TOEFL Primary Step 2 Test #43 - Reading

Before you decide to buy something, you compare its price in different shops to choose the best price. 

What are you doing?

You wear it on your wrist. It shows you the time and sometimes the date as well. 

What is it?

This is a small, usually round and flat object. It is used for fastening clothes by pushing it through a hole.

What is this?

This is a bitter alcoholic drink. It is made from grain.

What is this?

You really respect and admire your father. He is always your role model.

You _____ him.

The painter uses his amazing skills and imagination to draw beautiful works of art under various topics. 

He is a _____ artist. 

Your family has a plan to have a trip after your final exam, but nobody has much experience.

You will find a _____  to help you organize your trip.

You say something in a loud voice or speak angrily to somebody. 

What are you doing?

This is a piece of electrical equipment in our house. It keeps food cold and fresh for a long time.

What is this?

Read the email. Then answer the questions.

Dear Judy, 

Thank you for your letter. Here is some advice that may help you. First, try to get the best grades you can at school. If you are studying a subject that you especially like, try to learn more about it in courses after school. I also advise teenagers to get a part-time job that interests them. You wrote that you are interested in working for a newspaper, so try to get a job at a local newspaper. Even if you don't get paid, you can learn from experienced people working with you. After you decide what you want to do in the future, you need to make a plan. Check the internet for any information you need. You can also write to me again if you have more questions. 

Yours, 
Dr. Richard Hanson

According to Dr. Richard Hanson, where can Judy find the information she needs?

According to the passage, who can Judy learn from when doing part-time jobs?

Read the email. Then answer the questions.

Dear Cassandra, 

How have you been? Hope you are in the best of health? My family and I went to a hill resort at Cameron Highlands for the long weekend. My parents won a weekend holiday of WYBC credit cards. It was a fabulous resort. We went for long walks and enjoyed the fresh air. We also visited the flower nurseries and vegetable farms. 

We had a tiring but fantastic weekend. So, how was your weekend? Please write to me soon and let me know. Bye.

Your friend,
Alan

Where did Alan's family stay during their weekend holiday? 

Where did Alan's family NOT visit?

Read the instruction. Then answer the questions.

Tips to remember new words

Learning a new language means learning thousands of new words and grammatical structures! But, it can be really difficult to memorize words in a new language. Here are some tips to help you remember vocabulary:
- Keep an organized vocabulary notebook.
- Look at the words again after 24 hours, after one week and after one month.
- Read, read, read. The more times you ‘see’ a word the more easily you will remember it.
- Use the new words. You need to use a new word about ten times before you remember it!
- Do word puzzles and games like crosswords, anagrams and word searches.
- Make word cards and take them with you. Read them on the bus or when you are waiting for your friends.
- Learn words with a friend. It can be more fun and easier to learn with someone else.
- Learn how to use a dictionary. 
- Learn a few words but not too many. About eight new words a day is a good number.

According to the passage, what does learning a new language NOT mean?

How many new words should you learn a day?

When should you review vocabulary using word cards?

Read the table. Then answer the questions.

This table shows musicians and the nights they performed.

Who performed the most in the week?

Which performer took the weekend off?

Which day saw the most performances in the week?

Read a story about Macy. Then answer the questions.

Macy and her family had a great time at the school fair. There were games, cotton candy, and even a dunk tank. The fair had prizes, and Macy won the best prize. She got to be the principal for a day!

On Monday morning, Macy’s principal let her sit in the principal’s chair at her big desk. Macy spun around on the chair. This was fun already. Next, she made her first announcement. All students could chew gum in class!

Macy walked around the school. She stopped in to play with the kindergarten students. She listened to a story with the Grade 1 class. There were kids in the gym playing dodgeball, so she joined their game. The morning flew by!

When it was time for recess, Macy made her next big announcement. She told everyone that recess would be an extra ten minutes! She could hear all the kids cheering.

In the afternoon, Macy played on the principal’s computer. She learned how to use the photocopier. She sat at the big desk and drew pictures.

