Reading – TOEFL Pack 2 Part 3 Reading Comprehension

In the 1980s, scientist around the world began to notice something strange: Frogs were disappearing. More recent research has shown that many kinds of amphibians are declining or have become extinct. Amphibians are animals, such as frogs, that live partly in water and partly on land, and they have been around for a long time – over 350 million years. They have survived three mass extinctions, including the extinction of the dinosaurs. Why are they dying out now?

Scientists are seriously concerned about this question. First of all, amphibians are an important source of scientific and medical knowledge. By studying amphibians, scientists have learned about new substances that could be very useful for treating human diseases. Further research could lead to many more discoveries, but that will be impossible if the amphibians disappear.

Scientists now believe that amphibian decline is due to several environmental factors. One of these factors is destruction of habitat, the natural area where an animal lies. Amphibians are very sensitive to changes in their habitat. If they cannot find the right conditions, they will not lay their eggs. These days, as wild areas are covered with houses, roads, farms, or factories, many kinds of amphibians are no longer laying eggs. For example, they arroyo toad of southern California will only lay its eggs on the sandy bottom of a slow-moving stream. There are very few streams left in southern California, and those streams are often muddy because of building projects. Not surprisingly, the arroyo toad is now in danger of extinction.

(Reading Faster, p.235)

Which of the following is NOT true about amphibians?

Neither sex is more intelligent than the other; their brains are just different. For example, a certain area of the brain controls language, and women have more brain cells in that area than men do. Therefore, women learn language more easily than men do. However, women’s superior language skills certainly do not mean that women are more intelligent than men. Indeed, men generally show superior ability at math and reasoning.

Another difference between the sexes involves spatial tasks. Men are better at reading maps, but women are better at remembering the location of objects. Perhaps men’s and women’s brains developed different spatial skills because of different tasks they performed in prehistoric times. In those days, men were the hunters. They had to be able to track prey, make a kill, and then find their way back to the camp. Women, on the other hand, were the gatherers. They were responsible for finding edible leaves, roots, and berries, so they had to remember the location of particular trees and plants. Thus, men’s brains were programmed to follow routes and women’s to remember locations.

(Writing Academic Language, p.199)

The pronoun “they” in paragraph 2 refers to ….

In the 1980s, scientist around the world began to notice something strange: Frogs were disappearing. More recent research has shown that many kinds of amphibians are declining or have become extinct. Amphibians are animals, such as frogs, that live partly in water and partly on land, and they have been around for a long time – over 350 million years. They have survived three mass extinctions, including the extinction of the dinosaurs. Why are they dying out now?

Scientists are seriously concerned about this question. First of all, amphibians are an important source of scientific and medical knowledge. By studying amphibians, scientists have learned about new substances that could be very useful for treating human diseases. Further research could lead to many more discoveries, but that will be impossible if the amphibians disappear.

Scientists now believe that amphibian decline is due to several environmental factors. One of these factors is destruction of habitat, the natural area where an animal lies. Amphibians are very sensitive to changes in their habitat. If they cannot find the right conditions, they will not lay their eggs. These days, as wild areas are covered with houses, roads, farms, or factories, many kinds of amphibians are no longer laying eggs. For example, they arroyo toad of southern California will only lay its eggs on the sandy bottom of a slow-moving stream. There are very few streams left in southern California, and those streams are often muddy because of building projects. Not surprisingly, the arroyo toad is now in danger of extinction.

(Reading Faster, p.235)

The word “substances” in paragraph 2 means

Neither sex is more intelligent than the other; their brains are just different. For example, a certain area of the brain controls language, and women have more brain cells in that area than men do. Therefore, women learn language more easily than men do. However, women’s superior language skills certainly do not mean that women are more intelligent than men. Indeed, men generally show superior ability at math and reasoning.

Another difference between the sexes involves spatial tasks. Men are better at reading maps, but women are better at remembering the location of objects. Perhaps men’s and women’s brains developed different spatial skills because of different tasks they performed in prehistoric times. In those days, men were the hunters. They had to be able to track prey, make a kill, and then find their way back to the camp. Women, on the other hand, were the gatherers. They were responsible for finding edible leaves, roots, and berries, so they had to remember the location of particular trees and plants. Thus, men’s brains were programmed to follow routes and women’s to remember locations.

