TOEFL IBT Reading Practice Test 10 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 | Government Programs
WPA Art Projects
The U.S. stock-market crash of 1929 quickly led to unemployment and poverty for a sizable portion of the country. By 1932, there were between 8 and 17 million workers unemployed out of a total U.S. population of 125 million. In the same year, Franklin Roosevelt was elected president on his platform of New Deal reforms aimed at curbing the Great Depression and putting people back to work. In 1935, he established the Works Progress Administration (WPA), the largest New Deal agency. Over time, this single entity created jobs for about one-third of the nation’s unemployed.
The stated goal of the WPA was to provide people with jobs that would not only serve the public good but would allow those workers involved to utilize their specific talents and skills and receive a sense of fulfillment as well. Previous New Deal programs had focused almost solely on construction projects, for which some of the more specialized segments of the population were unsuited. Artists, teachers, office workers, writers, performers, and musicians—many of whom were hit hardest by the Depression—also needed work.
While the WPA continued to finance projects in construction and other blue-collar industries, its most novel initiatives were those belonging to Federal Project Number One, or “Federal One.” Consisting of five different programs, it had employed 40,000 various cultural workers within one year of its inception. Federal One came to represent the American government’s first and perhaps most substantial investment in cultural development.
One of those five programs was the Federal Art Project, which concentrated roughly half its resources on the production of art. Many paintings, including large, public murals, were completed, as were thousands of sculptures and posters, and public exhibitions were organized. Another ten to twenty-five percent of its budget went to art education. Artists were hired to teach children’s classes and conduct clinics in community centers nationwide, a few of which still operate to this day. Finally, the remainder of Federal Art Project funds was put towards documenting the history of American art. At its peak in 1936, the program employed 5,300 people.
Even larger was the Federal Music Project, which had more than 15,000 registered employees in the same year. [A] This program divided its resources between education and performance, and thousands of local concerts were held all over the country.[B] Like the Federal Art Project it carried out the documentation of older, sometimes obscure sources of American music, including regional folk songs. [C] With only slightly fewer employees, the Federal Theatre Project also produced a variety of performances, putting on more than 1,200 plays in four years.[D] However, while it experienced some success at rejuvenating struggling theatres in large cities, it was never able to establish a nationwide presence as other Federal One programs did.
The Federal Writers Project, which in 1936 provided employment to 6,700 writers, journalists, lawyers, teachers, and librarians, was best known for its American Guide Series. These publications were intended as travel guides for the U.S. states and territories, but they also included large amounts of information on the history, folklore, and contemporary issues of each area. Originally included in the Federal Writers Project was the Historical Records Survey, which later broke away to become its own organization. The smallest of the Federal One projects, it hired out-of-work writers, librarians, and archivists to catalogue and preserve old government documents and other public records.
Despite the general popularity of Federal One, it was often attacked by critics-political, entrepreneurial, or otherwise. In 1939, these forces succeeded in persuading Congress to reorganize the WPA. Its emphasis was shifted even further toward construction projects, and the Federal One agency was dismantled. As a result, the Federal Theatre Project was eliminated outright, and most of the control a over the other programs was transferred to the states, where they were forced to procure a quarter of their funding from non-federal sources. Yet, the remaining projects continued to hire workers and carry out their various co functions. It was not until 1942, when large numbers of the unemployed had found work in the wartime industries, that the WPA was dissolved altogether. Its legacy, including that of the Federal One programs, is still present 135 throughout the U.S.
1. In paragraph 1, the author states that the intention of the New Deal was to
(A) keep stock prices stable
(B) reduce the U.S. population
(C) find jobs for the unemployed
(D) change presidential election rules
2. The word platform in the passage is closest in meaning to
(A) success
(B) policy
(C) comment
(D) area
3. 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) Those employed in WPA programs had the opportunity to develop the unique skills they already possessed.
(B) While carrying out projects for the good of the public, WPA employees were expected to share their own specific talents with their coworkers.
(C) The WPA was intended to create employment that would benefit the individual workers in addition to the general public.
(D) Recognizing that fulfilled workers performed better, those in charge of the WPA assigned people to jobs best matching their experience.
