TOEFL Mini-Test (Skills 13-14)

1. When _______ nests during spring nesting season, Canadian geese are fiercely territorial.

Building

Are building

Built

Are built

The sentence has a main subject and verb after the comma. Before the comma there is a phrase which states a specific time. After the blank we can see a noun. This means that an adjective is needed.

1. It is not (D) because it has a verb.
2. It is not (C) because it is a base verb.
3. It is not (B) because it has a verb.
4. It is (A)

Explanation

The sentence has a main subject and verb after the comma. Before the comma there is a phrase which states a specific time. After the blank we can see a noun. This means that an adjective is needed.

1. It is not (D) because it has a verb.
2. It is not (C) because it is a base verb.
3. It is not (B) because it has a verb.
4. It is (A)

2. Kokanee salmon begin to deteriorate and die soon _______ at the age of four.

They spawn

After spawning

Spawn

Spawned the salmon

The sentence has a subject and main verb as well. The sentence seems to be establishing a sequence of events but shows no sequence connector.

1. It is not (A) because it has a subject and verb.
2. It is not (C) because it is a verb in base form.
3. It is not (D) because it has no connector.
4. It is (B).

Explanation

The sentence has a subject and main verb as well. The sentence seems to be establishing a sequence of events but shows no sequence connector.

1. It is not (A) because it has a subject and verb.
2. It is not (C) because it is a verb in base form.
3. It is not (D) because it has no connector.
4. It is (B).

3. Small companies may take their goods abroad for trade shows without paying foreign value-added taxes by acquiring _______ an ATA carnet.

A document calls

A document called

Calls a document

Called a document

The blank is placed towards the end of the sentence. Considering is location it suggests that a word combination that connects one phrase with the next is missing.

1. It is not (A) because the verb is in simple present and would create an illogical meaning.
2. It is not (C) because the verb is in simple present and it has an inversion.
3. It is not (D) because the noun and verb are inverted.
4. It is (B).

Explanation

The blank is placed towards the end of the sentence. Considering is location it suggests that a word combination that connects one phrase with the next is missing.

1. It is not (A) because the verb is in simple present and would create an illogical meaning.
2. It is not (C) because the verb is in simple present and it has an inversion.
3. It is not (D) because the noun and verb are inverted.
4. It is (B).

4. _______ artifacts from the early Chinese dynasties, numerous archeologists have explored the southern Silk Road.

They were searching for

It was a search for

Searched for

Searching for

The main subject and verb are located after the middle comma. The middle comma suggests that a beginning connector is missing or a word sequence to complete the opening phrase.

1. It is not (A) because it has a subject and verb.
2. It is not (B) because it has a subject and verb.
3. It is not (C) the notion of the -ED doesn't match with the main present perfect verb.
4. It is (D).

Explanation

The main subject and verb are located after the middle comma. The middle comma suggests that a beginning connector is missing or a word sequence to complete the opening phrase.

1. It is not (A) because it has a subject and verb.
2. It is not (B) because it has a subject and verb.
3. It is not (C) the notion of the -ED doesn't match with the main present perfect verb.
4. It is (D).

5. _______ behind government secrecy for nearly half a century, the Hanford plant in central Washington produced plutonium for the nuclear weapons of the Cold War.

It is hidden

Hidden

Which is hidden

The plan is hiding

The sentence has a main subject and verb after the middle comma. The middle comma suggests that a connector is missing at the beginning of the idea or a complete descriptive phrase.

1. It is not (A) because it has a subject and verb.
2. It is not (C) because it has a verb.
3. It is not (D) because it has a subject and verb.
4. It is (B).

Explanation

The sentence has a main subject and verb after the middle comma. The middle comma suggests that a connector is missing at the beginning of the idea or a complete descriptive phrase.

1. It is not (A) because it has a subject and verb.
2. It is not (C) because it has a verb.
3. It is not (D) because it has a subject and verb.
4. It is (B).

6. In 1870, Clavin, along with Adirondack hunter Alvah Dunning, made the first known ascent of Sweard Mountain, _______ far from roads or trails.

A remote peak

It is a remote peak

A remote peak is

Which a remote peak

The sentence has a main subject and verb with several phrases and commas. One should identify "Calvin" and "made..." as part of the main sentence. After the blank we have a phrase which leads to give extra information on the mountain. This means we need the first part of the phrase.

1. It is not (D) because the connector it has requires the phrase to have a verb of its own, and it doesn't.
2. It is not (C) because it has a verb and would require a connector.
3. It is not (B) because it has a subject and verb and no connector as an adjustment.
4. It is (A).

Explanation

The sentence has a main subject and verb with several phrases and commas. One should identify "Calvin" and "made..." as part of the main sentence. After the blank we have a phrase which leads to give extra information on the mountain. This means we need the first part of the phrase.

