TOEFL iBT Reading practice test 6

Fill in the missing letters in the paragraph.

Personality and Political Support

After World War II, social psychologists tried to explain why ordinary citizens had supported harsh, undemocratic governments. Many researchers argued that the deeper causes were rooted in personality rather than social conditions. They described individuals who admire strong leaders, follow rules strictly, and distrust groups that seem different from their own. Later work suggested that such attitudes often stay hidden until people feel that their community is under threat. This idea helps explain why support for strict rulers can grow quickly during a crisis.

1. Many resea{{1}} argued th{{2}} the dee{{3}} causes we{{4}} rooted i{{5}} personality rat{{6}} than soc{{7}} conditions. Th{{8}} described indiv{{9}} who adm{{10}} strong leaders, follow rules strictly, and distrust groups that seem different from their own. Later work suggested that such attitudes often stay hidden until people feel that their community is under threat. This idea helps explain why support for strict rulers can grow quickly during a crisis. (6 letters)

2. Many resea{{1}} argued th{{2}} the dee{{3}} causes we{{4}} rooted i{{5}} personality rat{{6}} than soc{{7}} conditions. Th{{8}} described indiv{{9}} who adm{{10}} strong leaders, follow rules strictly, and distrust groups that seem different from their own. Later work suggested that such attitudes often stay hidden until people feel that their community is under threat. This idea helps explain why support for strict rulers can grow quickly during a crisis. (2 letters)

3. Many resea{{1}} argued th{{2}} the dee{{3}} causes we{{4}} rooted i{{5}} personality rat{{6}} than soc{{7}} conditions. Th{{8}} described indiv{{9}} who adm{{10}} strong leaders, follow rules strictly, and distrust groups that seem different from their own. Later work suggested that such attitudes often stay hidden until people feel that their community is under threat. This idea helps explain why support for strict rulers can grow quickly during a crisis. (3 letters)

4. Many resea{{1}} argued th{{2}} the dee{{3}} causes we{{4}} rooted i{{5}} personality rat{{6}} than soc{{7}} conditions. Th{{8}} described indiv{{9}} who adm{{10}} strong leaders, follow rules strictly, and distrust groups that seem different from their own. Later work suggested that such attitudes often stay hidden until people feel that their community is under threat. This idea helps explain why support for strict rulers can grow quickly during a crisis. (2 letters)

5. Many resea{{1}} argued th{{2}} the dee{{3}} causes we{{4}} rooted i{{5}} personality rat{{6}} than soc{{7}} conditions. Th{{8}} described indiv{{9}} who adm{{10}} strong leaders, follow rules strictly, and distrust groups that seem different from their own. Later work suggested that such attitudes often stay hidden until people feel that their community is under threat. This idea helps explain why support for strict rulers can grow quickly during a crisis. (1 letter)

6. Many resea{{1}} argued th{{2}} the dee{{3}} causes we{{4}} rooted i{{5}} personality rat{{6}} than soc{{7}} conditions. Th{{8}} described indiv{{9}} who adm{{10}} strong leaders, follow rules strictly, and distrust groups that seem different from their own. Later work suggested that such attitudes often stay hidden until people feel that their community is under threat. This idea helps explain why support for strict rulers can grow quickly during a crisis. (3 letters)

7. Many resea{{1}} argued th{{2}} the dee{{3}} causes we{{4}} rooted i{{5}} personality rat{{6}} than soc{{7}} conditions. Th{{8}} described indiv{{9}} who adm{{10}} strong leaders, follow rules strictly, and distrust groups that seem different from their own. Later work suggested that such attitudes often stay hidden until people feel that their community is under threat. This idea helps explain why support for strict rulers can grow quickly during a crisis. (3 letters)

8. Many resea{{1}} argued th{{2}} the dee{{3}} causes we{{4}} rooted i{{5}} personality rat{{6}} than soc{{7}} conditions. Th{{8}} described indiv{{9}} who adm{{10}} strong leaders, follow rules strictly, and distrust groups that seem different from their own. Later work suggested that such attitudes often stay hidden until people feel that their community is under threat. This idea helps explain why support for strict rulers can grow quickly during a crisis. (2 letters)

9. Many resea{{1}} argued th{{2}} the dee{{3}} causes we{{4}} rooted i{{5}} personality rat{{6}} than soc{{7}} conditions. Th{{8}} described indiv{{9}} who adm{{10}} strong leaders, follow rules strictly, and distrust groups that seem different from their own. Later work suggested that such attitudes often stay hidden until people feel that their community is under threat. This idea helps explain why support for strict rulers can grow quickly during a crisis. (6 letters)

10. Many resea{{1}} argued th{{2}} the dee{{3}} causes we{{4}} rooted i{{5}} personality rat{{6}} than soc{{7}} conditions. Th{{8}} described indiv{{9}} who adm{{10}} strong leaders, follow rules strictly, and distrust groups that seem different from their own. Later work suggested that such attitudes often stay hidden until people feel that their community is under threat. This idea helps explain why support for strict rulers can grow quickly during a crisis. (3 letters)

Answer questions about everyday reading material.

