STUD.I.

Y:
TOEFL ITP
Preparation

Reading Questions
Mixed Topics

Curated from
the Authentic Test Questions

Sample Questions
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TOEFL ITP PREPARATION

Reading Questions: Sample Questions
Curated from the Authentic Test Questions

Mixed Topics

Passage 1
Questions 1-9

The pottery of the Pueblo Indians of the southwestern United States is an art of enormous technical
complexity. The first step, choosing the clay, is a crucial part of the process. All subsequent decisions rest on
its initial selection, since clays vary widely in their chemical structure and physical properties. Some potters
Line experiment widely with clays from different sources, noting variability in shrinkage, color, and durability.
5 Refining the raw chunks of newly mined clay is arduous work. Potters may grind up large chunks of clay
in a hand-crank grinder, and then further refine it by grinding it to a powder on a metate (grinding stone). The
powdered clay is then soaked in water so that any impurities can rise to the surface and be poured off. After the
clay dries on baking trays in the sun, it is ground again and screened through a fine wire mesh.
Most clays require the addition of some non-plastic material so that the clay can withstand firing
10 (hardening by the high heat) without cracking, and so that the vessel will have a smooth surface. This material is
called “temper,” and the process, “tempering.” Potters have understood the principles of tempering for well over
a thousand years. Ancient potters used a variety of sands and sandstones, and by 900 A.D. they had discovered
that potsherds—bits of previously fired, discarded pots—were also an excellent tempering material. Potters
would grind the broken bits of the old pottery on their metates, just as they would grind corn for food. This use
15 of potsherd temper is a tradition that continues today.
After the temper has been added, the clay is mixed vigorously. Then the mixture must mature before a pot
is carefully shaped, then painted with a liquid clay called “slip” before firing. Pottery is fired, in most instances,
on the ground in an open-air firing. The improvised appearance of this technique is deceptive; in fact, an expert
Pueblo potter is controlling many diverse factors when firing pots: the ambient temperature, the force of the
20 wind, and the exact composition of the dried animal dung used as fuel in the firing process. All of these affect
the outcome.

1. What does the passage mainly discuss? 3. According to the first paragraph, all of the
following are characteristics of the clays used
(A) The various kinds of clay used to make in Pueblo pottery EXCEPT:
Pueblo pottery
(B) The sources of the clay used to make (A) There are great differences in chemical
Pueblo pottery structure.
(C) The criteria that potters use when (B) They can be found in more than one
choosing clay for Pueblo pottery color.
(D) The processes used to prepare clay for (C) They have identical physical properties.
making Pueblo pottery (D) Some are more durable than others.

2. The word “subsequent” in line 2 is closest in 4. The word “arduous” in line 5 is closest in
meaning to meaning to

(A) likely (A) difficult

(B) later (B) skilled
(C) careful (C) valuable
(D) interesting (D) familiar

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5. According to the second paragraph, impurities

are separated from clay when the clay is

(A) ground in a hand-crank grinder

(B) ground on a metate
(C) soaked in water
(D) dried in the sun

6. The author mentions 900 A.D. in the third

paragraph to indicate how long

(A) the art of pottery has existed

(B) the Pueblo Indians have been making
pottery
(C) potters have understood the process of
firing
(D) potters have used potsherd temper

7. The word “they” in line 14 refers to

(A) discarded pots

(B) potters
(C) broken bits
(D) metates

8. It can be inferred from the passage that “slip”

(line 17) is used by potters to

(A) lift the potter off the ground during firing

(B) shape the clay into the desired form
(C) prepare the surface of the pottery before
it is fired
(D) help the clay to be well mixed

9. The word “deceptive” in line 18 is closest in

meaning to

(A) misleading
(B) attractive
(C) limited
(D) simple

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Passage 2
Questions 10-19

Although the deep-sea anglerfish has been a subject of curiosity for a long time, it is still very much a
mystery to scientists. This type of fish has escaped close scientific observation because it lives deep at the
bottom of the ocean. For this reason, scientists have not had many chances to follow the anglerfish around in its
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natural environment. Furthermore, because the anglerfish inhabits the deep dark waters of the ocean, it cannot
5 be examined in the same way that scientists study many other fish in the laboratory. However, we do know
some things about anglerfish. What we do know, we’ve gathered mainly from anglerfish that have gotten
caught in the nets of fishing boats.
The anglerfish comes in many shapes and sizes. Its length can range from about twenty centimeters to over
three meters. However, all anglerfish have a few things in common. They all have a large head with small eyes
10 and a huge mouth filled with sharp, see-through teeth. The anglerfish attracts its food, usually other small sea
animals, with a strange green glow given off by a long rodlike outgrowth over its mouth. In the darkness of the
deep sea, the anglerfish waves the shining “rod” around until it catches the eye of another sea creature. When
the curious creature spots the glowing tip of the antenna, it cannot help but swim closer for a better look. Then,
in a split second, the creature is swallowed up and eaten by the anglerfish. In this way, the anglerfish uses its
15 antenna much like a fishing rod to lure prey to it. That is why it is called an anglerfish—because “angler” is just
another word for someone who fishes.
Although the anglerfish’s ability to “fish” using its rod is a unique one, it is not the anglerfish itself that
produces the light that attracts other sea creatures. The green glowing light is produced by a type of special
bacteria called photobacteria. Scientists do not know exactly why photobacteria collect on the tip of the
20 anglerfish’s antenna, but they thrive there. The large amount of salt in the ocean’s water allows them to survive
and multiply. Although these green glowing bacteria cannot be seen in small groups—that is, they are invisible
in small groups—they reproduce on the tip of the rod until there are so many of them that they glow brightly. By
doing this, the bacteria help the anglerfish to survive in deep dark places near the ocean floor, places where very
few sea creatures are well adapted to live.

