(Originally posted: October 7, 2021)
Happy October from the TestGlider Team! As a treat to celebrate Halloween, the TestGlider content team has prepared a Free TOEFL Reading Test.
There will be 3 passages & 30 questions in total, just like the standard TOEFL® Reading Section.
(If you don’t know much about the Reading Section yet, start with this blog post here: 10 Types of Reading Questions.)
Please note that this reading passage set and the related questions were created based on the format of TOEFL® reading passages. However, such topics (Halloween, Christmas, Diwali etc.) do not normally appear on the TOEFL®.
All the answers are revealed at the end of this post.
This Reading test (unfortunately) is not graded under 2 minutes like all of our other practice tests.
For our fast-graded realistic TOEFL practice tests, head over to our Practice page.
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Now, let’s get started!
Here’s passage 1:
The Origin of Zombies
In 1929, an American traveler named William Seabrook released a book titled The Magic Island. The book described Seabook’s travels on the island of Haiti, where he claimed to have met a “voodoo priestess” who had shown him “zombies”— soulless human corpses who had been taken from their graves and brought back to life by the magical power of the voodoo priestess. Seabrook’s book was highly successful and is often mentioned as one of the earliest sources for the zombie genre. However, zombies were not Seabrook’s invention. The idea of zombies emerged from a complex mixture of colonialism, enslavement, and African religions.
The word “zombie” appears to originate from West African languages, and possibly derives from words that mean, “body without a soul,” “ghost,” or “magical object.” The concept of the zombie is believed to have been created during the 19th century by enslaved West Africans who had been brought to Haiti by French plantation owners to in sugarcane fields. The working conditions created by the plantation owners were horrific. Torture, starvation, and constant 12-hour workdays were routine and resulted in half of the enslaved workers dying within three years of arriving at a plantation. The enslaved West Africans had been taken from tribes that held very different religious beliefs, but under the shared suffering of the plantation system, their beliefs mixed and merged into a new religion called vodou.
Followers of the vodou religion believe that a human body is simply flesh controlled by a soul that has two parts. One part of the soul, called the “ti bon ange,” is responsible for memories, consciousness, and free will. The other part, called the “gros bon ange,” controls the ability to move parts of the body. According to vodou, as a person is dying, the two parts of the soul become less firmly attached to the body and are vulnerable to being captured. An evil person with the right knowledge and skills can trap the “ti bon ange” in a bottle and thereby gain control over the body of the person who is close to death. The person’s body is then inhabited by only the “gros bon ange.” It is a mindless shell that can only move and must accept orders from the master who controls the “ti bon ange.” Some powerful vodou priests and priestesses were believed to be able to use special poisons or powders that could bring a victim close enough to death for their souls to be captured.
◼ The zombie myth came about as a direct result of the enslavement of African people in Haiti. ◼ Many of them viewed death as a blessed release from their enslavement on the plantations, and the possibility of their souls continuing to be enslaved and forced to work was particularly appalling. ◼ The zombie, in its original form, was not a flesh-eating monster to be feared. ◼ To believers in the vodou religion, the true monster was the evil vodou master who captured and enslaved a person’s soul to make them into a zombie, while the zombie itself was a trapped soul who deserved pity.
Although a powerful occult master who can enslave the dead is no longer a common feature of zombie stories in the modern era, the earliest appearances of zombies in popular entertainment retained this element of the zombie myth. In 1932, the first-ever zombie movie, White Zombie, was released in the United States. The story is set in Haiti and involves a lovesick man who recruits a zombie master in hopes of gaining control over a woman he loves. That same year, the popular magazine Strange Tales published a story set on a plantation outside of the city of New Orleans in the US. In that story an immigrant woman from Haiti raises dozens of slaves from the grave and uses them to work the fields in secret during the night. The zombies walked with a shuffling gait, moved slowly, and did not speak. Their eyes were open, but they showed no signs of awareness. Only the death of their master released them, after which they fled to the graveyard and dug their way back into their own empty coffins.