(Writing Academic Language, p.199)

According to the passage, women are NOT

In the 1980s, scientist around the world began to notice something strange: Frogs were disappearing. More recent research has shown that many kinds of amphibians are declining or have become extinct. Amphibians are animals, such as frogs, that live partly in water and partly on land, and they have been around for a long time – over 350 million years. They have survived three mass extinctions, including the extinction of the dinosaurs. Why are they dying out now?

Scientists are seriously concerned about this question. First of all, amphibians are an important source of scientific and medical knowledge. By studying amphibians, scientists have learned about new substances that could be very useful for treating human diseases. Further research could lead to many more discoveries, but that will be impossible if the amphibians disappear.

Scientists now believe that amphibian decline is due to several environmental factors. One of these factors is destruction of habitat, the natural area where an animal lies. Amphibians are very sensitive to changes in their habitat. If they cannot find the right conditions, they will not lay their eggs. These days, as wild areas are covered with houses, roads, farms, or factories, many kinds of amphibians are no longer laying eggs. For example, they arroyo toad of southern California will only lay its eggs on the sandy bottom of a slow-moving stream. There are very few streams left in southern California, and those streams are often muddy because of building projects. Not surprisingly, the arroyo toad is now in danger of extinction.

(Reading Faster, p.235)

What is most likely in the paragraph following the passage?

Neither sex is more intelligent than the other; their brains are just different. For example, a certain area of the brain controls language, and women have more brain cells in that area than men do. Therefore, women learn language more easily than men do. However, women’s superior language skills certainly do not mean that women are more intelligent than men. Indeed, men generally show superior ability at math and reasoning.

Another difference between the sexes involves spatial tasks. Men are better at reading maps, but women are better at remembering the location of objects. Perhaps men’s and women’s brains developed different spatial skills because of different tasks they performed in prehistoric times. In those days, men were the hunters. They had to be able to track prey, make a kill, and then find their way back to the camp. Women, on the other hand, were the gatherers. They were responsible for finding edible leaves, roots, and berries, so they had to remember the location of particular trees and plants. Thus, men’s brains were programmed to follow routes and women’s to remember locations.

(Writing Academic Language, p.199)

It is implied in the passage that men’s brains were programmed to performed better in reading maps because

The technological revolution that will prevail for remainder of this century will create jobs and professions that as little as five years ago were nonexistent. These newly developed markets will demand of workers an understanding of sophisticated technical communications systems as well as an increased technical expertise. By the year 2001 basic skills that once were vital to business will be rendered obsolete. The spot welder on the automobile production line, the clerk typist in an office, the field worker on a farm will go the way of the steamboat pilot and the blacksmith.

The most significant trend in years to come will be the shift from formation-type jobs (factory work, office typing, and general clerical work) to information-type jobs (programming, word processing, and supervising technical machinery). The American economy will witness the demise of the blue-collar as automation and robotics become more prevalent, heralding the rise of the steel-collar workers. Such tradition blue-collar employers as General Motors and US Steel have already begun to automate their factories – a fact reflected in the swollen unemployment in our industrial states.

By contrast, office and service jobs will be abundant, but only for those prepared to improve their technical skills. Again, it will be automation that will displace many of the low-skilled and semiskilled workers in the present economy.

(Teaching by Principle, p.321)

Which of the following would be the most appropriate title for the passage?

The technological revolution that will prevail for remainder of this century will create jobs and professions that as little as five years ago were nonexistent. These newly developed markets will demand of workers an understanding of sophisticated technical communications systems as well as an increased technical expertise. By the year 2001 basic skills that once were vital to business will be rendered obsolete. The spot welder on the automobile production line, the clerk typist in an office, the field worker on a farm will go the way of the steamboat pilot and the blacksmith.

The most significant trend in years to come will be the shift from formation-type jobs (factory work, office typing, and general clerical work) to information-type jobs (programming, word processing, and supervising technical machinery). The American economy will witness the demise of the blue-collar as automation and robotics become more prevalent, heralding the rise of the steel-collar workers. Such tradition blue-collar employers as General Motors and US Steel have already begun to automate their factories – a fact reflected in the swollen unemployment in our industrial states.

By contrast, office and service jobs will be abundant, but only for those prepared to improve their technical skills. Again, it will be automation that will displace many of the low-skilled and semiskilled workers in the present economy.

