EXERCISE: READING COMPREHENSION
Name : Dedi Sumpeno
Subject : TOEFL
Lecturer : Bambang Irawan, S.S., M.Pd.
PASSAGE 1
Fort Knox, Kentucky, is the site of a U.S. army post, but it is even more renowned for the
Fort Knox Bullion Depository, the massive vault that contains the bulk of the U.S. government's
gold deposits. Completed in 1936, the vault is housed in a two-story building constructed of
granite, steel, and concrete; the vault itself is made of steel and concrete and has a door that
weighs more than twenty tons. Naturally, the most up-to-date security devices available are in
place at Fort Knox, and the army post nearby provides further protection.
1. Which of the following best describes the topic of the passage?
(A) The city of Fort Knox, Kentucky
(B) The federal gold depository
(C) The U.S. army post at Fort Knox
(D) Gold bullion
2. Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?
(A) The Massive Concrete Vault
(B) Fort Knox Security
(C) Where the U.S. Keeps Its Gold
(D) A Visit to Kentucky
PASSAGE 2
One identifying characteristic of minerals is their relative hardness, which can be
determined by scratching one mineral with another. In this type of test, a harder mineral can
scratch a softer one, but a softer mineral is unable to scratch the harder one. The Mohs' hardness
scale is used to rank minerals according to hardness. Ten minerals are listed in this scale, ranging
from talc with a hardness of 1 to diamond with a hardness of 10. On this scale, quartz (number 7)
is harder than feldspar (number 6) and is therefore able to scratch it; however, feldspar is unable
to make a mark on quartz.
3. Which of the following best states thsubject of this passage?
(A) The hardness of diamonds
(B) Identifying minerals by means of a scratch test
(C) Feldspar on the Mohs' scale
(D) Recognizing minerals in their natural state
4. The main idea of this passage is that
(A) the hardness of a mineral can be determined by its ability to make a mark on other minerals
(B) diamonds, with a hardness of 10 on the Mohs' scale, can scratch all other minerals
(C) a softer mineral cannot be scratched by a harder mineral
(D) talc is the first mineral listed on the Mohs' scale
PASSAGE 3
Hurricanes generally occur in the North Atlantic from May through November, with the
peak of the hurricane season in September; only rarely will they occur from December through
April in that part of the ocean. The main reason for the occurrence of hurricanes during this
period is that the temperature on the water's surface is at its warmest and the humidity of the air
is at its highest.
Of the tropical storms that occur each year in the North Atlantic, only about five, on the
average, are powerful enough to be called hurricanes. To be classified as a hurricane, a tropical
storm must have winds reaching speeds of at least 117 kilometers per hour, but the winds are
often much stronger than that; the winds of intense hurricanes can easily surpass 240 kilometers
per hour.
5. The passage mainly discusses
(A) how many hurricanes occur each year
(B) the strength of hurricanes
(C) the weather in the North Atlantic
(D) hurricanes in one part of the world
6. The best title for this passage would be
(A) The North Atlantic Ocean
(B) Storms of the Northern Atlantic
(C) Hurricanes: The Damage and Destruction
(D) What Happens from May through November
PASSAGE 4
When babies are born, they always have blue eyes. This is because the melanin, the
pigment that colors the eyes, is not on the surface of the iris. Instead, it is within the creases of
the iris. Because there is little melanin on the surface of the iris, the eyes appear blue.
After a few months, the melanin moves to the surface of the iris. It is the amount of
melanin on the surface that determines a person’s permanent eye color, so it is at this point that
a baby’s eyes develop the color they will have for a lifetime.
7. The word “pigment” in line 2 is closest in meaning to
(A) Skin (C) Tissue
(B) Muscle (D) Color
8. The word “surface” in line 2 is closest in meaning to
(A) Top (C) Back
(B) Inside (D) Bottom
9. The word “permanent” in line 5 could be best replaced by
(A) Changeable (C) Dark
(B) Lasting (D) Possible
10. The word “point” in line 5 could be best replaced by which of the following?
(A) Dot (C) Time
(B) Era (D) Place
PASSAGE 5
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882) was perhaps the best-known American poet
of the nineteenth century. His clear writing style and emphasis on the prevalent values of the
period made him popular with the general public, if not always with the critics. He was
particularly recognized for his longer narrative poems Evangeline, The Song of Hiawatha, and
The Courtship of Miles Standish, in which he told stories from American history in terms of the
values of the time.
