TOEFL Practice Test #7 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A TOEFL Reading passage about ancient philosophy states: "Socrates is often credited with the aphorism 'The unexamined life is not worth living.'" The word "aphorism" means:
- A lengthy philosophical argument
- A brief, wise saying that expresses a general truth (Correct answer)
- A logical contradiction or paradox
- A formal academic definition
Correct answer: A brief, wise saying that expresses a general truth
An "aphorism" is a short, memorable statement that expresses a general truth or observation. It is concise and pointed, intended to convey wisdom in few words. Famous examples include "Less is more" and "Know thyself."
Question 2: In a TOEFL Listening lecture on environmental policy, a professor explains the "precautionary principle": act to prevent harm even when scientific evidence is incomplete. She gives the example of banning a pesticide suspected of harming bees before conclusive proof. What purpose does this example serve?
- To argue that all pesticides should be banned immediately
- To illustrate how the precautionary principle is applied in real policy decisions (Correct answer)
- To compare two competing theories of environmental regulation
- To describe the specific harm that the pesticide causes to bees
Correct answer: To illustrate how the precautionary principle is applied in real policy decisions
The pesticide example illustrates the precautionary principle in action: a policy decision is made before definitive scientific proof because potential harm is serious. This is a classic rhetorical purpose question—the example makes the abstract principle concrete and understandable.
Question 3: A TOEFL Reading passage about social media and mental health states: "Correlation does not imply causation, and it remains unclear whether social media use causes depression or whether individuals prone to depression are more likely to use social media heavily." The author's purpose in including this statement is to:
- Argue that social media is harmless
- Caution readers against inferring a causal relationship from correlational data (Correct answer)
- Define the term "depression" for the reader
- Support the claim that social media causes depression
Correct answer: Caution readers against inferring a causal relationship from correlational data
The author is presenting a methodological caution—reminding readers that correlation (a statistical relationship) does not prove causation (a direct cause-and-effect relationship). This is a standard academic caution that prevents overstating research findings.
Question 4: In the TOEFL Listening section, "campus setting" conversations typically involve which of the following topics?
- Theoretical debates between academic faculty members
- Students resolving academic, logistical, or social challenges on campus with the help of advisors, professors, or fellow students (Correct answer)
- International news events and their effect on university policy
- Lectures on psychology given by guest professors
Correct answer: Students resolving academic, logistical, or social challenges on campus with the help of advisors, professors, or fellow students
Campus conversations in TOEFL Listening simulate real university life: students interact with professors during office hours, with advisors about registration, with librarians about research, or with classmates about projects. The conversations involve practical problem-solving in an academic setting.
Question 5: A student writes: "Despite the evidence, the scientist refused changing her hypothesis." What grammatical error does this sentence contain?
- The preposition "Despite" is used incorrectly.
- "Refused" requires an infinitive ("to change"), not a gerund ("changing"). (Correct answer)
- The subject and verb do not agree in number.
- "Hypothesis" should be plural.
Correct answer: "Refused" requires an infinitive ("to change"), not a gerund ("changing").
"Refuse" is followed by an infinitive, not a gerund. The correct form is "refused to change her hypothesis." Many English verbs require specific verbal complements—some take gerunds (enjoy, avoid), some take infinitives (refuse, decide), and some take both (like, prefer, continue).
Question 6: A TOEFL Reading passage discusses photosynthesis. Which sentence would NOT belong in the "Prose Summary" answer choices because it represents a minor detail rather than a major idea?
- Photosynthesis converts light energy into chemical energy stored as glucose.
- The process of photosynthesis takes place primarily in the chloroplasts of plant cells.
- Spinach leaves were used in one specific laboratory experiment measuring photosynthesis rates. (Correct answer)
- Photosynthesis plays a critical role in the global carbon cycle by sequestering atmospheric CO2.
Correct answer: Spinach leaves were used in one specific laboratory experiment measuring photosynthesis rates.
Prose Summary questions require selecting major ideas, not minor details or specific examples. "Spinach leaves were used in one specific laboratory experiment" is a minor detail—a single example used for illustration. It supports a larger point but is not itself a major idea of the passage.
TOEFL Practice Test #7 3
A TOEFL Reading passage about ancient philosophy states: "Socrates is often credited with the aphorism 'The unexamined life is not worth living.'" The word "aphorism" means: