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TOEFL reading practice test - improve your TOEFL score

TOEFL Reading Practice: Take a Free TOEFL Reading Test with Answers & Learn About the 10 Reading Question Types

In this guide you will find a free TOEFL reading test with answers, a lot of TOEFL reading practice questions, and information on the 10 different reading question types to help you prepare successfully for your TOEFL reading test. This page contains everything you need to know and the essential skills for a high reading score.

First off, if you're looking to take a free TOEFL reading practice test or are just curious what taking an official TOEFL reading test is like, then click the START TOEFL reading SAMPLE TEST button below.

play_circle_outline Start TOEFL reading Sample Test

If you want to practice TOEFL reading questions on the go and don't have an internet connection, then BestMyTest's free TOEFL reading practice test PDF download will come in handy. It includes a complete TOEFL reading passage with questions and answers.

BestMyTest TOEFL reading Practice TestView & Download PDF File

Next up is a list of all our TOEFL reading questions where you can study each question at your own pace. To start a free TOEFL reading test question, click the Mock Test 1 link.

TOEFL reading practice questions

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Table Of Contents

  1. TOEFL Reading Introduction
  2. How to prepare for TOEFL Reading
  3. TOEFL Reading Practice Questions
  4. Free TOEFL Reading English Resources

TOEFL Reading Introduction

The reading section is the first section of the TOEFL iBT test. It tests your ability to read and answer questions at an academic level. It contain 3-4 passages with each passage containing 10 questions for a total of 30-40 questions. Each passage is generally 600 to 700 words long. You'll have 54–72 minutes in which to finish this section.

When you are taking the reading test, you can skip answers and come back to them later. You can come back and change your answers at any time during the reading testing period.

Reading Difficulty Level

The TOEFL reading difficulty level is equivalent to an introductory undergraduate university textbook. Most of the passages' context is North American, but you may also see some international contexts from United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand. The passages cover a wide range of topics such as

  • Social science including anthropology, economics, psychology, urban studies, and sociology
  • Science and technology including astronomy, geology, chemistry, biology, physics, engineering
  • History, government, biography, geography, and culture
  • Art including literature, painting, sculpture, drama, and architecture

Even though the reading passages can be difficult to understand, you don't necessarily have to understand it all. By learning the strategies to answer each reading question type, you can get a high TOEFL score without fully understanding the reading passage. The first thing you need to learn are the different types of TOEFL reading question types.

The 10 TOEFL Reading Question Types

The TOEFL reading questions can be broken down into 10 different reading question types:

  1. Vocabulary
  2. Reference
  3. Inference
  4. Purpose
  5. Negative Factual Information
  6. Essential Information
  7. Detail
  8. Sentence Insertion
  9. Complete the Summary
  10. Complete the Table

Our comprehensive lessons will tackle each of these question types in detail. To view them, create a free account and start your 7 day free trial.

Below you will find 12 TOEFL reading sample questions.

Detail Question
1. Based on the information provided in the first paragraph, what can be concluded about the climate during the Late Cretaceous period?
  1. The summers were extremely hot, while the winters were extremely cold.
  2. Frequent shifts in temperature were caused by the shallow seas on the continents.
  3. The climatic conditions were highly comparable to the present-day climate.
  4. There were no significant seasonal shifts in the climate.
2. What reason is proposed in the second paragraph as a possible cause for the dinosaur extinction?
  1. Variations in the duration of days and nights during the Late Cretaceous era
  2. Drought conditions brought on by the retreat of seaways into the ocean
  3. The shift from a temperate to an extreme climate during the Late Cretaceous period
  4. A significant drop in the mean annual temperature over a span of 10,000 years

Detail Question
Question 1 and Question 2 are detail questions. Detail questions ask you about information that’s specifically stated in a small part of the passage. They generally focus on the “who,” “what,” “when,” “where,” and “why” as explained by the author.
  • spellcheck Answers
    1. D
    2. C
[1] There has been a long-standing debate among paleontologists suggesting that the extinction of dinosaurs can be attributed to climate shifts, stemming from gradual alterations in the arrangement of landmasses and oceans due to the movement of tectonic plates. Throughout the Cretaceous era - the last segment of the Mesozoic era when dinosaurs were prevalent - enormous, shallow seas spanned substantial portions of the continents. A variety of sources, such as geochemical traces found in seabed sediments, support the idea that the Late Cretaceous climate was more temperate than it is presently. The climate was neither too scorching during the day, nor too freezing at night. Neither the summers were excessively warm, nor the winters excessively cold. The shallow seas likely acted as temperature regulators for the surrounding air, maintaining a stable climate.

