Part 3 - Reading Comprehension Introductory

Reading Skills for the TOEFL
What’s in the READING COMPREHENSION section?
50 questions in 55 minutes.
2 types of questions: Reading comprehension and Vocabulary.
The topics cover informational subjects such as American history,
literature, art, architecture, geology, geography and astronomy.
MAIN IDEA QUESTIONS
Different wording for main idea: topic, subject, title or primary idea
Tips:
• Main idea can be found by studying the topic sentence, which is most
probably found at the beginning of a paragraph.
• If a passage consists of more than one paragraph, study the beginning of
each paragraph to determine the main idea.
Example:
The passage:
Basketball was invented in 1819 by a physical education instructor in Springfield, Massachusetts,
by the name of James Naismith. Because of the terrible weather in winter, his physical education
students were indoors rather than outdoors. They really did not like the idea of boring, repetitive
exercises and preferred the excitement and challenge of a game. Naismith figured out a team sport
that could be played indoors on a gymnasium floor, that involved a lot of running, that kept all team
members involved, and that did not allow the tackling and physical contact of American-style football.
The question:
What is the main idea of this passage?
(A) The life of James Naismith
(B) The history of sports
(C) Physical education and exercise
(D) The origin of basketball
DETAIL QUESTIONS
Different wording for stated detail questions:
• According to the passage,....
• It is stated in the passage that .......
• The passage indicates that ..........
• The author mentions that ........
• Which of the following is true / not true ....?
Tips :
The answers to the questions are generally given in order in the passage, and are
often a restatement of what is given in the passage.
Example:
The passage:
Flutes have been around for quite some time, in all sorts of shapes and sizes and made from a variety of
materials. The oldest known flutes are about 20,000 years old; they were made from hollowed-out bones with
holes cut in them. In addition to bone, older flutes were often constructed from bamboo or hollowed-out
wood.
Today’s flutes are generally made of metal, and in addition to the holes thay have a complicated system
of keys, levers, and pads. The instrument belonging to well-known flautist James Galway is not just made of
any metal; it is made of gold.
The questions:
1. According to the passage, the oldest flutes 2. The passage indicates that James Galway’s flute
is made of
(A) had holes cut in them (E) bones
(B) were made of metal (F) bamboo
(C) were made 20,000 years ago (G) wood
(D) had a complicated set of levers and pads (H) gold
UNSTATED DETAIL QUESTION
The question :
Which of the following is not stated………..?
Which of the following is not mentioned ……?
Which of the following is not discussed……..?
All of the following are true except ……..?
Tips :
Choose a key word not in the question but in the answer
Scan the appropriate place in the passage for the key word
Read the sentence that contains the key word or idea carefully
Look for the answers that are definitely true according to the
passage. Eliminate those answer
Choose the answer that is not true or not discussed in the
passage.
Example :
Blood pressure measurement has two components : systolic and diastolic. Systolic
pressure is taken when the heart is contracting to pump blood, diastolic pressure is
taken when the heart is resting between beats. In the usual blood pressure reading,
the systolic measurement is given first and is the higher of the two
Normal blood pressure is a systolic measurement of 120-140.
1. Which of the following is Not true about systolic blood pressure?
A. It is taken during the contraction of the heart
B. It is usually given first in a blood pressure reading
C. A normal systolic measurement is 120-140
D. Hypertension exists when systolic pressure is below 140.
Implied detail Question
The question asked :
It is implied in the passage that……..
It can be inferred from the passage that…….
It is most likely that………..
What probably happened ……?
Clue :
1. Choose a key word in the question
2. Scan the passage for the key word
3. Read the sentence that contains the key word carefully
4. Look for an answer that could be true, according to that sentence
Example
Until 1996 the Sears Tower was the tallest building in the world, with more than a
hundred stories. It is located in Chicago, whose nickname is the Windy City
1. Sears Tower is probably
A. As tall as the Empire State Building
B. No longer the tallest building in the world
C. Taller than any other building
D. Still the highest building in the world.
Vocabulary in context questions
Different questions asked for vocabulary in context:
• What is the meaning.....?
• Which of the following is closest in meaning to ......?
• ........ could best be replaced by which of the following?
Tips:
When you get to the vocabulary question, put your finger over the highlighted word
and read the sentence again. Try to substitute in a word that makes sense.
Example:
A line in the passage:
......... She has a large geranium growing in a pot in the corner of her apartment .......
The question:
A “geranium” is probably which of the following?
(A) A sofa
(B) A chair
(C) A fish
(D) A plant
In this type of question, you are not expected to know the meaning of the word geranium. Instead, you should
undestand from the context that if the geranium is growing in apot, then it is probably a plant. Answer (D) is
therefore the best answer.
“WHERE” QUESTIONS
The wording: Where in the passage.....?
How to answer:
1. Choose a key word or idea in the question.
2. Skim the lines in the passage that are listed in the answers to the question. You
should skim for the key word or idea.
3. Choose the answer that contains the line numbers of a restatement of the key word
or idea in the question.
Example:
The passage:
The words “capital” and “capitol” are confused in spelling
and in meaning by a lot of people who try to use them. Both
their spellings and their meanings are quite closely related. A
“capital” is the location of the center of government, while a
“capitol” is the actual building where the government officials
meet. Thus, in the United States, for example, the Capitol
building is located in Washington,D.C., which is the capital city
of the United States.
The questions: 2. Where in the passage does the author mention

1. Where in the passage does the author define the where the U.S. Capitol can be found?
word “capital”? (E) Lines 1-2
(A) Lines 1-2 (F) Line 3
(B) Line 3 (G) Lines 4-5
(C) Line 4 (H) Lines 6-8
(D) Lines 6-8

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Reading Skills for the TOEFL

What’s in the READING COMPREHENSION section?

The questions: 2. Where in the passage does the author mention

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