TOEFL EXERCISE 6

Study each of the passages and choose the best answers to the questions that follow.

PASSAGE ONE (Questions 1 - 3)

A geyser occurs when rainwater seeps into the ground and volcanic magma beneath
the surface heats it. The rainwater then turns into steam. The pressurized steam rises to
the surface and bursts out as a geyser.
Yellowstone National Park has more geysers than all of the rest of the world
together The most famous of these geysers is Old Faithful, which erupts in a high arc of
steam about once an hour.
There have not been any volcanic eruptions in the Yellowstone area for 70,000 years.
However, the existence of the geysers is proof that the area is volcanically active.

1. Where in the passage does the author 3. Where in the passage does the author state
mention what heats the water in a geyser? how long it has been since a volcano
(A) Lines 1 - 2 erupted at Yellowstone?
(B) Line 4 (A) Lines 2 - 3
(C) Lines 5 - 6 (B) Lines 5 - 6
(D) Line 7 (C) Line 7
(D) Line 8
2. The author indicates how often Old
Faithful erupts in
(A) lines 1 - 2
(B) line 4
(C) lines 5 - 6
(D) line 7

1|P ag e
PASSAGE IWO (Questions 4-7)

By 1963 the one-man space flights of Project Mercury had successfully taken place,
and NASA (the National Aeronautics and Space Administration) was ready for a new
challenge. That new challenge was to send two men into space at the same time, rather
than one, so that it would be possible to conduct a wide variety of new maneuvers and
tests.
An appropriate name was found for that new project: the new project was called
Project Gemini. The name “Gemini” might seem appropriate because it is the name of
one of the constellations of stars in the sky, but that is not the real reason for the choice
of the name. “Gemini” comes from the Latin word geminus, which means “twin.” The
constellation Gemini received its name because it consists of two very bright stars with
no other bright stars close by, and those stars seem like twins. The NASA project
received its name because of the number of men who would be together in the space
capsule orbiting the Earth.

4. Where in the passage does the author state 6. The author explains the derivation of the
what the initials NASA represent? word “Gemini” in
(A) Lines 1 - 3 (A) lines 1—3
(B) Lines 6 - 7 (B) lines 6—7
(C) Line 9 (C) line 9
(D) Lines 11 – 13 (D) lines 11—13

5. Where in the passage does the author 7. Where in the passage does the author
describe NASA’S new challenge after describe the composition of the Gemini
Project Mercury? constellation?
(A) Lines 3—5 (A) Lines 3-5
(B) Lines 6—7 (B) Lines 6—7
(C) Line 9 (C) Line 9
(D) Lines 11—13 (D) Lines 10—11

2|P ag e
PASSAGE THREE (Questions 8-12)

One of the best-known stories in American history—that Betsy Ross created the first
flag of the United States - is believed by a number of scholars to be somewhat
questionable.
The official story goes as follows: In 1776, a group that included George Washington
came to the workshop in Philadelphia where Betsy Ross worked as a seamstress; they
brought a drawing of a flag with stars and stripes on it and asked if Betsy could make it.
The flag with the stars and stripes was definitely adopted by Congress on June 14,
1777. In the minutes on that day there is a resolution accepting a flag with 13 stars and
13 stripes as the official flag of the nation. However, there is no mention of Betsy Ross
as the one who had made the flag.
The first time that there is a documented reference to Betsy Ross as the one who
made the flag came more than a century later, when her grandson gave a speech to the
Philadelphia Historical Society indicating that the family had passed down the story for
a hundred years that grandmother Betsy had made the first flag. Philadelphians
enthusiastically supported the story. Betsy Ross’s house was restored and renamed Flag
House, and it was opened to the public as a memorial to Betsy Ross.
Many historians dispute this story, and certainly no one has been able to come up
with indisputable proof that it was Betsy who made the first flag. This much is known
about Betsy Ross: She did exist, she was a seamstress, and she did sometimes make
f1ag for the ships of the Pennsylvania State Navy. If the story about the first flag is not
completely true—and who is to know at this point—at least it makes a good story.