[2] However, geological evidence from the end of the Cretaceous shows a receding of these shallow seas from the continents, moving back into the broader ocean basins. The reasons for this are yet unknown. During a timeframe of roughly 100,000 years, as the seas retreated, global climates experienced drastic fluctuations: days became hotter, nights colder; summers intensified in heat, and winters became chillier. It is possible that such harsh changes in temperature were not sustainable for the dinosaurs, leading to their extinction.

Purpose Question
3. What is the author's purpose in bringing up the endurance of "snakes, lizards, turtles, and crocodiles" in the third paragraph?
  1. To suggest that the extinction of dinosaurs might have been due to their non-cold-blooded nature
  2. To challenge the sufficiency of the theory that changes in climate related to sea levels led to the dinosaurs' demise
  3. To provide instances of species that were more proficient at maintaining a sustainable body temperature compared to dinosaurs
  4. To reinforce a theory that these creatures were not as affected by climate alterations during the Cretaceous era as they are in present times

Purpose Question
Purpose questions require you to understand why the author has included pieces of information. The answer is not directly stated in the reading passage. To solve this type of question, you need to understand the main point of the paragraph and how the referenced information is related to the main point of the paragraph. You will see the question phrased something like the following: Why does the author mention XXX in paragraph 2? Here is an example.
  • spellcheck Answer
    3. B
[3] However, if this were accurate, how did ectothermic species such as snakes, lizards, turtles, and crocodiles persist through the icy winters and sweltering summers? These animals are dependent on the environmental conditions to maintain a habitable body temperature. It's perplexing why these creatures weren't impacted, yet dinosaurs were rendered too incapacitated to manage, especially considering the theory posited by some scholars that dinosaurs were endothermic. Detractors also emphasize that the shallow seaways had alternately retreated from and advanced towards the continents numerous times throughout the Mesozoic, so why were the dinosaurs able to survive the climatic shifts related to the earlier variations, but not this one? The theory of a simple climatic alteration tied to sea levels, although initially compelling, fails to thoroughly explain all the available data.

Vocabulary Question
4. The word manage in the passage is closest in meaning to?
  1. cope
  2. transition
  3. persist
  4. contend
5. The word variations in the passage is closest in meaning to?
  1. withdrawals
  2. intense
  3. intervals
  4. fluctuations

Vocabulary Question
Question 4 and 5 are vocabulary questions. In a "Vocabulary question", you are asked what a word or phrase is closest in meaning to and are given 4 answer options. You need to be able to understand the meaning of the word as it is used in the passage.
  • spellcheck Answers
    4. A
    5. D
[3] However, if this were accurate, how did ectothermic species such as snakes, lizards, turtles, and crocodiles persist through the icy winters and sweltering summers? These animals are dependent on the environmental conditions to maintain a habitable body temperature. It's perplexing why these creatures weren't impacted, yet dinosaurs were rendered too incapacitated to manage, especially considering the theory posited by some scholars that dinosaurs were endothermic. Detractors also emphasize that the shallow seaways had alternately retreated from and advanced towards the continents numerous times throughout the Mesozoic, so why were the dinosaurs able to survive the climatic shifts related to the earlier variations, but not this one? The theory of a simple climatic alteration tied to sea levels, although initially compelling, fails to thoroughly explain all the available data.

Essential Information Question
6. Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in paragraph 4? Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.
  1. Evidence from the fossil record implies a sudden extinction event affecting numerous plants and animals at the conclusion of the Mesozoic era.
  2. Only a handful of Mesozoic era fossils have been preserved in the rock formations that delineate the end of the Cretaceous period.
  3. Fossils from the Cretaceous epoch of the Mesozoic through to the onset of the Cenozoic era have been extracted from their encasing rock layers.
  4. Flora and fauna from the Mesozoic era failed to persist into the Cenozoic era.

