® TOEFL iBT Sample Questions This is a representation of the content that appears on the TOEFL Web site www.ets.org/toefl Listening Learning Leading Copyright © 2005 by Educational Testing Service All rights reserved This publication may be photocopied TOEFL iBT Sample Test Questions The Next Generation TOEFL Test—TOEFL iBT Test Sample Questions Sample questions for the Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing sections of the next generation TOEFL test are like the ones you will be presented with at the test center These sample questions are noninteractive view only To take the interactive practice questions and receive feedback about your English skills, go to the TOEFL Practice Online Community (http://toeflpractice.ets.org/) The actual test will be delivered via the Internet at secure, official test centers This will make TOEFL an Internet-based test (iBT) Test takers will not be able to take the official test at home on the Internet General Test Information This is a test of your ability to use English in an academic context There are four sections that make up the complete test In the Reading section, you will answer questions about three reading passages In the Listening section, you will answer questions about two conversations and four lectures In the Speaking section, you will answer six questions Some of the questions ask you to speak based on your own experience Other questions ask you to speak about lectures you have heard and/or passages you have read In the Writing section, you will answer two questions The first question asks you to write about the relationship between a lecture you will hear and a passage you will read The second asks you to write an essay about a topic of general interest based on your experience You will have a 10-minute break after the Listening section There will be directions for each section which explain how to answer the questions in that section You should work quickly but carefully on the Listening and Reading questions Some questions are more difficult than others, but try to answer every one to the best of your ability If you are not sure of the answer to a question, make the best guess that you can The questions that you answer by speaking and writing are each separately timed Try to answer every one of these questions as completely as possible in the time allowed When you are ready to continue, click on the Dismiss Directions icon Copyright © 2005 ETS All rights reserved TOEFL iBT Sample Test Questions Test Sample Questions for Reading Sample questions for the Reading section of the next generation TOEFL test are like the ones you will be presented with at the test center beginning in September 2005 These sample questions are noninteractive view only To take the interactive practice questions and receive feedback about your English skills go to the TOEFL Practice Online Community (http://toeflpractice.ets.org/) The actual test will be delivered via the Internet at secure, official test centers This will make TOEFL an Internet-based test (iBT) Test takers will not be able to take the official test at home on the Internet Reading Section Directions In this section you will read three passages and answer reading comprehension questions about each passage Most questions are worth one point, but the last question in each set is worth more than one point The directions indicate how many points you may receive You will have 60 minutes to read all of the passages and answer the questions Some passages include a word or phrase that is underlined in blue Click on the word or phrase to see a definition or an explanation When you want to move on to the next question, click on Next You can skip questions and go back to them later as long as long as there is time remaining If you want to return to previous questions, click on Back You can click on Review at any time and the review screen will show you which questions you have answered and which you have not From this review screen, you may go directly to any question you have already seen in the reading section When you are ready to continue, click on the Dismiss Directions icon Opportunists and Competitors Growth, reproduction, and daily metabolism all require an organism to expend energy The expenditure of energy is essentially a process of budgeting, just as finances are budgeted If all of one’s money is spent on clothes, there may be none left to buy food or go to the movies Similarly, a plant or animal cannot squander all its energy on growing a big body if none would be left over for reproduction, for this is the surest way to extinction All organisms, therefore, allocate energy to growth, reproduction, maintenance, and storage No choice is involved; this allocation comes as part of the genetic package from the parents Maintenance for a given body design of an organism is relatively constant Storage is important, but ultimately that energy will be used for maintenance, reproduction, or growth Therefore the principal differences in energy allocation are likely to be between growth and reproduction Almost all of an organism’s energy can be diverted to reproduction, with very little allocated to building the body Organisms at this extreme are “opportunists.” At the other extreme are “competitors,” almost all of whose resources are invested in building a huge body, with a bare minimum allocated to reproduction Dandelions are good examples of opportunists Their seedheads raised just high enough above the ground to catch the wind, the plants are no bigger than they need be, their stems are hollow, and all the rigidity comes from their water content Thus, a minimum investment has been made in the body that becomes a platform for seed dispersal These very short-lived plants reproduce prolifically; that is to say they provide a constant rain of seed in the neighborhood of parent plants A new plant will spring up Copyright © 2005 ETS All rights reserved TOEFL iBT