SKILL3: UNSTATED DETAIL QUESTIONS _

You will sometimes be asked in the Reading Comprehension section of the TOEFL
test to find an answer that is not stated or not mentioned or not true in the passage.
This type of question really means that three of the answers are stated, mentioned, or
true in the passage, while one answer is not. Your actual job is to find the three
correct answers and then choose the letter of the one remaining answer.
You should note that there are two kinds of answers to this type of question: (1)
there are three true answers and one answer that is not discussed in the passage, or
(2) there are three true answers and one that is false according to the passage.

Example

The passage:
The Florida Keys are a beautiful chain of almost 1,000 coral
and limestone islands. These islands form an arc that heads
first southwest and then west from the mainland. U.S. Highway 1,
Line called the Overseas Highway, connects the main islands in the
(5) chain. On this highway, it is necessary to cross 42 bridges over
the ocean to cover the 159 miles from Miami, on the mainland,
to Key West, the farthest island on the highway and the
southernmost citv in the United States.

The questions:
1. Which of the following is NOT mentioned about the Florida
Keys?
(A) The Florida Keys are a chain of islands.
(B) The Florida Kevs contain coral and limestone.
(C) The Florida Keys are in the shape of an arc.
(D) The Florida Keys are not all inhabited.

2. Which of the following is NOT true about U.S. Highway I?

(A) It is also known as the Overseas Highway.
(B) It joins all of the islands in the Florida Keys.
(C) It has more than 40 bridges.
(D) It connects Miami and Key West.

The first question asks for the one answer that is not mentioned about the Florida
Keys. The passage states that the Florida Keys are a chain (answer A) with coral
and limestone (answer B) in the shape of an arc (answer C), so these answers are
not correct. The best answer is therefore answer (D). The passage does not dis-
cuss whether or not the keys are all inhabited.
The second question asks for the answer that is not true about U.S. Highway 1.
The passage states that it is called the Overseas Highway (answer A), that it has
42 bridges (answer C), and that it coverts] the 159 miles from Miami ... to Kev
West (answer D), so these answers are not correct. The best answer is answer (B).
The passage states that the Overseas Highway co/meets the main islands in the
chain, so it does not connect all of the islands.

The following chart outlines the key information that you should remember
about unstated detail questions.

UNSTATED DETAil QUESTIONS

HOW TO IDENTIFY Which of the following is not stated ... ?
THE QUESTION Which of the following is not mentioned ... ?
Which of the following is not discussed ... ?
All of the following are true except ...

WHERE TO FIND The answers to these questions are found in order in the
THE ANSWER passage.

HOW TO ANSWER 1. Choose a key word in the question.

THE QUESTION
2. Scan the appropriate place in the passage for the key word
(or related idea).
3. Read the sentence that contains the key word or idea
carefully.
4. Look for the answers that are definitely true according to the
passage. Eliminate those answers.
5. Choose the answer that is not true or not discussed in the
passage.
 TOEFL EXERCISE 3: Study each of the passages, and choose the best answers to
the questions that follow.

PASSAGE ONE (Questions 1~2)

Blood pressure measurement has two components: systolic and diastolic. Systolic
pressure is taken when the heart is contracting to pump blood; diastolic pressure is
taken when the heart is resting between beats. In the usual blood pressure reading, the
Line systolic measurement is given first and is the higher of the two.
(5) Normal blood pressure is a systolic measurement of 120-140, and when the systolic
pressure is 160 or higher, then hypertension exists. Systolic pressure between 140 and
160 indicates borderline hypertension.

J. Which of the following is NOT true 2. Which of the following is NOT stated
about systolic blood pressure? about diastolic pressure?
(A) It is taken during the contraction (A) It is one of the two components
of the heart. of blood pressure measurement.
(B) It is usually given first in a blood (B) It is taken when the heart is
pressure reading. resting.
(C) A normal systolic measurement (C) It is lower than systolic pressure.
is 120-140. (D) A diastolic measurement of 140
(D) Hypertension exists when the is normal.
systolic pressure is below 140.

PASSAGE nvo (Questions 3~4)

In the 1960s, as space travel was becoming a subject of much discussion, Pan
American Airlines began receiving some fairly unusual requests for flight information.
People began making requests to be on the first flight that Pan Am made to the Moon.
Line On a whim, Pan Am started a waiting list for the first flight to the Moon. Similar
(5) requests have come to Pan Am over the Years, and Pan Am has responded by adding the
names of the requesters to the list.
Unfortunately for Pan Am, the original company is no longer in business, and it
never got to the Moon. However, when it went out of business, it had a waiting list of
more than 90,000 names for its first lunar flight.

