TOEFL iBT Reading practice test 2

Fill in the missing letters in the paragraph.

Leftovers in Traditional Cooking

Many traditional dishes began as practical ways to use leftover food rather than as planned recipes. One example is the farmer's breakfast, a simple meal that families in rural Germany made from fried potatoes and small pieces of meat left over from earlier meals. Near the end of cooking, beaten eggs are poured over the mixture, and the dish is finished like an omelet. Unlike a pale omelet, however, a well-made version is judged by its deep golden-brown color.

1. One exa{{1}} is t{{2}} farmer's brea{{3}}, a simple me{{4}} that fami{{5}} in ru{{6}} Germany made fr{{7}} fried pota{{8}} and sm{{9}} pieces o{{10}} meat left over from earlier meals. Near the end of cooking, beaten eggs are poured over the mixture, and the dish is finished like an omelet. Unlike a pale omelet, however, a well-made version is judged by its deep golden-brown color. (4 letters)

2. One exa{{1}} is t{{2}} farmer's brea{{3}}, a simple me{{4}} that fami{{5}} in ru{{6}} Germany made fr{{7}} fried pota{{8}} and sm{{9}} pieces o{{10}} meat left over from earlier meals. Near the end of cooking, beaten eggs are poured over the mixture, and the dish is finished like an omelet. Unlike a pale omelet, however, a well-made version is judged by its deep golden-brown color. (2 letters)

3. One exa{{1}} is t{{2}} farmer's brea{{3}}, a simple me{{4}} that fami{{5}} in ru{{6}} Germany made fr{{7}} fried pota{{8}} and sm{{9}} pieces o{{10}} meat left over from earlier meals. Near the end of cooking, beaten eggs are poured over the mixture, and the dish is finished like an omelet. Unlike a pale omelet, however, a well-made version is judged by its deep golden-brown color. (5 letters)

4. One exa{{1}} is t{{2}} farmer's brea{{3}}, a simple me{{4}} that fami{{5}} in ru{{6}} Germany made fr{{7}} fried pota{{8}} and sm{{9}} pieces o{{10}} meat left over from earlier meals. Near the end of cooking, beaten eggs are poured over the mixture, and the dish is finished like an omelet. Unlike a pale omelet, however, a well-made version is judged by its deep golden-brown color. (2 letters)

5. One exa{{1}} is t{{2}} farmer's brea{{3}}, a simple me{{4}} that fami{{5}} in ru{{6}} Germany made fr{{7}} fried pota{{8}} and sm{{9}} pieces o{{10}} meat left over from earlier meals. Near the end of cooking, beaten eggs are poured over the mixture, and the dish is finished like an omelet. Unlike a pale omelet, however, a well-made version is judged by its deep golden-brown color. (4 letters)

6. One exa{{1}} is t{{2}} farmer's brea{{3}}, a simple me{{4}} that fami{{5}} in ru{{6}} Germany made fr{{7}} fried pota{{8}} and sm{{9}} pieces o{{10}} meat left over from earlier meals. Near the end of cooking, beaten eggs are poured over the mixture, and the dish is finished like an omelet. Unlike a pale omelet, however, a well-made version is judged by its deep golden-brown color. (3 letters)

7. One exa{{1}} is t{{2}} farmer's brea{{3}}, a simple me{{4}} that fami{{5}} in ru{{6}} Germany made fr{{7}} fried pota{{8}} and sm{{9}} pieces o{{10}} meat left over from earlier meals. Near the end of cooking, beaten eggs are poured over the mixture, and the dish is finished like an omelet. Unlike a pale omelet, however, a well-made version is judged by its deep golden-brown color. (2 letters)

8. One exa{{1}} is t{{2}} farmer's brea{{3}}, a simple me{{4}} that fami{{5}} in ru{{6}} Germany made fr{{7}} fried pota{{8}} and sm{{9}} pieces o{{10}} meat left over from earlier meals. Near the end of cooking, beaten eggs are poured over the mixture, and the dish is finished like an omelet. Unlike a pale omelet, however, a well-made version is judged by its deep golden-brown color. (4 letters)

