TOEFL Reading Sample Paper 03 - Part 3 - Reading Comprehension Questions, Rules, and Passage Analysis

Oct 2, 2026

TOEFL Reading Sample Paper 03 presents a reading-comprehension section with 20 questions across two passages, including a structured marking scheme and timing guidance. It explains point values for standard multiple-choice tasks and for the prose-summary question, outlines partial credit logic for selecting correct summary options, and confirms no negative marking. Passage I, “The Creators of Grammar,” compares universal grammar, pidgin-to-creole development, and sign-language evidence from Nicaragua’s deaf schools.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages8

Reading Time20 min

AccessFree to download

Subject and Section Overview

Marking Scheme & Timing

PASSAGE I: The Creators of Grammar

Questions 1-10

PASSAGE II: Extinction of the Dinosaurs

TOEFL Reading Sample Paper 03 A) Subject: Reading Comprehension B) Total Questions: 20 Questions (2 Passages—10 Questions per Passage) C) Marking Scheme & Rules: • Standard Questions: 1 Point (Multiple Choice, Insert Text, etc.) • Prose Summary: 2 Points. This is the final question of each set. • Partial Credit: Awarded for the Prose Summary (usually 1 point if 2 out of 3 choices are correct) . • Negative Marking: None. 0 points for incorrect answers. • Timing: Recommended 35 minutes for the entire section. PASSAGE I: The Creators of Grammar Paragraph 1: No student of a foreign language needs to be told that grammar is complex. By changing word sequences and adding suffixes, we communicate tiny variations in meaning. Nor is this complexity inherent only to the English language. All languages, even those of so-called ’primitive’ tribes, have clever grammatical components. The Cherokee pronoun system, for example, can distinguish between ’you and I’,’several other people and I’, and ’you, another person and I’. Grammar is universal and plays a part in every language, no matter how widespread it is. Paragraph 2: To find out how grammar is created, one needs to observe how languages are started from scratch. Some of the most recent languages evolved due to the Atlantic slave trade. At that time, slaves from different ethnicities developed a make-shift language called a pidgin. [A] Pidgins are strings of words copied from the language of the landowner. [B] They have little grammar, making it difficult for a listener to deduce when an event happened. [C] Interestingly, all it takes for a pidgin to become a complex language is for a group of children to be exposed to it. [D] Children do not simply copy their elders; they adapt words to create a new, expressive language termed a creole. Paragraph 3: Further evidence can be seen in studying sign languages for the deaf. In 1979, a new government in Nicaragua introduced schools for the deaf. Although children were taught speech in the classroom, in the playgrounds they invented their own sign system. Initially, each child used signs differently, and there was no consistent grammar. However, children who joined the school later developed a quite different sign language that was more fluid, compact, and utilized grammatical devices. A new creole was born. 1 1. In Paragraph 1, why does the writer include information about the Cherokee language? A. To show how difficult it is to learn the Cherokee language. B. To prove that complex grammar was invented by the Cherokees. C. To show how traditional cultures can have complicated grammar structures. D. To demonstrate that English grammar is superior to others. 2. The phrase ”from scratch” in Paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to: A. By copying something else C. Using written information B. From the very beginning D. In simple cultures 3. What can be inferred about the slaves’ pidgin language from Paragraph 2? A. It was created by the land-owners for the slaves. B. It contained a highly complex system of suffixes. C. It was difficult to understand because it lacked structured grammar. D. It was based on the Cherokee pronoun system. 4. The word ”make-shift” in Paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to: A. Complicated and expressive C. Extensive and diverse B. Private and personal D. Simple and temporary 5. Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in Paragraph 1? A. All languages contain grammar, regardless of the number of people who speak them. B. Some languages include a lot of grammar, whereas others contain very little. C. English is the most universal language because its grammar is so widespread. D. The grammar of all languages is identical because it is a universal human trait. 6. According to Paragraph 3, what happened when deaf children in Nicaragua were placed in schools? A. They successfully learned to speak and lip

FAQs

How many questions are included in TOEFL Reading Sample Paper 03, and how are they distributed?

There are 20 questions total, split across 2 passages with 10 questions per passage.

What is the marking scheme for standard questions and the prose-summary question?

Standard questions are worth 1 point, while the prose summary is worth 2 points as the final question of each set.

Is there negative marking for incorrect answers?

No. Incorrect answers receive 0 points.

Oct 2, 2026

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