26 CONTOH SOAL TOEFL Section Reading: Kunci Jawaban dan Pembahasan

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Contoh soal TOEFL Section Reading ini ada 26 yang dilengkapi dengan kunci jawaban dan pembahasannya.

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Langsung saja berkut 26 Contoh Soal TOEFL beserta kunci jawaban dan pembahasannya yang disadur dari digitaleduka.com.

READ THE FOLLOWING PASSAGE:

Questions 1-5

A distinctively American architecture began with Frank Lloyd Wright, who had taken to heart the admonition that form should follow function and who thought of buildings not as separate architectural entities but as parts of an organic whole that included the land, the community, and the society. In a very real way the houses of colonial New England and some of the southern plantations had been functional, but Wright was the first architect to make functionalism the authoritative principle for public as well as for domestic buildings. As early as 1906 he built the Unity Temple in Oak Park, Illinois, the first of those churches that did so much to revolutionize ecclesiastical architecture in the United States. Thereafter he turned his genius to such miscellaneous structures as houses, schools, office buildings, and factories, among them the famous Larkin Building in Buffalo, New York, and the Johnson Wax Company building in Racine, Wisconsin.

1. The phrase “taken to heart” in line 1 is closest in meaning to which of the following?

(A)  Taken seriously
(B)  Criticized
(C)  Memorized
(D)  Taken offence

2. In what way did Wright’s public buildings differ from most of those built by earlier architects?

(A)  They were built on a larger scale.
(B)  Their materials came from the southern United States.
(C)  They looked more like private homes.
(D)  Their designs were based on how they would be used.

3. The author mentions the Unity Temple because, it

(A)  was Wright’s first building
(B)  influenced the architecture of subsequent churches
(C)  demonstrated traditional ecclesiastical architecture
(D)  was the largest church Wright ever designed

4. The passage mentions that all of the following structures were built by Wright EXCEPT

(A)  factories
(B)  public buildings
(C)  offices
(D)  southern plantations

5. Which of the following statements best reflects one of Frank Lloyd Wright’s architectural principles?

(A)  Beautiful design is more important than utility.
(B)  Ecclesiastical architecture should be derived from traditional designs.
(C)  A building should fit into its surroundings.
(D)  The architecture of public buildings does not need to be revolutionary

Questions 6-16

There are two basic types of glaciers, those that flow outward in all directions with little regard for any underlying terrain and those that are confined by terrain to a particular path.
The first category of glaciers includes those massive blankets that cover whole continents, appropriately called ice sheets. There must be over 50,000 square kilometers of land covered with ice for the glacier to qualify as an ice sheet. When portions of an ice sheet spread out over the ocean, they form ice shelves.
About 20,000 years ago the Cordilleran Ice Sheet covered nearly all the mountains in southern Alaska, western Canada, and the western United States. It was about 3 kilometers deep at its thickest point in northern Alberta. Now there are only two sheets left on Earth, those covering Greenland and Antarctica.
Any domelike body of ice that also flows out in all directions but covers less than 50,000 square kilometers is called an ice cap. Although ice caps are rare nowadays, there are a number in northeastern Canada, on Baffin Island, and on the Queen Elizabeth Islands.
The second category of glaciers includes those of a variety of shapes and sizes generally called mountain or alpine glaciers. Mountain glaciers are typically identified by the landform that controls their flow. One form of mountain glacier that resembles an ice cap in that it flows outward in several directions is called an ice field. The difference between an ice field and an ice cap is subtle. Essentially, the flow of an ice field is somewhat controlled by surrounding terrain and thus does not have the domelike shape of a cap. There are several ice fields in the Wrangell. St. Elias, and Chugach mountains of Alaska and northern British Columbia.
Less spectacular than large ice fields are the most common types of mountain glaciers: the cirque and valley glaciers. Cirque glaciers are found in depressions in the surface of the land and have a characteristic circular shape. The ice of valley glaciers, bound by terrain, flows down valleys, curves around their corners, and falls over cliffs.

6. What does the passage mainly discuss?

(A)  Where major glaciers are located
(B)  How glaciers shape the land
(C)  How glaciers are formed
(D)  The different kinds of glaciers

7. The word “massive” in line 3 is closest in meaning to

(A)  huge
(B)  strange
(C)  cold
(D)  recent

8. It can be inferred that ice sheets are so named for which of the following reasons?

(A)  They are confined to mountain valleys.
(B)  They cover large areas of land.
(C)  They are thicker in some areas than in others.
(D)  They have a characteristic circular shape.