Essential Information Question
In an “Essential Information question”, you will see the question you see an entire sentence highlighted in the reading passage. The question will ask you to choose which of the 4 answer option sentences is equal to the highlighted sentence. The correct sentence will be paragraphed so it is different than the highlighted one, but still convey all the important information. Incorrect sentences will represent a detail or concept inaccurately, leave out an important detail, change the original meaning of the sentence
  • spellcheck Answer
    6. A
[4] The dissatisfaction with traditional explanations for the extinction of dinosaurs led to a notable observation, which subsequently gave rise to a fresh hypothesis. Numerous plants and animals abruptly cease to appear in the fossil record when transitioning from rock strata marking the end of the Cretaceous to those denoting the start of the Cenozoic (the era succeeding the Mesozoic). Frequently, there is a slender layer of clay between the final layer of Cretaceous rock and the initial layer of Cenozoic rock. Scientists hypothesized that they could approximate the duration of the extinctions by determining the deposition time of this one-centimeter-thick clay layer. They proposed to measure this period by quantifying the amount of the element iridium (Ir) present in the clay.

Negative Factual Information Question
7. In paragraph 4, all the following questions are answered EXCEPT:
  1. What is the reason for the presence of a clay layer between the Cretaceous and Cenozoic rock formations?
  2. What motivated scientists to calculate the deposition time of the clay layer at the end of the Cretaceous?
  3. What was the outcome of the unexpected observation made by the scientists?
  4. Why were scientists seeking additional insights regarding the dinosaur extinction at the close of the Cretaceous?

Negative Factual Information Question
You can recognize a negative factual information question by either the word NOT or EXCEPT in the question. The question can appear like the following: According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true of X?.
  • spellcheck Answer
    7. A
[4] The dissatisfaction with traditional explanations for the extinction of dinosaurs led to a notable observation, which subsequently gave rise to a fresh hypothesis. Numerous plants and animals abruptly cease to appear in the fossil record when transitioning from rock strata marking the end of the Cretaceous to those denoting the start of the Cenozoic (the era succeeding the Mesozoic). Frequently, there is a slender layer of clay between the final layer of Cretaceous rock and the initial layer of Cenozoic rock. Scientists hypothesized that they could approximate the duration of the extinctions by determining the deposition time of this one-centimeter-thick clay layer. They proposed to measure this period by quantifying the amount of the element iridium (Ir) present in the clay.

Inference Question
8. Paragraph 5 suggests that a distinct interpretation of the Iridium (Ir) in the boundary clay is necessary because
  1. the Iridium from microscopic meteorites that reached Earth during the Cretaceous period would have been integrated into Earth's core
  2. the Iridium in the boundary clay was laid down much earlier than a million years ago
  3. the density of Iridium in the boundary clay surpasses that in microscopic meteorites
  4. the volume of Iridium in the boundary clay exceeds what could have been delivered by microscopic meteorites in the timeframe the boundary clay was formed

Inference Question
In an "Inference" question, you will see the question phrased something like the following: In paragraph 5, what does the author imply about ….? or What can be inferred from paragraph 5? In this type of question, the answer is not directly stated in the reading passage. It requires you to draw conclusions based on information that is given in the passage. You need to find out the correct conclusion from the choices.
  • spellcheck Answer
    8. D
[5] Iridium (Ir) has been scarce on Earth's surface since the early stages of the planet's formation. As it typically exists in a metallic form, it was predominantly incorporated into the Earth's core as the planet cooled and solidified. Iridium is found in high quantities in some meteorites, where the initial chemical composition of the solar system is retained. Even today, Earth is persistently struck by microscopic meteorites that land on both terrestrial and aquatic surfaces. By quantifying the number of these meteorites that land on Earth over a specific timeframe, scientists can estimate the duration it might have taken to accumulate the observed quantity of Iridium in the boundary clay. These computations indicate that it would have taken approximately one million years. Nevertheless, other trustworthy evidence implies that the deposition of the boundary clay couldn't have spanned one million years. Thus, the unusually elevated concentration of Iridium appears to necessitate a unique explanation.

Sentence Insertion Question
9. In paragraph 5 of the passage, there is a missing sentence. The paragraph is repeated below and shows four letters (A, B, C, and D) that indicate where the following sentence could be added.

As a result, the theory suggesting that the Iridium in the boundary clay originated from microscopic meteorites cannot be embraced.

Where would the sentence best fit?

