This page will help you practise for the TOEFL reading test. This section has a reading passage about the development of language and grammar and 13 questions. Think carefully before you select an answer. Your answer is scored on the first click! This test is part 1 of a complete TOEFL test. Click here to do part 2.
Questions 1-10
Read the passage. Then answer the questions below. After you have answered the first 10 questions you will answer a 'Summary Question'.

The Creators of Grammar
No student of a foreign language needs to be told that grammar is complex. By changing word sequences and by adding a range of auxiliary verbs and suffixes, we are able to communicate tiny variations in meaning. We can turn a statement into a question, state whether an action has taken place or is soon to take place, and perform many other word tricks to convey subtle differences in meaning. Nor is this complexity inherent to the English language. All languages, even those of so-called 'primitive' tribes have clever grammatical components. The Cherokee pronoun system, for example, can distinguish between 'you and I', 'several other people and I' and 'you, another person and I'. In English, all these meanings are summed up in the one, crude pronoun 'we'. Grammar is universal and plays a part in every language, no matter how widespread it is. So the question which has baffled many linguists is - who created grammar?
At first, it would appear that this question is impossible to answer. To find out how grammar is created, someone needs to be present at the time of a language's creation, documenting its emergence. Many historical linguists are able to trace modern complex languages back to earlier languages, but in order to answer the question of how complex languages are actually formed, the researcher needs to observe how languages are started from scratch. Amazingly, however, this is possible.
Some of the most recent languages evolved due to the Atlantic slave trade. At that time, slaves from a number of different ethnicities were forced to work together under colonizer's rule. Since they had no opportunity to learn each other's languages, they developed a make-shift language called a pidgin. Pidgins are strings of words copied from the language of the landowner. They have little in the way of grammar, and in many cases it is difficult for a listener to deduce when an event happened, and who did what to whom. [A] Speakers need to use circumlocution in order to make their meaning understood. [B] Interestingly, however, all it takes for a pidgin to become a complex language is for a group of children to be exposed to it at the time when they learn their mother tongue. [C] Slave children did not simply copy the strings of words uttered by their elders, they adapted their words to create a new, expressive language. [D] Complex grammar systems which emerge from pidgins are termed creoles, and they are invented by children.
Further evidence of this can be seen in studying sign languages for the deaf. Sign languages are not simply a series of gestures; they utilise the same grammatical machinery that is found in spoken languages. Moreover, there are many different languages used worldwide. The creation of one such language was documented quite recently in Nicaragua. Previously, all deaf people were isolated from each other, but in 1979 a new government introduced schools for the deaf. Although children were taught speech and lip reading in the classroom, in the playgrounds they began to invent their own sign system, using the gestures that they used at home. It was basically a pidgin. Each child used the signs differently, and there was no consistent grammar. However, children who joined the school later, when this inventive sign system was already around, developed a quite different sign language. Although it was based on the signs of the older children, the younger children's language was more fluid and compact, and it utilised a large range of grammatical devices to clarify meaning. What is more, all the children used the signs in the same way. A new creole was born.
Some linguists believe that many of the world's most established languages were creoles at first. The English past tense –ed ending may have evolved from the verb 'do'. 'It ended' may once have been 'It end-did'. Therefore it would appear that even the most widespread languages were partly created by children. Children appear to have innate grammatical machinery in their brains, which springs to life when they are first trying to make sense of the world around them. Their minds can serve to create logical, complex structures, even when there is no grammar present for them to copy.
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1 In paragraph 1, why does the writer include information about the Cherokee language? A To show how simple, traditional cultures can have complicated grammar structures B To show how English grammar differs from Cherokee grammar C To prove that complex grammar structures were invented by the Cherokees. D To demonstrate how difficult it is to learn the Cherokee language

2 What can be inferred about the slaves' pidgin language? A It contained complex grammar. B It was based on many different languages. C It was difficult to understand, even among slaves. D It was created by the land-owners.

3 All the following sentences about Nicaraguan sign language are true EXCEPT: A The language has been created since 1979. B The language is based on speech and lip reading. C The language incorporates signs which children used at home. D The language was perfected by younger children.

4 In paragraph 3, where can the following sentence be placed?
It included standardised word orders and grammatical markers that existed in neither the pidgin language, nor the language of the colonizers. A B C D

5 'From scratch' in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to: A from the very beginning B in simple cultures C by copying something else D by using written information

6 'Make-shift' in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to: A complicated and expressive B simple and temporary C extensive and diverse D private and personal

7 Which sentence is closest in meaning to the highlighted sentence?
Grammar is universal and plays a part in every language, no matter how widespread it is. A All languages, whether they are spoken by a few people or a lot of people, contain grammar. B Some languages include a lot of grammar, whereas other languages contain a little. C Languages which contain a lot of grammar are more common that languages that contain a little. D The grammar of all languages is the same, no matter where the languages evolved.

8 All of the following are features of the new Nicaraguan sign language EXCEPT: A All children used the same gestures to show meaning. B The meaning was clearer than the previous sign language. C The hand movements were smoother and smaller. D New gestures were created for everyday objects and activities.

