It’s simple to get a score 30 in the TOEFL Reading section. Never miss one single point.
If you aim to get the highest score in TOEFL, you would already have a thorough understanding of the question types and essential vocabulary. If you are still struggling for your target score but only to fail, however, it’s time to analyze your weak points.
TestGlider will reveal a TOEFL Reading question that the top 30% of our users mostly got wrong.
Learn how to address the most difficult questions effectively. Don’t miss the tips and tricks that will help you to achieve your dream score!
More than 50% of our test takers got wrong this question
The “Insert text” question asks you to find the location where the given sentence would best fit. (For more information, please refer to the post. [link])
The following question is one of TestGlider’s mock test questions. More than 50% of the top 30% of our users chose wrong answers.
Question]
| Look at the four squares [■] that indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage.
These animals become dormant for weeks or months at a time, but they resume normal activity as soon as conditions return to normal. Where would the sentence best fit? |
[Passage]
| Hibernation
Facultative hibernators do not hibernate seasonally and their dormant periods are much more flexible, but that flexibility may come at a cost. ■A This is because they hibernate in response to sudden negative changes in their environment like extended periods of unusually cold weather or a rapidly dwindling food or water supply. ■B Since they are responding to current conditions, facultative hibernators do not have much time or opportunity to prepare for dormancy. ■C Therefore, if conditions remain bad for extended periods, or they are forced to repeatedly enter and exit hibernation, they may use up their energy reserves and perish. ■D |
The correct answer is B, but over 50% of our test takers chose ■A or ■C.
Why did they get it wrong?
Even intermediate students get this question wrong because they fail to apply the strategies properly.
Test takers would have started by reading the given sentence, based on the general strategy for the question type. The phrase “These animals” can be a clue that implies that specific kinds of animals have been mentioned first in the passage.
[Question]
| These animals become dormant for weeks or months at a time, but they resume normal activity as soon as conditions return to normal. |
The problem is that, however, “Facultative hibernators” is mentioned at the very front of the passage.
Let’s insert the sentence into ■A.
[Passage]
| Hibernation
Facultative hibernators do not hibernate seasonally and their dormant periods are much more flexible, but that flexibility may come at a cost. ■These animals become dormant for weeks or months at a time, but they resume normal activity as soon as conditions return to normal. This is because they hibernate in response to sudden negative changes in their environment like extended periods of unusually cold weather or a rapidly dwindling food or water supply. ■B Since they are responding to current conditions, facultative hibernators do not have much time or opportunity to prepare for dormancy. ■C Therefore, if conditions remain bad for extended periods, or they are forced to repeatedly enter and exit hibernation, they may use up their energy reserves and perish. ■D |
The first sentence discusses facultative hibernators’ flexible dormant periods and the potential costs of the flexibility. Therefore, it should be followed by a statement about the cost, which the inserted text does not address.
Test takers who chose ■A might have done so simply because it is located closest to “Facultative hibernators”, mistakenly concluding that this was the only clue for the answer.
More careful test takers, on the other hand, might have tried to find the right location by inserting the text into the passage.
Let’s insert the sentence into ■C.
[Passage]
| Hibernation
Facultative hibernators do not hibernate seasonally and their dormant periods are much more flexible, but that flexibility may come at a cost. ■A This is because they hibernate in response to sudden negative changes in their environment like extended periods of unusually cold weather or a rapidly dwindling food or water supply. ■B Since they are responding to current conditions, facultative hibernators do not have much time or opportunity to prepare for dormancy. ■These animals become dormant for weeks or months at a time, but they resume normal activity as soon as conditions return to normal. Therefore, if conditions remain bad for extended periods, or they are forced to repeatedly enter and exit hibernation, they may use up their energy reserves and perish. ■D |
At first glance, the inserted text seems to connect with the preceding sentence, but it does not logically follow the next one.
“Therefore” in the next sentence indicates that the information that follows “therefore” is a consequence or conclusion drawn from what precedes it. However, the inserted text is a statement about facultative hibernators’ patterns, not the cause of the event that facultative hibernators use up their energy reserves and perish.
Test takers who chose ■C were wrong because they failed to grasp the meaning of the given sentence and did not examine the context carefully.
Applying the strategies properly
Here’s the general strategy for this type of question.
- Read the given text and understand its meaning.
- Detect clues from the given text.
- Insert the text into possible locations to see if it fits in the context.
If you cannot determine the correct answer using the clue in the given sentence, use the Strategy 1 and 3.
[Question]
| These animals become dormant for weeks or months at a time, but they resume normal activity as soon as conditions return to normal. |
The given sentence is a statement about the pattern of facultative hibernators, describing that they go into hibernation or resume according to the environmental conditions.
Let’s insert the sentence into ■B.
[Passage]
| Hibernation
Facultative hibernators do not hibernate seasonally and their dormant periods are much more flexible, but that flexibility may come at a cost. ■A This is because they hibernate in response to sudden negative changes in their environment like extended periods of unusually cold weather or a rapidly dwindling food or water supply. ■These animals become dormant for weeks or months at a time, but they resume normal activity as soon as conditions return to normal. Since they are responding to current conditions, facultative hibernators do not have much time or opportunity to prepare for dormancy. ■C Therefore, if conditions remain bad for extended periods, or they are forced to repeatedly enter and exit hibernation, they may use up their energy reserves and perish. ■D |
The preceding sentence states that Facultative hibernators hibernate in response to sudden environmental changes. The inserted text is also about the animals’ hibernating patterns, which complement the preceding statement. The following sentence describes the negative result of such patterns. Now we can see it flows more logically with the given sentence inserted into ■B.
Summary
Now you know how to apply the strategies properly.
1. Read the given text and understand its meaning.
= Grasp what the sentence is about.
2. Detect clues from the given text.
= Be careful not to rush to the conclusion based on the clues.
3. Insert the text into possible locations to see if it fits in the context.
= Examine the context carefully. The overall flow should be logical.
You can score high in the TOEFL Reading section with proper approaches and an accurate understanding of the passage and questions.
If you want to practice more TOEFL Reading questions with detailed explanations, visit TestGlider today! 12 full-length mock tests, more than 600 practice questions, and 32 video lectures developed by our TOEFL experts are waiting for you. Also, Glidy, your own AI tutor will help your self-study with more tips and tricks.
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