4. The word inception in the passage is closest in meaning to
(A) launch
(B) service
(C) reaction
(D) evidence
5. It can be inferred from paragraph 4 that the largest proportion of workers in the Federal Art Project
(A) had previously studied American art history
(B) were involved in producing sculptures
(C) taught in community centers throughout the country
(D) participated in the actual creation of art
6. The word it in the passage refers to
(A) program
(B) country
(C) Federal Art Project
(D) Federal Theatre Project
7 What can be inferred from paragraph 6 about the Federal Writers Project?
(A) It hired more writers, librarians, and archivists than any other program.
(B) It was at one time responsible for preserving old public documents.
(C) It received most of its funding from the sale of its publications.
(D) It had a branch office located in every U.S. state and territory.
8. According to the passage, all of the Federal One projects addressed some form of American history EXCEPT
(A) the Federal Writers Project
(B) the Federal Theatre Project
(C) the Federal Art Project
(D) the Federal Music Project
9. According to the passage, which Federal One program employed the most people at a single time?
(A) The Federal Theatre Project
(B) The Historical Records Survey
(C) The Federal Music Project
(D) The Federal Writers Project
10. The word outright in the passage is closest in meaning to
(A) entirely
(B) closely
(C) largely
(D) fairly
11. Why does the author mention wartime industries in paragraph 7?
(A) To explain why the WPA was no longer needed
(B) To identify who provided money for the state-run programs
(C) To suggest a reason for the Federal Theatre Project’s elimination
(D) To describe the modern legacy of Federal One
12. The word procure in the passage is closest in meaning to
(A) sustain
(B) detain
(C) obtain
(D) retain
13. Look at the four squares ■ that indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage.
The high number probably reflected the fact that two-thirds of musicians were unemployed during the Great Depression.
Where would the sentence best fit?
14. 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.
During the Great Depression, the American government created cultural jobs for unemployed professional workers through the Federal One agency of the WPA.
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Answer Choices
(A) At the time, the Federal One agency was the nation’s largest-ever government program to be solely dedicated to cultural development
(B) Federal One addressed the needs of people not accustomed to construction jobs, employing 40,000 such workers in various programs in its first year.
(C) Along with the Federal Music Project, the Federal Theatre Project put on thousands of performances for audiences all around the United States.
(E) The Federal Theatre Project ended in 1939 after Congress decided that the WPA should use more of its resources for construction at the expense of Federal One.
(D) Most Federal One programs focused not only on the creation of cultural products but also on the preservation of historical American culture.
(F) Four of the five Federal One programs continued for a few years even after Congress cut their budgets, and they left a lasting influence on the country.
Reading Passage 2 Reading Passage 3 Answer Keys & Explanation
Passage 2 | Technological Developments
The Early American Steel Industry
The discovery of iron tools in Egypt that date back to 3,000 B.C. demonstrates that human civilizations have relied on this metal for millennia. Iron’s historical importance is due to several reasons—it is common in the planet’s crust, it can be easily shaped when heated, and it is more durable than wood or copper. In addition, iron can be made into an even stronger material by removing the impurities and controlling its carbon content. The resulting material is known as steel.
Before 1856, the process used to produce steel was so expensive and time-consuming that large-scale production was impractical. It ? was British engineer Henry Bessemer who, in 1855, patented a process for adding oxygen to melted iron in order to purify and raise the temperature of the metal. The Bessemer process required only a half an hour to n accomplish what had previously taken weeks, and the cost involved was greatly reduced. In 1856, with the invention of the Bessemer converter (a machine that performed this new process), Bessemer forever changed 2′ commercial steel production.
Soon after, Andrew Carnegie, a successful businessman in America, traveled to Bessemer’s steel factory in England, where he was inspired by the potential he 5 recognized in Bessemer’s invention. After returning to America, Carnegie began to invest in the expansion of his Freedom Iron Company. Carnegie was extremely driven and was determined to gain an edge over his competitors in the steel industry. In order to achieve this goal, he managed his business using an ambitious strategy called “vertical integration,” meaning that he attempted to control every stage of the steel production process. Carnegie owned the mines that produced the raw iron ore, the ships and railroads used in transportation of the product, and the mills that manufactured the steel. Because he was in charge of all the steps in the process, Carnegie did not have to pay fees to middlemen and was therefore able to reduce his production costs. As a result, he was able to increase the efficiency of his mills and sell steel supplies for prices cheaper than those of his competitors.
