This passage discusses how the Sears and Roebuck catalogue was an important part of American society for decades as it allowed people to order a wide variety of items for their homes through mail delivery. The catalogue was especially important for those living in remote areas with limited access to supplies. The passage notes that in the early 20th century, it was possible to order an entire mail-order house through the Sears catalogue, receiving all building materials and plans for around $600.

1. TOEFL
1. Stated Detail Questions
Example 1:
The Sears and Roebuck catalogue was a fixture in American society for many
decades. Practically anything needed in the American home could be ordered through this
comprehensive catalogue and delivered by mail. The catalogue made it easier for
homeowners in urban areas to track down items they were trying to find; the catalogue was
an absolute necessity for residents in out-of-the-way areas where many types of home
supplies were not available for hundreds of miles.
In the early twentieth century, it was not just possible to buy home supplies from the
Sears and Roebuck catalogue. It was actually possible to buy a mail-order house. Then, you
orderd a house through the mail, you would receive all the necessary building materials as
well as plans for constructing the house; all of this could be had for price starting around
$600.
1. This passage mainly discusses
(A) products sold in the Sears and Roebuck catalogue
(B) the design of the Sears and Roebuck catalogue
(C) how to shop using catalogues
(D) shopping through the Sears and Roebuck catalogue in the past
2. the passage indicates that items ordered through the Sears and Roebuck catalogue
(A) had to be picked up at a Sears and Roebuck catalogue
(B) were delivered by mail
(C) arrived in Sears and Roebuck trucks
(D) had to be small

2. 3. the price of $600 mentioned in the passage was
(A) the lowest price for the item
(B) the average price for the item
(C) the only price for the item
(D) the highest price for the item
Example 2:
The technology of the North American colonies
did not differ strikingly from that of Europe, but
in one respect, the colonists enjoyed a great
advantage. Especially by comparison with Britain,
Americans had a wonderfully plentiful supply of
wood. (Paragraph 1)
The first colonists did not, as many people
imagine, find an entire continent covered by a
climax forest. Even along the Atlantic seaboard,
the forest was broken at many points. Nevertheless,
all sorts of fine trees abounded, and through
the early colonial period, those who pushed
westward encountered new forests. By the end
of the colonial era, the price of wood had risen
slightly in eastern cities, but wood was still
extremely abundant. (Paragraph 2)
The availability of wood brought advantages
that have seldom been appreciated. Wood was a
foundation of the economy. Houses and all
manner of buildings were made of wood to a
degree unknown in Britain. Secondly, wood was

3. used as fuel for heating and cooking. Thirdly, it
was used as the source of important industrial
compounds, such as potash, an industrial alkali;
charcoal, a component of gunpowder; and
tannic acid, used for tanning leather. (Paragraph 3)
The supply of wood conferred advantages
but had some negative aspects as well. Iron at
that time was produced by heating iron ore with
charcoal. Because Britain was so stripped of
trees, she was unable to exploit her rich iron
mines. But the American colonies had both iron
ore and wood; iron production was encouraged
and became successful. However, when Britain
developed coke smelting, the Colonies did not
follow suit because they had plenty of wood and
besides, charcoal iron was stronger than coke
iron. Coke smelting led to technologic innovations
and was linked to the emergence of the
Industrial Revolution. In the early nineteenth
century, the former colonies lagged behind
Britain in industrial development because their
supply of wood led them to cling to charcoal
iron. (Paragraph 4)
1. What does the passage mainly discuss?
(A) The advantages of using wood in the
colonies
(B) The effects of an abundance of wood
on the colonies
(C) The roots of the Industrial Revolution
(D) The difference between charcoal iron
and coke iron

4. 2. Which of the following is a common
assumption about the forests of North
America during the colonial period?
(A) They contained only a few types of trees.
(B) They existed only along the Atlantic
seaboard.
(C) They had little or no economic value.
(D) They covered the entire continent.
3. According to the passage, by the end of the
colonial period, the price of wood in
eastern cities
(A) rose quickly because wood was
becoming so scarce.
(B) was much higher than it was in
Britain.
(C) was slightly higher than in previous
years.
(D) decreased rapidly because of lower
demand for wood.
Example 3:
There are two kinds of evidence which can explain how some of Charles Darwin’s opinions
were formed and promulgate. The first is an essay on population growth by Thomas Malthus
and the order is the theory and practice of selective breeding.
Thomas Malthus wrote that the human population war growming faster than food supply
needed to feed it. This started Darwin’s thinking about all forms of life. He realized that in
nature too many organism are being producedn and that many of their affspring did not
survive. He concluded that there must be some kind of struggle between the organism to
survive. Only some organism can survive by winning the competition for food, avoiding
predators and by finding shelter.
Selective breeding showed Darwin that plants and animals could be created by the selection
parents which have the best possibilities for survival. Breeders and growers selected parents
with the most suitable size, color and number of seeds or offspring. This was artificial

