TOEFL iBT Reading practice test 4

Fill in the missing letters in the paragraph.

Medicines for Obesity

For decades, doctors treated obesity mainly with advice about diet and exercise. In recent years, however, a new group of medicines has changed this approach. These drugs copy a natural hormone that the body releases after a meal. The hormone helps signal to the brain that enough food has been eaten, so people feel less hungry and choose smaller portions. Some versions are given as weekly injections, while others are taken as daily tablets. Patients who stop the treatment often regain weight, which suggests that the medicines manage the condition rather than cure it.

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2. In rec{{1}} years, how{{2}}, a new gr{{3}} of medi{{4}} has cha{{5}} this appr{{6}}. These dr{{7}} copy a nat{{8}} hormone th{{9}} the bo{{10}} releases after a meal. The hormone helps signal to the brain that enough food has been eaten, so people feel less hungry and choose smaller portions. Some versions are given as weekly injections, while others are taken as daily tablets. Patients who stop the treatment often regain weight, which suggests that the medicines manage the condition rather than cure it. (4 letters)

3. In rec{{1}} years, how{{2}}, a new gr{{3}} of medi{{4}} has cha{{5}} this appr{{6}}. These dr{{7}} copy a nat{{8}} hormone th{{9}} the bo{{10}} releases after a meal. The hormone helps signal to the brain that enough food has been eaten, so people feel less hungry and choose smaller portions. Some versions are given as weekly injections, while others are taken as daily tablets. Patients who stop the treatment often regain weight, which suggests that the medicines manage the condition rather than cure it. (3 letters)

4. In rec{{1}} years, how{{2}}, a new gr{{3}} of medi{{4}} has cha{{5}} this appr{{6}}. These dr{{7}} copy a nat{{8}} hormone th{{9}} the bo{{10}} releases after a meal. The hormone helps signal to the brain that enough food has been eaten, so people feel less hungry and choose smaller portions. Some versions are given as weekly injections, while others are taken as daily tablets. Patients who stop the treatment often regain weight, which suggests that the medicines manage the condition rather than cure it. (5 letters)

5. In rec{{1}} years, how{{2}}, a new gr{{3}} of medi{{4}} has cha{{5}} this appr{{6}}. These dr{{7}} copy a nat{{8}} hormone th{{9}} the bo{{10}} releases after a meal. The hormone helps signal to the brain that enough food has been eaten, so people feel less hungry and choose smaller portions. Some versions are given as weekly injections, while others are taken as daily tablets. Patients who stop the treatment often regain weight, which suggests that the medicines manage the condition rather than cure it. (4 letters)

6. In rec{{1}} years, how{{2}}, a new gr{{3}} of medi{{4}} has cha{{5}} this appr{{6}}. These dr{{7}} copy a nat{{8}} hormone th{{9}} the bo{{10}} releases after a meal. The hormone helps signal to the brain that enough food has been eaten, so people feel less hungry and choose smaller portions. Some versions are given as weekly injections, while others are taken as daily tablets. Patients who stop the treatment often regain weight, which suggests that the medicines manage the condition rather than cure it. (4 letters)

7. In rec{{1}} years, how{{2}}, a new gr{{3}} of medi{{4}} has cha{{5}} this appr{{6}}. These dr{{7}} copy a nat{{8}} hormone th{{9}} the bo{{10}} releases after a meal. The hormone helps signal to the brain that enough food has been eaten, so people feel less hungry and choose smaller portions. Some versions are given as weekly injections, while others are taken as daily tablets. Patients who stop the treatment often regain weight, which suggests that the medicines manage the condition rather than cure it. (3 letters)

8. In rec{{1}} years, how{{2}}, a new gr{{3}} of medi{{4}} has cha{{5}} this appr{{6}}. These dr{{7}} copy a nat{{8}} hormone th{{9}} the bo{{10}} releases after a meal. The hormone helps signal to the brain that enough food has been eaten, so people feel less hungry and choose smaller portions. Some versions are given as weekly injections, while others are taken as daily tablets. Patients who stop the treatment often regain weight, which suggests that the medicines manage the condition rather than cure it. (4 letters)

9. In rec{{1}} years, how{{2}}, a new gr{{3}} of medi{{4}} has cha{{5}} this appr{{6}}. These dr{{7}} copy a nat{{8}} hormone th{{9}} the bo{{10}} releases after a meal. The hormone helps signal to the brain that enough food has been eaten, so people feel less hungry and choose smaller portions. Some versions are given as weekly injections, while others are taken as daily tablets. Patients who stop the treatment often regain weight, which suggests that the medicines manage the condition rather than cure it. (2 letters)

10. In rec{{1}} years, how{{2}}, a new gr{{3}} of medi{{4}} has cha{{5}} this appr{{6}}. These dr{{7}} copy a nat{{8}} hormone th{{9}} the bo{{10}} releases after a meal. The hormone helps signal to the brain that enough food has been eaten, so people feel less hungry and choose smaller portions. Some versions are given as weekly injections, while others are taken as daily tablets. Patients who stop the treatment often regain weight, which suggests that the medicines manage the condition rather than cure it. (2 letters)

Answer questions about everyday reading material.

