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Reading Comprehension Flashcards

6 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 6 Reading Comprehension flashcards as text

  1. In TOEFL Reading, a 'REFERENCE' question asks you to identify:

    Answer: What a pronoun or noun phrase in the passage refers to

    Reference questions identify the antecedent — the noun or idea that a pronoun or demonstrative (e.g., 'this,' 'they,' 'it') refers to in the passage.

  2. A TOEFL Reading passage states: 'The study confirmed what had long been suspected: that sleep deprivation significantly impairs working memory.' Which question type does this sentence most directly answer?

    Answer: A detail question asking what the study found

    The sentence reports a specific finding from a study — a directly stated fact — making it most relevant to a detail question asking what the study found.

  3. The author writes: 'It would be an oversimplification to claim that deforestation is the SOLE cause of declining biodiversity.' What does the author imply?

    Answer: Deforestation is one of several factors contributing to biodiversity loss

    By rejecting the idea that deforestation is the 'sole' (only) cause, the author implies there are multiple contributing factors — deforestation is one among several.

  4. In a TOEFL Reading passage, the author uses RHETORICAL QUESTIONS primarily to:

    Answer: Engage the reader and introduce a topic or argument without expecting an answer

    Rhetorical questions in academic writing are asked for effect — to engage the reader, introduce a problem, or signal an argument — not to genuinely request an answer.

  5. What is the purpose of a PROSE SUMMARY question in TOEFL Reading?

    Answer: To test your ability to identify the three major ideas that best summarize the passage

    Prose summary questions present 6 sentences and ask you to choose the 3 that best express the major ideas of the passage — testing global comprehension, not just detail recall.

  6. A TOEFL Reading passage has this sentence: 'The migration patterns of monarch butterflies have been studied extensively; HOWEVER, the precise navigation mechanism remains poorly understood.' What does 'however' signal here?

    Answer: The second clause introduces a contrasting or contradictory idea

    'However' is a contrast signal — despite extensive study (first clause), the navigation mechanism is still unknown (second clause); these ideas are in tension.