At the end of the day, Macy made her last announcement. She was sure this one would make all the kids happy. “Attention, students! This is your principal, Macy. I am happy to tell you that there will be no homework for anyone today!” Cheering and laughter came from the classrooms. Being the principal was so much fun! 

Where did Macy win a prize?

How was the morning of Macy as a principal?

How many announcements did Mary make as a principal?

How did the students react to Macy's last announcement?

Read a story about Max and Will. Then answer the questions.

Every spring, Max and his brother Will go to the pond at the end of their street to look for tadpoles. They love to catch them so they can watch them turn into frogs.

This spring when Max and Will go to the pond to catch tadpoles, they see a painted turtle sitting on a log enjoying the sun. “Look at the cool turtle,” says Will.
“Should we try to catch it?” Max asks.
Will responds, “I like catching tadpoles better.” Max agrees with Will.

They fill their bucket with tadpoles and head home. When they get there, they empty the bucket into a big, wide tub. They cover the tub with a screen so animals can’t get to the tadpoles. They keep the tub in the shade so the water does not get too hot.

Max and Will go to the pond every day to bring back fresh water and leaves from the bottom of the pond for the tadpoles to eat. After six weeks, the tadpoles grow into frogs. Then Max and Will take them back to the pond so they can live happily ever after.

What will tadpoles become?

What do Max and Will use to contain the tadpoles to bring them home?

Why do Max and Will have to cover the tub with a screen?

How often do Max and Will feed the tadpoles?

Read the text. Then answer the questions.

No one really knows where rice came from. Some scientists think that it started to grow in two places. They think that one kind of rice grew in southern Asia thousands of years ago. Someone in China wrote about it almost 5,000 years ago. Another kind probably grew in West Africa. Other scientists think that rice came from India, and Indian travelers took it to other parts of the world. 

There are two main ways to grow rice. Upland rice grows in dry soil. Most rice grows in wet soil. People in many countries do all of the work of growing rice by hand. This is the same way farmers worked hundreds of years ago. In some countries, people now use machines on their rice farms. The farmers all use fertilizer. Some insects are enemies of rice. Farmers poison them. 

Some scientists think that rice started to grow in two places: ______.

Why do most farmers do the work of growing rice by hand?

Why do farmers kill insects?

Read the text. Then answer the questions.

John F. Kennedy was the 35th president of the United States. He was a very young president. Many people liked his leadership style. World War II broke out and John was enlisted in the Navy. After the war, he ran for senator of Massachusetts. He won by a huge margin. He served two terms. In 1960, he ran for president of the country. He debated against Richard Nixon. These were the first debates on television. John was elected president by a narrow margin. He was the youngest person ever to be elected president. He and his wife, Jackie, had young children in the White House.

As president, John worked hard to solve tough problems. He created the Peace Corps, as well as other programs. But not everyone approved. Kennedy was shot and killed in Dallas, Texas in November 1963. Police arrested Lee Harvey Oswald for the assassination of President Kennedy

What is the main idea of the first paragraph?

What did many people like about John as president?

Which of the following statements is NOT true about John F. Kennedy?

Read the text. Then answer the questions.

Do you think the desert is the only place that has very little rain? The tundra doesn’t get much rain either. It is different from the desert, though. The tundra is almost always frozen! The tundra is one of the coldest habitats on the earth. Summer only lasts for two months. During this time, the ground thaws, or melts, a little. It is never very warm, though. During the winter, there are times when the sun doesn’t shine at all.

Only a few plants are able to stay alive in this habitat. When the icy winds blow, they are only safe because they grow close to the ground. Animals such as reindeer, polar bears, and musk oxen are the only ones that can stay alive in this cold weather. They have very thick fur that keeps them warm. Some of these animals hibernate in the winter while others migrate south. The plants and animals of the tundra have adapted to this harsh environment.

How are the tundra and a desert similar?

A person who plans to visit the tundra should probably wear _____.

If you were to visit the tundra, you might expect to see _____.