3. All of the following are mentioned 4. Which of the following is NOT true
about Pan American Airlines, about Pan Am's Moon flights?
EXCEPT that
(A) People asked Pan Am about its
(A) it started business in the 1960s flights to the Moon.
(B) it received requests for its first (B) Pan Am kept a waiting list for its
flight to the Moon Moon flights.
(C) it kept some people on a long (C) Pan Am never really made any
waiting list Moon nights.
(D) it went out of business (D) Pan Am's waiting list had only a
few names on it.
 PASSAGE THREE (Questions 5-8)
The tunnel trees in Yosemite Valley are an amazing attraction to people who visit
there. The tunnel trees are huge trees, giant redwoods, which have had tunnels carved
in them, and cars can actually drive through some of the trees. The fact that the trees
Line are large enough to have cars drive through them should give you some indication of
(5) just how big the trees are.
There are currently two existing tunnel trees in Yosemite Valley. One of them is
called the "Dead Giant." This is just the stump, or bottom part, of a much larger tree.
The hole was cut through the base of the tree in 1878, and stagecoaches used to drive
through it. Today the Dead Giant still exists, but the stagecoaches do not. Passenger cars
(10) can and do drive through the lO-foot-wide opening in the tree stump.
The other existing tunnel tree is the 230-foot high California Tree, which had a hole
carved through it in 1895. This tree is no longer open to the public, so it is not possible
to take a car through it.
Unfortunately. a third tunnel tree no longer exists. The Wawona Tunnel Tree was a
(15) 2,1 OO-year-old tree which was carved in 1881. A terrible snowstorm in 1969 caused this
ancient giant of a tree to fall.

5. Which of the following is NOT true 7. Which of the following is NOT true
about the tunnel trees in Yosemite about the California Tree?
Vallev?
(A) Its tunnel still exists.
(A) They are trees with holes cut in (B) Its tunnel is 230 feet high.
them. (C) Its tunnel was cut in 1895.
(B) They are giant redwoods. (D) Cars are not allowed to go
(C) Three tunnel trees currently exist. through it.
(D) Cars have driven through some
of them. 8. All of the following are true about the
Wawona Tunnel Tree, EXCEPT that
6. All of the following are stated about
(A) it does not exist anymore
the Dead Giant, EXCEPT that
(B) the tree lived for more than 2,000
(A) it is still a tunnel tree today years
(B) it is just the stump of a tree (C) the tunnel tree was destroved in a
(C) it was cut less than a century ago snowstorm
(D) it has a 10-foot opening (D) the tunnel was destroyed in 1881
 TOEFL REVIEW EXERCISE (Skills 1-3): Study each of the passages, and
choose the best answers to the questions that follow.

PASSAGE ONE (Ouestions /-4)

When the typewriter was first invented, its keys were arranged alphabetically This
made the keys easy to find. However, this arrangement also caused the bars of the
machine to jam, or get stuck.
Line To solve this problem, a new letter arrangement was introduced by Christopher
(5) Latham Scholes in 1872. His system, the standard keyboard svstern, is still used on
typewriters today. He arranged the letters in such a way that the bars hit the inked
ribbon from opposite directions as much as possible. This resulted in far less jamming
than had occurred with the alphabetical models.

1. The main topic of this passage is 3. Which of the following is NOT true
about the system invented by
(A) the invention of the typewriter
Scholes?
(B) a problem and solution
concerning the early typewriter (A) It was introduced in 1872.
(C) how to write a letter on the (B) It is still used today.
t vpewri ter (C) It became the standard system.
(D) whv the keys stick on today's (D) It was alphabetical.
typewriter
4. The passage indicates that under
2. According to the passage, on the first Scholes's system, the bars hit the
typewriters ribbon
(A) the keys were in alphabetical (A) in alphabetical order
order (B) from opposite directions
(B) the keys were hard to find (C) and caused the keys to jam
(C) the bars on the machine never (D) in the same way as they had on
jammed the original typewriter
(D) Scholes's system worked quite
well
 PASSAGE TWO (Questions 5-9)
Desert tundra, or cold desert, occurs on the Arctic edges of North America, Europe,
and Asia. In these areas the temperatures are almost always freezing, and they cause an
environment in which plant life is virtually impossible. The existence of ice rather than
Line water for the majority of the veal' means that vegetation does not have enough moisture
(5) for growth to take place. During the short period of time when the temperature
increases enough for the ice to melt, there is generally a large volume of water. Too
much water and not enough drainage through the frozen subsoil make it difficult for
plants to grow.

