TOEFL Practice Test #3 2

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?

Accepted Answer

Physical expressiveness became more important when verbal communication was unavailable.

Answer

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?

Accepted Answer

That the ability to recognize the importance of unexpected findings is as crucial as the discovery itself

Answer

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:

Accepted Answer

The student's ability to identify the antecedent of a pronoun or demonstrative in context

Answer

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?

Accepted Answer

2–3 passages, 700–750 words each, 10 questions per passage, 54–72 minutes total

Answer

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?

Accepted Answer

"That" should be "which" in a non-restrictive relative clause set off by commas.

Answer

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.