The Reading section has a total of three or four passages like this, each of which is followed by its own set of twelve multiple choice questions. These questions may test vocabulary knowledge, general comprehension of the passage along with sentence- or word-specific comprehension. The ability to infer and summarize information presented in the text is also vital to the Reading portion.
Read for Speed: 5 TOEFL Reading Tips and Test-taking Strategies for Total Success
1. Improve Your Reading Speed
Time is of the essence when it comes to the TOEFL. In fact, all other things being equal, good timing and the ability to pace yourself can make or break your TOEFL score.
2. Work on Your Comprehension Speed
Now you need to teach yourself to remain calm and avoid stressing out when you encounter an unfamiliar word. The reading section will be full of challenging words you have not seen before. They put in challenging words that you probably do not know on purpose.
3. Learn Specific Vocabulary
Since you are practicing for the Reading section of the TOEFL, try to read every text completely without looking up any words. After you have read the whole text and tried to understand everything on your own, then you may look up words. This is very similar to the actual testing situation.
4. Keep Moving
There are multiple passages on the test, and you are guaranteed to feel more comfortable with one or another. Some will seem harder and some will seem easier. Skim the passage, note key words in sentences, leave unfamiliar terms behind and keep in mind that TOEFL passages may contain words that even native speakers don’t typically know.
5. Use the Line Numbering
The TOEFL quirk of numbering every fifth line in the passage is meant to help you navigate to the words or sentences referred to in the questions. Practice locating specific lines by the numbers provided—you might be surprised by how much time you can actually waste looking for line 29 or 47!
This is the TOEFL reading practice quiz
Awarded the Nobel prize for physics in 1918, German physics Max Planck is best remembered as the originator of the quantum theory. His work helped user in a new era in theoretical physics and revolutionized the scientific community’s understanding of atomic and sub-atomic processes.
Planck intriduced an idea that led to the quantum theory, which became the foundation of twentieth century physics. In December 1900, Plnck worked out an equation that described the distribution of radiation accurately over the range of low to high frequencies. He had developed a theory which depended on a model of matter that seemed very strange at the time. The model required the emission of electromagnetic radiation in small chunks or particles. These particles were later called quantums. The energy associated with each quatum is measured by multiplying the frequency of the radiation, v, by a universal constant, h. Thus, energy, or E, equals hv. The constant, h, is known as Planck’s constant. It is now recognized as one of the fundamental constant of the world.
Planck announced his finding in 1900, but it was years before teh full consequences of his revolutionary quantum theory were recognized. Throughout his life, Planck made significant contributions to optics, thermodynamics and stastistical mechanics, physical chemistry, and other fields. In 1930, He was elected president of the Kaiser Wilhelm society, which was renamed the Max II. Though deeply opposed to the fascist regime of Adolf Hitler, Planck remained in Germany throughout teh war. He died in Gottingen on October 4, 1947.
- In which of the following fields did Max Planck NOT make a significant contribution?
a) Optics
b) Thermodynamics
c) Stastistical mechanics
d) Biology
- Theword “revolutionary” as used in line 13, means…
a) Dangerous
b) Extremist
c) Momentous
d) Militarist
- It can inferred from the passage that Planck’s work led to the development of which of the following?
a) The rocket
b) The atomic bomb
c) The internal combustion engine
d) The computer
- The particles of electromagnetic radiation given off by matter are known as…
a) Quantums
b) Atoms
c) Electrons
d) Valences
- The word “universal”, as used in line 10 most nearly means…
a) Planetary
b) Cosmic
c) Worldwide
d) Always present
- The implication in this passage is that…
a) Only a German physics could discover such a theory
b) Quantum theory, which led to the development of twentieth century physics, is basically a mathematical formula
c) Planck’s constant was not discernible before 1900
d) Radiation was hard to study
- “An idea” as used in line 4, refers to…
a) A model of matter
b) Emission of electromagnetic radiation
c) Quantums
d) The equation that described the distribution of radiation accurately over the range of low to high frequencies
- The word “emission” as used in line 8 means…
a) Giving off
b) Holding on to
c) Throwing away
d) Taking back
- Planck’s constant, expressed in a mathematical formula, is…
a) e = v/h
b) E = h/v
c) e = h-v
d) E = hv
- What is known as Planck’s constant?
a) v
b) h
c) e
d) E
Jawaban dan Pembahasan
- (d)
Paragraf terakhir menyatakan empat bidang yang dikontribusikan oleh Planck. Biologi tidak disebut sebagai salah satu kontribusi ini.
- (c)
Dalam hal ini “revolutionary” memiliki arti yang hampir sama dengan “momentous”, karena penemuan Planck bersifat positif. Sedangkan pilihan lain memiliki konotasi negatif
- (b)
Paragraf pertama menyatakan bahwa temuan Planck “revolutionized the scientific community’s understanding of atomic and sub-atomic processes.” Maka bisa disimpulkan bahwa hasil karyanya memberi jalan ditemukannya bom atom. Penemuan-penemuan lainnya seperti yang tersebut dalam pilihan jawaban a, c, dan d bukan akibat langsung dari penemuan Planck.
- (a)
Bacaan diatas secara langsung menyatakan bahwa the particles of electromagnetic radiation given off by matter dinamakan quantums.
- (d)
Di dalam konteks teori Planck, arti dari “universal” adalah “always present” pilihan jawaban lain adalah berkaitan dengan istilah geografi atau astronomi yang sama sekali tidak sesuai.
- (b)
Quantum theory pada dasarnya adalah rumus matematika seperti dinyatakan dalam kalimat, “Thus energy, or E, equal hv.”
- (d)
“Idea” merujuk pada “equation” seperti ada dalam pilihan (d). Walupun pilihan-pilihan jawaban lain disebutkan di dalam bacaan, tetapi mereka tidak mendefinisikan tentang “idea”.
- (a)
“Giving off” adalah gerakan yang digambarkan di dalam frasa, “required the emission of electromagnetic radiation in small chunks or particles.”
- (d)
“E = hv” dinyatakan dalam bentuk kata-kata, “Thus energy, or E, equals hv”
- (b)
“h” adalah jawaban yang benar seperti terlihat di dalam kalimat, “The constant, h, is known as Planck’s constant.”