5. Which of the following is the best title 8. According to the passage, which of
for the passage? the following does NOT happen when
the weather heats up?
(A) Where Desert Tundra Is Found
(B) The Weather in the Arctic (A) Plants grow well.
(e) The Effect of Desert Tundra on (B) The ice melts.
Plant Life (e) There is not enough drainage.
(D) The Variety of Plant Life in (D) There is too much water.
Desert Tundra
9. According to the passage, why is it
6. According to the passage, desert impossible for the water to drain after
tundra is found it melts?
(A) throughout North America, (A) The land beneath the surface is
Europe, and Asia still frozen.
(B) in Antarctica (B) The temperature is too high.
(e) on the Arctic borders of the (C) The period of time is too short.
northern continents (D) The vegetation is flourishing.
(D) at the North Pole

7. According to the passage, what makes

plant life almost impossible in areas
of desert tundra during most of the
year?
(A) Excessive water on the plants
(B) The frozen state of the water
(e) The increase in temperature
(D) The lack of ice
 PASSAGE THREE (Questions JO-J..f.)
Whales are mammals rather than fish, yet they live in the world's oceans rather than
on land. Because of the fact that thev are mammals, scientists have believed for quite
some time that whales are descendants of land mammals.
Line Some interesting evidence to support this theory has recently been found. In Egypt,
(5) fossils have been found of a forty-million-year-old whale leg, kneecap, ankle, footbones,
and toes. It appears from the fossil evidence that the bones were not very strong and not
very large in comparison to the size of the whale.
Based on this fossil evidence, the following evolutionary path has been
hypothesized. As the whale began its evolution toward the water. its legs weakened and
(10) decreased in size. Then, during its millions of years in the water, the legs slowly
disappeared, leaving only the front flippers today.

10. The main idea of this passage is that 13. Which of the following was NOT
mentioned in the list of whale fossils
(A) numerous whale fossils have
found in Egypt?
been found in the world's
oceans (A) A whale's kneecap
(B) there is evidence that whales may (B) A whale's ankle
have descended from land (C) A whale's footbones
mammals (D) A whale's finger's
(C) whales are mammals and not fish
(D) whales have not evolved verv 14. According to the hypothesis in the
much over the last millions of passage, what happened to whales'
years legs?
(A) They got stronger over time.
11. All of the following are true about
(B) They got larger over time.
whales, EXCEPT that
(C) They disappeared quickly.
(A) thev are mammals (D) They became front flippers.
(B) they live in the ocean
(C) they are fish
(D) they may have come from the
land

12. Which of the following is NOT

mentioned about the whale fossils in
the passage?
(A) They were found in Egypt.
(B) They support the theory that
whales came from land.
(C) They are forty million years old.
(D) Thev showed that ancient whales
had flippers.
SKILL4: IMPLIED DETAIL QUESTIONS _
Some questions in the Reading Comprehension section of the TOEFL test will
require answers that are not directly stated in the passage. To answer these ques-
tions correctly, you will have to draw conclusions from information that is given
in the passage. Questions of this type contain the words implied, inferred, likely,
or probably to let you know that the answer to the question is not directly stated.

Example

The passage:
The number of rings in a tree can be used to determine how
old a tree really is. Each year a tree produces a ring that is
composed of one light-colored wide band and one dark-colored
Line narrow band. The wider band is produced during the spring
(5) and early summer, when tree stem cells grow rapidly and
become larger. The narrower band is produced in fall and early
winter, when cell growth is much slower and cells do not get
very large. No cells are produced during the harsh winter and
summer months.

The questions:
1. It is implied in the passage that if a tree has 100 wide bands
and 100 narrow bands, then it is
(A) a century old
(B) two centuries old
(C) fifty years old
(D) two hundred years old

2. It can be inferred from the passage that cells do not grow

(A) when the tree is ill
(B) during extreme heat or cold
(C) when it rains too much
(D) if there are more light-colored bands than dark-colored
bands

The first question asks about the age of a tree with 100 wide bands and 100 narrow
bands. The passage does not tell the age of a tree with 100 wide and narrow bands,
but it does indicate that one ... wide band and one ... narrow band are produced
each year. From this you can draw the conclusion that a tree with 100 wide and
narrow bands is 100 years, or a century, old. The best answer to this question is
therefore answer (A). The second question asks when cells do not grow. The pas-
sage indicates that no cells are produced during the harsh VI/inter and summer
months. From this you can draw the conclusion that cells do not grow during the
extreme heat of summer or the extreme cold of winter. The best answer to this ques-
tion is therefore answer (B).
 The following chart outlines the key information that you should remember
about implied detail questions.

