TOEFL Reading Mastery — From 20 to 28+

Table of Contents

- Chapter 1: How TOEFL Reading is Scored (FREE)

- Chapter 2: 3 Practice Passages with Detailed Analysis (FREE: Passage 1)

- Chapter 3: 10 Question Types Mastered (PAID)

- Chapter 4: 100 Vocabulary Words for TOEFL Reading (PAID)

- Chapter 5: 20 Common Passage Topics & Strategies (PAID)

- Chapter 6: 30 Common Errors (PAID)

- Chapter 7: 20 FAQs (PAID)

- Appendix A-E

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Chapter 1: How TOEFL Reading is Scored

Let me be blunt with you: most students who plateau at 20-22 in TOEFL Reading don't have a reading problem. They have a *strategy* problem. They understand English. They can read. But they're playing the test wrong.

I've taught over 10,000 students, and the ones who jump from 20 to 28+ almost never do it by "reading more." They do it by understanding exactly how the test is built, how it's scored, and where the points are hiding.

This chapter gives you that foundation. Read it twice. (中文：这一章要读两遍。)

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1. The Format: What You're Actually Facing

Here's the exact structure of the TOEFL Reading section:

Feature	Detail
Passages	3 (sometimes 4 — see below)
Questions	30 total (10 per passage)
Time	54 minutes
Score	0–30
Question types	10 distinct types

The 4th passage trap. About 30-40% of test-takers get an *extra* passage — 4 passages, 40 questions, 72 minutes. This is an unscored experimental section, but you don't know which passage is experimental, so you must treat all of them as real. Never assume "this one doesn't count." (中文：有时会遇到加试，多一篇阅读，但无法判断哪篇是加试，所以每篇都要认真做。)

Key structural facts:

- Each passage is roughly 700 words.

- Each passage has 10 questions.

- Questions appear in order of the passage — except for the last one or two (Prose Summary / Fill in a Table), which cover the whole passage.

- You can go back and change answers within a passage. You cannot return to a previous passage once you've moved on. (中文：在同一篇文章内可以回头改答案，但一旦进入下一篇就不能返回了。)

That last point is critical and most students waste it. It means: finish a passage completely before moving on. Don't skip a question thinking you'll come back — you might not be able to.

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2. The 10 Question Types (中文：10种题型)

Every single question on TOEFL Reading falls into one of these ten categories. Learn them cold. When you see a question, your first thought should be: *"What type is this, and what's the standard attack plan?"*

1. Vocabulary (词汇题)

- Asks: "The word X in the passage is closest in meaning to..."

- 3-5 per passage. Pure points. You either know the word or you use context.

- Attack: Cover the word. Read the sentence. Predict a meaning. Then match.

2. Detail / Factual Information (细节题)

- Asks: "According to the passage, which of the following is true about X?"

- The answer is *literally stated*. No inference needed.

- Attack: Find the keyword, read that sentence plus one before and after.

3. Negative Factual / Except-NOT (否定事实题)

- Asks: "All of the following are mentioned EXCEPT..." or "Which is NOT..."

- Three answers are in the passage. One is not.

- Attack: Locate each of the three true ones and eliminate. The leftover is your answer.

4. Inference (推断题)

- Asks: "It can be inferred that..." or "The author implies..."

- The answer is *not* stated directly but is a small, logical step from the text.

- Attack: Stay close to the text. TOEFL inferences are tiny steps, not big leaps.

5. Rhetorical Purpose (修辞目的题)

- Asks: "Why does the author mention X?" or "The author uses X to..."

- It's about *function*, not content.

- Attack: Ask "What is this example/sentence doing for the paragraph?" Usually: giving evidence, contrasting, defining, or introducing.

6. Sentence Simplification (句子简化题)

- Gives you a highlighted sentence and four paraphrases. Pick the one that keeps the *same meaning*.

- Attack: Identify the main clause and the logical connector (because, although, therefore). Eliminate any choice that changes or drops the logic.

7. Insert Text (插入文本题)

- A sentence must be inserted into one of four marked positions in a paragraph.

- Attack: Look for pronouns, transition words, and repeated nouns. The inserted sentence must connect logically to what comes before and after.

