PREDICTING THE CONTINUATION OF THE PASSAGE

The questions in the paper-based TOEFL® Reading Comprehension section include those
that ask you to predict what will probably be discussed in the continuation of the passage.
To answer such questions, try to understand what the passage mainly discusses from the
thesis statement, find out the main idea of the last paragraph, and draw a conclusion
about what main idea will probably come next.

Example 1
Line Tanks are an essential part of twentieth century military history. First
developed by the British for World War I, the use of tanks has advantages and
disadvantages.
As armored combat vehicles, tanks play an important role in modern warfare
5 since they can carry out many useful tasks. They are used for infantry support, for
knocking down military facilities and for destroying fortifications. In infantry
support, tanks are used to provide suppressing fire to weaken enemy strong points.
Tanks also have the ability to knock down anything that can be constructed by
infantry on the move, including other tanks, although the army may favor a
different type of weapon for putting other tanks out of action.
Adapted from http://www.everything2.com

Sample question
The paragraph following the passage will most probably discuss _______.
(A) other weapons
(B) other infantry supports
(C) the maintenance of tanks
(D) the weaknesses of tanks

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Unit 21–Predicting the Continuation of the Passage
Example 2
Line Pottery, a form of ceramic technology, has been known since the Paleolithic
period. The oldest known pottery, which was found in the Japanese islands, dates
back to the eleventh century B.C. at the beginning of the Japanese Paleolithic era.
Paleolithic pottery was also found in Europe. There, burnt clay was used to make
5 female figurines such as the “Venus,” as well as animal figures. Neolithic pottery
was also found in Middle Eastern countries where since the eighth century B.C. clay
pots had been known. In that region, clay was used to make statuettes of humans
and animals.
To form clay, a potter uses one of three techniques—handwork, wheelwork,
10 and slip casting. The quality of clay bodies depends on the combination of clays
and minerals. Different world regions have produced different types of clay using
different techniques.
Adapted from http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com

Sample question
The paragraph following the last one will probably discuss _______.
(A) more types of pottery from the Paleolithic period
(B) other kinds of pottery from the Neolithic period
(C) one of the three techniques in pottery making
(D) the way to combine clay and minerals

Explanation
1. The thesis statement of the passage in Example 1 is …tanks has advantages and
disadvantages. The second paragraph is about the pluses of tanks. So the next
paragraph following the second should be about the minuses or the disadvantages.
Therefore, option (D) is the correct answer.
2. In Example 2, the first paragraph is about when people started to use pottery. The
second is about the three techniques of producing pottery. The paragraph following
the second will most probably be about one of the three techniques. Therefore,
option (C) is the correct answer.

Strategies

1. Find the main idea of the passage and try to understand it.
2. Try to understand the main idea of each paragraph. Pay special attention to the
last paragraph.
3. From the options, determine which idea can be logically included in the passage
and that is most likely to be the topic of the next paragraph.

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Unit 21–Predicting the Continuation of the Passage
Exercise 1
Directions: Read the passage and answer the question.

Line The origin of chess, one of the world’s most popular board games, is still
debatable. It is widely believed that chess appeared in or near India around 600
A.D. The oldest name for chess, chaturanga, is a Sanskrit word referring to four
branches of the Indian army: elephants, horses, chariots and footsoldiers. Then, it
5 was adopted by Persians around 700 A.D., and was absorbed by the Arab culture
around 800 A.D. It was the Arabs who introduced chess to other cultures. Thus,
chess developed into many variant forms.
Some chess variants can be found in Asian countries. In Japan, chess or
shogi has many rules for movements. The largest known shogi variant, tai-kyoku
10 shogi, is played on a board of 36x36 (1296) squares with 402 pieces and pawns
per side. In China, pieces and pawns of chess are placed on the intersections of
the lines rather than on the squares and a celestial river is added between the
halves on the board. There are only five pawns to a side but they add two cannons
ahead of the knights and a counselor on either side of the king.
Adapted from http://chess.about.com

The final paragraph of the passage will probably continue with a discussion of _______.
(A) other kinds of board games
(B) effective chess techniques
(C) the roles of chess pieces and pawns in the game
(D) other chess variants in another continent

Exercise 2
Directions: Read the passage and answer the question.