IMPLIED DETAIL QUESTIONS

HOW TO IDENTIFY It is implied in the passage that ...

THE QUESTION It can be inferred from the passage that ...
It is most likely that ...
What probably happened ... ?

WHERE TO FIND The answers to these questions are found in order in the
THE ANSWER passage.

HOW TO ANSWER 1. Choose a key word in the question.

THE QUESTION
2. Scan the passage for the key word (or related idea).
3. Read the sentence that contains the key word carefully.
4. Look for an answer that could be true, according to that
sentence.

TOEFL EXERCISE 4: Study each of the passages, and choose the best answers to
the questions that follow.

PASSAGE ONE (Ouestions 1-3)

Until 1996 the Sears Tower was the tallest building in the world, with more than a
hundred stories. It is located in Chicago, whose nickname is the Windy City. The
combination of a very tall building in a city with such weather conditions leads to a lot
Line of swaying in the breeze.
(5) On a windy day, the top of the building can move back and forth as much as three
feet every few seconds. The inside doors at the top of the building open and close, and
water in sinks sloshes back and forth.

1. The Sears Tower is probablv 3. It is implied in the passage that the

upper-level doors in the Sears Tower
(A) as tall as the Empire State
open and close because
Building
(B) no longer the tallest building in (A) the building was poorly
the world constructed
(C) taller than any other building (B) people go in and out so often
(D) still the highest building in the (C) the building moves in the wind
world (D) there is water in the sinks

2. It can be inferred from the passage

that Chicago
(A) has moderate weather
(B) is generally warm
(C) has humid weather
(D) usuallv has a lot of wind
 PASSAGE nvo (Questions 4-6)
The most common last name in the English-speaking world is Smith, which was
taken from the job of working with metals. A silversmith, for example, is someone who
works with the metal silver. Historical records indicate that the use of this last name is
Line at least 700 years old. Today, there are more than 3.3 million Smiths living in the United
(5) States and perhaps another million Smiths living in other English-speaking countries
worldwide.

4. It can be inferred from the passage 6. In England there are probably

that familv names
(A) more Smiths than there are in
(A) were always taken from the area the United States
where a family lived (B) more than a million Smiths
(B) were short names (C) fewer than a million Smiths
(C) had little or no meaning (D) no families with the name of
(D) could be taken from jobs Smith

5. Which of the following is implied

about the Smith family name?
(A) It is definitely not more than 700
years old.
(B) It existed 600 years ago.
(C) It did not exist 500 years ago.
(D) It definitely was not in use 1,000
years ago.
 PASSAGE THREE (Questions 7-9)
On the hardness scale, corundum immediately follows diamond, which is the
hardest mineral in the world. Corundum is perhaps better known by the names of its
gemstones, ruby and sapphire. Basically, gem corundum is divided into two groups:
Line corundum that is red in color is called ruby, and corundum that is any other color is
(5) called sapphire.
Pure corundum is clear, but pure corundum is rarely found in nature. If small
amounts of the chemical substance chromic oxide (Cr203) got into the crystal structure
when it formed millions of years ago, then the corundum turned a deep, rich red and
became ruby.
(10) Red is not the only color that corundum can take on. Other chemical substances
enter into the crystal structure of corundum, and it can take on a variety of other colors.
Most people associate blue with sapphires, and certainly when corundum contains
impurities that turn it blue, it is called sapphire. However, corundum can have a variety
of other colors-e.g., green or purple-and still be called sapphire.

7. It can be inferred from the passage 9. Yellow corundum is most likely called
that corundum is
(A) gold
(A) the hardest mineral in the world (B) chromic oxide
(B) not as hard as sapphire (C) ruby
(C) the second hardest mineral (D) sapphire
(D) a rather soft mineral

8. Chromic oxide is probably what

color?
(A) Clear
(B) Blue
(C) Red
(D) Green
 TOEFL REVIEW EXERCISE (Skills 1-4): Study each of the passages, and
choose the best answers to the questions that follow.

