TOEFL Practice Test #7 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A TOEFL Reading passage on neuroscience uses the term "neuroplasticity" in the sentence: "The brain's remarkable neuroplasticity allows it to reorganize neural pathways in response to learning and injury." The word "neuroplasticity" describes:
- The brain's rigid, unchanging structure after adulthood
- The brain's ability to change and reorganize its structure in response to experience (Correct answer)
- The process by which neurons generate electrical signals
- The measurement of brain volume using imaging technology
Correct answer: The brain's ability to change and reorganize its structure in response to experience
"Neuroplasticity" combines "neuro" (brain/nervous system) and "plasticity" (ability to be shaped or molded). The sentence itself provides a definition—"reorganize neural pathways in response to learning and injury"—indicating the brain's adaptable, changeable nature.
Question 2: In a TOEFL Listening lecture on archaeology, a professor says: "What we found at the site completely upended our initial assumptions." The phrase "upended our initial assumptions" means:
- The findings confirmed what archaeologists expected to find.
- The findings overturned or dramatically challenged the archaeologists' original beliefs. (Correct answer)
- The archaeologists needed to revisit the site to confirm their assumptions.
- The findings were inconclusive and offered no new insights.
Correct answer: The findings overturned or dramatically challenged the archaeologists' original beliefs.
"Upend" literally means to turn something upside down. Figuratively, "upended our assumptions" means the findings overturned or contradicted what the archaeologists originally expected—a complete reversal of prior beliefs based on new evidence.
Question 3: A TOEFL Reading passage about ethics discusses utilitarian philosophy. The author explains: "Utilitarian theory holds that the morally correct action is the one that produces the greatest good for the greatest number." This is an example of which type of passage organization?
- Compare and contrast
- Problem and solution
- Definition and example (Correct answer)
- Chronological order
Correct answer: Definition and example
The author introduces a philosophical term (utilitarianism) and then provides its definition. This definition-based structure is common in academic passages that introduce theoretical frameworks. Recognizing this pattern helps readers locate where examples and elaborations will appear.
Question 4: In the TOEFL Speaking section, Task 1 (Independent Speaking) asks the test taker to speak for how long?
- 15 seconds
- 30 seconds
- 45 seconds (Correct answer)
- 60 seconds
Correct answer: 45 seconds
TOEFL Speaking Task 1 gives test takers 15 seconds to prepare and 45 seconds to respond. The response should be focused, use clear reasons and examples, and fill the time with substantive content. The 45-second limit requires efficient, organized delivery.
Question 5: During a TOEFL Listening conversation between two students discussing a research paper, one student says: "I think our argument kind of falls apart in section 3." The phrase "falls apart" most closely means:
- Becomes more sophisticated
- Loses logical coherence or becomes unconvincing (Correct answer)
- Requires additional research
- Needs to be reorganized into a new section
Correct answer: Loses logical coherence or becomes unconvincing
"Falls apart" is an idiom meaning to disintegrate or cease to function properly. In the context of an argument, it means the reasoning loses its logical strength, becomes unconvincing, or contains a flaw that undermines the overall claim.
Question 6: A TOEFL Reading passage discusses the greenhouse effect. The sentence "This process, while natural, has been dramatically intensified by human industrial activity" uses the clause "while natural" to:
- Argue that the greenhouse effect is not harmful because it is natural
- Acknowledge that the greenhouse effect occurs naturally before emphasizing the human-caused amplification (Correct answer)
- Suggest that human activity is the only cause of the greenhouse effect
- Imply that natural processes are always beneficial
Correct answer: Acknowledge that the greenhouse effect occurs naturally before emphasizing the human-caused amplification
The "while natural" concession acknowledges that the greenhouse effect is a naturally occurring phenomenon before the main clause emphasizes the human intensification. This structure is used to prevent the reader from dismissing the concern by noting its natural origins—it concedes the point while refocusing on the key issue.
TOEFL Practice Test #7 2
A TOEFL Reading passage on neuroscience uses the term "neuroplasticity" in the sentence: "The brain's remarkable neuroplasticity allows it to reorganize neural pathways in response to learning and injury." The word "neuroplasticity" describes: