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TOEFL® Reading Test 1

This page will help you practise for the TOEFL reading test. This section has a reading
passage about the development of language and grammar and 13 questions. Think
carefully before you select an answer. Your answer is scored on the first click! This test
is part 1 of a complete TOEFL test. Click here to do part 2.
Questions 1-10
Read the passage. Then answer the questions below. After you have answered the
first 10 questions you will answer a 'Summary Question'.

The Creators of Grammar

No student of a foreign language needs to be told that grammar is complex. By

changing word sequences and by adding a range of auxiliary verbs and suffixes, we
are able to communicate tiny variations in meaning. We can turn a statement into a
question, state whether an action has taken place or is soon to take place, and perform
many other word tricks to convey subtle differences in meaning. Nor is this complexity
inherent to the English language. All languages, even those of so-called 'primitive'
tribes have clever grammatical components. The Cherokee pronoun system, for
example, can distinguish between 'you and I', 'several other people and I' and 'you,
another person and I'. In English, all these meanings are summed up in the one, crude
pronoun 'we'. Grammar is universal and plays a part in every language, no matter how
widespread it is. So the question which has baffled many linguists is - who created
grammar?

At first, it would appear that this question is impossible to answer. To find out how
grammar is created, someone needs to be present at the time of a language's creation,
documenting its emergence. Many historical linguists are able to trace modern
complex languages back to earlier languages, but in order to answer the question of
how complex languages are actually formed, the researcher needs to observe how
languages are started from scratch. Amazingly, however, this is possible.

Some of the most recent languages evolved due to the Atlantic slave trade. At that
time, slaves from a number of different ethnicities were forced to work together under
colonizer's rule. Since they had no opportunity to learn each other's languages, they
developed a make-shift language called a pidgin. Pidgins are strings of words copied
from the language of the landowner. They have little in the way of grammar, and in
many cases it is difficult for a listener to deduce when an event happened, and who did
what to whom. [A] Speakers need to use circumlocution in order to make their
meaning understood. [B] Interestingly, however, all it takes for a pidgin to become a
complex language is for a group of children to be exposed to it at the time when they
learn their mother tongue. [C] Slave children did not simply copy the strings of words
uttered by their elders, they adapted their words to create a new, expressive language.
[D] Complex grammar systems which emerge from pidgins are termed creoles, and
they are invented by children.

Further evidence of this can be seen in studying sign languages for the deaf. Sign
languages are not simply a series of gestures; they utilise the same grammatical
machinery that is found in spoken languages. Moreover, there are many different
languages used worldwide. The creation of one such language was documented quite
recently in Nicaragua. Previously, all deaf people were isolated from each other, but in
1979 a new government introduced schools for the deaf. Although children were
taught speech and lip reading in the classroom, in the playgrounds they began to
invent their own sign system, using the gestures that they used at home. It was
basically a pidgin. Each child used the signs differently, and there was no consistent
grammar. However, children who joined the school later, when this inventive sign
system was already around, developed a quite different sign language. Although it
was based on the signs of the older children, the younger children's language was
more fluid and compact, and it utilised a large range of grammatical devices to clarify
meaning. What is more, all the children used the signs in the same way. A new creole
was born.

Some linguists believe that many of the world's most established languages were
creoles at first. The English past tense –ed ending may have evolved from the verb
'do'. 'It ended' may once have been 'It end-did'. Therefore it would appear that even
the most widespread languages were partly created by children. Children appear to
have innate grammatical machinery in their brains, which springs to life when they are
first trying to make sense of the world around them. Their minds can serve to create
logical, complex structures, even when there is no grammar present for them to copy.

1 In paragraph 1, why does the writer include information about the Cherokee
language?
A To show how simple, traditional cultures can have complicated grammar
structures
B To show how English grammar differs from Cherokee grammar
C To prove that complex grammar structures were invented by the Cherokees.
D To demonstrate how difficult it is to learn the Cherokee language

2 What can be inferred about the slaves' pidgin language?

A It contained complex grammar.
B It was based on many different languages.
C It was difficult to understand, even among slaves.
D It was created by the land-owners.
3 All the following sentences about Nicaraguan sign language are true EXCEPT:
A The language has been created since 1979.
B The language is based on speech and lip reading.
C The language incorporates signs which children used at home.
D The language was perfected by younger children.

