TOEFL Junior Practice Tests

Part 1 — Short Talks (Questions 1–12)

In this part of the test, you will hear short talks given in a school setting. After each talk, you will hear a question about it. Choose the best answer to each question. You will hear each talk only once.

1. What is the main purpose of the talk? (A) To introduce the library's student helpers (B) To explain a new way to return books (C) To ask students to borrow more books (D) To announce that the front desk will close
2. Why will the tryouts be held in the gym? (A) The soccer field is being repaired (B) Heavy rain is expected in the afternoon (C) Cleats have damaged the soccer field (D) More students signed up than last year
3. What is changing for the next two weeks? (A) The place where the bus stops (B) The time the bus picks students up (C) The person who drives the bus (D) The day the road work will begin
4. What does the nurse want students to do this week? (A) Stay inside the building during recess (B) Drink water often during the day (C) Visit the health office every morning (D) Wear hats during outdoor classes
5. What will probably happen if a student orders a yearbook next week? (A) The student's photo will be retaken (B) The yearbook will cost more (C) The order form will be sent home (D) The student will miss photo day
6. What must students include in their proposal? (A) A list of materials they need (B) The results of their experiment (C) Comments from a parent or friend (D) A drawing of their display board
7. What will the students probably do next? (A) Get on the bus to the museum (B) Eat their lunches in the museum café (C) Get permission slips from the teacher (D) Hand in their signed permission slips
8. Why is the cafeteria adding a salad bar? (A) The potato bar was not popular (B) Lunch prices will go up next week (C) Students asked for it in a survey (D) The school has a new kitchen
9. Where should students get their instruments this week? (A) From their usual shelf in the music room (B) From the stage in the auditorium (C) From the custodians' office (D) From the closet next to the gym
10. What must students do first to run for student council? (A) Give a speech at an assembly (B) Get a form from the main office (C) Collect votes from their teachers (D) Write a letter to the principal
11. What is the speaker mainly trying to do? (A) Explain how to plant flowers (B) Get more students to volunteer (C) Thank students for cleaning the park (D) Describe the school's new T-shirts
12. According to the teacher, what will students do at the audition? (A) Read a scene with another student (B) Perform a speech from memory (C) Help build the sets for the play (D) Sing a song from the comedy

Part 2 — Conversation (Questions 13–16)

Listen to the conversation. Then answer the questions. You will hear the conversation only once.

1. What problem are the students discussing? (A) The garden club does not have enough members (B) Animals have been eating the tomato plants (C) The salsa contest has been canceled this year (D) The garden plants are not getting enough water
2. Why does the girl suggest having two people water each day? (A) So the plants get twice as much water (B) So the watering is done before lunchtime (C) So no one has to water more than once a week (D) So new members can learn from older ones
3. Why does the girl say, “Tape? Wow, that was a great idea.” (A) She wants to use more tape on the hose (B) She thinks the repair did not work well (C) She is glad that the hose was fixed (D) She thinks the custodian did a good job
4. What will the girl probably do tonight? (A) Buy a new hose for the shed (B) Water the tomato plants (C) Talk to the school custodian (D) Make a watering schedule

Part 2 — Conversation (Questions 17–19)

Listen to the conversation. Then answer the questions. You will hear the conversation only once.

1. Why does the boy go to see the teacher? (A) He will miss a test because of a band trip (B) He needs extra help understanding fractions (C) He wants the teacher to join the school band (D) He lost the review sheet for the unit test
2. Why does the teacher say no to an early test? (A) He wants everyone to have equal study time (B) The band students must take it together (C) His classroom is busy until next Friday (D) The boy's parents have to agree first
3. What will the boy probably do on Wednesday? (A) Take the unit test at lunch (B) Tell the other band students (C) Travel to the band competition (D) Pick up the review sheet

Part 2 — Conversation (Questions 20–23)

Listen to the conversation. Then answer the questions. You will hear the conversation only once.