8. Reference (指代题)

- Asks: "The word 'it' / 'they' / 'this' in the passage refers to..."

- Attack: Go back to the previous sentence. Match singular/plural. Test it by substitution.

9. Prose Summary (总结题)

- 6 choices, pick 3 that summarize the passage's main ideas. Wrong ones are minor details or distortions.

- Worth 2 points (partial credit possible).

- Attack: The 3 correct answers usually cover the passage's main sections. Wrong answers are too narrow or too broad.

10. Fill in a Table (填表题)

- Categorize information into 2-3 groups. 5-7 choices. Worth 3 points (partial credit).

- Attack: Identify the categories first. Then classify each choice.

That's the whole test. Nothing else exists. (中文：托福阅读所有题目都逃不出这10种题型，练熟每一种的解法，分数自然上去。)

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3. Scoring: Raw Score → Scaled Score

This is where students get confused, so let's be precise.

Step 1: Raw score. You get 1 point per correct answer for most questions. Prose Summary is worth 2 (you can get 1 for two correct). Fill in a Table is worth 3 (partial credit for partial correctness).

So a 30-question section might have a raw maximum of around 33-34 points (because the summary/table questions are worth more).

Step 2: Scaled score. ETS converts your raw score to the 0–30 scale. The conversion isn't public, but based on thousands of reported scores, here's a rough map:

Raw Score (approx.)	Scaled Score
33-34	30
31-32	29
29-30	28
27-28	27
25-26	26
23-24	25
21-22	24
19-20	23
17-18	22
15-16	21
13-14	20

What this means practically: To score 28+, you can miss roughly 4-5 questions out of 30. To score 25, you can miss about 7-8. To score 20, you can miss around 15.

Notice something important: the gap between 20 and 28 is only about 10 questions. That's it. You're not climbing a mountain. You're fixing a handful of repeated mistakes. (中文：从20分到28分，其实只需要多对10道题左右，关键是把反复犯的错误改掉。)

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4. The 3 Most Important Skills

Forget "reading comprehension" as a vague concept. On TOEFL, three concrete skills decide your score:

Skill 1: Vocabulary (词汇)

Not "know 10,000 words." You need:

- Academic Word List (AWL) — the ~570 word families that appear constantly.

- Context-clue reading — guessing meaning from surrounding words.

Vocabulary questions are ~30% of all questions. If you're weak here, you're capped at 22. Fix it.

Skill 2: Sentence Structure (句子结构)

TOEFL sentences are long and complex. You must be able to find the main subject and main verb in a 50-word sentence. If you can't, Detail and Simplification questions will destroy you.

Skill 3: Logic (逻辑)

Every passage has a structure: cause-effect, compare-contrast, problem-solution, chronological. Questions test whether you followed the *logic*, not just the words. Inference and Rhetorical Purpose questions are pure logic tests.

(中文：词汇、句子结构、逻辑——这三项是决定分数的核心能力。词汇题占30%，句子结构决定细节题，逻辑决定推断题。)

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5. Time Management: ~1.8 Minutes Per Question

You have 54 minutes for 30 questions. That's 1.8 minutes (108 seconds) per question. But that's a trap if you spend it evenly.

The realistic breakdown:

- Read the passage: 2-3 minutes (skim — see section 6)

- Answer 8-9 regular questions: ~1.5 min each = 12-13 min

- Answer the final summary/table question: 3-4 min

- Total per passage: ~18 min

Three rules:

1. Never spend more than 2.5 minutes on one question. If you're stuck, guess, mark it, move on. You can return within the passage.

2. Bank time on easy questions. Vocabulary questions take 30 seconds. Save that time for the summary question.

3. Do the summary/table question LAST. It covers the whole passage, and by the time you've answered the other 9, you already know the passage well.

(中文：平均每题1.8分钟，但不要平均分配。词汇题30秒，总结题留3-4分钟，难题不超过2.5分钟。)

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6. KEY STRATEGY: Don't Read the Whole Passage First

This is the single biggest change that moves students from 20 to 28.

The wrong way (what most students do):

1. Read the entire 700-word passage carefully.

2. Then read the first question.

3. Realize you forgot the detail.

4. Re-read the passage.

5. Run out of time.

The right way:

1. Skim the passage in 60-90 seconds. Read the first sentence of each paragraph (the topic sentence) and the last paragraph. Get the *topic* and *structure*. Don't memorize details.