Read a notice.

Halvorsen School of Music New Sounds Festival: Opening Night Our festival of new music begins Friday, November 6, in Larkin Recital Hall. First on the program is Along the Water by guest composer Mara Lindqvist, built from sounds she recorded on the river near campus. Doors open at 7:00 p.m.; the concert starts at 7:30 p.m. Free with a valid student ID; $12 for other guests. Seating is open. Late arrivals will be shown to their seats at intermission.

Read an email.

To: t.okafor22@dmail.com From: brookfield.office@dmail.com Date: 11/02/2026 Subject: Laundry Room Closure, November 9 to 13 Dear Brookfield Hall Residents, From Monday, November 9, through Friday, November 13, the basement laundry room will be closed while we replace its washers and dryers, which are more than fifteen years old. While the work is underway, you are welcome to use the laundry room in Carver Hall next door. It is open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Just swipe your residence card at the door; you do not need a Carver resident to let you in. Once the new machines are installed, payment will be made only through the campus laundry app, and coins will no longer be accepted. One more thing: please grab anything left in the lost-and-found bin by Sunday! Questions? Call the Brookfield front desk at 555-0142. Best, Dana Whitfield Residence Coordinator, Brookfield Hall

11. What is the main purpose of the notice?

A) To invite students to perform at a recital

B) To announce the opening concert of a music festival

C) To ask for volunteers to record sounds by the river

D) To explain a change in ticket prices for students

12. What will happen to people who arrive after the concert has begun?

A) They will watch the opening piece on a screen in the lobby

B) They will be seated in the back rows of the hall

C) They will be let in at the intermission

D) They will have to pay the $12 ticket price, even with a student ID

13. What is the main purpose of the email?

A) To announce that the Carver Hall laundry room will be renovated

B) To explain where Brookfield Hall residents can do laundry while their own laundry room is closed

C) To explain why the Brookfield Hall laundry room will reopen later than planned

D) To ask Brookfield Hall residents to vote on laundry hours in Carver Hall

14. What can be inferred about the laundry machines that are currently in Brookfield Hall?

A) They accept coins

B) They can be paid for through an app

C) They break down frequently

D) They are free for residents to use

15. What do Brookfield Hall residents need to do to use the laundry room in Carver Hall?

A) Register for the laundry app

B) Show their ID at the front desk

C) Go with a Carver Hall resident

D) Swipe their residence card at the door

Answer questions about academic passages.

Honoring a Theater Career

Most theater awards look at a single season. A jury compares the productions that opened that year, and box office figures and critical reviews strongly shape the result. A different kind of prize, often given by national arts agencies, takes a longer view. Rather than singling out one successful show, it honors an artist for a sustained body of work, built up production after production over many years. Winners of career prizes are frequently directors who work with a steady ensemble in small companies, where achievement grows gradually rather than in one celebrated hit. Much of this work is developed in rehearsal and is never published as a script, so juries depend on video recordings and on the testimony of performers who collaborated with the artist. In judging a nominee, juries weigh how strongly the artist has shaped younger theater makers, how consistent the work has remained across decades, and what the artist has contributed to theater in a particular region. Career prizes are not without critics. They often arrive late, long after an artist's most adventurous period has passed, and so seem to reward the past rather than the present. Yet some honorees pass the prize money on to younger companies, which allows the award to shape the theater being made today.

16. What is the passage mainly about?

A) How prizes for a whole theater career differ from awards for single productions

B) How critics decide which new plays deserve awards each season

C) Why small theater companies struggle to attract large audiences

D) How ensemble theater developed as a new form of performance

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

A) financially supported

B) long-continuing

C) suffered

D) officially confirmed

18. According to paragraph 2, how do juries for career prizes often learn about work that an artist developed with an ensemble?

