Section 3:
Reading Comprehension
This part of
the TOEFL tests your ability to read academic English. This
is important if you want to succeed at an English college or
university. Students are given large amounts of reading in
most post secondary courses in the US. You should practice
looking for the main idea by reading quickly through a
passage. Then you should read more thoroughly for the
purpose of answering the questions. It is not necessary for
you to understand everything in a reading passage. You just
need to be able to answer the questions. There will be many
terms that you do not recognize. Do not let this bother you.
If you need to know the meaning of a word to answer a
question, try to identify the root word or the context. The
questions usually follow the same pattern as the passage
(the first question will not be about information in the
last paragraph). Try to stay alert for this part of the
test! It is worth a lot of marks.
Question
types:
- Main idea
-
Detail/Fact ("wh")
- According
to the passage...
- What does
the author believe?
-
Definitions (closest in meaning)
- Click on
the sentence that explains...
- Which is
NOT supported by the passage?
- What can
be inferred?
- Add this
sentence to the reading
- What is
the topic of a paragraph?
- Why/Where
is something mentioned?
- Pronouns
Example:
Most people can remember a phone number for up to thirty
seconds. When this short amount of time elapses, however,
the numbers are erased from the memory. How did the
information get there in the first place? Information that
makes its way to the short term memory (STM) does so via the
sensory storage area. The brain has a filter which only
allows stimuli that is of immediate interest to pass on to
the STM, also known as the working memory.
There is much debate about the capacity and duration of
the short term memory. The most accepted theory comes from
George A. Miller, a cognitive psychologist who suggested
that humans can remember approximately seven chunks of
information. A chunk is defined as a meaningful unit of
information, such as a word or name rather than just a
letter or number. Modern theorists suggest that one can
increase the capacity of the short term memory by chunking,
or classifying similar information together. By organizing
information, one can optimize the STM, and improve the
chances of a memory being passed on to long term storage.
When making a conscious effort to memorize something,
such as information for an exam, many people engage in "rote
rehearsal". By repeating something over and over again, we
are able to keep a memory alive. Unfortunately, this type of
memory maintenance only succeeds if there are no
interruptions. As soon as a person stops rehearsing the
information, it has the tendency to disappear. When a pen
and paper are not handy, you might attempt to remember a
phone number by repeating it aloud. If the doorbell rings or
the dog barks to come in before you get the opportunity to
make your phone call, you will forget the number instantly.
Therefore, rote rehearsal is not an efficient way to pass
information from the short term to long term memory. A
better way is to practice "elaborate rehearsal". This
involves assigning semantic meaning to a piece of
information so that it can be filed along with other
pre-existing long term memories.
Encoding information semantically also makes it more
retrievable. Retrieving information can be done by
recognition or recall. Humans can recall memories that are
stored in the long term memory and used often. However, if a
memory seems to be forgotten, it may eventually be retrieved
by prompting. The more cues a person is given (such as
pictures), the more likely a memory can be retrieved. This
is why multiple choice tests are often used for subjects
that require a lot of memorization.
Reading
Comprehension questions:
1. According to the passage, how do memories get transferred
to the STM?
A) They revert from the long term memory.
B) They are filtered from the sensory storage area.
C) They get chunked when they enter the brain.
D) They enter via the nervous system.
Explanation:
- Choice
A is the opposite of what happens.
- Choice
C is what a person should try to do when memorizing
something.
- Choice
D is not mentioned.
The correct
answer is B.
2. The word "elapses" in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning
to:
A) passes
B) adds up
C) appears
D) continues
The correct
answer is A.
3. All of the following are mentioned as places in which
memories are stored EXCEPT the:
A) STM
B) long term memory
C) sensory storage area
D) maintenance area
Explanation:
- Choice
A is mentioned in the first paragraph.
- Choice
B is mentioned in the second paragraph.
- Choice
C is mentioned in the first paragraph.
The correct
answer is D.
4. Why does the author mention a dog's bark?
A) It is a type of memory.
B) It is a type of interruption.
C) Dogs have better memories than humans.
D) A dog's bark is similar to a doorbell.
Explanation:
- Choice
A is incorrect because it is not the "reason" the
author mentions it.
- Choice
C is not mentioned.
- Choice
D distracts you because both are mentioned as
examples.
The correct
answer is B.
5. What is paragraph 2 mainly about?
A) George A. Miller
B) Cognitive theorists
C) STM capacity
D) Modern debates
Explanation:
- Choice
A and B and D are too specific. They are only
mentioned.
The correct
answer is C.
6. How do theorists believe a person can remember more
information in a short time?
A) By organizing it
B) By repeating it
C) By giving it a name
D) By drawing it
Explanation:
- Choice
B is what regular people think is true.
- Choice
C is not mentioned.
- Choice
D is a type of cue for retrieval.
The correct
answer is A.
7. The author believes that rote rotation is:
A) the best way to remember something
B) more efficient than chunking
C) ineffective in the long run
D) an unnecessary interruption
Explanation:
- Choice
A is contradicted by "not an efficient way".
- Choice
B is incorrect because these two terms are not
compared.
- Choice
D is illogical.
The correct
answer is C.
8. The word "it" in the first sentence of the last paragraph
refers to:
A) encoding
B) STM
C) semantics
D) information
The correct
answer is D.
9. The word "elaborate" in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning
to:
A) complex
B) efficient
C) pretty
D) regular
The correct
answer is A.
10. Which of the following is NOT supported by the passage?
A) The working memory is the same as the short term memory.
B) A memory is kept alive through constant repetition.
C) Cues help people to recognize information.
D) Multiple choice exams are the most difficult.
Explanation:
- Choice
A is mentioned in paragraph one.
- Choice
B is mentioned in paragraph three (though an
interruption will destroy it).
- Choice
C is mentioned in the last paragraph.
The correct
answer is D.
Section 4 >
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