TOEFL Sentence Simplification Questions 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Original: "Unless funding increases, the research center will close by next year." Which sentence best simplifies it?
- The center will close next year if funding does not increase. (Correct answer)
- The center will stay open regardless of funding.
- More funding will force the center to close.
- The center already closed last year.
Correct answer: The center will close next year if funding does not increase.
'Unless' marks a condition: no increased funding leads to closure.
Question 2: Original: "The author argues that, contrary to popular belief, dieting alone rarely produces lasting weight loss." Which sentence best simplifies it?
- The author claims dieting by itself seldom leads to permanent weight loss. (Correct answer)
- The author says dieting always produces lasting weight loss.
- Most people correctly believe dieting works permanently.
- The author recommends dieting as the best long-term solution.
Correct answer: The author claims dieting by itself seldom leads to permanent weight loss.
It keeps the author's claim that dieting alone rarely gives lasting results.
Question 3: Original: "Having reviewed all the evidence, the jury reached its verdict quickly." Which sentence best simplifies it?
- After reviewing all the evidence, the jury decided quickly. (Correct answer)
- The jury decided before seeing any evidence.
- The jury took a long time to review the evidence.
- The jury refused to reach a verdict.
Correct answer: After reviewing all the evidence, the jury decided quickly.
The participial phrase shows the review preceded the quick verdict.
Question 4: When two clauses in the original are linked by 'however,' a correct simplification should show what relationship?
- A contrast between the two ideas (Correct answer)
- A cause-and-effect sequence
- A simple list of similar items
- A repetition of the same idea
Correct answer: A contrast between the two ideas
'However' signals contrast, which the simplified sentence must preserve.
Question 5: Original: "The species thrives in warm climates, whereas its close relative prefers colder regions." Which sentence best simplifies it?
- The species likes warm climates, but its relative prefers cold ones. (Correct answer)
- Both species prefer the same climate.
- The species and its relative both avoid warm climates.
- The relative thrives in warm climates.
Correct answer: The species likes warm climates, but its relative prefers cold ones.
'Whereas' marks the contrast between warm-loving and cold-preferring species.
Question 6: Original: "Despite repeated warnings, the company continued to pollute the river." Which sentence best simplifies it?
- The company kept polluting the river even after many warnings. (Correct answer)
- The company stopped polluting after one warning.
- No one ever warned the company.
- The company never polluted the river.
Correct answer: The company kept polluting the river even after many warnings.
'Despite' shows the warnings failed to stop the continued pollution.
Question 7: Why is a choice that reverses cause and effect considered incorrect in sentence simplification?
- It distorts the logical relationship stated in the original (Correct answer)
- It uses too many words
- It changes the verb tense only
- It keeps the meaning exactly the same
Correct answer: It distorts the logical relationship stated in the original
Reversing cause and effect changes the original's meaning, making it wrong.
TOEFL Sentence Simplification Questions 3
Original: "Unless funding increases, the research center will close by next year." Which sentence best simplifies it?