Line The paramecium is a tiny one-celled organism that can hardly be seen
without the microscope. It lives in ponds and slow-moving streams, and like the
amoeba, the paramecium is made up of watery material. It is clear on the surface
and granular inside, with one large nucleus and at least one smaller nucleus. But
5 unlike the amoeba, this organism has a stiff layer on the outside, giving it a
permanent shape that looks like the bottom of a shoe.
The paramecium swims by beating its fine hairs called cilia that cover its
surface, below which a network of fibers connects the cilia. If the paramecium
comes into contact with an unpleasant stimulus in the water, it reverses the
10 movement of its cilia to swim away from the stimulus.
Adapted from The World Book Encyclopedia

The next paragraph of the passage will probably discuss _______.

(A) another one celled-organism
(B) the other habitats of the paramecium
(C) how the paramecium feeds
(D) what animal family the paramecium belongs to

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Unit 21–Predicting the Continuation of the Passage
Exercise 3
Directions: Read the passage and answer the question.
Line Computer viruses, self-replicating programs that spread by inserting copies of
the programs into computer systems, are created for various purposes. Some
viruses are created as works of art; some are intended as “good viruses” meant to
spread improvement to the programs they infect; others delete other viruses. In
5 fact, these viruses consume system resources and may accidentally damage the
systems they infect.
The first computer virus, called "Elk Cloner," was created in 1982. It attached
itself to the Apple DOS 3.3 operating system and spread through floppy disks. In
1983, Fred Cohen from the University of Southern California designed and tested
10 another computer virus, which penetrated the computer’s root access in less than
thirty minutes. Since then, the way a virus attacks computers has developed in line
with the development of computer technology.
Adapted from http://www.everything2.com

The following paragraph will most likely discuss _______.

(A) other aims of computer viruses
(B) the way computer viruses spreads
(C) the extent of the damage caused by viruses
(D) the need to know extraordinary anti virus programs

REVIEW

Review 1
Directions: Read the passage and answer the questions.
Line The Boston Tea Party was an incident that occurred on December 16, 1773,
when a group of citizens in Boston, Massachusetts, dumped tea into Boston
Harbor. The event, one of several occurrences that led to the outbreak of the
American Revolution in 1775, was triggered by the British tax on tea.
5 The incident was preceded by events starting in 1770. In that year, the British
Parliament repealed most provisions of the Townshend Acts, which taxed imports to
the American colonies, except the duty on tea. American colonists viewed the
retaining of the tea tax as a demonstration of British power to tax the colonies.
From then on, most Americans bought tea smuggled from Holland because they
10 would not accept the British tax.
In 1773, the British Parliament passed the Tea Act, which removed the tax on
the tea the East India Company exported to America. The intent of this act was to
help the nearly bankrupt company. As a result, the company’s tea, though still
subject to the Townshend tax, was now cheaper than the smuggled Dutch tea,
15 which most Americans drank. Nevertheless, throughout the colonies, people
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Unit 21–Predicting the Continuation of the Passage
 opposed the Tea Act for several reasons. First, the East India Company chose only
certain American merchants as agents to distribute their tea. Other merchants
resented not being able to partake in the profits. Second, smugglers feared the
loss of the valuable trade in Dutch tea. Third, the colonies’ politicians objected to
20 the Tea Act on principle because they still had to pay the Townshend tea tax. They
resisted “taxation without representation”—Britain’s taxing the colonists without
giving them representation in government.
In November 1773, three British ships with 342 chests of tea arrived in Boston.
The citizens of Boston would not permit this cargo to be unloaded. However, the
25 royal governor of Massachusetts, Thomas Hutchinson, would not let the ships
return to England until the colonists had paid the duty. On the evening of
December 16, 1773, a group of indignant Bostonians, many of them disguised as
native Americans, boarded the ships and dumped the tea into Boston Harbor.
Adapted from http://encarta.msn.com

1. What does the passage mainly discuss?

(A) One important event caused by the British tea tax
(B) The British’s policy during colonial times
(C) The smuggled Dutch tea consumed by Americans
(D) The unfriendliness of Bostonians

2. The word “outbreak” in line 3 is closest in meaning to _______

(A) realization
(B) defense
(C) resistance
(D) start

3. According to the first paragraph, what caused the Boston Tea Party?
(A) The angry Boston people
(B) The dumping of tea into the harbor
(C) The tax on tea
(D) The American Revolution

