CliffsTestPrep TOEFL CBT PRACTICE TEST 3 READING SECTION (4

CliffsTestPrep TOEFL CBT

PRACTICE TEST 3

READING SECTION (4)

Directions: This section measures your ability to read and understand written English similar to that which one may expect in a college or university setting. Read each passage and answer the questions based on what is stated or implied in the passage. Circle or mark the correct answer in the book or write it on a separate piece of paper.

Passage 4

Many people suffer from an ailment of the gallbladder, which occurs when stones form within the organ. The gallbladder is a small sac in the upper-right section of the abdomen, beneath the liver and near the pancreas. Its function is to store bile, which is produced by the liver to help digest fat and absorb vitamins and minerals. Bile consists mainly of water, cholesterol, lipids (fats), bile salts, which are natural detergents that break up fat, and bilirubin, which is a pigment that gives bile its greenish-yellow color. Gallstones form when the cholesterol and the bilirubin form crystals, which then fuse in the gallbladder to form the stones. They range in size from tiny specks the size of grains of sand to stones as large as golf balls, although most are quite small. Sometimes the crystals accumulate but do not form stones. But even then, they form a sludge that causes indigestion and discomfort, which is not as serious as the symptoms that stones cause. The great majority of gallstones are made of cholesterol, but some consist of bile pigment. The former are produced when the bile is too rich in cholesterol or the gallbladder is not functioning properly, and they generally occur in people within the risk factors. Gallstones can irritate the lining of the gallbladder, causing chronic inflammation and infection, resulting in pain in the abdominal area. An acute gallstone attack occurs when the gallbladder contracts while squeezing its bile through the cystic duct, and one or more stones lodge in the duct. The muscles in the duct wall then contract in an attempt to dislodge the stone, causing severe pain. If they are not dislodged, the bile backs up into the liver and eventually the bloodstream. Risk groups include people who are overweight; people who fast habitually or are on long-term extremely low-calorie diets; pregnant women; people with diabetes; females between the ages of 20 and 60; native American men or Pima Indian women of Arizona; and Mexican-American men or women. As anybody ages, the chance of gallstones increases, with 10 percent of all men and 20 percent of women having gall stones by age 60. Gallstones are diagnosed with an ultrasound, which is a device that transmits sound waves into the body and returns a depiction of the organ. Even patients with gallstones generally do not need treatment unless the stones are causing chronic symptoms. Large stones can be crushed through a procedure called shock wave lithotripsy, but the fragments then must exit the body, which can be uncomfortable. The most common treatment is to remove the gallbladder entirely. The body gets along quite well with no gallbladder because it is simply a storage area. The manufacture of bile in the liver goes on just the same, although there is no bile present in the event it is needed quickly. For that reason, patients are urged to avoid excessively fatty foods

31	The word ailment in the first sentence is closest in meaning to A.        organ. B.        disorder. C.        enlargement. D.        loss.	39	The word irritate in the fourth paragraph is closest in meaning to A.        affect. B.        inflame. C.        treat. D.        result.
32	The word which in the first sentence refers to A.        people. B.        ailment. C.        suffer. D.        stone.	40	The word dislodge in the fourth paragraph is closest in meaning to A.       treat. B.       displace. C.       expand. D.       entrench.
33	The author implies in the first paragraph that sludge is similar to A.        stones. B.        mud. C.        liquid. D.        medicine.	41	The author implies that most severe attacks occur when a stone becomes stuck in the A.       gallbladder. B.       cystic duct. C.       sludge. D.       liver.
34	The word fuse in the second paragraph is closest in meaning to A.        crystallize. B.        join. C.        separate. D.        collapse.	42	One common cause of gallstones is A.       excessive dieting. B.       eating too many vegetables. C.       excessive eating. D.       eating too much fruit.
35	The author implies in the first paragraph that bile salts are similar to A.        soap. B.        oil. C.        fat. D.        stones.	43	All of the following people are potentially at high risk of getting gallstones except A.       a woman who is pregnant. B.       a man of Pima Indian descent. C.       a person over 55. D.       a Mexican-American woman.
36	The author implies in the first paragraph that bilirubin is similar to A.       paint. B.       bile. C.       soap. D.       cholesterol.	44	The word depiction in the last paragraph is closest in meaning to A.       illustration. B.       diagnosis. C.       wave. D.       stone
37	The author indicates that crystals of cholesterol and bilirubin that do not fuse cause A.       severe pain. B.       indigestion. C.       chronic attacks. D.       crystallization.	45	The word it in the last paragraph refers to A.        body. B.        gallbladder. C.        stone. D.        treatment.
38	The author states that most gallstones are caused by A.        cholesterol-rich bile or a malfunctioning gallbladder. B.        overabundance of bile pigment. C.        sludge D.        eating fatty foods.

ANSWER KEY

31	B	disorder.
32	B	ailment. If you look back at what could be substituted for which in a sentence by itself, this is the logical answer.
33	B	mud.
34	B	join.
35	A	soap. This is explained in the first paragraph, which indicates that bile salts are detergents.
36	A	paint. This is explained in the first paragraph, where the word which indicates that it is defining the word.
37	B	indigestion. This is explained in the first paragraph.
38	A	cholesterol-rich bile or a malfunctioning gallbladder.
39	B	inflame.
40	B	displace
41	B	cystic duct. This is explained in the fourth paragraph.
42	A	excessive dieting.
43	B	a man of Pima Indian descent.
44	A	illustration.
45	B	gallbladder.