READING AND VOCABULARY TOEFL TEST

TIME: 70 MINUTES (NO PHONE NO DICTIONARY)

PASSAGE 1: QUESTIONS 1-10

Prominent among the singing artists of her time and lauded for the vigor and dramatic
quality of her opera roles, Geraldine Farrar became a favorite with the American public in the
early twentieth century. Born on February 28, 1882 to parents who were themselves amateur
musicians, Farrar displayed an early talent for music, especially for singing.
By 1894, Farrar was singing in school events with so much success that she was brought
to the attention of the renowned Boston vocalist, Mrs. J.H. Long, who consented to take the girl
as a pupil. Mrs. Long’s first victory was in overcoming Farrar’s distaste for the practice of scales
and other technical exercises – a holdover from earlier hated days practicing the piano. Concert
appearances in her hometown of Melrose, Massachusetts soon followed, and eventually her first
recital was rendered in Boston in May, 1896. There, in the midst of persistent study, Miss Farrar
found time to attend local opera performances which whetted her appetite for the stage. When
advised by opera star Jean de Reszke that her talent exceeded the tutelage she was receiving,
Farrar packed her bags – enlisting upon her arrival in the Big Apple the instruction of the famed
coaches Cappiani and Thursby. The encouragement of these mentors as well as the glowing
reviews of the New York critics of her performances there seemed to justify the young singer in
her ambition.
She was now seventeen. Handicapped by the inability of her father to undertake the
expenses of finishing her training in Europe, Farrar seemed to be at the end of her studies. At this
critical juncture, however, an affluent follower of Farrar’s career agreed to provide for the
expense of her European training through the offices of a large loan. She proceeded to study in
Paris under Travadello and in Berlin under Lehmann.
Farrar made her American debut at the Metropolitan Opera House in November, 1906
singing the part of Juliet in Romeo and Juliet. Her repertoire included the standard works from
French, Italian and German opera – with a pronounced specialty in the works of Wagner and
Humperdinck. Her success with American audiences duplicated her reception overseas. Critics
wrote that she had a voice that was “lyric, vivid, and powerful – spontaneous in delivery yet
subtle in expression.” Further evidence of her extraordinary vocal gift was heard in her film
representation of Carmen which appeared in 1915.

1. What is the main topic of this passage?

(A) The musical career of an American opera singer
(B) The history of operatic singing in the United States
(C) The musical repertoire of Geraldine Farrar
(D) The operatic achievement of Geraldine Farrar
2. … of her time and lauded for the vigor … (Paragraph 1)
The word lauded most closely means…
(A) praised
(B) criticized
(C) resented
(D) enjoyed
3. It can be inferred from the passage that…
(A) Farrar’s first musical success was in Boston.
(B) Farrar displayed little talent for music before attending school.
(C) Farrar’s parents forced her to play a musical instrument.
(D) Farrar’s teacher was a famed opera singer.
4. … her first recital was rendered in Boston in May, 1896… (Paragraph 2)
The word rendered could best be replaced by
(A) delivered
(B) reviewed
(C) implemented
(D) recorded
5. Which of the following sentences which best explains why Farrar decided to move to
New York?
(A) Concert appearances in her hometown of Melrose, Massachusetts soon followed,
and eventually her first recital was rendered in Boston in May, 1896.
(B) There, in the midst of persistent study, Miss Farrar found time to attend local
opera performances which whetted her appetite for the stage.
(C) When advised by opera star Jean de Reszke that her talent exceeded the tutelage
she was receiving, Farrar packed her bags – enlisting upon her arrival in the Big
Apple the instruction of the famed coaches Cappiani and Thursby.
(D) The encouragement of these mentors as well as the glowing reviews of the New
York critics of her performances there seemed to justify the young singer in her
ambition.
 6. … enlisting upon her arrival in the Big Apple… (Paragraph 2)
The word enlisting most closely means…
(A) enrolling
(B) seeking
(C) engaging
(D) resisting
7. According to the passage, what threatened to end Farrar’s career?
(A) Her father’s indifference.
(B) Her father’s lack of musical training.
(C) Her father’s physical disability.
(D) Her father’s shortage of funds.
8. …her European training through the offices of a large loan. (Paragraph 3)
The word offices is closest in meaning to which of the following?
(A) means
(B) contracts
(C) buildings
(D) gifts
9. What can be inferred about Farrar’s reception overseas?
(A) She was most popular with French audiences.
(B) She was well-received in Europe.
(C) She was criticized severely and forced to return to the United States.
(D) She achieved a small but appreciated success.
10. Which of the following is NOT referred to as a quality of Farrar’s voice?
(A) Its sincerity.
(B) Its clarity.
(C) Its subtlety.
(D) Its strength.

PASSAGE 2: QUESTIONS 11-20

Leonardo da Vinci was born on April 15, 1452 in Vinci, Italy. He was the illegitimate son of
Ser Piero, a Florentine notary and landlord, but lived on the estate and was treated as a legitimate
son.
In 1483, Leonardo da Vinci drew the first model of a helicopter. It did not look very much like
our modern day “copter,” but the idea of what it could do was about the same.
Leonardo was an artist and sculptor. He was very interested in motion and movement and tried
to show it in his art. In order to show movement, he found it helpful to study the way things
moved. One subject he liked to study was birds and how they flew. He spent many hours
watching the birds and examining the structure of their wings. He noticed how they cupped air
with their wings and how the feathers helped hold the air. Through these studies, Leonardo
began to understand how birds were able to fly.
Like many other men, Leonardo began to dream of the day when people would be able to fly.
He designed a machine that used all the things he had learned about flight, and thus became the
first model of a helicopter.
Poor Leonardo had only one problem, however. He had no way to give the necessary speed to
his invention. You see, motors had not yet been invented and speed was an important part of the
flying process. It would be another four hundred years before the engine was invented and
another fifty years before it was put to the test in an airplane. Leonardo’s dream of a helicopter
finally came to pass in 1936.
The Italian painter, sculptor, architect, engineer, and scientist, Leonardo died on May 2, 1519,
and was buried in the cloister of San Fiorentino in Amboise.

