SOLUTION & EXPLANATION FOR TOEFL IBT READING PRACTICE TEST 08 ( FROM TOEFL IBT IVY’S READING 15 ACTUAL TESTS)
KEY
1. (A) 2. (D) 3. (B) 4. (D) 5. (A) 6. (C) 7. (C) 8. (B) 9. (D) 10. (C) 11. (B)
1. Inference I (A)
Q. What can be inferred from paragraph 1 about the origin of Ancient Puebloan culture?
Why? (A) can be inferred from the information in lines 23-26. ••See Clue 1(A)
Why Not? (B) Incorrect See lines 7-11 / (C) Incorrect «-See lines 23-26/ (D) Not supported
2. Vocabulary I (D)
Q. The word predecessors in the passage is closest in meaning to
Why? ancestors can replace predecessors in this context. «-See Clue 2(D)[lines 27-28]
predecessor n. person who was a member of one’s family a long time ago and from whom one is descended
ancestor n. person from whom one is descended, especially if more remote than a grandparent
3. Factual Information I (B)
Q. According to paragraph 2, there is no Pueblo term for their culture’s ancestors because
Why? See Clue 3(B)[lines 30-33]
Because the different groups of modern Pueblos speak different languages, there is no single term for their common ancestors,
Why Not? (A), (C), (D) Not mentioned
4. Inference I (D)
Q. What can be inferred from paragraph 2 about the term Anasazi?
Why? (D) can be inferred from the information in lines 35-39. ~See Clue 4(D)
Why Not? (A), (C) Not supported / (B) Incorrect **See lines 35-36
5. Vocabulary | (A)
Q. The word fortified in the passage is closest in meaning to
Why? strengthened can replace fortified in this context. **-See Clue 5{A)[lines 46-49]
• fortify v. to build physical structures around an area or city for defense
• strengthen v. to make something able to withstand more
6. Reference | (C)
Q. The word that in the passage refers to
Why? Small groups of households composed early communities that eventually expanded into hamlets, villages, and then towns. ^See Clue 6<C)[lines 62-65]
7. Rhetorical Purpose I (C)
Q. Why does the author mention food and wafer supplies in paragraph 4?
Why? Food and water supplies are mentioned as a purpose over which Puebloan communities joined together. ^See Clue 7(C)[lines 67-69]
8. Vocabulary I (B)
Q. The word flourished in the passage is closest in meaning to
Why? thrived can replace flourished in this context. **-See Clue 8(B)[lines 79-81]
• flourish v. to develop and be successful
• thrive v. to prosper and become very successful
9. Factual Information I (D)
Q. According to the passage, what happened to the Ancient Puebloans between 1000 and 1300 AD?
Why? ~See Clue 9(D)[lines 83-85]
► From about 1000 to 1300 AD, Ancient Puebloan culture is believed to have reached a climax …
Why Not? (A) It was after 1300 AD that the Ancient Puebloans left the region that their culture had inhabited for centuries. **See lines 87-881 (B), (C) Not mentioned
10. Vocabulary I (C)
Q. The word lingering in the passage is closest in meaning to
Why? remaining can replace lingering in this context. **See Clue 10(C)[lines 94-97]
• lingering adj. continuing to exist for longer than normal or wanted
• remaining adj. being left over
11. Sentence Simplification I (B)
Q. Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in the passage? Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.
Why? As many as ten thousand of the Ancient Puebloans may have moved southward into the Rio Grande Valley, //which is where Spaniards encountered them a few hundred years later and called them pueblos, meaning “towns’ in Spanish.
Why Not? (A), (D) Not mentioned / (C) Incorrect
12. Insert Text | [C]
Q. Look at the four squares [■] that indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage.
Why? [B] Using stone hammers to shape sandstone blocks for construction, they later moved from jacal homes to larger, multi-level stone buildings, eventually carving them into cliffs—most likely for protection against enemies. [C] Such dwellings had other advantages astwell because cliff dwellings provided extra protection from weather and did not take up land that could be used for agriculture.
► “Such dwellings” in the given sentence refers to “carving them into cliffs.”
13. Prose Summary
Q. 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.
Why? Although archaeologists have evidence about the origin and expansion of the Ancient Puebloan population, they still wonder about the reason for its departure from the Four Comers region.
| Correct Answer Choices | Clues in the passage |
| (A) It is estimated that the Ancient Puebloans first appeared in the fertile Four Corners region around 2000 to 3500 years ago. | Clue 13(A)[lines 23-26] most agree that it was well established in the Four Corners region by at least 1 AD, though some trace its origins as far back as 1500 BC. |
| (C) Architecture and crafts in the Four Corners region reveal the Ancient Puebloans’ cultural growth. | Clue 13(C)[lines 80-82] Ancient Puebloan culture and art flourished, as seen in numerous baskets and pottery crafts
[lines 84-87] Ancient Puebloan culture is believed to have reached a climax, particularly in the areas of pottery, weaving, and architecture |
| (D) Archaeologists cannot prove why the Ancient Puebloan population departed from the Four Comers region. | Clue 13{D)[lines 91-92] What caused the Ancient Puebloans to leave is not entirely clear to archaeologists. |
► The whole passage focuses on the history of the Ancient Puebloans and their cultural development. And it follows that <(A) The origin of the Ancient Puebloans — (C) The culture of the Ancient Puebloans — (D) Relocation of the Ancient Puebloans)