8. Where in the passage does the author 11. The author discusses how Philadelphians
mention a group that came to visit Betsy responded to the Betsy Ross story in
Ross? (A) lines 9—10
(A) Lines 1—3 (B) lines 14—16
(B) Lines 4—6 (C) lines 17—18
(C) Lines 7—8 (D) lines 20—2 1
(D) Lines 9—10
12. Where in the passage does the author
9. Where in the passage does the author state discuss how historians have reacted to the
when the flag was adopted by Congress? Betsy Ross story?
(A) Lines 1—3 (A) Lines 8—9
(B) Lines 4—6 (B) Lines 11—14
(C) Lines 7—9 (C) Lines 17—18
(D) Lines 11—14 (D) Lines 19—20

10. The author describes the first historical

reference to Betsy Ross as
the creator of the first U.S. flag in
(A) lines 4—6
(B) lines 9—10
(C) lines 11—14
(D) lines 17—18

3|P ag e
TOEFL REVIEW EXERCISE (Skills 1—6): Study each of the passages, and choose the best
answers to the questions that follow.

PASSAGE ONE (Questions 1-10)

The deer is a distinctive animal easily recognized by the antlers that adorn most
species of male deer. These antlers are used by the males primarily to fight, either for
mates or for leadership of the herd. Deer generally lose their antlers each winter and
begin growing new ones in late spring. The new antlers are soft knobs covered with
velvety hairs. Later in the year as the seasons progress, the antlers grow and harden into
solid branches. In the middle of winter, the full-grown antlers fall off and decay on the
ground. The following spring the process begins again.

1. This passage mainly discusses 6. In which month would a deer in North

(A) the lifestyle of the deer America probably have short soft, velvety
(B) the seasons of the year antlers?
(C) the antlers of the deer (A) May
(D) how antlers are used (B) December
(C) October
2. The deer is called a distinctive animal (D) January because it
because it
(A) uses its antlers to recognize others 7. The word “velvety” in line 5 could best be
(B) has many species replaced by
(C) has antlers (A) soft
(D) has to fight for its mates (B) long
(C) gray
3. The word “adorn” in line 1 is closest in (D) coarse
meaning to which of the following?
(A) Cover 8. The word “solid” in line 6 could best be
(B) Decorate replaced by which of the following?
(C) Bother (A) Firm
(D) Hide (B) Thin
(C) Leafy
4. The word “primarily” in line 2 is closest (D) Tiny
in meaning to
(A) primitively 9. In winter the mature antlers
(B) only (A) are soft knobs
(C) mainly (B) come off
(D) once (C) are covered with velvety hair
(D) begin again
5. It is NOT mentioned in the passage that
the deer uses its antlers 10. Where in the passage does the author
(A) to battle other deer explain how a deer uses its antlers?
(B) to get a mate (A) Lines 2—3
(C) to become a leader (B) Lines 4—5
(D) to climb branches (C) Line 6
(D) Line 7

4|P ag e
PASSAGE TWO (Questions 11—20)
REM (rapid eye movement) sleep is a type of sleep that is important to humans.
This type of sleep generally occurs four or five times during one night of sleep, in
periods of time ranging from five minutes to forty minutes for each occurrence. The
periods of REM sleep become longer and longer as the night progresses.
Physical changes occur in the body to show that a person has transitioned from
NREM (non-rapid eye movement) sleep to REM sleep. Breathing becomes faster, the
heart rate increases, and, as the name implies, the eyes begin to move quickly.
Accompanying these physical changes in the body is a very important characteristic
of REM sleep. It is during REM sleep that dreams occur.

