Introduction to TOEFL Reading

1. Vocabulary. Words being tested are highlighted. When you see a highlighted word as you are reading, pay attention to the sentences around it, because that word will be tested in the questions. The question will ask you to choose a synonym. Sometimes (but not always) there will be clues in the sentence or the sentences before and after that will help you figure out the word.

Example

The word ingenuity in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to …

2. Sentence simplification. Here, a whole sentence is highlighted, instead of just one word. You will be asked to choose the best paraphrase of the most important information.

Example

Which of the following best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence? Incorrect answer choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.

3. Fact. These questions ask about specific information directly stated in the text.

Example

According to paragraph 4, what has recent research on obsidian tools found at Olmec sites shown?

4. Negative fact. These are similar to detail and fact questions except that you are looking for something that is NOT true, instead of something that is true. These questions will have the word NOT or EXCEPT in capital letters.

Examples

In paragraph 4, all the following questions are answered EXCEPT:

Which of the following is NOT mentioned in paragraph 2 as a main factor in the development of Teotihuacán?

5. Inference. Here the information is not directly stated but is implied. You have to figure out what the passage is indirectly saying.

Example

What can be inferred from paragraph 3 about Cuicuilco prior to 200 B.C.?

7. Reference. These questions ask what a word—usually a pronoun—refers to. Sometimes the word refers to something in the same sentence, and sometimes in a previous sentence.

8. Insert Text. For this type of question, you will be given a sentence that was NOT in the reading and be asked where it should go. You will have a choice of four locations in the paragraph and have to choose the appropriate one.

Example

Look at the four squares [􀀀] that indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage.

In fact, goods could be shipped more cheaply across the much greater distance of the Atlantic Ocean than they could from western New York to coastal cities.

Where would the sentence best fit? Click on a square [􀀀] to add the sentence to the passage.

9. Summary. This kind of question is worth two points. You will be asked to choose 3 out of 5 sentences given that would create a summary of the passage’s main ideas. On the computer test, you will drag the three sentences you choose into a chart.

Example

An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage is provided below. Complete the summary by selecting the THREE answer choices that express the most important ideas in the passage. Some sentences do not belong in the summary because they express ideas that are not presented in the passage or are minor ideas in the passage. This question is worth 2 points.