Latihan Soal TOEFL Reading Skill 8: Menentukan Arti Kata dalam Sebuah Bacaan

Text 1

Cardamom is not as widely used as a spice in the United States as it is in other parts of the world. This fruit of the ginger plant provides an oil that basically has been used solely as a stimulant in American and English medicines. Other cultures have recognized the multipurpose benefits of this aromatic fruit. In Asia it is used to season sauces such as curry; in Middle Eastern countries it is steeped to prepare a flavorful golden-colored tea; in parts of Northern Europe it is used as a spice in various types of pastry.

1. The word "solely" in line 2 could best be replaced by

(A) initially

(B) only

(C) reportedly

(D) healthfully

2. The word "multipurpose" in line 3 is closest in meaning to

(A) health

(B) singular

(C) recognized

(D) varied

3. Which of the following is closest in meaning to the word "season" in line 4?

(A) Divide

(B) Forecast

(C) Spice

(D) Put a time limit

4. "Curry" in line 4 is

(A) the fruit of the ginger plant

(B) a spicy type of sauce

(C) a culture in the area of the Middle East

(D) a type of golden-colored tea

5. The word "steeped" in line 5 is closest in meaning to

(A) soaked

(B) dried

(C) stored

(D) grown

Text 2

The life span of an elephant that dies from natural causes is about sixty-five years. Of course, an elephant can perish from a number of "unnatural causes"; e.g., it can be killed by hunters, most probably for the valuable ivory in its tusks; it can die from diseases that spread throughout an elephant herd; or it can die from drought or from the lack of food that almost certainly accompanies the inadequate supply of water.

If, however, an elephant survives these disasters, it falls prey to old age in its mid-sixties. Around this age, the cause of death is attributed to the loss of the final set of molars. When this last set of teeth is gone, the elephant dies from malnutrition because it is unable to obtain adequate nourishment. In old age, elephants tend to search out a final home where there is shade for comfort from the sun and soft vegetation for cushioning; the bones of many old elephants have been found in such places.

6. The word "perish" in line 2 means

(A) fall ill

(B) shoot

(C) die

(D) get rich

7. The word "unnatural" in line 2 is closest in meaning to

(A) wild

(B) violent

(C) domesticated

(D) abnormal

8. The word "drought" in line 4 means

(A) a drowning

(B) a lack of food

(C) an inadequate supply of water

(D) an overabundance of animals

9. Which of the following could be used to replace the word "survives" in line 6?

(A) Rises to

(B) Succumbs to

(C) Denies

(D) Lives through

10. "Molars" in line 7 are

(A) germs

(B) old-age characteristics

(C) types of food

(D) teeth

11. In line 8, "malnutrition" is used to describe someone who

(A) is in good health

(B) has an illness

(C) suffers from poor eating

(D) experiences dental problems

12. The expression "a final home" in line 9 is closest in meaning to

(A) a place to die

(B) a comfortable house

(C) a place for sale

(D) the only remaining place to live

13. The word "shade" in line 9 is closest in meaning to

(A) color

(B) heat

(C) diminished light

(D) a front porch

Kunci Jawaban:

1. B

2. D

3. C

4. B

5. A

6. C

7. D

8. C

9. D

10. D

11. C

12. A

13. C