Latihan Soal TOEFL Reading Skill 7: Menentukan Kemungkinan Topik Paragraf Sebelum / Lanjutan Bacaan

Text 1

Another program instrumental in the popularization of science was Cosmos. This series, broadcast on public television, dealt with topics and issues from varied fields of science. The principal writer and narrator of the program was Carl Sagan, a noted astronomer and Pulitzer Prize- winning author.

1. The paragraph preceding this passage most probably discusses

(A) a different scientific television series

(B) Carl Sagan’s scientific achievements

(C) the Pulitzer Prize won by Carl Sagan

(D) public television

2. The paragraph following this passage most likely contains information on what?

(A) The popularity of science

(B) The program Cosmos

(C) The astronomer Carl Sagan

(D) Topics and issues from various fields of science

Text 2

When a strong earthquake occurs on the ocean floor rather than on land, a tremendous force is exerted on the seawater and one or more large, destructive waves called tsunamis can be formed. Tsunamis are commonly called tidal waves in the United States, but this is really an inappropriate name in that the cause of the tsunami is an underground earthquake rather than the ocean’s tides.

Far from land, a tsunami can move through the wide open vastness of the ocean at a speed of 600 miles (900 kilometers) per hour and often can travel tremendous distances without losing height and strength. When a tsunami reaches shallow coastal water, it can reach a height of 100 feet (30 meters) or more and can cause tremendous flooding and damage to coastal areas.

3. The paragraph preceding the passage most probably discusses

(A) tsunamis in various parts of the world

(B) the negative effects of tsunamis

(C) land-based earthquakes

(D) the effect of tides on tsunamis

4. Which of the following is most likely the topic of the paragraph following the passage?

(A) The causes of tsunamis

(B) The destructive effects of tsunamis on the coast

(C) The differences between tsunamis and tidal waves

(D) The distances covered by tsunamis

Text 3

While draft laws are federal laws, marriage laws are state laws rather than federal; marriage regulations are therefore not uniform throughout the country. The legal marriage age serves as an example of this lack of conformity. In most states, both the man and the woman must be at least eighteen years old to marry without parental consent; however, the states of Nebraska and Wyoming require the couple to be at least nineteen, while the minimum age in Mississippi is twenty-one. If parental permission is given, then a couple can marry at sixteen in some states, and a few states even allow marriage before the age of sixteen, though a judge's permission, in addition to the permission of the parents, is sometimes required in this situation. Some states which allow' couples to marry at such a young age are now considering doing away with such early marriages because of the numerous negative effects of these young marriages.

5. The paragraph preceding the passage most probably discusses

(A) state marriage laws

(B) the lack of uniformity in marriage laws

(C) federal draft laws

(D) the minimum legal marriage age

6. The topic of the paragraph following the passage is most likely to be

(A) disadvantages of youthful marriages

(B) reasons why young people decide to marry

(C) the age when parental consent for marriage is required

(D) a discussion of why some states allow marriages before the age of sixteen

Key Answers:

1. A

2. C

3. C

4. B

5. C

6. A