4. According to the second paragraph, in 1770 the British Parliament _______.

(A) canceled all provisions of the Towshend Acts
(B) began taxing imports to the American colonies
(C) took some measures to prevent tea smuggling
(D) kept the tax on tea imported to the colonies

5. According to the passage, what was the purpose of the Tea Act?
(A) To save the East India Company from bankruptcy
(B) To slow down the tea industry in the colonies
(C) To prevent other companies from importing tea to the colonies
(D) To force the merchants to sell smuggled tea

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Unit 21–Predicting the Continuation of the Passage
6. The word “they” in line 20 refers to _______.
(A) merchants
(B) profits
(C) smugglers
(D) politicians
7. Why does the author mention “taxation without representation” in line 21?
(A) To compare the American and the British policies on tea tax
(B) To explain the reason why the politicians rejected the tea tax
(C) To discuss the politicians’ opinions on the British policies
(D) To suggest a way out of the problem on tea tax
8. What is NOT true about what happened in Boston Harbor in November1773?
(A) Tea cargo could not be unloaded from the British ships.
(B) The British ships returned to England after collecting the duty.
(C) The governor of Massachusetts demanded the colonists pay the tea tax.
(D) The group boarding the ships tricked the officers by dressing as native Americans.
9. The word “indignant” in line 27 is closest in meaning to_______.
(A) disloyal
(B) arrogant
(C) angry
(D) humble
10. What will the paragraph following the passage most probably discuss?
(A) The acceptance of the tea tax by American colonies
(B) The action taken by the British government in reaction to the event
(C) The reopening of Boston harbor for trade
(D) The omission of tea tax in all of the colonies

Review 2
Directions: Read the passage and answer the questions.

Line The California condor (gymnogyps californianus), considered the largest

North American bird, inhabits the western coast of the United States. It can reach
wingspans of 2.8 m and can weigh up to 8.5 kg. The head is much flattened
above, but the male’s head is crowned with a comb. As an adaptation for hygiene,
5 the head and the neck have few feathers, exposing the skin to the cleansing effects
of dehydration and ultraviolet light at high altitudes. The adult plumage is of a
uniform black, with the exception of a frill of white feathers nearly surrounding the
base of the neck and, especially in the male, large patches or bands of white on
the wings which do not appear until the completion of the first molting. The middle
10 toe is greatly elongated, but slightly developed. The talons of all the toes are
comparatively straight and blunt. The feet are thus more adapted to walking and
of little use as weapons.
Primarily a scavenger, it often travels 250 km a day in search of carrion (the
carcass of dead animals). It prefers large carcasses such as deer or cattle that it
Student Book 2 Reading Comprehension Section245
Unit 21–Predicting the Continuation of the Passage
 15 spots by looking for other scavengers that cannot rip through the tougher hides of
these animals. It often goes for a few days without eating but then gorges itself on
several pounds at once, sometimes to the point of being unable to lift off the
ground.
California condors have a unique way of communicating with each other. The
20 skin of the head and the neck, forming a wattle in the male, is capable of flushing
noticeably in response to an emotional state. The color serves as a means to
communicate between individuals. Although, the condor has no voice box, it has a
wide variety of vocalizations, besides body language and competitive play behavior
to determine a pecking order—a social hierarchy in a flock in which each bird
25 pecks subordinate birds and submits to being pecked by dominant birds.
The California condor is in danger of extinction. In 1986, it was estimated
that only 17 birds were still alive. Significant damage to the condor population is
attributed to hunting, lead and DDT poisoning, as well as habitat destruction.
Unless actions to increase the bird population are taken, the bird will be extinct.
Adapted from http://en.wikipedia.org

1. What does the first paragraph mainly discuss?

(A) The habitat of the California condor
(B) A physical description of the California condor
(C) How the California condor keeps itself healthy
(D) The differences between the male and female of the California condor
2. Why does the bird have so few feathers on the head and the neck?
(A) To allow it to clean those parts
(B) To allow the skin to get sunlight
(C) To reduce air pressure during flight
(D) To disguise itself from the prey
3. The word “elongated” in line 10 is closest in meaning to _______.
(A) extended
(B) covered
(C) protected
(D) supported
4. Which of the following is NOT true about the eating habits of the California condor?
(A) It feeds on dead animals.
(B) It does not like small carrion.
(C) It can go without eating for a day or two.
(D) It cannot eat much.
5. The word “gorges” in line 16 is closest in meaning to _______.
(A) saves
(B) pleases
(C) stuffs
(D) renews

