TOEFL Primary Step 2 Test #10 - Reading

You need a place to stay, live, or work when you go from one place to another. What do you need?

It is a wild animal which looks like a dog. It has reddish-brown fur, a pointed face and a thick tail. What is it?

It is an electric appliance used in a building. It helps the air cool down inside the building. What is it? 

You go from one place to another to see and learn about famous places or new things. You usually plan on doing this during vacation. What are you doing?

This is someone who is brave and makes the world a better place. Who is he or she?

Tour guides do this for travelers. They tell you about the history of a famous site, a monument, or a group of people. What are they doing?

Read the letter. Then answer the questions.

Dear Mrs. Smith,

Thank you for your interest in Best Trip Planner. I am sending you three copies of our new catalog. lf you look at page 18 in the catalog, you will find the travel itinerary for Cambodia, which you are interested in visiting this summer. You will also find the estimated cost for a single traveler and the group rate at the bottom of the page. Please note that the group discount applies to a minimum of 8 people in a group. lf you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at any time. Booking fills up pretty fast, so I suggest you reserve your spot by making a deposit by the end of next Friday.

Thank you, and l look forward to hearing from you soon.

Sincerely,

Tom Jefferson

What is Tom sending with the letter?

What does Tom suggest to Mrs. Smith?

Read the letter. Then answer the questions.

Dear Dad,

Happy Father’s Day! I just want to say thank you for everything. You are a good friend, an amazing supporter, a super cool soccer player and the greatest dad in the world. I know how much you like fixing things around the house, so I got you a tool belt as a Father’s Day present. I hope you like it. I love you very much!

Your son,

Jake

Why did Jake write a letter to his dad?

What did Jake get for his dad?

Read the order form. Then answer the questions. 

What store order these products?

What product is NOT included on the order?

How much is the shipping charge?

How much is a box of nails?

Read the text. Then answer the questions.

How to make strawberry jam

Homemade is always better, and this recipe is no exception! This homemade jam recipe uses simple ingredients and takes less than 20 minutes.

1. Wash and slice the strawberries, removing the green tops.

2. Add them to a saucepan, and mix the sugar in well.

3. Stir frequently over medium heat, and bring the mixture to a full boil.

4. Once boiling, add the lemon juice.

5. Boil, stirring regularly for about 15 minutes, or until the jam reaches 220°F. (We need to stir often, to make sure the jam doesn’t burn to the bottom of the saucepan).

6. When you reach the right temperature, carefully pour into glass jars and allow to cool to room temperature.

You can store your homemade strawberry jam in the fridge. It will be good for around 2 weeks.

What ingredients do we need to make strawberry jam?

How long does making jam take?

What do we have to do repeatedly while boiling?

Read the story about Joshua and Jack. Then answer the questions.

Joshua wanted to play basketball with Jack on Saturday afternoon. He called Jack. “Hi, Jack. This is Joshua. Do you want to play basketball with me now?” “I'm sorry, but I can't. I'm at the Riverdale Community Center,” Jack replied. Joshua became curious and asked, “What are you doing there?” “I'm helping my mom raise money for children in the hospital. I'm selling cookies,” Jack explained. “That sounds interesting,” Joshua replied. “Why don't you sell cookies with me?” asked Jack. “We are going to visit the children at the hospital later, and play with them, too.” Joshua thought it was a good idea and said, “OK. l will be right there.”

Later that day, Joshua and Jack sold all the cookies, and the fundraiser was successful. “So how was your first time volunteering?” Jack asked. “It was so fun,” Joshua answered. “I didn't know I could do something to help others.” “Wait until you meet the children at the hospital," said Jack. “They may be physically weaker than us, but it's so much fun playing with them.”

Joshua and Jack visited the hospital with the other volunteers after the fundraiser. They did face painting and watched a magic show with the children at the hospital. On the way home, Joshua thought to himself, “Today has been the best day ever! I never knew helping others could be this much fun!”