A) By reading the published scripts of the artist’s productions

B) By watching video recordings and hearing from performers who worked with the artist

C) By collecting the reviews written during each production’s original run

D) By attending new stagings of the artist’s pieces by other companies

19. According to the passage, all of the following are considered by juries for career prizes EXCEPT:

A) The artist’s influence on younger theater makers

B) The consistency of the artist’s work across decades

C) The artist’s contribution to theater in a particular region

D) The number of the artist’s works that have toured internationally

20. Why does the author mention the prize money in paragraph 3?

A) To show that career prizes offer larger financial rewards than awards for single productions

B) To explain why juries often wait until late in an artist’s career to give the prize

C) To point out a benefit that partly answers a criticism of late recognition

D) To illustrate how arts agencies measure the value of an artist’s career

Fill in the missing letters in the paragraph.

Security in Digital Finance

Digital currency exchanges store large amounts of value, which makes them attractive targets for organized criminal groups. However, the largest thefts rarely depend on technical skill alone. Instead, attackers usually target the workers who manage the systems. For example, a criminal might send a fake job offer to an engineer, hoping that a single opened file will reveal passwords. Because of this, many security experts argue that training staff is as important as improving technology.

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2. However, t{{1}} largest the{{2}} rarely dep{{3}} on tech{{4}} skill al{{5}}. Instead, atta{{6}} usually tar{{7}} the wor{{8}} who man{{9}} the sys{{10}}. For example, a criminal might send a fake job offer to an engineer, hoping that a single opened file will reveal passwords. Because of this, many security experts argue that training staff is as important as improving technology. (3 letters)

3. However, t{{1}} largest the{{2}} rarely dep{{3}} on tech{{4}} skill al{{5}}. Instead, atta{{6}} usually tar{{7}} the wor{{8}} who man{{9}} the sys{{10}}. For example, a criminal might send a fake job offer to an engineer, hoping that a single opened file will reveal passwords. Because of this, many security experts argue that training staff is as important as improving technology. (3 letters)

4. However, t{{1}} largest the{{2}} rarely dep{{3}} on tech{{4}} skill al{{5}}. Instead, atta{{6}} usually tar{{7}} the wor{{8}} who man{{9}} the sys{{10}}. For example, a criminal might send a fake job offer to an engineer, hoping that a single opened file will reveal passwords. Because of this, many security experts argue that training staff is as important as improving technology. (5 letters)

5. However, t{{1}} largest the{{2}} rarely dep{{3}} on tech{{4}} skill al{{5}}. Instead, atta{{6}} usually tar{{7}} the wor{{8}} who man{{9}} the sys{{10}}. For example, a criminal might send a fake job offer to an engineer, hoping that a single opened file will reveal passwords. Because of this, many security experts argue that training staff is as important as improving technology. (3 letters)

6. However, t{{1}} largest the{{2}} rarely dep{{3}} on tech{{4}} skill al{{5}}. Instead, atta{{6}} usually tar{{7}} the wor{{8}} who man{{9}} the sys{{10}}. For example, a criminal might send a fake job offer to an engineer, hoping that a single opened file will reveal passwords. Because of this, many security experts argue that training staff is as important as improving technology. (5 letters)

7. However, t{{1}} largest the{{2}} rarely dep{{3}} on tech{{4}} skill al{{5}}. Instead, atta{{6}} usually tar{{7}} the wor{{8}} who man{{9}} the sys{{10}}. For example, a criminal might send a fake job offer to an engineer, hoping that a single opened file will reveal passwords. Because of this, many security experts argue that training staff is as important as improving technology. (3 letters)

8. However, t{{1}} largest the{{2}} rarely dep{{3}} on tech{{4}} skill al{{5}}. Instead, atta{{6}} usually tar{{7}} the wor{{8}} who man{{9}} the sys{{10}}. For example, a criminal might send a fake job offer to an engineer, hoping that a single opened file will reveal passwords. Because of this, many security experts argue that training staff is as important as improving technology. (4 letters)

9. However, t{{1}} largest the{{2}} rarely dep{{3}} on tech{{4}} skill al{{5}}. Instead, atta{{6}} usually tar{{7}} the wor{{8}} who man{{9}} the sys{{10}}. For example, a criminal might send a fake job offer to an engineer, hoping that a single opened file will reveal passwords. Because of this, many security experts argue that training staff is as important as improving technology. (3 letters)

10. However, t{{1}} largest the{{2}} rarely dep{{3}} on tech{{4}} skill al{{5}}. Instead, atta{{6}} usually tar{{7}} the wor{{8}} who man{{9}} the sys{{10}}. For example, a criminal might send a fake job offer to an engineer, hoping that a single opened file will reveal passwords. Because of this, many security experts argue that training staff is as important as improving technology. (4 letters)

Answer questions about everyday reading material.