Sample Test Questions wherever a seed falls on a suitable soil surface, but because they not build big bodies, they cannot compete with other plants for space, water, or sunlight These plants are termed opportunists because they rely on their seeds’ falling into settings where competing plants have been removed by natural processes, such as along an eroding riverbank, on landslips, or where a tree falls and creates a gap in the forest canopy Opportunists must constantly invade new areas to compensate for being displaced by more competitive species Human landscapes of lawns, fields, or flowerbeds provide settings with bare soil and a lack of competitors that are perfect habitats for colonization by opportunists Hence, many of the strongly opportunistic plants are the common weeds of fields and gardens Because each individual is short-lived, the population of an opportunist species is likely to be adversely affected by drought, bad winters, or floods If their population is tracked through time, it will be seen to be particularly unstable—soaring and plummeting in irregular cycles The opposite of an opportunist is a competitor These organisms tend to have big bodies, are longlived, and spend relatively little effort each year on reproduction An oak tree is a good example of a competitor A massive oak claims its ground for 200 years or more, outcompeting all other would-be canopy trees by casting a dense shade and drawing up any free water in the soil The leaves of an oak tree taste foul because they are rich in tannins, a chemical that renders them distasteful or indigestible to many organisms The tannins are part of the defense mechanism that is essential to longevity Although oaks produce thousands of acorns, the investment in a crop of acorns is small compared with the energy spent on building leaves, trunk, and roots Once an oak tree becomes established, it is likely to survive minor cycles of drought and even fire A population of oaks is likely to be relatively stable through time, and its survival is likely to depend more on its ability to withstand the pressures of competition or predation than on its ability to take advantage of chance events It should be noted, however, that the pure opportunist or pure competitor is rare in nature, as most species fall between the extremes of a continuum, exhibiting a blend of some opportunistic and some competitive characteristics The word squander in the passage is closest in meaning to • • • • extend transform activate waste The word none in the passage refers to • • • • food plant or animal energy big body In paragraph 1, the author explains the concept of energy expenditure by • • • • identifying types of organisms that became extinct comparing the scientific concept to a familiar human experience arguing that most organisms conserve rather than expend energy describing the processes of growth, reproduction, and metabolism Copyright © 2005 ETS All rights reserved TOEFL iBT Sample Test Questions Paragraph is marked with an arrow According to the passage, the classification of organisms as “opportunists” or “competitors” is determined by • • • • how the genetic information of an organism is stored and maintained the way in which the organism invests its energy resources whether the climate in which the organism lives is mild or extreme the variety of natural resources the organism consumes in its environment The word dispersal in the passage is closest in meaning to • • • • development growth distribution protection 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 • • • • Because their seeds grow in places where competing plants are no longer present, dandelions are classified as opportunists Dandelions are called opportunists because they contribute to the natural processes of erosion and the creation of gaps in the forest canopy The term opportunists applies to plants whose seeds fall in places where they can compete with the seeds of other plants The term opportunists applies to plants whose falling seeds are removed by natural processes The word massive in the passage is closest in meaning to • • • • huge ancient common successful All of the following are mentioned in paragraph as contributing to the longevity of an oak tree EXCEPT • • • • the capacity to create shade leaves containing tannin the ability to withstand mild droughts and fire the large number of acorns the tree produces Copyright © 2005 ETS All rights reserved TOEFL iBT Sample Test Questions Paragraph is marked with an arrow According to the passage, oak trees are considered competitors because • • • • they grow in areas free of opportunists they spend more energy on their leaves, trunks and roots than on their acorns their population tends to increase or decrease in irregular cycles unlike other organisms, they not need much water or sunlight 10 In paragraph 7, the author suggests that most species of organisms • • • • are primarily opportunists are primarily competitors begin as opportunists and evolve into competitors have some characteristics of opportunists and some of competitors Paragraph is marked with an arrow 11 Look at the four squares passage that indicate where the following sentence could be added to the Such episodic events will cause a population of dandelions, for example, to vary widely Where would the sentence best fit? Click on a square to add the sentence to the passage Copyright © 2005 ETS All rights reserved TOEFL iBT Sample Test Questions 12 Directions: Complete the table by matching the phrases below Directions: Select the appropriate phrases from the answer choices and match them to the type of organism to which they relate TWO of the answer choices will NOT be used This question is worth points Drag your answer choices to the spaces where they belong To remove an answer choice, click on it To review the passage, click on View Text Answer Choices Opportunists Vary frequently the amount of energy they spend in body