10. What is the passage mainly about? 12. The word “gathered” in line 6 is closest in
meaning to
(A) The unusual places where fish live
(B) The unique features of an odd fish (A) made
(C) Experiments scientists use to learn about (B) placed
fish (C) changed
(D) Modern fishing techniques (D) learned

11. Why do scientists know so little about the 13. What is probably true about the size of the
deep-sea anglerfish? anglerfish?

(A) It is not a fish that is eaten by humans. (A) Its size varies greatly.
(B) It is a shy fish that hides from humans. (B) Its size helps it catch prey.
(C) It lives far below the surface of the (C) Its size is the same as that of other deep-
ocean. sea fish.
(D) It was believed to be an extinct species (D) Its size is not known for certain.
of fish.

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14. According to the second paragraph, which of 19. What can be inferred from the last paragraph
the following is true of the way an anglerfish about photobacteria?
catches its prey?
(A) They collect on the anglerfish’s antenna
(A) It uses light to attract the attention of to hide from predators.
small sea animals. (B) They produce different colors of light
(B) It uses the rod over its mouth to frighten depending on how deep in the ocean
away sea creatures. they are.
(C) It uses the rodlike antenna over its mouth (C) They need salt to live and reproduce.
to detect the presence of other sea (D) They prefer to live in small groups.
animals.
(D) It uses bright light to prevent sea
creatures from seeing clearly.

15. The word “it” in line 13 refers to

(A) the antenna

(B) the sea creature
(C) the green glow
(D) the deep-sea anglerfish

16. Why does the author mention a fishing rod?

(A) To help describe the flexibility of the

anglerfish’s antenna
(B) To show how scientists catch anglerfish
(C) To emphasize that the anglerfish’s
antenna glows
(D) To explain how the anglerfish gets its
name

17. In saying in line 17 that anglerfish have a

unique ability, the author means that

(A) their ability to fish with a rod is an

ability that no other fish has
(B) their ability to fish with a rod is very
helpful to them
(C) they fish very well
(D) they fish very often

18. The word “thrive” in line 20 is closest in

meaning to

(A) curl up
(B) move slowly
(C) line up
(D) grow quickly

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Passage 3
Questions 19-28

Gold-adorned burials fascinate many people, but in fact, they are rare finds in archaeological excavations.
Gold did, however, have a vital part in prestige and ornament in many prehistoric societies. It is not without
reason that the Egyptian king Tutankhamun is sometimes described as the “golden Pharaoh”: his grave was rich
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in spectacular gold finds. The recent discovery of the burial of a Moche lord of A.D 200 under an adobe
5 platform at Sipan, on the northern coast of Peru, revealed the remarkable wealth of this desert civilization. The
Line richly adorned skeleton lay in a wooden coffin and was that of an adult male warrior-priest about thirty-five
years of age. The shroud-wrapped skeleton wore a pair of gold eyes, a gold nose, and a gold chin-and-neck
visor; his head was lying on a gold saucerlike headrest. Hundreds of minute gold and turquoise beads adorned
the Lord of Sipan, who wore 16 gold disks as large as silver dollars on his chest. There were gold and feather
10 headdresses and intricate ear ornaments, one of a warrior with a movable club. Another group, the Chimu
people of coastal Peru, were master goldsmiths of pre-Columbian Latin America. The Aztecs and the Inca also
were talented goldsmiths whose magnificent products were taken off to Europe and melted down for royal
treasuries in the sixteenth century.
Gold, which does not usually form compounds, was collected in prehistoric times in its natural state or by
15 crushing gold-bearing quartz and concentrating the fine gold by washing. The melting point of gold is about the
same as that of copper, so no elaborate technology was needed. Gold is easily hammered into thin sheets
without annealing (a process involving first heating and then cooling the metal). Prehistoric smiths frequently
used such sheets to sheath wooden objects such as statuettes. They also cast gold and used applique techniques,
as well as alloying it with silver and other ores. Gold was worked almost as early as copper, and it was soon
20 associated with royal prestige. The metal was widely traded in dust, ornament, and bead form in many parts of
the world.