These low steel prices contributed to American economic growth, and the development of the industry provided many new jobs. In this way, Carnegie’s influence helped revolutionize the United States steel industry, which rapidly expanded as steel replaced iron as the primary manufacturing material. Used in construction and for railroad tracks, steel was soon in high demand worldwide, and America became the largest steel producer, raising its output from 1.25 million tons in 1880 to more than 24 million tons by 1910.
However, the growth of the United States economy was not the only effect of the steel industry. Unfortunately, there were negative results of this transformation as well. The early steel industry’s focus on maximizing production and minimizing costs often came at 3 the expense of the workers. The many dangers inherent in steel mills were made even more hazardous by long working hours without breaks and a lack of protective equipment. In response to these dangerous working conditions, labor unions were formed to help establish safety regulations that would protect steel workers.
In spite of his claims of supporting the rights of laborers, Carnegie kept his workers’ wages around the poverty line. In public he supported unions, but in practice he employed the adamantly anti-labor Henry Frick to oversee operations at the Homestead Works, one of Carnegie’s steel mills. In fact, it was at this mill that one of the most infamous labor disputes in U.S. history occurred. [A] In 1892, when the Carnegie Steel Company tried to lower workers’ wages, the steel workers’ union was unwilling to accept this pay cut. [B] In response, the management locked its employees out of the factory, and the confrontation continued for almost five months. [C] When Frick hired three hundred security guards to stop the strike, ten people were killed, and the National Guard of Pennsylvania was called in to control the situation. [D]
While the early U.S. steel industry helped the economy expand and enabled some business people, such as Andrew Carnegie, to uneasy relationship that was growing between American laborers and the corporations they American laborers and the corporations they worked under. As the steel industry inspired some people with dreams of becoming rich, it alerted others to the need for unions to protect laborers from the kind of exploitation demonstrated by the Carnegie Steel Company.
15. In paragraph 1, why does the author mention iron?
(A) To give an example of early metal- producing industries in the United States
(B) To compare the benefits of metal with other materials, like wood
(C) To introduce the drawbacks of steel by contrasting it with iron
(D) To explain that steel is derived from a material that was historically useful
16. According to paragraph 1, what can be inferred about the availability of iron?
(A) It is present in many parts of the world.
(B) It is highly concentrated in Africa.
(C> It is easy to obtain through trade.
(D) It is more common than wood.
17. According to paragraph 1, iron is changed into steel by
(A) heating it slowly for long periods of time
(B) purifying it and regulating the carbon content
(C) melting the metal at a low temperature
(D) combining the melted metal with copper
18. According to paragraph 2, the Bessemer converter was important because it
(A) was the only way to make steel
(B) made steel quickly and cheaply
(C) was a famous American invention
(D) made commercial iron production possible
19. According to paragraph 3, vertical integration means
(A) investing in companies in order to expand them
(B) increasing an employee’s wage every year
(C) overseeing all steps in the production process
(D) paying all production costs to middlemen
20. In paragraph 3, why does the author mention Andrew Carnegie?
(A) To disagree with the idea that middlemen were unnecessary
(B) To describe a business innovation that affected the American steel industry
(C) To contrast the American steel industry with the British steel industry
(D) To explain each step in the process of manufacturing steel
21. The word those in the passage refers to
(A) costs
(B) mills
(C) supplies
(D) prices
22. The word primary in the passage is closest in meaning to
(A) main
(B) cheapest
(C) easiest
(D) national
23. The word transformation in the passage is closest in meaning to
(A) event
(B) growth
(C) change
(D) tragedy
24. What can be inferred from paragraph 6 about Carnegie’s decision to hire Frick?
(A) Carnegie was not aware of Frick’s position regarding the labor movement
(B) Carnegie intended to use Frick to prevent pro-labor activity among employees.