(Teaching by Principle, p.321)

The word “sophisticated” in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to….

The technological revolution that will prevail for remainder of this century will create jobs and professions that as little as five years ago were nonexistent. These newly developed markets will demand of workers an understanding of sophisticated technical communications systems as well as an increased technical expertise. By the year 2001 basic skills that once were vital to business will be rendered obsolete. The spot welder on the automobile production line, the clerk typist in an office, the field worker on a farm will go the way of the steamboat pilot and the blacksmith.

The most significant trend in years to come will be the shift from formation-type jobs (factory work, office typing, and general clerical work) to information-type jobs (programming, word processing, and supervising technical machinery). The American economy will witness the demise of the blue-collar as automation and robotics become more prevalent, heralding the rise of the steel-collar workers. Such tradition blue-collar employers as General Motors and US Steel have already begun to automate their factories – a fact reflected in the swollen unemployment in our industrial states.

By contrast, office and service jobs will be abundant, but only for those prepared to improve their technical skills. Again, it will be automation that will displace many of the low-skilled and semiskilled workers in the present economy.

(Teaching by Principle, p.321)

Which of the following would be most likely to occur as the technology developed in job market?

The technological revolution that will prevail for remainder of this century will create jobs and professions that as little as five years ago were nonexistent. These newly developed markets will demand of workers an understanding of sophisticated technical communications systems as well as an increased technical expertise. By the year 2001 basic skills that once were vital to business will be rendered obsolete. The spot welder on the automobile production line, the clerk typist in an office, the field worker on a farm will go the way of the steamboat pilot and the blacksmith.

The most significant trend in years to come will be the shift from formation-type jobs (factory work, office typing, and general clerical work) to information-type jobs (programming, word processing, and supervising technical machinery). The American economy will witness the demise of the blue-collar as automation and robotics become more prevalent, heralding the rise of the steel-collar workers. Such tradition blue-collar employers as General Motors and US Steel have already begun to automate their factories – a fact reflected in the swollen unemployment in our industrial states.

By contrast, office and service jobs will be abundant, but only for those prepared to improve their technical skills. Again, it will be automation that will displace many of the low-skilled and semiskilled workers in the present economy.

(Teaching by Principle, p.321)

The word “blue-collar” in paragraph 2 could best be replaced by ….

The first law of thermodynamics is simply an expression of the conservation of energy principle, and it asserts that energy is a thermodynamic property. The second law of thermodynamics asserts that energy has quality as well as quantity, and actual processes occur in the direction of decreasing quality of energy. For example, a cup of hot coffee left on a table eventually cools, but a cup of cool coffee in the same room never gets hot by itself. The high-temperature energy of the coffee is degraded (transformed into a less useful form at a lower temperature) once it is transferred to the surrounding air.

Although the principles of thermodynamics have been in existence since the creation of the universe, thermodynamics did not emerge as a science until the construction of the first successful atmospheric steam engines in England by Thomas Savery in 1697 and Thomas Newcomen in 1712. These engines were very slow and inefficient, but they opened the way for the development of a new science.

The first and second laws of thermodynamics emerged simultaneously in the 1850s, primarily out of the works of William Rankine, Rudolph Clausius, and Lord Kelvin (formerly William Thomson). The term thermodynamics was first used in a publication by Lord Kelvin in 1849. The first thermodynamic textbook was written in 1859 by William Rankine, a professor at the University of Glasgow.

(Thermodynamic: An Engineering Approach, p.2 )

The word “eventually” in paragraph 1 could most easily be replaced by

The first law of thermodynamics is simply an expression of the conservation of energy principle, and it asserts that energy is a thermodynamic property. The second law of thermodynamics asserts that energy has quality as well as quantity, and actual processes occur in the direction of decreasing quality of energy. For example, a cup of hot coffee left on a table eventually cools, but a cup of cool coffee in the same room never gets hot by itself. The high-temperature energy of the coffee is degraded (transformed into a less useful form at a lower temperature) once it is transferred to the surrounding air.

Although the principles of thermodynamics have been in existence since the creation of the universe, thermodynamics did not emerge as a science until the construction of the first successful atmospheric steam engines in England by Thomas Savery in 1697 and Thomas Newcomen in 1712. These engines were very slow and inefficient, but they opened the way for the development of a new science.

