NEW TOEFL Reading Practice Test #4

Explanation:

The passage explicitly states that "the traditional narrative of agriculture as unambiguous progress has been challenged by recent archaeological and anthropological research." The passage then proceeds to present evidence that complicates the simple progress narrative, discussing both the disadvantages of early agriculture and possible explanations for why it was adopted despite these drawbacks. This structure supports option B. Option A is incorrect because the passage doesn't describe specific agricultural techniques. Option C is too strong; while the passage presents evidence of agriculture's drawbacks, it doesn't argue that hunting and gathering was superior overall, but rather that the transition was more complex than previously understood. Option D is mentioned only briefly in the first paragraph and is not the main focus.

Explanation:

The passage states: "Skeletal remains from early agricultural societies show evidence of increased disease, nutritional deficiencies, and decreased stature compared to their hunter-gatherer predecessors." This directly supports option A. Option C is contradicted by the passage, which notes that agricultural dependence on "a narrow range of crops made them susceptible to malnutrition compared to hunter-gatherers, who consumed a diverse diet." Option B is also contradicted; the passage mentions "decreased stature," meaning they were shorter, not taller. Option D is incorrect because the passage states "Agricultural work was also more labor-intensive, requiring long hours of planting, tending, and harvesting crops."

Explanation:

The passage states that dependence on a narrow range of crops "made them susceptible to malnutrition." In this context, susceptible means vulnerable or prone to something negative. The passage is describing how the limited diet put agricultural peoples at risk of malnutrition. Options A (immune) and C (resistant) are antonyms of susceptible, meaning protected against rather than vulnerable to. Option B (accustomed) means familiar or used to something, which doesn't fit the context of being at risk for malnutrition. The parallel structure in the same paragraph describing vulnerability to "crop failures from drought, pests, or disease" reinforces that susceptible means vulnerable.

Explanation:

The passage presents this as one theory for agriculture's adoption: "One theory suggests that population pressure made agriculture necessary. As populations grew, hunting and gathering could no longer support the increased numbers, forcing communities to intensify food production through farming." This supports option B. Option A is contradicted by the passage, which discusses how agriculture "allowed for food storage and population concentration." Option C is not supported and contradicts the passage's discussion of agriculture allowing population concentration. Option D is incorrect because the passage explicitly discusses population as both a potential cause for adopting agriculture and a consequence of agricultural systems.

Explanation:

The passage explains that agriculture "allowed for food storage and population concentration, which facilitated the development of complex social hierarchies, specialization of labor, and eventually, urban civilizations." It then states: "Once a society committed to agriculture, the larger populations and different social structures made reverting to hunting and gathering nearly impossible." This indicates that the new social structures created by agriculture became self-reinforcing, making option C correct. Option A is contradicted by the passage, which states agriculture was "more labor-intensive." Option B is also contradicted; the passage indicates agriculture provided worse nutrition. Option D is not mentioned anywhere in the passage.