1. Why does the girl first speak to the librarian? (A) She cannot find a book on the shelf (B) She wants to return an overdue book (C) She cannot log in to the database (D) She needs to borrow an old newspaper
2. Where was the book the girl was looking for? (A) In the history section of the library (B) On a shelf in her teacher's room (C) On a cart of returned books (D) At another student's home
3. According to the librarian, which is an example of a primary source? (A) A book written today about the canal (B) A website made by a history teacher (C) A report written by a classmate (D) A diary written at the time
4. What does the librarian say about the overdue book? (A) The girl must pay a small fine (B) Other students are waiting for it (C) It can be renewed online (D) It is not due until next week

Part 2 — Conversation (Questions 24–26)

Listen to the conversation. Then answer the questions. You will hear the conversation only once.

1. What is the conversation mainly about? (A) A student getting ready for a math test (B) A student looking for something he lost (C) A calculator that has stopped working (D) A change to the afternoon bus schedule
2. What does the woman say about valuable items? (A) They go in the hallway box (B) They are given to the teachers (C) They are kept for only a few days (D) They are kept in the office
3. What will the boy probably do next? (A) Fill out the lost item card (B) Take one of the gray calculators (C) Catch the bus to go home (D) Talk to his science teacher

Part 3 — Academic Talk (Questions 27–30)

Listen to the talk. Then answer the questions. You will hear the talk only once.

1. What is the talk mainly about? (A) Why octopuses have soft bodies with no bones (B) How octopuses blend in with their surroundings (C) How octopuses creep up on crabs to catch them (D) What octopuses can see with their eyes
2. According to the teacher, what happens when the muscles around a chromatophore pull? (A) The color spreads out and can be seen (B) The skin becomes rough and bumpy (C) The color bag shrinks to a tiny dot (D) The octopus sends a signal to its eyes
3. Why does the teacher mention the octopus's eyes? (A) To point out a puzzle that is still unsolved (B) To explain how octopuses notice nearby predators (C) To compare the eyes of octopuses and crabs (D) To show that octopuses see many bright colors
4. What will the class probably do tomorrow? (A) Visit an aquarium to see octopuses (B) Study the shells of crabs and clams (C) Watch a video of an octopus hunting (D) Read about sharks and other predators

Part 3 — Academic Talk (Questions 31–34)

Listen to the talk. Then answer the questions. You will hear the talk only once.

1. What is the main topic of the discussion? (A) The way silk was made in China (B) Famous inventions from ancient China (C) A highway built between China and Rome (D) A network of ancient trade routes
2. What does the teacher say about the name “Silk Road”? (A) It was chosen by Chinese traders (B) It was first used in ancient Rome (C) It came from a road paved with silk (D) It was given much later
3. Why does the teacher mention a relay race? (A) To show that goods passed between many traders (B) To show that traders moved goods very quickly (C) To explain why traders used camels in deserts (D) To describe a contest held at the rest stops
4. What does the teacher say about paper? (A) Knowledge of making it spread west (B) It was worth more than silk in Rome (C) It was first made by traders in Rome (D) It was used to wrap silk for travel

Part 3 — Academic Talk (Questions 35–38)

Listen to the talk. Then answer the questions. You will hear the talk only once.

1. What is the talk mainly about? (A) How a prism is made from a piece of glass (B) Why sunlight usually looks white or yellow (C) How raindrops turn sunlight into a rainbow (D) Why rain often falls in the late afternoon
2. What happens first when sunlight enters a raindrop? (A) It bends and changes direction (B) It bounces off the back of the drop (C) It turns into pure white light (D) It leaves the drop right away
3. Why is red always on the outside of a rainbow? (A) Red light bends more than violet light (B) Red is the brightest color in sunlight (C) Higher drops send red light to the viewer (D) The sun shines behind the top of the arch
4. What can be inferred about seeing a rainbow? (A) It is easiest to see one in the middle of the day (B) Rainbows can be seen only from an airplane (C) It can appear only after the rain has stopped (D) A person looking toward the sun will not see one

Part 3 — Academic Talk (Questions 39–42)

Listen to the talk. Then answer the questions. You will hear the talk only once.

