3 a 3 a 3 a 3 a 3 a 3 a 3 a 3

D IA G N O STIC PRE - TEST

SECTION 3
READING COMPREHENSION
T im e— 55 m in u te s
(i n c l u d i n g t h e r e a d in g o f t h e d ir e c t i o n s )
N o w se t y o u r c lo c k f o r 55 m in u te s.

This section is designed to m easure y our ability to read and understand sh o rt passages sim ilar in
topic and style to those that students are likely to encounter in N orth Am erican universities and
colleges. This section contains reading passages and questions about the passages.

D irectio n s: In this section you will read several passages. Each one is followed by a n u m b er of
questions about it. You are to choose the o n e best answer, (A), (B), (C), o r (D), to each question. Then,
on your answ er sheet, find the num ber o f the question and fill in the space that corresponds to the
letter of the answ er you have chosen.
Answer all questions about the inform ation in a passage on the basis o f w hat is s ta te d o r im p lie d
in that passage.
Read the following passage:

John Quincy Adams, who served as the sixth president of the United S tates from 1825
to 1829, is today recognized for his m asterful statesm anship and diplomacy. He dedicated his
life to public service, b oth in the presidency and in the various ot.'-er political offices th at he
Line held. T hroughout hi ; political career he dem onstrated hie unsw ervi ig belief in freedom of
(5) speech, the antislave -y cause, uik 1 the l ight of A m ericans u; be fre from E u ro p ean and Asian
dom ination.

E x am p le I Sam ple Answer

To w hat did John Quincy Adams devote hi ; life? ® •(E )®

(A) Im proving his personal life
(B) Serving the public
(C) Increasing his fortune
(D) W orking on his private business

According to the passage, John Quincy Adams "dedicated his life to public service.” T herefore, you
should choose answ er (B).

E x am p le II Sam ple Answer

In line 4, the w ord "unswerving” is closest in m eaning to

(A) m oveable
(B) insignificant
(C) unchanging
(D) diplom atic

The passage states th a t John Quincy Adams dem onstrated his unsw erving belief “thro u g h o u t his
career.” This im plies th at the belief did not change. Therefore, you should choose answ er (C).

______________ k
GO ON TO THE NEXT PAGE
TOEFL® test directions and form at are reprinted by perm ission
of ETS. th e copyright owner. However, all exam ples and test
questions are provided by P earson Education. Inc. R E A D IN G C O M PR E H E N SI O N PRE - T EST 269
 3 a 3 a 3 a 3 a 3 a 3 a 3 a 3
Q u e s t io n s 1 - 1 2

Algae is a prim itive form of life, a single-celled o r sim ple m ultiple-celled organism th at is able to
conduct the process of photosynthesis. It is generally found in w ater but can also be found elsewhere,
growing on such surfaces as rocks o r trees. The various types of algae are classified accoiding to their
Line pigm entation, o r coloration.
(5) Blue-green algae, o r Cyanophyta, can grow at very high tem p eratu res and u n d e r high-intensity
light. This is a m icroscopic type of algae, a n d some species consist of only one cell. Blue-gree algae is
the oldest form of life w ith photosynthetic capabilities, and fossilized rem ains of this type of algae
m ore th an 3.4 billion years old have been found in p a rts of Africa.
Green algae, or Chlorophyta, is generally found in fresh w ater. It reproduces on the surfaces of
( 10 ) enclosed bodies of w ater such as ponds o r lakes and has the appearance of a fuzzy green coating on
the water. In large quantities, this type of algae may reproduce enough to give a green color to an
entire lake. .
Brown algae, or Phaeophyta, grows in shallow, tem perate water. This type of algae is the largest
in size and is m ost recognizable as a type of seaweed; kelp is a type of brow n algae th at has grown to
(15) lengths of up to 200 feet. Its long stalks can be enm eshed on the ocean floor, o r it can float freely on
the ocean’s surface.
Red algae, or Rhodophyta, is a sm all, delicate organism found in the deep w aters of the
subtropics, w here it often grows w ith coral. This type of algae has an essential role in the form ation of
coral reefs: it secretes lim e from the seaw ater to foster the form ation of lim estone deposits.

