TOEFL Primary Step 2 Test #47 - Reading

A group of animals including cows, buffalo and goat are kept for their milk or meat.

Such animals are kinds of _____.

This is a platform that is built on the upstairs outside wall of a building, with a low wall or rail around it. 

What is this?

Your best friend's birthday is coming. You are going to buy her a present. She likes reading in her free time. 

You are going to a _____ to choose a gift for her.

This is a sum of money that is paid back to you, especially because you are not happy with a product or service that you have bought. 

What is this?

This is a powerful storm with heavy rains and winds. It is dangerous to people, animals, and damages many homes.

What is this?

Thanks to his excellence in work, the young man is moved to a higher position in the company. 

He is _____ at work.

The girl and her friends have a plan to travel. She calls the travel agency to make an arrangement for their seats on a plane. 

She is making a/an_____ for their flight. 

The students are learning about the Earth and its features including its continents, population and climate.

They are learning a _____ lesson.

This is a large vehicle. It is used for carrying heavy loads by road.

What is this?

Read the email. Then answer the questions.

Dear Anne,

Moving is hard work! Mom and I are still unpacking boxes. She and I were packing them just eight weeks ago! Your picture is on my desk. I miss you!

Our new house is in a town called St. Cloud, Minnesota. It's very quiet compared to Mumbai. The weather in July is warm and sunny, and there are no rainy monsoons. Mia and I can play together but I don't have any friends here. Meeting new ones isn't easy for me. School starts in September.

Dad started his new job as a surgeon at the hospital here. He's happy working here. I'm not happy. I just feel lonely.

Please write soon!

Your best friend,
Jamie

How is Mumbai compared to St. Cloud?

Why does Jamie feel lonely after moving to Minnesota?

Read the email. Then answer the questions.

Dear Pat,

I arrived here three weeks ago. I'm studying at a language school in Brighton. The students come from many different countries and I have made a lot of new friends.

There are classes for five hours every day. I like my teacher very much. His name is John and he helps me when I make a mistake.

I want to visit London next weekend because I'm going back to my country on Monday. Can I see you there? Please write to me soon.

With best wishes from
Maria

What does Maria tell Pat about her friends?

Why did Maria write to Pat?

Read the schedule. Then answer the questions.

Where will visitors have a meal?

What can visitors NOT do at the Empire State Building?

Where will the visitors spend the most time?

Read the tips. Then answer the questions.

Be a Smart Shopper

Supermarkets try to make customers spend more money. Here are some tricks they use to do this. 

• Stores put SALE signs in the windows. This means prices are lower for a short time. So some people will decide to go in, even if they don't need anything.
• Supermarkets also put large carts at the entrance. The bigger the cart is, the more things shoppers can put in it!
• Near the entrance, there are usually fruits, vegetables, bread, and cakes. Both the pretty colors and the wonderful smells make people feel happy. Happy people tend to spend more money.
• Stores want to sell expensive foods. So those foods are easier to find among the different brands. Cheaper foods are placed on high or low shelves, so shoppers won't pick them.
• Lastly, stores put candies and magazines at the front, where customers pay. They know people have to look at these things as they wait in line. Maybe they'll buy some.

Be a smart shopper. Remember these tricks the next time you go to the market!

Why are bread and cakes near the entrance?

Where are expensive foods likely to be placed?

What do customers look at while waiting for payment?

Read a story about Kate. Then answer the questions.

When Kate came back to school after the winter holiday, she told everyone in her class about the snowman she had built. “It was 15 feet tall. It was so huge that I needed a ladder to put the hat on top of its head,” Kate said.

During lunch, Kate told everyone what a great snowboarder she was. “I was going faster than anyone else on the hill,” Kate said. “I think I set a world record.”

During recess, Kate explained to everyone how she had built an igloo from the snow. “It had five rooms,” Kate said. “We almost moved into the igloo because it was twice as big as our house.”