The first and second laws of thermodynamics emerged simultaneously in the 1850s, primarily out of the works of William Rankine, Rudolph Clausius, and Lord Kelvin (formerly William Thomson). The term thermodynamics was first used in a publication by Lord Kelvin in 1849. The first thermodynamic textbook was written in 1859 by William Rankine, a professor at the University of Glasgow.

(Thermodynamic: An Engineering Approach, p.2 )

It is mentioned in the passage that ….

The first law of thermodynamics is simply an expression of the conservation of energy principle, and it asserts that energy is a thermodynamic property. The second law of thermodynamics asserts that energy has quality as well as quantity, and actual processes occur in the direction of decreasing quality of energy. For example, a cup of hot coffee left on a table eventually cools, but a cup of cool coffee in the same room never gets hot by itself. The high-temperature energy of the coffee is degraded (transformed into a less useful form at a lower temperature) once it is transferred to the surrounding air.

Although the principles of thermodynamics have been in existence since the creation of the universe, thermodynamics did not emerge as a science until the construction of the first successful atmospheric steam engines in England by Thomas Savery in 1697 and Thomas Newcomen in 1712. These engines were very slow and inefficient, but they opened the way for the development of a new science.

The first and second laws of thermodynamics emerged simultaneously in the 1850s, primarily out of the works of William Rankine, Rudolph Clausius, and Lord Kelvin (formerly William Thomson). The term thermodynamics was first used in a publication by Lord Kelvin in 1849. The first thermodynamic textbook was written in 1859 by William Rankine, a professor at the University of Glasgow.

(Thermodynamic: An Engineering Approach, p.2 )

Where in the passage does the author describe the illustration of degraded energy?

The first law of thermodynamics is simply an expression of the conservation of energy principle, and it asserts that energy is a thermodynamic property. The second law of thermodynamics asserts that energy has quality as well as quantity, and actual processes occur in the direction of decreasing quality of energy. For example, a cup of hot coffee left on a table eventually cools, but a cup of cool coffee in the same room never gets hot by itself. The high-temperature energy of the coffee is degraded (transformed into a less useful form at a lower temperature) once it is transferred to the surrounding air.

Although the principles of thermodynamics have been in existence since the creation of the universe, thermodynamics did not emerge as a science until the construction of the first successful atmospheric steam engines in England by Thomas Savery in 1697 and Thomas Newcomen in 1712. These engines were very slow and inefficient, but they opened the way for the development of a new science.

The first and second laws of thermodynamics emerged simultaneously in the 1850s, primarily out of the works of William Rankine, Rudolph Clausius, and Lord Kelvin (formerly William Thomson). The term thermodynamics was first used in a publication by Lord Kelvin in 1849. The first thermodynamic textbook was written in 1859 by William Rankine, a professor at the University of Glasgow.

(Thermodynamic: An Engineering Approach, p.2 )

The information in the passage presented!

Many of the music teacher-candidates expressed feelings of anxiety prior to the start of the service-learning project. They were concerned about how they were going to be perceived by the homeschoolers and how successful their teaching would be. For example, one teacher-candidate commented that he had stage fright and was worried about what he would say when instructing students. The teacher-candidates fixated on the larger concepts they would be teaching, such as learning a tune in the method books, and overlooked how the young musicians needed explanations for the multiple steps that comprise making their first sounds on an instrument. This was evident in the teacher-candidates’ concerns regarding their ability to teach all the different types of instruments at one time while also handling classroom management issues. For example, in a typical beginning band or orchestra class many different instruments are learned at once (e.g. violin/cello, clarinet/trumpet) and each requires specific instruction. For many of the teacher-candidates, conveying a variety of concepts in a coherent set of steps was overwhelming.

(International Journal of Education & the Arts)

What is the main idea of the passage?

Many of the music teacher-candidates expressed feelings of anxiety prior to the start of the service-learning project. They were concerned about how they were going to be perceived by the homeschoolers and how successful their teaching would be. For example, one teacher-candidate commented that he had stage fright and was worried about what he would say when instructing students. The teacher-candidates fixated on the larger concepts they would be teaching, such as learning a tune in the method books, and overlooked how the young musicians needed explanations for the multiple steps that comprise making their first sounds on an instrument. This was evident in the teacher-candidates’ concerns regarding their ability to teach all the different types of instruments at one time while also handling classroom management issues. For example, in a typical beginning band or orchestra class many different instruments are learned at once (e.g. violin/cello, clarinet/trumpet) and each requires specific instruction. For many of the teacher-candidates, conveying a variety of concepts in a coherent set of steps was overwhelming.

