SKILL 3: ANSWER STATED DETAIL QUESTIONS CORRECTLY

A stated detail question asks about one piece of information in the passage rather than the
passage as a whole. The answers to these questions are generally given in order in the passage,
and the correct answer is often a restatement of what is given in the passage. This means that the
correct answer often expresses the same idea as what is written in the passage, but the words are
not exactly the same. The questions that test stated details are generally multiple-choice
questions. On the computer test, there may also be a type of stated detail question that asks you
to click on an appropriate drawing. Look at a multiple-choice example from the paper TOEFL
test that asks about a stated detail from the passage.

Example from the Paper TOEFL Test

The passage:

Williamsburg is a historic city in Virginia that was settled

by English colonists in 1633, twenty-six years after the first
permanent English colony in America was settled at
Line Jamestown. In the beginning, the colony at Williamsburg was
(5) named Middle Plantation because of its location in the middle
of a peninsula between two rivers, the York and the James.
The site for Williamsburg had been selected by the colonists
because the soil drainage was better there than at the Jamestown
location, and there were fewer mosquitoes.

The question:

The passage indicates that Jamestown

(A) was settled in 1633
(B) was settled twenty-six years after Williamsburg
(C) was the first permanent English colony in America
This question asks what
(D) the
waspassage indicates
originally named about
MiddleJamestown,
Plantation so you know that the answer to
this question will be directly stated in the passage. You should skim through the passage to find
the part of the passage that discusses Jamestown. The answer to this question is found in the
statement that Williamsburg was settled by English colonists in 1633, twenty-six years after the
first permanent English colony in America was settled at Jamestown. Answer (A) is incorrect
because it was Williamsburg that was settled in 1633. Answer (B) is incorrect because
Jamestown was settled before rather than after Williamsburg. Answer (D) is incorrect because
the name Middle Plantation referred to Williamsburg. The best answer to this question is answer
(C) because the passage directly states that Jamestown was the first permanent English colony in
America.
 Now look at a multiple-choice example of a stated detail question from the computer
TOEFL test.

This question asks what is true according to the passage about why the colonists chose
Williamsburg, so you know that the answer will be directly stated in the passage. You should
skim through the passage to find the part of the passage that discusses this topic. The answer to
this question is found in the statement that the site for Williamsburg had been selected by the
colonists because the soil drainage was better there. The first answer is not correct because
Williamsburg was in America rather than England, the second answer is not correct because
Williamsburg was located close to two rivers, and the third answer is not correct because there
were fewer mosquitoes. It is stated in the passage that the soil drained well, so the last answer is
the best answer. You should click on the last answer to this question.
 Next, look at a click-on question from the computer TOEFL test that asks you to select
one of four drawings that answers a stated detail question.

This question asks you to click on the drawing that shows the location of Williamsburg, so you
know that the answer is directly stated in the passage. The passage mentions Williamsburg and
its location in the middle of a peninsula between two rivers. Drawing (A) is incorrect because it
shows only one river. Drawing (B) is incorrect because Williamsburg is not in the middle of the
peninsula. Drawing (C) is incorrect because there is only one river. Drawing (D) is the one that
has Williamsburg on a peninsula between two rivers and is therefore the best answer to the
question. You should click on drawing (D) to answer this question.

The following chart outlines the key information that you should remember about stated
detail questions:

STATED DETAIL QUESTIONS

HOW TO IDENTIFY on both paper According to the passage, ...

THE QUESTION
and computer It is stated in the passage ...

tests The passage indicates that ...

Which of the following is true...?

on computer Click on the paragraph that ...

 test only

WHERE TO FIND The answers to these questions are found in order in the passage.
THE ANSWER

HOW TO ANSWER 1. Choose a key word in the question.

2. Skim in the appropriate part of the passage for the key word or
THE QUESTION idea.
3. Read the sentence that contains the key word or idea carefully.
4. Eliminate the definitely wrong answers and choose the best
answer from the remaining choices.

TOEFL EXERCISE 3: Study each of the passages and choose the best answers to the questions
that follow.

PASSAGE ONE (Questions 1-4)

Ice ages, those periods when ice covered extensive areas of the Earth, are known to have
occurred at least six times. Past ice ages can be recognized from rock strata that show evidence of
foreign materials deposited by moving walls of ice or melting glaciers. Ice ages can also be
Line recognized from land formations that have been produced from moving walls of ice, such as U-
(5) shaped valleys, sculptured landscapes, and polished rock faces.

1. According to the passage, what happens during an ice age?

(A) Rock strata are recognized by geologists.
(B) Evidence of foreign materials is found.
(C) Ice covers a large portion of the Earth's surface.
(D) Ice melts six times.

2. The passage covers how many different methods of recognizing past ice ages?
(A) One
(B) Two
(C) Three
(D) Four

3. According to the passage, what in the rock strata is a clue to geologists of a past ice age?
(A) Ice
(B) Melting glaciers
(C) U-shaped valleys
(D) Substances from other areas
 4. Click on the drawing that shows the type of valley mentioned in the passage that results
from melting glaciers.

PASSAGE TWO (Questions 5-7)

The human heart is divided into four chambers, each of which serves its own function in the
cycle of pumping blood. The atria are the thin-walled upper chambers that gather blood as it
flows from the veins between heartbeats. The ventricles are the thick-walled lower chambers that
receive blood from the atria and push it into the arteries with each contraction of the heart. The
Line left atrium and ventricle work separately from those on the right. The role of the chambers on
(5) the right side of the heart is to receive oxygen-depleted blood from the body tissues and send it
on to the lungs; the chambers on the left side of the heart then receive the oxygen-enriched
blood from the lungs and send it back out to the body tissues.
5. The passage indicates that the ventricles
(A) have relatively thin walls
(B) send blood to the atria
(C) are above the atria
(D) force blood into the arteries
6. According to the passage, when is blood pushed into the arteries from the ventricles?
(A) As the heart beats
(B) Between heartbeats
(C) Before each contraction of the heart
(D) Before it is received by the atria
7. l

PASSAGE THREE (Questions 8-11)

The Golden Age of Railroads refers to the period from the end of the Civil War to the
beginning of World War I when railroads flourished and, in fact, maintained a near monopoly in
mass transportation in the United States. One of the significant developments during the period
Line was the notable increase in uniformity, particularly through the standardization of track gauge
(5) and time.
At the end of the Civil War, only about half of the nation's railroad track was laid at what is
now the standard gauge of 1.4 meters; much of the rest, particularly in the southern states, had a
1.5 meter gauge. During the postwar years, tracks were converted to the l.4-meter gauge, and by
June 1, 1886, the standardization of tracks was completed, resulting in increased efficiency and
8. Click on the drawing that shows the period of the Golden Age of Railroads.

9. According to the passage, the Golden Age of Railroads

(A) was a result of World War I
(B) was a period when most of U.S. mass transportation was controlled by the railroads
(C) resulted in a decrease in uniformity of track gauge
(D) resulted in standardization of train stations

10. The passage mentions that which of the following occurred as a result of uniformity of
track gauge?
(A) The Civil War
(B) Improved economy in the transportation system
(C) Standardization of time zones
(D) Railroad schedules
11. The passage indicates that standard time was implemented
(A) before the Civil War
(B) on June 1, 1886
(C) after World War I
(D) before standardized track gauge was established throughout the United States