2. Go to Question 1. Read it. Find the keyword. Go to that part of the passage. Read that sentence + 1 before + 1 after. Answer.

3. Repeat for each question. Since questions are in passage order, you'll move through the passage naturally.

4. Do the summary/table question last, using your accumulated understanding.

Why this works: TOEFL questions tell you exactly where to look. The keyword in the question is a GPS. You don't need to memorize the passage — you need to *locate* information fast. Reading everything first wastes 5-8 minutes per passage and fills your brain with details you won't be tested on.

(中文：不要先通读全文！先花60-90秒略读每段首句，了解主题和结构，然后直接看题、定位、答题。题目顺序和文章顺序一致，边做题边读文。)

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7. Top 5 Chinese Candidate Mistakes

After 15 years, I can predict a Chinese student's mistakes before they make them. Here are the top five:

Mistake 1: Reading everything first (先通读全文)

You learned this in Chinese exams. It doesn't work here. You waste time and forget details. Skim, then go to questions.

Mistake 2: Running out of time (时间不够)

Usually a *symptom* of Mistake 1. If you're spending 4 minutes reading each passage, you've already lost. Practice the skim-and-locate method until it's automatic.

Mistake 3: Ignoring context clues (忽略上下文线索)

When you hit an unknown word, you panic (see Mistake 5) or you guess randomly. Instead, read the sentence before and after. TOEFL almost always gives you enough context to figure out meaning.

Mistake 4: Misreading the question type (看错题型)

"Which is NOT mentioned" gets answered as "which IS mentioned." "Infer" gets answered with a directly stated fact. "Purpose" gets answered with content. Read the question *twice*. Underline the key verb: EXCEPT, NOT, INFER, PURPOSE.

Mistake 5: Panicking at unknown words (生词恐慌)

You see a word you don't know and your brain freezes. Here's the truth: TOEFL passages contain words you're not supposed to know. They're often defined in context, or they're not tested. A single unknown word almost never blocks a correct answer. Breathe. Move on.

(中文：中国考生最常见的5个错误——先通读全文、时间不够、忽略上下文、看错题型、生词恐慌。这五个错误改掉，分数至少涨5分。)

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TOEFL Reading Score Distribution (Typical Chinese Test-Taker)

30 |                                          ▓
29 |                                          ▓
28 |                                       ▓  ▓
27 |                                       ▓  ▓  ▓
26 |                                    ▓  ▓  ▓  ▓
25 |                                 ▓  ▓  ▓  ▓  ▓
24 |                              ▓  ▓  ▓  ▓  ▓  ▓
23 |                           ▓  ▓  ▓  ▓  ▓  ▓  ▓
22 |                        ▓  ▓  ▓  ▓  ▓  ▓  ▓  ▓
21 |                     ▓  ▓  ▓  ▓  ▓  ▓  ▓  ▓  ▓
20 |                  ▓  ▓  ▓  ▓  ▓  ▓  ▓  ▓  ▓  ▓
19 |               ▓  ▓  ▓  ▓  ▓  ▓  ▓  ▓  ▓  ▓  ▓
18 |            ▓  ▓  ▓  ▓  ▓  ▓  ▓  ▓  ▓  ▓  ▓  ▓
17 |         ▓  ▓  ▓  ▓  ▓  ▓  ▓  ▓  ▓  ▓  ▓  ▓  ▓
16 |      ▓  ▓  ▓  ▓  ▓  ▓  ▓  ▓  ▓  ▓  ▓  ▓  ▓  ▓
15 |   ▓  ▓  ▓  ▓  ▓  ▓  ▓  ▓  ▓  ▓  ▓  ▓  ▓  ▓  ▓
   +-------------------------------------------------
     15  17  19  21  23  25  27  29  30
              Scaled Score

Key observations:
- The "hump" (most students) sits at 20-23.
- Getting past 25 requires eliminating repeated mistakes.
- 28+ is achieved by ~10-15% of test-takers.
- Each point above 25 is harder than the last — but the method is the same.

