Notefull Reading Step1

Reading
Step 1
Study Each Step With Care back to top
This is a general message to repeat something very important: how we should study to get the
most out of our system and rocket our score up as quickly as possible.
First, make sure to study with colored pens to engage all parts of your brain and force you to
categorize and organize your notes better.
Second, always take things one step at a time. Don't jump ahead and review consistently in the
way described on the introduction page to ensure mastery.
Third, be patient with your progress. It takes time to improve. With this program and your
focus, trust that you are improving as quickly as possible and if you feel that you're not, let us
know and we'll do our best to help you.
Fourth, don't study when frustrated. It just builds negative habits and limits the power of your
time. When you feel frustrated, visit our "motivation" page, take a break, and return when you're
energized and ready. Improving on the TOEFL takes a great degree of focus and studying while
frustrated is not likely to help much.
Fifth, take regular breaks. Your brain remembers the beginning and endings of your study
sessions most, so make as many of them as you can: take a 5 to 15 minute break every 45 to 55
minutes.
Sixth, good luck! You will do it and we'll be here to help you every step of the way until you do.
Practice
TOEFL Reading Overview back to top

When you sit down and take your seat after you’re finished registering and the examiner allows
you to start the exam, you’re going to see the instructions for the reading section. They’re going
to be read out loud to you. That’s going to give you some time to psychologically prepare yourself
and become comfortable with what’s going to come next: the all-powerful reading section.

After the instructions are finished, your first reading will appear. It will consist of 700 words and
it will take up the whole screen of your monitor, so you’re not going to see any questions. You
will need to scroll down through the reading and then click next before you start to see the
questions. The reason is to give you a chance to look at the reading. It doesn't mean that you
should read the whole essay though. (We’ll learn more about what to do here later.)

The TOEFL Readings back to top

Remember (from the TOEFL overview section) that you'll receive either 3 or 4 readings on your
TOEFL. Each reading will contain approximately 700 words and require you to answer 14
questions within 20 minutes. You’ll see a timer on the upper-right hand corner of your exam.
It’s there to help make sure that you don’t spend too much time on any one question and it’s
going to count from 60 or 80 minutes down to 0 (depending on if you get that extra
experimental reading or not; explained in our TOEFL overview section). Once it hits 0, your
answers will be recorded and you will move on to the listening section never to return to the
reading again. Consequently, to succeed, look at that timer and monitor your time as you answer
the questions to answer all of them (or at least guess on them) before time runs out.
1

Answering on the TOEFL Reading back to top

As you answer, you will always be able to jump to different questions. For example, let’s say
you’re answering questions 1, 2, 3, 4, and then 5. Then, you think to yourself,

“Wait a second, I think I understand 3 better. Let me go back and change the
answer.”

You will be able to do that. When you finish the last question (number 42 or 56), you’re going to
see a chart that shows you the questions that you answered and didn’t answer. You’ll be able to
double-click on a question to jump directly to it in the reading. You'll also be able to jump
around a bit for the questions in the reading you're succeeding at during the exam. I’m
explaining this to let you know that you can bounce around once you finish the reading to
double check your answers. But, of course, we’ll learn to be focused and exact as we answer so
that we won’t need to do this.

When you finish the first reading, you’re going to move on to another reading and so on and so
on until you complete your set: either 3 or 4.

Attacking the TOEFL Reading back to top

1. First, you don’t want to read the whole passage before you start answering the questions;
if you do, it will be a very inefficient and time-wasting way to read. Instead, acquire a
basic idea of the reading and prepare your mind for what you’re going to read about by
first reading the title. Then, read the first sentence (which is the all important topic
sentence) of every paragraph. Do this to get a quick introduction to the reading before
you read it in detail. Below is a picture to get a visual idea of this; it's that important that
we created an image to make it absolutely clear. The black boxes represent the title and
pargraphs and the red lines represent what you will read.

2

Only spend 1 minute doing this. Anymore than that and it will be too much time; spend all of the
time that you can answering the questions since that’s where your score comes from. To finish
within 1 minute, you might have to read only pieces of the first sentences (subject, verb, object
only) since they can be quite big.

2. After you read the first sentence, read question number 1, not the answers but the question.
Establish an idea of what it’s asking about. Then, start reading the passage from the very
beginning in search of the answer to that question. In this way, you will concentrate only on
what’s important and what will earn you a higher score. We read the first sentences in the first
minute to picture the idea of what the passage is about as we work to answer the question; it
helps. This challenges students when they aren’t used to it. However, everyone who’s tried it
sticks with this method of attack because it works.

Once you answer question number 1, go onto question number 2 in the same way. The TOEFL
questions proceed in chronological order, so the answer to number 1 is in the beginning of the
passage and the answer to number 12 is towards the end.

As we discussed earlier, timing is important and it’s very easy for students to run out of time.
Follow this guideline carefully and you will NEVER have that trouble again. That's right: you
will never have trouble again.

1st Reading

80 min - 79 min : read the first sentences
79 min - 72:40 min : answer questions 1 - 5
72:40 min - 66:20 min : answer questions 6 - 10
66:20 min - 60 min : answer questions 11 - 14

2nd Reading

3

3rd Reading


4th Reading


You should be able to tell that through this timing guideline, you have more time to answer the
final questions of the reading than the first questions. The final questions demand the most time
and concentration, so don’t change this.

Also, this timing structure is set up for when you do have an extra experimental reading. If you
don't, simply start from 60 minutes and follow the timing precisely.

TOEFL Reading Question Types and Strategies back to top

Below is a lecture that I recorded to explain the basics of the question types that you'll find on
the TOEFL readings and the strategies to answer them. This is a very important part of your
preparation because these strategies will help you to answer faster, easier, and more accurately.
Consequently, pay careful attention, listen more than once, and take great notes.
Audio step 1-Practice

Practice TOEFL Reading back to top

1. Set your online stopwatch to 20 min.
(click here to open an online stopwatch)
2. Start the stopwatch and start the reading.
3. When the timer stops, stop your work
4. Mark your notes at the point where you stopped.

