TOEFL Practice Test #5 — Questions and Answers

Question 1: Many people like my plan. Will you _____ it?

agree with
agree to (Correct answer)
agree
agree about

Correct answer: agree to

The phrasal verb 'agree to' is used when accepting a proposal, plan, or suggestion. In this sentence, the speaker is asking if the listener will accept or consent to their plan. 'Agree with' is used for opinions or people, while 'agree about' is used for a topic of discussion.

Question 2: Tomorrow is Mary's birthday. Let's _____ it.

praise
honor
congratulate
celebrate (Correct answer)

Correct answer: celebrate

To 'celebrate' means to observe a special day or event with festivities, which is the most appropriate action for a birthday. 'Praise' means to express approval, 'honor' means to show respect, and 'congratulate' means to express good wishes for an achievement, none of which fit the context of marking a birthday as well as 'celebrate'.

Question 3: The minister _____ a member of the church who was ill.

called on (Correct answer)
called to
called on the house of
called to the house of

Correct answer: called on

The phrasal verb 'called on' means to pay a visit to someone, especially out of duty or for a specific purpose. In this context, the minister is visiting an ill church member, which perfectly aligns with the meaning of 'called on'. The other options are grammatically incorrect or not idiomatic.

Question 4: If you don't understand, don"t hesitate _____.

asking a question
to ask a question (Correct answer)
to asking a question
ask a question

Correct answer: to ask a question

The verb 'hesitate' is typically followed by an infinitive (to + verb) when referring to an action. Therefore, 'to ask a question' is the correct grammatical construction. Options using gerunds or bare infinitives are incorrect after 'hesitate'.

Question 5: It's snowing. Would you like to _____ this weekend?

go skiing (Correct answer)
go ski
go to ski
skiing

Correct answer: go skiing

The common idiomatic structure for suggesting an activity, especially a sport or outdoor activity, is 'go + -ing form' (gerund). 'Go skiing' correctly expresses the action of going somewhere to participate in skiing. The other options are grammatically incorrect for this common phrase.

Question 6: Do you feel like _____ now?

dancing (Correct answer)
to dance
dance
to go dancing

Correct answer: dancing

The expression 'feel like' is always followed by a gerund (the -ing form of a verb) when referring to an activity one desires to do. Therefore, 'dancing' is the correct grammatical choice to complete the phrase. Options using infinitives or bare verbs are incorrect after 'feel like'.

Question 7: Our company didn't pay _____ for that advertisement.

many money
many funds
much money (Correct answer)
much funds

Correct answer: much money

'Money' is an uncountable noun, and therefore it requires the quantifier 'much' rather than 'many'. 'Many' is used with countable nouns. 'Much money' is the correct and idiomatic phrase to indicate a large quantity of money.

Question 8: Tommy was happy to be _____ such a famous person.

introduced at
introduced
introduced with
introduced to (Correct answer)

Correct answer: introduced to

When you are presented to someone, the correct preposition to use with the verb 'introduce' is 'to'. You are 'introduced to' a person. The other prepositions or lack thereof are grammatically incorrect in this context.

Question 9: Where is the bus terminal? It is _____ the Red Cross hospital.

opposed to
opposite to
opposite (Correct answer)

Correct answer: opposite

When describing the physical location of something directly across from another, the word 'opposite' is used alone as a preposition, meaning 'facing' or 'across from'. Adding 'to' after 'opposite' in this context is redundant and less common than using 'opposite' by itself. 'Opposed to' means against something.

Question 10: "You missed a good chance in your career"."Yes, I _____ that job when Mr. Johnson offered".

shall take
shall have taken
should take
should have taken (Correct answer)

Correct answer: should have taken

The phrase 'should have taken' expresses regret or a missed opportunity in the past. It indicates that the speaker now believes it would have been a good idea to take the job, but they did not, perfectly fitting the context of having 'missed a good chance'.

Question 11: The reason _____ steam cars proved inexpedient was that they were difficult to start and to run.

how
wether
why (Correct answer)
if

Correct answer: why

The word 'reason' is typically followed by 'why' when introducing the cause or explanation for something. 'The reason why' is a common and grammatically correct construction to link the reason to the subsequent explanation. The other options do not fit grammatically or semantically.

