TOEFL ITP Reading Practice 1

TOEFL ITP Reading Practice 1

Read the passages, answer the questions, and check your score with short explanations.

Quick instruction: This is a beginner-friendly TOEFL ITP Reading practice. Read each passage carefully. Then choose the best answer: A, B, C, or D.

Passage 1: Urban Green Spaces and City Heat

Many cities become warmer than nearby rural areas because roads, buildings, and parking lots absorb sunlight during the day and release heat at night. This pattern is often called the urban heat island effect. Trees and parks can help reduce this problem in several ways.

First, trees provide shade, which keeps sidewalks and building surfaces cooler. Second, plants release water vapor through a process called transpiration. As water evaporates from leaves, the surrounding air can become cooler. These effects may not remove heat completely, but they can make streets and neighborhoods more comfortable.

Green spaces also support public health. People may be more willing to walk, exercise, or spend time outdoors when a neighborhood has pleasant shaded areas. However, city planners must choose suitable plants. Some trees need a lot of water or do not grow well in polluted areas. For that reason, successful urban greening requires both careful planning and regular maintenance.

Question 1

What is the main idea of the passage?

A. Cities should replace all roads with trees and parks. B. Green spaces can help reduce city heat and improve urban life. C. Rural areas are always warmer than cities. D. Trees are useful only because they produce fruit.

Question 2

Why do roads and buildings make cities warmer?

A. They produce water vapor at night. B. They prevent people from walking outdoors. C. They absorb sunlight and release heat. D. They grow better in polluted areas.

Question 3

The word “reduce” in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to...

A. decrease B. create C. explain D. measure

Question 4

The phrase “These effects” in paragraph 2 refers to...

A. roads and buildings B. public health and exercise C. polluted areas and water needs D. shade and transpiration

Question 5

What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

A. All trees can grow well in every city. B. Urban greening does not need maintenance. C. City planners should choose plants that match local conditions. D. Green spaces make people avoid outdoor activities.

Passage 2: How Paper Changed Learning

Before paper became common, people wrote on materials such as stone, clay tablets, bamboo strips, or animal skins. These materials could preserve information, but many were heavy, expensive, or difficult to produce in large amounts.

Paper gradually changed the way knowledge moved from one person to another. Because it was lighter and easier to make than many earlier writing materials, paper made it more practical to copy texts, keep records, and send messages. Schools, governments, and traders benefited from this change.

The spread of paper did not immediately make books available to everyone. Copying texts still required time and skill, and reading ability was limited in many societies. Even so, paper created an important foundation for wider learning. Later technologies, such as printing, became more powerful because paper was already a useful medium for storing and sharing written information.

Question 6

What is the main idea of the passage?

A. Paper immediately made books available to everyone. B. Stone and clay tablets were easier to use than paper. C. Paper made storing and sharing information more practical. D. Printing was invented before people used writing materials.

Question 7

According to paragraph 1, why were some earlier writing materials less practical?

A. They were too easy to produce. B. They were heavy, expensive, or difficult to make in large amounts. C. They could not preserve any information. D. They were only used for sending messages.

Question 8

The word “foundation” in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to...

A. decoration B. problem C. limit D. basis

Question 9

All of the following are mentioned as benefits of paper EXCEPT...

A. copying texts more practically B. keeping records C. making every person able to read immediately D. sending messages

Question 10

What can be inferred from the passage?

A. Paper alone was not enough to make books available to everyone. B. Paper made writing disappear from schools. C. Governments did not benefit from paper. D. Animal skins were easier to produce than paper.