TOEFL IBT Reading Practice Test 08 from IVY’s Reading 15 Actual Test
This section measures your ability to understand academic passages in English. The Reading section is divided into 2 separately timed parts.
Most questions are worth 1 point but the last question in each set is worth more than 1 point. The directions indicate how many points you may receive.
Some passages include a word or phrase that is underlined in blue. Click on the word or phrase to see a definition or an explanation.
Within each part, you can go to the next question by clicking Next. You may skip questions and go back to them later. If you want to return to previous questions, click on Back. You can click on Review at any time and the review screen will show you which questions you have answered and which you have not answered. From this review screen, you may go directly to any question you have already seen in the Reading section.
You may now begin the Reading section. In this part you will read 1 passage. You will have 20 minutes to read the passage and answer the questions.
Passage 1| Anthropology
The Ancient Puebloans
The Ancient Puebloans, a Native American people, are probably most recognized for their architecture—distinctive jacal (a frame of sticks covered with clay) and sandstone structures constructed atop desert plateaus and within rocky canyon walls. Due to the abundance of water, the Ancient Puebloans initially inhabited the Four Comers region of the United States. This vast area in the southwestern part of the country covered parts of modern-day New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, and Utah. As the population of Ancient Puebloans grew, their cultural center gradually moved south in the fourteenth century, into central Arizona and the Rio Grande Valley in New Mexico. To archaeologists, this cultural shift is somewhat mysterious, as there is little archaeological evidence that explains why the Ancient Puebloans left their communities in the north and migrated south. Archaeologists are also uncertain about when Ancient Puebloan culture began; most agree that it was well established in the Four Comers region by at least 1 AD, though some trace its origins as far back as 1500 BC.
The Ancient Puebloans were the predecessors of today’s Pueblo peoples, who consist of about 25 groups, including Hopi, Zuni, Taos, and Acoma. Because the different groups of modem Pueblos speak different languages, there is no single term for their common ancestors. The Hopi call their ancestors Hisatsinom. Although Ancient Puebloans are commonly referred to by the term Anasazi, a name used by archaeologists to describe the Ancient Puebloans’ shared culture, many Pueblos consider this term offensive. Anasazi is actually from the language of the Navajo, meaning “ancient enemy,” “ancient outsider,” or “ancient foreigner.”
In the beginning, the Ancient Puebloans were nomadic hunters and gatherers but later settled down to become an agricultural society, building permanent, complex communities. Early architecture was constructed using jacal, which was formed from a wooden framework covered with clay. These structures were fortified with rocks, and the roofs were covered with branches and mud and were supported by beams of wood. [A] The Ancient Puebloans also constructed storage structures of stone to guard their food supplies. [B] Using stone hammers to shape sandstone blocks for construction, they later moved from jacal homes to larger, multi-level stone buildings, eventually carving them into cliffs—most likely for protection against enemies. [C]
The Ancient Puebloans initially resided in small clusters of families. [D] As the civilization grew, families gradually became clans, then tribes. Small groups of households composed early communities that eventually expanded into hamlets, villages, and then towns. It is believed that the Ancient Puebloan population experienced a period of dramatic growth, causing communities to join together in order to efficiently regulate their food and water supplies. As the Ancient Puebloan population grew, so too did their infrastructure, whereby complex trading routes, some hundreds of miles in length, were established, allowing them to travel far away to trade goods. Moreover, such elaborate routes enabled Ancient Puebloan culture to further develop through interaction and communication with other cultures. With the establishment of permanent communities, the Ancient Puebloans began to focus on complicated crafts. Subsequently, Ancient Puebloan culture and art flourished, as seen in numerous baskets and pottery crafts, which were functional as well as aesthetic. From about 1000 to 1300 AD, Ancient Puebloan ; culture is believed to have reached a climax, particularly in the areas of pottery, weaving, and architecture. After this time, however, the Ancient Puebloans departed this region, leaving behind architectural symbols of their f culture in the form of their dwellings.
What caused the Ancient Puebloans to leave is not entirely clear to archaeologists. By 1300 the Four Corners area of the Ancient Puebloans was abandoned. The dominant lingering proof that the once prosperous Ancient Puebloan culture existed is in the structural remains scattered throughout the southwestern United States. There are several theories that attempt to explain the departure of the Ancient Puebloans: devastating drought, food shortages, and political conflict. Scientists have found evidence that there were several severe droughts that corresponded with major shifts in the Ancient Puebloan population, o Droughts at the end of the thirteenth century may have been the ultimate cause of the Ancient Puebloans’ migration. Food shortages also may have resulted from the depletion of natural resources, deforestation, and land scarcity. Archaeologists also suspect that there may have been political friction, perhaps caused by the aforementioned environmental factors or by competition with other cultures, and that the resulting social changes in the culture of the Ancient Puebloans led to southern migration. As many as ten thousand of the Ancient Puebloans may have moved southward into the Rio Grande Valley, which is where Spaniards encountered them a few hundred years later and called them pueblos meaning “towns” in Spanish. Additional evidence can be found in the testimonies still told by the descendants of the legendary Ancient Puebloans. According to modem Pueblos, some Ancient Puebloans migrated to southern Arizona and New Mexico, integrating into Hopi and Zuni communities there.
1. What can be inferred from paragraph 1 about the origin of Ancient Puebloan culture?
(A) It may have begun later than 1500 BC.
(B) It did not begin in the American Southwest
(C) The date cannot be estimated.
(D) It may have emerged from an earlier civilization.
2. The word predecessors in the passage is closest in meaning to
(A) offspring
(B) governments
(C) families
(D) ancestors
3. According to paragraph 2, there is no Pueblo term for their culture’s ancestors because
(A) Pueblo cultures have not needed a term for their ancestors.
(B) Pueblo groups do not share a common language.
(C) Pueblos have borrowed words from other languages.
(D) Pueblo language is no longer spoken.
4. What can be inferred from paragraph 2 about the term Anasazi?
(A) It is less common than the term “Ancient Puebloans.”
(B) It is only used by the Navajo.
(C) It is preferred over the term Hisatsinom by Puebloans.
(D) It is less appropriate than the term “Ancient Puebloans.”
5. The word fortified in the passage is closest in meaning to
(A) strengthened
(B) blocked
(C) hidden
(D) decorated
6 The word that in the passage refers to
(A) groups
(B) households
(C) communities
(D) hamlets
7. Why does the author mention food and water supplies in paragraph 4?
{A) To introduce a theory about why the Ancient Puebloans left the Four Corners region
(B) To suggest that fear of raids by other groups was an everyday concern
(C) To explain what caused the Ancient Puebloans to settle in large communities
(D) To indicate that the Ancient Puebloans were a wealthy civilization
8. The word flourished in the passage is closest in meaning to
(A) lengthened
(B) thrived
(C) emerged
(D) changed
9. According to the passage, what happened to the Ancient Puebloans between 1000 and 1300 AD?
(A) They left the region that their culture had inhabited for centuries.
(B) They experienced a drought that caused a political conflict.
(C) They merged with the Hopi and Zuni to form a larger civilization.
(D) They reached the highest point in the history of their civilization.
10. The word lingering in the passage is closest in meaning to
(A) clear
(B) important
(C) remaining
(D) surprising
11. Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in the passage? Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.
(A) Ten thousand of the Ancient Puebloans traveled south to trade with the Spaniards who had recently arrived.
(B) The Spaniards who met the relocated Ancient Puebloans in the south gave them the name pueblos.
(C) Pueblo is a Spanish word for Native Americans who live in small communities or towns.
(D) The Spaniards traveled north to meet the Ancient Puebloans they had heard about while in the Rio Grande Valley.
12. Look at the four squares m that indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage.
Such dwellings had other advantages as well because cliff dwellings provided extra protection from weather and did not take up land that could be used for agriculture.
Where would the sentence best fit?