9. One exa{{1}} is t{{2}} farmer's brea{{3}}, a simple me{{4}} that fami{{5}} in ru{{6}} Germany made fr{{7}} fried pota{{8}} and sm{{9}} pieces o{{10}} meat left over from earlier meals. Near the end of cooking, beaten eggs are poured over the mixture, and the dish is finished like an omelet. Unlike a pale omelet, however, a well-made version is judged by its deep golden-brown color. (3 letters)

10. One exa{{1}} is t{{2}} farmer's brea{{3}}, a simple me{{4}} that fami{{5}} in ru{{6}} Germany made fr{{7}} fried pota{{8}} and sm{{9}} pieces o{{10}} meat left over from earlier meals. Near the end of cooking, beaten eggs are poured over the mixture, and the dish is finished like an omelet. Unlike a pale omelet, however, a well-made version is judged by its deep golden-brown color. (1 letter)

Answer questions about everyday reading material.

Read a notice.

Linden Ridge College Recreation Center Fenwick Pond Kayak Rentals Paused An algae bloom has made the water in Fenwick Pond unsafe to touch, so kayak rentals are on hold. The boathouse dock is closed until rentals resume. Staff test the water regularly; the next test is Monday. We will reopen rentals only after two tests in a row show safe levels. The walking path around the pond stays open, but please keep dogs out of the water.

Read an email.

To: d.okafor@lindenridgecollege.edu From: writingcenter@lindenridgecollege.edu Date: November 2, 2026 Subject: Temporary Room for Your Sessions Dear Mr. Okafor, From November 9 to November 20, campus facilities will be renovating the Writing Center, and our usual space will be closed to staff and students during that time. For those two weeks, all in-person sessions will meet in Room 214 of Ashby Hall, including your regular Tuesday sessions. Please let your students know about the new room before your next appointments. Online sessions will continue as usual, with no change to links or times. Heads-up: the printer won't make the move with us. Students who need a paper copy of a draft can print at the main library desk instead. We'll be back in our usual space on November 23. Thank you for your flexibility! Best, Priya Raman Writing Center Coordinator

11. According to the notice, what can people still do at Fenwick Pond?

A) Walk on the path around the pond

B) Let their dogs swim in the pond

C) Take part in the water test on Monday

D) Sit on the boathouse dock

12. According to the notice, when will kayak rentals start again?

A) On Monday, when the next water test is done

B) After two tests in a row show that the water is safe

C) After staff finish cleaning the algae from the pond

D) At the beginning of the next semester

13. What is the main purpose of the email?

A) To announce that the Writing Center is moving permanently to Ashby Hall

B) To announce the reopening of the renovated Writing Center

C) To explain where in-person sessions will be held for two weeks

D) To announce that all sessions will be held online during the renovation

14. What can be inferred about Mr. Okafor?

A) He is a student who has booked an appointment at the Writing Center

B) He already works as a tutor at the Writing Center

C) He is responsible for organizing the renovation work

D) He will start working at the Writing Center after the renovation

15. What does the coordinator suggest when she writes that the printer “won't make the move with us”?

A) Students who need to print should go to the main library desk

B) Students should print their drafts at home before coming to their sessions

C) Tutors can still print for students using the printer in the Writing Center's usual space

D) Students should email their drafts to tutors instead of bringing printed copies

Answer questions about academic passages.