4 In paragraph 3, where can the following sentence be placed?

It included standardised word orders and grammatical markers that existed in neither
the pidgin language, nor the language of the colonizers.
A
B
C
D

5 'From scratch' in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to:

A from the very beginning
B in simple cultures
C by copying something else
D by using written information

6 'Make-shift' in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to:

A complicated and expressive
B simple and temporary
C extensive and diverse
D private and personal

7 Which sentence is closest in meaning to the highlighted sentence?

Grammar is universal and plays a part in every language, no matter how widespread it
is.
A All languages, whether they are spoken by a few people or a lot of people,
contain grammar.
B Some languages include a lot of grammar, whereas other languages contain a
little.
C Languages which contain a lot of grammar are more common that languages
that contain a little.
D The grammar of all languages is the same, no matter where the languages
evolved.
8 All of the following are features of the new Nicaraguan sign language EXCEPT:
A All children used the same gestures to show meaning.
B The meaning was clearer than the previous sign language.
C The hand movements were smoother and smaller.
D New gestures were created for everyday objects and activities.

9 Which idea is presented in the final paragraph?

A English was probably once a creole.
B The English past tense system is inaccurate.
C Linguists have proven that English was created by children.
D Children say English past tenses differently from adults.

10 Look at the word 'consistent' in paragraph 4. This word could best be replaced by
which of the following?
A natural
B predictable
C imaginable
D uniform

TOEFL® Reading Test 2

This page will help you practise for the TOEFL reading test. This section has a reading
passage about smart energy and 12 questions. Think carefully before you select an
answer. Your answer is scored on the first click! You can also do part 1 of this test.
Questions 1–9
Read the passage. Then answer the questions below. After you have answered the
first 9 questions you will answer a 'Summary Question'.
Smart Energy

The next few decades will see great changes in the way energy is supplied and used.
In some major oil producing nations, 'peak oil' has already been reached, and there are
increasing fears of global warming. Consequently, many countries are focusing on the
switch to a low carbon economy. This transition will lead to major changes in the
supply and use of electricity. [A] Firstly, there will be an increase in overall demand, as
consumers switch from oil and gas to electricity to power their homes and vehicles. [B]
Secondly, there will be an increase in power generation, not only in terms of how much
is generated, but also how it is generated, as there is growing electricity generation
from renewable sources. [C] To meet these challenges, countries are investing in
Smart Grid technology. [D] This system aims to provide the electricity industry with a
better understanding of power generation and demand, and to use this information to
create a more efficient power network.

Smart Grid technology basically involves the application of a computer system to the
electricity network. The computer system can be used to collect information about
supply and demand and improve engineer's ability to manage the system. With better
information about electricity demand, the network will be able to increase the amount of
electricity delivered per unit generated, leading to potential reductions in fuel needs
and carbon emissions. Moreover, the computer system will assist in reducing
operational and maintenance costs.

Smart Grid technology offers benefits to the consumer too. They will be able to collect
real-time information on their energy use for each appliance. Varying tariffs throughout
the day will give customers the incentive to use appliances at times when supply
greatly exceeds demand, leading to great reductions in bills. For example, they may
use their washing machines at night. Smart meters can also be connected to the
internet or telephone system, allowing customers to switch appliances on or off
remotely. Furthermore, if houses are fitted with the apparatus to generate their own
power, appliances can be set to run directly from the on-site power source, and any
excess can be sold to the grid.

With these changes comes a range of challenges. The first involves managing the
supply and demand. Sources of renewable energy, such as wind, wave and solar, are
notoriously unpredictable, and nuclear power, which is also set to increase as nations
switch to alternative energy sources, is inflexible. With oil and gas, it is relatively
simple to increase the supply of energy to match the increasing demand during peak
times of the day or year. With alternative sources, this is far more difficult, and may
lead to blackouts or system collapse. Potential solutions include investigating new and
efficient ways to store energy and encouraging consumers to use electricity at off-peak
times.

A second problem is the fact that many renewable power generation sources are
located in remote areas, such as windy uplands and coastal regions, where there is
currently a lack of electrical infrastructure. New infrastructures therefore must be built.
Thankfully, with improved smart technology, this can be done more efficiently by
reducing the reinforcement or construction costs.

