TOEIC : Inferences
Study concepts, example questions & explanations for TOEIC
All TOEIC Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #11 : Inferences
One fine day in winter some Ants were busy drying their store of corn, which had got rather damp during a long spell of rain. Presently up came a Grasshopper and begged them to spare her a few grains, "For," she said, "I'm simply starving." The Ants stopped work for a moment, though this was against their principles. "May we ask," said they, "what you were doing with yourself all last summer? Why didn't you collect a store of food for the winter?" "The fact is," replied the Grasshopper, "I was so busy singing that I hadn't the time." "If you spent the summer singing," replied the Ants, "you can't do better than spend the winter dancing." And they chuckled and went on with their work.
Adapted from Aesop's Fables, translated by V.S. Vernon Jones (1912)
Based on the passage, which of the following activities would the ants recommend?
Enjoying the summer weather by taking long vacations
Saving some money each year for retirement
Asking for help when you need it
Putting off difficult homework assignments until later
Saving some money each year for retirement
The correct answer is "saving some money each year for retirement." Based on the events in the story, the message of the ants is that you must delay pleasure and work hard in order to have security in the future. Of the choices, one of them is irresponsible (Putting off difficult homework assignments until later), one is frivolous (Enjoying the summer weather by taking long vacations) and one goes against the ants' message of personal responsibility ("Asking for help when you need it"). Based on the words and actions of the ants, we can infer that instead of spending their money, they would save some for retirement and have it when they needed it.
Example Question #61 : Toeic
Paris is the culinary center of the world. All the great missionaries of good cookery have gone forth from it, and its cuisine was, is, and ever will be the supreme expression of one of the greatest arts in the world. Most of the good cooks come from the south of France, most of the good food comes from the north. They meet at Paris, and thus the Paris cuisine, which is that of the nation and that of the civilized world, is created.
Adapted from The Gourmet's Guide to Europe, by Lieut.-Col. Newnham-Davis and Agernon Bastard (1903)
With which of the following statements would the author most likely agree?
France's cuisine may someday be surpassed by another nation
Parisian cuisine has spread around the world
Italian bread is better than French bread
Chefs trained in northern France are likely to be better than those trained in the south
Parisian cuisine has spread around the world
The best answer is "Parisian cuisine has spread around the world. " This is because of the line that says "All the great missionaries of good cookery have gone forth from it," the word "missionary" meaning that people have started in Paris and taken the food elsewhere, including foreign countries. All of the other statements are at odds with things the author claims in the passage.
Example Question #2 : Inferences About The Author
Six years before Vasco da Gama made his famous voyage to India around Africa and opened a new trade route for the Portuguese merchants, another seaman had formed and carried out a much bolder plan. This was Christopher Columbus, and his plan was to sail directly west from Europe into the unknown ocean in search of new islands and the coast of Asia. Columbus, who was a native of Genoa in Italy, had followed his younger brother to Portugal. Both were probably led there by the fame of Prince Henry's explorations.
The brothers became very skillful in making maps and charts for the Portuguese. They also frequently sailed with them on their expeditions along the coast of Africa. All the early associations of Columbus were with men interested in voyages of discovery, and particularly with those engaged in the daring search for a sea route to India.
Adapted from Introductory American History, by Henry Eldridge Bourne and Elbert Jay Benton (1912)
Based on this passage, we can infer that the authors thought Christopher Columbus was ________________.
conceited
unimpressive
fearful
adventurous
adventurous
The best answer choice is "adventurous." We can guess this from the use of words like "bold" and "daring," which convey a lack of fear and a love of adventure. The authors seem impressed by him rather than unimpressed. There are no suggestions that Columbus was conceited. For these reasons, the best choice is "adventurous."
Example Question #61 : Reading Comprehension
The Egyptian writing was certainly the quaintest, and perhaps the prettiest, that has ever been known. It is called "hieroglyphic," which means "sacred carving," and it is nothing but little pictures from beginning to end. The Egyptians began by putting down a picture of the thing which was represented by the word they wanted to use, and, though by-and-by they formed a sort of alphabet to spell words with, and had, besides, signs that represented the different syllables of a word, still, these signs were all little pictures. For instance, one of their signs for a was the figure of an eagle; their sign for m was a lion, and for u a little chicken; so that when you look at an Egyptian book written in the hieroglyphic character, you see column after column of birds and beasts and creeping things, of men and women and boats, and all sorts of other things, marching across the page.