Question 12: The way in which a diamond is cut can influence its worth and, if the angles are precise, _____.

maximum brilliancy can be produced
then maximum brilliancy can be produced
that maximum brilliancy can be produced
can maximum brilliancy be produced (Correct answer)

Correct answer: can maximum brilliancy be produced

This sentence uses an inverted conditional structure for emphasis or stylistic variation, where the auxiliary verb 'can' is placed before the subject 'maximum brilliancy'. This creates a more sophisticated and concise flow, implying the result of precise angles. The other options are grammatically awkward or less impactful.

Question 13: A renowned figure, Mary Harris Jones persuaded coal mine workers to strike for higher incomes, _____ conditions, and shorter hours.

improve work
improved working (Correct answer)
improving of work
working improved

Correct answer: improved working

The phrase 'improved working conditions' is a common and grammatically correct compound noun phrase. 'Improved' is an adjective modifying 'working conditions', which itself acts as a noun phrase. This structure maintains parallelism with 'higher incomes' and 'shorter hours', all referring to desired outcomes.

Question 14: Read the following paragraph and answer the question at the bottom:1. Researchers in the field of animal behavior have long been interested in the2. ways animals and insects communicate. The most recent findings show that3. honeybees communicate mostly through "dances".4. By performing certain dance routines, the workers let the other members know5. of the location of the food source, its direction and its distance. If the workers6. spot pollen and nectar in the flowers near their hive, they do the circular dance.7. On the other hand, when the food site is remote, they perform a figure-eight8. waggle dance, in which the slow and fast tempo movements will inform the other9. members of the distance to the food source.For instance, a slow waggle of the lower10. part of the abdomen signifies a far-distance, demanding flight. Conversely, a rapid11. waggle indicates within- reach trip. Variations in the dance form exist among12. different species.13. The bee's orientation on the comb is a key directional cue for the bees. In the14. absence of sun light on the comb, the bees waggle moving straight up. If the15. sun's polarized light penetrates the hive, the bees can orient themselves16. toward the direction of the sun's rays. Which of the following best expresses the main idea of the passage?

Communication among honeybees (Correct answer)
Insects' interaction with their environment
The latest findings on sensorial and visual experimentation affecting bees
A growing interest in general communication patterns between animals and insects

Correct answer: Communication among honeybees

The passage explicitly states in line 3 that 'honeybees communicate mostly through "dances"' and then proceeds to detail how these dances convey information about food sources. While it mentions animal/insect communication generally, the entire passage focuses specifically on the methods and details of honeybee communication, making option A the best main idea.

Question 15: Read the following paragraph and answer the question at the bottom:1. Researchers in the field of animal behavior have long been interested in the2. ways animals and insects communicate. The most recent findings show that3. honeybees communicate mostly through "dances".4. By performing certain dance routines, the workers let the other members know5. of the location of the food source, its direction and its distance. If the workers6. spot pollen and nectar in the flowers near their hive, they do the circular dance.7. On the other hand, when the food site is remote, they perform a figure-eight8. waggle dance, in which the slow and fast tempo movements will inform the other9. members of the distance to the food source.For instance, a slow waggle of the lower10. part of the abdomen signifies a far-distance, demanding flight. Conversely, a rapid11. waggle indicates within- reach trip. Variations in the dance form exist among12. different species.13. The bee's orientation on the comb is a key directional cue for the bees. In the14. absence of sun light on the comb, the bees waggle moving straight up. If the15. sun's polarized light penetrates the hive, the bees can orient themselves16. toward the direction of the sun's rays. The word "recent" in line 2 is closest in meaning to which of the following?

Publicized Publicized
Scientific
Controversial
Modern (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Modern

'Recent' refers to something that happened or was discovered not long ago, implying it is current or up-to-date. 'Modern' directly conveys this sense of being current or belonging to the present time. The other options do not capture the temporal aspect of 'recent'.