Free TOEFL Reading Test: Questions
- The word “toil” in the passage is closest in meaning to
(A) live
(B) manage
(C) labor
(D) harvest - According to paragraph 1, which of the following is true of the idea of zombies?
(A) It was first created for an American book.
(B) It is more closely related to entertainment than to religion.
(C) It was produced by a combination of factors.
(D) It became less popular after it was revealed by William Seabrook. - According to paragraph 2, all of the following are mentioned as consequences of the use of enslaved people on sugar plantations EXCEPT
(A) Enslaved workers often perished less than three years after arriving at a plantation.
(B) A new concept was created.
(C) Religious beliefs changed and combined to form a new one.
(D) The owners of plantations earned a lot of money. - The author includes the descriptions of the “ti bon ange,” and the “gros bon ange,” in order to
(A) compare the definitions of the two different parts of the soul
(B) indicate that there are different types of zombies based on the part of soul that is controlled
(C) identify the topics that followers of vodou disagreed with each other about
(D) explain the beliefs about the parts of the soul that allowed zombies to be created - According to paragraph 3, what is true about the vodou religion?
(A) Its followers believe that the soul can be caught at certain times.
(B) It has leaders who use chemicals to kill people.
(C) It is not practiced outside of Haiti.
(D) It is used to divide the soul into two parts. - The word “appalling” in the passage is closest in meaning to
(A) horrifying
(B) delightful
(C) sympathetic
(D) disruptive - According to paragraph 4, all of the following contributed to the zombie myth EXCEPT
(A) The belief that death freed a person from enslavement
(B) A fear of being forced to continue to work after death
(C) Disgust at the thought of dead bodies outside of their graves
(D) The belief that some people have special power over souls - Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in the passage? Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.
(A) According to Haiti’s largest religion, those people who control others using their souls are the worst type of evil.
(B) Followers of vodou believed that zombies were helpless victims and that the vodou master who controlled them was the real evil.
(C) Zombies were originally good people, but they became evil when they were controlled by a dangerous evil master.
(D) Vodou believers thought that zombies were not real but that vodou masters could catch souls and force them to become evil. - Look at the four squares [■] that indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage.
For the enslaved people suffering on the plantations, the thought of being turned into a zombie was the ultimate horror.
Where would the sentence best fit?
(A) 1st
(B) 2nd
(C) 3rd
(D) 4th - Directions: An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage is provided below. Complete the summary by selecting the THREE answer choices that express the most important ideas in the passage. Some sentences do not belong in the summary because they express ideas that are not presented in the passage or are minor details in the passage. Drag and drop your answer choices to the space below. Click on an answer choice if you would like to remove it. This question is worth 2 points.
The idea of zombies originally arose out of African religions that were combined by enslaved people on colonial plantations in Haiti.
(A) Slavery under the French was terribly difficult and caused enslaved people to become more religious.
(B) A new religion developed which included the idea that the body contains a soul that has two parts, and that part of the soul can be captured.
(C) Evil people who controlled captured souls could turn bodies into helpless zombies.
(D) The first zombie movie appeared in the United States and started the zombie movie genre in the early 1930s.
(E) Early examples of the zombie in popular culture appeared on film and in magazines and included the idea of the evil zombie master.
(F) Zombies only return to the grave when their master is killed.
Free TOEFL Reading Test: Answers
1. The word “toil” in the passage is closest in meaning to
(A) live
(B) manage
(C) labor
(D) harvest
This is a Vocabulary question.
2. According to paragraph 1, which of the following is true of the idea of zombies?
(A) It was first created for an American book.
(B) It is more closely related to entertainment than to religion.
(C) It was produced by a combination of factors.
(D) It became less popular after it was revealed by William Seabrook.
This is a Factual Information question.
3. According to paragraph 2, all of the following are mentioned as consequences of the use of enslaved people on sugar plantations EXCEPT
(A) Enslaved workers often perished less than three years after arriving at a plantation.