Adapted from Peeps at Many Lands: Ancient Egypt, by Rev. James Baikie (1912)
What is the author's attitude towards Egyptian writing?
Negative
None of these
Positive
Indifferent
Positive
The best answer is "positive." Readers can infer from words like "quaintest" and "prettiest" that the author appreciates the ancient Egyptian writing. The author seems impressed with the beauty of the writing when he states, "when you look at an Egyptian book written in the hieroglyphic character, you see column after column of birds and beasts and creeping things, of men and women and boats, and all sorts of other things, marching across the page." For that reason, the best choice is "positive."
Example Question #64 : Toeic
Bees live in a house that is called a hive. They are of three kinds,—workers, drones, and queens. Only one queen can live in each hive. If she is lost or dead, the other bees will stop their work. They are very wise and busy little creatures. They all join together to build cells of wax for their honey. Each bee takes its proper place, and does its own work. Some go out and gather honey from the flowers; others stay at home and work inside the hive. The cells which they build, are all of one shape and size, and no room is left between them. The cells are not round, but have six sides. Did you ever look into a glass hive to see the bees while at work? It is pleasant to see how busy they always are. But the drones do not work. Before winter comes, all the drones are driven from the hive or killed, that they may not eat the honey which they did not gather. It is not quite safe for children to handle bees. They have sharp stings that they know well how to use in their defense.
From McGuffey's Second Eclectic Reader by William Holmes McGuffey (1879)
Based on the passage, what inference can be made about the author?
The author dislikes bees
The author is indifferent to bees
The author doesn't know much about bees
The author likes bees
The author likes bees
The correct answer is "the author likes bees." We can infer this from several of the words and phrases in the passage, including "they are very wise and busy little creatures," and "it is pleasant to see how busy they always are." These lines have a positive connotation and thus we can infer that the author likes bees rather than dislikes them or is indifferent to them. He certainly seems knowledgeable about them. Therefore, the best choice is "the author likes bees."
Example Question #12 : Inferences
I was a wild little girl of seven. Loosely clad in a slip of brown buckskin, and light-footed with a pair of soft moccasins on my feet, I was as free as the wind that blew my hair, and no less spirited than a bounding deer. These were my mother's pride,--my wild freedom and overflowing spirits. She taught me no fear save that of intruding myself upon others.
Having gone many paces ahead I stopped, panting for breath, and laughing with glee as my mother watched my every movement. I was not wholly conscious of myself, but was more keenly alive to the fire within. It was as if I were the activity, and my hands and feet were only experiments for my spirit to work upon.
Returning from the river, I tugged beside my mother, with my hand upon the bucket I believed I was carrying. One time, on such a return, I remember a bit of conversation we had. My grown-up cousin, Warca-Ziwin (Sunflower) always went to the river alone for water for her mother. Their wigwam was not far from ours; and I saw her daily going to and from the river. I admired my cousin greatly. So I said: "Mother, when I am tall as my cousin Warca-Ziwin, you shall not have to come for water. I will do it for you."
Adapted from Zitkala Sa's "Impressions of an Indian Childhood" (1900)
What is most likely the author's purpose for writing this passage?
To persuade the audience to value Native-American culture
To entertain with an amusing anecdote
To describe important personal memories
To inform the audience about a particular set of customs
To describe important personal memories
The best answer is "To describe important personal memories." The title of the passage as well as the content lead us to choose this answer. The author does not use any persuasive techniques, and also does not present factual information about a set of customs, but rather conveys a personal experience. The anecdote is light-hearted, but not necessarily meant to amuse--it does not contain any jokes and in fact, it turns more serious at the end.
Example Question #1 : Purpose
A really fine waterfall is a most fascinating thing. Long before you reach it you hear the roar of the water, and see the spray ascending like steam from a boiling caldron. Then when you stand before it, you gaze in wonder on the never-ending rush of water, hurtling in one great mass from top to bottom of the lofty cliff, or leaping in mighty bounds from ledge to ledge.
Adapted from Peeps at Many Lands: Norway by A. F. Mockler-Ferryman (1911)
What is the purpose of this passage?
To inform
To entertain
To describe
To persuade
To describe
The correct answer is to describe. The paragraph mostly focuses on sensory details about a waterfall, including auditory and visual imagery. There is a lack of factual information, so informative is not the best choice. The author doesn't spend any time trying to convince the readers about anything in particular, so "to persuade" is not the best choice. Finally, the passage does not tell an entertaining story or have humorous anecdotes, so the best choice is not "to entertain," but rather "to describe."