1. What is the talk mainly about? (A) How to play the trumpet in a jazz band (B) How jazz is different from classical music (C) Where jazz came from and how it grew (D) Famous jazz clubs in Chicago and New York
2. Why does the teacher mention Congo Square? (A) To name the first jazz club in the city (B) To describe one early root of jazz (C) To show where brass bands held parades (D) To say where Louis Armstrong learned trumpet
3. According to the teacher, what is improvisation? (A) Playing a song the same way every time (B) Singing a line that a group then answers (C) Making up music while playing (D) Mixing piano music with a brass band
4. According to the teacher, how did records and radio affect jazz? (A) They made musicians move back to New Orleans (B) They made jazz clubs close in many cities (C) They let people all over the country hear it (D) They made improvisation much less common

Questions 1–6 refer to the following e-mail.

Read the text. Choose the word or phrase that correctly completes each numbered space.

1. 6 questions heard only: use the interactive player to listen and choose the best answer.

Questions 7–12 refer to the following notice.

Read the text. Choose the word or phrase that correctly completes each numbered space.

1. 6 questions heard only: use the interactive player to listen and choose the best answer.

Questions 13–18 refer to the following blog post.

Read the text. Choose the word or phrase that correctly completes each numbered space.

1. 6 questions heard only: use the interactive player to listen and choose the best answer.

Questions 19–24 refer to the following article.

Read the text. Choose the word or phrase that correctly completes each numbered space.

1. 6 questions heard only: use the interactive player to listen and choose the best answer.

Questions 25–30 refer to the following story.

Read the text. Choose the word or phrase that correctly completes each numbered space.

1. 6 questions heard only: use the interactive player to listen and choose the best answer.

Questions 31–37 refer to the following biography.

Read the text. Choose the word or phrase that correctly completes each numbered space.

1. 7 questions heard only: use the interactive player to listen and choose the best answer.

Questions 38–42 refer to the following article.

Read the text. Choose the word or phrase that correctly completes each numbered space.

1. 5 questions heard only: use the interactive player to listen and choose the best answer.

Questions 1–4 refer to the following poster.

Read the poster. Then answer questions 1–4.

1. What is the main purpose of the poster? (A) To announce new opening hours at the library (B) To invite students to join a reading program (C) To ask students to donate their old books (D) To explain how to get a new library card
2. How can a student earn a stamp? (A) By going to an author visit in the Community Room (B) By signing up for the challenge at the front desk (C) By finishing a book and showing the log to a librarian (D) By watching a movie at Friday Film Night
3. What will a student who collects ten stamps receive? (A) Two passes to a movie night (B) A tote bag from the library (C) A place on the Wall of Readers (D) A seat at an author visit
4. What is probably true about the author visits? (A) Students must collect five stamps before they can attend. (B) Some students who want to attend may not get a seat. (C) They take place every afternoon during the summer. (D) Students have to bring a book written by the author.

Questions 5–9 refer to the following e-mails.

Read the e-mails. Then answer questions 5–9.

1. Why did Liam write to Mr. Grant? (A) To ask for help with a math problem (B) To invite him to a chess tournament (C) To ask him to join the math team (D) To ask him to help lead a new club
2. Why did Liam think Mr. Grant might be interested? (A) He was once a chess champion. (B) He has already started two other clubs at school. (C) He gives the class brain teasers. (D) He has free time on Wednesdays.
3. In Mr. Grant's e-mail, the phrase “hold off on” in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to (A) try to finish (B) pay attention to (C) wait before doing (D) carry around
4. According to Mr. Grant, what must happen before the club becomes official? (A) Eight students must join, and the principal must sign a form. (B) Olivia must make posters, and the office must approve and hang them. (C) Liam must bring his chessboard to Room 210 every week. (D) The students must find a room and pay for new chessboards.
5. What will the club probably do during the first week of each month? (A) Meet in the main office (B) Skip the meeting completely (C) Meet during lunch on Wednesday (D) Meet on Thursday

Questions 10–17 refer to the following story.