1. What is the authors main purpose? 5. Algae rem nants found in Africa are

(A) To show what color algae is (A) still flourishing

(B) To differentiate the various (B) photogenic
classifications of algae (C) extrem ely old
(C) To describe where algae is found (D) red in color
(D) To clarify the appearance of the
different types of algae 6. G reen algae is generally found
(A) on the ocean floor
2. Which of the following is NOT true about (B) on top of the w ater
algae? (C) throughout ponds and lakes
(A) All types have only one cell. (D) surrounding enclosed bodies of w ater
(B) It can be found out of water.
(C) It can use photosynthesis. 7. The word "coating” in line 10 could best be
(D) It is not a relatively new form of life. replaced by
(A) clothing
3. The word "pigmentation" in line 4 means
(B) covering
(A) size (C) w arm th
(B) shape (D) sw eater
(C) composition
(D) color 8. B row n algae w ould m ost likely be found
(A) on trees
4. The word "microscopic” in line 6 is closest
(B) near green algae
in meaning to
(C) on rocks
(A) mechanical (D) in the ocean
(B) tiny
(C) visual

mam»
(D) bacterial

270 REA DIN G C O MPRE H E NSIO N PRE - TEST

3 a 3 a 3 a 3 a 3 a 3 a 3 a 3
9. According to the passage, red algae is 11. How is the inform ation in the paragraph
(A) sturdy organized?
(B) huge (A) Various details supporting a theory
(C) fragile are explored.
(D) found in shallow w ater (B) Various classifications of a specific
life form are described.
10. It can be inferred from the passage that (C) Various stages of the chronological
lim estone deposits serve as the basis of developm ent of a life form are
(A) coral reefs presented.
(B) red algae (D) Various elem ents th a t com pose a
(C) subtropical seaw ater certain life form are outlined.
(D) secret passages
12. This passage w ould m ost probably be
assigned reading in a course on
(A) chem istry
(B) physics
(C) botany
(D) zoology

RE A D IN G C O MPRE H E NSIO N PRE - TEST 271

 3 a 3 a 3 a 3 a 3 a 3 a 3 a 3
Q u e s t io n s 1 3 -2 1

Narcolepsy is a disease characterized by m alfunctioning sleep m echanics. It can consist of a

sudden and uncontrollable bout of sleep during daylight hours and disturbed sleep during nighttim e
hours. It occurs m ore often in m en th an in w om en, and it com m only m akes its appearance during
Line adolescence o r young adulthood. At least a half m illion Am ericans are believed to be affected by
(5)
N arcolepsy can take a n um ber of form s during daylight hours. One com m on sym ptom of the
disease during daytim e hours is a sudden attack of REM (rapid-eye m ovem ent) sleep during norm a,
waking hours. This occurs in som e people hundreds of tim es in a single day, w hile o thers only have
rare occurrences. D uring a sleep attack, narcoleptics may experience autom atic behavior; even
( 10) though asleep, they m ay continue autom atically perform ing the activity they w ere involved in p rio r to
falling asleep. They may, for exam ple, continue walking, or driving, o r stirring a pot until the activity
is interrupted by external forces. Others experience cataplexy during daytim e hours; cataplexy
involves a sudden loss of muscle tone th a t m ay cause the head to droop o r the knees to wobble m
m in o r attacks o r a total collapse in m ore serious attacks. Cataplexy seem s to occur m ost often in
(15) conjunction w ith intense em otion or excitem ent.
D uring sleep hours, narcolepsy can also m anifest itself in a variety of ways. During the
transitional phase th at precedes the onset of sleep, it is com m on for hallucinations to occur. These
hallucinations, known as hypnagogic phenom ena, consist of realistic perceptions of sights and
sounds during the sem i-conscious state betw een w akefulness and sleep. N arcoleptics m ay also suffer
(20 ) from night w akening during sleep, resulting in extremely fragm ented and restless sleep. Then, upon
waking, a narcoleptic may experience sleep paralysis, the inability to move, perhaps for several
m inutes, im m ediately after waking.

13. W hich of the following would be the m ost 16. Approxim ately how m any narcoleptics are
appropriate title for the passage? there in the United States?