Water in the Desert

1. Desert areas of the world are not completely void of precipitation, but rainfall in these
regions is known to vary greatly. Typically, scientists use an annual rainfall amount of
four inches as the dividing line between desert and non-desert areas. While these arid
regions may receive a similar amount of rainfall each year, how that rainfall affects
surface water and groundwater resources is largely dependent upon the area’s
topographical characteristics. For example, landforms such as flats and depressions
4
common to deserts are known to collect water, but these features constitute only a small
percentage of the desert landscape.
2. It is interesting to note that these arid lands in fact contain some of the earth’s largest
systems of rivers. In the cases of these river systems, the sources of the rivers lie outside
the arid region itself, and hence they are known as “exogenous” rivers and systems.
These exogenous systems play a critical role in nourishing life in the world’s most
parched regions. For example, annual flooding of the Nile, Tigris, and Euphrates rivers
has long supplied residents with water and brought in fertile silt to help agriculture. With
the advent of modern technology, however, this flooding is largely managed by human
hands, which has required more governmental cooperation among nations in crafting
treaties and agreements regulating the use of these river basins.
3. In addition to human intervention, the flow of exogenous rivers is impacted by the
season. Ironically, it sometimes takes a number of months for the effect of a rainy season
outside a desert area to be felt within it, so by the time the peak flow finally arrives, it
may in fact be the driest time of the year. While this additional water does aid the
irrigation for agriculture, weather changes during the dry season like higher
temperatures and lower humidity may make the cultivation of some crops even more
challenging than it is during the normal growing season.
4. In contrast to exogenous rivers, those identified as “endogenous” systems begin and end
within the arid region. Water in these systems generally comes from groundwater
springs, but many of these rivers are fed by water coming from limestone massifs, such
as the Atlas Mountains in Morocco. Rivers of this variety tend not to reach the sea, but
instead end up draining into inland basins, where most of it is simply lost to evaporation
or disappears into the ground.
5. Though rivers and lakes are present in desert areas, groundwater makes up a much
larger percentage of the total water in these regions. However, only a small portion of
these underground deposits ever reach the hydrologic cycle; i.e., it never enters the
constant movement of water on, above, and below the surface of the earth that
characterizes most of the planet’s other water resources. ❒ The groundwater that does
enter into this cycle usually does so by feeding the flow of streams or by maintaining
water levels in lakes. Water taken in this way from groundwater stores is then refilled by
surface flows and rainwater. ❒ International organizations such as the United Nations
and the World Bank have both funded efforts to survey existing groundwater in arid
lands and to create effective methods to draw usable water from these sources. ❒ These
efforts are particularly necessary due to the lack of clear understanding in these regions
about just how much groundwater exists. ❒ What is known, however, is that these
groundwater deposits are very unevenly distributed, and that much of this water can be
found deep beneath the earth’s surface.
6. These groundwater deposits are found underground in open spaces between, inside, and
among rocks and sediment. These water-laden layers of earth are known as “aquifers.” In
general, limestone and sandstone aquifers tend to be deep and large, which contributes
to their relatively high concentration of minerals. They are usually not replenished
because they became saturated more than 10,000 years ago and do not need to be. These
deep aquifers are sometimes called “fossil waters” to denote the fact that this water has
been present for so long. On the other hand, shallow aquifers found in sand or gravel are
much less extensive, but they can quickly be replenished.

1. According to paragraph 1, what do scientists use to determine whether or not an area is
labeled a desert?
a. The amount of annual rainfall
b. The lack of groundwater resources
5
c. Topographical characteristics
d. The absence of flats and depressions in the landscape

2. The word “depressions” in the passage is closest in meaning to
a. rifts
b. dunes
c. ranges
d. basins

With the advent of modern technology, however, this flooding is largely managed by human
hands, which has required more governmental cooperation among nations in crafting treaties
and agreements regulating the use of these river basins.
3. 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.
a. Government involvement in the creation of treaties and agreements enhances flood-
controlling modern technology of river basins.
b. Technology has allowed for better human management of floods, making river basin
regulation agreements largely unnecessary.
c. Humans have been able to use technology to control flooding, which has made international
cooperation on the use of river basins more necessary.
d. More modern technology will lead to better flood management because intergovernmental
treaties regarding river basins allow for cooperation.

4. The word “arid” in the passage is closest in meaning to
a. moist
b. dry
c. deserted
d. airy

5. In paragraph 3, the author mentions all of the following about the flow of exogenous rivers
EXCEPT:
a. The impact of the flow is often felt in the driest seasons.
b. The flow can be an aid in the cultivation of crops.
c. The effects of the flow are not felt immediately.
d. The flow is unaffected by the season of the year.
In contrast to exogenous rivers, those identified as “endogenous” systems begin and end
within the arid region. Water in these systems generally comes from groundwater
springs, but many of these rivers are fed by water coming from limestone massifs, such
as the Atlas Mountains in Morocco. Rivers of this variety tend not to reach the sea, but
instead end up draining into inland basins, where most of it is simply lost to evaporation
or disappears into the ground.
6. According to paragraph 4, what distinguishes an endogenous river from an exogenous river?
a. An endogenous river flows into a limestone massif.
b. The source of an endogenous river is within the desert region.
c. The endogenous river does not reach the sea.
d. Endogenous rivers have a higher saline content than exogenous rivers.

7. The word “stores” in the passage is closest in meaning to
a. locations
b. accumulations
6
c. caves
d. discoveries
International organizations such as the United Nations and the World Bank have both funded
efforts to survey existing groundwater in arid lands and to create effective methods to draw
usable water from these sources. These efforts are particularly necessary due to the lack of clear
understanding in these regions about just how much groundwater exists. ❒ What is known,
however, is that these groundwater deposits are very unevenly distributed, and that much of this
water can be found deep beneath the earth’s surface.
8. According to paragraph 5, what are some international organizations now doing in desert
areas?
a. They are creating new methods for drawing these resources to river basins.
b. They are paying for efforts to survey existing groundwater resources.
c. They are giving monetary grants to individual inhabitants of arid lands.
d. They are trying to equalize the uneven distribution of groundwater.
International organizations such as the United Nations and the World Bank have both funded
efforts to survey existing groundwater in arid lands and to create effective methods to draw
usable water from these sources. ❒ These efforts are particularly necessary due to the lack of
clear understanding in these regions about just how much groundwater exists. ❒ What is
known, however, is that these groundwater deposits are very unevenly distributed, and that
much of this water can be found deep beneath the earth’s surface.
9. Why does the passage mention in paragraph 5 the fact that the exact extent of groundwater
resources is still unknown?
a. To highlight the lack of scientific research being done in desert areas.
b. To illustrate the importance of freshwater to the inhabitants of deserts.
c. To explain why the recent actions of the United Nations and others are needed.
d. To show how groundwater can affect the flow of exogenous rivers.

