TOEFL : Content comprehension

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for TOEFL

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Example Questions

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Example Question #1 : Vocabulary

Passage adapted from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (1813)

"'If you will thank me,' he replied, 'let it be for yourself alone. That the wish of giving happiness to you might add force to the other inducements which led me on, I shall not attempt to deny. But your family owe me nothing. Much as I respect them, I believe I thought only of you.'"

Elizabeth was too much embarrassed to say a word. After a short pause, her companion added, 'you are too generous to trifle with me. If your feelings are still what they were last April, tell me so at once. My affections and wishes are unchanged; but one word from you will silence me on this subject for ever.'

Elizabeth, feeling all the more than common awkwardness and anxiety of his situation, now forced herself to speak; and immediately, though not very fluently, gave him to understand that her sentiments had undergone so material a change since the period to which he alluded, as to make her receive with gratitude and pleasure his present assurances. The happiness which this reply produced was such as he had probably never felt before, and he expressed himself on the occasion as sensibly and as warmly as a man violently in love can be supposed to do. Had Elizabeth been able to encounter his eyes, she might have seen how well the expression of heartfelt delight diffused over his face became him; but, though she could not look, she could listen, and he told her of feelings which, in proving of what importance she was to him, made his affection every moment more valuable.

They walked on, without knowing in what direction. There was too much to be thought, and felt, and said, for attention to any other objects. ..."

In the passage above, the bolded and underlined word "encounter" most nearly means _______________.

Possible Answers:

find

avoid

meet

get a glimpse of

Correct answer:

meet

Explanation:

The passage describes what Elizabeth would have seen on his face if she had been able to encounter his eyes. This indicates that she "could not look," not that she could not find his eyes, or get a glimpse of them. Thus, "meet" is the best answer here. Think about it, the very act of "meeting" someone be definition involves an "encounter" between the two people involved.

Example Question #1 : Vocabulary

Passage adapted from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (1813)

"'If you will thank me,' he replied, 'let it be for yourself alone. That the wish of giving happiness to you might add force to the other inducements which led me on, I shall not attempt to deny. But your family owe me nothing. Much as I respect them, I believe I thought only of you.'"

Elizabeth was too much embarrassed to say a word. After a short pause, her companion added, 'you are too generous to trifle with me. If your feelings are still what they were last April, tell me so at once. My affections and wishes are unchanged; but one word from you will silence me on this subject for ever.'

Elizabeth, feeling all the more than common awkwardness and anxiety of his situation, now forced herself to speak; and immediately, though not very fluently, gave him to understand that her sentiments had undergone so material a change since the period to which he alluded, as to make her receive with gratitude and pleasure his present assurances. The happiness which this reply produced was such as he had probably never felt before, and he expressed himself on the occasion as sensibly and as warmly as a man violently in love can be supposed to do. Had Elizabeth been able to encounter his eyes, she might have seen how well the expression of heartfelt delight diffused over his face became him; but, though she could not look, she could listen, and he told her of feelings which, in proving of what importance she was to him, made his affection every moment more valuable.

They walked on, without knowing in what direction. There was too much to be thought, and felt, and said, for attention to any other objects. ..."

In the passage above, the word "diffused" most nearly means ___________________.

Possible Answers:

speckled

hidden

spread

thrown

Correct answer:

spread

Explanation:

Elizabeth is unable to see the expression "diffused over his face." A facial expression is something that involves the whole face, as indicated by the word "over." Thus, the word "spread" is the best answer here. Say you have a giant glob of peanut butter, then you "spread" it on some toast; you have, in so doing, "diffused" the peanut butter over the toast, taking to from a giant ball to a thinner coating over a wider area.

Example Question #1 : Vocabulary

Passage adapted from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (1813)

Occupied in observing Mr. Bingley's attentions to her sister, Elizabeth was far from suspecting that she was herself becoming an object of some interest in the eyes of his friend. Mr. Darcy had at first scarcely allowed her to be pretty; he had looked at her without admiration at the ball; and when they next met, he looked at her only to criticize. But no sooner had he made it clear to himself and his friends that she had hardly a good feature in her face, than he began to find it was rendered uncommonly intelligent by the beautiful expression of her dark eyes. To this discovery succeeded some others equally mortifying. Though he had detected with a critical eye more than one failure of perfect symmetry in her form, he was forced to acknowledge her figure to be light and pleasing; and in spite of his asserting that her manners were not those of the fashionable world, he was caught by their easy playfulness. Of this she was perfectly unaware;--to her he was only the man who made himself agreeable nowhere, and who had not thought her handsome enough to dance with.

In the passage above, the word "rendered" most nearly means ________________.

