TOEFL Structure and Written Expression 1 (Longman PBT)

The Arctic Circle _____ through northern North America, Europe, and Asia.

• the pass

• passing

• it passes

• passes

Answer explanation

The correct choice is 'passes' because it correctly completes the sentence in the present tense, indicating that the Arctic Circle currently traverses northern North America, Europe, and Asia.

Earth's gravity pulls everything toward _____ the Earth.

• it centers

• the center of

• centered it

• the center

Answer explanation

Earth's gravity pulls everything toward the center of the Earth. The correct choice, 'the center of', accurately completes the sentence, indicating the direction of gravitational pull.

The forces _____ earthquakes are the same ones that build mountains.

• unleash

• unleashes

• that unleash

• that unleashing

Answer explanation

The correct choice is 'that unleash' because it properly connects the forces to the action of causing earthquakes. 'Unleash' needs to agree with 'forces' in number, making 'that unleash' the right grammatical structure.

Since the 18th century, _____ the major genre of literature in most literate societies.

• becoming the novel

• has the novel become

• a becoming novel

• the novel has become

Answer explanation

The correct choice is 'the novel has become' because it properly uses the present perfect tense to indicate that since the 18th century, the novel has transitioned into the major genre of literature in literate societies.

Under a microscope, _____ of a computer chip looks like a network of aluminum tracks.

• the circuitry

• with the circuitry

• after the circuitry

• it circulates

Answer explanation

The correct choice is 'the circuitry' because it directly refers to the network of aluminum tracks visible under a microscope, accurately describing the structure of a computer chip.

Dinosaurs became extinct 64 million years _____ first people ever appeared on Earth.

• prior to the

• the preceding time

• before the

• the

Answer explanation

The correct choice is 'before the' because it accurately indicates that dinosaurs went extinct 64 million years earlier than the appearance of the first people on Earth, establishing a clear chronological relationship.

Venus is almost the same size as the Earth, _____ mountain ranges are much higher.

• they

• but they

• its

• but its

Answer explanation

The correct choice is 'but its' because it contrasts the size of Venus with the height of its mountain ranges, indicating that despite being similar in size to Earth, Venus's mountains are significantly taller.

Venus is almost the same size as the Earth, _____ mountain ranges are much higher.

• they

• but they

• its

• but its

Answer explanation

The correct choice is 'but its' because it contrasts the size of Venus with the height of its mountain ranges, indicating that despite being similar in size to Earth, Venus's mountains are significantly taller.

Scientists are now only beginning to understand the factors _____ cigarette addiction.

• cause

• causing

• they cause

• causes

Answer explanation

The correct choice is 'causing' because it fits the sentence structure, indicating an ongoing action related to the factors that lead to cigarette addiction. The other options do not grammatically fit in this context.

Agricultural _____ largely responsible for the unfolding of nutritional knowledge of vitamins and minerals early in the last century.

• was

• chemists

• with chemists

• chemists were

Answer explanation

The correct choice is 'chemists were' because it properly completes the sentence, indicating that chemists played a significant role in developing nutritional knowledge of vitamins and minerals during that time.