(B) A new concept was created.
(C) Religious beliefs changed and combined to form a new one.
(D) The owners of plantations earned a lot of money.
This is a Negative Factual Information question.
4. The author includes the descriptions of the “ti bon ange,” and the “gros bon ange,” in order to
(A) compare the definitions of the two different parts of the soul
(B) indicate that there are different types of zombies based on the part of soul that is controlled
(C) identify the topics that followers of vodou disagreed with each other about
(D) explain the beliefs about the parts of the soul that allowed zombies to be created
This is a Rhetorical Purpose question.
5. According to paragraph 3, what is true about the vodou religion?
(A) Its followers believe that the soul can be caught at certain times.
(B) It has leaders who use chemicals to kill people.
(C) It is not practiced outside of Haiti.
(D) It is used to divide the soul into two parts.
This is a Factual Information question.
6. The word “appalling” in the passage is closest in meaning to
(A) horrifying
(B) delightful
(C) sympathetic
(D) disruptive
This is a Vocabulary question.
7. According to paragraph 4, all of the following contributed to the zombie myth EXCEPT
(A) The belief that death freed a person from enslavement
(B) A fear of being forced to continue to work after death
(C) Disgust at the thought of dead bodies outside of their graves
(D) The belief that some people have special power over souls
This is a Negative Factual Information question.
8. Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in the passage? Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.
(A) According to Haiti’s largest religion, those people who control others using their souls are the worst type of evil.
(B) Followers of vodou believed that zombies were helpless victims and that the vodou master who controlled them was the real evil.
(C) Zombies were originally good people, but they became evil when they were controlled by a dangerous evil master.
(D) Vodou believers thought that zombies were not real but that vodou masters could catch souls and force them to become evil.
This is a Sentence Simplification question.
9. Look at the four squares [■] that indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage.
For the enslaved people suffering on the plantations, the thought of being turned into a zombie was the ultimate horror.
Where would the sentence best fit?
(A) 1st
(B) 2nd
(C) 3rd
(D) 4th
This is an Insert Text question.
10. Directions: An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage is provided below. Complete the summary by selecting the THREE answer choices that express the most important ideas in the passage. Some sentences do not belong in the summary because they express ideas that are not presented in the passage or are minor details in the passage. your answer choices to the space below. Click on an answer choice if you would like to remove it. This question is worth 2 points.
The idea of zombies originally arose out of African religions that were combined by enslaved people on colonial plantations in Haiti.
(A) Slavery under the French was terribly difficult and caused enslaved people to become more religious.
(B) A new religion developed which included the idea that the body contains a soul that has two parts, and that part of the soul can be captured.
(C) Evil people who controlled captured souls could turn bodies into helpless zombies.
(D) The first zombie movie appeared in the United States and started the zombie movie genre in the early 1930s.
(E) Early examples of the zombie in popular culture appeared on film and in magazines and included the idea of the evil zombie master.
(F) Zombies only return to the grave when their master is killed.
This is a Summary question.
Now it’s time for Passage 2:
Werewolves
Werewolves, humans who change shape partly or completely into the form of a wolf, seem to appear in the stories of any culture that shares an environment with wolves. Though the basic idea of a human who turns into a wolf is widespread, there is a tremendous amount of variety from story to story in terms of the specifics. Three key elements that often vary are the means of becoming a werewolf, the appearance of a werewolf, and the ways of dealing with a werewolf.
Over the millennia, myths, legends, and folktales have described many ways of becoming a werewolf. In the earliest tales, angering a god or goddess was a surefire way to find oneself transformed into an ironic new form. One of the earliest stories that features a man transforming into a wolf is The Epic of Gilgamesh. In that tale, the goddess Ishtar was angered by one of her suitors, a shepherd, and she turned him into a wolf so that he was chased away by his own sheep dogs. Another early tale tells the story of the mythical Arcadian King Lycaon. ■ Lycaon wanted to find out if the god Zeus was really all-knowing, so he invited the god to a feast and served him roasted human flesh to see if he could detect it. ■ Zeus did discover the trick and turned Lycaon into a wolf as punishment. ■ In these stories, a deity wielding supernatural power is the cause of the werewolf’s transformation, but a deity is not always needed to make a werewolf. ■ In many tales, being bitten by a werewolf is also said to curse the poor victim to become a werewolf as well.