Read the story. Then answer questions 10–17.

1. Which of the following would be the best title for the story? (A) Lost Near the Highway (B) A Little Patience (C) The Shelter's Busiest Day (D) Tyler's First Week at School
2. The word “budge” in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to (A) move (B) bark (C) blink (D) listen
3. According to the shelter manager, why had Maple not been adopted? (A) She had only arrived at the shelter a few days before. (B) Visitors walked past her because she hid at the back. (C) She barked loudly whenever families came near her. (D) She was older than most of the other shelter dogs.
4. Why does the author include Tyler's memory of his first week at a new school? (A) To show where Tyler got his idea for helping Maple (B) To explain why Tyler started volunteering at the shelter (C) To show that Tyler still has trouble making friends (D) To introduce the family that later adopts Maple
5. In paragraph 6, how does Tyler most likely feel when Maple takes the treat from his hand? (A) Disappointed that she took so long (B) Nervous that she might bite his hand (C) Bored because nothing seemed to change (D) Excited, but careful not to scare her
6. Tyler did all of the following to help Maple EXCEPT (A) read aloud outside her kennel (B) sit so that he was not staring at her (C) leave a treat inside her kennel door (D) take her outside for short walks
7. The word “they” in paragraph 7 refers to (A) the family (B) the dogs (C) Tyler and Maple (D) the shelter workers
8. What does the end of the story suggest? (A) Tyler will stop volunteering now that Maple is gone. (B) Tyler will try the same quiet method with the new dog. (C) The gray dog will be adopted by Maple's new family. (D) The shelter manager will ask Tyler to find a new job.

Questions 18–25 refer to the following article.

Read the article. Then answer questions 18–25.

1. What is the article mainly about? (A) How honeybees make honey from the nectar of flowers (B) Why honeybee colonies need so many worker bees (C) How honeybees tell each other where to find food (D) How scientists build glass hives to study insects
2. According to paragraph 2, how was von Frisch able to study bee behavior? (A) He watched bees inside hives that had glass walls. (B) He followed foragers as they flew from flower to flower. (C) He attached small radar tags to the bees in his hives. (D) He collected flowers and tested the scents on them.
3. According to paragraph 3, how do bees that watch a round dance find the food? (A) They follow the dancer when she flies out again. (B) They measure how long the dancer runs in a line. (C) They use the smell of the flowers on the dancer. (D) They fly toward the direction of the Sun.
4. The word “she” in paragraph 4 refers to (A) the food (B) the forager (C) the Sun (D) the honeycomb
5. Based on paragraph 4, what would a forager most likely do if the food were in the direction exactly opposite the Sun? (A) Waggle straight up on the honeycomb (B) Run in a small circle in both directions (C) Waggle at an angle to the right of straight up (D) Waggle straight down on the honeycomb
6. The word “rich” in paragraph 5 is closest in meaning to (A) wealthy (B) colorful (C) plentiful (D) distant
7. According to the article, the waggle dance gives other bees information about all of the following EXCEPT (A) the time when the flowers will close (B) the direction of the food (C) how far away the food is (D) how good the food source is
8. Why does the author mention the radar tags in paragraph 6? (A) To show that later research supported von Frisch's ideas (B) To explain how bees find their way back to the hive (C) To show that von Frisch made several mistakes (D) To describe a new way that bees communicate with each other

Questions 26–33 refer to the following article.

Read the article. Then answer questions 26–33.