5. selection, and it led Darwin to belive that there was a similar force in nature, but a natural
selection.
Darwin drew up his theory of evolution by natural selection over a period of many years, and
the final outcome was his book entitled ―The Origin of the Species, in which he stated that
not only was evolution by natural selection but also that organism with variation suitable for
the environment survive and eventually an organism population as a whole will become
better suited for its environment.
1. Selective breeding means that
a. Organism with the most desirable characteristicswere chosen for breeding
b. Parents were selected for breeding according to the organism
c. Organism with less desirable feature were bred with those with better ones
d. New species af animal and plants were created
2. Implied Detail Questions
Example 1:
On the hardness scale, corundum immediately follows diamond, which is the hardest
mineral in the world. Corundum is perhaps better known by the names of its gemstones, ruby
and sapphire. Basically, gem corundum is divided into two groups: corundum that is red in
color is called ruby, and corundum that is any other color is caled sapphire.
Pure corundum is clear, but pure corundum is rarely found in the nature. If small
amounts of the chemical substance chromic oxide (Cr2O3) got into the chrystal structure
when it formed million of years ago, then the corundum turned a deep, rich red and became
ruby.
Red is not the only color that corundum can take on. Other chemical substances enter
into the crystal structure of corundum; and it can take on a variety of other colors. Most
people associate blue with sapphires,and certainly when corundum contains impurites that

6. turn it blue, it is called sapphire. However, corundum can have a variety of other colors – e.g,
green or purple—and still be called sapphire.
1. yellow corundum is most likely called
(A) gold
(B) chromic oxide
(C) ruby
(D) sapphire
Example 2:
The food we eat seems to have profound effects on our healt. Although science has made
enormous steps in making food more fit to eat, it has, at the same time, made many foods
unfit to eat. Some research has shown that perhaps 80 percent of cancer is related to the diet
as well, especially cancer of the colon. People of different cultures are more prone to contract
certain illnesses because of the characteristic foods they consume.
That foods is related to illness is not new discovery. In 1945, government researchers realized
that nitrates and nitrites (commonly used to preserve color in meats) as well as other food
additives caused cancer. Yet, these carcinogenic additives remain in our food, and it becomes
more difficult all the time to know which ingredients on the packaging labels of processed
food are helpful or harmful.
The additives that we eat are not all so direct. Farmers often give penicillin to cattle and
poultry, and because of this, penicillin has been bound in the milk of treated cows.
Sometimes, similar drugs are administered reason. The farmers are simply trying to fatten the
animals in order to obtain a higher price on the market. Although the food and drug
Administration (FDA) has tried repeatedly to control thesse procedures, the prctices continue.
A healthy diet is directly related to good health. Often we are unware of detrimental
substances we ingest. Sometimes well-meaning farmers or otherswho do not realize the
consequences add these substances to food without our knowledge.

7. 1. How has science doone a disservice to people ?
(A) Because of science, disease caused by contaminated food has been virtually eradicated.
(B) It has caused a lack of information concerning the value of food.
(C) As a result of scientific intervention, some potentially harmful substances have been
added to our food.
(D) The scientists have preserved the color of meats, but not of vegetables.
2. The word ―prone‖in paragraph 1 is nearest in meaning to…
(A) Supine
(B) Unlikely
(C) Healthy
(D) Predisposed
3. What are nitrates used for ?
(A) They preserve flavor in packaged foods
(B) They preserve the color of meats
(C) They are the objects of research.
(D) They cause the animals to become fatter.
Example 3:
In the 1960s, as space travel was becoming a subject of much discussion, Pan
American Airlines began receiving some fairly unusual requests for flight information.
People began making requests to be on the first flight that Pan Am made to the Moon.
On a whim, Pan Am started a waiting list for the first flight to the Moon. Similar
requests have come to Pan Am over the years, and Pan Am has responded by adding the
names of the requesters to the list. Unfortunately for Pan Am, the original company is no

