TOEFL Reading - Factual & Negative Factual Question

Introduction

Reading comprehension is always a nightmare for many students, especially when there’s a time constraint. TOEFL Reading can be challenging if one lacks speed & technique. As there are a number of question types in reading, I’m going to write about each one of them so you can learn bit sized information, retain it, practice it and then move on to the next. This blog post will cater to the type called factual & negative factual information questions.

Understanding Factual Information Questions in TOEFL Reading

This question demands the recognition of information explicitly mentioned in the passage. These questions typically start with words like “According to the passage,” “The author mentions,” or “It is stated that.”

Techniques to Answer Factual Information Questions:

1. Pay close attention to specific details while reading the passage. Highlight key information that could be relevant to potential questions.

Identify keywords or phrases in the question that match information in the passage. Scan the text for these keywords to locate the correct answer.

Base your answer solely on the information provided in the passage. Avoid making assumptions or drawing conclusions beyond what
is explicitly stated.

Practice Paragraph:

The body that impacted Earth at the end of the Cretaceous period was a meteorite with a mass of more than a trillion tons and a diameter of at least 10 kilometers. Scientists first identified this impact in 1980 from the worldwide layer of sediment deposited from the dust cloud that enveloped the planet after the impact. This sediment layer is enriched in the rare metal iridium and other elements that are relatively abundant in a meteorite but very rare in the crust of Earth. Even diluted by the terrestrial material excavated from the crater, this component of meteorites is easily identified. By 1990 geologists had located the impact site itself in the Yucatán region of Mexico. The crater, now deeply buried in sediment, was originally about 200 kilometers in diameter.

Q. According to the paragraph, how did scientists determine that a large meteorite had impacted Earth?

1. 
   They discovered a large crater in the Yucatán region of Mexico.
2. They found a unique layer of sediment worldwide.
3. They were alerted by archaeologists who had been excavating in the Yucatán region.
4. They located a meteorite with a mass of over a trillion tons.

Now if you read carefully, you’ll realize that paragraph somehow mentions all the keywords in the options, however, it’s not about picking keywords but identifying the facts. Question specifically demands the impact of meteorite and the paragraph states “Scientists first identified this impact in 1980 from the worldwide layer of sediment deposited from the dust”. Hence 2 is the correct option.

Understanding Negative Factual Information Questions:

Negative factual information questions require you to identify details explicitly stated as NOT true in the passage. These questions often contain words like “Not mentioned,” “The author does not state,” or “Which of the following is NOT true?”

Techniques to Answer Negative Factual Information Questions:

• Instead of searching for information that matches the question, look for details that are explicitly ruled out in the passage. Eliminate answer choices that are mentioned or implied in the text.
• Pay attention to negation words like “not,” “never,” or “none,” which indicate the absence of information. These words often signal that the correct answer is the one that contradicts the passage.
• After selecting an answer, review the passage to ensure that the information contradicts the statement in the question.

Practice Paragraph:

This impact released an enormous amount of energy, excavating a crater about twice as large as the lunar crater Tycho. The explosion lifted about 100 trillion tons of dust into the atmosphere, as can be determined by measuring the thickness of the sediment layer formed when this dust settled to the surface. Such a quantity of material would have blocked the sunlight completely from reaching the surface, plunging Earth into a period of cold and darkness that lasted at least several months. The explosion is also calculated to have produced vast quantities of nitric acid and melted rock that sprayed out over much of Earth, starting widespread fires that must have consumed most terrestrial forests and grassland. Presumably, those environmental disasters could have been responsible for the mass extinction, including the death of the dinosaurs.

Q. According to paragraph, all of the following statements are true of the impact at the end of the Cretaceous period EXCEPT

1. A large amount of dust blocked sunlight from Earth.
2. Earth became cold and dark for several months.
3. New elements were formed in Earth’s crust.
4. Large quantities of nitric acid were produced.

In this question, you should exclude the ones which are evident in the paragraph first. The less number of options you’re left with, the easier it will be to choose. In this case, option 3 is the correct answer.

Conclusion:

It’s imperative to practice enough to hone skills required to ace the exam. However, with proper planning and guidelines one can score good in TOEFL. Although it’s not a common test among students who aspire to study abroad, it’s still one of the most interesting and authentic language assessment tests available out there.