Read a text message chain.

Maya: Just bought Biscuit's food at Campus Corner Market. I got the regular store brand this time, $24 instead of $39 for the sensitive formula. Jordan: Is that okay for him though? Maya: Yeah, I asked the vet at the university's veterinary clinic on Monday. She said he doesn't need the sensitive stuff since his stomach has always been fine. Jordan: Works for me. I'll send you my half tonight.

Read an email.

To: hadleyresidents@northfieldstate.edu From: Hadley Hall Residence Life Date: 11/03/2026 Subject: Laundry Room Closure, November 10 to 21 Dear Hadley Hall Residents, Starting Monday, November 10, our laundry room will be closed through Friday, November 21 while new washers and dryers are installed. During this time, you are welcome to use the laundry room in Brenner Hall next door, which is open from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. every day. Please note that your Hadley key card will not open the doors at Brenner. Just show your student ID at the Brenner Hall front desk, and staff will let you in. The good news: the new machines accept payment by student ID card, so you won't need coins anymore. If you have leftover laundry coins, bring them to the Hadley Hall front desk for a refund before December 5. Thanks for your patience! Dana Whitfield Residence Hall Director

11. Why did Maya buy the less expensive dog food?

A) The sensitive formula was sold out at the store

B) A veterinarian said the sensitive formula was not necessary for Biscuit

C) Jordan had asked her to spend less money on dog food

D) Biscuit had stopped eating the sensitive formula

12. What does Jordan mean when he writes, "Works for me"?

A) He agrees with Maya's decision about the dog food

B) He can pick up the dog food after work

C) He thinks the new food will help Biscuit's stomach

D) He has time to walk Biscuit tonight

13. What is the main purpose of the email?

A) To ask residents to help choose new laundry machines

B) To announce a new rule for entering Brenner Hall

C) To explain where residents can do laundry during a closure

D) To announce new opening hours for the Hadley Hall laundry room

14. According to the email, how can Hadley Hall residents get into the Brenner Hall laundry room?

A) By using their Hadley Hall key cards at the door

B) By booking a time slot online in advance

C) By asking a Brenner Hall resident to let them in

D) By showing their student ID at the Brenner Hall front desk

15. What can be inferred about the laundry machines currently in Hadley Hall?

A) They are being moved to Brenner Hall

B) They are paid for with coins

C) They are free for Hadley Hall residents

D) They were installed earlier this year

Answer questions about academic passages.

The Hidden Fungus

Truffles are fungi whose fruiting bodies develop entirely underground. Because they never reach the surface, wind cannot carry their spores. Instead, a mature truffle releases a powerful scent. Animals such as wild pigs follow the odor, dig the truffle up, and eat it, later depositing the spores elsewhere in their droppings. Underground, the truffle fungus lives in partnership with the roots of trees such as oak and hazel. Its threads supply the tree with water and minerals, and in return the tree provides sugars. Truffle growers therefore plant young seedlings whose roots have been treated with the fungus. However, truffles form only after the tree's root network is well established, a process that takes years. Even in planted orchards, harvests remain unpredictable from one year to the next. Truffles are prized by chefs, who pay more for them than for almost any other food. Several factors explain their high price. They are scarce, their yields are hard to predict, and finding them requires trained dogs. In addition, a fresh truffle's aroma fades within a few days of harvest, so fresh truffles are shipped to restaurants as quickly as possible. Preserved truffles last much longer, but they keep only part of the original flavor and sell for considerably less.

16. What is the passage mainly about?

A) How truffle hunting has moved from wild forests to planted orchards

B) How the underground growth of truffles makes them hard to study and classify

C) How the underground life of truffles shapes their spread, cultivation and value

D) How the price of truffles depends on the skill of the dogs that find them

17. According to paragraph 1, why do truffles produce a strong smell when they mature?

A) To attract animals that dig them up and spread their spores

B) To keep insects from damaging them underground

C) To signal to the roots of nearby trees

D) To draw insects that carry their spores through the air

18. What can be inferred about a newly planted truffle orchard?

A) It needs regular fertilizer to feed the young trees

B) It must be planted inside an existing forest

C) It produces a dependable harvest once the trees are mature

D) It produces no truffles during its first several years

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

A) rare

B) priced

C) valued

D) awarded

20. Why does the author mention that fresh truffles are shipped quickly to restaurants?

A) To explain why most truffles reach buyers in preserved form

B) To show that harvesters dig truffles only after a restaurant has placed an order

C) To show a consequence of how briefly the truffle's aroma lasts after harvest

D) To contrast truffles with other mushrooms that keep their flavor when dried