Click on a square [] to add the sentence
13. Directions: An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage is provided below. Complete the summary by selecting the THREE answer choices that express the most important ideas in the passage. Some sentences do not belong in the summary because they express ideas that are not presented in the passage or are minor ideas in the passage. This question is worth 2 points.
Although archaeologists have evidence about the origin and expansion of the Ancient Puebloan population, they still wonder about the reason for its departure from the Four Comers region.
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Answer Choices
(A) It is estimated that the Ancient Puebloans first appeared in the fertile Four Corners region around 2000 to 3500 years ago.
(C) Architecture and crafts in the Four Corners region reveal the Ancient Puebloans’ cultural growth.
(E) Archaeologists have discovered that the Ancient Puebloans left the Four Corners region when they ran out of natural resources.
(B) Until the fourteenth century, the Ancient Puebloans were relatively unknown to archaeologists.
(D) Archaeologists cannot prove why the Ancient Puebloan population departed from the Four Corners region.
(F) Pottery and handicrafts are the only evidence left to suggest that the Ancient Puebloans were once a prosperous civilization.
Drag your answer choices to the spaces where they belong. To remove an answer choice, click on it To review the passage, click View Text
Reading Passage 2 Reading Passage 3 Solution & Explanation for Reading Passage 1
Passage 2| Music
Music and the Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution began with the introduction of steam power and mechanized manufacturing in the second half of the eighteenth century. This quickly •s led to the innovations of machine tools and factory assembly lines. Later, steam¬ships and the railroad allowed supplies and products to be transferred expeditiously to distant destinations. Roughly defined as the o period from 1760 to 1830 and beyond, the Industrial Revolution utterly transformed the technologies and economics of the world. But such changes were not simply limited to production; cultural institutions were profoundly affected as well. A study of Western music during this time demonstrates how thoroughly the consequences of the Industrial Revolution permeated people’s lives.
Western music in the eighteenth and 20 nineteenth centuries is categorized into two periods: Classical and Romantic. The Classical era is commonly demarcated as 1730-1820, before and concurrent with the early stages of the Industrial Revolution. Famous composers n such as Mozart and Haydn were active during this time frame. They produced pieces written for soloists, small chamber music ensembles, and the limited full orchestras of the time.
The style of the music developed by Classical composers was fundamentally shaped by their intended audience. In the eighteenth century, musicians wrote and presented music only for high society—the aristocracy, fellow musicians, and the Church.
The great majority of the population had no exposure to music other than traditional folk songs. Most composers were actually retained by noblemen or other powerful people as servants to provide music for their courts. Not only were concerts held in these formal settings; most people who attended a performance had at least some background knowledge of the musical principles of order and symmetry that were accepted at the time. For these reasons. Classical composers tended to adhere strictly to the established forms and rules assigned to the particular types of pieces they created. The structure of a composition was of equal or typically more importance than the emotional result of the music.
At the turn of the nineteenth century, when the myriad technological advancements of the Industrial Revolution were really beginning to affect the lives of ordinary people. Classicism in Western music was gradually giving way to a new style—Romanticism. The Romantic period usually dates from 1820 to about 1910. Though some basic forms carried over from the Classical period, there were significant changes on many levels. Most obviously, improved manufacturing processes developed during the Industrial Revolution translated into better-quality instruments. Pianos, violins, and other stringed instruments were built stronger and louder. In particular, the woodwinds benefited from newly introduced mechanical components, giving them a much more appealing sound, and they became quite popular. The end result was a greatly expanded orchestra with a wider variety of instruments. Composers such as Brahms, Wagner, and Tchaikovsky were the dominant creators of this period.
Another dramatic outcome of the Industrial Revolution was the rise of the middle class, a segment of society with enough expendable income to pay to attend concerts and recitals. [A] Larger, more elaborate concerts were held, and this shift altered the music itself. [B] Composers experimented with stretching and even breaking the limits of the old Classical rules. [C] Popular Romantic ideals of imagination and emotion were reflected in the music. [D] Folk tunes were even utilized s to relate to a broader audience. Also during this time, musicians and composers lost their roles as servants to the aristocracy and gained celebrity status as more and more people were exposed to their work.