(A) These computations indicate that it would have taken approximately one million years. (B) Nevertheless, other trustworthy evidence implies that the deposition of the boundary clay couldn't have spanned one million years. (C) Thus, the unusually elevated concentration of Iridium appears to necessitate a unique explanation. (D)

Sentence Insertion Question
In a "Sentence Insertion" question, you will be asked to decide where a new sentence best fits into the reading passage. This question type tests your understanding of the logic in the passage. It also tests your ability to understand the grammatical connections from one sentence to another.
  • spellcheck Answer
    9. C
[5] Iridium (Ir) has been scarce on Earth's surface since the early stages of the planet's formation. As it typically exists in a metallic form, it was predominantly incorporated into the Earth's core as the planet cooled and solidified. Iridium is found in high quantities in some meteorites, where the initial chemical composition of the solar system is retained. Even today, Earth is persistently struck by microscopic meteorites that land on both terrestrial and aquatic surfaces. By quantifying the number of these meteorites that land on Earth over a specific timeframe, scientists can estimate the duration it might have taken to accumulate the observed quantity of Iridium in the boundary clay. These computations indicate that it would have taken approximately one million years. Nevertheless, other trustworthy evidence implies that the deposition of the boundary clay couldn't have spanned one million years. Thus, the unusually elevated concentration of Iridium appears to necessitate a unique explanation.

Complete the Summary Question
14. Directions: An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage is provided below. Complete the summary by selecting the THREE answer choices that express the most important ideas in the passage. Some sentences do not belong in the summary because they express ideas that are not presented in the passage or are minor ideas in the passage. This question is worth 2 points.

Drag your answer choices to the spaces where they belong. To remove an answer choice, drag it back.

For an extended period, scientists have contended that the dinosaur extinction was associated with shifts in climate.

  1. Major shifts in daily and seasonal climates were followed by the retreat of the seas back into the vast ocean basins.
  2. A straightforward climate change fails to account for some crucial data linked to the extinction of dinosaurs at the close of the Cretaceous period.
  3. The receding of the seaways at the conclusion of the Cretaceous period remains largely unexplained.
  4. The sudden nature of extinctions at the end of the Cretaceous and the elevated concentration of Iridium found in clay from that era have inspired the formulation of a new hypothesis.
  5. Some researchers propose that the demise of dinosaurs was caused by the aftermath of an asteroid hitting Earth.
  6. Scientists utilize layers of boundary clay, like the one between the Mesozoic and Cenozoic, to estimate the pace at which a species went extinct.

Complete the Summary Question
In a ‘Complete the Summary’ question, you are given a summary statement of the reading passage and 6 answer options. You need to drag and drop 3 answers that represent major ideas or contain important information from the passage.

You need to drag and drop them from the bottom area of your computer screen into a blank area above with 3 positions marked off . The 3 correct options will NOT have the exact wording of any sentence in the passage. The other 3 will have errors in detail, or state an unimportant concept. This question always has a value of 2 points. You will get 1 point if you get 2 out of 3 correct.
  • spellcheck Answer
    14. b,d,e
[1] There has been a long-standing debate among paleontologists suggesting that the extinction of dinosaurs can be attributed to climate shifts, stemming from gradual alterations in the arrangement of landmasses and oceans due to the movement of tectonic plates. Throughout the Cretaceous era - the last segment of the Mesozoic era when dinosaurs were prevalent - enormous, shallow seas spanned substantial portions of the continents. A variety of sources, such as geochemical traces found in seabed sediments, support the idea that the Late Cretaceous climate was more temperate than it is presently. The climate was neither too scorching during the day, nor too freezing at night. Neither the summers were excessively warm, nor the winters excessively cold. The shallow seas likely acted as temperature regulators for the surrounding air, maintaining a stable climate.

[2] However, geological evidence from the end of the Cretaceous shows a receding of these shallow seas from the continents, moving back into the broader ocean basins. The reasons for this are yet unknown. During a timeframe of roughly 100,000 years, as the seas retreated, global climates experienced drastic fluctuations: days became hotter, nights colder; summers intensified in heat, and winters became chillier. It is possible that such harsh changes in temperature were not sustainable for the dinosaurs, leading to their extinction.

[3] However, if this were accurate, how did ectothermic species such as snakes, lizards, turtles, and crocodiles persist through the icy winters and sweltering summers? These animals are dependent on the environmental conditions to maintain a habitable body temperature. It's perplexing why these creatures weren't impacted, yet dinosaurs were rendered too incapacitated to manage, especially considering the theory posited by some scholars that dinosaurs were endothermic. Detractors also emphasize that the shallow seaways had alternately retreated from and advanced towards the continents numerous times throughout the Mesozoic, so why were the dinosaurs able to survive the climatic shifts related to the earlier variations, but not this one? The theory of a simple climatic alteration tied to sea levels, although initially compelling, fails to thoroughly explain all the available data.