(International Journal of Education & the Arts)

In which course would this reading be assigned?

Many of the music teacher-candidates expressed feelings of anxiety prior to the start of the service-learning project. They were concerned about how they were going to be perceived by the homeschoolers and how successful their teaching would be. For example, one teacher-candidate commented that he had stage fright and was worried about what he would say when instructing students. The teacher-candidates fixated on the larger concepts they would be teaching, such as learning a tune in the method books, and overlooked how the young musicians needed explanations for the multiple steps that comprise making their first sounds on an instrument. This was evident in the teacher-candidates’ concerns regarding their ability to teach all the different types of instruments at one time while also handling classroom management issues. For example, in a typical beginning band or orchestra class many different instruments are learned at once (e.g. violin/cello, clarinet/trumpet) and each requires specific instruction. For many of the teacher-candidates, conveying a variety of concepts in a coherent set of steps was overwhelming.

(International Journal of Education & the Arts)

The highlighted word “fixated” in the passage means

Many of the music teacher-candidates expressed feelings of anxiety prior to the start of the service-learning project. They were concerned about how they were going to be perceived by the homeschoolers and how successful their teaching would be. For example, one teacher-candidate commented that he had stage fright and was worried about what he would say when instructing students. The teacher-candidates fixated on the larger concepts they would be teaching, such as learning a tune in the method books, and overlooked how the young musicians needed explanations for the multiple steps that comprise making their first sounds on an instrument. This was evident in the teacher-candidates’ concerns regarding their ability to teach all the different types of instruments at one time while also handling classroom management issues. For example, in a typical beginning band or orchestra class many different instruments are learned at once (e.g. violin/cello, clarinet/trumpet) and each requires specific instruction. For many of the teacher-candidates, conveying a variety of concepts in a coherent set of steps was overwhelming.

(International Journal of Education & the Arts)

It is NOT mentioned in the passage that teacher-candidates concerned

In the 1980s, scientist around the world began to notice something strange: Frogs were disappearing. More recent research has shown that many kinds of amphibians are declining or have become extinct. Amphibians are animals, such as frogs, that live partly in water and partly on land, and they have been around for a long time – over 350 million years. They have survived three mass extinctions, including the extinction of the dinosaurs. Why are they dying out now?

Scientists are seriously concerned about this question. First of all, amphibians are an important source of scientific and medical knowledge. By studying amphibians, scientists have learned about new substances that could be very useful for treating human diseases. Further research could lead to many more discoveries, but that will be impossible if the amphibians disappear.

Scientists now believe that amphibian decline is due to several environmental factors. One of these factors is destruction of habitat, the natural area where an animal lies. Amphibians are very sensitive to changes in their habitat. If they cannot find the right conditions, they will not lay their eggs. These days, as wild areas are covered with houses, roads, farms, or factories, many kinds of amphibians are no longer laying eggs. For example, they arroyo toad of southern California will only lay its eggs on the sandy bottom of a slow-moving stream. There are very few streams left in southern California, and those streams are often muddy because of building projects. Not surprisingly, the arroyo toad is now in danger of extinction.

(Reading Faster, p.235)

With what is the author primarily concerned?

Neither sex is more intelligent than the other; their brains are just different. For example, a certain area of the brain controls language, and women have more brain cells in that area than men do. Therefore, women learn language more easily than men do. However, women’s superior language skills certainly do not mean that women are more intelligent than men. Indeed, men generally show superior ability at math and reasoning.

Another difference between the sexes involves spatial tasks. Men are better at reading maps, but women are better at remembering the location of objects. Perhaps men’s and women’s brains developed different spatial skills because of different tasks they performed in prehistoric times. In those days, men were the hunters. They had to be able to track prey, make a kill, and then find their way back to the camp. Women, on the other hand, were the gatherers. They were responsible for finding edible leaves, roots, and berries, so they had to remember the location of particular trees and plants. Thus, men’s brains were programmed to follow routes and women’s to remember locations.

(Writing Academic Language, p.199)

 What is the author’s main point in the passage?