Sentence Simplification Questions Flashcards
7 cards from real TOEFL practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Sentence Simplification Questions flashcards as text
Original: "Unless funding increases, the research center will close by next year." Which sentence best simplifies it?
Answer: The center will close next year if funding does not increase.
'Unless' marks a condition: no increased funding leads to closure.
Original: "The author argues that, contrary to popular belief, dieting alone rarely produces lasting weight loss." Which sentence best simplifies it?
Answer: The author claims dieting by itself seldom leads to permanent weight loss.
It keeps the author's claim that dieting alone rarely gives lasting results.
Original: "Having reviewed all the evidence, the jury reached its verdict quickly." Which sentence best simplifies it?
Answer: After reviewing all the evidence, the jury decided quickly.
The participial phrase shows the review preceded the quick verdict.
When two clauses in the original are linked by 'however,' a correct simplification should show what relationship?
Answer: A contrast between the two ideas
'However' signals contrast, which the simplified sentence must preserve.
Original: "The species thrives in warm climates, whereas its close relative prefers colder regions." Which sentence best simplifies it?
Answer: The species likes warm climates, but its relative prefers cold ones.
'Whereas' marks the contrast between warm-loving and cold-preferring species.
Original: "Despite repeated warnings, the company continued to pollute the river." Which sentence best simplifies it?
Answer: The company kept polluting the river even after many warnings.
'Despite' shows the warnings failed to stop the continued pollution.
Why is a choice that reverses cause and effect considered incorrect in sentence simplification?
Answer: It distorts the logical relationship stated in the original
Reversing cause and effect changes the original's meaning, making it wrong.