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Unit 21–Predicting the Continuation of the Passage
6. What is NOT mentioned in the passage as a way used by the bird to communicate
with one another?
(A) Plumage change
(B) Body language
(C) Vocalizations
(D) Play behavior
7. Which of the following differentiates the female from the male California condor?
The female has _______.
(A) no comb on its head
(E) a wattle on its neck
(F) large white patches on its wings
(G) beautiful feathers
8. Why does the writer mention “social hierarchy” in line 24?
(A) To define pecking order in the bird flock
(B) To give an example of bird communication
(C) To explain the bird’s domination
(D) To compare subordinate and dominant birds
9. All of the following are mentioned as the causes of damage to the condor population,
EXCEPT _______.
(A) lead poisoning
(B) DDT poisoning
(C) decreasing amount of carrion
(D) destruction of the habitat
10. The paragraph following the passage will most probably be about _______.
(A) the roosting places of the bird
(B) another interesting physical feature of the bird
(C) the other means to communicate used by the bird
(D) the steps taken to increase the bird population

SUPLLEMENTARY EXERCISES

Supplementary Exercise 1
Directions: Read the passage and answer the questions.
Line Ants, members of the order hymenoptera, evolved from a group of wasps in
the cretaceous period about 120 to 140 million years ago. The evolution can be
seen in their similar body structures—the abdomen is joined to the thorax by a
pedicel or slender stalk. Several fossils from the cretaceous are intermediate in
5 form between wasps and ants, further confirming that the wasp is the ancestor of
ants.
Student Book 2 Reading Comprehension Section247
Unit 21–Predicting the Continuation of the Passage
 Ants, found throughout the world except in the polar regions and at very high
altitudes, are known for their highly organized social life. They form colonies, each
consisting of a million or more ants. Within a colony of ants, there are two classes:
10 reproductive and non-reproductive. The reproductive ants, the primary function of
which is to reproduce, comprise winged male ants called drones and queens.
Shortly after mating, the males die but the queens break off their wings and lay
eggs. Queens may live for many years and have daughter queens. The other
class, the non-reproductive, consists of wingless workers, most of which are
15 females. These are classified into soldiers, foragers, and nurse ants. The division
of workers may be based on their physique. The largest workers, equipped with
oversized, muscular heads and sword-like jaws are usually soldiers; medium-sized
workers are foragers; and the smallest are nurses. Unlike queens and drones that
do not have to work, workers have to construct, repair, and defend the colony,
20 gather food, and care for the young.
A new colony starts either by a nuptial flight or by budding. A nuptial flight
happens when reproductive male and female ants fly on a mating flight. The
mated queen constructs a cavity and rears a brood unaided by workers. The small
first brood workers then forage for food and as more young are produced, the
25 colony grows in size and number. The second, budding, occurs when one or more
queens leave the nest accompanied by workers that aid in establishing and caring
for a new colony. A new colony can be successfully kept united and functioning by
the chemical substances that various individual ants secrete.
Adapted from http://en.wikipedia.org

1. What is the topic of the first paragraph?

(A) The evolutionary process of ants
(B) The ancestry of ants
(C) The body structure of ants
(D) The fossils of ants
2. The word “intermediate” in line 4 refers to _______.
(A) transitional
(B) similar
(C) changing
(D) stable
3. Why does the author mention “pedicel” in line 4?
(A) To compare the body structure of the wasp and the ant
(B) To give an example of a part of the ant body
(C) To show the evolution of the wasp
(D) To explain the anatomy of the ant body
4. What is the main idea of the second paragraph?
(A) Ants do not live in very high mountains.
(B) Ants have two classes.
(C) Ants have well organized colonies.
(D) Ants have work divisions.