In contrast, there are stories where a human becomes a werewolf through their own actions. The forces that change a man into a werewolf in such stories are still supernatural, but the person is able to control their transformation into a wolf. According to some legends, it is possible to become a werewolf by sleeping outdoors on a Friday with the full moon shining on one’s face. Eating wolf meat mixed with human flesh or drinking rainwater that has gathered in a wolf’s footprint have also been said to turn a person into a werewolf. There is often some kind of talisman involved in the transformation. In Nordic folklore, there is a story of men who discovered that wearing wolfskins could turn them into wolves for ten days at a time. In Central Europe, stories were told of evil men who traded their souls to the Devil in return for enchanted wolfskin belts that they could use to transform themselves into wolves. In these stories, changing into a wolf is seen by the talisman user as a desirable power rather than a curse. The men used their power to become wolves and terrorize their neighbors until the skin, or belt, was destroyed.
Stories featuring werewolves have only grown in popularity, but the appearance of the werewolf in modern stories is distinctly different from legends. The werewolves of legend were typically described as being wolf-like in nearly every way, save for some feature that could be used to identify them as werewolves. For example, werewolves in some stories retained their human eyes, and in many parts of Europe, a wolf that had no tail was thought to be a human in wolf form. Since the 1941 film The Wolf Man was released, however, popular conceptions of the werewolf have made the monster into more of a human and wolf hybrid. Modern werewolves, when transformed, are hairy, have fangs and claws, and they have the strength and speed of a wild animal. However, they also tend to retain an upright posture and keep some or all of the motivations and intelligence that they have in their human forms.
The methods for dealing with a werewolf also change from story to story. A potion made from the wolfsbane plant is used in some stories to reverse a werewolf’s change, although in other stories wolfsbane can only be used to repel a werewolf. In most stories, a werewolf is especially vulnerable to silver. Sometimes a silver collar or bracelet can be used to prevent a person from transforming into a werewolf, but in other stories, a silver bullet is the only cure for a werewolf.
Free TOEFL Reading Test: Questions
1. Which of the following statements about becoming a werewolf is supported by paragraph 2?
(A) In legends, becoming a werewolf was a great power that was given by a god or goddess.
(B) Being cursed by a witch was a popular method of becoming a werewolf.
(C) The first man to become a werewolf was the ruler of Arcadia.
(D) Early stories contained different explanations about how werewolves were made.
2. The word “surefire” in the passage is closest in meaning to
(A) certain
(B) applicable
(C) meaningful
(D) intense
3. Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in the passage? Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.
(A) New tales about werewolves rely on powers that do not come from gods to explain why a person becomes a werewolf.
(B) Although supernatural power is what transforms a person in these stories, the person can make decisions about the transformation.
(C) A person in some stories can become a werewolf in order to gain mastery of magical power.
(D) People who become werewolves through their own power are more dangerous than other types of werewolves.
4. Which of the following can be inferred from paragraph 3 about becoming a werewolf?
(A) In some stories, a deity is not what turns a person into a werewolf.
(B) Accidentally eating wolf meat was a problem in the past.
(C) Touching the fur of a wolf could turn a person into a werewolf.
(D) Wolves can turn into humans if they are given a magical belt.
5. According to paragraph 3, which of the following was NOT believed to be a way for a human to transform into a werewolf?
(A) Consuming certain foods
(B) Wearing particular articles of clothing
(C) Visiting a special place on a specific day
(D) Drinking water from a certain place
6. The word “enchanted” in the passage is closest in meaning to
(A) stretchy
(B) fuzzy
(C) sewn
(D) magical
7. According to paragraph 4, which of the following statements about the appearance of werewolves is true?
(A) Werewolves in modern stories always have tails.
