READING COMPREHENSION 20
SKILL 4: IMPLIED DETAIL QUESTIONS __________________________
Some questions in the Reading Comprehension section of the TOEFL test will require answers
that are not directly stated in the passage. To answer these questions correctly, you will have
to draw conclusions from information that is given in the passage. Questions of this type
contain the words implied, inferred, likely, or probably to let you know the answer to the
question is not directly stated.
Example
The passage:
The number of rings in a tree can be used to determine how
old a tree really is. Each year a tree produces a ring that is
composed of one light-colored wide band and one dark-colored
narrow band. The wider band is produced during the spring
and early summer, when tree stems cells grow rapidly and
become larger. The narrower band is produced in fall and early
winter, when the cell growth is much slower and cells do not get
very large. No cells are produced during the harsh winter and
summer months.
The questions:
1. It is implied in the passage that if a tree has 100 wide bands
and 100 narrow bands, then it is
(A) a century old
(B) two centuries old
(C) fifty years old
(D) two hundred years old
2. It can be inferred from the passage that cells do not grow
(A) when the tree is ill
(B) during extreme heat or cold
(C) when it rains too much
(D) if there are more light-colored bands than dark-colored
bands
The first question asks about the age of a tree with 100 wide bands and 100 narrow bands. The
passage does not tell the age of a tree with 100 wide and narrow bands, but it does indicate that
one . . . wide band and one . . . narrow band are produced each year. From this you can draw
the conclusion that atree with 100 wide and narrow bands is 100 years, or a century, old. The
best answer to this question is therefore answer (A). The second question asks when cells do
not grow. The passage indicates that no cells are produced during the harsh winter and summer
months. From this you can draw the conclusion that cells do not grow during the extreme heat
of summer or the extreme cold of winter. The best answer to this question is therefore answer
(B).
READING COMPREHENSION 21
The following chart outlines the key information that you should remember about implied
detail questions.
IMPLIED DETAIL QUESTIONS
HOW TO IDENTIFY It is implied in the passage that . . .
THE QUESTION
It can be inferred from the passage that . . .
It is most likely that . . .
What probably happened . . . ?
WHERE TO FIND
THE ANSWER The answers to these questions are found in order in the passage.
HOW TO ANSWER 1. Choose a key word in the question.
THE QUESTION 2. Scan the passage for the key word (or related idea).
3. Read the sentence that contains the key word carefully.
4. Look for an answer that could be true, according to that
sentence.
TOEFL EXERCISE 4: Study each of the passages, and choose the best answers to the
questions that follow.
PASSAGE ONE (Questions 1-3)
Until 1996 the Sears Tower was the tallest building in the world, with more than a
hundred stories. It is located in Chicago, whose nickname is the Windy City. The
combination of a very tall building in a city with such weather conditions leads to a lot of
swaying in the breeze.
Line
(5) On a windy day, the top of the building can move back and forth as much as three feet
every few seconds. The inside doors at the top of the building open and close, and water in
sinks sloshes back and forth.
1. The Sears Tower is probably 3. It is implied in the passage that the
(A) as tall as the Empire State upper-level doors in the Sears Tower
Building open and close because
(B) no longer the tallest building in (A) the building was poorly
the world constructed
(C) taller than any other building (B) people go in and out so often
(D) still the highest building in the (C) the building moves in the wind
world (D) there is water in the sinks
2. It can be inferred from the passage
that Chicago
(A) has moderate weather
(B) is generally warm
(C) has humid weather
(D) usually has a lot of wind
READING COMPREHENSION 22
PASSAGE TWO (Questions 4-6)
The most common last name in the English-speaking world is Smith, which was
taken from the job of working with metals. A silversmith, for example, is someone who
works with the metal silver. Historical records indicate that the use of this last name is
Line at least 700 years old. Today, there are more than 3.3 million Smiths living in the United
(5) States and perhaps another million Smiths living in other English-speaking countries
worldwide.
4. It can be inferred from the passage 6. In England, there are probably
that family names (A) more Smiths than there are in
(A) were always taken from the area the United States
where a family lived (B) more than a million Smiths
(B) were short names (C) fewer than a million Smiths
(C) had little or no meaning (D) no families with the name of
(D) could be taken from jobs Smith
5. Which of the following is implied
about the Smith family name?
(A) It is definitely not more than 700
years old.
(B) It existed 600 years ago.
(C) It did not exist 500 years ago.
(D) It definitely was not in use 1,000
years ago.
READING COMPREHENSION 23
PASSAGE THREE (Questions 7-9)
On the hardness scale, corundum immediately follows by diamond, which is the
hardest mineral in the world. Corundum is perhaps better known by the names of its
gemstones, ruby or sapphire. Basically, gem corundum is divided into two groups:
Line corundum that is red in color is called ruby, and corundum that is any other color is
(5) called sapphire.
Pure corundum is clear, but pure corundum is rarely found in nature. If small
amounts of the chemical substance chromic oxide (Cr2O3) got into the crystal structure
when it formed millions of years ago, then the corundum turned a deep, rich red and
became ruby.
Red is not the only color that corundum can take on. Other chemical substances
enter into the crystal structure of corundum, and it can take on a variety of other colors.
Most people associate blue with sapphires, and certainly when corundum contains
impurities that turn it blue, it is called sapphire. However, corundum can have a variety
of other colors e.g., green or purple and still be called sapphire.
7. It can be inferred from the passage 8. Yellow corundum is most likely called
that corundum is (A) gold
(A) the hardest mineral in the world (B) chromic oxide
(B) not as hard as sapphire (C) ruby
(C) the second hardest mineral (D) sapphire
(D) a rather soft mineral
8. Chromic oxide is probably what
color?
(A) Clear
(B) Blue
(C) Red
(D) Green
