TOEFL Practice Test #7 3 Flashcards

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:

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."

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?

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.

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:

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.

In the TOEFL Listening section, "campus setting" conversations typically involve which of the following topics?

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.

A student writes: "Despite the evidence, the scientist refused changing her hypothesis." What grammatical error does this sentence contain?

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).

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?

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.