10. The word “replenished” in the passage is closest in meaning to
a. Refilled
b. Rejuvenated
c. Reinvigorated
d. Rescinded
These groundwater deposits are found underground in open spaces between, inside, and
among rocks and sediment. These water-laden layers of earth are known as “aquifers.” In
general, limestone and sandstone aquifers tend to be deep and large, which contributes
to their relatively high concentration of minerals. They are usually not replenished
because they became saturated more than 10,000 years ago and do not need to be. These
deep aquifers are sometimes called “fossil waters” to denote the fact that this water has
been present for so long. On the other hand, shallow aquifers found in sand or gravel are
much less extensive, but they can quickly be replenished.
11. According to paragraph 6, why are limestone and sandstone aquifers not being refilled?
a. Because the water within them has been present for so long
b. Because of disputes among intergovernmental agencies
c. Because they were filled to capacity in the distant past
d. Because they are deeper and larger than other aquifers

12. What can be inferred in paragraph 7 about shallow aquifers?
a. They tend to have less mineral content than deeper ones.
b. They can quickly be replenished because they were saturated as limestone aquifers once
were.
7
c. The water from shallow aquifers is unusable because of its proximity to gravel.
d. They are more extensive than limestone aquifers.

13. Look at the four squares (❒) that indicate where the following sentence could be added to
the passage.
Though rivers and lakes are present in desert areas, groundwater makes up a much larger
percentage of the total water in these regions. However, only a small portion of these
underground deposits ever reach the hydrologic cycle; i.e., it never enters the constant
movement of water on, above, and below the surface of the earth that characterizes most of the
planet’s other water resources. ❒ The groundwater that does enter into this cycle usually does
so by feeding the flow of streams or by maintaining water levels in lakes. Water taken in this way
from groundwater stores is then refilled by surface flows and rainwater. ❒ International
organizations such as the United Nations and the World Bank have both funded efforts to survey
existing groundwater in arid lands and to create effective methods to draw usable water from
these sources. ❒ These efforts are particularly necessary due to the lack of clear understanding
in these regions about just how much groundwater exists. ❒ What is known, however, is that
these groundwater deposits are very unevenly distributed, and that much of this water can be
In fact, these water deposits have recently become the focus of increased
attention as a source of freshwater for the inhabitants of desert areas.

Where would the sentence best fit?

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.

Water resources in desert areas can be found in a number of different places.

a. In general, a desert area’s rainfall is below the threshold of four inches of annual
precipitation.
b. Exogenous rivers that flow through arid lands are among the largest river systems in the
world and are vital to the inhabitants of these regions.
c. Endogenous rivers begin and end within a desert region, but a large amount of this water is
lost to evaporation or disappears into the ground.
d. The water resources of endogenous rivers never make it to the sea because much of it is used
in the cultivation of crops.
e. Groundwater resources such as aquifers contain a large percentage of water in desert areas
and are becoming the focus of increased attention as a source of freshwater for the residents of
these areas.
f. Fossil waters are aquifers that are no longer being replenished because they were filled to
capacity centuries ago.

Submit your TOEFL Reading Answers back to top

Use the form below to submit your answers and get a chance to see how other test takers
answered the same questions. Did you get the hard questions right or the easy ones wrong?

8

Answer Key: Water in the Desert back to top

1. Detail-A
2. Vocabulary-D
3. Paraphrase-C
4. Vocabulary-B
5. Negative detail-D
6. Detail-B
7. Vocabulary-B
8. Detail-B
9. Purpose-C
10. Vocabulary-A
11. Detail-C
12. Inference-A
13. Plug-in-B
14. Summary-B, C, and E

Calculate Your TOEFL Reading Score back to top

The way that we will understand the score that we are going to receive on the TOEFL exam is by
doing a little bit of math. First, remember that the TOEFL reading section is scored out of 30
points. Each reading has approximately 14 questions. In order for us to know the score that
you're likely to receive on the exam from the reading that you just did is by following a few steps.

1. Count the total number of answers that you got correct.
2. Question 14 is worth 2 points.
If you chose 3 out of 3 correctly, you earn 2 points.
If you chose 2003 correctly, you earn one point.
If you chose one out of 3 correctly, you earn no points.
3. Divide the number of correct answers by 14.
4. Multiply the number in step 3 by 30.
This number is your TOEFL reading score.
5. Record the dates, the name of the reading, and your score in your notebook.

December 2, 2021: 25
TOEFL Vocabulary for TOEFL Reading back to top

If you find that you scored 2 out of 4 (or less) vocabulary quesitons, it’s imortant to start
studying vocabulary separately. It will stand in your way of improving. For fast fee help, there
are many vocabulary lists on the internet and you can always build your own list from these
example readings and others. We have also developed a powerful vocabualry system whose
words we’ve taken directly from the most frequently occuring words from over 60 actual TOEFL
readings. It’s a powerful system that can help you as well. Click here to get an overview it and
some further direction on how to improve. If you have any questions or conerns about it, you
can always send us an email (StudentHelp@NoteFull.com). Whatever you decide to do though,
start working on vocabulary!

9
Click here to learn about our vocabulary programs

If you scored 3 out of 4 (or more), studying vocabulary is not a major recommendation. At this
level, it can be a waste of time bceause your vocabulary will build naturally and it’s more
important to practice actual readings than simply memorize words. Of course, this is unless you
know that your vocabulary is an issue, but I don’t recommend studying it separately unless you
have a few hours to study whenever you study and you’re looking to improve your score as
quickly as possible.
Review
How to Review back to top

The videos are each about 15 to 20 minutes long, so there is a lot of powerful material here for
you to master. Make sure to watch the video with energy from beginning to end and take notes
because it is in this way that you will learn quickly and ensure that you learn the most important
information. From my experience, most students shoot up their scores 2 to 5 points with
mastery of the topics that you're going to learn here and with more practice and vocabulary, the
improvement is limitless.
1:00 Minute Reading Review back to top
Step 1-Review video
Water in the Desert

Desert areas of the world are not completely void of precipitation, but rainfall in these regions is
known to vary greatly. Typically, scientists use an annual rainfall amount of four inches as the
dividing line between desert and non-desert areas. While these arid regions may receive a
similar amount of rainfall each year, how that rainfall affects surface water and groundwater
resources is largely dependent upon the area’s topographical characteristics. For example,
landforms such as flats and depressions common to deserts are known to collect water, but
these features constitute only a small percentage of the desert landscape.