Possible Answers:

prevented

hidden

given

made

Correct answer:

made

Explanation:

Darcy notes that Elizabeth's face is "rendered uncommonly intelligent by the beautiful expression of her dark eyes." This indicates that her eyes do something to her face - they change it. Her face is made to look intelligent by her eyes.

Example Question #1 : Vocabulary

Passage adapted from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (1813)

Occupied in observing Mr. Bingley's attentions to her sister, Elizabeth was far from suspecting that she was herself becoming an object of some interest in the eyes of his friend. Mr. Darcy; he had looked at her without admiration at the ball; and when they next met, he looked at her only to criticize. But no sooner had he made it clear to himself and his friends that she had hardly a good feature in her face, than he began to find it was rendered uncommonly intelligent by the beautiful expression of her dark eyes. To this discovery succeeded some others equally mortifying. Though he had detected with a critical eye more than one failure of perfect symmetry in her form, he was forced to acknowledge her figure to be light and pleasing; and in spite of his asserting that her manners were not those of the fashionable world, he was caught by their easy playfulness. Of this she was perfectly unaware;--to her he was only the man who made himself agreeable nowhere, and who had not thought her handsome enough to dance with.

He began to wish to know more of her, and as a step towards conversing with her himself, attended to her conversation with others. His doing so drew her notice.

 

In the above passage, the word "mortifying" most nearly means ________________.

Possible Answers:

embarrassing

terrifying

flattering

deadly

Correct answer:

embarrassing

Explanation:

Mr. Darcy "had at first scarcely allowed her to be pretty," and tells all his friends how mediocre she is. But then, suddenly, he notices her positive qualities, and feels embarrassed that he was initially wrong, and that he will have to tell his friends that he's changed his mind. "Mortified" is a stronger synonym of "embarrassed."

Example Question #81 : Toefl

Passage adapted from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (1813)

Occupied in observing Mr. Bingley's attentions to her sister, Elizabeth was far from suspecting that she was herself becoming an object of some interest in the eyes of his friend. Mr. Darcy had at first scarcely allowed her to be pretty; he had looked at her without admiration at the ball; and when they next met, he looked at her only to criticize. But no sooner had he made it clear to himself and his friends that she had hardly a good feature in her face, than he began to find it was rendered uncommonly intelligent by the beautiful expression of her dark eyes. To this discovery succeeded some others equally mortifying. Though he had detected with a critical eye more than one failure of perfect symmetry in her form, he was forced to acknowledge her figure to be light and pleasing; and in spite of his asserting that her manners were not those of the fashionable world, he was caught by their easy playfulness. Of this she was perfectly unaware;--to her he was only the man who made himself agreeable nowhere, and who had not thought her handsome enough to dance with.

In the passage above, the word "scarcely" most nearly means ______________.

Possible Answers:

enthusiastically

abundantly

barely

unwillingly

Correct answer:

barely

Explanation:

Darcy did not admire Elizabeth, and he primarily criticized her at the ball. He tells his friends that "she had hardly a good feature to her face." Thus, he thinks her "barely pretty."

Example Question #32 : Content Comprehension

Passage adapted from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (1813)

"'If you will thank me,' he replied, 'let it be for yourself alone. That the wish of giving happiness to you might add force to the other inducements which led me on, I shall not attempt to deny. But your family owe me nothing. Much as I respect them, I believe I thought only of you.'"

Elizabeth was too much embarrassed to say a word. After a short pause, her companion added, 'you are too generous to trifle with me. If your feelings are still what they were last April, tell me so at once. My affections and wishes are unchanged; but one word from you will silence me on this subject for ever.'

Elizabeth, feeling all the more than common awkwardness and anxiety of his situation, now forced herself to speak; and immediately, though not very fluently, gave him to understand that her sentiments had undergone so material a change since the period to which he alluded, as to make her receive with gratitude and pleasure his present assurances. The happiness which this reply produced was such as he had probably never felt before, and he expressed himself on the occasion as sensibly and as warmly as a man violently in love can be supposed to do. Had Elizabeth been able to encounter his eyes, she might have seen how well the expression of heartfelt delight diffused over his face became him; but, though she could not look, she could listen, and he told her of feelings which, in proving of what importance she was to him, made his affection every moment more valuable.

They walked on, without knowing in what direction. There was too much to be thought, and felt, and said, for attention to any other objects. ..."

In the passage above, the bolded and underlined phrase "trifle with" most nearly means ____________.

Possible Answers:

toy with

ignore

lie to

anger

Correct answer:

toy with

Explanation:

The speaker asks Elizabeth to make her feelings known clearly and "at once." He does not want her to toy with his affections or lead him on in any way, and so "trifle with" most nearly means "toy with." Used as an adjective, a "trifling" notion or action is one that is without substance.

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