1. What is the article mainly about? (A) How the first American railroads were built (B) How people measured time before clocks existed (C) Why the prime meridian passes through England (D) Why and how time zones were created
2. According to paragraph 2, how did a town decide when it was noon? (A) By following the time used by the nearest railroad (B) By noting when the Sun was highest in the sky (C) By setting clocks to the time used in the capital (D) By waiting until the Sun had set in the west
3. The word “rarely” in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to (A) not often (B) quickly (C) usually (D) carefully
4. According to paragraph 3, why did railroad times cause problems? (A) Trains traveled too slowly to keep to their schedules. (B) Most train stations had no clocks for travelers to check. (C) Companies used different times, which confused travelers. (D) Railroad workers refused to follow the times in the schedules.
5. Why does the author mention “the day of two noons” in paragraph 4? (A) To show that some railroads refused to use the new time zones (B) To explain why trains ran twice a day in many towns (C) To show that many towns had to reset their clocks that day (D) To explain why each time zone is exactly one hour wide
6. The word “They” in paragraph 5 refers to (A) the countries' railroads (B) the representatives (C) the time zones (D) the lines of longitude
7. Based on paragraph 5, a city that is about 30 degrees east of another city would probably have a time that is (A) about half an hour later (B) about two hours earlier (C) exactly the same (D) about two hours later
8. According to the article, all of the following are true EXCEPT (A) the International Meridian Conference took place in Washington, D.C. (B) railroads in Canada switched to standard time zones in 1883 (C) time zone borders often follow the borders of states or countries (D) the government made time zones official before the railroads used them

Questions 34–42 refer to the following article.

Read the article. Then answer questions 34–42.

1. What is the article mainly about? (A) How Gutenberg's invention changed the way information spread (B) Why books in Europe were copied by hand for hundreds of years (C) How printers in China and Korea developed movable type (D) Why Gutenberg lost his printing equipment to his partner
2. According to paragraph 1, why were books so expensive before the printing press? (A) Only wealthy families were allowed to buy and read books. (B) Each copy had to be written by hand, which took a long time. (C) The paper and ink came from countries very far away. (D) Scribes wrote only a few books during their whole lives.
3. Why does the author mention Bi Sheng in paragraph 2? (A) To explain where Gutenberg learned to work with metal (B) To compare the cost of books in China and in Europe (C) To argue that clay type worked better than metal type (D) To show that movable type existed before Gutenberg's system
4. The word “adapted” in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to (A) bought from someone (B) changed for a new use (C) broke into pieces (D) invented for the first time
5. According to paragraph 3, Gutenberg's system included all of the following EXCEPT (A) metal letters cast in a hand mold (B) ink made with oil instead of water (C) whole pages carved into wooden blocks (D) a press based on a farm machine
6. The word “they” in paragraph 3 refers to (A) the grapes and olives (B) the inks of the time (C) the farmers (D) the metal letters
7. What can be inferred about Gutenberg from paragraph 5? (A) His invention did not bring him much money. (B) He printed only one book during his life. (C) He stopped printing because books were too cheap. (D) He paid back all of his loans very quickly.
8. According to paragraph 6, how did printing help scientists? (A) Scientists no longer needed to take measurements themselves. (B) Printers corrected the mistakes that scientists made in their work. (C) Printed copies were identical, so scientists shared the same data. (D) Scientists could print their books faster than other writers.
9. Which of the following best describes how the article is organized? (A) It compares the lives of three inventors from different countries. (B) It describes a problem, earlier solutions, a new invention, and its effects. (C) It lists the steps for printing a page from beginning to end only. (D) It gives the arguments for and against the use of printing presses in Europe.

Task 1 — Read Aloud

In this task, you will read a text aloud. Imagine that you are a student at Oakwood Middle School. You are giving a tour to a group of new students. You will have 1 minute to read the text silently and prepare. Then you will have 1 minute to read the text aloud.