maintenance Have mechanisms for protecting themselves from predation Succeed in locations where other organisms have been removed Have relatively short life spans Invest energy in the growth of large, strong structures Have populations that are unstable in response to climate conditions Competitors Can rarely find suitable soil for reproduction Produce individuals that can withstand changes in the environmental conditions Reproduce in large numbers Copyright © 2005 ETS All rights reserved TOEFL iBT Sample Test Questions Lascaux Cave Paintings In Southwest France in the 1940’s, playing children discovered Lascaux Grotto, a series of narrow cave chambers that contain huge prehistoric paintings of animals Many of these beasts are as large as 16 feet (almost meters) Some follow each other in solemn parades, but others swirl about, sideways and upside down The animals are bulls, wild horses, reindeer, bison, and mammoths outlined with charcoal and painted mostly in reds, yellow, and browns Scientific analysis reveals that the colors were derived from ocher and other iron oxides ground into a fine powder Methods of applying color varied: some colors were brushed or smeared on rock surfaces and others were blown or sprayed It is possible that tubes made from animal bones were used for spraying because hollow bones, some stained with pigment, have been found nearby One of the most puzzling aspects of the paintings is their location Other rock paintings—for example, those of Bushmen in South Africa—are either located near cave entrances or completely in the open Cave paintings in France and Spain, however, are in recesses and caverns far removed from original cave entrances This means that artists were forced to work in cramped spaces and without sources of natural light It also implies that whoever made them did not want them to be easily found Since cave dwellers normally lived close to entrances, there must have been some reason why so many generations of Lascaux cave dwellers hid their art Scholars offer three related but different opinions about the mysterious origin and significance of these paintings One opinion is that the paintings were a record of seasonal migrations made by herds Because some paintings were made directly over others, obliterating them, it is probable that a painting’s value ended with the migration it pictured Unfortunately, this explanation fails to explain the hidden locations, unless the migrations were celebrated with secret ceremonies Another opinion is that the paintings were directly related to hunting and were an essential part of a special preparation ceremony This opinion holds that the pictures and whatever ceremony they accompanied were an ancient method of psychologically motivating hunters It is conceivable that before going hunting the hunters would draw or study pictures of animals and imagine a successful hunt Considerable support exists for this opinion because several animals in the pictures are wounded by arrows and spears This opinion also attempts to solve the overpainting by explaining that an animal’s picture had no further use after the hunt A third opinion takes psychological motivation much further into the realm of tribal ceremonies and mystery: the belief that certain animals assumed mythical significance as ancient ancestors or protectors of a given tribe or clan Two types of images substantiate this theory: the strange, indecipherable geometric shapes that appear near some animals, and the few drawings of men Wherever men appear they are crudely drawn and their bodies are elongated and rigid Some men are in a prone position and some have bird or animal heads Advocates for this opinion point to reports from people who have experienced a trance state, a highly suggestive state of low consciousness between waking and sleeping Uniformly, these people experienced weightlessness and the sensation that their bodies were being stretched lengthwise Advocates also point to people who believe that the forces of nature are inhabited by spirits, particularly shamans* who believe that an animal’s spirit and energy is transferred to them while in a trance One Lascaux narrative picture, which shows a man with a birdlike head and a wounded animal, would seem to lend credence to this third opinion, but there is still much that remains unexplained For example, where is the proof that the man in the picture is a shaman? He could as easily be a hunter wearing a headmask Many tribal hunters, including some Native Americans, camouflaged themselves by wearing animal heads and hides Perhaps so much time has passed that there will never be satisfactory answers to the cave images, but their mystique only adds to their importance Certainly a great art exists, and by its existence reveals that ancient human beings were not without intelligence, skill, and sensitivity *shamans: holy people who act as healers and diviners Copyright © 2005 ETS All rights reserved TOEFL iBT Sample Test Questions 13 The word others in the passage refers to • • • • chambers paintings beasts parades 14 The word Methods in the passage is closest in meaning to • • • • Ways Shades Stages Rules 15 What are the bones found in the Lascaux caves believed to indicate? • • • • Wild animals sometimes lived in the cave chambers Artists painted pictures on both walls and bones Artists ground them into a fine powder to make paint Artists developed special techniques for painting the walls 16 Why does the author mention Bushmen in South Africa in paragraph 2? • • • • To suggest that ancient artists from all over the world painted animals on rocks To contrast the location of their rock paintings to those found at Lascaux To support the claim that early artists worked in cramped spaces To give an example of other artists who painted in hidden locations Paragraph is marked with an arrow 17 What can be inferred from paragraph about cave painters in France and Spain? • • • • They