Why Machinery Orders Swing

Makers of industrial machinery often see far larger swings in orders than producers of everyday consumer goods. The reason lies in why factories buy machines. A factory usually orders new equipment when it expects to expand production. If its sales merely level off or dip slightly, it needs no extra capacity, and the machines it already owns keep running. New orders can then fall almost to zero, even while the factory stays busy. Uncertainty adds to these swings. A large machine is costly and meant to last many years, so a firm that cannot predict its future costs or markets often prefers to wait. Disputes over trade tariffs are one example: when managers cannot tell which export markets will stay open next year, they tend to defer purchases of new equipment. These orders are usually not lost, however. Once the situation becomes clearer, many of them return. Because expectations shape these decisions, economists closely follow business surveys that ask managers whether they expect conditions to improve. Outlooks tend to shift well before companies sign purchase contracts, so a brighter mood in these surveys is often read as an early sign that machinery orders will recover. The sign is imperfect, though. Managers sometimes grow hopeful, yet sales fail to pick up and the expected orders never arrive.

16. What is the passage mainly about?

A) How trade tariffs raise the prices consumers pay for manufactured goods

B) Why demand for machinery swings sharply and how expectations shape it

C) The methods economists use to design surveys of business managers

D) The history of the machinery industry in North America

17. According to paragraph 1, why can orders for new machinery drop almost to zero when sales of a factory's products fall only slightly?

A) Factories sell their existing machines to raise cash when sales fall

B) Machinery makers raise their prices when the economy slows down

C) Existing machines wear out more slowly when factories produce less

D) Factories buy new machines mainly to add capacity, and that is no longer needed when sales stop growing

18. Why does the author mention disputes over trade tariffs?

A) To give an example of uncertainty that causes firms to wait before buying equipment

B) To argue that tariffs protect domestic machinery makers from foreign competition

C) To explain why the cost of producing machinery has increased

D) To show that some demand for machinery is lost permanently

19. The word “defer” in the passage is closest in meaning to

A) cancel

B) reduce

C) delay

D) reconsider

20. What can be inferred about a rise in optimism among managers in business surveys?

A) It guarantees that factories will soon buy more machines

B) It can appear before machinery makers receive more actual orders

C) It shows that factories have already increased their sales

D) It is less useful to economists than figures on actual orders

Fill in the missing letters in the paragraph.

Judging International Summits

International summits bring together the leaders or ministers of many countries to discuss shared problems. Observers usually evaluate such gatherings by whether they produce a joint declaration that all participants sign. When governments disagree sharply, though, even this modest goal can fail, and a summit may close without any common statement at all. Some analysts argue that such outcomes reveal the limits of cooperation, while others point out that informal talks held on the sidelines may still prove valuable.

1. Observers usu{{1}} evaluate su{{2}} gatherings b{{3}} whether th{{4}} produce a jo{{5}} declaration th{{6}} all partic{{7}} sign. Wh{{8}} governments disa{{9}} sharply, tho{{10}}, even this modest goal can fail, and a summit may close without any common statement at all. Some analysts argue that such outcomes reveal the limits of cooperation, while others point out that informal talks held on the sidelines may still prove valuable. (4 letters)

2. Observers usu{{1}} evaluate su{{2}} gatherings b{{3}} whether th{{4}} produce a jo{{5}} declaration th{{6}} all partic{{7}} sign. Wh{{8}} governments disa{{9}} sharply, tho{{10}}, even this modest goal can fail, and a summit may close without any common statement at all. Some analysts argue that such outcomes reveal the limits of cooperation, while others point out that informal talks held on the sidelines may still prove valuable. (2 letters)

3. Observers usu{{1}} evaluate su{{2}} gatherings b{{3}} whether th{{4}} produce a jo{{5}} declaration th{{6}} all partic{{7}} sign. Wh{{8}} governments disa{{9}} sharply, tho{{10}}, even this modest goal can fail, and a summit may close without any common statement at all. Some analysts argue that such outcomes reveal the limits of cooperation, while others point out that informal talks held on the sidelines may still prove valuable. (1 letter)

