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TOEFL ITP PRACTICE TEST VOLUME 1
PRACTICE TEST A (8)
SECTION 3: READING COMPREHENSION
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Time: 55 minutes, including the reading of the
directions
Now set your clock for 55 minutes.
Directions: In this section you will read
several passages. Each passage is followed by several questions about it.
For questions 1-50, you are to choose the one best answer, (A), (B), (C) or
(D), to each question. Then, on your answer sheet, find the number of the
question and fill in the space that corresponds to the letter of the answer
you have chosen.
Answer all questions following a passage on the
basis of what is stated or implied in the passage.
Read the following sample passage:
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The railroad was not the first institution to
impose regularity on society, or to draw attention to the importance of
precise timekeeping. For as long as merchants have set out their wares at
daybreak and communal festivities have been celebrated, people have been
in rough agreement with their neighbors as to the time of day. The value
of this tradition
is today more apparent than ever. Were it not for public acceptance of a
single yardstick of time, social life would be unbearably chaotic: the
massive daily transfers of goods, services, and information would proceed
in fits and starts; the very fabric of modern society would begin to
unravel.
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Example 1
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What is the main idea of the passage?
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A
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In modern society, we must
take more time for our neighbors.
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B
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The traditions of society are timeless.
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C
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An accepted way of
measuring time is essential for the smooth functioning of society.
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D
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Society judges people by the times at which
they conduct certain activities.
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The main idea of the passage is that societies
need to agree about how time is to be measured in order to function
smoothly. Therefore, you should choose (C).
Sample Answer
Example II
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In line 5, the phrase “this tradition” refers to
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A
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the practice of starting
the business day at dawn
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B
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friendly relations between neighbors
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C
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the railroad’s reliance on
time schedules
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D
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people’s agreement on the measurement of time
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The phrase “this tradition” refers to the
preceding clause, “people have been in rough agreement with their neighbors
as to the time of day.”Therefore, you should choose (D).
Sample
Answer
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Questions 31-39
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The artistic movement known
as Impressionism was first identified in 1874 when a group of artists,
dissatisfied with the reception of their works by the academic art
establishment of their period, chose to hold a separate exhibition of their
paintings.
Despite obvious differences
in style, all of these painters were connected by an ability to catch a
moment and preserve it on canvas, and in their belief in the importance of
that moment. They readily accepted and made use of the technological
advances available to them, and in the end became recognized as proponents
of one of the most significant movements in the history of art, a movement
that produced an aesthetic revolution in art.
Several technological
breakthroughs were responsible, to some degree, for the creation and
execution of the new Impressionist style. One of these was the invention of
a new brush that gave artists greater control. Another useful invention was
the collapsible tin tube. This easily reclosed container preserved the oil
paint in a stable condition without altering the color. It was a great
improvement over animal bladders, which had been used for centuries to hold
oil paint. The new tube was portable and made it possible for artists to
work outside. This freedom made it possible for Impressionist paintings to
“capture the moment,” giving them a feeling of immediacy.
Another innovation was color.
Nineteenth-century chemists had created a new palette of colors, derived
from cola tar and other substances. These were first used by textile
manufacturers and then adopted by artists. They included some of the
brighter colors – new shades of blue, green, and yellow, whose tones gave
the Impressionist paintings their characteristic shimmering quality.
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31. What did the group of Impressionist
artists do in 1874?
(A) They radically changed their style of
painting.
(B) They held their own exhibition.
(C) They adopted new techniques and technologies.
(D) They refused to paint anything that year.
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32. The word “it” in line 6 refers to
(A) style
(B) moment
(C) ability
(D) canvas
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33. The word “readily” in line 7 is
closest in meaning to
(A) purposely
(B) cautiously
(C) cleverly
(D) eagerly
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34. According to the passage,
Impressionism is regarded historically as
(A) a significant, revolutionary movement
(B) an innovative yet minor style
(C) an unenlightened, radical phase
(D) a traditional form of
nineteenth-century painting
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35. In line 15 the word “It” refers to
(A) container
(B) condition
(C) oil paint
(D) color
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36. Which of the following words does NOT
refer to something that holds paint?
(A) Bladder
(B) Tube
(C) Condition
(D) Container
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37. What contribution did chemists make
to the Impressionist movement?
(A) New textiles
(B) Better canvases
(C) Additional colors
(D) Tin tubes
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38. It
can be inferred that Impressionist paintings differed from other
nineteenth-century paintings in terms of which of the following?
(A) The size of the canvas
(B) The brightness of the colors
(C) The value of the painting
(D) The talent of the artists
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39. Where
in the passage does the author mention two new technologies available to
artists in the nineteenth century?
(A) First paragraph
(B) Second paragraph
(C) Third paragraph
(D) Fourth paragraph
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