Evangeline was set during the French and Indian War (1754-1763), when the British
forced French settlers from Nova Scotia; two lovers, Gabriel and Evangeline, were separated by
the British, and Evangeline devoted her lifetime to the search for Gabriel. With its emphasis on
sentimental, undying love, Evangeline was immensely popular with the public.
In The Song of Hiawatha, Longfellow depicted the noble life of the American Indian
through the story of the brave Hiawatha and his beloved wife Minehaha. The tear-inspiring poem
follows Hiawatha through the tragedies and triumphs of life, ending with the death of Minehaha
and Hiawatha's departure into the sunset in his canoe.
The Courtship of Miles Standish takes place during the early period of the settlement of
New England, a period which was viewed as a time of honor and romance. In this poem centered
around a love triangle, Miles Standish asks his friend John Alden to propose to Priscilla Mullins
for him; John Alden ends up marrying Priscilla Mullins himself, and it takes time for his
friendship with Miles Standish to recover. As with Longfellow's other narrative poems, the
emphasis on high ideals and romance made the poem extremely popular.
11. Which of the following best describes the main idea of the passage?
(A) American history is often depicted in poetry.
(B) Longfellow described American history even though people really did not enjoy it.
(C) The popularity of Longfellow's poems results from his stress on the values of the people.
(D) Longfellow wrote long narrative poems that were not always popular with the critics.
12. The best title of the passage is
(A) Longfellow's Popular Appeal
(B) Historical Narrative Poems
(C) The Lyric, Dramatic, and Narrative Poems of Longfellow
(D) Longfellow and the Critics
13. The subject of the fourth paragraph is
(A) nobility and honor in the poems of Longfellow
(B) the love triangle involving Miles Standish
(C) the popular appeal of The Courtship of Miles Standish
(D) the period of the early settlement of New England
PASSAGE 6
The first English attempts to colonize North America were controlled by
individuals rather than companies. Sir Humphrey Gilbert was the first Englishman to send
colonists to the New World. His initial expedition, which sailed in 1578 with a patent
granted by Queen Elizabeth was defeated by the Spanish. A second attempt ended in
disaster in 1583, when Gilbert and his ship were lost in a storm. In the following year,
Gilbert's half-brother, Sir Water Raleigh, having obtained a renewal of the patent,
sponsored an expedition that explored the coast of the region that he named "Virginia."
Under Raleigh's direction efforts were then made to establish a colony on Roanoke Island
in 1585 an6 1587. The survivors of the first settlement on Roanoke returned to England in
1586, but the second group of colonists disappeared without leaving a trace. The failure of
the Gilbert and Raleigh ventures made it clear that the tasks they had undertaken were too
big for any one colonizer. Within a short time the trading company had supplanted the
individual promoter of colonization.
14. Which of the following would be the most appropriate title for the passage?
(A) The regulation of trading company
(B) British-Spanish Rivalry in the New World
(C) Early attempt at colonizing North America
(D) Royal patent issued in 16th century
15. When did Sir Walter Raleigh's initial expedition set out for North America?
(A) 1577
(B) 1579
(C) 1582
(D) 1584
PASSAGE 7
Parasitic plants are plants that survive by using food produced by host plants rather than
by producing their own food from the Sun’s energy. Because they do not need sunlight to
survive, parasitic plants are generally found in umbrageous areas rather than in areas exposed to
direct sunlight. Parasitic plants attach themselves to host plants, often to the stems or roots, by
means of haustoria, which the parasite uses to make its way into the food channels of the host
plant and absorb the nutrients that it needs to survive from the host plant.
The world’s heaviest flower, a species of rafflesia, is a parasite that flourishes among,
and lives off of, the roots of jungle vines. Each of these ponderous blooms can weigh up to 15
pounds (7 kg) and can measure up to 3 feet (1 m) across.
16. The word umbrageous in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to
(A) moist
(B) well lit
(C) shaded
(D) buried
17. Haustoria in paragraph 1 are most likely
(A) offshoots from the parasite
(B) seeds of the host plant
(C) fruits from the host plant
(D) food for the parasite
18. The phrase make its way into in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to
(A) develop
(B) penetrate
(C) outline
(D) eat
19. The word ponderous in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to
(A) smelly
(B) hidden
(C) mature
(D) heavy
20. The word across in paragraph 2 could best be replaced by
(A) in diameter
(B) on the other side
(C) at a distance
(D) inside and out
PASSAGE 8
Up to now, confessions that have been obtained from defendants in a hypnotic state have
not been admitted into evidence by courts in the United States. Experts in the field of hypnosis
have found that such confessions are not completely reliable. Subjects in a hypnotic state may
confess to crimes they did not commit for one of two reasons. Either they fantasize that they
committed the crimes or they believe that others want them to confess.