The transference of music from high to middle classes not only manifested itself in large orchestral performances, but on a much smaller scale as well. In addition to enabling the creation of higher quality instruments, the Industrial Revolution also introduced their mass production. Ordinary people could now afford to buy their own pianos, violins, and guitars. In many homes, the parlor room was the center of family life, and during the Romantic period, it became the frequent site of solo and ensemble performances. Such events served as entertainment for guests, musical education for children, and an occupation for many musicians who made a living performing in these private spaces. Music which once had existed only within aristocratic courts was now being heard in middle-class homes throughout the Western world.
14. The word profoundly in the passage is closest in meaning to
(A) badly
(B) occasionally
(C) greatly
(D) hardly
15. What can be inferred from paragraph 1 about the Industrial Revolution?
(A) It improved manufacturing using traditional technologies.
(B) There is no definitive date for its endpoint.
(C) It utilized the railroad more than it did steamships.
(D) The reach of its effects is still not fully understood.
16.The word demarcated in the passage is closest in meaning to
(A) measured
(B) denied
(C) followed
(D) protected
17. According to paragraph 3, performances during the Classical period
(A) were opportunities for composers to showcase new forms
(B) were formal occasions both in location and musical style
(C) featured music of a predominantly religious nature
(D) included formalized versions of traditional folk songs
18. Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in the passage? Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.
(A) The progression from Classical to Romantic music around 1800 was a gradual one, but many people soon took note of it
(B) It was the shift from Classicism to Romanticism that encouraged the acceptance of the Industrial Revolution by ordinary people in the Western world.
(C) At the end of the eighteenth and beginning of the nineteenth centuries, technological innovations from the Industrial Revolution changed music forever.
(D) Western music was transitioning from Classical to Romantic as the Industrial Revolution started to make its way into people’s lives around 1800.
19. Based on information from paragraph 4 about the relationship between the Classical and Romantic periods, it can be inferred that
(A) Romantic music bore no resemblance to that from the Classical period
(B) there were more composers creating music during the Romantic period
(C) Romantic music included the piano whereas Classical music did not
(D) woodwind instruments were used more frequently in Romantic music
20. The word expendable in the passage is closest in meaning to
(A) extra
(B) excellent
(C) exact
(D) expensive
21. Why does the author mention celebrity status in paragraph 5?
(A) To explain that some composers were more widely accepted than others
(B) To give an example of the subject matter of many popular folk songs
(C) To contrast the position of musicians in the Romantic and Classical periods
(D) To describe the diminishing importance of the aristocracy in society in the Romantic era
22. The word their in the passage refers to
(A) audience
(B) musicians and composers
(C) servants
(D) aristocracy
23. The word manifested in the passage is closest in meaning to
(A) destroyed
(B) advertised
(C) supported
(D) displayed
24. According to paragraph 6, what led the home to become a site for musical presentations?
(A) The increased production and availability of instruments
(B) The desire of families to educate their children in music
(C) The great wealth accumulated by the middle classes
(D) The growing number of musicians looking for work
25. Look at the four squares [] that indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage.
This new, sizable audience meant that musical performances no longer had to be organized to cater solely to high society.
Where would the sentence best fit?
Click on a square H to add the sentence to the passage.
26. Directions: Complete the table by matching the statements below.
Select the appropriate statements from the answer choices and match them to the musical period to which they relate. TWO of the answer choices will NOT be used. This question is worth 4 points.