[4] The dissatisfaction with traditional explanations for the extinction of dinosaurs led to a notable observation, which subsequently gave rise to a fresh hypothesis. Numerous plants and animals abruptly cease to appear in the fossil record when transitioning from rock strata marking the end of the Cretaceous to those denoting the start of the Cenozoic (the era succeeding the Mesozoic). Frequently, there is a slender layer of clay between the final layer of Cretaceous rock and the initial layer of Cenozoic rock. Scientists hypothesized that they could approximate the duration of the extinctions by determining the deposition time of this one-centimeter-thick clay layer. They proposed to measure this period by quantifying the amount of the element iridium (Ir) present in the clay.

[5] Iridium (Ir) has been scarce on Earth's surface since the early stages of the planet's formation. As it typically exists in a metallic form, it was predominantly incorporated into the Earth's core as the planet cooled and solidified. Iridium is found in high quantities in some meteorites, where the initial chemical composition of the solar system is retained. Even today, Earth is persistently struck by microscopic meteorites that land on both terrestrial and aquatic surfaces. By quantifying the number of these meteorites that land on Earth over a specific timeframe, scientists can estimate the duration it might have taken to accumulate the observed quantity of Iridium in the boundary clay. These computations indicate that it would have taken approximately one million years. Nevertheless, other trustworthy evidence implies that the deposition of the boundary clay couldn't have spanned one million years. Thus, the unusually elevated concentration of Iridium appears to necessitate a unique explanation.

[6] Considering these pieces of evidence, scientists formulated a hypothesis suggesting that a solitary colossal asteroid, measuring approximately 10 to 15 kilometers in diameter, collided with Earth, resulting in the formation of the boundary clay. Their calculations indicate that the impact generated a dust cloud that obstructed sunlight for several months, impeding photosynthesis in plants, causing continental surface temperatures to plummet below freezing, inducing extreme episodes of acid rain, and significantly elevating long-term global temperatures through the greenhouse effect. This disturbance in the food chain and climate would have led to the extinction of dinosaurs and other organisms within a span of less than fifty years.

Reference Question
1. The word ones in paragraph 1 refers to:
  • survival
  • gene pool
  • attributes and qualities
  • natural selection

Reference Question
In a "Reference" question, you are asked what the highlighted word refers to. If it's a pronoun then you need to identify what word the pronoun is replacing.
  • spellcheck Answer
    1. C
[1] Charles Darwin's Theory of Evolution has earned recognition as one of the most significant and contentious scientific theories ever formulated. Natural selection serves as a fundamental principle within Darwin's Theory of Evolution. A key premise of Darwin's theory asserts that a species always produces more offspring than can survive, with each offspring being inherently unique. Consequently, through random mutation and genetic drift, offspring progressively acquire new traits and characteristics over time. Favorable attributes and qualities that enhance survival become preserved in the gene pool, while detrimental ones are subjected to selective pressure. This process of natural selection ensures the gradual advancement of a species over an extensive temporal span. Conversely, as a species undergoes continuous advancement, it undergoes diversification, ultimately giving rise to distinct species that are no longer capable of interbreeding.

Complete the Table Question
14. Complete the table by matching the phrases below

Directions: Select the appropriate phrases from the answer choices and match them to the Radiocarbon Dating Historical Impact and Environmental Applications to which they relate. Some of the answer choices will NOT be used. This question is worth 4 points.

Drag your answer choices to the spaces where they belong. To remove an answer choice, drag it back. To review the passage, click VIEW TEXT.

Historical Impact of Radiocarbon Dating Environmental Applications of Radiocarbon Dating

  1. Revolutionized the field of archaeology, enabling precise age determination of artifacts and human remains.
  2. Plays a crucial role in studying past climate change
  3. Analyzes organic materials such as tree rings and peat deposits
  4. Instrumental in reshaping our understanding of current civilizations
  5. Helps researchers gain insights into long-term climate trends
  6. Contributes to our understanding of the Earth's possible future problems.

Complete the Table Question
In a “Complete a table” question, you will see 2 or 3 categories in an empty table. From the options provided, you must select which ones correctly belong to each category. There will also be 2 options that won't be used. There will either be 5 or 7 correct options depending on the question.