(B) Werewolves in modern movies are more colorful than werewolves in older movies.
(C) In modern stories, werewolves’ appearances are different than in the stories of the past.
(D) Today’s werewolves look weaker than werewolves of the past.
8. All of the following are mentioned in paragraph 5 as being useful in dealing with werewolves EXCEPT
(A) a drink made from a plant
(B) a wooden cross
(C) some types of jewelry
(D) a bullet made of silver
9. Look at the four squares [■] that indicate where the following sentence can be added to the passage.
In German stories in the Early Middle Ages, witches were believed to be able to cast curses that could turn a man into a wolf.
(A) 1st
(B) 2nd
(C) 3rd
(D) 4th
10. Directions: An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage is provided below. Complete the summary by selecting the THREE answer choices that express the most important ideas in the passage. Some sentences do not belong in the summary because they express ideas that are not presented in the passage or are minor details in the passage. This question is worth 2 points.
Three elements of werewolf stories change from story to story.
(A) The way that a person becomes a werewolf can be one of several types of supernatural power.
(B) The first way that a human became a werewolf was by being transformed by the Greek god Zeus.
(C) The way that werewolves look can be more wolf-like or more human-like, depending on the story.
(D) The methods that can be used to handle a werewolf differ.
(E) The people who can become werewolves change from story to story.
(F) The effect of wolfsbane on werewolves changes based on which tale is being told.
Free TOEFL Reading Test: Answers
1. Which of the following statements about becoming a werewolf is supported by paragraph 2?
(A) In legends, becoming a werewolf was a great power that was given by a god or goddess.
(B) Being cursed by a witch was a popular method of becoming a werewolf.
(C) The first man to become a werewolf was the ruler of Arcadia.
(D) Early stories contained different explanations about how werewolves were made.
This is a Factual Information question.
2. The word “surefire” in the passage is closest in meaning to
(A) certain
(B) applicable
(C) meaningful
(D) intense
This is a Vocabulary question.
3. Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in the passage? Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.
(A) New tales about werewolves rely on powers that do not come from gods to explain why a person becomes a werewolf.
(B) Although supernatural power is what transforms a person in these stories, the person can make decisions about the transformation.
(C) A person in some stories can become a werewolf in order to gain mastery of magical power.
(D) People who become werewolves through their own power are more dangerous than other types of werewolves.
This is a Sentence Simplification question.
4. Which of the following can be inferred from paragraph 3 about becoming a werewolf?
(A) In some stories, a deity is not what turns a person into a werewolf.
(B) Accidentally eating wolf meat was a problem in the past.
(C) Touching the fur of a wolf could turn a person into a werewolf.
(D) Wolves can turn into humans if they are given a magical belt.
This is an Inference question.
5. According to paragraph 3, which of the following was NOT believed to be a way for a human to transform into a werewolf?
(A) Consuming certain foods
(B) Wearing particular articles of clothing
(C) Visiting a special place on a specific day
(D) Drinking water from a certain place
This is a Negative Factual Information question.
6. The word “enchanted” in the passage is closest in meaning to
(A) stretchy
(B) fuzzy
(C) sewn
(D) magical
This is a Vocabulary question.
7. According to paragraph 4, which of the following statements about the appearance of werewolves is true?
(A) Werewolves in modern stories always have tails.
(B) Werewolves in modern movies are more colorful than werewolves in older movies.
(C) In modern stories, werewolves’ appearances are different than in the stories of the past.
(D) Today’s werewolves look weaker than werewolves of the past.
This is a Factual Information question.
8. All of the following are mentioned in paragraph 5 as being useful in dealing with werewolves EXCEPT
(A) a drink made from a plant
(B) a wooden cross
(C) some types of jewelry
(D) a bullet made of silver
This is a Negative Factual Information question.