It is interesting to note that these arid lands in fact contain some of the earth’s largest systems of
rivers. In the cases of these river systems, the sources of the rivers lie outside the arid region
itself, and hence they are known as “exogenous” rivers and systems. These exogenous systems
play a critical role in nourishing life in the world’s most parched regions. For example, annual
flooding of the Nile, Tigris, and Euphrates rivers has long supplied residents with water and
brought in fertile silt to help agriculture. With the advent of modern technology, however, this
flooding is largely managed by human hands, which has required more governmental
cooperation among nations in crafting treaties and agreements regulating the use of these river
basins.

In addition to human intervention, the flow of exogenous rivers is impacted by the season.
Ironically, it sometimes takes a number of months for the effect of a rainy season outside a
desert area to be felt within it, so by the time the peak flow finally arrives, it may in fact be the
driest time of the year. While this additional water does aid the irrigation for agriculture,
weather changes during the dry season like higher temperatures and lower humidity may make
the cultivation of some crops even more challenging than it is during the normal growing
season.

In contrast to exogenous rivers, those identified as “endogenous” systems begin and end within
the arid region. Water in these systems generally comes from groundwater springs, but many of
these rivers are fed by water coming from limestone massifs, such as the Atlas Mountains in
10
Morocco. Rivers of this variety tend not to reach the sea, but instead end up draining into inland
basins, where most of it is simply lost to evaporation or disappears into the ground.

Though rivers and lakes are present in desert areas, groundwater makes up a much larger
percentage of the total water in these regions. However, only a small portion of these
underground deposits ever reach the hydrologic cycle; i.e., it never enters the constant
movement of water on, above, and below the surface of the earth that characterizes most of the
planet’s other water resources. ❒ The groundwater that does enter into this cycle usually does
so by feeding the flow of streams or by maintaining water levels in lakes. Water taken in this way
from groundwater stores is then refilled by surface flows and rainwater. ❒ International
organizations such as the United Nations and the World Bank have both funded efforts to survey
existing groundwater in arid lands and to create effective methods to draw usable water from
these sources. ❒ These efforts are particularly necessary due to the lack of clear understanding
in these regions about just how much groundwater exists. ❒ What is known, however, is that
these groundwater deposits are very unevenly distributed, and that much of this water can be

These groundwater deposits are found underground in open spaces between, inside, and among
rocks and sediment. These water-laden layers of earth are known as “aquifers.” In general,
limestone and sandstone aquifers tend to be deep and large, which contributes to their relatively
high concentration of minerals. They are usually not replenished because they became saturated
more than 10,000 years ago and do not need to be. These deep aquifers are sometimes called
“fossil waters” to denote the fact that this water has been present for so long. On the other hand,
shallow aquifers found in sand or gravel are much less extensive, but they can quickly be
replenished.
6:20 Reading Questions 1 through 5 Review back to top

Before you watch this video, I must emphasize how important it is to ensure that you're on the
path to success by being fairly strict with your timing. Fairly is used because sometimes we do
need extra time for some questions, but if timing is a problem, it just means that we're not
allowing ourselves to guess: get comfortable with it and your score will improve.
1. According to paragraph 1, what do scientists use to determine whether or not an area is
labeled a desert?
a. The amount of annual rainfall
b. The lack of groundwater resources
c. Topographical characteristics
d. The absence of flats and depressions in the landscape

2. The word “depressions” in the passage is closest in meaning to
a. rifts
b. dunes
c. ranges
d. basins

With the advent of modern technology, however, this flooding is largely managed by human
hands, which has required more governmental cooperation among nations in crafting treaties
and agreements regulating the use of these river basins.

11
3. 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.
a. Government involvement in the creation of treaties and agreements enhances flood-
controlling modern technology of river basins.
b. Technology has allowed for better human management of floods, making river basin
regulation agreements largely unnecessary.
c. Humans have been able to use technology to control flooding, which has made international
cooperation on the use of river basins more necessary.
d. More modern technology will lead to better flood management because intergovernmental
treaties regarding river basins allow for cooperation.

4. The word “arid” in the passage is closest in meaning to
a. moist
b. dry
c. deserted
d. airy

5. In paragraph 3, the author mentions all of the following about the flow of exogenous rivers
EXCEPT:
a. The impact of the flow is often felt in the driest seasons.
b. The flow can be an aid in the cultivation of crops.
c. The effects of the flow are not felt immediately.
d. The flow is unaffected by the season of the year.
6:20 Reading Questions 6 through 10 Review
6. According to paragraph 4, what distinguishes an endogenous river from an exogenous river?
a. An endogenous river flows into a limestone massif.
b. The source of an endogenous river is within the desert region.
c. The endogenous river does not reach the sea.
d. Endogenous rivers have a higher saline content than exogenous rivers.

7. The word “stores” in the passage is closest in meaning to
a. locations
b. accumulations
c. caves
d. discoveries

8. According to paragraph 5, what are some international organizations now doing in desert
areas?
a. They are creating new methods for drawing these resources to river basins.
b. They are paying for efforts to survey existing groundwater resources.
c. They are giving monetary grants to individual inhabitants of arid lands.
d. They are trying to equalize the uneven distribution of groundwater.

9. Why does the passage mention in paragraph 5 the fact that the exact extent of groundwater
resources is still unknown?
a. To highlight the lack of scientific research being done in desert areas.
b. To illustrate the importance of freshwater to the inhabitants of deserts.
c. To explain why the recent actions of the United Nations and others are needed.
d. To show how groundwater can affect the flow of exogenous rivers.

12
10. The word “replenished” in the passage is closest in meaning to
a. Refilled
b. Rejuvenated
c. Reinvigorated
d. Rescinded
6:20 Reading Questions 11 through 14 Review
11. According to paragraph 6, why are limestone and sandstone aquifers not being refilled?
a. Because the water within them has been present for so long
b. Because of disputes among intergovernmental agencies
c. Because they were filled to capacity in the distant past
d. Because they are deeper and larger than other aquifers

12. What can be inferred in paragraph 7 about shallow aquifers?
a. They tend to have less mineral content than deeper ones.
b. They can quickly be replenished because they were saturated as limestone aquifers once
were.
c. The water from shallow aquifers is unusable because of its proximity to gravel.
d. They are more extensive than limestone aquifers.

13. Look at the four squares (❒) that indicate where the following sentence could be added to
the passage.

In fact, these water deposits have recently become the focus of increased
attention as a source of freshwater for the inhabitants of desert areas.


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.