This question has a value of 3 or 4 points. Questions with 5 correct options are worth 3 points, and ones with 7 are worth 4 points. You get 1 point if you get 3/5 or 4/7 correct. You get 2 points if get 4/5 or 5/7 correct. You get 3 points if you get 5/5 or 6/7 correct

This question tests your ability to organize major ideas of the reading passage and important information. It also tests your understandings of cause-effect relationships and compare and contrast relationships.
  • spellcheck Answer
    14. a|b,c,e
[1] Willard Libby revolutionized dating methods in the late 1940s with the invention of Radiocarbon dating. This scientific technique enables the estimation of an object's age by examining its radiocarbon properties. Radiocarbon is generated in the atmosphere through the interaction of cosmic rays with nitrogen. As a result, carbon dioxide is formed when oxygen combines with radiocarbon. Through photosynthesis, plants absorb this carbon dioxide, and animals, including humans, acquire carbon by consuming these plants. Once a plant or animal dies, the carbon within it begins to decay over time in a process known as radioactive decay. By measuring the remaining carbon content in the object, analysts can ascertain its approximate time of death. The scope of reliable radiocarbon dating extends back to approximately 50,000 years.

[2] Carbon proportion analysis in the atmosphere has been an ongoing pursuit for more than five decades. The burning of fossil fuels and nuclear testing during the 20th century led to a significant increase in atmospheric carbon levels, further complicating carbon calculations. Scientists initially utilized solid carbon samples for testing purposes. However, it was soon realized that converting these samples to liquid or gas form yielded more precise outcomes. The current preferred method of analysis is accelerator mass spectrometry, which involves quantifying all carbon atoms present in the sample. This technique offers rapid and highly accurate results.

[3] The progress in radiocarbon dating has had a profound impact on the field of archaeology, significantly advancing faunal analysis as well. Faunal analysis focuses on studying animal remains to enhance our understanding of past human activities.

[4] The end of the Pleistocene Era witnessed a series of rapid extinctions, particularly among megafauna in the Americas. Notably, Vartanyan et al. reported on the extinction of pygmy mammoths, using radiocarbon dating to date their demise approximately 3700 years before the present. Radiocarbon dating has also been applied to estimate the age of extinct species found in the La Brea tar pits in California. In their faunal analysis, scientists employed a pre-treatment method involving the use of tar. Bones were collected, fragmented, and crushed into smaller pieces. These bone fragments were then subjected to various solvents, including benzene, to analyze species such as the Cuban Caribbean ground sloth and the Xenarthra armadillo. Carbon dating was performed on the organic material extracted from the tar, revealing an estimated dating of the sloth remains to around 5400 years before the present. This information is particularly significant as it suggests a possible correlation between the sloth's extinction and the arrival of humans in Cuba.

[5] Comprehensive research is still required to further investigate the abundance of fossil materials discovered in pits across Central and South America, including the notable site of Talara, Peru. These pits contain numerous remains of extinct megafauna alongside artifacts linked to human activity. Ongoing studies conducted at these sites hold the potential to validate theories regarding extinction events and their impact on human behavior.

[6] Two Creeks Fossil Forest stands as a noteworthy achievement in the realm of radiocarbon dating. Geologists throughout the 20th century sought to establish a precise transition date from the Pleistocene to the Holocene era. The Pleistocene epoch, which commenced around 2.6 million years ago, was followed by the Holocene period approximately 11,700 years ago. The discovery of Two Creeks Fossil Forest in Wisconsin, USA, predated the advent of radiocarbon dating. Initial estimates placed the age of the trees in this forest at around 24,000 years, based on correlations with sequences found in Scandinavia. Libby and subsequent scientists conducted extensive investigations and utilized radiocarbon dating to more accurately determine the age of the trees. Samples from the fossil forest underwent testing in over 70 labs, resulting in a revised dating of approximately 13,730 years before the present. This remarkable achievement significantly contributed to our understanding of glaciation in North America and marked the culmination of the Pleistocene epoch.