9. Look at the four squares [■] that indicate where the following sentence can be added to the passage.
In German stories in the Early Middle Ages, witches were believed to be able to cast curses that could turn a man into a wolf.
(A) 1st
(B) 2nd
(C) 3rd
(D) 4th
This is an Insert Text question.
10. Directions: An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage is provided below. Complete the summary by selecting the THREE answer choices that express the most important ideas in the passage. Some sentences do not belong in the summary because they express ideas that are not presented in the passage or are minor details in the passage. Drag and drop your answer choices to the space below. Click on an answer choice if you would like to remove it. This question is worth 2 points.
Three elements of werewolf stories change from story to story.
(A) The way that a person becomes a werewolf can be one of several types of supernatural power.
(B) The first way that a human became a werewolf was by being transformed by the Greek god Zeus.
(C) The way that werewolves look can be more wolf-like or more human-like, depending on the story.
(D) The methods that can be used to handle a werewolf differ.
(E) The people who can become werewolves change from story to story.
(F) The effect of wolfsbane on werewolves changes based on which tale is being told.
This is a Summary question.
That’s the end of Passage 2! Mark your answers and get ready for the last passage.
Here’s the last passage, passage 3:
Hunting Witches
The period between 1560 and 1630 in Europe is known to historians as, “The Great Hunt.” During this period, it is estimated that around 80,000 people across Europe were tried for the crime of practicing witchcraft. The people accused of witchcraft were usually women, but men and sometimes even children were also accused. Half of the people who were tried were executed, often by extremely gruesome methods. Europeans at the time sincerely believed that witches were a real threat. They believed that witches were humans who made contracts with the devil. The witches received evil powers that they used to harm other members of the community. ■ Any unexplainable illnesses, injuries, or deaths, even crop failures and sickness among livestock, were commonly blamed on the activity of witches. ■ When a community believed that a witch was using evil against them, they would band together to find the witch and destroy it with the help of local religious officials. ■ Witch hunts occurred in Europe for centuries, but those during the Great Hunt period were much more frequent and extensive than during any other period of European history. ■
Some scholars believe that the Great Hunt occurred when it did because of a phenomenon called the Little Ice Age. The Little Ice Age was a period of bitterly cold winters and cool summers in the northern hemisphere. The low temperatures would have caused widespread hardship, including crop failures, livestock deaths, and increased illness among humans and animals alike. The theory goes that the difficulties caused by the Little Ice Age were blamed on witches, so the Little Ice Age was the ultimate cause of the Great Hunt. However, a recent comparison of temperature data to the times and locations of known witch hunts has challenged this theory.
According to the Little Ice Age theory, cooler temperatures should be associated with higher numbers of witch hunts. However, careful comparison reveals that there is not a connection between low temperatures and witch hunts. The scholars who discovered the lack of correlation between these two variables have proposed a much different reason for the high number of witch hunts that occurred during the years of the Great Hunt. According to their findings, many of those witch hunts were the result of competition between two types of Christianity: the established Catholic Church and the new upstart Protestant Church. The two types of Christianity were in competition for followers, and that competition is what caused the increase in witch hunts.
The area of Europe that is now Germany was where some of the fiercest competition took place. The area was partitioned into numerous small states that did not have a strong central power to control them. Some of these states promoted the Catholic Church and some supported the Protestant Church. The small states fought each other frequently using soldiers, while the two Christian churches engaged in a more subtle and economic form of conflict. The theory goes that both types of Christianity provided protection for their followers against Satan and his evil servants: the witches. Obviously, the church that could provide the best protection against Satan and the witches would attract the most followers. But how could a church demonstrate that it was effectively providing protection? For both churches, the answer appears to have been to catch as many witches as possible. Catching witches and putting them on trial was a visible demonstration of the power of a church to protect its followers from evil.
