TOEFL Practice Test #3 3

Question 1

A TOEFL Reading passage about glaciology states: "The retreat of glaciers over the past century has been attributed to rising global temperatures, accelerated by industrialization." The passage structure here is:

Accepted Answer

Cause and effect

Answer

The passage identifies causes (rising global temperatures, industrialization) and an effect (glacier retreat). This is a classic cause-and-effect structure, which is common in TOEFL science passages. Recognizing text structure helps locate answers to rhetorical purpose and summary questions.

Question 2

In a TOEFL Academic Discussion Writing task, a professor asks: "Should universities prioritize STEM education over humanities?" Student A argues for STEM. Student B argues for a balanced curriculum. Which approach to the writing task is most appropriate?

Accepted Answer

Contribute an original argument with specific reasoning, engaging meaningfully with the discussion.

Answer

The Academic Discussion task rewards responses that add something original to the conversation. Students should state a clear position, support it with specific reasons or examples, and engage with the thread—not just repeat a classmate's argument or refuse to take a stance.

Question 3

A TOEFL Listening section features a professor discussing the "prisoner's dilemma" in game theory. The professor uses two business executives deciding whether to betray each other as an example. What is the professor's rhetorical purpose in using this example?

Accepted Answer

To make an abstract concept concrete and understandable for students

Answer

Professors use concrete, relatable examples to make abstract academic concepts accessible. The business executive scenario translates the abstract game theory concept into a familiar context, helping students grasp the dilemma's logic. This is a standard "rhetorical purpose of example" question in TOEFL Listening.

Question 4

The sentence: "Photosynthesis is the process by which plants convert sunlight into chemical energy, which is stored as glucose." This sentence contains which grammatical structure?

Accepted Answer

A complex sentence with a relative clause modifying "chemical energy"

Answer

The sentence is complex: it has a main clause ("Photosynthesis is the process") with an embedded relative clause ("by which plants convert sunlight into chemical energy") and another relative clause ("which is stored as glucose") modifying "chemical energy." This is a compound relative clause structure.

Question 5

What score range does the TOEFL iBT use?

Accepted Answer

0–120

Answer

The TOEFL iBT uses a total score range of 0–120, with each of the four sections (Reading, Listening, Speaking, Writing) scored from 0–30. The total is the sum of all four section scores. Many universities require a minimum total score of 80–100 for admission.