READING TOEFL EXERCISE (Skills 3-5)

READING

TOEFL EXERCISE (Skills 3-5)

TOEFL EXERCISE (Skills 3-5): Study each of the passages and choose the best answers to the questions that follow.

PASSAGE ONE (Questions 1-5)

The United States does not have a national university, but the idea has been around for quite some time. George Washington first recommended the idea to Congress; he even selected an actual site in Washington, D.C., and then left an endowment for the proposed national university in his will. During the century following the revolution, the idea of national university continued to receive the support of various U.S. presidents, and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie pursued the cause at the beginning of the present century. Although the original idea has not yet been acted upon, it continues to be proposed in bills before Congress.

1	According to the passage, the national university of the United States A.       has been around for a while B.       does not exist C.       is a very recent idea D.       is an idea that developed during the present century	4	Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage about Andrew Carnegie A.        He was interested in doing charity work and good deeds for the public. B.        He was a member of Congress. C.        He was interested in the idea of a national university. D.        He was active in the early twentieth century.
2	Look at the word ‘he’ in the passage. Click on the word or phrase that ‘he’ refers to
3	The passage indicates that George Washington did NOT do which of the following? A.       He suggested the concept for a national university to Congress. B.       He chose a location for the national university. C.       He left money in his will for a national university. D.       He succeeded in establishing a national university.	5	The pronoun “it” in line 7 refers to A.       the cause B.       the beginning of the present century C.       the original idea D.       Congress

  

PASSAGE TWO (Questions 6-11)

The La Brea tarpits, located in Hancock Park in the Los Angeles area, have proven to be an extremely fertile source of Ice Age Fossils. Apparently, during the period of the Ice Age, the tarpits were covered by shallow pools of water; when animals came there to drink, they got caught in the sticky tar and perished. The tar not only trapped the animals, leading to their death, but it also served as a remarkably effective preservant, allowing near-perfect skeletons to remain hidden until the present era.

In 1906, the remains of a huge prehistoric bear discovered in the tarpits alerted archeologists to the potential treasure lying within the tar. Since then thousands and thousands of well-preserved skeletons have been uncovered, including the skeletons of camels, horses, wolves, tigers, sloths, and dinosaurs.

 

6	Which of the following is NOT true about the La Brea tarpits? A.    They contain fossils that are quite old. B.    They are found in Hancock Park. C.    They have existed since the ice Age. D.    They are located under a swimming pool.	9	Look at the word it in paragraph 1. Click on the word or phrase that it refers to.
7	The pronoun “they” in line 3 refers to A.       the La Brea tarpits B.       Ice age fossils C.       shallow pools of water D.       animals	10	When did archaeologists become aware of the possible value of the contents of the tarpits? A.        During the Ice Age B.        Thousands and thousands of years ago C.        Early in the twentieth century D.        Within the past decade
8	Click on the drawing that shows how the Ice Age animals mentioned in the passage died at the La Brea tarpits.	11	Which of the following is NOT mentioned as an example of a skeleton found in the tarpits? A.       A bear B.       A sloth C.       A horse D.       A snake

PASSAGE THREE (Questions 12-17)

When the president of the United States wants to get away from the hectic pace in Washington, D.C., Camp David is the place to go. Camp David, in a wooded mountain area about 70 miles from Washington, D.C., is where the president goes to find solitude. It consists of living space for the president, the first family, and the presidential staff as well as sporting and recreational facilities.

Camp David was established by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1942. He found the site particularly appealing in that its mountain air provided relief from the summer heat of Washington and its remote location offered a more relaxing environment than could be achieved in the capital city.

When Roosevelt first established the retreat, he called it Shangri-La, which evoked the blissful mountain kingdom in James Hilton’s novel Lost Horizon. Later, President Dwight David Eisenhower renamed the location Camp David after his grandson David Eisenhower.

Camp David has been used for a number of significant meetings. In 1943 during World War II, President Roosevelt met there with Great Britain’s Prime Minister Winston Churchill. In 1959 at the height of the Cold War, President Eisenhower met there with Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev; in 1978 President Jimmy Carter sponsored peace talks between Israel’s Prime Minister Menachem Begin and Egypt’s President Anwar el-Sadat at the retreat at Camp David.

12	Which of the following is NOT discussed about Camp David? A.    Its location B.    Its cost C.    Its facilities D.    Its uses	15	The pronoun “he” in line 10 refers to A.    Camp David B.    Roosevelt C.    James Hilton D.    President Dwight David Eisenhower
13	Look at the word it in paragraph I. click on the word or phrase that it refers to.	16	Which of the following is NOT true about President Eisenhower A.       He had a grandson named David. B.       He attended a conference with Nikita Khrushchev. C.       He named the presidential retreat Shangri-La. D.       Camp David
14	According to the passage, who founded Camp David? A.       George Washington B.       The first family C.       Franklin Delano Roosevelt D.       Dwight David Eisenhower	17	Khrushchev was at Camp David in A.       1942 B.       1943 C.       1959 D.       1978

ANSWER KEY

1	B	10	C
2	George Washington	11	D
3	D	12	B
4	B	13	Camp David
5	C	14	C
6	D	14	B
7	D	16	C
8	B	17	C
9	tar