8. longer in business, and it never got to the Moon. However, when it went out of business, it
had a waiting list of
more than 90,000 names for its first lunar flight.
1. Which of the following is NOT true about systolic blood pressure?
(A) It is taken during the contraction of the heart.
(B) It is usually given first in a blood pressure reading.
(C) A normal systolic measurement is 120 – 140.
(D) Hypertension exists when the systolic pressure is below 140.
3. Find Factual Information
Lake Baikal
Crescent-shaped Lake Baikal, in Siberia, is only the ninth largest lake in area at 385
miles (620 kilometers) in length and 46 miles (74) kilometers in width, yet it is easily the
largest body of fresh water in the world. It holds one-fifth of the world’s deepest lake. The
average depth of the lake is 1,312 feet (400 meters) below sea level., and the olkhon Crevice,
the lowest known point, is more than 5,250 feet (1,600) deep.
Lake Baikal, which today is located near the center of the Asian peninsula,, is most
likely the world’s pldest lake. It began forming 25 million years ago as Asia started splitting
apart in a series of great faults. The Baikal Valley dropped away, eventually filling with
water and creating the deepest of the world’s lakes.
1. what is stated in paragraph 1 about the shape of Lake Baikal?
(A) it is wider than it is long
(B) it is circular in shape
(C) its width is one-half of its length
(D) it is shaped like a new moon

9. 4. Understand Negative Facts
Flatfish
Membes of the flatfish family, sand dabs and founders, have an evolutionary
advantage over many colorfully decorated ocean neighbors in that they are able to adapt their
body coloration to different environments. Hese aquatic chameleons have flattened bodies
that are well-suited to life along the ocean floor in the shallower areas of the continental shelf
that they inhabit. They also have remarkably sensitive color vision that registers the subtlest
gradations on the sea bottom and in the sea life around them. Information about the coloration
of the environment is carried through the nervous system the chromatophores, which are
pigment-carrying skin cells. These chromatophores are able to accurately reproduce not only
colors but also the texture of the ocean.
1. it is not stated in the passage that sand dabs
(A) are a type of flathfish
(B) are in the same family as flounders
(C) have evolved
(D) are colorfully decorated
5. Make Inferences from Stated Facts
Tiger Moths
One of the most beautiful of the 100000 known species in the order Lepidoptera are
the tiger moths, moths known for the striking appeal of their distinctive coloration. This type
of moth is covered with highly conspicuous orange-and-black or yellow-and-black patterns of
spots and stripes. Such boldly patterned color combinations are common place in the animal
world, serving the function of forewarning potential predators of unpleasant tastes and smells.
This is unquestionably the function served by the striking coloration of the garden tiger moth,
which is quite visually attractive but is also poisonous to predators. Certain glands in the tiger
moth produce strong toxins that circulate throghout the insect’s bloodstream, while other
glands secrete bubbles that produce a noxious warning smell. The tiger moth, indeed, is a

10. clear example of a concept that many predators intuitively understand, that creatures with the
brightest coloration are often the least suitable to eat.
1. it can be inferred from the passage that the tiger moth was so named because
(A) its coloration resembles that of a tiger
(B) it is a ferocious predator, like the tiger
(C) its habit is the same as the tiger’s
(D) it is a member of the same scientific classification as the tiger
6. Infer Rhetorical Purpose
Xerography
One more familiar use of electrochemistry that has made its way into the mainstream
is xerography, a process of replicating documents that is dependent on photoconductive
materials. A photoconductive material is an insulator in the dark but becomes a conductor
when exposed to bright light. When a photocopy is being made, an image of a document is
projected onto the surface of a rotating drum, and bright light causes the photoconductive
material on the surface of the drum to become conductive.
As a result of the conductivity, the drum loses its charge in the lighted areas, and toner
attaches itself only to the darker parts of the image. The grains are then carried to a sheet of
paper and fused with heat. When a laser printer is used, the image is projected by means of a
laser beam, which creates a brighter light and a greater contrast between lighter and darker
areas and therefore results in sharper printed images.
1. the author begins the first paragraph with ―one more familiar use of electrochemistry‖ in
order to
(A) explain that xerography is one of the less familiar uses of electrochemistry
(B) make it clear that electrochemistry requires photoconductive materials
(C) show that xerogrphy is the only known use for electrochemistry