(C) Carnegie did not believe that Frick’s position on labor would affect the mill.
(D) Carnegie wanted to help his employees organize a steel workers’ union.
25. 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 early steel industry benefited business owners and the American economy, but it also revealed problems in the corporate world.
(B) Andrew Carnegie took advantage of the opportunity to expand his business into the steel industry.
(C) American laborers resented the businesspeople they worked for and disliked the power of the early steel industry.
(D) In the United States, national economic growth depended on the efforts of laborers who were employed in steel mills.
26. Look at the four squares [ ] that indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage.
This tragedy demonstrated a serious difference of interests between factory owners and employees—a discrepancy that was becoming a national trend.
Where would the sentence best fit?
27 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.
In American society, there were important changes that resulted when steel replaced iron as a construction material.
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Answer Choices
(A) Andrew Carnegie and Henry Bessemer collaborated to create a more efficient process for changing iron into steel.
(C) The poor working conditions that resulted from the American steel industry’s motivation to increase production and profits created a need for labor unions and safety regulations.
(E) Henry Frick was employed by Andrew Carnegie to minimize the influence of labor unions and insure that production in the mills remained constant.
(B) In America, the steel industry created jobs and boosted the economy, and by 1910 the country had become the worldwide leader in steel production.
(D) Employees of the steel mills often had to work in dangerous conditions and were not allowed ample time to rest.
(F) The United States steel industry gave factory owners the chance to make tremendous profits, while demonstrating the value of labor unions to workers.
Reading Passage 1 Reading Passage 3 Answer Keys & Explanation
Passage 3 | Energy
Three Major Fossil Fuels
Globally, the most commonly consumed source of energy is oil, which is estimated to make up approximately 40 percent of the world’s energy demand. Found in natural underground reservoirs, oil is a thick, dark liquid that is recovered from the ground through pumping and drilling processes. It has been profitably extracted from many its liquid form makes it relatively easy to transport; these two characteristics of oil have contributed to the development of an enormous international industry based on the production and distribution of this fuel. Oil is an extremely valuable commodity, used to create plastics, chemicals, and 90 percent of the fuel that powers vehicles. Unfortunately, the combustion of oil releases carbon dioxide pollutants into the environment.
At one time, coal was the world’s primary source of fuel. Although it currently accounts for a smaller percentage of global energy consumption than oil, coal is still a major fossil fuel. The extraction process for coal differs from the drilling method of extraction used for oil because coal is a sedimentary rock, as opposed to a liquid, and therefore must be mined. More abundant than any other fossil fuel, coal has been a major source of energy for many years, contributing significantly to the technological advances of the Industrial Revolution. Although the applications of coal have changed since the introduction of the internal combustion engine decreased the need for coal to power steam engines, it is still a heavily exploited energy source. In the United States, it powers 50 percent of the electricity the country uses, whereas oil generates only 2 percent of the country’s electricity. However, compared to oil, coal is a heavier pollutant, releasing more carbon dioxide per unit of energy.
Comprising a percentage of global energy consumption similar to coal, natural gas is a fossil fuel that occurs in a gaseous form. Natural gas is recovered from underground reservoirs when pockets of gas are drilled into and pressure is applied in order to force it to the surface. Because rt is a gas, this form of fossil fuel has not been as widely utilized as coal and oil, and for some time it was considered to be nothing more than a byproduct of oil; until recently, transporting natural gas was expensive and required complex pipeline systems that limited the potential transportation range. However, new technology has made it possible to cool natural gas into a liquid form (LNG). As a liquid, natural gas can be distributed using systems similar to those used for oil. [A] As an energy source, natural gas can be used in diverse ways. [B] It helps produce electricity, fuels vehicles, and meets household energy needs—for example in cooking and heating.[C] In terms of pollution, natural gas is a cleaner fossil fuel; when burned it releases 30 percent less carbon dioxide than oil and 45 percent less carbon dioxide than coal.[D]
In spite of these differences, oil, coal, and natural gas can be grouped in a single category as fossil fuels and, as such, share many similarities. Two problematic issues common to oil, coal, and natural gas are related to the finite supplies of fossil fuels 5 and the health risks associated with these fuel sources. As the three major sources of global energy, oil, coal, and natural gas account for approximately 87 percent of the world’s energy consumption. Because global o energy demands are constantly rising while these nonrenewable fossil fuel reserves are depleted, in the future, humanity will be facing severe energy crises if it does not change the way resources like natural gas, coal, and oil is are consumed. Another drawback of fossil- fuel use is the intrinsic health risk. Oil, for example, contains carcinogenic chemicals, a serious problem when populated areas are contaminated with petroleum. In the coal M industry, miners face many health risks: coal dust causes a lung disease known as “black lung.”