Water resources in desert areas can be found in a number of different places.

a. In general, a desert area’s rainfall is below the threshold of four inches of annual
precipitation.
b. Exogenous rivers that flow through arid lands are among the largest river systems in the
world and are vital to the inhabitants of these regions.
c. Endogenous rivers begin and end within a desert region, but a large amount of this water is
lost to evaporation or disappears into the ground.
d. The water resources of endogenous rivers never make it to the sea because much of it is used
in the cultivation of crops.
e. Groundwater resources such as aquifers contain a large percentage of water in desert areas
and are becoming the focus of increased attention as a source of freshwater for the residents of
these areas.
f. Fossil waters are aquifers that are no longer being replenished because they were filled to
capacity centuries ago.

Final Words back to top

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As you prepare and study for the reading section of the exam, it's important to come back to this
page often. I cannot emphasize enough how it is the repetition of something that you've already
done that allows you to build the skill and mastery necessary to shoot up your score. Take your
time with it and review, practice, review, practice, and review some more. It's not uncommon for
me to hear from a student who shot up his or her score how at first they didn't like the idea of
reviewing the same material and felt bored with it, but after succeeding on the exam realized
that that was the reason for success. It's going to be the difference in how long it takes to get
your score.

Our focus is on helping you improve as quickly and efficiently as possible. If you have any
questions or trouble with the content or technical side of this page, let us know; we're here to
help the best that we can. Good luck with your studies!
Improve
Exercises to Improve Your TOEFL Reading Score back to top

Strategy is an important part of your success in the reading section. Without it, improvement
comes slowly and often through a lot of frustration. However, there are also several other factors
that determine your score.

The following information is meant to enhance your ability in each and every one of those
sections as you need it. Read the following text carefully and apply the exercises necessary to
help you improve.

For example, if you find that your vocabulary is rather limited and preventing you from doing
well on the exam, then do the vocabulary exercise for about 1 to 2 hours a day every day until
you improve. Anything less will be ineffective. Of course, do this on the days that you can study
if you can study every day. And, if you don't have enough time to study this much of day, then we
have to have a balance and also recognizes achieving a much higher score might take a little bit
more time than we expect. Remember the, these exercises are powerful and that helped many
students explode their score, so it will work for you.

Expanding Your Vocabulary back to top

Your vocabulary is an important part of success on the reading section. Without a strong
vocabulary, it will be him to improve over time. The easiest way to know if your vocabulary is an
issue is to check the number of vocabulary words that you missed on the previous reading.

The TOEFL asks you 4 vocabulary questions per reading on average. If you 1 or less every
reading, you are okay; your vocabulary is strong enough. However, if you miss 2 or more
questions, then we must focus on vocabulary or suffer a consistently lower score than we
deserve.

To improve your vocabulary, write down every word that you don't know in a reading and
master 7 of those words every day. To push your score ahead faster, focus on 14 words a day.

Another strong choice is to try our vocabulary system. Click here to learn more about it. It's a
fantastic system that we recommend strongly because every single word in that system comes
from actual TOEFL readings that have been released on the Internet-based TOEFL. Also, we
teach you these words in context. In addition, we teach the correct pronunciation and focus your
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mastery on these words not only to develop your reading ability through vocabulary, but also
your speaking ability, listening ability, and writing about.
Getting Faster Reading Speed back to top

One common difficulty among students is how quickly they can read through the reading in
order to attack the questions in 20 min. So, reading speed stands as an incredibly important
point to work on. Do you feel that the reading speed that you have is too slow to answer all the
questions?

You can improve your reading speed and maximize it to your level of fluency and even go
beyond it. But, it's going to take consistent work. Again, you have to do the following exercise
consistently every day in order to see benefits or else it's not going to be an effective use of your
time. Excited? Here it is.

First, you want to make sure that you have plenty of reading material to do this exercise. You
can find this by purchasing any National Geographic magazine or any Scientific American
magazine. You can also print several pages from National Geographic or Scientific American
online. Those are the only sources that I recommend. I don't recommend TOEFL readings
because you're going to go through them too quickly. I don't recommend newspapers or
magazines because they don't match the language of the TOEFL very well.

Once you have, let's say, National Geographic, you want to begin the exercise. You will need a
stopwatch. Set your stopwatch for 1 min. When you start your stopwatch, your goal is to read
through any article in National Geographic (try to pick a very large one). Once the timer buzzes
and your 60 seconds are up, you want to stop and count the number of lines that you were able
to read. The reason why we count lines and not words is that counting words is too time-
consuming. Write this number down in your notebook. For example, let's say that you did this
exercise and read 12 lines in 60 seconds. That is your current ability and it's not strong enough,
so we want to improve it.

Reset your timer for 60 seconds. Now, your goal is to read twice as much information as you did
before in the same time. I know what you're thinking, “that's not possible.” It is. But, you have to
remember that you're pushing your limits and you're not going to read at full comprehension.
This exercise is meant to push you to read faster, so make sure to follow it exactly. With a pen,
mark the last line that you read in your article and then count the number of lines that you need
to read in this step and make another mark. These marks will make it easier for you to know
where you should read to. If we continue our example, we have to read 24 lines. When you start
the timer, read quickly. Go through the words fast. Skip some that you think are not important.
But, make sure to continue to try to understand what you are reading. If you just go through the
information, it won't help.

Did you succeed? If you did, you can go onto the next step. However, if you did not succeed, try
again until you do. Never give up!

Now you should get the pattern. You want to, again, try to read twice as many lines as you did. If
you find that you don't have enough lines in your article, start a new article. To clarify, if we
continue our previous example, we now have to read 48 lines in 60 seconds. Make sure to try
this again and again until you succeed. Remember that you are not reading every single word.
You are jumping around, skipping words, and reading through lines quickly to grab as much
content as you can. But, be aware that you only have 60 seconds to complete your task.
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It’s time to push ourselves. Let's do it one more time. If we continue our example, we now must
read 96 lines. If you really try, you're going to find that your brain is starting to focus on nouns
and verbs and nothing else. Also, it’ll focus on subjects and it's also going to skip lines every now
and then. You should still be able to grab some information and understand the content that
you’re reading. Well, you should at least a little bit.

Now, here's the important part: we get to see if this exercise helped. If you followed it carefully,
you should see that it did; otherwise, do the whole thing again. Set your timer for 60 seconds
and read at full comprehension. You don't have any specific number of lines that you want to
read here but you want to read with full energy. Once the timer buzzes, count the number of
lines that you were able to read. Isn't it amazing? You should now have read at least one line
more than you did before and likely 2 to 6 lines more. Remember that this is at full
comprehension and you’ve just increased your reading speed within 10 minutes. That’s serious
progress.