(A) A G ood N ight’s Sleep (A) Fewer than 500,000

(B) A Cure for Narcolepsy (B) More th an 500,000
(C) An U nusual Sleep D isturbance (C) Fewer than 1,500,000
(D) H allucinations during Sleep (D) More th an ! ,500,000

14. The w ord "m alfunctioning" in line 1 is 17. The word "bout” in line 2 is closest in
closest in m eaning to m eaning to

(A) im properly working (A) sym ptom

(B) regularly waking (B) lack
(C) incorrectly classifying (C ) illness
(D) harshly inte,preting (D) period

15. At w hich of the following ages w ould a 18. W hich of the following w ould be m ost
person be m ost likely to develop likely to occur during daily activities?
narcolepsy? (A) Autom atic behavior
(A) 10 (B) Hallucinations
(B) 20 (C) Night wakening
(C) 30 (D) Sleep paralysis
(D) 40

272 RE A D IN G C O MPRE H E NSIO N PRE - TEST

3 a 3 a 3 a 3 a 3 a 3 a 3 a 3
19. Which of the following involves a complete 21. Where in the passage does the author
collapse? describe what seems to precipitate a
sudden loss of muscle tone?
(A) Automatic behavior
(B) Cataplexy (A) Lines 12-14
(C) Hallucinations (B) Lines 14—15
(D) REM sleep (C) Lines 16-17
(D) Lines 20-22
20. When would hypnagogic phenomena most
likely occur?
(A) Just after going to bed
(B) In the middle of the night
(C) Soon after waking
(D) After getting up

REA DIN G C O MPRE H E NSIO N PRE - TEST 273

 3 a 3 a 3 a 3 a 3 a 3 a 3 a 3
Q uestions 22-30
Whereas literature in the first half of the eighteenth century in America had been largely
religious and moral in tone, by the latter half of the century the revolutionary fen/or that was coming
to life in the colonies began to be reflected in the literature of the time, which in turn served to further
Line influence the population. Although not all writers of this period supported the Revolution, the two
(5) best-known and m ost influential writers, Ben Franklin and Thomas Paine, were both strongly
supportive of that cause. . . . . » u
Ben Franklin first attained popular success through his writings in his brothers newspaper, the
New-England Courant. In these articles he used a simple style of language and commonsense
argumentation to defend the point of view of the farmer and the Leather Apron man. He continued
( 10) with the same commonsense practicality and appeal to the common man with his work on Poor
Richard's Almanac from 1733 until 1758. Firmly established in his popular acceptance by the people,
Franklin wrote a variety of extremely effective articles and pamphlets about the colonists
revolutionary cause against England. . . . . , . f
Thomas Paine was an Englishman working as a magazine editor in Philadelphia at the time of
(1 5 ) the Revolution. His pamphlet Common Sense, which appeared in 1776, was a force in encouraging
the colonists to declare their independence from England. Then throughout the long and desperate
war years he published a series of Crisis papers (from 1776 until 1783) to encourage the colonists to
continue on with the struggle. The effectiveness of his writing was probably due to his emotional yet
oversimplified depiction of the cause of the colonists against England as a classic struggle of good
( 20 ) and evil.

22. The paragraph preceding this passage 25. It is implied in the passage that
most likely discusses
(A) som e writers in the American colonies
(A) how literature influences the supported England during the
population Revolution
(B) religious and moral literature (B) Franklin and Paine were the only
(C) literature supporting the cause of the writers to influence the Revolution
American Revolution (C) because Thomas Paine was an
(D) what made Thomas Paine’s literature Englishman, he supported England
successful against the colonies
(D) authors who supported England did
The word "fervor” in line 2 is closest in not remain in the colonies during
meaning to the Revolution

(A) war 26. The pronoun "he" in line 8 refers to

(B) anxiety
(C) spirit (A) Thomas Paine
(D) action (B) Ben Franklin
(C) Ben Franklin’s brother
The word "time” in line 3 could best be (D) Poor Richard
replaced by
27. According to the passage, the tone of Poor
(A) hour R ichard’s Almanac is
(B) period
(C) appointment (A) pragmatic
(D) duration (B) erudite
(C) theoretical
(D) scholarly

274 REA DIN G C O MPRE H E NSIO N PRE - TEST

—
♦
3 a 3 a 3 a 3 a 3 a 3 a 3 a 3
The word "desperate" in line 16 could best 30. The purpose of the passage is to
be replaced by
(A) discuss American literature in the
(A) unending first half of the eighteenth century
(B) hopeless (B) give biographical data on two
(C) strategic American writers
(D) combative (C) explain which authors supported the
Revolution
Where in the passage does the author (D) describe the literary influence during
describe Thomas Paine’s style of writing? revolutionary America

