A1–C2 · TOEFL iBT
TOEFL iBT Practice Test 2
AI-generated practice paper in the style of TOEFL iBT — original material, not a reproduction of any real exam paper, following the official task types. Listening audio is read aloud by your browser's voice. For Speaking you can record yourself and compare with a model answer, and Writing tasks include a model answer — neither is scored automatically, since that needs real speech and writing evaluation this site does not offer for this exam.
Reading
Complete the Words
Type the missing letters to complete the words in the paragraph.
About sixty-six million years ago, most dinosaurs suddenly disappeared. For a long time, scientists arg about the cause. In 1980, a father-and-son team prop that an enormous asteroid had hit the Earth. Their evidence was a thin layer of cl containing unusual amounts of iridium, a metal common in aster. Later, researchers loca a huge crater beneath Mexico's Yucatán penin. The impact would have thrown dust into the atmos, blocking sunlight and caus plants to die. Most experts now acc this explanation, although volcanic acti probably contributed.
Read in Daily Life
Read the text and answer the questions.
Notice: Recycling collection reminder
Please put out recycling bins by 7 a.m. on collection day — trucks sometimes arrive early. This month, collection moves to Wednesdays instead of Tuesdays because of the public holiday. Cardboard boxes should be flattened, and no plastic bags should be placed inside the recycling bin.
1. Why has the collection day changed this month?
2. What should residents do with cardboard boxes?
Concert program note
Tonight's concert features works spanning four centuries, from a Renaissance motet to a piece composed especially for this choir last year. Please silence phones before the performance begins, and note that photography is not permitted during the second half. A collection for the local food bank will take place during intermission.
3. When is photography not allowed?
4. What is happening during intermission?
Read an Academic Passage
Read the passage and answer the questions.
Beginning in the 1940s and accelerating through the 1960s, a set of agricultural innovations later called the Green Revolution dramatically increased crop yields across much of the developing world, centred on new, high-yielding wheat and rice varieties developed largely through the work of agronomist Norman Borlaug and colleagues at research stations in Mexico and the Philippines. These new varieties were bred specifically to grow shorter, sturdier stalks that could support a heavier grain head without collapsing, a trait that allowed farmers to apply much larger amounts of nitrogen fertiliser than traditional varieties could tolerate without falling over, and the resulting combination of fertiliser-responsive genetics, expanded irrigation, and chemical pesticides produced yield increases credited with helping avert famines predicted for countries such as India and Mexico. The benefits, however, were unevenly distributed. Farmers wealthy enough to afford fertiliser, irrigation infrastructure, and the new seeds each season benefited considerably more than poorer smallholders, and some economists argue the changes widened rural inequality even as they raised average national yields. Environmental critiques followed as well: heavy fertiliser use has contributed to water pollution and soil degradation in some regions, and the shift toward a narrow set of high-yielding varieties reduced the agricultural biodiversity that had previously buffered communities against pests and unpredictable weather. Contemporary agricultural researchers increasingly frame the challenge as developing a second, more sustainable revolution capable of raising yields further while addressing these accumulated ecological and social costs.
5. According to the passage, what specific trait did the new wheat and rice varieties share?
6. As used in the passage, "buffered" most nearly means
7. What can be inferred about poorer smallholder farmers during the Green Revolution?
8. Why does the author mention water pollution and soil degradation?
9. What is the main idea of the passage?
Listening
Listen and Choose a Response
Listen to each speaker, then choose the best response.
1. Choose the best response.
2. Choose the best response.
3. Choose the best response.
4. Choose the best response.
5. Choose the best response.
6. Choose the best response.
7. Choose the best response.
8. Choose the best response.
Listen to a Conversation
Listen to the conversation, then answer the questions.
Transcript (available after checking)
Carla: Henry, do you know which room the economics final is in? The syllabus and the email don't match.
Henry: I saw that too, I think the email is the correct, more recent update.
Carla: That would put it in the gym instead of our usual classroom.
Henry: Right, I heard it's because so many students are taking it this term.
Carla: Good thing you mentioned it, I would have gone to the wrong building otherwise.
Henry: Same here, honestly. Let's double check with the department office just to be sure.
Carla: Good idea, I'll call them this afternoon.
Henry: Let me know what they say.
9. What is the source of confusion?
10. Why was the room changed, according to Henry?
11. What do they decide to do to be sure?
Listen to an Announcement
Listen to the announcement, then answer the questions.
Transcript (available after checking)
This is a notice for residents of Birchwood Hall. The east elevator will be out of service tomorrow from nine in the morning until approximately three in the afternoon for scheduled maintenance. The west elevator will remain in operation throughout the day, though residents on higher floors should expect slightly longer wait times given the increased usage. Residents with mobility concerns are encouraged to plan trips outside the building around this window if possible, or to contact the front desk for assistance. We apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate your patience while we keep our elevators running safely.
12. Which elevator will be out of service?
13. What should residents with mobility concerns do?
Listen to an Academic Talk
Listen to part of a lecture, then answer the questions.