9. According to the passage, ice shelves can be found

(A)  covering an entire continent
(B)  buried within the mountains
(C)  spreading into the ocean
(D)  filling deep valleys

10. According to the passage, where was the Cordilleran Ice Sheet thickest?

(A)  Alaska
(B)  Greenland
(C)  Alberta
(D)  Antarctica

11. The word “rare” in line 12 is closest in meaning to

(A)  small
(B)  unusual
(C)  valuable
(D)  widespread

12. According to the passage (paragraph 5), ice fields resemble ice caps in which of the following ways?

(A)  Their shape
(B)  Their flow
(C)  Their texture
(D)  Their location

13. The word “it” in line 16 refers to

(A)  glacier
(B)  cap
(C)  difference
(D)  terrain

14. The word “subtle” in line 17 is closest in meaning to

(A)  slight
(B)  common
(C)  important
(D)  measurable

15. All of the following are alpine glaciers EXCEPT

(A)  cirque glaciers
(B)  ice caps
(C)  valley glaciers
(D)  ice fields

16. Which of the following types of glaciers does the author use to illustrate the two basic types of glaciers mentioned in line 1?

(A)  Ice fields and cirques
(B)  Cirques and alpine glaciers
(C)  Ice sheets and ice shelves
(D)  Ice sheets and mountain glaciers

Questions 17-26

Tools and hand bones excavated from the Swartkrans cave complex in South Africa suggest that a close relative of early humans known as Australopithecus robustus may have made and used primitive tools long before the species became extinct I million  Line years ago. It may even have made and used primitive tools long before humanity’s direct ancestor, Homo habilis, or “handy man,” began doing so. Homo habilis and its successor, Homo erectus, coexisted with Australopithecus robustus on the plains of South Africa for more than a million years.
The Swartkrans cave in South Africa has been under excavation since the 1940’s. The earliest fossil-containing layers of sedimentary rock in the cave date from about 1.9 million years ago and contain extensive remains of animals, primitive tools, and two or more species of apelike hominids. The key recent discovery involved bones from the hand of Australopithecus robustus, the first time such bones have been found.
The most important feature of the Australopithecus robustus hand was the pollical distal thumb tip, the last bone in the thumb. The bone had an attachment point for a “uniquely human” muscle, the flexor pollicis longus, that had previously been found only in more recent ancestors. That muscle gave Australopithecus robustutJ an opposable thumb, a feature that would allow them to grip objects, including tools. The researchers also found primitive bone and stone implements, especially digging tools, in the same layers of sediments.
Australopithecus robustus were more heavily built- more “robust” in anthropological terms-than their successors. They had broad faces, heavy jaws, and massive crushing and grinding teeth that were used for eating hard fruits, seeds, and fibrous underground plant parts. They walked upright, which would have allowed them to carry and use tools. Most experts had previously believed that Homo habilis were able to supplant Australopithecus robustus because the former’s ability to use tools gave them an innate superiority. The discovery that Australopithecus robustus also used tools means that researchers will have to seek other explanations for their extinction. Perhaps their reliance on naturally occurring plants led to their downfall as the climate became drier and cooler, or perhaps Homo habilis, with their bigger brains, were simply able tomake more sophisticated tools.

17. It can be inferred from the first paragraph that all of the following may have made and used tools EXCEPT.

(A)  Australopithecus robustus
(B)  Homo erectus
(C)  Homo habilis
(D)  Australopithecus robustus’ ancestors

18. The word “extensive” in line 9 is closest in meaning to
(A)  numerous
(B)  exposed
(C)  ancient
(D)  valuable

19. Which of the following does the author mention as the most important recent discovery made in the Swartkrans cave?

(A)  Tools
(B)  Teeth
(C)  Plant fossils
(D)  Hand bones

20. What does the third paragraph ‘mainly discuss?

(A)  Features of Australopithecus robustus’ hand
(B)  Purposes for which hominids used tools
(C)  Methods used to determine the age of fossils
(D)  Significant plant fossils found in layers of sediment

21. It can be inferred from the description in the last paragraph that Australopithecus robustus was so named because of the species’

(A)  ancestors
(B)  thumb
(C)  build
(D)  diet

22. The word “supplant” in line 22 is closest in meaning to

(A)  exploit
(B)  displace
(C)  understand
(D)  imitate

23. The word “them” in line 23 refers to

(A)  tools
(B)  Homo habilis
(C)  Australopithecus robustus
(D)  experts

24. What does the author suggest is unclear about Australopithecus robustus?

(A)  Whether they used tools
(B)  What they most likely ate
(C)  Whether they are closely related to humans
(D)  Why they became extinct