(A) Lines 4-6

(B) Lines 8-9
(C) Lines 14-15
(D) Lines 18-20

RE A D IN G C O MPRE H E NSIO N PRE - TEST 275

 3 a 3 a 3 a 3 a 3 a 3 a 3 a 3
Q uestions 3 1- 4 1
Federal Express is a company that specializes in rapid overnight delivery o f high-priority
packages. The first company of its type, Federal Express was founded by the youthful Fred Smith in
1971, when he was only 28 years old. Smith had actually developed the idea for the rapid delivery
Line service in a term paper for an economics class when he was a student at Yale University. The term
(5) paper reputedly received a less-than-stellar grade because of the infeasibility of the project that Smith
had outlined. The model that Smith proposed had never been tried; it was a model that was efficient
to operate but at the same time was very difficult to institute.
Smith achieved efficiency in his model by designing a system that was separate from the
passenger system and could, therefore, focus on how to deliver packages most efficiently. His strategy
(10) was to own his own planes so that he could create his own schedules and to ship all packages through
the hub city of Memphis, a set-up which resembles the spokes on the wheel of a bicycle. With this
combination of his own planes and hub set-up, he could get packages anywhere in the United States
overnight.
What made Smith’s idea difficult to institute was the fact that the entire system had to be
(15) created before the company could begin operations. He needed a fleet of aircraft to collect packages
from airports every night and deliver them to Memphis, where they were immediately sorted and
flown out to their new destinations; he needed a fleet of trucks to deliver packages to and from the
various airports; he needed facilities and trained staff all in place to handle the operation. Smith had
a $4 million inheritance from his father, and he managed to raise an additional $91 million dollars
(20) from venture capitalists to get the company operating.
When Federal Express began service in 1973 in 25 cities, the company was not an immediate
success, but success did come within a relatively short period of time. The company lost $29 million
in the first 26 months of operations. However, the tide was to turn relatively quickly. By late 1976,
Federal Express was carrying an average of 19,000 packages per night and had made a profit of $3.6
(25) million. .

31. The most appropriate title for this passage 33. What is stated in the passage about Smith's
is term paper?
(A) The Problems and Frustrations of a (A) Smith submitted it through a deliver
Business Student service.
(B) The Importance of Business Studies (B) It was written by a student of Smith'«
(C) The Capitalization of Federal Express (C) Its grade was mediocre.
(D) The Implementation of a Successful (D) The professor thought it had great
Business potential.

The word "developed” in line 3 could best 34. What was a key idea of Smith’s?
be replaced by
(A) That he should focus on passenger
(A) come up with service
(B) come about (B) That package delivery should be
(C) come across separate from passenger service
(D) come into (C) That packages could be delivered on
other companies' planes
(D) That passenger service had to be
efficient

GO ON TO THE NEXT PAGE

7
276 RE A D IN G C O MPRE H E NSIO N PRE - TEST
3a 3a 3a 3a 3a 3a 3a 3
35. A “hub city” in line 11 is 39. How long did it take Federal Express to
become profitable?
(A) a large city with small cities as
destinations (A) TWo months
(B) a city that is the final destination for (B) One year
many routes (C) Three years
(C) a city where many bicycle routes (D) Six years
begin
(D) a centralized city with destinations 40. Which paragraph explains what made
emanating from it Sm ith’s model effective?
(A) The first paragraph
36. It can be inferred from the passage that
(B) The second paragraph
Smith selected Memphis as his hub city
(C) The third paragraph
because it
(D) The last paragraph
(A) was near the middle o f the country
(B) had a large number of passenger 41 The tone of the passage in describing
aircraft Smith’s accom plishm ents is
(C) already had a large package delivery
(A) unflattering
service
(B) sincere
(D) was a favorite passenger airport
(C) unconvincing
(D) snobbish
37. The pronoun "they" in line 16 refers to
(A) aircraft
(B) packages
(C) airports
(D) destinations

38. It is NOT mentioned in the passage that, in

order to set up his company, Smith needed
(A) airplanes
(B) trucks
(C) personnel
(D) faculty