This effect doesn't last forever. We lose our focus and our energy for reading very quickly. That's
why we have to do this exercise every single day before we start studying and track our progress
every time we do it in our notebooks to check that we’re always improving and pushing
ourselves.

Building Better Comprehension back to top

Through my years teaching, I've noticed that a lot of students don't really focus on
comprehension. They focus on everything else: vocabulary, reading speed, answer choices,
question types, strategy, and anything else you can name. However, I rarely see a student ask me
questions on how to improve his or her reading comprehension. And, that's the most important
element in your TOEFL success. High-level students who have no strategy when reading but
read a large amount of material develop the comprehension that lets them score at a much
higher level than many lower-level students who know yeah I'm going to finish this really fast
and you strategy very well.

Does this mean that the strategies that you're learning don't work? Of course not. The point is to
emphasize that deep down behind everything is comprehension. If you can’t understand a
sentence well, then you're not going to have an easy time answering a question about that
sentence regardless of how much strategy you know. Of course, strategy will help you get the
best result that you can though.

This pushes us to ask an important question: how can we improve our reading comprehension?
There are several ways. Some are very general; others are very specific. Here's a system of
reading that will push you to develop your reading comprehension.

First, you want to take any book that you find interesting. Don't focus on a book that you believe
will help you on the TOEFL. If you do that, you're not going to read with energy and you're not
going to benefit from it. Any book about any subject that's interesting to you will work. A book is
better than magazines or anything else because it forces you to consistently read about the same
information. This reinforces your vocabulary because it will be recycled throughout the book. It
also recycles the plot, which is the story of the book, and that pushes you to consistently assess
what it is that you're reading. In simpler terms, a book is the most powerful way to improve your
comprehension.
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You should read consistently every day or every other day for about 30 to 60 min. Don’t do it
only for the TOEFL but for you in general and it will help your TOEFL score. Many students who
do this tell me how much it helps. Don't be one of the students who avoids this exercise and in a
few weeks communicates that he or she still hasn’t improved as much as they needed to on the
exam. You need to do this.

You can enhance your development of reading comprehension as you read by following this next
system of analysis. First, you always want to focus on the subject, verb, and object of every
sentence. The easiest way to do this is to have a pencil in your hand as you read. Every time you
have a subject, underline it; every time you have a verb, underline it; and, every time you have
an object, underline it. This will get pretty tedious over time, so you don't have to do this all the
time but you do want to do this for at least 10 to 20 min. of your reading time. This really helps
because sometimes it will be hard for you to find the subject, verb, or object and you will be
forced to really think critically about that sentence and its major meaning.

The next thing that you want to do is gradually work up your understanding of what it is that
you're reading. When you start reading you want to read with your pencil underlining the
subject, verb, and object as you just learned. You also want to have a notebook next to you. In
this notebook, restate every sentence that you read in one paragraph. This doesn't mean that you
copy it down but it means that you read this sentence, digest it, and then rewrite it in your own
words. Then, compare the sentence in the reading to the sentence that you wrote down to make
sure that the meaning is the same. This is not easy. This will take time. But, you want to improve
and this will improve you.

You don't have to do this for every sentence that you read. That would be too much. After the
first paragraph or two, what you want to do instead of restating every sentence is now restate
every paragraph. You don't want to have more than one sentence summarize one paragraph
though. Write only one sentence to summarize a paragraph that you read. By doing that, you'll
force yourself to think about what the most important piece of information is within that
paragraph. That develops comprehension.

You want to do that for several paragraphs. To give you a good number, do this for about 10
paragraphs. Next, you want to summarize what you learned on an entire page if you’re reading a
book or if you're reading an article in a magazine or newspaper, you want to summarize what
you read in five paragraphs with one sentence. This is good if you do it throughout the whole
time you read but you don't have to; 20 minutes of your reading time is fine. This focus on
understanding the material that you're reading will push her comprehension to the next level.

If you really want to be specific to the TOEFL, then do this exercise with TOEFL readings that
you have already read. Good luck!

Mastering Our Crucial Strategy back to top

This is the element that brought you to NoteFull. This is what you have been focusing on for
hours a day. Some of us have high levels of fluency and others of us have medium levels of
fluency but if we can make sure to follow strategy whenever we answer reading questions, we
will get the maximum points possible. And, if you really focus, you're going to get a higher score
than your current fluency level.

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So, let me ask you a question: do you know all of the different question types on the reading? Do
you know all of the strategies associated with those question types? Do you practice them
consistently when you do a reading or do you still follow your own habit of answering questions?
Do you have them memorized so that you can bring them up in your head quickly? Or, does it
take you a lot of time to think of them and do you usually forget one or two?

I cannot stress this enough: if you don't have these strategies and question types mastered, you
are not getting the highest score possible. It's that simple. If you want a higher score, you must
have these ideas consistent in your mind.

In my experience, the easiest way to develop mastery of something like this is to create flash
cards. One way to do that would be to take several index cards and on one side of each index
card write down a question type and on the other side, write down an example question from an
actual reading of that question type. Do that for every question type. That is your first set of two
flash cards.

For the next set of flashcards, you want to write, again, on one side, the question type. Then, on
the other side, you want to outline the strategy for it.

Review these flashcards as many times as it takes until it is easy in your mind to recall not only
the different question types but also the strategies associated with them. Why? Because if you do
not have them clear in your head right now when you're practicing in the comfort of your own
home, how easy do you think it's going to be under the stressful conditions of the exam to
remember them and get the highest score possible?

Improving on Your Most Difficult Questions back to top

One key quality that you need to make sure that you are improving in leaps instead of very small
steps is to know how to improve what is most difficult for you. This often involves the hardest
work because you have to focus on what is the most challenging and as a result sometimes the
most frustrating thing to improve.

For the reading section of the TOEFL, this means that you have to identify which question type
is holding you back the most. Do you find vocabulary questions the most difficult? Do you find
detail questions the most difficult? Whatever question is usually the one that you miss, whatever
question is the one that is the most difficult for you to answer, whatever question takes the most
time for you to answer, you want to identify it and work on it.

How do you do that? After about two or three readings, you should know which question type
challenges you the most. Write this question type down in your notebook. Then, go back to all of
your old readings and circle all the questions that belong to this question type. For example, let's
say that my most difficult question is the detail question and I've done about three readings in
my time studying. I want to go through each reading and circle every question that is a detail
question. Then, what I want to do is write down or copy and paste each question and the answer
choices connected to it in one document. I also want to copy and paste the paragraph that the
answer is found in.