Although Smart Technology is still in its infancy, pilot schemes to promote and test it
are already underway. Consumers are currently testing the new smart meters which
can be used in their homes to manage electricity use. There are also a number of
demonstrations being planned to show how the smart technology could practically
work, and trials are in place to test the new electrical infrastructure. It is likely that
technology will be added in 'layers', starting with 'quick win' methods which will provide
initial carbon savings, to be followed by more advanced systems at a later date. Cities
are prime candidates for investment into smart energy, due to the high population
density and high energy use. It is here where Smart Technology is likely to be
promoted first, utilising a range of sustainable power sources, transport solutions and
an infrastructure for charging electrically powered vehicles. The infrastructure is
already changing fast. By the year 2050, changes in the energy supply will have
transformed our homes, our roads and our behaviour.

1 According to paragraph 1, what has happened in some oil producing countries?

A They are unwilling to sell their oil any more.
B They are not producing as much oil as they used to.
C The supply of oil is unpredictable.
D Global warming is more sever here than in other countries.

2 Where in paragraph 1 can the following sentence be placed?

There is also likely more electricity generation centres, as households and
communities take up the opportunity to install photovoltaic cells and small scale wind
turbines.
A
B
C
D

3 Which of the following is NOT a benefit of Smart Grid technology to consumers?

A It can reduce their electricity bills.
B It can tell them how much energy each appliance is using.
C It can allow them to turn appliances on and off when they are not at home.
D It can reduce the amount of energy needed to power appliances.

4 According to paragraph 4, what is the problem with using renewable sources of

power?
A They do not provide much energy.
B They often cause system failure and blackouts.
C They do not supply a continuous flow of energy.
D They can't be used at off-peak times.

5 In paragraph 6, what can be inferred about cities in the future?

A More people will be living in cities in the future than nowadays.
B People in cities will be using cars and buses powered by electricity.
 C All buildings will generate their own electricity.
D Smart Grid technology will only be available in cities.

6 The word 'remote' in paragraph 5 could be best replace by:

A isolated
B crowded
C attractive
D alone

7 The word 'underway' in paragraph 6 is closest in meaning to:

A permanent
B complete
C beneficial
D in progress

8 17 What is the main idea of the final paragraph? (paragraph 6).

A To describe who will benefit from Smart Grid technology first.
B To outline the advantages of Smart Grid technology.
C To summarise the main ideas in the previous paragraphs.
D To describe how, where and when Smart Technology will be introduced.

9 In paragraph 6, what can be inferred about the introduction of Smart Grid

Technology?
A The technologies which produce most benefits will be introduced first.
B The cheapest technologies will be introduced first.
C The technologies which are most difficult to put into place will be introduced first.
D Technologically advanced systems will be introduced first.

TOEFL® Reading Test 3

This page will help you practise for the TOEFL reading test. This section has a reading
passage about monkey economics and 12 questions. Think carefully before you select
an answer. Your answer is scored on the first click! You can also do part 1 and part 2
of this test.
Questions 1–6
Read the passage. Then answer the questions below. This is the first of three sections.

Risk-Taking and the Monkey Economy

Humans are uniquely smart among all the other species on the planet. We are
capable of outstanding feats of technology and engineering. Then why are we so
prone to making mistakes? And why do we tend to make the same ones time and time
again? When Primate Psychologist Laurie Santos from the Comparative Cognition Lab
at Yale University posed this question to her team, they were thinking in particular of
the errors of judgement which led to the recent collapse of the financial markets.
Santos came to two possible answers to this question. Either humans have designed
environments which are too complex for us to fully understand, or we are biologically
prone to making bad decisions.

In order to test these theories, the team selected a group of Brown Capuchin
monkeys. Monkeys were selected for the test because, as distant relatives of humans,
they are intelligent and have the capacity to learn. However, they are not influenced by
any of the technological or cultural environments which affect human decision-making.
The team wanted to test whether the capuchin monkeys, when put into similar
situations as humans, would make the same mistakes.

[A] Of particular interest to the scientists was whether monkeys would make the same
mistakes when making financial decisions. [B] In order to find out, they had to
introduce the monkeys to money. [C] The monkeys soon cottoned on, and as well as
learning simple exchange techniques, were soon able to distinguish 'bargains' – If one
team-member offered two grapes in exchange for a metal disc and another team-
member offered one grape, the monkeys chose the two-grape option. [D] Interestingly,
when the data about the monkey's purchasing strategies was compared with
economist's data on human behaviour, there was a perfect match.

