TOEFL - Practice Test (Reading Section)

TOEFL Preparatory - practice test

Reading Practice

Agriculture, Iron, and the Bantu Peoples

Agriculture, Iron, and the Bantu Peoples

Agriculture, Iron, and the Bantu Peoples

Agriculture, Iron, and the Bantu Peoples

Agriculture, Iron, and the Bantu Peoples

Agriculture, Iron, and the Bantu Peoples

Directions: Now answer the questions.

Multiple Choice

1. According to paragraph 1, why do researchers doubt that agriculture developed independently in Africa?

• African lakes and rivers already provided enough food for people to survive without agriculture.

• The earliest examples of cultivated plants discovered in Africa are native to Asia.

• Africa’s native plants are very difficult to domesticate.

• African communities were not large enough to support agriculture.

Multiple Choice

2. In paragraph 1, what does the author imply about changes in the African environment during this time period?

• The climate was becoming milder, allowing for a greater variety of crops to be grown.

• Although periods of drying forced people south, they returned once their food supply was secure.

• Population growth along rivers and lakes was dramatically decreasing the availability of fish.

• A region that had once supported many people was becoming a desert where few could survive.

Multiple Choice

3. According to paragraph 2, camels were important because they

• were the first domesticated animal to be introduced to Africa

• allowed the people of the West African savannahs to carve out large empires

• helped African peoples defend themselves against Egyptian invaders

• made it cheaper and easier to cross the Sahara

Multiple Choice

4. The word “profound” in the passage is closest in meaning to

• fascinating

• far-reaching

• necessary

• temporary

Multiple Choice

5. The word “ritual” in the passage is closest in meaning to

• military

• physical

• ceremonial

• permanent

Multiple Choice

6. According to paragraph 4, all of the following were social effects of the new metal technology in Africa EXCEPT:

• Access to metal tools and weapons created greater social equality.

• Metal weapons increased the power of warriors.

• Iron tools helped increase the food supply.

• Technical knowledge gave religious power to its holders.

Multiple Choice

7. 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.

• While American iron makers developed the latest furnaces, African iron makers continued using earlier techniques.

• Africans produced iron much earlier than Americans, inventing technologically sophisticated heating systems.

• Iron making developed earlier in Africa than in the Americas because of the ready availability of carbon and iron ore.

• Both Africa and the Americas developed the capacity for making iron early, but African metallurgy developed at a slower rate.

Multiple Choice

8. Paragraph 6 mentions all of the following as possible causes of the “Bantu explosion” EXCEPT

• superior weapons

• better hunting skills

• peaceful migration

• increased population

Multiple Choice

9. In the paragraph below, there is a missing sentence. Look at the paragraph and indicate (A, B, C and D) where the following sentence could be added to the passage.

These people had a significant linguistic impact on the continent as well.

• Option A

• Option B

• Option C

• Option D

10. Directions: An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage is provided below.

Complete the summary by choosing 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.

Fill in the Blanks