Question 16: Read the following paragraph and answer the question at the bottom:1. Researchers in the field of animal behavior have long been interested in the2. ways animals and insects communicate. The most recent findings show that3. honeybees communicate mostly through "dances".4. By performing certain dance routines, the workers let the other members know5. of the location of the food source, its direction and its distance. If the workers6. spot pollen and nectar in the flowers near their hive, they do the circular dance.7. On the other hand, when the food site is remote, they perform a figure-eight8. waggle dance, in which the slow and fast tempo movements will inform the other9. members of the distance to the food source.For instance, a slow waggle of the lower10. part of the abdomen signifies a far-distance, demanding flight. Conversely, a rapid11. waggle indicates within- reach trip. Variations in the dance form exist among12. different species.13. The bee's orientation on the comb is a key directional cue for the bees. In the14. absence of sun light on the comb, the bees waggle moving straight up. If the15. sun's polarized light penetrates the hive, the bees can orient themselves16. toward the direction of the sun's rays. According to passage, all of the following are signaled by the "dance routine" EXCEPT

Location of the food supply
Direction of the food source
Existence of preying insects (Correct answer)
Distance of the food

Correct answer: Existence of preying insects

The passage explicitly states that the dances inform other members 'of the location of the food source, its direction and its distance' (lines 4-5). There is no mention anywhere in the text of the dances signaling the 'existence of preying insects'.

Question 17: Read the following paragraph and answer the question at the bottom:1. Researchers in the field of animal behavior have long been interested in the2. ways animals and insects communicate. The most recent findings show that3. honeybees communicate mostly through "dances".4. By performing certain dance routines, the workers let the other members know5. of the location of the food source, its direction and its distance. If the workers6. spot pollen and nectar in the flowers near their hive, they do the circular dance.7. On the other hand, when the food site is remote, they perform a figure-eight8. waggle dance, in which the slow and fast tempo movements will inform the other9. members of the distance to the food source.For instance, a slow waggle of the lower10. part of the abdomen signifies a far-distance, demanding flight. Conversely, a rapid11. waggle indicates within- reach trip. Variations in the dance form exist among12. different species.13. The bee's orientation on the comb is a key directional cue for the bees. In the14. absence of sun light on the comb, the bees waggle moving straight up. If the15. sun's polarized light penetrates the hive, the bees can orient themselves16. toward the direction of the sun's rays. The word "spot" in line 6 is closest to which of the following?

Touch
Locate (Correct answer)
Move
Taste

Correct answer: Locate

In the context 'If the workers spot pollen and nectar,' 'spot' means to see or notice something, often suddenly or with difficulty. This is synonymous with 'locate' or 'find'. The other options (touch, move, taste) do not convey the meaning of visual detection or discovery.

Question 18: Read the following paragraph and answer the question at the bottom:1. Researchers in the field of animal behavior have long been interested in the2. ways animals and insects communicate. The most recent findings show that3. honeybees communicate mostly through "dances".4. By performing certain dance routines, the workers let the other members know5. of the location of the food source, its direction and its distance. If the workers6. spot pollen and nectar in the flowers near their hive, they do the circular dance.7. On the other hand, when the food site is remote, they perform a figure-eight8. waggle dance, in which the slow and fast tempo movements will inform the other9. members of the distance to the food source.For instance, a slow waggle of the lower10. part of the abdomen signifies a far-distance, demanding flight. Conversely, a rapid11. waggle indicates within- reach trip. Variations in the dance form exist among12. different species.13. The bee's orientation on the comb is a key directional cue for the bees. In the14. absence of sun light on the comb, the bees waggle moving straight up. If the15. sun's polarized light penetrates the hive, the bees can orient themselves16. toward the direction of the sun's rays. The passage suggests that a ''waggle dance" is

a semi-circular walk
a side to side shaky movement (Correct answer)
a straight-line stroll
an up and down slow dance

Correct answer: a side to side shaky movement

The passage describes the waggle dance as involving a 'waggle of the lower part of the abdomen' (line 9) and 'waggle moving straight up' (line 14). A 'waggle' inherently implies a rapid, shaky, or side-to-side movement, which is the core characteristic of this dance.

TOEFL Practice Test #5

Many people like my plan.
Will you _____ it?