28. 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 oil industry would not have thrived if the cost of extracting the fuel were any higher than it is currently.
(B) The relatively low cost of extracting oil and the ease of transporting the fuel have helped create a global oil industry.
(C) Oil has been sold, distributed, and produced internationally as a cheap, effective fuel that can be easily stored and transported.
(D) An international business system like the oil industry becomes successful rf its main product can be distributed and marketed cheaply.
29 According to paragraph 1, which of the following is true about extracting oil from the ground?
(A) It must be drawn out of the ground from subterranean pools.
(B) It must be gathered carefully because of its carbon dioxide content
(C) It must be liquefied before it can be easily removed.
(D) It must be transported immediately after it reaches the surface.
30. What can be inferred from paragraph 2 about coal?
(A) It was most widely used when it powered steam engines.
(B) It is currently the most commonly used fossil fuel.
(C) Its usage is declining because it causes pollution problems.
(D) It was the first fuel used to generate electricity.
31. The word it in the passage refers to
(A) internal combustion engine
(B) coal
(C) steam engine
(D) oil
32. The word Comprising in the passage is closest in meaning to
(A) Constituting
(B) Absorbing
(C) Exhausting
(D) Acquiring
33. In paragraph 3, the author explains that natural gas is cleaner than other fossil fuels by
(A) stating the percentage of global energy consumption each fossil fuel accounts for
(B) comparing its primary uses with the uses of coal and oil
(C) describing the extraction processes for
oil, coal, and natural gas
(D) contrasting its carbon dioxide emissions with the emissions of oil and coal
34 What can be inferred from paragraph 3 about natural gas?
(A) Its gaseous form makes it difficult to transport.
(B) It does not release pollutants when burned.
(C) Its assorted applications make it expensive.
(D) It was discovered recently.
35. The word diverse in the passage is closest in meaning to
(A) various
(B) technological
(C) unanticipated
(D) industrial
36. The word finite in the passage is closest in meaning to
(A) localized
(B) limited
(C) promising
(D) accessible
37. In paragraph 4, why does the author mention
(A) To illustrate that the three major fossil fuels are similar in form
(B) To support the point that fossil fuels have the potential to damage people’s health
(C) To explain that some fossil-fuel producing countries are beginning to experience energy shortages
(D) To emphasize that fossil fuels are difficult to extract and are not economical sources of energy
38. The word intrinsic in the passage is closest in meaning to
(A) undeniable
(B) distressing
(C) fundamental
(D) reported
39. Look at the four squares H that indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage.
In addition to these uses of natural gas, there are many potential applications that have not been fully realized yet.
Where would the sentence best fit?
Click on a square to the passage.
40. Directions: Complete the table by matching the phrases below.
Select the appropriate phrases from the answer choices and match them to the type of fossil fuel to which they relate. TWO of the answer choices will NOT be used. This question is worth 4 points.
| Answer Choices
(A) Is no longer the world’s dominant fuel source (B) Is the most plentiful kind of fossil fuel (C) Was once considered a mere byproduct (D) Emits more carbon dioxide than other fossil fuels (E) Can be transported in either liquid or gaseous form (F) Is the predominant transportation fuel (G) Is most commonly found in the U.S. (H) Is the most widely used energy source (I) Is classified as a renewable resource |
Oil |
| * | |
| * | |
| Coal | |
| * | |
| * | |
| * | |
| Natural Gas | |
| * | |
| * |
Reading Passage 1 Reading Passage 2 Answer Keys & Explanation