also painted rocks outside caves They did not live close to the cave entrances They developed their own sources of light to use while painting Their painting practices did not last for many years Paragraph is marked with an arrow 18 Why does the author mention secret ceremonies? • • • • To present a common opinion held by many scholars To suggest a similarity between two opinions held by scholars To suggest a possible explanation for a weakness in an opinion expressed in the passage To give evidence that contradicts a major opinion expressed in the passage Copyright © 2005 ETS All rights reserved TOEFL iBT Sample Test Questions 19 The word accompanied in the passage is closest in meaning to • • • • represented developed into were associated with came after 20 According to paragraph 4, why some scholars believe that the paintings were related to hunting? • • • • Because some tools used for painting were also used for hunting Because cave inhabitants were known to prefer animal food rather than plant food Because some of the animals are shown wounded by weapons Because many hunters were also typically painters Paragraph is marked with an arrow 21 According to paragraph 5, why some scholars refer to a trance state to help understand the cave paintings? • • • • To explain the state of consciousness the artists were in when they painted their pictures To demonstrate the mythical significance of the strange geometric shapes To indicate that trance states were often associated with activities that took place inside caves To give a possible reason for the strange appearance of the men painted on the cave walls Paragraph is marked with an arrow 22 According to paragraph 5, if the man pictured with the birdlike head is not a shaman, he may have worn the headmask • • • • to look like an animal while a hunt took place to frighten off other hunters competing for food to prove that he is not a shaman to resist forces of nature thought to be present in animals Paragraph is marked with an arrow 23 According to paragraph 6, why might the puzzling questions about the paintings never be answered? • • • • Keeping the paintings a mystery will increase their importance The artists hid their tools with great intelligence and skill Too many years have gone by since the images were painted Answering the questions is not very important to scholars Paragraph is marked with an arrow Copyright © 2005 ETS All rights reserved TOEFL iBT Sample Test Questions Test Sample Questions for Speaking Sample questions for the Speaking section of the next generation TOEFL test are like the ones you will be presented with at the test center beginning in September 2005 These sample questions are noninteractive view only To take the interactive practice questions and receive feedback about your English skills go to the TOEFL Practice Online Community (http://toeflpractice.ets.org/) The actual test will be delivered via the Internet at secure, official test centers This will make TOEFL an Internet-based test (iBT) Test takers will not be able to take the official test at home on the Internet Speaking Section Directions In this section of the test, you will be able to demonstrate your ability to speak about a variety of topics You will answer six questions by speaking into the microphone Answer each of the questions as completely as possible In questions one and two, you will speak about familiar topics Your response will be scored on your ability to speak clearly and coherently about the topics In questions three and four, you will first read a short text The text will go away and you will then listen to a talk on the same topic You will then be asked a question about what you have read and heard You will need to combine appropriate information from the test and the talk to provide a complete answer to the question Your response will be scored on your ability to speak clearly and coherently and on your ability to accurately convey information about what you read and heard In questions five and six, you will listen to part of a conversation or a lecture You will then be asked a question about what you heard Your response will be scored on your ability to speak clearly and coherently and on your ability to accurately convey information about what you heard You may take notes while you read and while you listen to the conversations and lectures You may use your notes to help prepare your response Listen carefully to the directions for each question The directions will not be written on the screen For each question you will be given a short time to prepare your response A clock will show how much preparation time is remaining When the preparation time is up, you will be told to begin your response A clock will show how much response time is remaining A message will appear on the screen when the response time has ended Copyright © 2005 ETS All rights reserved 51 TOEFL iBT Sample Test Questions Speaking Please Listen Carefully Narrator Describe a class you have taken in school and explain why the class was important to you Include details and examples to support your explanation Please begin speaking after the beep [2 secs beep] [Appearing on screen] Describe a class you have taken in school and explain why the class was important to you Include details and examples to support your explanation Preparation time: Response time: 15 seconds 45 seconds Copyright © 2005 ETS All rights reserved 52 TOEFL iBT Sample Test Questions Speaking Please Listen Carefully Narrator You may begin to prepare your response after the beep [2 secs beep] Narrator Some universities require first-year students to live in dormitories on campus Others allow students to live off campus Which policy you think is better for first-year students and why? Include details and examples in your explanation Please begin speaking after the beep [2 secs beep] [Appearing on screen] Some universities require first-year students to live in dormitories on