What did Joshua originally want to do?

Who was the fundraiser for?

What was Jack's job at the fundraiser?

How did Joshua feel about helping others?

Read the passage and answer the questions.

One day my dad said, "Why don't we have a street party?" This means that the street is closed so cars can’t use it, and people put tables and chairs out in the street, then have a party! Dad said there was one in 1977 and he still remembers it well. Everyone loved it! I couldn't believe that since 1977 they never had another one. If it was so good, why not do it again?

We started to organise it, together with some other people. I helped to make the web page, so everyone on the street knew about the party and could post their old photos from the party in 1977. There were some pictures of my dad when he was a kid, together with his friends, who have moved away from the street now. lt was interesting to see that the buildings on the street haven't changed at all!

My mum was a bit worried about the party. "But a lot of people on the street don’t really know each other?" she said. "What if they don't have anything to talk about?" I just said, "Relax, Mum. It'll be great." So, what was the party like? It was fantastic! My friends and I really liked speaking to an old lady called Louisa. She's 89 and was telling us about when she and her friends were our age. 

So now I always chat to her when I see her on the street. I didn't know who she was before, so I'm glad we had the party.

What is the best title for the story?

Read the passage and answer the questions.

Lily's Time Line

Lily wanted to do a project. “What about making a time line?” her father asked. “That is a list of important events in your life.”

“Sure!” Lily replied. “Can you show me how?”

Lily’s dad gave her a piece of paper, a pencil, and a ruler. She held the pencil and used the ruler to draw a straight line. Then her father marked a small line across the longer line at the left end. Above the small line, he wrote, Lily is born.

“Why did you make that small line at the left end, Dad?” Lily asked.

“On a time line, events are ordered from left to right. The first event is placed on the left end and the last event is placed on the right end.”

Lily then wrote the month, day, and year of her birthday under the first small line.

Next, her dad marked another small line to the right of the first small line. He wrote, Lily learns to walk above that line. Then he marked another small line to the right of the second small line. Above this line he wrote, Lily starts school.

“What about when I learned to ride my bike?” asked Lily.

“Right! We should add that,” her dad said.

“I want to add pictures,” Lily told her dad. She made a drawing of herself riding a bike and taped it to the paper. Her dad put a photo of Lily’s first day of school on the time line, too.

Now their work was done. Lily said, “That time line is a picture of my life.” “It is a picture of your life so far,” her dad added. “There is a lot more to come!” 

(Adapted from readwords.org)

If Lily's dad made a time line of his life, how might it compare with Lily's time line?

Read the text. Then answer the questions.

Having friends makes your life much more fun and exciting. How is it possible? Imagine you had a hard day. You either call or meet your friend and tell him or her about your day. Your friend will understand how difficult a day you must have had if he or she really cares about you. After a talk with your friend, you will feel much better. However, what if you come home alone and find nobody to talk with? How about if you want to play a computer game or see a movie with a friend but have no one to invite? You will become lonely and depressed. Scientific research has shown that your stress decreases and your happiness increase when you have someone to share things together with. Therefore, having friends will make your life much more enjoyable.

What decreases when you have someone to share things with?

According to the text, how does having friends affect our lives?

Read the text. Then answer the questions.

Natural disasters are impossible to prevent. One natural disaster can sweep away an entire town or city. One such place was Pompeii. The city of Pompeii was in ancient Rome, and now it has become one of the most popular tourist attractions. The reason it became so famous is the volcanic eruption of Mount Vesuvius. The city, once known as the vacation spot for the noble, was buried under ashes for 2,000 years, taking more than 2,000 lives. It is so ironic that the only reason the city was well preserved after thousands of years is the volcanic ash that killed so many. Pompeii is one of the historical sites that shows what ancient Rome was like, but it also shows the tragedy that cost thousands of people's lives.

What natural disaster struck the city thousands of years ago?

Why is the site well preserved?