READING COMPREHENSION

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TOEFL POST-TEST
SECTION 3
READING COMPREHENSION
Time—55 minutes
(including the reading of the directions)
Now set your clock for 55 minutes.

This section is designed to measure your ability to read and understand short passages similar in topic
and style to those that students are likely to encounter in North American universities and colleges.
This section contains reading passages and questions about the passages.

Directions: In this section you will read several passages. Each one is followed by a number of
questions about it. You are to choose the one best answer, (A), (B), (C), or (D), to each question.
Then, on your answer sheet, find the number of the question and fill in the space that corresponds to
the letter of the answer you have chosen.

Answer all questions about the information in a passage on the basis of what is stated or
implied in that passage.

Read the following passage:

John Quincy Adams, who served as the sixth president of the United States from 1825 to
1829, is today recognized for his masterful statesmanship and diplomacy. He dedicated his life to
public service, both in the presidency and in the various other political offices that he held.
Throughout his political career he demonstrated his unswerving belief in freedom of speech, the
antislavery cause, and the right of Americans to be free from European and Asian domination.

Example I Sample Answer

To what did John Quincy Adams devote his life?

(A) Improving his personal life
(B) Serving the public
(C) Increasing his fortune
(D) Working on his private business

According to the passage, John Quincy Adams “dedicated his life to public service.” Therefore, you
should choose answer (B).

Example II Sample Answer

In line 4, the word “unswerving” is closest in meaning to

(A) moveable
(B) insignificant
(C) unchanging
(D) diplomatic

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The passage states that John Quincy Adams demonstrated his unswerving belief “throughout his
career.” This implies that the belief did not change. Therefore, you should choose answer (C).
Questions 1—8

The tiniest bird in the world is the male bee hummingbird. Because it is so small, it is often
mistaken for a bee or some other type of insect of that size.
As a hummingbird, it is able to flap its wings extremely quickly, up to eighty times per second.
With this really fast wing speed, the bee hummingbird can hover like a helicopter; fly forward, fly
backward, or even fly upside down.

1. What is the topic of this passage? 5. In line 3, to “flap” wings is to

(A) The bee (A) hold them still
(B) One type of hummingbird (B) stretch them out
(C) How fast hummingbirds fly (C) fold them
(D) How helicopters fly (D) move them up and down

2. The word “tiniest” in line I is closest in 6. According to the passage, how fast can a
meaning to bee hummingbird flap its wings?
(A) fastest (A) A hundred times each second
(B) most dangerous (B) Eighty times per minute
(C) noisiest (C) Eighty times each second
(D) smallest (D) Eight times in a second

3. It can be inferred from the passage that 7. In line 4, to “hover” is to

the female bee hummingbird (A) fly forward quickly
(A) is really a bee (B) land
(B) does not exist (C) stay in place in the air
(C) is larger than the male (D) use fuel
(D) eats insects
8. The passage indicates that a bee
4. According to the passage, when people hummingbird can do all of the following
see a male bee hummingbird, they often EXCEPT
incorrectly think it is (A) hover
(A) a bird (B) fly backward
(B) an insect (C) fly in an inverted position
(C) a bat (D) fly a helicopter
(D) a helicopter

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Questions 9—18
One mystery about elephants that seems to have been solved is how elephants communicate
with each other. Humans have heard a whole variety of sounds coming from elephants, but these
sounds are not the only way that elephants communicate.
A .new explanation about elephant communication is being proposed. Elephants vibrate the air
in their trunks and foreheads. The sound that is created during this vibration has an extremely low
pitch; the pitch, in fact, is so low that humans cannot hear it. However, it seems that other
elephants can and do hear and understand these low rumblings.

9. The passage mainly discusses

(A) the answer to a question about how 13. The word way” in line 3 could best be
elephants communicate replaced by
(B) how elephants vibrate the air in their (A) direction
trunks (B) method
(C) communication between animals and (C) path
humans (D) road
(D) the sounds that elephants make
14. Where do elephants vibrate air?
10. A “mystery” in line 1 is (A) In their throats
(A) a speech (B) In their trunks
(B) something unknown (C) In their mouths
(C) a funny story (D) In their ears
(D) a detective
15. The word “pitch” in line 6 is closest in
11. According to the passage, people meaning to which of the following?
(A) cannot hear any elephant sounds (A) Meaning
(B) are not interested in elephant sounds (B) Voice
(C) hear only one elephant sound (C) Height
(D) can hear numerous elephant sounds (D) Sound

12. It can be inferred from the passage 16. Which of the following is NOT true about
that the elephant sounds that humans hear the extremely low sound created by
are elephants?
(A) one of the ways that elephants (A) Humans cannot understand it.
communicate (B) Humans hear it.
(B) not part of elephant communication (C) Elephants hear it.
(C) how elephants communicate with (D) Elephants understand it.
humans
(D) the only sounds that elephants make

