Prepare for the post–21 January 2026 TOEFL Reading section with Complete the Words, Read in Daily Life, and Read an Academic Passage practice. Review explanations to understand mistakes across the adaptive section.
What this guide covers
Answer first
Current TOEFL iBT Reading uses Complete the Words, Read in Daily Life, and Read an Academic Passage. ETS lists about 50 items in a 30-minute base time, with time and item counts varying as the section adapts.
Official source: ETS TOEFL iBT test content and structure · Source checked · Published by English AIdol · Editorial and corrections policy
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Prepare for the post–21 January 2026 TOEFL Reading section with Complete the Words, Read in Daily Life, and Read an Academic Passage practice. Review explanations to understand mistakes across the adaptive section.
Free mini practice
Try one original item for each current Reading task family: word completion, daily-life reading, and academic reading.
How to try it: Choose an answer before reading the rationale. Label each miss as grammar-in-context, practical-detail reading, or academic relationship reading.
1. Complete the Words
Plants in dry regions often conserve water by reducing leaf surface area. This adapt_____ limits moisture loss during hot weather.
Answer or self-check: adaptation
Why: “This” points to the preceding strategy, and the sentence needs a singular noun before “limits”. “Adaptation” fits meaning and grammar.
2. Read in Daily Life
Community Science Lab notice: Equipment orientation has moved to Wednesday at 4 p.m. Participants who are already certified may arrive at 4:30 for the experiment.
Answer or self-check: A. Wednesday at 4 p.m.
Why: Only participants who are already certified may skip the orientation and arrive at 4:30. A new participant needs the 4 p.m. orientation.
3. Read an Academic Passage
Early explanations assumed that city birds sang more loudly only because traffic masked quiet sounds. Later observations found that some species also changed pitch before the morning traffic began, suggesting that learned behaviour may contribute to the difference.
Answer or self-check: B. Some birdsong changes may involve learning as well as noise conditions.
Why: The passage contrasts an earlier single-cause explanation with evidence for an additional learned component. B preserves both parts of that relationship.
For tests from 21 January 2026, Reading is adaptive and uses Complete the Words, Read in Daily Life, and Read an Academic Passage. ETS lists about 50 items in roughly 30 minutes; operational timing can vary.
Current practice should cover completing words in context, reading everyday informational texts, and answering questions about academic passages.