How to Prepare for the TOEFL Reading Test

Most students fail on the TOEFL Reading test because of either of the following two reasons

  1. Slow reading speed
  2. Poor reading strategies
Improving your reading speed

For you to improve your reading speed, you need to improve your vocabulary and practice dissecting sentences. One strategy to dissect a sentence is to look for the subject and verb of the sentence. Finding the subject and verb will help you better understand the main idea of said sentence. Keep in mind, a common feature of a TOEFL reading passage is to join strings of ideas to form long compound sentences. This produces large chunks that students have a hard time absorbing. Do not get overwhelmed by its length, just look for the subject and verb, the rest of the ideas will flow. Here is our article on "How to Read Faster By Breaking Down Long Sentences". By following tips and strategies on this article, you will know how to read faster and boost your TOEFL reading score.). Alternatively, you can watch the following 3 videos on how to break down long sentences.

TOEFL Reading Lesson - Breaking down long sentences Part 1 - General breakdown
TOEFL Reading Lesson - Breaking down long sentences Part 2 - Turning long sentences into short ones
TOEFL Reading Lesson - Breaking down long sentences Part 3 - Grammar points

Another disadvantage to having a slow reading speed is it makes skimming or scanning a reading passage more difficult. The process of quickly skimming through a reading passage for specific keywords or main ideas is a requirement for you to employ successful reading strategies to improve your TOEFL reading score. In other words, skimming is a critical skill to ensure you complete all questions in the allotted time frame.

Implementing successful TOEFL reading strategies

Once you can read and comprehend a passage with a rate of, at least, 220 words per minute, you'll be ready to start implementing our strategies. All too often, students spend too much time reading the passages and not enough time answering the questions.

Let's do the math on the following scenario:

  • 3 passages
  • 30 questions
  • 54 minutes

Let's say it takes you around 10 minutes to read each passage meaning you've spent 30 minutes of your 54 minutes reading. So now you only have 24 minutes to answer 30 questions.

Now if you do the math that only leaves you with an average 48 seconds to answer each question. (Let's see...48s x 30q = about 1440secs. Now divide that by 60secs and we get exactly 24 minutes. Yep the math adds up. )

So the only way to increase the overall average time to answer each question, is to reduce the amount of time you spend reading each passage...or maybe you don't read the entire passage at all...maybe you just skim the passage in less than 3 minutes to get the gist of it. By doing that you would leave yourself with double the average time per question around 1 minute and 30 seconds.

That's right! We are suggesting you DON'T read the entire passage, at least not at first. Let's have a look at the step by step guide to this strategy.

  1. Read the the first sentence of every paragraph.
    First, read the first sentence of every paragraph, so you get a basic idea of what the whole reading passage is about. You don't want to read the whole passage before you start answering the questions. That will be inefficient. Many students make this mistake and find themselves running out of time.
  2. The questions first approach Start reading question 1. Remember to only read the question and not the answer choices; Reading the answer choices is a waste of your time and energy. It will not help you. Once you understand the question, start reading the corresponding passage from the beginning in search of the answer. Once you answer question 1, go onto question 2 repeating the steps you took to answer question 1. Do this for every single question. The TOEFL questions proceed in chronological order, so the answer to question 1 is in the beginning of the passage and the answer to question 12 is towards the end.
  3. Don't get stuck! We've discussed this before, but it's so important, we will discuss it again. If you find yourself spending too much time on a question, you must skip it and move on to the next question. Finish all the questions you know, then go back and finish the tougher questions. The absolute worst thing you can do is get stuck for several minutes on a question worth only 1 point. (Want to test this strategy out now? Take a free reading mock test.)
3-Step Study System for TOEFL Reading

Now you should have a good understanding of the reading section's test structure and have experience answering reading questions using the reading timing strategy. It is time to start your TOEFL reading preparation. Below is our 3 step system for preparing for the TOEFL reading section.

Step 1: Complete all TOEFL reading lessons
Step 1 may seem obvious, but it is necessary. You need to complete all our TOEFL reading lessons available to you. Specifically, the reading timing strategy and techniques found throughout the reading lessons. These techniques will help you answer questions faster to give you more time to think and decrease stress levels. Stress can lead to poor performance, so it's important you go into your test prepared and confident.

Step 2: Practice, practice, practice!
For step 2, you will practice and apply the techniques you learned using our TOEFL reading practices. You will find all our reading practices in our Question Bank: Click here to go there now. You can also utilize our TOEFL simulation test software to help improve things like time and stress management during the TOEFL test. Our test simulation software looks and feels identical to an actual TOEFL test. We offer 4 reserved TOEFL simulated tests and another 15 non-reserved practice tests. Reserved tests use questions that are not found in the question bank.

Every time you complete a practice, our TOEFL instructor software will track and record your score and determine what your strengths and weaknesses are in each TOEFL section. It will also offer a study schedule based on what you need the most help on.