4. Observers usu{{1}} evaluate su{{2}} gatherings b{{3}} whether th{{4}} produce a jo{{5}} declaration th{{6}} all partic{{7}} sign. Wh{{8}} governments disa{{9}} sharply, tho{{10}}, even this modest goal can fail, and a summit may close without any common statement at all. Some analysts argue that such outcomes reveal the limits of cooperation, while others point out that informal talks held on the sidelines may still prove valuable. (2 letters)

5. Observers usu{{1}} evaluate su{{2}} gatherings b{{3}} whether th{{4}} produce a jo{{5}} declaration th{{6}} all partic{{7}} sign. Wh{{8}} governments disa{{9}} sharply, tho{{10}}, even this modest goal can fail, and a summit may close without any common statement at all. Some analysts argue that such outcomes reveal the limits of cooperation, while others point out that informal talks held on the sidelines may still prove valuable. (3 letters)

6. Observers usu{{1}} evaluate su{{2}} gatherings b{{3}} whether th{{4}} produce a jo{{5}} declaration th{{6}} all partic{{7}} sign. Wh{{8}} governments disa{{9}} sharply, tho{{10}}, even this modest goal can fail, and a summit may close without any common statement at all. Some analysts argue that such outcomes reveal the limits of cooperation, while others point out that informal talks held on the sidelines may still prove valuable. (2 letters)

7. Observers usu{{1}} evaluate su{{2}} gatherings b{{3}} whether th{{4}} produce a jo{{5}} declaration th{{6}} all partic{{7}} sign. Wh{{8}} governments disa{{9}} sharply, tho{{10}}, even this modest goal can fail, and a summit may close without any common statement at all. Some analysts argue that such outcomes reveal the limits of cooperation, while others point out that informal talks held on the sidelines may still prove valuable. (6 letters)

8. Observers usu{{1}} evaluate su{{2}} gatherings b{{3}} whether th{{4}} produce a jo{{5}} declaration th{{6}} all partic{{7}} sign. Wh{{8}} governments disa{{9}} sharply, tho{{10}}, even this modest goal can fail, and a summit may close without any common statement at all. Some analysts argue that such outcomes reveal the limits of cooperation, while others point out that informal talks held on the sidelines may still prove valuable. (2 letters)

9. Observers usu{{1}} evaluate su{{2}} gatherings b{{3}} whether th{{4}} produce a jo{{5}} declaration th{{6}} all partic{{7}} sign. Wh{{8}} governments disa{{9}} sharply, tho{{10}}, even this modest goal can fail, and a summit may close without any common statement at all. Some analysts argue that such outcomes reveal the limits of cooperation, while others point out that informal talks held on the sidelines may still prove valuable. (4 letters)

10. Observers usu{{1}} evaluate su{{2}} gatherings b{{3}} whether th{{4}} produce a jo{{5}} declaration th{{6}} all partic{{7}} sign. Wh{{8}} governments disa{{9}} sharply, tho{{10}}, even this modest goal can fail, and a summit may close without any common statement at all. Some analysts argue that such outcomes reveal the limits of cooperation, while others point out that informal talks held on the sidelines may still prove valuable. (3 letters)

Answer questions about everyday reading material.

Read a notice.

Ridgeway College Campus Store Halloween Costume Swap Got a costume you won't wear again? Bring it, clean, to our lower level by October 24. For every costume you drop off, we'll hand you one ticket. Then come back on October 28 and trade each ticket for a different costume from the swap collection. No purchase is required to take part. Upstairs: Halloween candy and decorations are 15% off with your student ID through October 31.

Read an email.