Let me clear this up a bit. Let's say that in one reading, question number 5 is a detail question. I
will copy question number 5 along with the answer choices and paste it in a new word-
processing document or write it down in my notebook if I have the time. In the TOEFL, you
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know that the paragraph the answer is found in is always stated. So, if question 5 says that the
answer is in paragraph 4, then what I want to do is copy and paste paragraph 4 above question
number 5 in my document. Why are we doing this? If you do this for every reading and for every
question type that gives you difficulty, you're going to have a powerful resource for practice.

Every time you study the reading section, review these questions. Review them following
strategy because if you don't then it's a useless exercise that's just going to push you to memorize
the right answer rather than develop a stronger answering ability.

The easiest way to do this is to go through the steps in choosing the right answer and always
review why each wrong answer is wrong. This will develop a much stronger skill with the
question type. It's a fantastic tool.

You can also do this not only for the question types that are most difficult but also for any
question in a reading that is really challenging for you. It's common that you'll find a question in
your practice that is very tough for you to understand even if you study the answer key and even
if you review it several times. That is one of the best tools for you to improve with. Study that
question every day until you really master it and understand why the answer is what it is and
why each wrong answer is incorrect. That will shoot up not only your ability with strategy but
your reading comprehension as well.

Remember that studying in this manner is incredibly important. Many students just go through
readings and practice and practice and don't improve because they're not really developing new
skills; they are just reviewing new vocabulary and building reading comprehension little by
little. Be as effective and improve as quickly as possible by following these steps. Good luck!
Strategy
Questions Types and Strategy back to top

Though you've already heard my introductory lecture. This is a very important page. It is your
reference to the strategies that you must use when answering all questions on the TOEFL. Come
back to this page whenever you practice a TOEFL reading and aren't 100% comfortable and
confident with the techniques we've learned to answer. This, again, is by far the most important
thing you can do at this moment to improve your reading score. Here are the 9 questions types
of the TOEFL (remember that being able to answer the vocabulary and detail questions well are
most important for your score), which we discuss here.

Vocabulary, Detail, Negative Detail, Inference, Pronoun, Plug-in, Paraphrase,
Purpose, Summary

Vocabulary Strategy back to top

The first kind is vocabulary. It’s very easy to identity. Whenever the question asks “what does
this this word mean,” it’s a vocabulary question. Here is an example to familiarize yourself with
this question type:

The word “depressions” in the passage is closest in meaning to

If you know the word:
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1) Choose the answer or answers that match the meaning best.
2) Read the sentence with the highlighted vocabulary to double check the meaning.

If you don’t know the word:

1) Read the sentence with the word and guess what its meaning could be
2) Choose an answer that fits this meaning. (If more than one works, guess fast.)

You shouldn’t spend a lot of time on this question no matter what. If you don’t know the word,
more than one answer choice might work and you’ll just waste time thinking. Just guess and
move on to spend your time on a different question.

Detail Strategy back to top

This question often divides students into two groups: those who will score high and those who
will score low. These questions ask you to identify a fact in the reading and choose an answer
that matches the fact in the reading best. They often begin with “according to paragraph” and
have a WH- question. Here are some examples:

According to paragraph 6, why are limestone and sandstone aquifers not
being refilled?
According to paragraph 1, what is true about the positions of the massive
animals depicted in the paintings?

To score high, you must follow strategy to get to the right information that will lead you to the
right answer.

1) Read the question to understand what information you are being asked to find.
2) Identify the key words in the question to search for in the reading.
3) Start reading quickly from the beginning of the paragraph in search of the key words
or synonyms of them.
4) When you find the key word, remind yourself of the question and read carefully to
find the answer for yourself. 60% of the answers will be found in the sentence with your
key words. 30% will require you to read 1 sentence more. 10% will require you to read 2
sentences more to find the answer.
5) Once you have identified the answer, check the answer choices and choose the one
that matches your anticipated answer best.

This strategy is the key to success. Do it with full energy and your score will improve. Do it
casually without thinking through steps 1 through 5 and your score will stay the same. It’s as
simple as that.

Negative Detail Strategy back to top

These questions ask you to identify an answer that is NOT mentioned in the paragraph or that is
NOT correct according to the reading. They always possess within the question the words NOT
or EXCEPT capitalized and in bold. Here is an example:

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According to paragraph 5, all of the following are true about the men in the
cave paintings EXCEPT:

To score high, you must follow strategy to get to the right information that will lead you to the
right answer. In these questions, it’s best to go back and forth from the reading to the answer
choices.

4) When you find the key word, read the sentence and check the answer choices to
determine which you can eliminate. Continue to do this for each answer choice until you
can determine that one is wrong or not mentioned and choose that answer.

This strategy is the key to success. Do it with full energy and your score will improve. Do it
casually without thinking through steps 1 through 4 and your score will stay the same.

Inference Strategy back to top

Inference questions are difficult. They usually contain the words infer, imply, or suggest in the
question. Here are a few examples to know when you read one.

What can be inferred in paragraph 7 about shallow aquifers?

What is implied in the theory mentioned in paragraph 3 about the fact that some paintings in
Lascaux are drawn directly over others?

The strategy is the exact same as that for detail questions except that when you read the
sentence with your key word make a jump from it with respect to content. For example, if you
read: 30% of apples are green. What does that mean? Well, a detail question just asks how many
apples are green: 30%. An inference question asks what can you infer about apples: 70% of
apples aren’t green. Now, you didn’t read that but you can infer it from the information, right.
That’s the idea behind an inference question and that’s why they arguably cause the most
trouble to students.

4) When you find the key word, remind yourself of the question and read carefully to
find the answer for yourself. Ask yourself, what does this imply that must be true? 60% of
the answers will be found in the sentence with your key words. 30% will require you to
read 1 sentence more. 10% will require you to read 2 sentences more to find the answer.
5) Once you have identified the answer, check the answer choices and choose the one
that matches your anticipated answer best.
6) If you don’t find the answer right away, keep asking yourself: what must be true from
this sentence that isn’t stated directly. (Remember the apple example.)

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Pronoun Strategy back to top

The other question type is pronoun. Pronoun questions don’t appear often and they always ask
you what a certain word refers to. Here’s an example.

The word “them” in paragraph 4 refers to:

Here’s the strategy.

