Section three: Reading Comprehension

This section of the test measures your ability to comprehend written materials.

Directions: This section contains several passages, each followed by a number of

questions. Read the passages and, for each question, choose the one best answer-(A),
(B), (C), or (D)-based on what is stated in the passage or on what can be inferred from
the passage. Then fill in the space on your answer sheet that matches the letter of the
answer that you have selected.

Read the following passage:

Like mammals, birds claim their own territories. A bird's territory may be
small or large. Some birds claim only their nest and the area right around it,
while others claim far larger territories that include their feeding areas. Gulls,
penguins, and other waterfowl nest in huge colonies, but even in the biggest
colonies, each male and his mate have small territories of their own immediately
around their nests.
Male birds defend their territory chiefly against other males of the same
species. In some cases, a warning call or threatening pose may be all the defense
needed, but in other cases, intruders may refuse to leave peacefully.

Example I: Example II:

What is the main topic of this passage? According to the passage, male birds
(A) Birds that live in colonies defend their territory primarily against
(B) Birds'mating habits (A)female birds
(C) The behavior of birds (B) birds of other species
(D) Territoriality in birds (C) males of their own species
(D) mammals

The passage mainly concerns the The passage states that "Male birds
territories of birds. You should fill in defend their territory chiefly against
(D) on your answer sheet. other males of the same species." You
should fill in (C) on your answer sheet.

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Question 1-11

The Sun today is a yellow dwarf star. It is fueled by Thermo

nuclear reactions near its center that convert hydrogen to
helium. The Sun has existed in its present state for about 4
billion, 600 million years and is thousands of times larger than
Line (5) the Earth.
By studying other stars, astronomers can predict what the
rest of the Sun's life will be like. About 5 billion years from
now, the core of the Sun will shrink and become hotter. The
surface temperature will fall. The higher temperature of the
(10) center will increase the rate of thermonuclear reactions. The
outer regions of the Sun will expand approximately 35 million
miles, about the distance to Mercury, which is the closest planet
to the Sun. The Sun will then be a red giant star. Temperatures
on the Earth will become too hot for life to exist.
(15) Once the Sun has used up its thermonuclear energy as a red
giant, it will begin to shrink. After it shrinks to the size of the
Earth, it will become a white dwarf star. The Sun may throw
off huge amounts of gases in violent eruptions called nova
explosions as it changes from a red giant to a white dwarf.
(20) After billions of years as a white dwarf, the Sun will have
used up all its fuel and will have lost its heat. Such a star is
called a black dwarf. After the Sun has become a black dwarf,
the Earth will be dark and cold. If any atmosphere remains
there, it will have frozen onto the Earth's surface.

1. What is the primary purpose of 2. The word "fueled" in line 1 is

this passage? closest in meaning to
(A) To alert people to the dangers (A) Powered
posed by the Sun (B) Bombarded
(B) To discuss conditions on (C) Created
Earth in the far future (D) Propelled
(C) To present a theory about red
giant stars
(D) To describe changes that the
Sun will go through

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3. The word "state" in line 3 is 6. When the Sun becomes a red
closest in meaning to giant, what will conditions be like
(A) Shape on Earth?
(B) Condition (A) Its atmosphere will freeze and
(C) Location become solid.
(D) Size (B) It will be enveloped in the
expanding surface of the Sun.
4. It can be inferred from the passage (C) It will become too hot for life
that the Sun to exist.
(A) is approximately halfway (D) It will be nearly destroyed by
through its life as a yellow nova explosions.
dwarf
(B) has been in existence for 10 7. As a white dwarf, the Sun will be
billion years (A) the same size as the planet
(C) is rapidly changing in size and Mercury
brightness (B) thousands of times smaller
(D) will continue as a yellow than it is today
dwarf for another 10 billion (C) around 35 million miles in
years diameter
(D) cold and dark
5. What will probably be the first
stage of change as the Sun 8. According to the passage, which of
becomes a red giant? the following best describes the
(A) Its core will cool off and use sequence of stages that the Sun
less fuel. will probably pass through?
(B) Its surface will become hotter (A) Yellow dwarf, white dwarf,
and shrink. red giant, black giant
(C) It will throw off huge amounts (B) Red giant, white dwarf, red
of gases. dwarf, nova explosion
(D) Its center will grow smaller (C) Yellow dwarf, red giant, white
and hotter. dwarf, black dwarf
(D) White dwarf, red giant, black
dwarf, yellow dwarf

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9. The phrase "throw off" in line 17 11. Which of the following best
is closest in meaning to describes the tone of the passage?
(A) eject (A) Alarmed
(B) burn up (B) Pessimistic
(C) convert (C) Comic
(D) let in (D) Objective

10. The word "there" in line 24 refers

to
(A) our own planet
(B) he outer surface of the Sun
(C) the core of a black dwarf
(D) the planet Mercury

Question 12-23

It is said that George Washington was one of the first

to realize how important the building of canals would be to
the nation's development. In fact, before he became
President, he headed the first company in the United States
Line (5) to build a canal which was to connect the Ohio and Potomac
rivers. It was never completed, but it showed the nation the
feasibility of canals. As the country expanded westward,
settlers in western New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio
needed a means to ship goods. Canals linking natural
(10) waterways seemed to offer an effective solution.
In 1791 engineers commissioned by the state of New
York investigated the possibility of a canal between Albany
on the Hudson River and Buffalo on Lake Erie, which would
link the Great Lakes area with the Atlantic seacoast. It would
(15) avoid the mountains that served as a barrier to canals from
the Delaware and Potomac rivers.

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The first attempt to dig the canal, to be called the Erie
Canal, was made by private companies, but only a
comparatively small portion was built before the project was
Line (20) halted for lack of funds.
The cost of the project was an estimated five million dollars, an
enormous amount for those days. There was some on-again-off
again Federal funding, but the War of 1812 put an end to this.
In 1817 DeWitt Clinton was elected Governor of New York
(25) and persuaded the state to finance and build the canal. It was
completed in 1825, costing two million dollars more than
expected.
The canal rapidly lived up to its sponsors' faith, quickly
paying for itself through tolls. It was far more economical than
(30) any other form of transportation at the time. It permitted trade
between the Great Lake region and East Coast, robbing the
Mississippi River of much of its traffic. It allowed New York
to supplant Boston, Philadelphia, and other Eastern cities as the
chief center of both domestic and foreign commerce. Cities
(35) sprang up along the canal. It also contributed in a number of
ways to the North's victory over the South in the Civil War.
An expansion of the canal was planned in 1849. Increased
traffic would undoubtedly have warranted its construction
had it not been for the development of the railroads.

12. Why does the author most likely mention George Washington in the first
paragraph?
(A) He was President at the time the Erie Canal was built.
(B) He was involved in pioneering efforts to build canals.
(C) He successfully opened the first canal in the United States.
(D) He commissioned engineers to study the possibility of building the Erie
Canal.

13. The word "feasibility" in line 7 is closest in meaning to

(A) profitability
(B) difficulty
(C) possibility
(D) capability

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14. According to the passage, the Erie Canal connected the
(A) Potomac and Ohio rivers
(B) Hudson River and Lake Erie
(C) Delaware and Potomac rivers
(D) Atlantic Ocean and the Hudson River

15. Which of the following is closest in meaning to the word "comparatively" in

line 19?
(A) Relatively (C) Incredibly
(B) Contrarily (D) Considerably

16. The phrase "on-again-off-again" in line 22 could be replaced by which of the

following with the least change in meaning?
(A) Intermittent (C) Ineffectual
(B) Unsolicited (D) Gradual

17. The completion of the Erie Canal was financed by

(A) the state of New York (C) the federal government
(B) private companies (D) DeWitt Clinton

18. The actual cost of building the Erie Canal was

(A) five million dollars (C) seven million dollars
(B) less than had been estimated (D) more than could be repaid

19. The word "tolls" in line 29 is closest in meaning to which of the following?
(A) Jobs (C) Links
(B) Grants (D) Fees

20. Which of the following is NOT given in the fourth paragraph as an effect of the
building of the Erie Canal?
(A) It allowed the East Coast to trade with the Great Lakes area.
(B) It took water traffic away from the Mississippi River.
(C) It helped determine the outcome of the Civil War.
(D) It established Boston and Philadelphia as the most important centers of
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trade.

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21. What can be inferred about railroads in 1849 from the information in the last
paragraph?
(A) They were being planned but had not yet been built.
(B) They were seriously underdeveloped.
(C) They had begun to compete with the Erie Canal for traffic.
(D) They were weakened by the expansion of the canal.

22. The word "warranted" in line 38 is closest in meaning to

(A) Guaranteed (C) Hastened
(B) Justified (D) Prevented

23. At what point in the passage does the author focus on the beginning of
construction of the Erie Canal?
(A) Lines 3-5 (C) Lines 16-18
(B) Lines 10-13 (D) Lines 25-26

Question 24-33

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It's a sound you will probably never hear, a sickened
tree sending out a distress signal. But a group of scientists
has heard the cries, and they think some insects also hear the
trees and are drawn to them like vultures to a dying animal.
Line (5) Researchers with the u.s. Department of Agriculture's
Forest Service fastened sensors to the bark of parched trees
and clearly heard distress calls. According to one of the
scientists, most drought-stricken trees transmit their plight in
the 50- to 500-kilohertz range. (The unaided human ear can
(10) detect no more than 20 kilohertz.) Red oak, maple, white
pine, and birch all make slightly different sounds in the form
of vibrations at the surface of the wood.
The scientists think that the vibrations are created when
the water columns inside tubes that run the length of the tree
(15) break, a result of too little water flowing through them. These
fractured columns send out distinctive vibration patterns.
Because some insects communicate at ultrasonic
frequencies, they may pick up the trees' vibrations and attack
the weakened trees. Researchers are now running tests with

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(20) potted trees that have been deprived of water to see if the
sound is what attracts the insects. "Water stressed trees also
smell differently from other trees, and they experience
thermal changes, so insects could be responding to
something other than sound," one scientist said.

24. Which of the following is the main topic of the passage?

(A) The vibrations produced by insects
(B) The mission of the U.S. Forest Service
(C) The effect of insects on trees
(D) The sounds made by distressed trees

25. The word "them" in line 4 refers to

(A) trees (C) insects
(B) scientists (D) cries

26. The word "parched" in line 6 is closest in meaning to which of the following?
(A) Burned (C) Recovered
(B) Dehydrated (D) Fallen

27. The word "plight" in line 8 is closest in meaning to

(A) signal (C) need
(B) condition (D) agony

28. It can be inferred from the passage that the sounds produced by the trees
(A) serve as a form of communication with other trees
(B) are the same no matter what type of tree produces them
(C) cannot be heard by the unaided human ear
(D) fall into the 1-20 kilohertz range

29. The word "fractured" in line 16 is closest in meaning to

(A) long (C) hollow
(B) blocked (D) broken

30. Which of the following could be considered a cause of the trees' distress signals?
(A) Torn roots (B) Attacks by insects
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(C) Experiments by
scientists
(D) Lack of water

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31. In line 18, the phrase "pick up" could best be replaced by which of the following?
(A) Perceive (C) Transmit
(B) Lift (D) Attack

32. All of the following are mentioned as possible factors in drawing insects to
weakened trees EXCEPT
(A) thermal changes (C) sounds
(B) smells (D) changes in color

33. It can be inferred that, at the time the passage was written, research concerning
the distress signals of trees
(A) had been conducted many years earlier
(B) had been unproductive up to then
(C) was continuing
(D) was no longer sponsored by the government

Question 34-41

The concepts of analogy and homology are probably

easier to exemplify than to define. When different species are
structurally compared, certain features can be described as
either analogous or homologous. For example, flight requires
Line (5) certain rigid aeronautical principles of design, yet birds, bats,
and insects have all conquered the air. The wings of all three
types of animals derive from different embryological
structures, but they perform the same functions. In this case,
the flight organs of these creatures can be said to be
(10) analogous. In contrast, features that arise from the same
structures in the embryo but are used in different functions are
said to be homologous. The pectoral fins of a fish, the wings
of a bird, and the forelimbs of a mammal are all homologous
structures. They are genetically related in the sense that both
the forelimb and the wing evolved from the fin.

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34. Which of the following best describes the organization of the passage?
(A) A contrast is drawn between two concepts by means of examples.
(B) A general concept is introduced, examples are given, and a conclusion is
offered.
(C) Two definitions of the same concept are compared.
(D) Two proposals are suggested and support for both is offered.

35. According to the passage, the concepts of analogy and homology are
(A) difficult to understand
(B) easier to understand through examples than through definitions
(C) impossible to explain
(D) simple to define but hard to apply

36. The word "rigid" in line 5 is closest in meaning to

(A) inflexible (C) unnatural
(B) ideal (D) steep

37. According to the information provided in the passage, which of the following
would most probably be considered analogous?
(A) A shark's fin and a tiger's claws
(B) A man's arms and a bird's wings
(C) A monkey's tail and an elephant's tail
(D) A spider's legs and a horse's legs

38. According to the passage, one way in which homologous organs differ from
analogous organs is that they
(A) are genetically related
(B) are only found in highly developed animals?
(C) perform the same general functions
(D) come from different embryological structures

39. As used throughout the passage, the term "structures" most nearly means
(A) buildings
(B) features of an animal's anatomy
(C) organizational principles
(D) units of grammar

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40. The word "sense" in line 14 is closest in meaning to
(A) feeling (C) meaning
(B) logic (D) perception

41. Where in the passage does the author first focus his discussion on the concept of
homology?
(A) Lines 2-4
(B) Lines 6-8
(C) Lines 9-1 1
(D) Lines 13-14

Question 42-50

Probably the most famous film commenting on

twentieth century technology is Modern Times, made in
1936. Charlie Chaplin was motivated to make the film by
a reporter who, while interviewing him, happened to
Line (5) describe working conditions in industrial Detroit. Chaplin
was told that healthy young farm boys were lured to the
city to work on automotive assembly lines. Within four or
five years, these young men's health was destroyed by the
stress of work in the factories.
(10) The film opens with a shot of a mass of sheep making
their way down a crowded ramp. Abruptly the scene shifts
to a scene of factory workers jostling one another on their
way to a factory.
However, the rather bitter note of criticism in the implied
(15) comparison is not sustained. It is replaced by a gentler note
of satire. Chaplin prefers to entertain rather than lecture.
Scenes of factory interiors account for only about one
third of the footage of Modern Times, but they contain
some of the most pointed social commentary as well as the
(20) most comic situations. No one who has seen the film can
ever forget Chaplin vainly trying to keep pace with the
fast-moving conveyor belt, almost losing his mind in the
process. Another popular scene involves an automatic
feeding machine brought to the assembly line so that
(25) workers need not interrupt their labor to eat. The feeding
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machine malfunctions, hurling food at Chaplin, who is
strapped into his position on the assembly line and cannot
escape. This serves to illustrate people's utter helplessness
in the face of machines that are meant to serve their basic
(30) needs.
Clearly, Modern Times has its faults, but it remains the
best film treating technology within a social context. It
does not offer a radical social message, but it does
accurately reflect the sentiments of many who feel they are
victims of an over-mechanized world.

42. The author's main purpose in writing this passage is to

(A) criticize the factory system of the 1930's
(B) analyze an important film
(C) explain Chaplin's style of acting
(D) discuss how film reveals the benefits of technology

43. According to the passage, Chaplin got the idea for the film Modern Times from
(A) a newspaper article (C) a job he had once held
(B) a scene in a movie (D) a conversation with a reporter

44. The word "abruptly" in line 11 is closest in meaning to

(A) suddenly (C) finally
(B) mysteriously (D) predictably

45. It can be inferred from the passage that two-thirds of the film Modern Times
(A) is completely unforgettable
(B) takes place outside a factory
(C) is more critical than the other third
(D) entertains the audience more than the other third

46. Which of the following could best replace the phrase "losing his mind" in lines
21-22?
(A) Getting fired (C) Going insane
(B) Doing his job (D) Falling behind

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47. The word "This" in line 28 refers to which of the following?
(A) The machine (C) The assembly line
(B) The food (D) The scene

48. According to the passage, the purpose of the scene involving the feeding machine
is to show people's
(A) ingenuity (C) helplessness
(B) adaptability (D) independence

49. The word "utter" in line 28 is closest in meaning to which of the following?
(A) Notable (C) Regrettable
(B) Complete (D) Necessary

50. The author would probably be LEAST likely to use which of the following words
to describe the film Modern Times?
(A) Revolutionary (D) Satirical
(B) Entertaining
(C) Memorable

THIS IS THE END OF THE SAMPLE READING COMPREHENSION

SECTION.
IF YOU FINISH BEFORE TIME IS CALLED,
GO BACK AND CHECK YOUR WORK IN THIS SECTION ONLY.

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TEST OF ENGLISH AS FOREIGN LANGUAGE (TOEFL)
FACULTY OF SOCIAL AND POLITICAL SCIENCES
PASUNDAN UNIVERSITY
Jl. Lengkong Besar No.68 Bandung 40261 Indonesia
Tel: (022) 4205945, 4205946 Fax: (022) 4205945, 4210656

NAME :
MAJOR :
STUDENT ID :
DATE OF TEST:

SECTION 3 33 A B C D
READING 34 A B C D
COMPREHENSION
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