Read a notice.

Maple Ridge College Dining Services Veggie Burgers: A Note on Ingredients Students have asked online whether our veggie burgers contain wallpaper paste. The binder is methylcellulose, a food-grade plant-fiber ingredient that holds each patty together. A non-food version is used in some pastes, hence the rumor. The burgers, served since 2024, stay on the menu. Complete ingredient lists appear in the dining app under each menu item; the grill station sign lists allergens only. Questions? Email our nutrition manager.

Read a text message chain.

Priya: Hey Marcus, can I ask a huge favor? I'm going camping with Lena and Jo this Saturday, and I still don't have a tent. Marcus: Did you try the gear room at the Outdoor Center? Priya: That's the plan. Their two-person tents are $12 for the weekend, and I've rented from them before. But you need a valid member card to check anything out, and mine expired in May. Priya: Any chance you could get one on your card? I'll pay you back, of course. Marcus: Sure. They close at 5 on Fridays though, so it has to be today. Marcus: I'm swamped until 4. Labs back to back. Meet you at the gear room at 4:30? Priya: That works! You're a lifesaver, thank you! Marcus: No problem. Have an awesome trip, and send me a picture of the lake!

11. What is the main purpose of the notice?

A) To announce that a new veggie burger has been added to the menu

B) To respond to a concern students have raised about an ingredient

C) To warn students that a menu item will no longer be served

D) To ask students for feedback about plant-based meals

12. Where can students find the complete list of ingredients in the veggie burgers?

A) On the sign at the grill station

B) By asking the dining hall's nutrition manager

C) In the dining app, under each menu item

D) On a poster at the dining hall entrance

13. What are Priya and Marcus mainly discussing?

A) Where they will go camping together this weekend

B) How Priya can get a tent before the weekend

C) Which tent is the cheapest to rent

D) How Priya can renew her Outdoor Center membership

14. What does Marcus mean when he writes, "I'm swamped until 4"?

A) He has a lot to do until four o'clock

B) He will be outside in the rain until four o'clock

C) He is not sure whether he can come at all

D) He has to wait in a long line until four o'clock

15. What can be inferred about Priya?

A) She has never been camping before

B) She is planning to buy her own tent soon

C) She cannot rent equipment with her own card right now

D) She will go camping with Marcus on Saturday

Answer questions about academic passages.

The Golden Jackal's Journey

The golden jackal is a medium-sized wild dog, smaller than a gray wolf. It has long lived in warmer regions of southern Asia, the Middle East, North Africa, and southeastern Europe, but over recent decades it has moved northwest into central Europe. For some years, single jackals seen in Germany, often young animals traveling far alone, seemed only to pass through. In 2021, however, the first jackal pups born in Germany were confirmed, showing that the species had gained a foothold. Biologists suggest several reasons for this spread. Gray wolves, which are larger, chase away or kill jackals. When people hunted wolves out of much of Europe in past centuries, jackals could enter areas once closed to them. Milder winters with less snow may make travel and finding food easier. Jackals eat almost anything, from mice and insects to fruit and dead animals, so they can live in farmland and near villages. Still, biologists find it hard to count Germany's jackals. The animals are active mainly at night, avoid people, and look much like foxes, so a jackal may be reported as a fox. A sighting counts as a confirmed record only when a photo, a camera trap image, or a genetic test, for example of a road-killed animal, supports it. Meanwhile, the species keeps spreading.

16. What is the passage mainly about?

A) Competition between golden jackals and gray wolves

B) The golden jackal's spread into central Europe

C) Ways farmers protect livestock from golden jackals

D) The golden jackal's decline in Africa and Asia

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

A) hiding place

B) travel route

C) food supply

D) secure position

18. Why does the author mention that young golden jackals were born in Germany in 2021?

A) To show that golden jackals produce more young in cold climates

B) To indicate when golden jackals were first seen anywhere in Germany

C) To show that the species had begun to settle in Germany rather than only pass through

D) To suggest that the jackals in Germany came from animals kept in captivity

19. According to paragraph 2, what role did wolves play in the golden jackal's spread?

A) Their earlier decline opened areas that had been closed to jackals

B) They left carcasses that jackals fed on as they moved north

C) Their old dens gave jackals shelter in new areas

D) Their return pushed jackals westward into new areas

20. What can be inferred about the number of golden jackals living in Germany?

A) It is probably lower than reported, since many reports are actually of foxes

B) It is probably highest near roads, where many records come from

C) It has probably stayed about the same since the first young were born

D) It is probably higher than the confirmed records show

Fill in the missing letters in the paragraph.