campus Others allow students to live off campus Which policy you think is better for first-year students and why? Include details and examples in your explanation Preparation time: Response time: 15 seconds 45 seconds Copyright © 2005 ETS All rights reserved 53 TOEFL iBT Sample Test Questions Speaking Please Listen Carefully Narrator You may begin to prepare your response after the beep [2 secs beep] Narrator City University is planning to increase tuition and fees Read the announcement about the increase from the president of City University You will have 45 seconds to read the announcement Begin reading now Reading Time: 45 seconds Announcement from the president The university has decided to increase tuition and fees for all students by approximately percent next semester For the past years, the tuition and fees have remained the same, but it is necessary to increase them now for several reasons The university has many more students than we had five years ago, and we must hire additional professors to teach these students We have also made a new commitment to research and technology, and will be renovating and upgrading our laboratory facilities to better meet our students’ needs Narrator Now listen to two students as they discuss the announcement [2 seconds] Student A Oh great, now we have to come up with more money for next semester Student B Yeah, I know, but I can see why When I first started here, classes were so much smaller than they are now With this many students, it’s hard to get the personal attention you need Copyright © 2005 ETS All rights reserved 54 TOEFL iBT Sample Test Questions Student A Yeah, I guess you’re right You know, in some classes I can’t even get a seat And I couldn’t take the math course I wanted to because it was already full when I signed up Student B And the other thing is, well, I am kind of worried about not being able to get a job after I graduate Student A Why? I mean you’re doing really well in your classes, aren’t you? Student B I’m doing ok, but the facilities here are so limited There are some great new experiments in microbiology that we can’t even here there isn’t enough equipment in the laboratories, and the equipment they have is out of date How am I going to compete for jobs with people who have practical research experience? I think the extra tuition will be a good investment [2 seconds] Narrator The woman expresses her opinion of the announcement made by the university president State her opinion and explain the reasons she gives for holding that opinion Please begin speaking after the beep [2 secs beep] [Appearing on screen] The woman expresses her opinion of the announcement made by the university president State her opinion and explain the reasons she gives for holding that opinion Preparation time: Response time: 30 seconds 60 seconds Copyright © 2005 ETS All rights reserved 55 TOEFL iBT Sample Test Questions Speaking Narrator Please Listen Carefully Narrator You may begin to prepare your response after the beep [2 secs beep] Narrator Now read the passage about animal domestication You have 45 seconds to read the passage Begin reading now Reading Time: 45 seconds Animal Domestication For thousands of years, humans have been able to domesticate, or tame, many large mammals that in the wild live together in herds Once tamed, these mammals are used for agricultural work and transportation Yet some herd mammals are not easily domesticated A good indicator of an animal’s suitability for domestication is how protective the animal is of its territory Non-territorial animals are more easily domesticated than territorial animals because they can live close together with animals from other herds A second indicator is that animals with a hierarchical social structure, in which herd members follow a leader, are easy to domesticate, since a human can function as the “leader” Narrator Now listen to part of a lecture on this topic in an ecology class [2 seconds] Copyright © 2005 ETS All rights reserved 56 TOEFL iBT Sample Test Questions Professor So we’ve been discussing the suitability of animals for domestication particularly animals that live together in herds Now, if we take horses, for example in the wild, horses live in herds that consist of one male and several females and their young When a herd moves, the dominant male leads, with the dominant female and her young immediately behind him The dominant female and her young are then followed immediately by the second most important female and her young, and so on This is why domesticated horses can be harnessed one after the other in a row They’re “programmed” to follow the lead of another horse On top of that, you often find different herds of horses in the wild occupying overlapping areas they don’t fight off other herds that enter the same territory But it’s exactly the opposite with an animal like the uh, the antelope which well, antelopes are herd animals too But unlike horses, a male antelope will fight fiercely to prevent another male from entering its territory during the breeding season, ok very different from the behavior of horses Try keeping a couple of male antelopes together in a small space and see what happens Also, antelopes don’t have a social hierarchy they don’t instinctively follow any leader That makes it harder for humans to control their behavior [2 seconds] Narrator The professor describes the behavior of horses and antelope in herds Explain how their behavior is related to their suitability for domestication Please begin speaking after the beep [2 secs beep] [Appearing on screen] The professor describes the behavior of horses and antelope in herds Explain how their behavior is related to their suitability for domestication Preparation time: Response time: 30 seconds 60 seconds Copyright © 2005 ETS All rights reserved 57 TOEFL iBT Sample Test Questions Speaking Narrator Please Listen Carefully Narrator You may begin to prepare your response