9 Which idea is presented in the final paragraph? A English was probably once a creole. B The English past tense system is inaccurate. C Linguists have proven that English was created by children. D Children say English past tenses differently from adults.

10 Look at the word 'consistent' in paragraph 4. This word could best be replaced by which of the following? A natural B predictable C imaginable D uniform

This page will help you practise for the TOEFL reading test. This section has a reading passage about smart energy and 12 questions. Think carefully before you select an answer. Your answer is scored on the first click! You can also do part 1 of this test.
Questions 1–9
Read the passage. Then answer the questions below. After you have answered the first 9 questions you will answer a 'Summary Question'.
Smart Energy
The next few decades will see great changes in the way energy is supplied and used. In some major oil producing nations, 'peak oil' has already been reached, and there are increasing fears of global warming. Consequently, many countries are focusing on the switch to a low carbon economy. This transition will lead to major changes in the supply and use of electricity. [A] Firstly, there will be an increase in overall demand, as consumers switch from oil and gas to electricity to power their homes and vehicles. [B] Secondly, there will be an increase in power generation, not only in terms of how much is generated, but also how it is generated, as there is growing electricity generation from renewable sources. [C] To meet these challenges, countries are investing in Smart Grid technology. [D] This system aims to provide the electricity industry with a better understanding of power generation and demand, and to use this information to create a more efficient power network.
Smart Grid technology basically involves the application of a computer system to the electricity network. The computer system can be used to collect information about supply and demand and improve engineer's ability to manage the system. With better information about electricity demand, the network will be able to increase the amount of electricity delivered per unit generated, leading to potential reductions in fuel needs and carbon emissions. Moreover, the computer system will assist in reducing operational and maintenance costs.
Smart Grid technology offers benefits to the consumer too. They will be able to collect real-time information on their energy use for each appliance. Varying tariffs throughout the day will give customers the incentive to use appliances at times when supply greatly exceeds demand, leading to great reductions in bills. For example, they may use their washing machines at night. Smart meters can also be connected to the internet or telephone system, allowing customers to switch appliances on or off remotely. Furthermore, if houses are fitted with the apparatus to generate their own power, appliances can be set to run directly from the on-site power source, and any excess can be sold to the grid.
With these changes comes a range of challenges. The first involves managing the supply and demand. Sources of renewable energy, such as wind, wave and solar, are notoriously unpredictable, and nuclear power, which is also set to increase as nations switch to alternative energy sources, is inflexible. With oil and gas, it is relatively simple to increase the supply of energy to match the increasing demand during peak times of the day or year. With alternative sources, this is far more difficult, and may lead to blackouts or system collapse. Potential solutions include investigating new and efficient ways to store energy and encouraging consumers to use electricity at off-peak times.
A second problem is the fact that many renewable power generation sources are located in remote areas, such as windy uplands and coastal regions, where there is currently a lack of electrical infrastructure. New infrastructures therefore must be built. Thankfully, with improved smart technology, this can be done more efficiently by reducing the reinforcement or construction costs.
Although Smart Technology is still in its infancy, pilot schemes to promote and test it are already underway. Consumers are currently testing the new smart meters which can be used in their homes to manage electricity use. There are also a number of demonstrations being planned to show how the smart technology could practically work, and trials are in place to test the new electrical infrastructure. It is likely that technology will be added in 'layers', starting with 'quick win' methods which will provide initial carbon savings, to be followed by more advanced systems at a later date. Cities are prime candidates for investment into smart energy, due to the high population density and high energy use. It is here where Smart Technology is likely to be promoted first, utilising a range of sustainable power sources, transport solutions and an infrastructure for charging electrically powered vehicles. The infrastructure is already changing fast. By the year 2050, changes in the energy supply will have transformed our homes, our roads and our behaviour.

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1 According to paragraph 1, what has happened in some oil producing countries? A They are unwilling to sell their oil any more. B They are not producing as much oil as they used to. C The supply of oil is unpredictable. D Global warming is more sever here than in other countries.

2 Where in paragraph 1 can the following sentence be placed?
There is also likely more electricity generation centres, as households and communities take up the opportunity to install photovoltaic cells and small scale wind turbines. A B C D

3 Which of the following is NOT a benefit of Smart Grid technology to consumers? A It can reduce their electricity bills. B It can tell them how much energy each appliance is using. C It can allow them to turn appliances on and off when they are not at home. D It can reduce the amount of energy needed to power appliances.

4 According to paragraph 4, what is the problem with using renewable sources of power? A They do not provide much energy. B They often cause system failure and blackouts. C They do not supply a continuous flow of energy. D They can't be used at off-peak times.

5 In paragraph 5, what can be inferred about cities in the future? A More people will be living in cities in the future than nowadays. B People in cities will be using cars and buses powered by electricity. C All buildings will generate their own electricity. D Smart Grid technology will only be available in cities.

6 The word 'remote' in paragraph 5 could be best replace by: A isolated B crowded C attractive D alone

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