Scholars have compared the places where witch hunts occurred to a map of the areas where the Catholic and Protestant churches were both present. The maps show that areas where Catholics and Protestants were fighting with military forces also saw the largest numbers of witch hunts. The fiercely struggling small states that later became Germany were the site of the majority of both witch hunts and open battles between Catholics and Protestants. In sharp contrast, areas that were controlled by the Catholic church, where there was no other organized church to compete against, saw far fewer witch hunts.
Free TOEFL Reading Test: Questions
- According to paragraph 1, witch hunts occurred because
(A) they were encouraged by the heads of local churches.
(B) women committed more acts of witchcraft than men and children combined.
(C) trying witches became a popular pastime in the late 1600s.
(D) people believed that witches were hurting their communities. - According to paragraph 1, Europeans believed all of the following about witches EXCEPT
(A) A witch could be a man, a woman, or a child.
(B) A witch made an agreement with the devil in order to gain power.
(C) Witches often worked in groups to kill people and livestock.
(D) Witches were able to cause people to become sick. - According to paragraph 2, the Great Hunt is best described as the result of
(A) difficulties caused by seasons that were abnormally cold.
(B) a phenomenon that reduced the temperature of the Southern Hemisphere.
(C) a conflict between Christians and followers of witchcraft.
(D) an increase in the use of curses on Europeans and their animals. - The word “ultimate” in the passage is closest in meaning to
(A) metaphorical
(B) philosophical
(C) illusionary
(D) fundamental - In paragraph 3, why does the author mention the comparison of temperature data to witch hunts?
(A) To demonstrate the effect of climate change on a social phenomenon
(B) To contrast the reliability of two sources of data
(C) To demonstrate that an earlier theory is not accurate
(D) To show how colder weather reduces the chances of a witch hunt occurring - According to paragraph 3, why were the Catholic and Protestant churches in conflict?
(A) They were both trying to gather more members than their competitor.
(B) The church with the most members was able to conduct the best witch hunts.
(C) The Protestant Church was newer than the Catholic Church.
(D) They followed different beliefs about how witches should be hunted. - According to paragraph 4, which of the following is true of small states in Europe?
(A) Their leaders followed a different religion than their citizens.
(B) They were often in military and religious conflict with each other.
(C) They competed to see which nation could hold the most witch hunts.
(D) They spread stories of witchcraft to reduce the power of the churches. - According to paragraph 5, what caused the small states that later became Germany to have so many witch hunts?
(A) Increased tensions between Christians and non-Christians
(B) Imbalance between military forces
(C) Conflict between two types of Christianity
(D) Declining power of the Catholic church over Northern Europe
9. Look at the four squares [■] that indicate where the following sentence can be added to the passage.
This process of finding and destroying witches is referred to as a witch hunt.
Where would the sentence best fit?
(A) 1st
(B) 2nd
(C) 3rd
(D) 4th
10. Directions: An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage is provided below. Complete the summary by selecting the THREE answer choices that express the most important ideas in the passage. Some sentences do not belong in the summary because they express ideas that are not presented in the passage or are minor details in the passage. your answer choices to the space below. Click on an answer choice if you would like to remove it. This question is worth 2 points.
“The Great Hunt” refers to a period of time when witch hunts in Europe were unusually frequent.
(A) The Little Ice Age cooled the Northern hemisphere and caused hardships.
(B) A climate-related theory about the cause of the Great Hunt has been disproven.
(C) The Protestant Church had grown in power and challenged the Catholic Church.
(D) A new explanation for the increase in witch hunts puts the blame on the conflict between religious groups.
(E) Witch hunting became a useful method for churches to gain followers.
(F) Comparing military clashes to witch hunts showed that conflict between Christian groups resulted in more witch hunts.
Free TOEFL Reading Test: Answers
1. According to paragraph 1, witch hunts occurred because
(A) they were encouraged by the heads of local churches.
(B) women committed more acts of witchcraft than men and children combined.
(C) trying witches became a popular pastime in the late 1600s.
(D) people believed that witches were hurting their communities.
This is a Factual Information question.