So, after establishing that the monkey market was operating effectively, the team
decided to introduce some problems which humans generally get wrong. One of these
issues is risk-taking. Imagine that someone gave you $1000. In addition to this
$1000, you can receive either A) an additional $500 or B) someone tosses a coin and if
it lands 'heads' you receive an additional $1000, but if it lands 'tails' you receive no
more money. Of these options, most people tend to choose option A. They prefer
guaranteed earnings, rather than running the risk of receiving nothing. Now imagine a
second situation in which you are given $2000. Now, you can choose to either A) lose
$500, leaving you with a total of $1500, or B) toss a coin; if it lands 'heads' you lose
nothing, but if it lands 'tails' you lose $1000, leaving you with only $1000. Interestingly,
when we stand to lose money, we tend to choose the more risky choice, option B. And
as we know from the experience of financial investors and gamblers, it is unwise to
take risks when we are on a losing streak.

So would the monkeys make the same basic error of judgement? The team put them
to the test by giving them similar options. In the first test, monkeys had the option of
exchanging their disc for one grape and receiving one bonus grape, or exchanging the
disc for one grape and sometimes receiving two bonus grapes and sometimes
receiving no bonus. It turned out that monkeys, like humans, chose the less risky
option in times of plenty. Then the experiment was reversed. Monkeys were offered
three grapes, but in option A were only actually given two grapes. In option B, they
had a fifty-fifty chance of receiving all three grapes or one grape only. The results were
that monkeys, like humans, take more risks in times of loss.

The implications of this experiment are that because monkeys make the same
irrational judgements that humans do, maybe human error is not a result of the
complexity of our financial institutions, but is imbedded in our evolutionary history. If
this is the case, our errors of judgement will be very difficult to overcome. On a more
optimistic note however, humans are fully capable of overcoming limitations once we
have identified them. By recognising them, we can design technologies which will help
us to make better choices in future.

1 What was the aim of the experiment outlined above?

A To investigate whether monkeys could learn to use money
B To investigate where human mistakes come from
C To find out whether it is better to take risks in times of loss
D To determine whether monkeys make more mistakes than humans

2 Where in paragraph 3 could the sentence below be best placed?

The team distributed metal discs to the monkeys, and taught them that the discs could
be exchanged with team-members for food.
A
B
C
D

3 Which of the following statements is the best paraphrase of the highlighted

sentence?
On a more optimistic note however, humans are fully capable of overcoming limitations
once we have identified them.
A Hopefully, humans will soon be able to solve these problems.
B Fortunately, humans can solve problems that we know about.
C Luckily, humans do not have many limitations which have been identified.
D We are happy to note that we can solve the problem which we have identified.

4 The words 'cottoned on' are closest in meaning to:

A learnt
B knew
 C completed
D concluded

5 Which paragraph addresses why monkeys were chosen for the experiment?
A Paragraph 2
B Paragraph 3
C Paragraph 4
D Paragraph 5

6 What can be inferred about Laurie Santos?

A She thinks that both humans and monkeys are greedy.
B Her job frequently involves working with monkeys.
C She believes that humans should never take risks.
D She prefers monkeys to humans.

TOEFL® Reading Test 4

This page will help you practise for the TOEFL reading test. This section has a reading
passage about the photographer Robert Capa and 13 questions. Think carefully before
you select an answer. Your answer is scored on the first click!
Read the text and answer all the questions.
Robert Capa