11. (D) indicate that other less familiar uses have already been discussed
7. Select Summary Information
Island Plant Life
Islands are geographical formations that are completely surrounded by water,yet
many islands are covered with a rich assortment of plant life. It may seem surprising that so
much plant life exists on many islands, yet there are surprisingly simple explanations as to
how the vegetation has been able to establish itself there. Some islands were formerly
attached to larger bodies of land, while others were created on their own. Islands that were
created when flooding or rising water levels cut them off from their neighbors often still have
the plant life that hey had before they were cut off. In cases were islands formed out of the
ocean, they may have plant life fromneighboring lands even though they were never actually
attached to the neighboring lands. Winds carry many seeds to islands; some plants produce
extremely light seeds that can float thousands of feet above the earth and then drift down to
islands where they can sprout and develop. Birds also carry seeds to ilands.
This passage discusses the ways that plant life is able to develop on islands
Answer choices (choose 3 to complete tha chart)
1) Some seeds are able to float great distances in the air.
2) Some plant life existed before islands were cut off from larger bodies of land
3) Some islands have many different varieties of plants
4) Birds sometimes carry seeds to islands
5) Some islands were created when rising water cut them off from larger bodies of land
6) Some plants seeds are carried to islands by the wind.
8. Complete Schematic Table

12. Sand Dunes
Sandy deserts contain enormous volumes of sand erode from mountains and carried to
the deserts by wind or water. The huge quantities of sand that make up sandy deserts are
blown about into dunes of various shapes.
Ridge dunes form where there are large amounts of sand, generally in the interiors of
deserts, and winds blow in one direction. Under these conditions, parallel ridges of sand,
known as transverse dunes, form at right agles to the wind.
When the direction of the wind changes so that it comes from different directions,
star-shaped dunes form from the massive amounts of sand in desert interiors. Star-shaped
dunes are relatively stable dunes that reach incredible heights, up to 80 meters high in some
deserts, and are quite common in massive deserts such as sahara.
Crescent dunes form on the edges of deserts where there is less sand and where the
winds blow mainly in one direction. These dunes, which are also known as barchan dunes,
are less stable than star shaped dunes and can shift as much as 20 meters per year as winds
blow over the outer curves of the crescent in the direction of the pointed ends.
Direction: select the appropriate ideas from the answer choices
and match them to the appropriate type of dune. Two of the
answer choices will not be used. This question is worth 3
points.
Ridge dunes
Star-shaped dunes
Crescent dunes
Answer choices ( 5 to complete the table):
1) Form when winds from various directions blow over small amounts of sand

13. 2) Form when winds from one direction blow over small amounts of sand
3) Form when winds from various directions blow over large amounts of sand
4) Form when winds from one direction blow over large volumes of sand
5) Are circular dunes in the middles of desserts
6) Are ridges of sand in the middle of deserts
7) Are generally not founs in the middle of deserts
9. vocabulary in Context question
Example:
The chili pepper is native to the Americas, but nowadays it is found all over the
world. It is an extremely popular spice in many cultures and is, in fact, the world’s second
favorite spice, after salt. There are more than a hundred species of chili peppers, some of
which are quite mild and others of which are incredibly hot and spicy.
Today chili peppers are used to spice a variety of foods, e.g., salsa, meat and rice
dishes, and even jam and jelly. In the past, chili peppers had some others, more unusual, uses.
In ancient Mexico, for example, chilies could be ue to pay taxes. In addition, in Panama,
these peppers were used to protect against sharks.
1. the word :favorite‖ in line 3 is closest meaning to
(A) most popular
(B) most delicious
(C) best known
(D) most recognized
10. “where” questions
Example:

14. REM (rapid eye movement) sleep is a type of sleep that is important to humans. This
type of sleep generally occurs four or five minutes to forty minutes. The periods of REM
sleep become longer and longer as the night progresses.
Physical changes occur in the body to show that a person has transitioned from
NREM (non-rapid eye movement) sleep REM sleep. Breathing becomes faster, the heart rate
increases, and,as the name implies, the eyes begin to move quickly.
Accompanying these physical changes in the body is a very important characteristic
of REM sleep. It is during REM sleep that dreams occur.
1. the subject of this passage is
(A) the human need for REM sleep
(B) physical changes in the human body
(C) the characyeristics of REM sleep
(D) why people sleep