Example Question #2 : Purpose
Science tells us that all objects are made visible to us by means of light; and that white light, by which we see things in what may be called their normal aspect, is composed of all the colors of the solar spectrum, as may be seen in a rainbow; a phenomenon caused, as everybody knows, by the sun's rays being split up into their component parts.
This light travels in straight lines and, striking objects before us, is reflected in all directions. Some of these rays passing through a point situated behind the lenses of the eye, strike the retina. The multiplication of these rays on the retina produces a picture of whatever is before the eye, such as can be seen on the ground glass at the back of a photographer's camera, or on the table of a camera obscura, both of which instruments are constructed roughly on the same principle as the human eye.
These rays of light when reflected from an object, and again when passing through the atmosphere, undergo certain modifications. Should the object be a red one, the yellow, green, and blue rays, all, in fact, except the red rays, are absorbed by the object, while the red is allowed to escape. These red rays striking the retina produce certain effects which convey to our consciousness the sensation of red, and we say "That is a red object."
-From The Practice & Science of Drawing by Harold Speed (1913)
What is the main purpose of this passage?
To persuade
To inform
None of these
To entertain
To inform
The best answer is "to inform." This passage is primarily concerned with telling straightforward facts. It does not attempt to change our minds or make us do something, so it is not a persuasive text. Also, it does not contain amusing anecdotes of stories, so it is not an entertaining text either. The best choice is "to inform."
Example Question #3 : Purpose
The Egyptian writing was certainly the quaintest, and perhaps the prettiest, that has ever been known. It is called "hieroglyphic," which means "sacred carving," and it is nothing but little pictures from beginning to end. The Egyptians began by putting down a picture of the thing which was represented by the word they wanted to use, and, though by-and-by they formed a sort of alphabet to spell words with, and had, besides, signs that represented the different syllables of a word, still, these signs were all little pictures. For instance, one of their signs for a was the figure of an eagle; their sign for m was a lion, and for u a little chicken; so that when you look at an Egyptian book written in the hieroglyphic character, you see column after column of birds and beasts and creeping things, of men and women and boats, and all sorts of other things, marching across the page.
Adapted from Peeps at Many Lands: Ancient Egypt, by Rev. James Baikie (1912)
What is the purpose of this passage?
To persuade people to study ancient Egyptians
To entertain the audience with amusing stories about Egyptians
To describe how Egyptian writing was unique
To inform the audience about international communication
To describe how Egyptian writing was unique
The correct answer is "to describe how Egyptian writing was unique." This is the best choice because the author spends most of the paragraph talking about the distinctive features of Egyptian writing. First, the authors states that their writing was probably "the prettiest that has ever been known," and also "when you look at an Egyptian book written in the hieroglyphic character, you see column after column of birds and beasts and creeping things, of men and women and boats, and all sorts of other things, marching across the page." This language is very descriptive rather than persuasive, entertaining or informative. For those reasons, the best choice is "to describe how Egyptian writing was unique."
Example Question #4 : Purpose
One fine day in winter some Ants were busy drying their store of corn, which had got rather damp during a long spell of rain. Presently up came a Grasshopper and begged them to spare her a few grains, "For," she said, "I'm simply starving." The Ants stopped work for a moment, though this was against their principles. "May we ask," said they, "what you were doing with yourself all last summer? Why didn't you collect a store of food for the winter?" "The fact is," replied the Grasshopper, "I was so busy singing that I hadn't the time." "If you spent the summer singing," replied the Ants, "you can't do better than spend the winter dancing." And they chuckled and went on with their work.
Adapted from Aesop's Fables, translated by V.S. Vernon Jones (1912)
What is the purpose of this passage?
To teach a lesson through a fictional scene
To describe the relationships among insects
To persuade readers to store grain for themselves
To inform readers about the habits and diets of insects
To teach a lesson through a fictional scene
The correct answer is "to teach a lesson through a fictional scene." The story is fictional, as we know from the talking insects. The purpose of the passage is to instruct readers on a life lesson rather than to persuade readers to store grain in a literal sense; the lesson can be applied to many situations. Because the passage is not factual, The purpose is not to inform about insects or to describe the diets of insects. For these reasons, the best choice is "to teach a lesson through a fictional scene."
Certified Tutor
Certified Tutor
All TOEIC Resources