PASSAGE ONE (Questions /-5)

Before ballpoint pens or fountain pens. pens were made from goose feathers. These
goose feathers, called quills, were sharpened and dipped into inkwells, where they
absorbed enough ink to write a few words. It was necessary to keep an inkwell very
Line close by, as frequent dipping was necessary.
(5) These quill pens were one of the earliest products "designed" specifically for left-
and right-handed people. Feathers from the left wing of the goose worked best for right-
handel's because of the way that the feathers arched. Feathers from the right wing were
preferred bv left-handers.

1. Which of the following is the best title 4. Which of the following is NOT true
for this passage? about quill pens, according to the
passage?
(A) Early Ballpoint and Fountain
Pens (A) Left-handers were unable to use
(B) Quill Pens for Lefties and quill pens.
Righties (B) Left-handed people generally
(C) Where Quill Pens Came From preferred quills from the right
(D) Various Uses for Goose Feathers wing.
CC) Right-handers could use quill
2. According to the passage, a quill pens.
came from (D) Right-handed people generally
preferred quills from the left
(A) a tree
wing.
(B) a bird
(C) a piece of metal
S. It can be inferred from the passage
(D) a fountain pen
that quill pens
3. The passage indicates that a quill pen (A) are still used regularly today
could hold enough ink to write (B) are preferred over ballpoint pens
(C) are the best pens for left-handers
(A) one or two pages
(D) are no longer used much
(B) for about one hour
(C) a couple of words
(D) numerous sentences
 PASSAGE TWO (Questions 6-10)
The English names of the last four months of the Gregorian calendar (September,
October, November, December) have rather interesting histories. The Gregorian
calendar is a twelve-month calendar; so these months are the ninth, tenth, eleventh, and
Line twelfth months respectively. However, their names do not reflect their positioning in the
(5) calendar. The name September comes from the Latin word septum, which means
"seven." This month was originally the name of the seventh rather than the ninth
month. Similarly, the name October comes from the Latin octo ("eight"); the name
November comes from the Latin novem ("nine"); the name December comes from the
Latin decem C'ten").

6. The main topic of this passage is 9. It can be inferred from the passage
that November
(A) the origin of certain month
names (A) used to be the ninth month of the
(B) the Gregorian calendar vear
(C) the numbers in Latin (B) is no longer part of the Gregorian
CD) ten- and twelve-month calendars calendar
(C) has always been the eleventh
7. The first month on the Gregorian month
calendar is probably CD) was not part of the original
Gregorian calendar
(A) March
(B) May
10. Which of the following is NOT
(C) January
mentioned in the passage about
(D) December
December?
8. The passage states that in the original (A) It is the twelfth month on the
version of the calendar, September Gregorian calendar.
was the name of (B) Its name is derived from a Latin
word.
(A) the sixth month
(C) Its meaning comes from the
(B) the seventh month
number ten.
(C) the eighth month
(D) It has 31 days.
(D) the ninth month
 PASSAGE THREE (Ouestions 11-15)
Different types of relationships exist between living things. One type of relationship
is parasitism, in which one partner benefits while the other loses. A very different type
of relationship is symbiosis, in which both partners benefit.
Line An example of a parasitic relationship exists between the stone crab and sacculina, a
(5) type of barnacle. The sacculina attaches itself to the stone crab. It then eats into the
crab, and the stone crab becomes disabled.
An example of a symbiotic relationship exists between the hermit crab and the
calliactis anemone. The anemone attaches itself to the crab, but it is not a parasite
because it does not harm the crab; it feeds on food that is dropped by the crab. The
(10) anemone even helps the crab by protecting the crab from other predators with its
tentacles.

11. The subject of this passage is 14. The calliactis anemone

(A) two different kinds of (A) is a parasite
relationships among living (B) harms the hermit crab
things (C) eats into the hermit crab
(B) parasitic relationships (D) assists the hermit crab
(C) relationships that are mutually
beneficial to living things 15. Which of the following can be
(D) symbiosis inferred from the passage?
(A) All crabs are involved in parasitic
12. Which of the following is NOT true
relationships.
about parasitic relationships?
(B) All crabs are involved in
(A) There are two partners in a symbiotic relationships.
parasitic relationship. (C) Some crabs are involved in
(B) One partner in a parasitic symbiotic relationships, while
relationship hurts the other. others are not.
(C) The stone crab can be part of a (D) Crabs are involved in neither
parasitic relationship. parasitic nor symbiotic
(D) A parasitic relationship is usually relationships.
symbiotic.

13. According to the passage, what does

sacculina eat?
(A) The stone crab
(B) Barnacles
(C) Food dropped by the crab
(0) Other parasites