after the beep [2 secs beep] Narrator Now listen to a conversation between two students Student A Hey Lisa, how’s it going? Student B Hi Mark Uh, I’m OK, I guess, but my schoolwork is really stressing me out Student A [sympathetically] Yeah? What’s wrong? Student B Well, I’ve got a paper to write, and two exams to study for And a bunch of math problems to finish It’s just so much that I can’t concentrate on any of it I start concentrating on studying for one of my exams, and then I’m like, how long’s it gonna take to finish that problem set? Student A Wow sounds like you’ve got a lot more work than you can handle right now [Not wanting to sound too pushy] Look have you talked to some of your professors I mean, you know , try to explain the problem Look, you could probably get an extension on your paper, or on the math assignment Copyright © 2005 ETS All rights reserved 58 TOEFL iBT Sample Test Questions Student B You think? It would give me a little more time to prepare for my exams right now Student A Well, I mean another thing that you might I mean have you tried making yourself a schedule? I mean that’s what I when I’m feeling overwhelmed Student B What does that for you? Student A Well, I mean it helps you to focus your energies You know, you make yourself a chart that shows the next few days and the time till your stuff is due and Student B Uh-huh [meaning “I’m listening”] Student A I mean think about what you need to do, and when you have to it by You know then start filling in your schedule like, all right 9:00 [nine] to 11:30 [eleven-thirty] A.M., study for exam 12:00 [twelve] to 3:00 [three], work on problem set But I mean don’t make the time periods too long Like, don’t put in eight hours of studying you know, you’ll get tired, or start worrying about your other work again But if you keep to your schedule, you know you’ll just have to worry about one thing at a time Student B Yeah, that might work [somewhat noncommitally] Narrator The students discuss two possible solutions to the woman’s problem Describe the problem Then state which of the two solutions you prefer and explain why Please begin speaking after the beep [2 secs beep] [Appearing on screen] The students discuss two possible solutions to the woman’s problem Describe the problem Then state which of the two solutions you prefer and explain why Preparation time: Response time: 20 seconds 60 seconds Copyright © 2005 ETS All rights reserved 59 TOEFL iBT Sample Test Questions Speaking Narrator Please Listen Carefully Narrator You may begin to prepare your response after the beep [2 secs beep] Narrator Now listen to part of a talk in a United States history class Professor Because the United States is such a large country, it took time for a common national culture to emerge A hundred years ago there was very little communication among the different regions of the United States One result of this lack of communication was that people around the United States had very little in common with one another People in different parts of the country spoke differently, dressed differently, and behaved differently But connections among Americans began to increase thanks to two technological innovations: the automobile and the radio Now automobiles began to be mass produced in the 1920’s, which meant they became less expensive and more widely available Americans in small towns and rural communities now had the ability to travel easily to nearby cities They could even take vacations to other parts of the country This increased mobility that automobiles provided changed people’s attitudes and created links that hadn’t existed before For example, people in small towns began to adopt behaviors, clothes, and speech that were popular in big cities or in other parts of the country As more Americans were purchasing cars, radio ownership was also increasing dramatically Americans in different regions of the country began to listen to the same popular radio programs and the same musical artists People repeated things they heard on the radio some phrases and speech patterns they heard in songs and on radio programs began to be used by people all over the United States People also listened to news reports on the radio So they heard the same news throughout the country, whereas in newspapers much of the news tended to be local So radio brought Americans together by offering them shared experiences and information about events all around the country Copyright © 2005 ETS All rights reserved 60 TOEFL iBT Sample Test Questions Narrator Using points and examples from the talk, explain how the automobile and the radio contributed to a common culture in the United States Please begin speaking after the beep [2 secs beep] [Appearing on screen] Using points and examples from the talk, explain how the automobile and the radio contributed to a common culture in the United States Preparation time: Response time: 20 seconds 60 seconds Copyright © 2005 ETS All rights reserved 61 TOEFL iBT Sample Test Questions Test Sample Questions for Writing Sample questions for the Writing section of the next generation TOEFL test are like the ones you will be presented with at the test center beginning in September 2005 These sample questions are noninteractive view only To take the interactive practice questions and receive feedback about your English skills go to the TOEFL Practice Online Community (http://toeflpractice.ets.org/) The actual test will be delivered via the Internet at secure, official test centers This will make TOEFL an Internet-based test (iBT) Test takers will not be able to take the official test at home on the Internet Writing Section Directions Make sure your headset is on This section measures your ability to use writing to communicate in an academic environment There will be two writing tasks For the first writing task, you will read a passage and listen to a lecture and then answer a question based on what you have