TOEFL IBT

Reading
 STRUCTURE

Passages
1 Three or four reading passages,
each approximately 700 words long.

Topics
2 Reading passages are excerpts from college-level
textbooks that
would be used in introductions to a discipline or
topic.

Types of questions
3 There are 10 different types of questions

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Don’t worry
The passages cover a variety of subjects.
Do not worry if you are unfamiliar with
the topic of a passage. All the
information needed to answer the
questions is in the passage.

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#1
Factual Information
• These questions ask you to identify factual information that
is explicitly stated in the passage.

• They can focus on facts, details, definitions, or other

information presented by the author.
• According to the paragraph, which of the following is true of X?
• The author's description of X mentions which of the following?
• According to the paragraph, X occurred because ...
• According to the paragraph, X did Y because ...
• According to the paragraph, why did X do Y?
• The author's description of X mentions which of the following?

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Tips

• Eliminate choices that presente information that is

contradicted in the passage.

• Don’t select an answer just because it contains

words/phrases from the paragraph.

• Don’t select an answer just because it was

mentioned in the passage.
A paragraph from a passage about meteorites
#2 Negative Factual
Information

• These questions ask you to verify what • According to the passage, which of the
information is true and what information is following is NOT true of X?
NOT true or not included in the passage
based on information that is explicitly • The author's description of X mentions all of
stated in the passage. the following EXCEPT ...

• For this type of question, the correct

answer is the one that is NOT true.

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 TIPS

#1 #2 #3
The three The correct answer either After you finish a
choices that are mentioned directly contradicts one or Negative Factual
in the passage may be spread more statements in the Information question,
across a paragraph passage or is not check your answer to
or several paragraphs. mentioned in the passage make sure you have
at all. accurately understood the
task.

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Another paragraph from the same passage

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#3
Inference Questions
• These questions ask you to identify information or
comprehend an idea that is not explicitly stated in the text.

• For example, if an effect is cited in the passage, an

Inference question might ask about its cause.
• Which of the following can be inferred about X?
• The author of the passage implies that X ...
• Paragraph X suggests which of the following about paragraph Y?

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Tips

• Make sure your answer does not contradict the

main idea of the passage.

• You should be able to defend your choice by

pointing explict information found in the passage
that leads to your answer.
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#4 Rethorical Purpose
Questions

• These questions ask you why the author • The author discusses X in paragraph 2 in order to ...
has presented some information. • Why does the author mention X?
• The author uses X as an example of ...
• You might be asked to identify how one
paragraph relates to another, why the
author quotes a certain person or why the
author mentions a particular piece of
information.

• They usually focus on the logical links

between sentences and paragraphs.
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Tips

• Make sure you know the defitinion of these words:

to illustrate, to explain, to contrast, to refute, to
note, to support, to criticize, definition, example,
function of.

• Focus on the “to” clause in the beginning of each

answer.
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#5
Vocabulary Questions
• These questions ask you to identify the meanings of
individual words and phrases as they are used in the reading
passage.

• Vocabulary that is tested actually occurs in the passage;

there is no "list of words" that must be tested.
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•The word "X" in the passage is closest in meaning to .. .
• The phrase "X" in the passage is closest in meaning to .. .
• In stating X, the author means that ...

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 TIPS

#1 #2
Remember that the question is not just Reread the sentence in the passage
asking the meaning of a word; it’s substituting the word or phrase you’ve
asking for the meaning as it is used in chosen. Confirm that the sentence still
the passage.' makes sense in the context of the whole
text.

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#6 Reference Questions

• These questions ask you to identify • The word "X" in the passage refers to ...
referential relationships between the words
in the passage.
• Often, the relationship is between a
pronoun and its antecedent (the word to
which the pronoun refers).
• Sometimes other kinds of grammatical
reference are tested (like which or this).

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 TIPS

#1 #2
If the reference question is about a Substitute your choice for the
pronoun, make sure your answer highlighted word or words in the
is the same number (singular or plural) sentence.
and case (first person, second Does it violate any grammar rules?
person, third person) as the highlighted Does it make sense?
pronoun.

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The sentence simplification question is always the same. There is a
highlighted sentence in the passage and then the question:

Which of the following best expresses the essential information in the

highlighted sentence? Incorrect answer choices change the meaning in
important ways or leave out essential information.

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Tips

• The highlighted sentence will have essential and

non-essential information. Your choice must have
the essential information.

• The sentence might have a cause/effect relationship

or presente a conclusion based on evidence. Look
for the same relationship in the answer.
#8 Insert Text Questions
• In the passage you will see four black squares.
The squares are located at the beginnings or ends of
sentences.
• In this type of question, you are given a
new sentence and are asked where in the • You are then asked this question:
passage it would best fit.
Look at the four squares [•] that indicate where the
• You need to understand the logic of the
following sentence could be
passage as well as the grammatical
added to the passage.
connections (like pronoun references)
[sentence in bold ]
between sentences.
Where would the sentence best fit? Click on a square
[•] to add the sentence to the
passage.

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Tips
• Try the sentence in each of the squares;

• Look at the structure of the sentence you’re

inserting and pay attention to connecting words;

• Make sure the inserted sentence connects logically

to the sentence before and the one after it and that
any pronouns agree with the nouns they refer to.
 #9
Prose Summary Question

• You have to recognize the major ideas, distinguishing them

from minor ideas or ideas that are not in the passage.

• There are 6 options, and you must select 3.

• The other 3 either discuss minor points or have wrong

information.
#10 Fill in a Table Questions

• Correct answers represent major ideas and

important supporting information in the passage.
Generally these answers will not match specific
• Similar to the prose summary questions,
phrases in the passage.
but you have to drag and drop the answers
into 2 or 3 categories. • Incorrect answers may include information
about the topic that is not mentioned in the
• You must first recognize and identify the
passage or that is not directly relevant to the
major points from the passage and then
classification categories in the table.
place those points in their proper context.

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 Attention!
• Both “Prose Summary” and “Fill in a Table” questions
require you to read the whole passage.

• In each set you’ll have a “Prose Summary”or a “Fill in a

Table” question, but never both.