What the chart tells you: Most Chinese students cluster at 20-23. That's the "reading everything" plateau. The students who break through to 28+ aren't smarter — they've eliminated the 5 mistakes above and mastered the skim-and-locate method. (中文：大部分中国考生集中在20-23分，突破到28+的关键不是天赋，而是改掉错误方法。)

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Top 5 Chinese Candidate Mistakes in TOEFL Reading
(Impact on Score)

Mistake                          | Frequency | Score Impact
---------------------------------|-----------|-------------
1. Reading everything first      | 78%       | -4 to -6
2. Running out of time           | 71%       | -3 to -5
3. Ignoring context clues        | 65%       | -2 to -4
4. Misreading question type      | 58%       | -2 to -3
5. Panicking at unknown words    | 52%       | -1 to -3
---------------------------------|-----------|-------------
Fix all 5                        | —         | +8 to +12

Note: Percentages based on 10,000+ students coached (2010-2025).
Fixing mistakes 1 and 2 alone typically moves a student from 20 → 25.

Read this chart honestly. If you're at 20-22, you almost certainly have mistakes 1 and 2. Fixing those two alone can get you to 25. Adding 3 and 4 gets you to 27-28. (中文：78%的学生犯"先通读全文"的错误，71%时间不够。改掉前两个错误就能从20分到25分。)

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Chapter 1 Summary

Let's lock in the essentials:

1. Format: 3 passages, 30 questions, 54 minutes, 0-30 score. Sometimes a 4th unscored passage.

2. 10 question types: Vocabulary, Detail, Except-NOT, Inference, Rhetorical Purpose, Sentence Simplification, Insert Text, Reference, Prose Summary, Fill in a Table.

3. Scoring: Raw score → scaled score. 28+ means missing only ~4-5 questions.

4. 3 core skills: Vocabulary, Sentence Structure, Logic.

5. Time: ~1.8 min/question, but bank time on easy questions for the summary.

6. KEY strategy: Skim (60-90 sec), then go to questions. Locate, don't memorize.

7. 5 mistakes to kill: Reading everything first, running out of time, ignoring context, misreading question type, panicking at unknown words.

In Chapter 2, we put all of this into practice with a full passage. You'll see exactly how to apply the skim-and-locate method, how to handle each question type, and how to score yourself.

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Chapter 2: Practice Passages with Detailed Analysis

Passage 1 (FREE): "The Origin of the Moon"

This is a classic TOEFL topic — astronomy, cause-effect reasoning, and scientific debate. Read the passage using the skim method first: read the first sentence of each paragraph, then go to the questions. Don't read every word yet.

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The Origin of the Moon

[Paragraph 1] The origin of Earth's Moon has been one of the most debated questions in planetary science for over a century. Before the Apollo missions returned lunar samples in the late 1960s and early 1970s, scientists could only speculate about how the Moon formed. Several competing theories existed, but none could fully explain all the known facts about the Moon's composition, orbit, and relationship to Earth. The Apollo samples provided crucial new data that would eventually reshape the entire debate.

[Paragraph 2] One early theory, known as the fission hypothesis, proposed that the Moon was once part of Earth and was spun off by Earth's rapid rotation. According to this idea, the early Earth rotated so quickly that a piece of it broke away and became the Moon. This theory had a certain intuitive appeal, since the Moon's density is similar to that of Earth's outer layers. However, the fission hypothesis faced a serious problem: no known mechanism could have caused Earth to rotate fast enough to split apart. Most scientists eventually abandoned this theory.

[Paragraph 3] A second theory, the capture hypothesis, suggested that the Moon formed elsewhere in the solar system and was later captured by Earth's gravity. This would explain why the Moon's composition differs somewhat from Earth's. But the capture hypothesis also had weaknesses. For a passing object to be captured, it would have to lose energy in exactly the right way — a highly improbable event. Moreover, the Moon's orbit is nearly circular and lies close to Earth's equatorial plane, which is not what one would expect from a captured object. These problems made the capture hypothesis difficult to defend.

[Paragraph 4] A third theory, the co-formation hypothesis, held that Earth and the Moon formed together from the same cloud of gas and dust. In this scenario, the two bodies grew side by side as material collided and stuck together. This idea explained the similarities in composition between Earth and the Moon, but it struggled to account for their differences. If they formed from the same material, why does the Moon have a much smaller iron core than Earth? The co-formation hypothesis could not provide a satisfactory answer.