Shipping Flat-Pack Furniture

Furniture designers must consider not only how a product looks but also how it travels to the customer. Bulky items such as sofas and tables contain large amounts of air, and every truck that carries them is partly filled with empty space. For this reason, many companies sell flat-pack furniture, which customers assemble at home. Because the flat boxes stack tightly, more pieces fit into each shipment, and both transport costs and carbon emissions per item fall. Designing such products is demanding, however, since every part must be easy to assemble and strong enough to last for years.

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Answer questions about everyday reading material.

Read a notice.

Halvern University Student Elections Board Student Senate Election: Your Vote Counts Voting runs from March 3 to March 5. To vote online, log in to the student portal, where you can also read each candidate's statement before choosing. If you prefer to vote in person, visit our table in the Student Union and bring your student ID card; you will need to show it. Results will be posted on the portal after voting closes. Questions? Write to elections@halvern-sb.edu.

Read an email.

To: fallhike-list@ridgemont-oc.org From: priya.shah@ridgemont-oc.org Date: October 12, 2026 Subject: Saturday hike moved to October 24 Hi everyone on the Cedar Falls Trail list, Quick update: our Saturday hike is now happening one week later, on October 24. The forecast for this weekend calls for heavy rain, and the lower part of the trail gets slippery when it's wet, so we'd rather wait for drier ground. Your spot carries over to the new date if you can still come. Just reply to this email by Wednesday at noon to confirm. We're taking the club van, and it only has twelve seats. Any seat that isn't confirmed by then goes to someone on the waitlist, and the van fills up fast, so don't sit on this! We'll meet at 7:30 a.m. outside the gym, as planned. See you on the trail, Priya Shah Trip Leader, Ridgemont College Outdoor Club

11. Why was the notice written?

A) To announce the results of the Student Senate election

B) To explain how and when students can vote in the Student Senate election

C) To invite students to become candidates for the Student Senate

D) To describe new rules for how the Student Senate makes decisions

12. What must students do if they want to vote in person?

A) Log in to the student portal before going to the polling table

B) Send an email to the Elections Board to reserve a time

C) Show their student ID card at the Student Union

D) Read the candidate statements at the voting table

13. What is the main purpose of the email?

A) To tell club members about a change to a planned hike

B) To announce that a hike has been canceled because of the weather

C) To ask club members to volunteer to drive the club van

D) To invite students to join the Outdoor Club for the first time

14. The phrase "don't sit on this" in the email is closest in meaning to

A) reply without delay

B) do not forward this message to others

C) do not ignore the weather forecast

D) do not leave the decision to the trip leader

15. What can be inferred about the people who received the email?

A) They have already reserved a seat in the van for the new date

B) They had signed up for the hike on its original date

C) They are leaders who help plan the club's trips

D) They have never hiked the trail before

Answer questions about academic passages.

Why Readers Gather

Reading a novel is usually a solitary activity: one person, one book, and a quiet room. Yet in recent decades, book festivals have multiplied in North American cities and on college campuses, and they draw large crowds eager to hear writers in person. Why would people leave home to share an activity they normally enjoy alone? Several explanations exist. Listening to an author perform a passage reveals how its sentences are meant to sound, including their pace and the voice behind them, something print alone cannot fully capture. During discussion periods, readers can ask how a book came into being. Talking about a story with people they have never met also turns a private experience into a shared one. Because most festivals are run by volunteers and local libraries, and many sessions cost nothing, they reach people who would rarely attend a formal lecture. Not everyone welcomes this trend. Some critics argue that festivals place a writer's personality above the work, and that some visitors come mainly to see a famous face and never open the book. Organizers point out, however, that library borrowing of books by featured authors commonly rises in the weeks after a festival. If so, the concern may be overstated, although no event can take the place of reading the book itself.

16. What is the passage mainly about?

A) The growth of literary festivals and why readers attend them

B) How the tradition of reading aloud developed in North American cities

C) Evidence that literary festivals have replaced reading at home

D) Reasons why critics object to the celebrity status of popular authors

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

A) done alone

B) quiet

C) difficult

D) uncommon

18. According to paragraph 2, what can listeners gain from hearing an author read aloud?

A) Early access to chapters that have not yet been published

B) A sense of the rhythm and voice of the writing

C) An explanation of the passages that readers usually misunderstand

D) A clearer understanding of which characters the author based on real people

19. According to the passage, all of the following are true about literary festivals EXCEPT:

A) They are held both in cities and on college campuses

B) They give readers a chance to ask authors how their books were made

C) They are mainly organized by publishers to promote new titles

D) They allow readers to share their reactions with strangers

20. Why does the author mention library borrowing in paragraph 3?

A) To show that libraries pay most of the costs of literary festivals

B) To suggest that festivals reduce the number of books people buy

C) To respond to the concern that festivals distract people from reading the books themselves

D) To argue that printed books are more popular than live literary events