1. Read the text aloud. Example: Good MORNING, ↗ / and WELCOME to OAKwood Middle School! ↘ // I'm a MEMber of the STUdent COUNcil, / and TOday / I'll be SHOWing you aROUND the BUILDing. ↘ // FIRST, / we'll VISit the LIbrary, / where you can BORrow BOOKS, ↗ / use the comPUTers, ↗ / and get HELP with reSEARCH projects. ↘ // After THAT, / we'll walk past the GYM ↗ / and the SCIence labs ↗ / on our way to the CAFeTERia. ↘ // LUNCH is served in THREE different PERiods, / so please CHECK your SCHEDule / to find out WHEN you EAT. ↘ // Do you have any QUEStions so FAR? ↗ // If you DO, / please RAISE your HAND / at ANy time. ↘ // NOW, / let's get STARTed! ↘

Task 2 — Picture Narration

In this task, you will tell a story based on six pictures. Look at the pictures. You will have 1 minute to prepare. Then you will have 1 minute to tell the story. Tell what happens in all six pictures.

1. Tell the story that is shown in the six pictures. Example: Emma worked really hard on a model of the solar system for the science fair. She finished painting it late at night. The next morning, she carried it carefully to the school bus, and her friend Liam waved to her. But on the way to school, the bus went over a big bump, and the model fell off her lap. Two planets came off and rolled under the seats. Emma and Liam searched under the seats and found the blue one, but the small red one, Mars, was missing. Emma was really worried. Then, at school, Liam made a new Mars out of red clay and put it on the model. In the end, Emma won a blue ribbon at the science fair, and Liam gave her a thumbs-up.

Task 3 — Listen and Speak (Non-academic)

In this task, you will listen to a teacher talking about a school contest. You may take notes. Then you will be asked to talk about it. You will have 45 seconds to prepare and 60 seconds to speak.

1. Your classmate missed Mr. Grant's announcement. Tell your classmate about the photo contest. Explain what they need to do to enter and what the winner will get. Example: Hey, you missed Mr. Grant's announcement, so let me tell you about it. The yearbook club is having a photo contest, and the best photo will go on the cover of the yearbook. Your photo has to show life at our school this year, like a game, a club meeting or a concert. You can send up to three photos. But if there are people in your picture, you have to ask them for permission first. To enter, you can e-mail your photos to the yearbook club or bring them on a flash drive to room 204. The deadline is Friday, March 14th. The yearbook club will vote, and the winner's photo will be on the cover, and the winner also gets a free yearbook.

Task 4 — Listen and Speak (Academic)

In this task, you will listen to a teacher give a short lesson in a biology class. Look at the picture as you listen. You may take notes. Then you will be asked to talk about the lesson. You will have 45 seconds to prepare and 60 seconds to speak.

1. Using information from the talk, explain the life cycle of a frog. Describe how the frog changes at each stage. Example: A frog goes through a big change called metamorphosis. First, a female frog lays hundreds of eggs in a pond. The eggs are covered with jelly that protects them. After about one to three weeks, the eggs hatch into tadpoles. A tadpole has a long tail for swimming, breathes with gills like a fish, and eats algae. Next, the tadpole starts to change. Its back legs grow first, then its front legs, and it develops lungs so it can breathe air. Its tail gets shorter because its body absorbs it for energy. Then it becomes a froglet, a small frog with a little tail, and it can leave the water. Finally, the tail disappears, and it's an adult frog that eats insects. The whole change takes three to four months. Then the adults lay eggs, and the cycle starts again.

Task 1 — Edit (Set 1)

Read the paragraph. Choose the correct option to complete each sentence. You have 2 minutes 30 seconds.

1. 4 questions heard only: use the interactive player to listen and choose the best answer.

Task 1 — Edit (Set 2)

Read the paragraph. Choose the correct option to complete each sentence. You have 2 minutes 30 seconds.

1. 4 questions heard only: use the interactive player to listen and choose the best answer.

Task 2 — E-mail

Read the e-mail. Write a reply that answers the questions. You have 7 minutes.

Task 3 — Opinion

Read the question. Write a paragraph giving your opinion. Your paragraph should be about 100 to 150 words. You have 10 minutes.

Task 4 — Listen-Write

Listen to a teacher talk about an academic topic. You may take notes. Then write about what you heard. You have 10 minutes.