TOEFL Reading Practice Test #50

Explanation:
Paragraph 1 explains that the name “cuneiform” comes from the Latin word for wedge, because the texts were made with a wedge-shaped stick.

A. Incorrect; clay tablets were damp, but that detail does not explain the name.
B. Incorrect; accidental firing preserved tablets, but did not influence the name.
C. Correct; the wedge-shaped stylus directly gave cuneiform its name.
D. Incorrect; storage in libraries has no relation to the origin of the term.

Explanation:
Paragraph 2 states that the earliest cuneiform texts were receipts and bills of sale, and later Babylonian scribes recorded laws.

A. Incorrect; the passage says cuneiform preserved fifteen languages, but not that it enabled mutual communication.
B. Correct; recording commercial transactions such as grain, goats, and real estate was a key early use.
C. Correct; Babylonian scribes used it to record laws.
D. Incorrect; boundaries of territories are not mentioned in the passage.

Explanation:
Paragraph 2 explains that “knowledge conferred power,” and because of this, scribes were important enough to have their own goddess (later a god). This shows their elevated social and cultural position.

A. Incorrect; the goddess was a recognition of their power, not the reason they wrote laws.
B. Correct; the divine association reflects the high status and influence scribes gained.
C. Incorrect; the passage never suggests they stopped recording business transactions.
D. Incorrect; their symbol was the cuneiform stick, not a weapon, and it contrasted with symbols of warfare rather than being linked to them.

Explanation:
The passage describes how some cuneiform texts on science and astronomy contained “astoundingly precise data.” Here, “astoundingly” emphasizes the surprising and almost unbelievable level of precision.

A. Incorrect; “truly” suggests accuracy or honesty, but it lacks the sense of surprise or amazement.
B. Correct; “incredibly” conveys astonishment and matches the tone of amazement in the passage.
C. Incorrect; “noticeably” means something can be observed, which is too weak for the intended meaning.
D. Incorrect; “reasonably” implies something moderate or fair, which is the opposite of “astoundingly.”

Explanation:
The comet sighting is given as an example of the scientific precision found in Babylonian records. It shows how carefully such astronomical events were tracked and documented.

A. Incorrect; the comet sighting is not presented as an “important event” but as scientific data.
B. Correct; the example supports the claim that cuneiform texts contained highly precise scientific information.
C. Incorrect; customs concerning illness are discussed separately, not in relation to the comet.
D. Incorrect; the text is not singled out as particularly valuable or tied to Ashurbanipal’s library.

Explanation:
The passage introduces the *Epic of Gilgamesh* as the “foremost cuneiform text,” meaning it holds the highest importance or greatest significance among the writings.

A. Incorrect; “foremost” does not mean “earliest,” even though the text is ancient.
B. Incorrect; the term does not describe size or quantity.
C. Correct; “foremost” means “most important” in this context.
D. Incorrect; the text is significant, but the passage does not emphasize how well it is understood.

Explanation:
Paragraph 5 discusses Egyptian hieroglyphics as sacred writing, carved on pyramids and religious structures, and mentions their long usage. It also notes papyrus, a plant-based writing material. However, the text does not claim hieroglyphics were a gift from the gods.

A. True; the passage states they were carved on religious buildings.
B. True; hieroglyphics were in use from 3100 B.C.E. until 394 C.E.
C. False; the passage says the writing was “fit for the gods,” but does not present it as a divine gift to humans.
D. True; papyrus, made from a plant, was used as a writing surface.

Explanation:
The passage says scholars “detected some 6,000 separate hieroglyphic characters,” meaning they recognized or identified these characters through research.

A. Correct; “identified” captures the sense of discovering or recognizing the characters.
B. Incorrect; “described” implies giving details, which is not the primary focus here.
C. Incorrect; “studied” is broader and does not emphasize the initial discovery.
D. Incorrect; “classified” implies organizing, which is not the meaning of “detected” in this context.

Explanation:
The highlighted sentence conveys that Egyptian glyphs were sometimes rearranged purely for aesthetic purposes, without concern for their phonetic or semantic meaning.

1. Incorrect; it implies the words themselves were changed, not just their placement, which changes the meaning of the original sentence.
2. Correct; this option accurately paraphrases the highlighted sentence: glyphs (symbols) were sometimes moved around in a text, ignoring sound and meaning, to improve visual appearance.
3. Incorrect; this shifts the focus to choosing glyphs for beauty rather than rearranging existing glyphs, altering the central idea.
4. Incorrect; it adds details about sound and sense being improved, which is not in the original sentence and changes the meaning.

Explanation:
Summary questions require identifying the key ideas that explain writing in ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt. Minor details or overly specific examples are excluded.

A. is correct; it covers the origin of cuneiform and its range of uses.
B. is correct; it highlights the artistic nature of Egyptian hieroglyphics and their focus on visual appeal.
C. is correct; it summarizes the cultural role of scribes in both Mesopotamia and Egypt.
D. is incorrect; the cuneiform stick was a writing tool, not a weapon.
E. is incorrect; true but focuses on a specific detail (Halley’s Comet) rather than the broader summary.
F. is incorrect; true but focuses on minor details about tablet preservation, not the overall significance of writing systems.