READING COMPREHENSION

The Reading Comprehension section of the TOEFL test consists of five reading passages, each followed by a number of reading comprehension and vocabulary questions. Topics of the reading passages are varied, but they are often informational subjects that might be studied in an American university: American history, literature, art, architecture, geology, geography, and astronomy, for example.

Time is definitely a factor in the Reading Comprehension section. Many students who take the TOEFL test note that they are unable to finish all the questions in this section. Therefore, you need to make the most efficient use of your time in this section to get the highest score. The following method is the best way of attacking a reading passage to get the most questions correct in a limited amount of time. In the new version of the TOEFL, the amount of about 50 items that include vocabulary, and reding comprehension.

1. Reading Comprehension
This section usually consists of five or six aas script (reading) short, each of which is followed by some questions, and peranyaan these questions must be answered in accordance with the information expressed or implied in the text.

2. Vocabulary
This section consists of loose sentences are some of the words or he underlined.

STRATEGIES FOR THE READING COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

1)      Skim the reading passage to determine the main idea and the overall organization of ideas in the passage.

You do not need to understand every detail in a passage to answer the questions correctly. It is therefore a waste of time to read the passage with the intent of understanding every single detail before you try to answer the questions.

2)      Look ahead at the questions to determine what types of questions you must answer. Each type of question is answered in a different way.

3)      Find the section of the passage that deals with each question.
The question type tells you exactly where to look in the passage to find correct answers.

Ø  For main idea questions, look at the first line of each paragraph.

Ø  For directly and indirectly answered detail questions, choose a key word in the question, and skim for that key word (or a related idea) in order in the passage.

Ø  For vocabulary questions, the question will tell you where the word is located in the passage.

Ø  For where questions, the answers are found anywhere in the passage.

4)      Read the part of the passage that contains the answer carefully.

The answer will probably be in the same sentence (or one sentence before or after) the key word or idea.

5)      Choose the best answer to each question from the four answer choices listed in your test book.

 You can choose the best answer according to what is given in the appropriate section of the passage, eliminate definitely wrong answers, and mark your best guess on the answer sheet.

READING COMPREHENSION SAMPLE QUESTIONS

            The technology of the North American colonies did not differ strikingly from that of Europe, but in one respect, the colonists enjoyed a great advantage. Especially by comparison with Britain, Americans had a wonderfully plentiful supply of wood.

            The first colonists did not, as many people imagine, find an entire continent covered by a climax forest. Even along the Atlantic seaboard, the forest was broken at many points. Nevertheless, all sorts of fine trees abounded, and through the early colonial period, those who pushed westward encountered new forests. By the end of the colonial era, the price of wood had risen slightly in eastern cities, but wood was still

extremely abundant.

            The availability of wood brought advantages that have seldom been appreciated. Wood was a foundation of the economy. Houses and all manner of buildings were made of wood to a degree unknown in Britain. Secondly, wood was used as fuel for heating and cooking. Thirdly, it was used as the source of important industrial compounds, such as potash, an industrial alkali; charcoal, a component of gunpowder; and tannic acid, used for tanning leather.

            The supply of wood conferred advantages but had some negative aspects as well. Iron at that time was produced by heating iron ore with charcoal. Because Britain was so stripped of trees, she was unable to exploit her rich iron mines. But the American colonies had both iron ore and wood; iron production was encouraged and became successful. However, when Britain developed coke smelting, the Colonies did not follow suit because they had plenty of wood and besides, charcoal iron was stronger than coke iron. Coke smelting led to technologic innovations and was linked to the emergence of the Industrial Revolution. In the early nineteenth century, the former colonies lagged behind Britain in industrial development because their supply of wood led them to cling to charcoal iron. (Paragraph 4)

1. What does the passage mainly discuss?

(A) The advantages of using wood in the colonies

(B) The effects of an abundance of wood on the colonies

(C) The roots of the Industrial Revolution

(D) The difference between charcoal iron and coke iron

2. The word strikingly in the first paragraph is closest in meaning to

(A) realistically.

(B) dramatically.

(C) completely.

(D) immediately.

3. Which of the following is a common assumption about the forests of North America during the colonial period?

(A) They contained only a few types of trees.

(B) They existed only along the Atlantic seaboard.

(C) They had little or no economic value.

(D) They covered the entire continent.

4. According to the passage, by the end of the colonial period, the price of wood in eastern cities

(A) rose quickly because wood was becoming so scarce.

(B) was much higher than it was in Britain.

(C) was slightly higher than in previous years.

(D) decreased rapidly because of lower demand for wood.

5. What can be inferred about houses in Britain during the period written about in the passage?

(A) They were more expensive than American houses.

(B) They were generally built with imported materials.

(C) They were typically smaller than homes in North America.

(D) They were usually built from materials other than wood

6. Why does the author mention gunpowder in paragraph 3?

(A) To illustrate the negative aspects of some industrial processes

(B) To give an example of a product made with wood compounds

(C) To remind readers that the colonial era ended in warfare

(D) To suggest that wood was not the only important product of the colonies

7. The phrase follow suit in paragraph 4 means...

(A) do the same thing.

(B) make an attempt.

(C) have the opportunity.

(D) take a risk.

8. According to the passage, why was the use of coke smelting advantageous?

(A) It led to advances in technology.

(B) It was less expensive than wood smelting.

(C) It produced a stronger type of iron than wood smelting.

(D) It stimulated the demand for wood.

Answer key for reading comprehension:

1. B
2. B
3. D
4. C
5. D
6. B
7. A
8. A

SUMBER : Irham Ali Saifuddin, 2005, Buku Pintar TOEFL, DIVA Press, Yogyakarta.