factual information question negative factual information question vocabulary question

TOEFL READING types

Factual Information questionNegative Factual Information question

Vocabulary question

By the end of the session, the learners will be able: Practice factual information questions Negative factual questions Vocabulary questions

Learning objectives

Identify the information that is specifically

mentioned in the passage. Asks you to verify what information is trueExamples It is stated in paragraph ... It is indicated in paragraph ... It is mentioned in paragraph …

Factual information questions

A ghost word is a nonexistent word that has made its

way into a reference work by mistake. One well-known example of a ghost word is the word Dord, which appeared in a 1934 American dictionary defined as density, as it is used in physics and chemistry. Dord was added to the dictionary when a typesetter who was making entries into the dictionary misread the entry 0 or d and typed it as Dord. In reality, the letter d (or its capitalized version) was used to refer to density in physics or chemistry. When the error was discovered, the ghost word Dord was removed from the dictionary.

practice

a. has appeared in numerous physics and

chemistry textsb. was mistakenly added to a dictionaryc. can be used in physics and chemistry to refer to densityd. can still be found in dictionaries

According to paragraph 1, the word Dord:

Not all ghost words are recognized as errors,

removed from reference works, and forgotten. One example of a well-established ghost word is the word syllabus. The Roman writer Cicero had correctly used the Latin word syllabus in his writings to refer to the title and author label on a manuscript. In a 1470 edition of Cicero's works, syllabus was miswritten as syllabus; the miswritten ghost word syllabus has now achieved status as a commonly used word referring to an outline of the contents of a course.

practice

a. was used by Cicerob. today refers to a label on a manuscriptc. came about as a misspelling of a different wordd. appeared in dictionaries in the fourteenth century

It is indicated in paragraph 2 that the word syllabus

Identify the key word or idea in the question The paragraph is skimmed for the key word Find the sentence that contains the relevant

information Eliminate obviously wrong answers

How to answer

This “atmospheric engine,” invented by Thomas

Savery and vastly improved by his partner Thomas Newcomen, embodied revolutionary principles, but it was so slow and wasteful of fuel that it could not be employed outside the coal mines for which it had been designed. In the 1760s, James Watt perfected a separate condenser for the steam, so that the cylinder did not have to be cooled at every stroke; then he devised a way to make the piston turn a wheel and thus convert reciprocating (back and forth) motion into rotary motion.

practice

(A) it had been designed to be used in coal mines(B) the cylinder had to cool between each stroke(C) it made use of expanding steam to raise the piston in its cylinder(D) it could be operated only when a large supply of fuel was available

According to paragraph , the atmospheric engine was slow because

This “atmospheric engine,” invented by Thomas

Savery and vastly improved by his partner Thomas Newcomen, embodied revolutionary principles, but it was so slow and wasteful of fuel that it could not be employed outside the coal mines for which it had been designed. In the 1760s, James Watt perfected a separate condenser for the steam, so that the cylinder did not have to be cooled at every stroke; then he devised a way to make the piston turn a wheel and thus convert reciprocating (back and forth) motion into rotary motion.

In some industrial regions, heavily laden wagons

with flanged wheels were being hauled by horses along metal rails; and the stationary steam engine was puffing in the factory and mine. Another generation passed before Inventors succeeded in combining these ingredients by putting the engine on wheels and the wheels on the rails, so as to provide a machine to take the place of the horse. Thus the railroad age sprang from what had already happened in the eighteenth century.

practice

(A) They were used for the production of paper but not for printing.(B) By 1800, significant numbers of them were produced outside of Britain.(C) They were used in factories before they were used to power trains.(D) They were used in the construction of canals and turnpikes.

According to paragraph, which of the following statements is true about

steam engines

These questions usually contain the words

Except or Not as key words. You should look for the answer choice that is not mentioned.

Negative factual questions

Early in the century, a pump had come into use in

which expanding steam raised a piston in a cylinder, and atmospheric pressure brought it down again when the steam condensed inside the cylinder to form a vacuum. James Watt perfected a separate condenser for the steam. so that the cylinder did not have to be cooled at every stroke; then he devised a way to make the piston turn a wheel and thus convert reciprocating (back and forth) motion into rotary motion. He thereby transformed an inefficient pump of limited use into a steam engine of a thousand uses..

practice

(A) It used steam to move a piston in a cylinder.(B) It worked with greater speed.(C) It was more efficient in its use of fuel.(D) It could be used in many different ways.

According to paragraph. Watt’s engine differed from in each of the following ways except

Early in the century, a pump had come into use in

which expanding steam raised a piston in a cylinder, and atmospheric pressure brought it down again when the steam condensed inside the cylinder to form a vacuum. James Watt perfected a separate condenser for the steam. so that the cylinder did not have to be cooled at every stroke; then he devised a way to make the piston turn a wheel and thus convert reciprocating (back and forth) motion into rotary motion. He thereby transformed an inefficient pump of limited use into a steam engine of a thousand uses..

Throughout the year, chimpanzee food is quite

varied, but it is mainly vegetable material. At times, however, Gombe Park is loaded with insects—termites, ants, caterpillars—and the chimpanzees will eat huge numbers of them. The chimpanzees’ really remarkable behavior appears when they gather termites. According to Suzuki and van Lawick-Goodall, when chimpanzees see that termites have pushed open their tunnels on the surface, they will go off to find a suitable termiting tool. It may look simple, but the job takes skill and patience.

Practice

(A) Termites(B) Vegetable material(C) Ants(D) Mosquitoes

According to the passage , which of the following is NOT mentioned as part of

chimpanzees’ diet

Asks to identify the meanings of separate

words and phrases as they are used in the passage.

A word may have more than 1 meaning but only one meaning will be relevant to the context.

Vocabulary questions

The source had long been known but not exploited. The word exploited in paragraph is closest in meaning to(A) utilized(B) recognized(C) examined(D) fully understood

Practice

This “atmospheric engine,” invented by Thomas Savery and vastly improved by his partner Thomas Newcomen, embodied revolutionary principles.The word vastly in paragraph is closet in meaning to(A) quickly(B) ultimately(C) greatly(D) initially

Practice

Coal gas rivaled smoky oil lamps and flickering candles, and early in the new century, well-to-do Londoners grew accustomed to gaslit houses and even streets.The phrase grew accustomed to in paragraph is closest in meaning to(A) began to prefer(B) wanted to have(C) became used to(D) insisted on

Practice