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.

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