Transcript (available after checking)
Today let's look at how archaeologists determine the age of organic materials using radiocarbon dating, a technique that's transformed how we understand chronology in ancient history. The method relies on carbon-14, a slightly radioactive isotope of carbon that's constantly being created in the upper atmosphere and absorbed by living organisms throughout their lives, alongside the far more common, stable carbon-12. While an organism is alive, it continuously takes in new carbon, so the ratio of carbon-14 to carbon-12 in its body stays relatively constant, matching the ratio found in the atmosphere. Once the organism dies, though, it stops taking in new carbon entirely, and the carbon-14 already present begins decaying back into nitrogen at a known, constant rate, with a half-life of about five thousand seven hundred thirty years, meaning half of the original carbon-14 will have decayed after that amount of time passes. By carefully measuring how much carbon-14 remains in a sample relative to carbon-12, scientists can calculate roughly how long ago the organism died. There are limitations worth noting, though; the method becomes progressively less precise for samples older than about fifty thousand years, since by that point so little carbon-14 remains that it becomes extremely difficult to measure accurately, and the technique only works on material that was once alive, meaning it can't directly date inorganic materials like stone tools or pottery.
14. What isotope does radiocarbon dating rely on?
15. What happens to carbon-14 after an organism dies?
16. What is the half-life of carbon-14, according to the lecture?
17. What limitation of the method does the professor mention?
Writing
Build a Sentence
Click the words and phrases to put them in the correct order.
1. Do you have any plans for the summer?
2. Where were you last night?
3. What was the lecture about?
4. Why is the cafeteria so quiet today?
5. What is your opinion of remote work?
Write an Email
Write an email that responds to the situation.
You are writing to a professor whose lecture you found inspiring. Write an email to Professor Ortiz.
In your email, do the following:
- Say which lecture you attended and what you liked.
- Ask a follow-up question.
- Ask for a reading suggestion.
Show sample answer
Model answer: Dear Professor Ortiz,
I attended your public lecture on climate and migration last Thursday, and I wanted to thank you for such an interesting talk. I especially enjoyed the way you combined statistics with personal stories, which made the topic feel very real.
I have one question. You mentioned that people often move within their own country before crossing borders. Does the same pattern hold in regions where the government offers support for relocation?
I would also be very grateful if you could recommend one or two books or articles for someone new to the subject. I am studying geography and would like to write my thesis on this area.
Thank you again for your time.
Best regards,
Annika Berg
Write for an Academic Discussion
Read the discussion and write a post that contributes to it.
Dr. Ferris: In energy policy today, should governments keep subsidising renewable energy with taxpayer money, or should renewables now compete without support, since costs have fallen so much in the last decade?
Anouk: Keep the subsidies. Fossil fuels received decades of hidden support through infrastructure and tax breaks, so removing renewable subsidies now would unfairly punish a still-developing industry.
Theo: I'd phase them out. Solar and wind are now often cheaper than coal even without help, so subsidies mostly just protect companies that don't need protecting anymore.
Write a post that contributes to the discussion (at least 100 words).
Show sample answer
Model answer: I think the honest picture is somewhere between the two, and it depends heavily on the specific technology and country. Theo is right that solar and wind have become remarkably cheap in many markets, and continuing broad subsidies for large, established renewable companies in wealthy countries probably isn't necessary anymore.
However, Anouk's historical point matters, because fossil fuels still benefit from subsidies in many places, so removing support only from renewables would tilt the playing field back in the wrong direction rather than creating a fair, unsupported market. I would support ending subsidies for mature renewable technology in rich countries while redirecting that money toward newer technologies like grid storage, and toward helping poorer countries build renewable capacity they currently can't afford alone.
Speaking
Listen and Repeat
Listen to each sentence and repeat it exactly.
Show sample answer
Model answer: I left my notebook in the science building.
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Model answer: The laboratory requires safety goggles whenever chemicals are being handled.
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Model answer: How do people usually greet each other in that culture?
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Model answer: Archaeologists uncovered pottery fragments that date back nearly three thousand years.
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Model answer: She is writing her dissertation on renewable energy policy in developing countries.
Take an Interview
Answer each interview question. Speak for about 45 seconds.
Show sample answer
Model answer: Yes, I really enjoy cooking, especially on weekends when I have more time. I find it relaxing to experiment with new recipes rather than just following instructions exactly.
Show sample answer
Model answer: My favourite dish to make is a spicy vegetable curry. It's simple, forgiving if I add too much of one spice, and it always fills the kitchen with a great smell.
Show sample answer
Model answer: The hardest was probably a layered French cake for a friend's birthday. The layers kept sliding apart, and I had to redo the frosting three times before it looked presentable.
Show sample answer
Model answer: I do. Cooking saves money, is usually healthier than takeout, and gives people more control over what they eat. I think basic cooking should be taught in schools alongside other practical skills.
Keep your streak going
Up next: TOEFL iBT Practice Test 3