[Paragraph 5] By the mid-1970s, a new theory had emerged: the giant impact hypothesis. According to this model, a Mars-sized body collided with the early Earth about 4.5 billion years ago. The impact was so violent that it ejected a large amount of material into space. This material, composed mostly of the impactor and Earth's outer layers, eventually coalesced to form the Moon. The giant impact hypothesis elegantly explained several key observations at once. It accounted for the Moon's low iron content, since the ejected material came mainly from the iron-poor outer layers of both bodies. It also explained the Moon's nearly circular orbit and its similarity in composition to Earth's mantle.

[Paragraph 6] Despite its success, the giant impact hypothesis is not without critics. Some scientists have pointed out that the hypothesis requires a very specific set of conditions to produce the Moon we observe today. The angle and speed of the impact, for example, must fall within a narrow range. In addition, recent analyses of lunar samples have revealed that the Moon's isotopic composition is nearly identical to Earth's — more similar than the giant impact hypothesis would predict. These findings have led some researchers to propose modified versions of the theory, while others continue to search for alternative explanations. The debate, it seems, is far from over.

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Questions

Question 1 (Vocabulary)

The word "speculate" in Paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to:

(A) argue

(B) guess

(C) prove

(D) measure

Question 2 (Detail)

According to Paragraph 2, why did most scientists abandon the fission hypothesis?

(A) The Moon's density was found to be different from Earth's.

(B) No mechanism could make Earth rotate fast enough to split apart.

(C) The Apollo samples disproved the theory directly.

(D) The Moon's orbit was too circular to support the theory.

Question 3 (Negative Factual / EXCEPT)

According to the passage, all of the following were problems with early Moon formation theories EXCEPT:

(A) the fission hypothesis could not explain how Earth could rotate fast enough

(B) the capture hypothesis required an improbable loss of energy

(C) the co-formation hypothesis could not explain the Moon's smaller iron core

(D) the giant impact hypothesis could not explain the Moon's circular orbit

Question 4 (Inference)

It can be inferred from Paragraph 3 that a captured object would be expected to have:

(A) a perfectly circular orbit

(B) an orbit aligned with Earth's equator

(C) an orbit that is not perfectly circular or aligned

(D) the same composition as Earth

Question 5 (Rhetorical Purpose)

Why does the author mention "the Moon's density is similar to that of Earth's outer layers" in Paragraph 2?

(A) To prove the fission hypothesis is correct

(B) To explain why the fission hypothesis seemed appealing

(C) To contrast the Moon with other solar system bodies

(D) To introduce the capture hypothesis

Question 6 (Sentence Simplification)

Which of the following best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in Paragraph 5: *"The impact was so violent that it ejected a large amount of material into space."*

(A) The impact was violent, and material was ejected into space.

(B) The impact ejected material because it was so violent.

(C) A large amount of material was ejected, which made the impact violent.

(D) The violence of the impact was caused by material in space.

Question 7 (Insert Text)

Look at the four positions marked [A], [B], [C], [D] in Paragraph 6.

*"This would make the Moon's formation an extremely rare event in the universe."*

Despite its success, the giant impact hypothesis is not without critics. [A] Some scientists have pointed out that the hypothesis requires a very specific set of conditions to produce the Moon we observe today. [B] The angle and speed of the impact, for example, must fall within a narrow range. [C] In addition, recent analyses of lunar samples have revealed that the Moon's isotopic composition is nearly identical to Earth's — more similar than the giant impact hypothesis would predict. [D] These findings have led some researchers to propose modified versions of the theory, while others continue to search for alternative explanations.

Where would the sentence best fit?

(A) [A]

(B) [B]

(C) [C]

(D) [D]

Question 8 (Reference)

The word "It" in Paragraph 5 refers to:

(A) the impact

(B) the giant impact hypothesis

(C) the Moon

(D) the ejected material

Question 9 (Prose Summary)

An introductory sentence for a summary of the passage is provided below. Complete the summary by selecting the THREE answer choices that express the most important ideas in the passage.