A landmark case concerning a confession obtained under hypnosis went all the way to the
U.S Supreme Court. In the case of Layra v. Denno, a suspect was hypnotized by a psychiatrist
for the district attorney; in a posthypnotic state the suspect signed three separate confessions to a
murder. The Supreme Court ruled that the confessions were invalid because the confessions had
been the only evidence against him.
21. Which of the following best describes the author’s purpose in this passage?
(A) To explain the details of a specific court case
(B) To demonstrate why confessions made under hypnosis are not reliable
(C) To clarify the role of the Supreme Court in invalidating confessions from hypnotized
subjects
(D) To explain the legal status of hypnotically induced confession
22. The tone of this passage could best be described as
(A) outraged
(B) judicial
(C) hypnotic
(D) informative
23. This passage would probably be assigned reading in a course on
(A) American Law
(B) psychiatric healing
(C) parapsychology
(D) philosophy
PASSAGE 9
The word “capital” and “capitol” are confused in spelling and in meaning by a lot of people who
try to use them. Both their spellings and their meaning are closely related. A “capital” is the
location of the center of government, while a “capitol” is the actual building where the
government officials meet. Thus, in the United States, for example, the capitol building is located
in Washington, D.C., which is the capital of the United States.
23. Where in the passage does the author define the word “capital”?
(A) Lines 1-2
(B) Lines 3
(C) Lines 4
(D) Lines 6-8
25. Where in the passage does the author mention where the U.S. capitol can be found?
(A) Lines 1-2
(B) Lines 3
(C) Lines 4-5
(D) Lines 6-8
= = = The limits of my language are the limits of
my world = = =
Ludwig Wittgenstein
KUNCI JAWABAN
1. Which of the following best describes the topic of the passage?
(A) The city of Fort Knox, Kentucky
(B) The federal gold depository
(C) The U.S. army post at Fort Knox
(D) Gold bullion
Pada soal nomor 1 jawaban yang benar adalah B karena main idea dari paragraph tersebut
bercerita tentang Fort Knox yang merupakan tempat penyimpanan emas pemerintah Amerika
Serikat.
2. Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?
(A) The Massive Concrete Vault
(B) Fort Knox Security
(C) Where the U.S. Keeps Its Gold
(D) A Visit to Kentucky
Soal nomor 2 juga masih berhubungan dengan main idea. Karena kita sudah tau main ideanya
tentang tempat penyimpanan emas pemerintah AS maka judul yang tepat adalah C yang
artinya tempat pemerinta AS menyimpan emasnya.
3. Which of the following best states the subject of this passage?
(A) The hardness of diamonds
(B) Identifying minerals by means of a scratch test
(C) Feldspar on the Mohs' scale
(D) Recognizing minerals in their natural state
Soal nomor 3 masih berhubungan dengan main idea. Dari kalimat pertama (main idea)
paragraph tersebut bercerita tentang cara mengidentifikasi mineral dengan cara
menggoreskannya dengan mineral lain. Di pilihan ganda yang memiliki makna yang sama
dengan main idea adalah pilihan B.
4. The main idea of this passage is that
(A) the hardness of a mineral can be determined by its ability to make a mark on
other minerals
(B) diamonds, with a hardness of 10 on the Mohs' scale, can scratch all other minerals
(C) a softer mineral cannot be scratched by a harder mineral
(D) talc is the first mineral listed on the Mohs' scale
Untuk nomor 4, karena kita sudah mengetahui main idea dari paragraph tersebut di nomor 3,
maka jawaban yang sesuai dengan main idea adalah pilihan A.
5. The passage mainly discusses
(A) how many hurricanes occur each year
(B) the strength of hurricanes
(C) the weather in the North Atlantic
(D) hurricanes in one part of the world
Untuk soal nomor 5, jawaban yang benar adalah D karena main idea dari paragraph pertama
dan kedua berbicara tentang hurricanes yang terjadi di North Atlantic. Artinya hanya di satu
bagian dunia saja yang dibahas bukan hurricanes secara keseluruhan. Oleh karena jawaban D
benar karena memiliki makna yang sama dengan main idea.