read and heard For the second writing task, you will answer a question based on your own knowledge and experience Now listen to the directions for the first writing task Writing Based on Reading and Listening Directions For this task, you will first have three minutes to read a passage about an academic topic You may take notes on the passage if you wish The passage will then be removed and you will listen to a lecture about the same topic While you listen, you may also take notes Then you will have 20 minutes to write a response to a question that asks you about the relationship between the lecture you heard and the reading passage Try to answer the question as completely as possible using information from the reading passage and the lecture The question does not ask you to express your personal opinion You will be able to see the reading passage again when it is time for you to write You may use your notes to help you answer the question Typically, an effective response will be 150 to 225 words long Your response will be judged on the quality of your writing and on the completeness and accuracy of the content If you finish your response before time is up, you may click on Next to go on to the second writing task Now you will see the reading passage for five minutes Remember it will be available to you again when you write immediately after the reading time ends The lecture will begin, so keep your headset on until the lecture is over Copyright © 2005 ETS All rights reserved 62 TOEFL iBT Sample Test Questions Writing Directions: You have 20 minutes to plan and write your response Your response will be judged on the basis of the quality of your writing and on how well your response presents the points in the lecture and their relationship to the reading passage Typically, an effective response will be 150 to 225 words Altruism is a type of behavior in which an animal sacrifices its own interest for that of another animal or group of animals Altruism is the opposite of selfishness; individuals performing altruistic acts gain nothing for themselves Examples of altruism abound, both among humans and among other mammals Unselfish acts among humans range from the sharing of food with strangers to the donation of body organs to family members, and even to strangers Such acts are altruistic in that they benefit another, yet provide little reward to the one performing the act In fact, many species of animals appear willing to sacrifice food, or even their life, to assist other members of their group The meerkat, which is a mammal that dwells in burrows in grassland areas of Africa, is often cited as an example In groups of meerkats, an individual acts as a sentinel, standing guard and looking out for predators while the others hunt for food or eat food they have obtained If the sentinel meerkat sees a predator such as a hawk approaching the group, it gives an alarm cry alerting the other meerkats to run and seek shelter By standing guard, the sentinel meerkat gains nothing—it goes without food while the others eat, and it places itself in grave danger After it issues an alarm it has to flee alone, which might make it more at risk to a predator, since animals in groups are often able to work together to fend off a predator So the altruistic sentinel behavior helps ensure the survival of other members of the meerkat’s group Narrator Now listen to part of a lecture on the topic you just read about Professor You know, often in science, new findings force us to re-examine earlier beliefs and assumptions And a recent study of meerkats is having exactly this effect The study examined the meerkat’s behavior quite closely, much more closely than had ever been done before And some interesting things were found like about eating habits it showed that typically meerkats eat before they stand guard so the ones standing guard had a full stomach! And the study also found that since the sentinel is the first to see a predator coming, it’s the most likely to escape because it often stands guard near a burrow, so it can run immediately into the burrow after giving the alarm The other meerkats, the ones scattered about looking for food, are actually in greater danger And in fact, other studies have suggested that when an animal creates an alarm, the alarm call might cause the other group members either to gather together or else to move about very quickly, behaviors that might actually draw the predator’s attention away from the caller, increasing that animal’s own chances of survival Copyright © 2005 ETS All rights reserved 63 TOEFL iBT Sample Test Questions And what about people what about some human acts that might be considered altruistic? Let’s take an extreme case, uh, suppose a person donates a kidney to a relative, or even to a complete stranger A selfless act, right? But doesn’t the donor receive appreciation and approval from the stranger and from society? Doesn’t the donor gain an increased sense of self worth? Couldn’t such non-material rewards be considered very valuable to some people? Altruism is a type of behavior in which an animal sacrifices its own interest for that of another animal or group of animals Altruism is the opposite of selfishness; individuals performing altruistic acts gain nothing for themselves Examples of altruism abound, both among humans and among other mammals Unselfish acts among humans range from the sharing of food with strangers to the donation of body organs to family members, and even to strangers Such acts are altruistic in that they benefit another, yet provide little reward to the one performing the act In fact, many species of animals appear willing to sacrifice food, or even their life, to assist other members of their group The meerkat, which is a mammal that dwells in burrows in grassland areas of Africa, is often cited as an example In groups of meerkats, an individual acts as a sentinel, standing guard and looking out for predators