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A1–C2 · TOEFL iBT

TOEFL iBT Practice Test 26

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.

The Silk Road was never a single road but a web of trade routes linking China with the Mediterranean. Merch rarely travelled the whole distance. Instead, goods passed from tra to trader across dese and mountain pas, gaining value at every stage. Silk and spices moved west, while gla, sil, and horses travelled east. Ideas trave as well. Buddhism spread from India into cent Asia and China along these rou, and techniques such as papermaking eventually reac Europe.

Read in Daily Life

Read the text and answer the questions.

Email: Change to Thursday's class Hello everyone, I have to attend a conference on Thursday, so our regular lecture will not take place. Instead, please watch the recorded lecture on the course website and complete the short online quiz by Friday at 5 p.m. We will discuss any questions at the start of next Tuesday's class. My office hours on Wednesday are unchanged. Best wishes, Prof. Delgado

1. What should students do instead of attending class on Thursday?

2. When will questions about the material be discussed?

Student Discount — Metro Trains If you are aged 16-25 and studying full-time, a Student Railcard gives you one-third off most fares for a year. It costs $30, and you'll usually make the money back after just two long journeys. To apply, you will need a photo and proof of your student status, such as a letter from your university. The card cannot be used before 9:30 a.m. on weekdays.

3. When can the railcard NOT be used?

4. What does the text suggest about the price of the card?

Read an Academic Passage

Read the passage and answer the questions.

Long before the magnetic compass became essential to European navigation, Chinese scholars had already documented its magnetic properties for divination and geomancy. The earliest known reference to a magnetised needle used specifically for direction-finding at sea appears in a Song dynasty text from the eleventh century, which describes sailors floating a magnetised needle on water or suspending it by a thread so it would align with magnetic north. This device proved especially valuable during overcast conditions, when sailors could no longer navigate by the sun or stars, a persistent hazard along China's often cloudy southern coast. By the time of the Song dynasty's extensive maritime trade with Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean, compasses were combined with detailed sailing directions—records of bearings, distances, and coastal landmarks accumulated across generations of voyages—to create increasingly reliable routes. Historians note that this practical maritime knowledge later fed into the enormous treasure fleets of the early Ming dynasty in the fifteenth century, commanded by the admiral Zheng He, whose ships reportedly used compasses alongside star-position charts for open-ocean navigation as far as East Africa. The technology likely reached the Islamic world and Europe through maritime trade contact rather than a single dramatic transmission event, though the exact routes and dates of transfer remain debated among historians.

5. According to the passage, why was the magnetic compass particularly useful along China's southern coast?

6. As used in the passage, "geomancy" is best understood as

7. What can be inferred about the transmission of compass technology to Europe?

8. How does the passage organise its discussion of the compass's history?

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.

9. How do Henry and Anna divide the project?

10. Which sections will Anna handle?

11. What is their plan for the executive summary?

Listen to an Announcement

Listen to the announcement, then answer the questions.

12. What do attendees need to bring?

13. What are attendees asked to do after the shot?

Listen to an Academic Talk

Listen to part of a lecture, then answer the questions.

14. What does the professor say is rarely true about a musical note?

15. What determines an instrument's unique timbre?

16. What example does the professor use to relate this to everyday life?

17. What is the overall purpose of this lecture excerpt?

Writing

Build a Sentence

Click the words and phrases to put them in the correct order.

1. I want to get fit.

2. The lecture was recorded, wasn't it?

3. What was the film like?

4. Was the book worth reading?

5. Could you check my essay?

Write an Email

Write an email that responds to the situation.

Your group has been working on a presentation, but one member has done very little. Write an email to your professor, Dr. Wright. In your email, do the following: - Describe the situation without being unkind. - Explain what the group has already tried. - Ask for advice.
Show sample answer
Model answer: Dear Dr. Wright, I am writing on behalf of Group 6 about our presentation on renewable energy. We have a difficulty that we hope you can help us with. One of our members, Ben, has not attended the last three meetings and has not sent us his part of the slides. We know he has been busy with other courses, so we do not want to blame him. We have sent him two messages and asked him to tell us what he can manage, but so far he has not replied. The presentation is in ten days, and we are worried about time. Could you advise us on what to do? We would be grateful for any suggestions. Thank you for your time. Respectfully, Elena Petrova

Write for an Academic Discussion

Read the discussion and write a post that contributes to it.

Dr. Okafor-Reid: In urban ecology, wild animals like foxes, coyotes and raccoons are increasingly common in cities. Should councils actively manage or remove them, or should cities learn to coexist with urban wildlife? Petra: Coexist, with sensible precautions. These animals help control rodent and insect populations, and most conflicts happen because humans leave food waste accessible, which is really a human behaviour problem. Ade: I think active management is necessary in some cases. A fox near a park is charming, but larger animals near schools or in aggressive encounters pose a genuine safety risk that coexistence slogans don't solve. Write a post that contributes to the discussion (at least 100 words).
Show sample answer
Model answer: I mostly agree with Petra that coexistence should be the general policy, since most urban wildlife conflicts really do trace back to accessible food waste rather than the animals themselves being especially dangerous, and removing animals without fixing that root cause just invites new ones to move in. Ade's safety concern, though, shouldn't be dismissed entirely, since a small number of situations, particularly involving larger or unusually bold animals near schools, probably do need targeted intervention rather than a blanket hands-off approach. I would support councils focusing resources on securing waste bins and educating residents first, which addresses the majority of conflicts Petra describes, while reserving direct removal only for the specific, documented safety cases Ade is worried about.

Speaking

Listen and Repeat

Listen to each sentence and repeat it exactly.

Recorded on your device only — play it back and compare with the model answer.
Show sample answer
Model answer: Please send me the updated file.
Recorded on your device only — play it back and compare with the model answer.
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Model answer: Turn the volume down a little.
Recorded on your device only — play it back and compare with the model answer.
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Model answer: The factory switched to solar panels to cut its energy costs.
Recorded on your device only — play it back and compare with the model answer.
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Model answer: The dance company will tour six cities before returning home in the autumn.
Recorded on your device only — play it back and compare with the model answer.
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Model answer: Coaches now use video analysis to help athletes correct small mistakes in their technique.

Take an Interview

Answer each interview question. Speak for about 45 seconds.

Recorded on your device only — play it back and compare with the model answer.
Show sample answer
Model answer: Yes, I had to give a presentation on renewable energy for a class project last year. It was in front of about thirty classmates, which felt nerve-wracking at the time.
Recorded on your device only — play it back and compare with the model answer.
Show sample answer
Model answer: I prepared by writing out my main points on cue cards and practising in front of my roommate several times, which helped me feel more confident about the timing and flow of my talk.
Recorded on your device only — play it back and compare with the model answer.
Show sample answer
Model answer: The most nervous moment was right before I started speaking, when my mind briefly went blank. Thankfully, once I said my first sentence, the rest came back to me naturally.
Recorded on your device only — play it back and compare with the model answer.
Show sample answer
Model answer: I've learned that thorough preparation matters more than natural talent, and that audiences are usually far more forgiving of small mistakes than the speaker imagines while it's happening.
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