Taking the TOEFL

Updated on: Sunday, November 14, 2010

The TOEFL test is the most widely respected English-language test in the world, recognised by more than 7,500 colleges, universities and agencies in more than 130 countries.

Before the Test: Plan to arrive at the test centre at least 30 minutes before your specified start time. If you come late, you may not be able to take the test. You will be asked to sign a required confidentiality agreement. Identification documents are the only personal items you are allowed to have in the testing room. Cell phones and other electronic devices are not permitted. ID verification may also include thumb printing, signature comparison or other forms of electronic ID confirmation.

During the Test: The test takes about 41/2 hours. No one is allowed to continue beyond the time limit. There is a mandatory 10-minute break midway through the test. Watch your pace so you do not go over your time for each section; the computer is the official timekeeper. If you need help for any reason, simply raise your hand. A standard QWERTY English-language keyboard is used for the test. It is a good idea to practice on this type of keyboard prior to the test so that you are familiar with the layout and function keys.

After the test: Your scores will be posted online, within two weeks after the test date. Scores are also mailed to you and the universities or institutions you selected within two weeks of the test date. You can take the test again to improve your scores.

For information log on to http://www.toefl.org

Articles
1. A newest (A) computer programmes contain (B) graphics which (C) once could only be imagined (D).

2. Reputed to be the (A) loveliest woman of (B) her time, Helen of Troy’s actual existence is the (C) matter of historical dispute (D).
Answers: 1(A), 2(C)

Usage
1. Earlier (A) or later, a less (B) painful method for medicine delivery than (C) the needle will be (D) devised.

2. Bell’s palsy is a (A) paralytic condition (B) that usually occurs (C) in one side of the face but not another (D).
Answers: 1(A), 2(D)

Number
1. The (A) gravitational interplay in the (B) atmosphere of Jupiter is intriguing because of (C) the presence of so many moons (D).

2. Whether eating a plant (A) is morally unacceptable is (B) an issue raised by only the most (C) extreme philosophers (D).
Answers: 1(D), 2(A)
Connector
1. Some (A) native grasses of California are too (B) drought resistant (C) that they never need watering (D).

2. Thomas Jefferson was (A) a magnificent writer as well (B) a noted (C) scholar in the area of (D) languages.
Answers: 1(B), 2(B)

Subject-verb agreement
1. Colonial woman (A), espcially those (B) in the northern colonies, were expected (C) to fill a wide (D) array of responsibilities.

2. Few beetles are (A) as specialised (B) as elephant dung beetles which (C) feed exclusively on fecal matter it obtains (D) from elephants.
Answers: 1(A), 2(D)

Pronouns
1. Bill Clinton, that (A) won the 1992 presidential (B) election, was formerly (C) governor of the state (D) of Arkansas.

2. James Buchanan, who (A) was elected President in 1856, did little (B) to calm the war fever that (C) swept the country during its (D) term of office.
Answers: 1(B), 2(B)

Word order
1. Patients suffering (A) from Alzheimers disease often (B) do not know (C) who they are (D).

2. When (A) Lance Armstrong won his second Tour de France bicycling (B) victory, he brought his young son (C) with him to the podium to receive the trophy championship (D).
Answers: D, B

Gerund/infinitive
1. A (A) pocket calculator is useful for to compute (B) difficult mathematical functions (C) in algebra, trigonometry, geometry, and calculus (D).
Answer: B

Adverb
1. Translators at the United Nations are usually (A) hired if (B) they can translate a speaker’s words (C) accurately and quickly (D).
Answer: A

Reading comprehension:
In this section of the TOEFL paper test, you will have five TOEFL readings which have approximately 10 questions each — for a total of 50 TOEFL questions. You will have 55 minutes to complete the section. The main types of TOEFL questions you will see are:
A. Factual B. Vocabulary
C. Inferential D. Main idea
E. Referential
F. Developmental/organisational

Directions: You have 11 minutes to read this reading and answer the questions.
Reading:
One of the most dangerous drugs for pregnant women to consume is alcohol. Because alcohol is delivered quickly into the blood and passes quickly into the tissues and membranes, the human foetus is particularly vulnerable to its effects. The reality is that the negative effects on a foetus are so pronounced that babies born after exposure to alcohol are said to be suffering from foetal alcohol syndrome. As a pregnant woman drinks alcohol, the alcohol is passed into her bloodstream almost simultaneously. Moreover, because the bloodstream of the foetus is inextricably tied to that of the mother, the alcohol passes directly into the bloodstream of the foetus as well. And, what is more, the concentration of alcohol in the foetus is exactly the same as in the mother.
For the mother, this concentration is not a problem because her liver can remove one ounce of alcohol
from her system per hour. However, the foetus’s liver is not completely developed (how developed it is depends on its stage of development). The rate at which it is able to eliminate the alcohol from the blood of the foetus is much slower. Eventually, the alcohol will be returned to the mother’s system by passing across the placenta, but this process is slow. By the time this takes place, major neurological damage may have already occurred.
Research has shown that as little as one drink of alcohol can produce significant, irreversible damage to the foetus. Babies born after exposure to alcohol generally exhibit facial distortion, inability to concentrate, and difficulty in remembering. Simply speaking, it is imperative that pregnant women avoid alcohol.
1. What is the main topic of this reading?
(A) Women and drugs
(B) The dangers of pregnancy
(C) The foetus and alcohol
(D) Drinking and the human body

2. In line 8 the word “its” refers to
(A) the foetus (B) the blood
(C) the tissue (D) the alcohol

3. In line 10, the word “pronounced” most closely means
(A) evident (B) spoken
(C) described (D) unfortunate

4. How much time can it be inferred that it takes alcohol to enter a woman’s bloodstream after she takes a drink?
(A) about one hour
(B) a few seconds
(C) several minutes
(D) at least 24 hours

5. In line 18 the word “inextricably” most nearly means
(A) unexplainedly (B) formerly
(C) forcefully (D) inseparably

6. According to the passage, how does the concentration of alcohol in a foetus compare to that in the mother?
(A) The concentration is more.
(B) The concentration is less.
(C) The concentration is equivalent.
(D) The concentration cannot be measured.

7. It can be inferred that the development of a foetal liver depends on
(A) how many months pregnant the mother is
(B) how much alcohol the mother has consumed
(C) how large the foetus is
(D) how well the mother has taken care of the foetus

8. According to the passage, how is alcohol finally returned to the

Taking the TOEFL

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