Drag your answer choices to the spaces where they belong. To remove an answer choice, click on it To review the passage, click View Text
| Answer Choices
(A) Music for soloists did not exist (B) Musicians depended on the patronage of the wealthy (C) Emotions evoked by music were more important than its format • (D) Orchestras typically included fewer instruments. (E) Most music was composed by the middle class. (F) Composers made use of folk melodies. (G) Audiences were familiar with formal music theory. (H) Perfection of musical structure was the primary goal. ( I ) Quality instruments were accessible for private use. |
Classical period |
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| * | |
| * | |
| * | |
| Romantic period | |
| * | |
| * | |
| * | |
Reading Passage 1 Reading Passage 3 Solution & Explanation for Reading Passage 2
Passage 3 | Physiology
Circadian Rhythms
Taken from the Latin words for “about one day,” the word “circadian” is a term describing biological processes that occur in twenty-four-hour cycles. The nature of the Earth’s rotation divides time into periods of light and darkness, and since the effect is global, these rhythms affect species across the planet. The twenty-four-hour cycles regulating the physiological functions of many organisms are known as circadian rhythms. Sleeping patterns, eating habits, hormone production, and other biological activities in such organisms as bacteria, plants, and humans are all influenced by circadian rhythms.
Because it is advantageous for organisms to operate on a twenty-four-hour cycle that mimics the rotational period of the Earth, diverse species have evolved internal mechanisms that maintain circadian rhythms. Although these internal clocks perform similar functions, the genes that control their operation often vary significantly between species. This fact suggests that circadian rhythms are a result of convergent evolution —the process of unrelated species developing similar adaptations in response to similar pressures in their environments.
The presence of circadian clocks in a wide variety of organisms supports the idea that circadian rhythms are important from an evolutionary standpoint. In nature, the evolution of circadian rhythms has contributed to species’ survival, as these clocks prepare organisms for cyclical events to anticipate the availability of food and light, the risk of predators, and the best conditions for survival. An example of an evolutionary advantage linked to circadian rhythms is the tendency of insects to come out of their pupal cases near dawn, a time of day when the temperature is low and the air is moist. These two conditions help prevent the insect from drying out as it emerges and opens its wings for the first time.
Among organisms that live together in large groups, circadian rhythms are essential for the maintenance of social order and the coordination of tasks. In bee colonies, worker bees do not develop circadian rhythms until they become foragers. Inside the hive, it is advantageous for non-forager bees—like nurse bees, for example, which spend their time working within the hive, performing caregiving tasks that require constant attention—to lack circadian rhythms and maintain their duties twenty-four hours a day. Outside the hive, however, bees require circadian rhythms to keep them synchronized with the cycles of day and night that other organisms follow. As foragers, bees search for food on a rhythmic schedule guided by circadian rhythms that ensure that forager bees are active during the best food-gathering times.
In humans, circadian rhythms synchronize the body with the cycle of day and night. This is accomplished by a master biological clock located in a part of the brain called the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). The SCN is linked with the eye and keeps track of the time of day by interpreting information about light and darkness, which it receives from cells in the retina. [A] The SCN uses this information to regulate hormones, body temperature, alertness, and sleep patterns.[B] Body temperature is lowest during sleep and may range as much as two degrees Fahrenheit over the course of a day.[C] Blood pressure is higher during the morning than in the evening. [D] A person’s pain tolerance peaks during the afternoon. Heart attacks most often occur in the morning, and asthma attacks most often occur at night. All of these aspects of human life are to some degree governed by circadian rhythms.
Although the SCN takes cues from sunlight in order to keep the body’s internal clock aligned with the external environment, the body would maintain a near-twenty-four- ) hour rhythm without any hints to indicate time. When volunteers submitted themselves to an isolated environment that eliminated all time cues, their sleep cycles and body temperatures continued to operate on circadian rhythms. Research has shown that circadian rhythms persist, even when all temporal hints are removed from an individual’s environment.
The effects of circadian rhythms that are out of balance with the cycle of night and o day are still being researched, but evidence has suggested that there are some negative consequences. Asynchronous circadian rhythms are believed to be factors contributing to sleep disorders, heart problems, c gastrointestinal disorders, and diabetes.