25. The phrase “reliance on” in line 24 is closest in meaning to

(A)  impact on
(B)  dependence on
(C)  tolerance of
(D)  discovery of

26. Where in the passage does the author mention the materials from which tools were made?

(A)  Lines 7-9
(B)  Lines 12-13
(C)  Lines 15-17
(D)  Lines 21-23

Kunci Jawaban dan Pembahasan

1. The phrase “taken to heart” in line 1 is closest in meaning to which of the following?

Jawab : A → Taken seriously
Pembahasan : Frasa taken to heart adalah bentuk ungkapan idiomatik dan memiliki arti “melakukan dengan sepenuh hati/serius”.

2. In what way did Wright’s public buildings differ from most of those built by earlier architects?

Jawab :  D → Their designs were based on how they would be used.
Pembahasan : Pada kalimat “…that form should follow function…” menunjukkan bahwa desain seharusnya berdasarkan pada fungsinya, untuk apa nantinya bangunan itu digunakan dan jawaban yang demikian ditemukan di pilihan D.

3. The author mentions the Unity Temple because, it

Jawab :  B → influenced the architecture of subsequent churches
Pembahasan :  Pada kalimat “…the first of those churches that did so much to revolutionize ecclesiastical architecture in the United States” menyatakan bahwa bangunan itu sangat mempengaruhi desain bangunan-bangunan selanjutnya. Jawaban yang mengandung ide serupa ada pada pilihan B.

4. The passage mentions that all of the following structures were built by Wright EXCEPT

Jawab :  D → southern plantations
Pembahasan :  Pada kalimat terakhir jelas bahwa offices, factories dan public building, termasuk churches adalah karyanya. Sedangkan South Plantations bukanlah hasil karyanya karena sudah didesain oleh orang terdahulu seperti yang disebutkan dalam bacaan.

5. Which of the following statements best reflects one of Frank Lloyd Wright’s architectural principles?

Jawab : C → A building should fit into its surroundings.
Pembahasan : Kalimat “…as parts of an organic whole that included the land, the community, and the society” menyatakan bahwa bangunan seharusnya dianggap sebagai bagian dari keseluruhan lingkungan dan masyarakat sekitarnya sehingga dengan kata lain bangunan tersebut harus sesuai dengan lingkungannya.

6. What does the passage mainly discuss?

Jawab  : D → The different kinds of glaciers
Pembahasan : Ide pokok teks di atas dapat ditemukan pada paragraf pertama kalimat pertama yang menjelaskan dua jenis gletser yang berbeda dan selanjutnya masing-masing dijelaskan lebih lanjut pada paragraf berikutnya.

7. The word “massive” in line 3 is closest in meaning to

Jawab :  A → huge
Pembahasan :  Padanan kata massive adalah huge (sangat besar).

8. It can be inferred that ice sheets are so named for which of the following reasons?

Jawab  : B → They cover large areas of land.
Pembahasan : Frasa whole continents pada kalimat those massive blankets that cover whole continents appropriately called ice sheet menunjukkan bahwa daratan yang tertutup gletser mencakup wilayah yang sangat luas, hampir keseluruhan daratan.

9. According to the passage, ice shelves can be found

Jawab :  C → spreading into the ocean
Pembahasan :  Jawaban dapat ditemukan pada kalimat terakhir paragraf kedua bahwa jika ice sheet tersebar (spread out) di lautan akan terbentuk ice shelves.

10. According to the passage, where was the Cordilleran Ice Sheet thickest?

Jawab : C → Alberta
Pembahasan : Jawaban dapat ditemukan pada baris ke-8: it was about 3 kilometers deep at its thickest point in northern Alberta.

11. The word “rare” in line 11 is closest in meaning to

Jawab  :  B → unusual
Pembahasan :  Rare berarti jarang atau tidak biasa ditemukan sehingga jawaban yang paling mendekati arti dari rare adalah unusual.

12. According to the passage (paragraph 5), ice fields resemble ice caps in which of the following ways?

Jawab : B → Their flow
Pembahasan : Kalimat Mountain glaciers are typically identified by the landform that controls their flow dan dijelaskan lebih lanjut pada kalimat One form of mountain glacier that resembles an ice cap in that it flows outward in several directions is called an ice field menunjukkan bahwa pembentukan ice caps dipengaruhi oleh alirannya (their flow).

