Reference. These questions require you to determine
READING 93
How can you recall one fact from a passage that is five para- graphs long? Follow these techniques as a guide:
Do not memorize. The reading test does not ask you to have
perfect recall. Instead, it measures your ability to read carefully and know where to look for specific information.
Look for language clues as you read the passage. Writers
often use one of the following phrases to signal that they are introducing a fact or example:
one reason is in one case
specifically for example
for instance in particular
Use key words from the question. Questions have two or
three important words that tell you exactly what informa- tion to look for in the passage. For example, in the ques-
tion How many species of penguins are there worldwide? the key words are how many, and species. They signal to you to
look for a sentence in the passage that has a number and the word species.
Take note of structure. As you read, pay attention to how
information is presented and in what order. Understand- ing the organization of a passage will help you locate the
facts you need. See pages 100–103 for more about structure.
Practice
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow it. Find the answers on page 111.
1 Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest network of coral reefs, stretching 2,010 km 1,250 miles off Australia’s
94 TOEFL EXAM ESSENTIALS
northeastern coast. 2 Although coral looks like a plant, it is the limestone skeleton of a tiny animal called a coral polyp. 3
The reef’s 300 species of coral create an underwater garden of brilliant colors and intricate shapes.
4 From microorganisms to whales, diverse life forms make their home on the reef. 5 Over 1,500 fish species, 4,000
mollusk species, 200 bird species, 16 sea snake species, and six sea turtle species thrive in the reef’s tropical waters. 6 The
reef is also a habitat for the endangered dugong sea cows, moray eels, and sharks.
7 Although protected by the Australian government, Great Barrier Reef faces environmental threats. 8 Crown-
of-thorns starfish feed on coral and can destroy large portions of reef. 9 Pollution and rising water temperatures also threaten
the delicate coral.