PRACTICE TEST A (8) SECTION 3: READING COMPREHENSION TOEFL ITP PRACTICE TEST

 

TOEFL ITP PRACTICE TEST VOLUME 1 PRACTICE TEST A (8) SECTION 3: READING COMPREHENSION

 

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: 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.   Example 1 What is the main idea of the passage? A In modern society, we must take more time for our neighbors. B The traditions of society are timeless. C An accepted way of measuring time is essential for the smooth functioning of society. D Society judges people by the times at which they conduct certain activities. 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 A B C D   Example II In line 5, the phrase “this tradition” refers to A the practice of starting the business day at dawn B friendly relations between neighbors C the railroad’s reliance on time schedules D people’s agreement on the measurement of time 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 A B C D   Questions 31-39 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.   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. 32.       The word “it” in line 6 refers to (A)       style (B)       moment (C)       ability (D)       canvas 33.       The word “readily” in line 7 is closest in meaning to (A)       purposely (B)       cautiously (C)       cleverly (D)       eagerly 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 35.       In line 15 the word “It” refers to (A)       container (B)       condition (C)       oil paint (D)       color 36.       Which of the following words does NOT refer to something that holds paint? (A)       Bladder (B)       Tube (C)       Condition (D)       Container 37.       What contribution did chemists make to the Impressionist movement? (A)       New textiles (B)       Better canvases (C)       Additional colors (D)       Tin tubes 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 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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