*The origin of the Moon has been explained by several competing theories.*

(A) The fission hypothesis proposed that the Moon broke off from a rapidly rotating Earth.

(B) The Apollo missions returned lunar samples that provided crucial new data.

(C) The capture hypothesis suggested the Moon formed elsewhere and was captured by Earth's gravity.

(D) The co-formation hypothesis held that Earth and the Moon formed together but could not explain the Moon's small iron core.

(E) The giant impact hypothesis, currently the leading theory, explains many observations but still faces challenges.

(F) The Moon's isotopic composition is nearly identical to Earth's.

Question 10 (Fill in a Table)

Complete the table by matching each theory with its main problem or weakness.

Theory	Main Problem
Fission hypothesis	?
Capture hypothesis	?
Co-formation hypothesis	?

Choices:

(A) Could not explain why the Moon has a smaller iron core than Earth

(B) No known mechanism could make Earth rotate fast enough

(C) Requires a narrow range of impact conditions

(D) A captured object would be unlikely to have such a circular, aligned orbit

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Answer Key & Full Analysis

Question 1: (B) guess

"Speculate" means to form a theory without firm evidence — in other words, to guess. The context: "scientists could only speculate about how the Moon formed" (before they had samples). They couldn't prove (C) or measure (D). "Argue" (A) is too strong — they weren't arguing yet, they were guessing.

(中文：speculate = 猜测。上下文说在拿到样本之前，科学家只能猜测。)

Question 2: (B) No mechanism could make Earth rotate fast enough to split apart.

Paragraph 2 states directly: "no known mechanism could have caused Earth to rotate fast enough to split apart. Most scientists eventually abandoned this theory." This is a pure Detail question — the answer is stated. (A) is wrong — the passage says the densities are *similar*. (C) is wrong — the passage doesn't say Apollo samples disproved it. (D) is wrong — that problem belongs to the capture hypothesis.

(中文：细节题，答案在原文直接给出。第二段明确说没有机制能让地球转得足够快。)

Question 3: (D) the giant impact hypothesis could not explain the Moon's circular orbit.

This is an EXCEPT question. (A), (B), and (C) are all stated problems with their respective theories. (D) is *false* — the passage says the giant impact hypothesis *did* explain the circular orbit ("It also explained the Moon's nearly circular orbit"). So (D) is not a problem, making it the correct EXCEPT answer.

(中文：EXCEPT题。A、B、C都是原文提到的各理论的缺陷，D是错的——大碰撞假说恰恰解释了月球近圆轨道，所以它不是"问题"。)

Question 4: (C) an orbit that is not perfectly circular or aligned.

Paragraph 3 says the Moon's orbit is "nearly circular and lies close to Earth's equatorial plane, which is not what one would expect from a captured object." So a captured object would be expected to have a *different* orbit — not circular, not aligned. (C) is the correct inference. (A) and (B) are the opposite. (D) is not supported.

(中文：推断题。原文说月球的近圆、近赤道轨道"不是捕获物体该有的"，所以反推：捕获物体应该有不太圆、不对齐的轨道。)

Question 5: (B) To explain why the fission hypothesis seemed appealing.

The sentence is used to show why the theory had "intuitive appeal." The author isn't proving it correct (A) — in fact, the next sentence says it faced a serious problem. It's not contrasting with other bodies (C) or introducing capture (D). It's explaining the appeal.

(中文：修辞目的题。作者提密度相似是为了说明分裂假说"为什么看起来有道理"，为后文的否定做铺垫。)

Question 6: (B) The impact ejected material because it was so violent.

The original uses "so...that" — cause and effect. The violence *caused* the ejection. (B) preserves this. (A) loses the causal link. (C) reverses the causation. (D) is nonsense.

(中文：句子简化题。so...that结构表达因果：撞击太猛烈→物质被抛射。B保留了因果关系。)

Question 7: (C) [C]

The inserted sentence "This would make the Moon's formation an extremely rare event" refers to the narrow range of conditions just described. It fits best after the sentence about the narrow range of impact angle and speed (position [C]). "This" refers back to the specific conditions. Position [B] is too early — the conditions haven't been fully described. Position [D] breaks the flow into the isotopic evidence.