6. The best title for this passage would be
(A) The North Atlantic Ocean
(B) Storms of the Northern Atlantic
(C) Hurricanes: The Damage and Destruction
(D) What Happens from May through November
Untuk soal nomor 6, kita gunakan kembali main idea yang sudah kita bahas di nomor 5 yaitu
tentang hurricanes di North Atlantic. Hurricanes merupakan salah satu jenis storm sepeerti yang
dijelaskan di paragraph 2. Oleh karena itu jawaban yang benar adalah B.
7. The word “pigment” in line 2 is closest in meaning to
(A) Skin (C) Tissue
(B) Muscle (D) Color
Untuk nomor 7, jawaban yang benar adalah D yang bisa ketahui dari This is because the
melanin, the pigment that colors the eyes.
8. The word “surface” in line 2 is closest in meaning to
(A) Top (C) Back
(B) Inside (D) Bottom
Jawaban untuk soal nomor 8 adalah A yang kita ketahui dari is not on the surface of the iris.
Instead, it is within the creases of the iris. Disana dijelaskan bahwa pigment bukan berada di
surface melainkan di within the creases of the irish. Itu menunjukkan bahwa surface itu lawan
dari within. Kita tau bahwa within artinya dibawah atau di dalam. Berarti surface adalah lawan
dari dibawah yaitu diatas.
9. The word “permanent” in line 5 could be best replaced by
(A) Changeable (C) Dark
(B) Lasting (D) Possible
Jawaban untuk soal nomor 9 adalah B yang kita ketahui dari It is the amount of melanin on the
surface that determines a person’s permanent eye color, so it is at this point that a baby’s eyes
develop the color they will have for a lifetime. Artinya warna mata akan bertahan seumur
hidup. Oleh karena itu jawaban yang benar adalah (B).
10. The word “point” in line 5 could be best replaced by which of the following?
(A) Dot (C) Time
(B) Era (D) Place
Point munkin bisa diartikan titik atau (dot) naun dalam konteks di text ini, point berarti time yang
kita ketahui dari so it is at this point that a baby’s eyes develop the color they will have for a
lifetime. Ada at this sebelum point yang merubah makna menjadi pada saat itu. Point artinya
ititik tapi at this point artinya pada saat itu. Oleh karena itu jawaban yang benar adalah C.
11. Which of the following best describes the main idea of the passage?
(A) American history is often depicted in poetry.
(B) Longfellow described American history even though people really did not enjoy it.
(C) The popularity of Longfellow's poems results from his stress on the values of the people.
(D) Longfellow wrote long narrative poems that were not always popular with the critics.
Jawaban yang benar untu nomor 11 adalah A. Hal ini karena main idea dari paragraph 1-4
bercerita tentang sejarah AS yang sering diceritakan dalam bentuk puisi narasi yang panjang.
Oleh karena itu jawaban yang benar adalah A yang mempunyai makna yang sama dengan
main ideas.
12. The best title of the passage is
(A) Longfellow's Popular Appeal
(B) Historical Narrative Poems
(C) The Lyric, Dramatic, and Narrative Poems of Longfellow
(D) Longfellow and the Critics
Karena kita sudah tau main ideas dari text tersebut tentang sejarah yang dituliskan dalam ouisi
narasi, maka jawaban yang benar untuk nomor 12 adalah B.
13. The subject of the fourth paragraph is
(A) nobility and honor in the poems of Longfellow
(B) the love triangle involving Miles Standish
(C) the popular appeal of The Courtship of Miles Standish
(D) the period of the early settlement of New England
Untuk soal nomor 13 karena yang ditanyakan hanya subject dari paragraph ke 4 maka kita
hanya erlu membaca kalimat pertama dari paragraph ke 4 saja yang bercerita tentang periode
awal ketika New England dihuni. Pilihan yang memiliki makna yang sam dengaan main idea
paragraph ke 4 adalah D.
14. Which of the following would be the most appropriate title for the passage?
(A) The regulation of trading company
(B) British-Spanish Rivalry in the New World
(C) Early attempt at colonizing North America
(D) Royal patent issued in 16th century
Jawaban yang benar untuk nomor 14 adalah C karena main idea paragraph tersebut bercerita
tentang usaha awal dalam menjajah America Utara. Dan pilihan jawaban yang mempunyai
makna yang sama dengan main idea adalah C.