11. The subject of this passage is 14. The word “progresses” in line 4 is closest
(A) the human need for REM sleep in meaning to
(B) physical changes in the human body (A) continues
(C) the characteristics of REM sleep (B) darkens
(D) why people sleep (C) falls
(D) sleeps
12. According to the passage, how often does
REM sleep occur in one night? 15. The word “transitioned” in line 5 could
(A) Once best be replaced by which of the
(B) Twice following?
(C) Four or five times (A) Breathed
(D) Forty times (B) Increased
(C) Fallen
13. A REM sleep period of forty minutes (D) Moved
would most likely be which period of
REM sleep? 16. The N in NREM probably stands for
(A) The first period which of the following words?
(B) The second period (A) Nine
(C) The third period (B) Non
(D) The fourth period (C) Name
(D) Night

5|P ag e
17. According to the passage, all of the 19. Where in the passage does the author
following occur during REM sleep discuss the length of periods of REM
EXCEPT that sleep?
(A) the rate of breathing increases (A) Line 1
(B) the heart rate speeds up (B) Lines 2—3
(C) the eyes remain steady (C) Lines 6—7
(D) dreams take place (D) Lines 8—9

18. The word “Accompanying” in line S 20. The author mentions a nonphysical
could best be replaced by which of the occurrence during REM sleep in
following? (A) line 1
(A) Along with (B) lines 3—4
(B) In spite of (C) lines 5—6
(C) In contrast to (D) lines 8—9
(D) Because of

6|P ag e
PASSAGE THREE (Questions 2 1-30)
In the 1930s, Chester F. Carlson was working in the patents department of a large
electronics firm in New York City. One of the major problems in his work was the length
of time and expense involved in getting patents copied; patents were lengthy legal
documents, and the only ways to get them copied were to take them to a typist or to a
photographer. Either way of copying patents took a lot of time and cost a lot of money.
He came up with the idea for a machine that would copy documents quickly and
efficiently. He researched the idea in the library and then worked over a three-year
period on developing a machine that used a light, an electrostatically charged plate, and
powder to duplicate images on paper. The result of this work was a machine that
produced the first xerographic copy on October 22, 1938. He named the process
“Xerox,” which is derived from a word meaning “dry writing.”
Carlson felt that he had a good idea, one that would be extremely helpful in the
business world. He tried to sell his idea to a number of large corporations, but they
were not terribly interested in his machine. He was able to get some help in developing
the machine from a nonprofit institute, and a few years later he sold the process to a
small family-owned company. This small company grew into the giant Xerox
Corporation, and both Carlson and Xerox became rather wealthy in the process.

21. This passage is mainly about 24. The word “researched” in line 7 is closest
(A) Carlson`s job in a patent office in meaning to which of the following?
(B) how the Xerox machine works (A) Searched for
(C) Carlson’s success in business (B) Came up with
(D) the development of the Xerox (C) Looked for information about
machine (D) Returned to

22. Which of the following is NOT 25. Which of the following is NOT
mentioned as a problem that Carlson mentioned as a component of the machine
encountered in getting patents copied? that Carlson developed?
(A) The time needed for copying (A) A light
(B) The expense of the copying (B) A charged plate
(C) The length of the patents (C) Powder
(D) The dependability of the (D) A typewriter
photographers
26. It can be inferred from the passage that
23. The word “expense” in line 3 is closest in Carlson began work on the machine to
meaning to (A) 1930
(A) cost (B) 1935
(B) difficulty (C) 1938
(C) legality (D) 1941
(D) payment

7|P ag e
27. The passage indicates that the large
corporations that Carlson tried to sell his
process to
(A) were family owned
(B) were nonprofit institutions
(C) helped to develop the process
(D) did not want to buy his machine

28. The word “giant” in line 16 could best be

replaced by
(A) monster
(B) tiny
(C) familiar
(D) huge

29. Where in the passage does the author

indicate what a patent is?
(A) Line 1—2
(B) Lines 3—5
(C) Lines 6—7
(D) Lines 9—11

30. The author describes what happened to

the company that eventually bought
Carlson’s process in
(A) lines 1—2
(B) lines 9—11
(C) lines 13—14
(D) lines 16—17

8|P ag e
9|P ag e