20. What does the passage mainly discuss? 23. The passage describes which of the following
aspects of the burial site at Sipan?
(A) The rarity of gold-adorned burials
(B) How goldsmithing developed in ancient (A) The construction of the moveable club
Egypt (B) The material used to make the shroud
(C) Prehistoric uses of gold covering the skeleton
(D) How gold was traded between Europe (C) The jewelry worn by the skeleton
and Latin America (D) The type of decoration used in the coffin

21. The word “ornament” in line 2 is closest in 24. The author mentions “the Chimu” in line 10 to
meaning to give an example of people who

(A) decoration (A) traded with the Aztecs and the Inca
(B) value (B) were experts at working with gold
(C) status (C) wore elaborate feather headdresses
(D) appeal (D) received gold from Europe

22. The word “minute” in line 8 is closest in 25. The word “that” in line 16 refers to
meaning to
(A) the fine gold
(A) round (B) washing
(B) symbolic (C) the melting point
(C) ancient (D) elaborate technology
(D) tiny

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26. The word “hammered” in line 16 is closest in

meaning to

(A) pounded
(B) cooled
(C) poured
(D) filed

27. According to the second paragraph, which of

the following is true about gold?

(A) It has a much lower melting point than

copper.
(B) It requires annealing to be worked.
(C) It was alloyed with silver in prehistoric
times.
(D) It usually forms compounds in its natural
state.

28. The word “associated” in line 20 is closest in

meaning to

(A) traded
(B) replaced
(C) discovered
(D) connected

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TOEFL ITP PREPARATION

Reading Questions: Mixed Topics

Answer Key

Passage 1

No. Answer Notes

1. D This is a main idea question. Although the kinds, sources, and criteria of clay for Pueblo
pottery are mentioned in the passage, Choice (D) best summarizes the general topic of
the entire passage.
2. B subsequent = following, succeeding, later
3. C Choice (A) is mentioned in line 3: “... clays vary widely in their chemical structure ...”,
while Choices (B) and (D) are mentioned in line 4: “... clays from different sources,
noting variability in shrinkage, color, and durability.”
4. A arduous = difficult, hard
5. C In lines 6-7, the author writes “The powdered clay is then soaked in water so that any
impurities can rise to the surface and be poured off.
Vocab: poured off = separated, removed
6. D In lines 12-13, the author mentions “... by 900 A.D. they (the potters) had discovered
that potsherds ... were also an excellent tempering material.” This explains the period
(900 A.D) when the potters discovered and then used potsherds to temper the pottery.
7. B they = potters
8. C The author explains in lines 16-17 that the slip is a liquid used to paint the pottery, like a
pot, before it is fired.
9. A deceptive = misleading

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TOEFL ITP PREPARATION

Reading Questions: Mixed Topics

Answer Key

Passage 2

No. Answer Notes

10. B The primary purpose of this passage is to discuss a unique fish called angler fish and its
features, including the tools used to catch its prey.
11. C In lines 2-3, the author states “This type of fish (angler fish) has escaped close scientific
observation because it lives deep at the bottom of the ocean.
12. D Based on the context, gathered = learned
13. A In lines 8-9, the author mentions “The anglerfish comes in many shapes and sizes. Its
length can range from about twenty centimeters to over three meters.
14. A In lines 10-11, the author mentions “The anglerfish attracts its food, usually other small
sea animals, with a strange green glow given off by a long rodlike outgrowth over its
mouth.”
Vocab: glow = light
15. B it = the sea creature
16. D In lines 15-16, the author explains “That is why it is called an anglerfish—because
“angler” is just another word for someone who fishes.”
17. A A unique ability means an ability that no one has. In the context of the passage, it means
the ability that is only possessed by angler fish and not other fish.
18. D Thrive = grow quickly, develop, flourish
19. C In lines 20-21, the author states “The large amount of salt in the ocean’s water allows
them (photobacteria) to survive and multiply.

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TOEFL ITP PREPARATION

Reading Questions: Mixed Topics

Answer Key

Passage 3

No. Answer Notes

20. C The passage explains the uses of gold in the prehistoric time and gives the necessary
examples.
21. A ornament = decoration
22. D minute = tiny, minuscule
23. C In lines 7-10, the author discusses types of gold jewelry worn by the skeletons found at
Sipan.
24. B In lines 10-11, the author states “... the Chimu people of coastal Peru, were master
goldsmiths of pre-Columbian Latin America.”
Vocab: goldsmiths = artisans who make jewelry and other objects out of gold
25. C that = melting point
26. A hammered = pounded, forged
27. C In line 9, the author writes “... alloying it (gold) with silver and other ores.”
28. D associated = connected, related, linked

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