15. When did Sir Walter Raleigh's initial expedition set out for North America?
(A) 1577
(B) 1579
(C) 1582
(D) 1584
Jawaban yang benar untuk nomor 15 adalah D yang bisa kita ketahui dari:
A second attempt ended in disaster in 1583, when Gilbert and his ship were lost in a storm. In
the following year, Gilbert's half-brother, Sir Water Raleigh,
In the following year artinya di tahun berikutnya. Didalam text maksudnya adalah tahun
berikutnya setelah 1583. Oleh karena itu jawaban yabg benar adalah 1584.
16. The word umbrageous in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to
(A) moist
(B) well lit
(C) shaded
(D) buried
Jawaban nomor 16 adalah C yang bisa kita ketahui dari:
parasitic plants are generally found in umbrageous areas rather than in areas exposed to
direct sunlight.
Artinya, parasite mudah ditemukan di daerah umbrageous daripada tempat yang terpapar
langsung cahaya matahari. Artinya umbrageous adalah tempat yang tidak terpapar langsung
cahaya matahari atau tempat yang teduh. Oleh karena itu C adalah jawaban yang tepat.
17. Haustoria in paragraph 1 are most likely
(A) offshoots from the parasite
(B) seeds of the host plant
(C) fruits from the host plant
(D) food for the parasite
Jawaban yang benar untuk nomor 17 adalah A yang bisa kita ketahui dari:
by means of haustoria, which the parasite uses to make its way into the food channels of the
host plant and absorb the nutrients that it needs to survive from the host plant.
Artinya haustoria itu adalah bagian dari parasite yang menempel keinang yang bisa menembus
tubuh inang. Oleh karena itu jawaban yang benar adalah A.
18. The phrase make its way into in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to
(A) develop
(B) penetrate
(C) outline
(D) eat
Jawaban nomor 18 adalah B yang bisa kita ketahui dari penjelasan yang sama dengan nomor
17 dimana haustoria menembus tubuh inang untuk menyerap nutrisi. Jadi to make its way into
the food berarti menembus atau penetrate.
19 GK ADA
20. The word across in paragraph 2 could best be replaced by
(A) in diameter
(B) on the other side
(C) at a distance
(D) inside and out
Accros adalah dalam text tersebut adalah dihitung secara melintang artinya diameter. Sehingga
jawaban yang benar adalah A.
21. Which of the following best describes the author’s purpose in this passage?
(A) To explain the details of a specific court case
(B) To demonstrate why confessions made under hypnosis are not reliable
(C) To clarify the role of the Supreme Court in invalidating confessions from
hypnotized subjects
(D) To explain the legal status of hypnotically induced confession
Jawaban yang benar untuk soal nomor 21 adalah D karena main ideas paragraph 1 dan
paragraph ke 2 bercerita tentang status hokum pengakuan terdakwa yang berada dibawah
pengaruh hipnotis
22. The tone of this passage could best be described as
(A) outraged
(B) judicial
(C) hypnotic
(D) informative
Ingat bahwa text didalam TOEFL test selalu informative atau descriptive. Oleh karena itu
jawaban yang benar adalah D.
23. This passage would probably be assigned reading in a course on
(A) American Law
(B) psychiatric healing
(C) parapsychology
(D) philosophy
Karena main ideanya berbicara tentang status hokum sebuah kesaksian di Amerika Serikat,
maka dapat disimpulkan bahwa text tersebut ada di mata kuliah Hukum Amerika sehingga
jawaban yang tepat adalah (A).
24. Where in the passage does the author define the word “capital”?
(A) Lines 1-2
(B) Lines 3
(C) Lines 4
(D) Lines 6-8
Jawaban yang tepat untuk soal nomor 23 adalah B yang bias kita ketahui dari:
A “capital” is the location of the center of government yang berada di baris ke 3 dan
merupakan pengertian dari CAPITAL.
25. Where in the passage does the author mention where the U.S. capitol can be found?
(A) Lines 1-2
(B) Lines 3
(C) Lines 4-5
(D) Lines 6-8
Jawaban yang benar untuk soal nomor 25 adalah C yang bias kita ketahui dari:
Thus, in the United States, for example, the capitol building is located in Washington, D.C.,
which is the capital of the United States.
Yang menjelaskan tentang lokasi capitol building yaitu di Washingston, DC. Dan kalimat
tersebut berada pada baris ke 4 dan 5 sehingga jawaban yang benar adalah C.