27. Why does the author mention Latin words in paragraph 1?
(A) To introduce the origin of the term “circadian”
(B) To explain that circadian rhythms have been studied for a long time
(C) To introduce the scientist credited with discovering circadian rhythms
(D) To support the idea that circadian rhythms have not changed over time
28. According to paragraph 2, what is convergent evolution?
(A) The independent evolution of comparable structures in separate types of organisms
(B) The process of two different species crossbreeding to form one species
(C) The evolution of an internal biological- clock mechanism
(D) The similarities between several species that evolved from a single ancestor
29. The word their in the passage refers to
(A) circadian rhythms
(B) species
(C) adaptations
(D) pressures
30. The word standpoint in the passage is closest in meaning to
(A) place
(B) perspective
)C) expectation
(D) result
31. Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in the passage? Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.
(A) Species survive best when they are aware of their environment and well adapted to it
(B) Operating on a cyclical rhythm similar to their environments helps species find food and stay safe.
(C) Circadian rhythms help increase species’ sensitivity to changes in their surroundings.
(D) In the history of the planet, species with circadian rhythms have survived longer than species without these rhythms.
32. According to the passage, all of the following demonstrate evolutionary advantages of circadian rhythms EXCEPT
(A) insects that emerge from pupal cases in the early morning
(B) species that are active while their natural enemies are inactive
(C) forager bees that search for food on a rhythmic schedule
(D) human beings who require less sleep than most people
33. According to paragraph 4, why is it important that nurse bees lack circadian rhythms?
(A) Social order in the hive depends on them working the opposite hours of forager bees.
(B) They need to follow the cycle of day and night outside the hive.
(C) They need to be available to gather food whenever the hive needs it.
(D) Their duties need to be performed at all times.
34. The word coordination in the passage is closest in meaning to
(A) instruction
(B) organization
(C) development
(D) evaluation
35. Which of the following can be inferred from paragraph 6 about the short-term effect of a completely dark environment on circadian rhythms?
(A) It causes circadian rhythms to slow down and stop.
(B) It causes an organism’s biological clock to reset itself.
(C) It causes little change in circadian rhythms.
(D) It causes circadian rhythms to stop regulating sleep cycles.
36. The word eliminated in the passage is closest in meaning to
(A) removed
(B) hid
(C} rearranged
(D) slowed
37. What can be inferred from paragraph 7 about the relationship between circadian rhythms and health?
(A) People who do not have circadian rhythms are less likely to develop serious health conditions.
(B) The circadian rhythms of people with good health are most likely balanced with the cycle of day and night.
(C) Circadian rhythms have not been shown to have an effect on people’s health.
(D) People who experience sleep disorders and diabetes are likely to develop asynchronous circadian rhythms.
38. Look at the four squares m that indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage.
All of these rhythmic biological functions depend on the SCN to guide the body through its daily cycles.
Where would the sentence best fit?
39. Directions: An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage is provided below. Complete the summary by selecting the THREE answer choices that express the most important ideas in the passage. Some sentences do not belong in the summary because they express ideas that are not presented in the passage or are minor ideas in the passage. This question is worth 2 points.
Circadian rhythms are universal, beneficial, and powerful influences on daily life on Earth.
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Answer Choices
(A) Circadian rhythms are named for their twenty-four-hour cycle, which mimics the Earth’s rotational period.
(C) The SCN is responsible for controlling the body’s master biological clock, which helps establish sleep patterns and handles body temperature.
(E) Circadian rhythms use light to synchronize themselves with the Earth’s cycle, but they are capable of continuing even without any hints from the external environment.
(B) From bacteria to humans, dissimilar species across the planet have evolved circadian rhythms that synchronize them with the Earth’s twenty-four-hour cycle.
(D) Maintaining social order, increasing species’ chances of survival, and preparing people for daily routines, circadian rhythms are advantageous in many respects.
(F) Researchers are not certain how asynchronous circadian rhythms affect the body, but they suspect that organisms are unable to function properly with imbalanced circadian rhythms.
Reading Passage 1 Reading Passage 2 Solution & Explanation for Reading Passage 3