words each, 10 questions per passage, 54–72 minutes total
The TOEFL iBT Reading section includes 2–3 academic passages, each approximately 700 words long and accompanied by 10 questions. Students have 54–72 minutes depending on the number of passages. Questions test vocabulary, factual recall, inference, rhetorical purpose, and summary skills.
Question 5: A student writes: "The study, that examined 500 participants, found significant results." This sentence contains a grammatical error. What is it?
- The verb tense is incorrect.
- "That" should be "which" in a non-restrictive relative clause set off by commas. (Correct answer)
- The subject and verb do not agree.
- "Significant" is used incorrectly in this context.
Correct answer: "That" should be "which" in a non-restrictive relative clause set off by commas.
Non-restrictive relative clauses (set off by commas) use "which," not "that." The commas signal that this clause provides additional, non-essential information. "That" is used in restrictive clauses (no commas) that are essential to identify the subject.
Question 6: What does a high score on the TOEFL iBT indicate about a test taker?
- The test taker was born in an English-speaking country.
- The test taker can understand and use English at an academic university level. (Correct answer)
- The test taker has studied English for at least ten years.
- The test taker is qualified to teach English at a university.
Correct answer: The test taker can understand and use English at an academic university level.
The TOEFL iBT measures academic English proficiency—the ability to read, listen to, speak about, and write in English at the university level. A high score indicates the test taker has the language skills needed to succeed in English-medium academic programs.
TOEFL Practice Test #3 2
A passage about the history of cinema states: "Early silent films relied heavily on exaggerated physical performance to convey emotion in the absence of dialogue." What inference can be drawn from this statement?