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17. The word “rumblings” in line 7 is closest 18. Where in the passage does the author
in meaning to describe the sound that elephants create in
(A) words their trunks and foreheads?
(B) ears (A) Lines 1—2
(C) vibrations (B) Lines 2—3
(D) melodies (C) Line 4
(D) Lines 5—6

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Questions 19—28
George Gershwin grew up in New York City, and he first made his living playing popular music
on the piano in “Tin Pan Alley’ the music publishing district of New York. It was there that he
developed a strong feel for the popular music of the time that served as a basis for the popular
songs that he composed.
In , to his love of popular songs, lie enjoyed jazz and believed that jazz was the primary
source of truly American folk music. Jazz had, prior to Gershwin’s time, been performed by small
jazz bands and soloists, but Gershwin believed that jazz could serve as the basis for serious
symphonic works. Gershwin became the link between jazz and serious classical music with such
works as his jazz concerto Rhapsody in Blue and the jazz-inspired orchestral piece An American in
Paris.

19. The passage mainly discusses 23. Gershwin believed that jazz
(A) George Gershwin’s popular music (A) was real American traditional music
(B) Tin Pan Alley (B) should only be played in small bands
(C) American jazz (C) was not serious music
(D) the variety of music by Gershwin (D) was not as enjoyable as popular music

20. The word “made” in line 1 could best be 24. The word “primary” in line 5 is closest in
replaced by meaning to
(A) constructed (A) main
(B) earned (B) only
(C) worked (C) first
(D) built (D) unknown

21. According to the passage, Tin Pan Alley is 25. The expression “prior to” in line 6 is closest in
(A) a piano shop meaning to
(B) a music studio (A) during
(C) an area in New York City (B) after
(D) a street where Gershwin lived (C) in
(D) before
22. Which o the following is NOT true about
George Gershwin’s relationship with popular
music?
(A) He played popular music on the piano.
(B) Popular music was the foundation of some
of his songs.
(C) He wrote some popular songs.
(D) Popular music was the only type of music
that he enjoyed.

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26. It can be inferred from the passage that 28. Where in the passage does the author
Gershwin mention the names of some of Gershwin’s
(A) wrote the first jazz music works?
(B) wrote jazz music for larger groups (A) Lines 1—2
(C) did not like writing jazz music (B) Lines 2—4
(D) wrote only for small jazz bands (C) Lines 5—6
(D) Lines 8—10
27. The word “link” in line 8 is closest in
meaning to
(A) divider
(B) separation
(C) judge
(D) connection

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Questions 29—39
Like a lot of other ideas, chewing gum developed when an inventive person was trying to
develop something else. In 1870, Thomas Adams was trying to create a substance similar to rubber.
He knew that in the past, natives of Mexico had enjoyed chewing chicle, which was the gum of the
sapodilla tree; he thought that this chicle might possibly be useful as a replacement for rubber.
While he was working with it, he decided to try chewing it, just as had been done in Mexico. He
enjoyed the sensation and decided that he should try selling it. Unfortunately, however, not many
people bought it. He then improved the product by adding flavorings and sugar to it, and he gave
out free samples until the product caught on. Though he never succeeded in his original search for
a replacement for rubber; lie became highly successful as a chewing gum producer.

29. The main idea of the passage is that

(A) chicle was commonly chewed in
Mexico 33. In line 3, “natives” are
(B) Thomas Adams invented chewing (A) trees
gum by accident (B) people
(C) Thomas Adams enjoyed chewing (C) places
chicle (D) plastics
(D) Thomas Adams was unsuccessful in
finding a substitute for rubber 34. The word “sensation” in line 6 is closest
in meaning to
30. In line 1, the expression “an (A) thought
inventive person” could best be replaced (B) feeling
by (C) taste
(A) a creative person (D) look
(B) an illogical person
(C) a destructive person 35. According to the passage, what happened
(D) a mistaken person when Thomas Adams first tried selling his
chicle product?
31. According to the passage, what did (A) It did not sell very well.
Thomas Adams originally want to create? (B) It was successful because of the taste.
(A) Chewing gum (C) People thought it was rubber.
(B) The sapodilla tree (D) Adams became immediately
(C) A rubber substitute successful.
(D) Flavorings
36. “Flavorings” in line 7 are used to improve
32. Which of the following is NOT true a product’s
about chicle? (A) appearance
(A) It comes from a tree. (B) feel
(B) Some people like chewing it. (C) taste
(C) It is part of the rubber plant. (D) smell
(D) Adams thought he might find a use
for it.

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