TOEIC : Reading Comprehension
Study concepts, example questions & explanations for TOEIC
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Example Questions
Example Question #1 : Use Of Evidence
What is an Insect? When we remember that the insects alone comprise four-fifths of the animal kingdom, and that there are upwards of 200,000 living species, it would seem a hopeless task to define what an insect is. But a common plan pervades the structure of them all. The bodies of all insects consist of a succession of rings, or segments, more or less hardened by the deposition of a chemical substance called chitine; these rings are arranged in three groups: the head, the thorax or middle body, and the abdomen or hind body. In the six-footed insects, such as the bee, moth, beetle or dragon fly, four of these rings unite early in embryonic life to form the head; the thorax consists of three, as may be readily seen on slight examination, and the abdomen is composed either of ten or eleven rings. The body, then, seems divided or insected into three regions, whence the name insect.
Adapted from Our Common Insects: A Popular Account of the Insects of our Fields, Forests, Gardens and Houses. By A. S. Packard, Jr. (1873)
Why does the author argue that it is hard to define insects?
Because they are so small
Because they are so numerous
Because they have no common structure
Because they are misunderstood
Because they are so numerous
The correct answer is "because they are so numerous." The author begins the passage by stating that insects make up 4/5 of the animal kingdom, of which there are more than 200,000 living species. That would mean that around 160,000 of the are insect species. The author does not mention that they are small or misunderstood. The author explicitly states that insects have a common structure, which makes that answer choice incorrect.
Example Question #1 : Use Of Evidence
"What am I going to do without you, Marjorie?" Mary Raymond's blue eyes looked suspiciously misty as she solemnly regarded her chum.
"What am I going to do without you, you mean," corrected Marjorie Dean, with a wistful smile. "Please, please don't let's talk of it. I simply can't bear it."
"One, two—only two more weeks now," sighed Mary. "You'll surely write to me, Marjorie?"
"Of course, silly girl," returned Marjorie, patting her friend's arm affectionately. "I'll write at least once a week."
Adapted from Marjorie Dean: High School Freshman, by Pauline Lester (1917)
Which of the following lines from the passage provide evidence a strong friendship?
"Mary Raymond's blue eyes looked suspiciously misty as she solemnly regarded her chum."
All of the other choices
"Of course, silly girl," returned Marjorie, patting her friend's arm affectionately. "I'll write at least once a week."
"What am I going to do without you, Marjorie?"
All of the other choices
The correct answer is "all of the other choices." All of the answer choices contain details that show how affectionate the relationship between the two girls is. Their words and actions all provide evidence of how strong their friendship is, and how much the girls care for each other. Therefore, the best choice is "all of the other choices."
Example Question #73 : Toeic
Japan is a very beautiful country. It is full of fine mountains, with rivers leaping down the steep slopes and dashing over the rocks in snowy waterfalls. At the foot of the hills are rich plains and valleys, well watered by the streams which rush down from the hills. But the mountains are so many and the plains are so few that only a small part of the land can be used for growing crops, and this makes Japan poor. Its climate is not unlike ours in Great Britain, but the summer is hotter, and the winter is in some parts very cold. Many of the mountains are volcanoes. Some of these are still active, and earthquakes often take place. Sometimes these earthquakes do terrible harm. The great earthquake of 1871 killed 10,000 people, injured 20,000, and destroyed 130,000 houses.
The highest mountain of Japan also is the most beautiful, and it is greatly beloved by the Japanese, who regard it as a sacred height. Its name is Fujisan, or Fusi-Yama, and it stands near the sea and the capital city of Tokyo. It is of most beautiful shape, an almost perfect cone, and it springs nearly 13,000 feet into the air. From the sea it forms a most superb and majestic sight. Long before a glimpse can be caught of the shore and the city, the traveller sees the lofty peak, crowned with a glittering crest of snow, rising in lonely majesty, with no hint of the land on which it rests. The Japanese have a great love of natural beauty, and they adore Fujisan. Their artists are never tired of painting it, and pictures of it are to be found in the most distant parts of the land.
Adapted from Peeps at Many Lands: Japan, by John Finnemore (1919)
Which of the following ideas from the passage is evidence that the Japanese people love natural beauty?
[Fujisan] is of most beautiful shape, an almost perfect cone, and it springs nearly 13,000 feet into the air.
The great earthquake of 1871 killed 10,000 people, injured 20,000, and destroyed 130,000 houses.
At the foot of the hills are rich plains and valleys, well watered by the streams which rush down from the hills.
Artists are never tired of painting [Fujisan], and pictures of it are to be found in the most distant parts of the land.
Artists are never tired of painting [Fujisan], and pictures of it are to be found in the most distant parts of the land.
The correct answer is "Artists are never tired of painting [Fujisan], and pictures of it are to be found in the most distant parts of the land." This is evidence of the people's love for the mountain; they paint it so often that it images of it have spread all of over the nation. The other answer choices are details that are unrelated to the people's love of natural beauty, or are statements that reflect the opinion of the author. For those reasons, the best choice is "Artists are never tired of painting [Fujisan], and pictures of it are to be found in the most distant parts of the land."
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."
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