TOEFL Reading: Text Insertion Questions 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: If an inserted sentence begins with 'For this reason,' what should the previous sentence most likely contain?
- An example or illustration
- A definition of a term
- A cause or explanation (Correct answer)
- A counterargument
Correct answer: A cause or explanation
'For this reason' is a result marker, so it must follow a statement providing a cause or explanation for the situation described in the inserted sentence.
Question 2: Which sentence would best follow an insertion point where the preceding text discusses the declining population of a species?
- These animals are known for their remarkable speed.
- As a result, conservation efforts have intensified in recent years. (Correct answer)
- The species was first documented in the eighteenth century.
- Their habitat includes tropical and subtropical regions.
Correct answer: As a result, conservation efforts have intensified in recent years.
'As a result' connects the declining population to the response of intensified conservation efforts, creating a logical cause-and-effect sequence.
Question 3: The phrase 'such methods' in an inserted sentence signals that:
- The following sentence will define a new term
- The preceding text described specific methods or techniques (Correct answer)
- The inserted sentence introduces an entirely new topic
- The following sentences will present counterexamples
Correct answer: The preceding text described specific methods or techniques
'Such methods' is an anaphoric reference requiring specific methods or techniques to have been described in the text immediately preceding the insertion point.
Question 4: An inserted sentence reads: 'Not all scholars agree with this interpretation.' This sentence would most logically be placed:
- At the very beginning of a passage before any topic is introduced
- After a sentence presenting one scholarly interpretation as fact (Correct answer)
- After a sentence describing only a historical event
- Before any interpretation is mentioned in the passage
Correct answer: After a sentence presenting one scholarly interpretation as fact
'This interpretation' must refer to a specific interpretation presented just before, and the sentence introduces a contrasting scholarly view.
Question 5: Which of the following inserted sentences would most appropriately open with 'In contrast'?
- A sentence providing another example of what was just described
- A sentence elaborating on the same idea already presented
- A sentence describing an opposing or different situation from what was just discussed (Correct answer)
- A sentence summarizing the main idea of the entire paragraph
Correct answer: A sentence describing an opposing or different situation from what was just discussed
'In contrast' signals that the following information is opposite to or different from what was just discussed, making it appropriate before a contrasting situation.
Question 6: An inserted sentence reads: 'It was this realization that led to the development of a new theoretical framework.' What must the preceding context include?
- A description of a theoretical framework that already exists
- A statement of a key insight or discovery that prompted the change (Correct answer)
- A list of historical dates and events only
- A comparison of two unrelated scientific fields
Correct answer: A statement of a key insight or discovery that prompted the change
'This realization' is an anaphoric reference requiring a preceding insight or understanding to have been described, which then motivated the new framework.
Question 7: A student is testing Location B for an inserted sentence. The sentence fits well after the preceding sentence but creates an awkward gap with the following sentence, which starts with 'This method.' What should the student conclude?
- Location B is correct because the beginning connection fits well
- Location B may be incorrect because the following sentence's 'This method' has no clear referent (Correct answer)
- Location B is always the best choice for sentences about methods
- The following sentence should be ignored when testing fit
Correct answer: Location B may be incorrect because the following sentence's 'This method' has no clear referent
A correct insertion point must connect logically to both the sentence before and the sentence after; if 'This method' in the following sentence has no antecedent in the inserted sentence, the location is likely wrong.
TOEFL Reading: Text Insertion Questions 2
If an inserted sentence begins with 'For this reason,' what should the previous sentence most likely contain?