To: dokafor@hollisu.edu From: outdoors@hollisu.edu Date: 11/02/2026 Subject: Canoe Trip Moved to Sunday Hi Daniel, High winds are forecast for this Saturday, November 7, so we have moved our canoe trip to Sunday, November 8. We'll still meet at the recreation center loading dock, but departure is now 8:00 AM instead of 7:30 AM. If Sunday doesn't work for you, you can choose a full refund or a credit toward our December snowshoe outing. Please reply by Thursday with your choice. Spots on the snowshoe outing go fast, so don't sit on this. If you're coming, nothing changes on our end: since you mentioned on your registration form that this will be your first time paddling, you'll still share a canoe with one of our experienced trip leaders. See you on the water, Marisol Vega Coordinator, Hollis University Outdoor Program

11. What is the main purpose of the notice?

A) To announce a sale on Halloween costumes

B) To invite students to trade costumes they no longer need

C) To advertise discounts on candy and decorations

D) To ask students to donate costumes to a local charity

12. What do students need to bring on October 28 to get a costume?

A) A valid student ID card from the college

B) A receipt from a Campus Store purchase

C) The ticket from their costume drop-off

D) A clean costume to drop off at the store

13. Why did Marisol Vega write to Daniel Okafor?

A) To tell him that a trip he signed up for has been moved to another day

B) To tell him that a trip has been canceled because of the weather

C) To confirm a refund that he asked for

D) To invite him to sign up for the December snowshoe outing

14. What does Marisol Vega mean when she writes, “don't sit on this”?

A) Daniel should reply soon

B) Daniel should not sign up for both trips

C) Daniel should keep the information to himself

D) Daniel should not wait at the loading dock

15. What can be inferred about Daniel Okafor?

A) He is one of the Outdoor Program's trip leaders

B) He has little or no experience with canoeing

C) He has already paid for the snowshoe outing

D) He asked the Outdoor Program to change the trip date

Answer questions about academic passages.

Rank and Risk

In many social animals, members of a group hold different positions in a ranking, or hierarchy. Chimpanzees are a well-studied example. Field observers have long noticed that high-ranking chimpanzees tend to behave more boldly than others. When an unfamiliar object appears in the forest, or when a strange sound comes from the edge of the group's territory, dominant individuals are often conspicuous: they step forward first while the rest of the group hangs back. Why should rank make an animal bolder? One explanation focuses on what happens when a risky move goes wrong. Any chimpanzee that investigates a possible danger can be injured or frightened off, and no one can know the outcome in advance. However, a high-ranking individual that fails usually keeps its secure place at feeding sites and the support of its allies, so the loss is relatively small. A low-ranking individual that fails may lose what little it has. The direction of this link is not simple. Bold behavior may help a chimpanzee rise through the hierarchy, and once it has risen, it can afford to be even bolder. A similar pattern may exist among people. Those in leadership positions at work, for instance, are sometimes described as more willing to take risks, although the evidence for humans is less direct than for chimpanzees.

16. What is the passage mainly about?

A) How chimpanzees compete with one another to gain a higher rank

B) The link between social rank and risk-taking and possible reasons for it

C) Why risky behavior often causes leaders to lose their position

D) Differences in how human and chimpanzee groups choose their leaders

17. The word “conspicuous” in the passage is closest in meaning to

A) cautious

B) threatening

C) noticeable

D) uncommon

18. According to paragraph 2, why are high-ranking individuals able to take more risks?

A) Because they are physically stronger, their risky attempts seldom fail

B) Lower-ranking group members step in to protect them when danger appears

C) If a risky attempt fails, they still keep their access to food and allies

D) Their experience tells them in advance which risks will succeed

19. What can be inferred from paragraph 3 about the relationship between boldness and rank?

A) Boldness tends to develop mainly after an individual has reached a high rank

B) Boldness is the main way an individual reaches a high rank in the first place

C) The connection between boldness and rank is weaker than earlier research suggested

D) Boldness and rank may each strengthen the other over time

20. Why does the author mention people in leadership positions at work?

A) To suggest that the pattern seen in chimpanzees may also apply to humans

B) To show that human leaders take fewer risks than chimpanzee leaders

C) To contrast the kinds of risks human leaders face with those chimpanzees face

D) To introduce a limitation of the chimpanzee findings