Just then, it began to snow. All the kids cheered as big white flakes drifted down from the sky. Sarah, who had listened to Kate’s stories all day, smiled. She said to Kate, “Now you can make us a giant snowman and an igloo! And we can watch you set a new record on your snowboard!”

Kate’s face turned bright red. She quietly went back inside and didn’t say anything else about her winter vacation.

How could Kate put a hat on the snowman's head?

How many rooms were there in Katy's igloo?

How were the kids when there were snowflakes falling from the sky?

Why do you think Kate's face turned bright red at the end?

Read a story about Tammy. Then answer the questions.

Tammy was in a foul mood. Her parents had insisted that she was too young for a cell phone, no matter how much she begged. But Sun and Alicia have cell phones!” Tammy cried. “If I don’t get one, I won’t be popular.”

“Having a cell phone doesn’t make you popular,” Tammy’s dad said. He was always saying stuff like that, as if he knew what it was like to be in fourth grade. “Besides,” Dad said, “your school doesn’t allow cell phones, and you can call your friends from the house as soon as you finish your homework.”

“But I can’t send them text messages,” Tammy replied.

“You can use e-mail,” Mom said. “Cell phones are expensive. We want you to wait until you can pay for part of the cost before you get one.”

“By that time I won’t need one,” Tammy said. “Nobody will know who I am. I might as well move to a deserted island.”

“In that case, I’ll get you some empty bottles and some paper,” Dad said. “Bottle messages are way cooler than text messages.”

“Ugh,” sighed Tammy. 

Why didn't Tammy's parents allow her to use a cell phone?

What does Tammy's mother think of cell phones?

Why does Tammy want a cell phone so badly?

What is the story mostly about?

Read the text. Then answer the questions.

How do lizards stay safe? How do they get away from predators? Some lizards use their tails. The lizard’s tail is made to break off. If a predator grabs it, the tail breaks off. The lizard can get away and grow a new tail. Some lizards squirt blood. These lizards are called horned lizards. If a predator comes close, the lizard squirts blood at it. The blood is shot from the corner of its eyes. Some lizards make themselves look bigger than they are. These lizards have a frill of loose skin around their necks. If a predator comes close, the lizard puffs out its frill. This makes the lizard look much bigger than it really is.

The blood that a lizard squirt comes from ____.

What does "puffs out" mean?

What is this text about?

Read the text. Then answer the questions.

A mammal is a kind of animal. A mammal is warm-blooded and has hair. Mammal babies drink milk. You are a mammal. Most mammals have teeth. There is one mammal that does not have teeth. It doesn’t have baby teeth. It doesn’t have adult teeth. What kind of animal is it? How can the animal eat? It is an anteater.  An anteater doesn’t have teeth, but it does have a long, sticky tongue. One anteater has a tongue two feet long! When the anteater puts out its tongue, ants stick to it. The anteater puts its tongue back in its mouth. It flexes its jaw to scrape the ants off its tongue. Then it swallows the ants whole. Anteaters may eat 30,000 ants in one day!

How long is an anteater's tongue?

What is NOT true about mammals?

Why does the anteater have to swallow its food?

Read the text. Then answer the questions.

What would it be like to live in the ocean? Many sea animals have found this to be the perfect place to live. Oceans cover more than 75% of the Earth’s surface. This means that the ocean is the largest habitat on Earth.

There are four oceans. They are the Pacific, Indian, Atlantic, and Arctic Oceans. The four oceans all connect to each other. There are also many seas. Seas are smaller branches of oceans. Some examples of seas are the Caribbean Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. Have you wondered why the ocean is salty? Rivers collect salt as they travel over rocks. The salt filters out into the seas and oceans. It dissolves in the ocean but doesn’t evaporate. This means that the salt just builds up over time.

Waves on the surface of the ocean are caused by the wind. The stronger the wind, the stronger the waves will be. Waves only move up and down. Waves do not represent a flow of water.

Why is the ocean salty?

Oceans cover over ____.

According to the text, what is true about the waves?