REA DIN G C O MPRE H E N SIO N PRE - TEST 277

 3 A3 A 3 a 3 a 3 a 3 a 3 a 3
Q u e s t io n s 4 2 - 5 0

Perhaps better known than the Cullman Diamond is the Hope Diamond, a valuable and rare
blue gem with a background of more than 300 years as a world traveler. The 112-carat blue stone that
later became the Hope Diamond was mined in India sometime before the middle of the seventeenth
Line century and was first known to be owned by Shah Jahan, who built the Taj Mahal in memory of his
(5) beloved wife. From India, the celebrated blue stone has changed hands often, moving from location
to location in distant com ers of the world.
In the middle of the seventeenth century, a trader from France named Jean Baptiste Tavemier
acquired the large blue diamond, which was rumored to have been illegally removed from a temple.
Tavemier returned to France with the big blue gem, where the stone was purchased by the Sun King,
(10) Louis XIV. Louis XIV had it cut down from 112 to 67 carats to make its shape symmetrical and to
maximize its sparkle. The newly cut diamond, still huge by any standards, was passed down through
the royal family of France, until it arrived in the hands of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. During the
French Revolution, Louis XVI and his wife met their fate on the guillotine in 1793, and the big blue
diamond disappeared from public sight.
(15) The diamond somehow managed to get from France to England, where banker Henry Hope
purchased it from a gem dealer early in the nineteenth century. The huge blue stone was cut into a
45.5-carat oval, and at this point it took on the name by which it is known today. The diamond stayed
in the Hope family for around a century, when deep indebtedness brought on by a serious gambling
habit on the part of one of Henry Hope’s heirs forced the sale of the diamond.
(20) From England, the Hope Diamond may have made its way into the hands of the Sultan of
Turkey; whatever route it took to get there, it eventually went on to the United States when American
Evelyn Walsh McLean purchased it in 1911. Mrs. McLean certainly enjoyed showing the diamond off;
guests in her home were sometimes astounded to notice the huge stone embellishing the neck of Mrs.
McLean's Great Dane as the huge pet trotted around the grounds of her Washington, D.c. home. The
(25) Hope Diamond later became the property o f jeweler Harry Winston, who presented the stunning 45.5-
carat piece to the Smithsonian in 1958. The Hope Diamond is now taking a well-earned rest following
its rigorous travel itinerary and is on display at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.,
where it has been since 1958.

42. The paragraph preceding the passage m ost 44. The pronoun "it” in line 12 refers to
likely discussed
(A) its shape
(A) why gems are considered valuable (B) the newly cut diamond
(B) how the Hope Diamond was mined (C) the royal family
(C) a diamond other than the Hope (D) the French Revolution
Diamond
(D) methods for mining diamonds 45. It can be inferred from the passage that the
author is not certain
43. The main idea of this passage is that the
(A) who bought the Hope Diamond in
Hope Diamond
England
(A) came from India (B) who sold the Hope Diamond in
(B) has moved around a lot England
(C) has been cut several times (C) how the Hope Diamond went from
(D) now resides in the Smithsonian France to England
(D) how big the Hope Diamond was in the
nineteenth century

278 RE A D IN G C O MPRE H E NSIO N PRE - TEST

3 a 3 a 3 a 3 a 3 a 3 a 3 a 3
46. A “dealer" in line 16 is most likely a 49. Which country is NOT m entioned in the
passage as a place where the Hope
(A) card player Diamond spent some time?
(B) miner
(C) cutter (A) India
(D) businessman (B) France
(C) England
47. It can be determined from the passage that (D) Denmark
Henry Hope most likely had how many
carats cut off the Hope Diamond? 50. Where in the passage does the author
describe what happened to the royal
(A) 21.5 French owners of the diamond?
(B) 45.5
(C) 66.5 (A) Lines 7-8
(D) 67 (B) Lines 10-11
(C) Lines 12-14
48. According to the passage, Mrs. McLean (D) Lines 15-16

(A) donated the Hope Diamond to the

Smithsonian
(B) let her dog wear the Hope Diamond
(C) purchased the Hope Diamond from
the French
(D) had the Hope Diamond cut to its
present size of 45.5 carats

This Is the end of the Reading Comprehension Pre-Test.

W h e n y o u fin ish th e test, y o u m ay d o th e fo llo w in g :

• T u r n to th e D iagnostic Chart o n p a g e s 5 8 8 - 5 9 0 , a n d
c ir c le th e n u m b e r s o f th e q u e s tio n s th a t y o u m issed .
• T u r n to Scoring In form ation o n p a g e s 5 8 1 -5 8 2 , a n d
d e te r m in e you r T O E F L sco re.
• T u r n to th e P rogress Chart o n p a g e 5 9 1 , a n d ad d y o u r
sc o r e to th e chart.

RE A D IN G C O MPRE H E NSIO N PRE - TEST 279