1) Determine whether the pronoun is singular or plural.
2) Identify all of the nouns in the sentence before the pronoun that match in number
(singular or plural)
3) Choose the one that fits the meaning of the sentence best.
4) Find that noun among your answer choice and choose it.

Plug-in Strategy back to top

The next question type is plug-in. Plug-ins ask you to place a sentence into one of four points in
a paragraph. Here’s an example.

Look at the four squares (❒) that indicate where the following sentence could
be added to the passage.

In fact, these water deposits have recently become the focus of increased attention as a source of
freshwater for the inhabitants of desert areas.


These questions follow a few simple steps. Be aware though that if you have to get to the last
step, you’re dealing with a tough question that might be worth choosing quickly with depending
on our level.

1) Read the sentence carefully to identify what it’s saying and the key words within it.
2) Read the paragraph and find the sentence that contains key words from the plug-in.
For example, if you have the key word apples in your sentence. You read the passage
searching for apples. You find it between the answer choices A and B and nowhere
else. You know your sentence belongs in A or B.
3) Use pronouns in your plug-in sentence to determine where your sentence belongs.
4) If that’s not enough. Identify words such as however, consequently, therefore, etc. to
determine whether your sentence continues the idea or begins the idea.
Continuing our apple example. If you see apples between A and B in the paragraph,
and your plug-in sentence begins with consequently. You’re answer choice should
be B because it is concluding the idea of apples and not starting it.
5) Finally, read through the paragraph with your answer in place and double check that
it makes sense.

Paraphrase Strategy back to top

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You will identify paraphrase questions easily. These questions always ask which answer choice
states the information in a highlighted sentence the same way. Here’s an example to clarify the
idea.

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.

These questions challenge most students when they attack it without strategy. With our strategy,
these often become the easier, faster questions to answer, so pay careful attention.

1) Read the main independent clause and nothing else. Understand the subject, verb,
and object.
Break the sentence down piece by piece. They usually use complex sentences with
many parts--adjective clauses, adverb clauses, and so on. Don’t read the whole
highlighted sentence and then try to choose the answer. It’s the best way to become
confused.
2) Read through the answer choices and eliminate any answer that does not state this
information exactly.
3) Read the next clause in the highlighted sentence carefully.
4) Read through the answer choices and eliminate any answer that does not state this
information exactly.
5) Continue this process until only one answer is left.

This general explanation may seem a bit confusing, but once you try a few questions and are
guided through them by our system. It shouldn’t be a problem to follow this strategy precisely.

Purpose Strategy back to top

Purpose questions have two classes.

Type one

It asks you why the author mentions or states a word, phrase, or sentence in the reading.
These are the more common ones that follow strategy well and tend to be easier. Here’s an
example.

Why does the passage mention in paragraph 5 the fact that the exact
extent of groundwater resources is still unknown?

Here’s the idea behind the strategy. In standard, academic writing in English, there stands
a very strong structure. Titles provide the topic of the entire reading. Paragraphs are
groups of sentence that develop one piece of information or idea. How do they develop
these ideas? The first sentence represents the topic sentence that outlines the focus of the
paragraph. Every sentence after it continues the idea by providing more detail. In other
words, every sentence continues the idea before it. That’s why are strategy is as follows.

1) Read the question to understand what you’re being asked.
2) Identify the key words.
3) Read the appropriate paragraph and find those key words or synonyms of them.
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4) Read the sentence and understand that the purpose of the statement in the
question was to explain the content of that sentence.
For example, the question will ask, “Why does the author mention apples?”
You look for apples in the reading. Find it and then read the sentence before
and say to yourself, “the reason the author mentioned apples was to explain
the content in this sentence before.”
5) Look for any adverbs that will help you to identify the relationship between
your key words and the content before it.
Continuing our example with apples. If between the two sentences, we have
the adverb “however.” The purpose of the author’s words was to contrast the
information in the sentence before.
6) Now, choose an answer choice that reflects the information in the sentence
before.

Summary Strategy back to top

Summaries are the last questions that you’ll attack and most students struggle with them the
most. We should discuss a few things about this question.

First, TOEFL preparation books often present two kinds of summary questions: one asks you to
choose 3 answer choices among 6 that complete a paragraph that summarizes the reading.
Here’s an example.

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.

The unusual characteristics of the cave paintings at Lascaux have given rise to various
explanations as to the role they played in the lives of the cave dwellers.

This is the only kind of summary question that we have ever seen on the TOEFL. The strategy to
answer these questions quickly and accurately is intricate (which means complex), so pay careful
attention and review these steps often. They will only help improve your score once you master
them.

1) First, review the structure of the reading on your own. Explain to yourself how it is
organized to remind you of the important information.
2) Read the question carefully and see if the sentence in bold gives you a clue as to what
the answer choices might be.
If it states something about 3 theories, it’s easy to know that you must choose 3 answer
choices among the 6 that describe 3 theories mentioned in the reading.
3) Read your first answer choice to understand what it states and find its key words.
4) Scan through the reading until you find the key words or synonyms of them and read
the sentences they are found in.
5) Determine whether that answer choice is a summary, detail, or wrong answer. Use the
following method to do so.
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(1) If an answer choice is a summary, the answer choice restates information
found within the topic sentence of the paragraph, the first sentence. That’s a good
choice.
(2) If the answer choice deals with a sentence that is not the first, it is a detail. It is
therefore not a good choice. You must choose answers that summarize important
points in the passage and not just minor points mentioned in one sentence that is
not the topic sentence.
(3) If the answer choice describes content that is not found in the reading or is
wrong according to the reading, of course, eliminate it.
6) After your analysis, you should be left with 3 summary answer choices. They will be
your answer.
7) If you are left with 4 summary answer choices, read the sentence in bold in the
question and eliminate the answer choice that doesn’t directly deal with the topic
sentence.
8) If you are left with 2 summary answer choices and 2 detail answer choices, read the
sentence in bold in the question and eliminate one of the detail answer choices that deals
with the topic sentence least.

However, books teach a second kind that divides the essay into two topics and asks you to match
different answer choices to the appropriate topic. Here’s an example.

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 4 points.

For reasons that we won’t go into, this question is incredibly rare and easy strategy wise, so we
will not focus on it.

1) Read an answer choice and identify the key words.
2) Find the key words or synonyms of them in the reading.
3) Read the sentence with your key word and determine what topic it belongs to.
4) Match that answer choice to the appropriate topic.
25

Notefull Reading Step1

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