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Unit 21–Predicting the Continuation of the Passage
5. The word “which” in line 11 refers to _______.
(A) a colony of ants
(B) the non-reproductive ants
(C) the reproductive ants
(D) function
6. All of the following are factors that determine the division of ant workers EXCEPT
_______.
(A) physique
(B) gender
(C) size
(D) age
7. What can be inferred about queen ants?
(A) They depend on drones for survival.
(B) They hold the highest power in ant colonies.
(C) They can function as nurses.
(D) They can kill worker ants.
8. Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
(A) Ants cannot live in cold regions.
(B) The reproductive class does not have to work.
(C) Ant soldiers are all male.
(D) A colony is formed by a queen and a drone on a mating flight.
9. Which of the following terms is NOT explained by the author?
(A) Pedicel
(B) Drones
(C) Nuptial
(D) Brood
10. The next paragraph of the passage most probably discusses _______.
(A) how ant queens leave nests
(B) where ant workers gather food
(C) the methods of keeping a colony united
(D) what substances and how they work

Supplementary Exercise 2
Directions: Read the passage and answer the questions.

Line Deforestation, continual degradation of forests or removal of their trees due

to either natural or human-related causes, has serious consequences that may
jeopardize life on earth. These include immediate and long-term effects such as
loss of biodiversity, erosion, climate change, and social change.
5 Massive deforestation is the cause of a loss of biological diversity since forests
are habitats that support this biodiversity. Although tropical forests cover only six
percent of Earth’s land surface, they happen to contain between 70% and 90% of

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Unit 21–Predicting the Continuation of the Passage
 all the world’s species of flora and fauna. As a result of deforestation, extinction of
many species takes place. With today’s rate of deforestation, between 50 and 100
10 plant and animal species are lost each day.
Another consequence of deforestation is erosion, leaving the land infertile.
Once forests have been cut down, there are no trees to keep the soil in place, and
it will be prone to erosion. The bare earth dries and cracks under the heat of the
sun. When the soil temperature exceeds 25 degrees centigrade, volatile nutritive
15 ingredients like nitrogen escape, further reducing the fertility of the remaining soil.
Furthermore, rainfall washes the remaining nutrients into rivers. So, replanting
trees will not necessarily help solve the problem of deforestation. By the time the
trees have matured, the soil might be completely stripped of essential nutrients.
Although all the effects of deforestation mentioned above are potentially
20 dangerous, perhaps the most devastating is climate change. Trees and other
plants absorb carbon dioxide—one type of greenhouse gas that reflects solar heat
back into the atmosphere—during the process of photosynthesis. Thus, the loss of
trees may increase the level of carbon dioxide because there is no plant life to keep
carbon dioxide in check. The increase in the level of carbon dioxide and other
25 greenhouse gases such as methane, chlorofluorocarbons, nitrous oxide and ozone
in the atmosphere leads to an increase in temperature, and eventually, a change in
climate and weather.
Adapted from http://en.wikipedia.org

1. What is the passage mainly about?

(A) The causes of deforestation
(B) The effects of deforestation
(C) Environmental damage
(D) Greenhouse gases

2. The word “these” in line 3 refers to _______.

(A) forests
(B) trees
(C) causes
(D) consequences

3. All of the following facts can be found in the second paragraph EXCEPT _______.
(A) the loss of certain species increases each year
(B) tropical forests make up the largest part of the world’s forests
(C) today’s rate of deforestation is quite high
(D) deforestation causes the extinction of species

4. Which of the following facts is NOT true about erosion?

(A) Erosion is caused by the sun’s heat.
(B) Erosion causes soil to lose nutrients.
(C) Erosion is one effect of deforestation.
(D) Erosion causes nitrogen to escape from soil.

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Unit 21–Predicting the Continuation of the Passage
5. The word “it” in line 13 is closest in meaning to _______.
(A) consequence
(B) deforestation
(C) erosion
(D) soil

6. The word “volatile” in line 14 is closest in meaning to _______.

(A) unbalanced
(B) rare
(C) special
(D) unstable

7. Why does the author mention the word “although” in line 19?
(A) To compare the second and third paragraph
(B) To contrast the degrees of deforestation effects
(C) To give an example of the effects of deforestation
(D) To describe the causes and effects of deforestation

8. The word “devastating” in line 20 is closest in meaning to _______.

(A) consuming
(B) damaging
(C) widespread
(D) important

9. It can be inferred from the last paragraph that _______.

(A) deforestation can be solved merely by reforestation
(B) the effects of deforestation occur quickly
(C) trees play an important role in maintaining the climate
(D) greenhouse effects are permanent

10. What will the next paragraph of the passage most probably discuss?
(A) Social change caused by deforestation
(B) List of lost species because of deforestation
(C) Solutions to greenhouse effects
(D) Methods to overcome the problems of deforestation

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