(中文：插入题。"This"指代前面说的"撞击条件必须很窄"，所以放在描述完窄范围条件之后，即[C]处。)

Question 8: (B) the giant impact hypothesis

"It" in "It accounted for the Moon's low iron content" refers to the giant impact hypothesis, the subject of the paragraph. Test by substitution: "The giant impact hypothesis accounted for the Moon's low iron content" — correct.

(中文：指代题。It指代本段主题"大碰撞假说"。)

Question 9: (A), (C), (E)

The passage's main ideas are the three theories and their problems. (A), (C), and (E) cover the fission, capture, and giant impact theories. (B) is a supporting detail. (D) is partly right but too specific — it focuses on one weakness. (F) is a detail, not a main idea.

(中文：总结题。选三个主要观点：分裂假说、捕获假说、大碰撞假说。B、D、F都是细节或过于具体。)

Question 10:

Theory	Main Problem
Fission hypothesis	(B) No known mechanism could make Earth rotate fast enough
Capture hypothesis	(D) A captured object would be unlikely to have such a circular, aligned orbit
Co-formation hypothesis	(A) Could not explain why the Moon has a smaller iron core than Earth

(C) is a problem with the giant impact hypothesis, not one of these three.

(中文：填表题。分裂假说→无法解释地球转速；捕获假说→轨道不该这么圆；共同形成假说→无法解释月球铁核小。C是第四种理论的问题，不选。)

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Scoring Breakdown

Question	Type	Points	Your Score
1	Vocabulary	1
2	Detail	1
3	Except-NOT	1
4	Inference	1
5	Rhetorical Purpose	1
6	Sentence Simplification	1
7	Insert Text	1
8	Reference	1
9	Prose Summary	2
10	Fill in a Table	3
**Total**		**13**

How to interpret your score on this passage:

- 13/13: You're on track for 28+. Keep practicing.

- 11-12/13: Solid. Review the questions you missed — usually Inference or Rhetorical Purpose.

- 9-10/13: You're around 24-25. Focus on the summary and table questions — they're worth 5 points.

- Below 9: Go back to Chapter 1. You're probably reading everything first or misreading question types.

(中文：这篇共13分。13分满分说明你已具备28+的潜力；9-10分说明在24-25区间，重点练总结题和填表题。)

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End of free preview.

The following chapters are available in the full version:

- Passage 2 (PAID): "The Evolution of Birds" — full passage, 10 questions, analysis

- Passage 3 (PAID): "The Rise of Ancient Rome" — full passage, 10 questions, analysis

- Chart 3: 3 Passages Score Breakdown — track your progress across all three

3 Passages Score Breakdown — Track Your Progress

Passage          | Topic                  | Max Score | Your Score
-----------------|------------------------|-----------|------------
Passage 1 (Free) | The Origin of the Moon | 13        | ____
Passage 2 (Paid) | The Evolution of Birds| 13        | ____
Passage 3 (Paid) | The Rise of Ancient Rome| 13      | ____
-----------------|------------------------|-----------|------------
Total            |                        | 39        | ____

Score Interpretation:
- 35-39: 28+ range — you're ready
- 30-34: 25-27 range — polish weak question types
- 24-29: 22-24 range — review strategy (Chapter 1)
- Below 24: 20 or below — restart with fundamentals

Note: The three passages cover astronomy, biology, and history —
the three most common TOEFL Reading topic areas.

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What's Next

In the full guide, Passage 2 ("The Evolution of Birds") tests your understanding of biology passages — which often use classification and comparison structures. Passage 3 ("The Rise of Ancient Rome") covers history — which relies on chronology and cause-effect. Each comes with the same full analysis you saw here.

But here's the truth: you don't need 100 passages. You need to master the method on 3-5, then apply it under timed conditions. Most students who grind through 50 passages without fixing their strategy stay stuck at 22. Students who master one passage deeply, then repeat the method, break through.

Practice Passage 1 again tomorrow. Time yourself. Apply the skim-and-locate method. Then check your score against the breakdown.

(中文：不需要刷100篇，而是要把方法练熟。把Passage 1明天再计时做一遍，用"略读+定位"法，然后对照评分表。方法对了，分数自然到。)

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