2. According to paragraph 1, Europeans believed all of the following about witches EXCEPT
(A) A witch could be a man, a woman, or a child.
(B) A witch made an agreement with the devil in order to gain power.
(C) Witches often worked in groups to kill people and livestock.
(D) Witches were able to cause people to become sick.
This is a Negative Factual Information question.
3. According to paragraph 2, the Great Hunt is best described as the result of
(A) difficulties caused by seasons that were abnormally cold.
(B) a phenomenon that reduced the temperature of the Southern Hemisphere.
(C) a conflict between Christians and followers of witchcraft.
(D) an increase in the use of curses on Europeans and their animals.
This is a Factual Information question.
4. The word “ultimate” in the passage is closest in meaning to
(A) metaphorical
(B) philosophical
(C) illusionary
(D) fundamental
This is a Vocabulary question.
5. In paragraph 3, why does the author mention the comparison of temperature data to witch hunts?
(A) To demonstrate the effect of climate change on a social phenomenon
(B) To contrast the reliability of two sources of data
(C) To demonstrate that an earlier theory is not accurate
(D) To show how colder weather reduces the chances of a witch hunt occurring
This is a Rhetorical Purpose question.
6. According to paragraph 3, why were the Catholic and Protestant churches in conflict?
(A) They were both trying to gather more members than their competitor.
(B) The church with the most members was able to conduct the best witch hunts.
(C) The Protestant Church was newer than the Catholic Church.
(D) They followed different beliefs about how witches should be hunted.
This is a Factual Information question.
7. According to paragraph 4, which of the following is true of small states in Europe?
(A) Their leaders followed a different religion than their citizens.
(B) They were often in military and religious conflict with each other.
(C) They competed to see which nation could hold the most witch hunts.
(D) They spread stories of witchcraft to reduce the power of the churches.
This is a Factual Information question.
8. According to paragraph 5, what caused the small states that later became Germany to have so many witch hunts?
(A) Increased tensions between Christians and non-Christians
(B) Imbalance between military forces
(C) Conflict between two types of Christianity
(D) Declining power of the Catholic church over Northern Europe
This is a Factual Information question.
9. Look at the four squares [■] that indicate where the following sentence can be added to the passage.
This process of finding and destroying witches is referred to as a witch hunt.
Where would the sentence best fit?
(A) 1st
(B) 2nd
(C) 3rd
(D) 4th
This is an Insert Text question.
10. Directions: An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage is provided below. Complete the summary by selecting the THREE answer choices that express the most important ideas in the passage. Some sentences do not belong in the summary because they express ideas that are not presented in the passage or are minor details in the passage. your answer choices to the space below. Click on an answer choice if you would like to remove it. This question is worth 2 points.
“The Great Hunt” refers to a period of time when witch hunts in Europe were unusually frequent.
(A) The Little Ice Age cooled the Northern hemisphere and caused hardships.
(B) A climate-related theory about the cause of the Great Hunt has been disproven.
(C) The Protestant Church had grown in power and challenged the Catholic Church.
(D) A new explanation for the increase in witch hunts puts the blame on the conflict between religious groups.
(E) Witch hunting became a useful method for churches to gain followers.
(F) Comparing military clashes to witch hunts showed that conflict between Christian groups resulted in more witch hunts.
This is a Summary question.
That’s the end of our Free Reading Test — Halloween Edition! Did you get all the questions right?
Free TOEFL Reading Test: All Answers
Passage 1 Answers: The Origin of Zombies
1.) C
2.) C
3.) D
4.) D
5.) A
6.) A
7.) C
8.) B
9.) B
10.) B, C, E
Passage 2 Answers: Werewolves
1.) D
2.) A
3.) B
4.) A
5.) C
6.) D
7.) C
8.) B
9.) D
10.) A, C, D
Passage 3 Answers: Hunting Witches
1.) D
2.) C
3.) A
4.) D
5.) C
6.) A
7.) B
8.) C
9.) C
10.) B, D, F
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