13. The word “it” in line 15 refers to

Jawab  :  A → glacier
Pembahasan :  It pada kalimat di atas merujuk pada mountain glacier atau gletser.

14. The word ”subtle” in line 16 is closest in meaning to

Jawab  :  A → slight
Pembahasan :  Padanan kata subtle adalah slight yang keduanya memiliki arti “tipis, halus, atau sedikit”.

15. All of the following are alpine glaciers EXCEPT

Jawab :  B → ice caps
Pembahasan :  Jenis alpine/mountain glacier adalah ice fields, cirque glaciers dan valley glaciers yang semuanya dipengaruhi oleh aliran dan tidak memiliki domelike cap seperti ice caps.

16. Which of the following types of glaciers does the author use to illustrate the two basic types of glaciers mentioned in line 1?

Jawab : D → Ice sheets and mountain glaciers
Pembahasan : Ada dua jenis gletser yaitu ice sheet yang mengalir keluar ke segala arah dan mountain glacier yang arah alirannya terbatas hanya di aliran tertentu.

17. It can be inferred from the first paragraph that all of the following may have made and used tools EXCEPT

Jawab :  D → Australopithecus robustus’ ancestors
Pembahasan :  Paragraf di atas menjelaskan bahwa alat-alat primitif itu mulai digunakan oleh Australophitecus robustus bersama-sama dengan Homo Habilis dan penerusnya, Homo erectus. Berarti yang bukan adalah nenek moyang Australophitecus robustus.

18. The word “extensive” in line 9 is

Jawab :  A → numerous
Pembahasan :  Extensive memiliki arti luas atau dalam jumlah besar sehingga kata yang paling dekat artinya dengan kata tersebut adalah numerous.

19. Which of the following does the author mention as the most important recent discovery made in the Swartkrans cave?

Jawab : D → Hand bones
Pembahasan : Jawaban tersebut bisa dilihat pada paragraf 2 kalimat The key recent discovery involved bones from the hand of Australopithecus robustus, the first time such bones have been found yang menyatakan bahwa penemuan yang paling penting adalah hand bones.

20. What does the third paragraph ‘mainly discuss?

Jawab : A → Features of Australopithecus robustus’ hand
Pembahasan : Jawaban sangat jelas ditemukan pada kalimat pertama paragraf tersebut yaitu membahas tentang ciri (feature) dari Australopithecus robustus.

21. It can be inferred from the description in the last paragraph that Australopithecus robustus was so named because of the species’

Jawab : C → build
Pembahasan : Paragraf 4 kalimat pertama, Australopithecus robustus were more heavily built-more “robust” in anthropological terms-than their successors menjelaskan bahwa kata robustus berasal dari robust, istilah antropologi yang merujuk pada perawakan atau bentuk fisik (build) dengan ciri-ciri yang dijelaskan pada kalimat selanjutnya.

22. The word “supplant” in line 22 is closest in meaning to

Jawab :  B → displace
Pembahasan :  Kata supplant memiliki arti “menggantikan” sehingga kata yang paling dekat artinya dengan kata tersebut pada pilihan yang tersedia adalah displace (menggantikan).

23. The word “them” in line 23 refers to

Jawab :  B → Homo habilis
Pembahasan :  Them pada kalimat tersebut merujuk pada subjek yang disebutkan sebelumnya yaitu Homo habilis.

24. What does the author suggest is unclear about Australopithecus robustus?

Jawab   : D → Why they became extinct
Pembahasan : Jawaban tersebut bisa ditemukan pada paragraf terakhir kalimat The discovery that Australopithecus robustus also used tools means that researchers will have to seek other explanations for their extinction yang menyarankan kepada para peneliti untuk mencari sebab-sebab lain kepunahan jenis manusia primitif tersebut.

25. The phrase “reliance on” in line 24 is closest in meaning to

Jawab :  B → dependence on
Pembahasan :  Reliance on memiliki arti kebergantungan yang bersesuaian dengan kata dependence on (ketergantungan).

26. Where in the passage does the author mention the materials from which tools were made?

Jawab :  C → Lines 15-17
Pembahasan : Penulis menyebutkan beberapa alat serta asal bahannya pada baris 15-17: “…an opposable thumb, a feature that would allow them to grip objects, including tools. The researchers also found primitive bone and stone implements, especially digging tools, in the same layers of sediments.” Yaitu bentuk tulang yang memungkinkan mereka mencengkeram alat dan alat dari batu untuk peralatan menggali.