11. What is the author’s main point?

(A) The invention of the helicopter.
(B) Birds cup air with their wings and use feathers to help hold the air.
(C) An overview of one of Leonardo da Vinci’s many skills.
(D) Leonardo da Vinci was born in 1452 and died in 1519.

12. The word problem in paragraph five could best be replaced by the word:
(A) dilemma
(B) mistake
(C) danger
(D) pain

13. The word it in paragraph two refers to:

(A) Leonardo da Vinci
(B) The first model helicopter
 (C) 1483
(D) motion and movement

14. Which paragraph explains why Leonardo’s helicopter was not successful in his lifetime:
(A) paragraph 1
(B) paragraph 2
(C) paragraph 4
(D) paragraph 5

15. The word illegitimate in paragraph one is closest in meaning to:

(A) against the law or illegal
(B) not in correct usage
(C) incorrectly deduced; illogical
(D) born out of wedlock

16. The following sentence would best complete which paragraph? “Since then people have
been living out Leonardo’s dream of flying.”
(A) paragraph 3
(B) paragraph 4
(C) paragraph 5
(D) paragraph 2

17. What was the main problem with Leonardo’s invention?

(A) motors were not yet invented
(B) the birds lost their feathers
(C) he was illegitimate
(D) he couldn’t draw

18. The word they in the third paragraph refers to:

(A) the feathers
(B) the birds
(C) the studies
(D) the wings

19. In what year was the first helicopter flown

(A) 1483
(B) 1452
(C) 1519
(D) 1936

20. What two things did birds have that Leonardo da Vinci noticed helped them to fly?
(A) wings and beaks
(B) feathers and talons
(C) wings and feathers
(D) cups and feathers
VOCABULARY SECTION

21. carnivore (n)

(A) plant eater
(B) meat eater
(C) meat and plant eater 31. proficiency (n)
(D) primarily a meat eater (A) skill and knowledge
(B) easy and effortless
22. prey on (v) (C) luck and timing
(A) to look for (D) checking and rechecking
(B) to think about
(C) to hunt 32. coherent (adj)
(D) to communicate with God (A) clear
(B) understandable
23. accelerate (v) (C) intelligible
(A) to slow down suddenly (D) all of the above
(B) to speed up quickly
(C) to take one’s time 33. rate (v)
(D) to wander (A) to rescind
(B) to score
24. camouflage (n) (C) to mark up
(A) to hide by disguise or protective (D) to reason
coloring
(B) hunting by hiding 34. holistic (adj)
(C) a desert animal used for (A) refers to the hole
transportation (B) refers to the whole
(D) synonym for “color” (C) refers to the pieces
(D) refers to the details
25. astounding (adj)
(A) amazing 35. distractor (n)
(B) incredible (A) for TOEFL, a correct answer
(C) unbelievable (B) for TOEFL, no answer
(D) all of the above (C) for TOEFL, an answer that looks
right but is wrong
26. resolute (adj) (D) for TOEFL, the perfect answer
(A) reviled
(B) harmonious 36. selective task (phr)
(C) determined (A) constructive task
(D) cautious (B) difficult task
(C) flexible task
27. diurnal (adj) (D) multiple-choice task
(A) active at night
(B) active at dawn 37. constructive task (phr)
(C) active at twilight (A) selective task
(D) active during the day (B) development task
(C) non-TOEFL task
(D) attainable task
28. species (n)
(A) organisms capable of breeding and 38. thesis (n)
producing offspring of both genders (A) opinion
(B) specialized animals living in small (B) position
groups in Africa (C) claim
(C) large group of animals living in (D) all of the above
special areas 39. integral part of (phr)
(D) large warm-blooded animals (A) important part of
29. attain (v) (B) not an important part of
(A) to reach (C) piece of the whole
(B) to obtain (D) the whole piece
(C) to complete 40. intelligible (adj)
(D) to borrow (A) understandable
30. eschew (v) (B) clear
(A) to chew on (C) coherent
(B) to avoid (D) all of the above
(C) to go after
(D) to bargain with
41. agrarian (adj) (D) to realize eventually
(A) related to fields and land and farmers
(B) related to oceans and rivers and 46. assiduous (adj)
(A) lazy
fishermen
(B) smart
(C) related to math and physics and
(C) shy
professors
(D) hard working
(D) related to cars and trucks and
mechanics 47. undergo (v)
(A) to experience
42. fertile (adj)
(B) to go through
(A) good for growing
(C) to pass through
(B) rich in nutrients
(D) all of the above
(C) productive
(D) all of the above 48. transformation (n)
(A) process of learning
43. enervating (adj)
(B) process of changing
(A) exciting
(C) process of shaming
(B) lazy
(D) process of taming
(C) exhausting
(D) afraid 49. chaotic (adj)
(A) a state of constant change
44. reliable (adj)
(B) a state of no change
(A) can communicate with
(C) a state of equilibrium
(B) can abide with
(D) a state of calm
(C) can rely on
(D) can lie on 50. emancipated (adj)
(A) enslaved
45. prosper (v)
(B) inferior
(A) to succeed economically
(C) free
(B) to fail romantically
(D) superior
(C) to believe resolutely