1. Robert Capa is a name that has for many years been synonymous with war
photography.
2. Born in Hungary in 1913 as Friedmann Endre Ernő, Capa was forced to leave his
native country after his involvement in anti government protests. Capa had originally
wanted to become a writer, but after his arrival in Berlin had first found work as a
photographer. He later left Germany and moved to France due to the rise in Nazism.
He tried to find work as a freelance journalist and it was here that he changed his name
to Robert Capa, mainly because he thought it would sound more American.
3. In 1936, after the breakout of the Spanish Civil war, Capa went to Spain and it was
here over the next three years that he built his reputation as a war photographer. It was
here too in 1936 that he took one of his most famous pictures, The Death of a Loyalist
Soldier. One of Capa’s most famous quotes was 'If your pictures aren't good enough,
you're not close enough.' And he took his attitude of getting close to the action to an
extreme. His photograph, The Death of a Loyalist Soldier is a prime example of this as
Capa captures the very moment the soldier falls. However, many have questioned the
authenticity of this photograph, claiming that it was staged.
4. When World war II broke out, Capa was in New York, but he was soon back in
Europe covering the war for Life magazine. Some of his most famous work was
created on 6th June 1944 when he swam ashore with the first assault on Omaha
Beach in the D-Day invasion of Normandy. Capa, armed only with two cameras, took
more than one hundred photographs in the first hour of the landing, but a mistake in
the darkroom during the drying of the film destroyed all but eight frames. It was the
images from these frames however that inspired the visual style of Steven Spielberg's
Oscar winning movie ‘Saving Private Ryan’. When Life magazine published the
photographs, they claimed that they were slightly out of focus, and Capa later used this
as the title of his autobiographical account of the war.
5. Capa’s private life was no less dramatic. He was friend to many of Hollywood’s
directors, actors and actresses. In 1943 he fell in love with the wife of actor John
Austin. His affair with her lasted until the end of the war and became the subject of his
war memoirs. He was at one time lover to actress Ingrid Bergman. Their relationship
finally ended in 1946 when he refused to settle in Hollywood and went off to Turkey.
6. In 1947 Capa was among a group of photojournalists who founded Magnum Photos.
This was a co-operative organisation set up to support photographers and help them to
retain ownership of the copyright to their work.
7. Capa went on to document many other wars. He never attempted to glamorise war
though, but to record the horror. He once said, "The desire of any war photographer is
to be put out of business."
8. Capa died as he had lived. After promising not to photograph any more wars, he
accepted an assignment to go to Indochina to cover the first Indochina war. On May
25th 1954 Capa was accompanying a French regiment when he left his jeep to take
some photographs of the advance and stepped on a land mine. He was taken to a
nearby hospital, still clutching his camera, but was pronounced dead on arrival. He left
behind him a testament to the horrors of war and a standard for photojournalism that
few others have been able to reach.
9. Capa’s legacy has lived on though and in 1966 his brother Cornell founded the
International Fund for Concerned Photography in his honor. There is also a Robert
Capa Gold Medal, which is given to the photographer who publishes the best
photographic reporting from abroad with evidence of exceptional courage. But perhaps
his greatest legacy of all are the haunting images of the human struggles that he
captured.

1 Why did Capa change his name?

To hide his identity
Because he had been involved in protests
To sound more American
Because he had to leave Hungary

2 Capa originally wanted to be

A photojournalist
A writer
 American
A protestor

3 Capa went to Spain to

fight in the civil war.
build his reputation.
have a holiday.
take photographs.

4 Capa’s famous picture Death of a Loyalist Soldier

was taken by someone else.
was definitely genuine.
wasn’t even taken in Spain.
cannot be proven genuine or staged.

5 When World War II broke out Capa

went to New York.
swam ashore on Omaha Beach.
went to Europe.
went to Normandy.

6 A mistake meant that

only one hundred of Capa’s photographs were published.
Capa lost both of his two cameras.
Capa’s images inspired an Oscar winning movie.
Most of Capa’s images of the D-Day landing were destroyed.

7 Capa’s private life was

less dramatic than his professional life.
spent mostly in Hollywood.
very glamorous.
spent in Turkey.

8 Capa wanted his work to

be very famous.
show how glamorous war can be.
show the true horror of war.
 make lots of money.

9 Which sentence best paraphrases paragraph 5?

Capa had a tragic private life and was never able to settle down and find
happiness.
Despite having many good friends and lovers, Capa always put his work first.
Capa wanted to make friends with important people in Hollywood so that he could
move into the movie industry.
Capa’s private life was very complicated. He could not choose between the two
women he loved, so he went off to work in Turkey.

10 Which sentence best paraphrases paragraph 4?

Capa never tried to avoid danger. He risked his life to take photographs of the D-
Day invasion, but then destroyed most of them.
Capa took some of his most famous photographs during the D-Day invasion, but
most were tragically destroyed in an accident.
Capa only kept the best eight D-Day photographs as the others were out of focus.
These inspired the visual style of a Hollywood film.
Capa left Europe when the war broke out and went to take his most famous
photographs of the D-Day invasion.