while the others hunt for food or eat food they have obtained If the sentinel meerkat sees a predator such as a hawk approaching the group, it gives an alarm cry alerting the other meerkats to run and seek shelter By standing guard, the sentinel meerkat gains nothing—it goes without food while the others eat, and it places itself in grave danger After it issues an alarm it has to flee alone, which might make it more at risk to a predator, since animals in groups are often able to work together to fend off a predator So the altruistic sentinel behavior helps ensure the survival of other members of the meerkat’s group Question: Summarize the points made in the lecture you just heard, explaining how they cast doubt on points made in the reading Narrator Summarize the points made in the lecture you just heard, explaining how they cast doubt on points made in the reading Copyright © 2005 ETS All rights reserved 64 TOEFL iBT Sample Test Questions Writing Based on Knowledge and Experience Directions For this task, you will write an essay in response to a question that asks you to state, explain, and support your opinion on an issue You will have 30 minutes to plan, write, and revise your essay Typically, an effective essay will contain a minimum of 300 words Your essay will be judged on the quality of your writing This includes the development of your ideas, the organization of your essay, and the quality and accuracy of the language you use to express your ideas If you finish your essay before time is up, you may click on Next to end this section When you are ready to continue, click on the Dismiss Directions icon Writing Directions: Read the question below You have 30 minutes to plan, write, and revise your essay Typically, an effective response will contain a minimum of 300 words Question: Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Good teachers are more important to a child’s development than good parents Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer Copyright © 2005 ETS All rights reserved 65 [...]... reserved 17 TOEFL iBT Sample Test Questions Test Sample Questions for Listening Sample questions for the Listening section of the next generation TOEFL test are like the ones you will be presented with at the test center beginning in September 2005 These sample questions are noninteractive view only To take the interactive practice questions and receive feedback about your English skills go to the TOEFL. .. rights reserved 18 TOEFL iBT Sample Test Questions Listening Comprehension Section Directions This section measures your ability to understand conversations and lectures in English You will hear each conversation or lecture only one time After each conversation or lecture, you will answer some questions about it The questions typically ask about the main idea and supporting details Some questions ask about... to previous questions You will have 20 minutes to answer the questions in this section A clock at the top of the screen will show you how much time is remaining The clock will not count down while you are listening to test material Note: In the Listening Section of the actual test, you will both hear and read the questions Copyright © 2005 ETS All rights reserved 19 TOEFL iBT Sample Test Questions Listening... thought] oh yes, the handouts There were three of them, and I’ll get those for you in just a minute They’re pretty self-explanatory, but if you have any questions, just send me an e-mail But Copyright © 2005 ETS All rights reserved 24 TOEFL iBT Sample Test Questions Student [interrupting] Okay, thank you Professor Sure Uh, but we also watched a video, and we’ll be having an essay question about it on the... Student [leaving] Great I’ll see you then Professor Uh, just a second Let me get you those handouts Student Oh, yeah Thank you Copyright © 2005 ETS All rights reserved 25 TOEFL iBT Sample Test Questions Narrator Now get ready to answer the questions You may use your notes to help you answer 7 Why does the woman go to see her professor? • • • • To get materials for a class she missed To discuss an assignment... absent Copyright © 2005 ETS All rights reserved 27 TOEFL iBT Sample Test Questions Narrator Listen again to part of the conversation Then answer the question Professor Okay, uh [regaining train of thought] oh yes, the handouts There were three of them, and I’ll get those for you in just a minute They’re pretty self-explanatory, but if you have any questions, just send me an e-mail 11 What can be inferred... professor? • • • • He is not planning to talk about the handouts now He expects the woman to respond to questions in the handouts He is concerned that the handouts may be difficult to understand He is not sure if he has the handouts the woman needs Copyright © 2005 ETS All rights reserved 28 TOEFL iBT Sample Test Questions Listening 3 Narrator Listen to part of a talk in a history class Professor Okay, uh,... their art gets affected by the tourist market—the the Harvey Company basically changed history to make money Narrator Now get ready to answer the questions You may use your notes to help you answer Copyright © 2005 ETS All rights reserved 30 TOEFL iBT Sample Test Questions 12 What is the talk mainly about? • • • • The differences between the traditions of the Hopi and Havasupi people The relationship between.. .TOEFL iBT Sample Test Questions 24 Look at the four squares passage that indicate where the following sentence could be added to the This made it easy for the artists to paint and display them for the rest of the... bones Drag your answer choices to the spaces where they belong To remove an answer choice, click on it To review the passage, click on View Text Copyright © 2005 ETS All rights reserved 10 TOEFL iBT Sample Test Questions Electricity from Wind Since 1980, the use of wind to produce electricity has been growing rapidly In 1994 there were nearly 20,000 wind turbines worldwide, most grouped in clusters