Taking the TOEFL

Updated on: Monday, November 08, 2010

TOEFL or the Test of English as a Foreign Language which evaluates a student’s proficiency in the English Language and is offered on the computer in most parts of the world. However, there are still some areas where a paper and pencil version of the test is administered. TOEFL scores are valid for two years. This means that you could take the test before you finally decide whether you want to go abroad or not. The Educational Testing Service (ETS) has made several changes to the test with the goal of making the TOEFL a more accurate gauge of the English skills needed for academic success. Here is a sample test to get you started.

Watch this space for more TOEFL questions and answers next week!
For information log on to http://www.toefl.org

Simple sentence: subject
1. __________ was awarded the Nobel Prize in physics for his work on the photoelectric effect.
(A) That Einstein
(B) It was Einstein
(C) Einstein who
(D) Einstein

2. ________ of Willa Catha present an unadorned picture of life on the prairies of the Midwestern United States during the 19th century.
(A) The stories who
(B) That the novels
(C) The novels which
(D) The novels
Answers: 1 (D), 2 (D)

Simple sentence: connector
1. Emma Thompson was nominated for an Academy Award as both a screenwriter __________
an actress in 1996.
(A) also (B) or
(C) in addition (D) and

2. With neither a naturally aggressive disposition ________ particularly large size, the mimic octopus survives quite easily because of its natural adaptations.
(A) and a (B) with its
(C) nor a (D) or its
Answers: 1(D), 2 (C)

Simple sentence: word order
1. Because of its warm tropical climate, Hawaii __________ subzero temperatures.
(A) almost experiences never
(B) experiences never almost
(C) experiences almost never
(D) almost never experiences

2. In flush financial times, ________ on Wall Street may employ as many as 800 stock brokers and managers.
(A) a brokerage typical stock
(B) typically stock, a brokerage
(C) a stock typical brokerage
(D) a typical stock brokerage
Answers: 1(D), 2(D)

Simple sentence: infinitive
1. From the inception of his long and distinguished career, Frank Lloyd Wright was concerned with how __________ architecture with topography.
(A) integrating
(B) to integrate
(C) did he integrate
(D) integrated

2. Legendary home of the Nabateans, Petra is known ________ housed more than 15,000 residents at one time.
(A) to have (B) to be
(C) is (D) which
Answers: 1(B), 2(A)

Simple sentence: parallel structure
1. Egyptian pyramids were regularly robbed despite their intricate passageways, byzantine mazes, and __________.
(A) walls which were false
(B) they had false walls
(C) false walls
(D) walls of falsity

2. In the years following the American Revolution and prior to the establishment of a national government, Washington provided the fledgling country with keen economic insight, _________, and astute international judgment.
(A) a recognition of stability that was domestic
(B) to stabilise the domestic
situation
(C) which was domestically
stable
(D) a sense of domestic stability
Answers: 1(C), 2(D)

Simple sentence: appositive
1. The Duncan sofa, __________ is highly valued in today’s antique furniture market.
(A) a colonial masterpiece,
(B) a colonial masterpiece which
(C) it is a colonial masterpiece that
(D) whose colonial masterpiece

2. Ulysses S. Grant, ________, showed great magnanimity in receiving the surrender of his arch-rival, Robert E. Lee at the end of the Civil War.
(A) that was the supreme commander of Northern forces
(B) who supremely commanding Northern forces
(C) he was the supreme commander of Northern forces
(D) the supreme commander of Northern forces
Answers: 1(A), 2(D)

Complex sentence: adjective clause
1. Dubbing is an audio process __________ one sound over another sound.
(A) imprints
(B) that imprints it
(C) which imprints
(D) that it imprints

2. Thomas Jefferson, _______ of fathering several children by one of his slaves, was supposedly committed to the principle of equal rights for all.
(A) in that he was accused
(B) that was accused
(C) he was accused
(D) who was accused
Answers: 1(C), 2(D)

Complex sentence: adverb clause
1. __________ they are widely perceived as gentle creatures,
hippopotamuses are responsible for more human deaths in Africa than any other animal.
(A) Despite of (B) Even though
(C) In spite of (D) Nonetheless

2. _______a cold front meets a warm front, an area of turbulent air is created often producing thunderstorms and tornadoes.
(A) And (B) When
(C) That (D) However
Answers: 1(B), 2(B)

Complex sentence: main verb
1. Economics __________
is known as an inexact science because it relies heavily on variables and subjective judgements.
(A) is what (B) it
(C) which (D) that it

2. Not all currencies that are brokered on the world’s major stock exchanges _______
enough to generate windfall profits for the everyday investor.
(A) valued (B) to be valuable
(C) of value (D) are valuable
Answers: 1(A), 2(D)

Complex sentence: word order
1. Capable of producing nothing more than __________,
Barkley was forced to concede the point to Hume who went on to win the debate.
(A) vacuous truly a point
(B) truly a point vacuous
(C) vacuous a truly point
(D) a truly vacuous point

2. Out of the grave of the European Middle Ages _______
with its new ideas about the place of humanity in the cosmos.
(A) coming the Renaissance
(B) came the Renaissance
(C) the Renaissance came
(D) the Renaissance which came
Answers: 1(D), 2(B)

Complex sentence: noun clause
1. Disturbances in seabed slope which have occurred over short periods of time have caused scientists to believe ________ more extensive than at first thought.
(A) that tectonic drift is
(B) which tectonic drift
(C) tectonic drifts
(D) tectonic drifting
2. _______ the manatee of south Florida is being pushed to the edge of extinction due to the invasion of its habitat by motorised boats has been shown by marine researchers.
(A) In that (B) That
(C) Although (D) Unless
Answers: 1(A), 2(B)

Complex sentence: main
subject
1. Gifted though he was by remarkable natural musical talent, _________ to have had little knack for the necessities of social life at court.
(A) Mozart, who seemed
(B) Mozart seemed
(C) it was Mozart that seeming
(D) Mozart, seeming

2. Long before dogs became domesticated in Western countries, ______ roamed the forests and grasslands of northern Europe and America.
(A) they (B) which
(C) however (D) and
Answers: 1(B), 2(A)

Parallel structure
1. Having (A) weekly family talks can be an important means (B) of exploring sensitive family issues, redefining sibling (C) relationships, and to foster (D) new familial bonds.

2. Three goals of the Sierra Club are to (A) encourage environmental conservation, lobbying (B) for environment

Taking the TOEFL

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