1. It is not (D) because the connector it has requires the phrase to have a verb of its own, and it doesn't.
2. It is not (C) because it has a verb and would require a connector.
3. It is not (B) because it has a subject and verb and no connector as an adjustment.
4. It is (A).

7. Until _______ incorrect, astronomers had assumed that the insides of white dwarfs were uniform.

They

Their proof

The astronomers recently proven

Recently proven

The main subject and verb are identified after the middle comma. The blank is placed after the beginning connector which suggests we need to look for the combination of words to complete the beginning phrase.

1. It is not (A) because it is an independent subject.
2. It is not (B) because the possessive phrase would require an additional verb to work.
3. It is not (C) because it repeats the subject.
4. It is (D).

Explanation

The main subject and verb are identified after the middle comma. The blank is placed after the beginning connector which suggests we need to look for the combination of words to complete the beginning phrase.

1. It is not (A) because it is an independent subject.
2. It is not (B) because the possessive phrase would require an additional verb to work.
3. It is not (C) because it repeats the subject.
4. It is (D).

8. In Hailey, the best-known lecturer was women's rights activist Abigail Scott Duniway of Portland, Oregon, who could usually be persuaded to speak _______ town visiting her son.

She was in

While in

While she was

Was in

The blank is located towards the end of the sentence. The place of the blank suggests that a preposition or connector is missing to complete the link between the final phrases.

1. It is not (A) because it has a subject and verb.
2. It is not (C) because it has a subject and verb.
3. It is not (D) because it is a verb.
4. It is (B).

Explanation

The blank is located towards the end of the sentence. The place of the blank suggests that a preposition or connector is missing to complete the link between the final phrases.

1. It is not (A) because it has a subject and verb.
2. It is not (C) because it has a subject and verb.
3. It is not (D) because it is a verb.
4. It is (B).

9. _______ in North American waterways a little over a decade ago, zebra mussels have already earned a nasty reputation for their expensive habit of clogging water pipes in the Grat Lakes area.

The first sighting

Although first sighted

Zebra mussels were first sighted

First sighting

The main subject and verb are situated after the middle comma. The middle comma suggests that an opening connector or verb phrase is missing.

1. It is not (A) because it has no connector.
2. It is not (C) because it repeats the main subject.
3. It is not (D) because the created meaning would be incongruent with the main sentence.
4. It is (B).

Explanation

The main subject and verb are situated after the middle comma. The middle comma suggests that an opening connector or verb phrase is missing.

1. It is not (A) because it has no connector.
2. It is not (C) because it repeats the main subject.
3. It is not (D) because the created meaning would be incongruent with the main sentence.
4. It is (B).

10. The National Restaurant _______ Washington, says that federal efforts to regulate workplace smoking would limit restaurants' ability to respond to the desires of their patrons.

Association in

Association is in

Association which is in

Association, based in

There is clearly a main verb as well as a middle connector which leads into a secondary full sentence. The middle comma suggests that either another comma is missing and the "Restaurant" is in fact the main subject.

1. It is not (A) because it has not comma to compensate the existing one.
2. It is not (B) because there would be no connection with the sentence before and after the comma.
3. It is not (C) because the connector does not balance out with the comma.
4. It is (D).

Explanation

There is clearly a main verb as well as a middle connector which leads into a secondary full sentence. The middle comma suggests that either another comma is missing and the "Restaurant" is in fact the main subject.

1. It is not (A) because it has not comma to compensate the existing one.
2. It is not (B) because there would be no connection with the sentence before and after the comma.
3. It is not (C) because the connector does not balance out with the comma.
4. It is (D).

TOEFL Mini-test (Skills 13-14)

1. When _______ nests during spring nesting season, Canadian geese are fiercely territorial.

2.

What first name or nickname would you like us to use?

2. Kokanee salmon begin to deteriorate and die soon _______ at the age of four.

3. Small companies may take their goods abroad for trade shows without paying foreign value-added taxes by acquiring _______ an ATA carnet.

4. _______ artifacts from the early Chinese dynasties, numerous archeologists have explored the southern Silk Road.

5. _______ behind government secrecy for nearly half a century, the Hanford plant in central Washington produced plutonium for the nuclear weapons of the Cold War.

6. In 1870, Clavin, along with Adirondack hunter Alvah Dunning, made the first known ascent of Sweard Mountain, _______ far from roads or trails.

7. Until _______ incorrect, astronomers had assumed that the insides of white dwarfs were uniform.

8. In Hailey, the best-known lecturer was women's rights activist Abigail Scott Duniway of Portland, Oregon, who could usually be persuaded to speak _______ town visiting her son.

9. _______ in North American waterways a little over a decade ago, zebra mussels have already earned a nasty reputation for their expensive habit of clogging water pipes in the Grat Lakes area.

10. The National Restaurant _______ Washington, says that federal efforts to regulate workplace smoking would limit restaurants' ability to respond to the desires of their patrons.