Step 3: Learning by reviewing
Step 3 is the most important step. You will need to spend a lot of time on step 3 in order to improve. There is no secret to success. You must work hard. Follow the list below to complete step 3:

  1. Review and redo all questions you got wrong, making sure you understand why you got it wrong.

    Having trouble understanding why you got a question wrong?

    Ask one of our TOEFL instructors for help using our Ask an Instructor feature included with every subscription.

    Our Ask an Instructor feature gives you an opportunity to communicate with our TOEFL instructors. You can ask them anything regarding TOEFL and English.

    To ask a question, simply click the button found on every question in the question bank. Our instructors will answer your question within 1 - 3 business days.
  2. Reread paragraphs until you understand what the passage is about.
  3. Write down any words that you do not understand and learn what they mean.
  4. Study and pay attention to transition words to help you learn to identify and create relationships between sentences.
  5. If you find yourself struggling with a particular academic category, then go through and learn our list of vocabulary for that particular category. If you can, get some cue cards and study them everyday. Later, come back to the question and you will find you are no longer struggling with it!

Our TOEFL Reading Practice Questions

Our TOEFL reading practice questions were designed to look and feel identical to the official TOEFL test. We made sure everything was the same including difficulty, formatting, and even how the test functions. If you're curious about the amount of TOEFL reading practices we have, then open the reading question menu and see for yourself. Please note we offer 4 simulated TOEFL tests with never before seen questions. This means that in addition to our mock reading practices there are an additional 12 waiting for you in the form of a simulated TOEFL test. You just have to go to our TOEFL Practice Test section. However, you'll need a premium account to access those tests.

The TOEFL Reading section is the easiest section to prepare for. We believe that once you can master the reading strategies mentioned earlier in this article and complete all available TOEFL reading practices before your TOEFL exam, you will get a high score on the TOEFL reading section.

If you need help with vocabulary to improve your reading speed, you can use our vocabulary system which includes:

  1. TOEFL Vocabulary Lists (There is a mini-lesson for each vocabulary that teaches you how to use the word correctly.)
  2. TOEFL Vocabulary Flashcards (Keep track of which words you know and which you don't)
  3. TOEFL Vocabulary Exercises (Interactive exercises that speeds up learning)
What's next

Sign up for a 7 day free trial to access the following basic TOEFL reading lessons and start your TOEFL preparation.

  • TOEFL Reading Introduction
  • TOEFL Reading Strategies for Success
  • Vocabulary Question
  • Reference Question
  • Inference Question
  • Essential Information Question
  • Sentence Insertion Question
  • Purpose Question
  • Detail Question
  • Negative Factual Information Question
  • Complete The Summary Question
  • Complete The Table Question

Free TOEFL Reading English Resources

A strong Reading comprehension is critical to scoring high in the TOEFL reading test. Utilizing our resources will help you improve your TOEFL reading skills significantly, but sometimes it's nice to sit back and read something that isn't related to TOEFL. Luke something relaxing that can still help improve your overall reading comprehension.

Below are a few amazing free resources you can use to train and maintain your TOEFL reading skills.

1. FluentU - 7 Easy English Reading Resources

This resource doesn't contain any material for improving your reading skills, but what it does do is provide some really high quality free resources you can use for your reading comprehension. FYI, you'll need to scroll down a bit to get to the resource list, but it's worth it.

2. British Council - Read Upper B2 Intermediate Stories with Exercises

Have you heard of the British Council? They help create IELTS test questions. The page I'm linking you to is a reading comprehension page. It's a little hard to find at first, so what you need to do is click on either magazine or stories found on the bottom left side, you can't miss it. It doesn't matter what you choose, they both offer the same training. You'll be taken to a new page where you can select the post that interests you. Within that post, you can start your reading training.

3. ETS TOEFL - Free & Paid TOEFL Resources

you can never go wrong with official TOEFL reading preparation from the makers of TOEFL. Scroll down and you will find some free resources that will surely help you improve your TOEFL reading score.

4. Wikipedia

If we're talking about TOEFL reading practice, then Wikipedia deserves a spot. It only has, basically, unlimited reading resources of almost every single reading topic you can think of. Definitely has 100% of topics that will appear in your TOEFL reading test. However, the one downside is the reading can be a bit dry, but if you can make it into a reading training exercise, that should help keep your attention.

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