TOEFL Reading Practice 4

With what topic is the passage primarily

concerned?

• The river systems of portions of North America.

• Certain geological features to the North American continent.

• An exploratory trip sponsored by the United States government.

• The discovery of natural resources in the United States.

According to the passage, the primary

purpose of finding a water route across the

continent was to

• gain easy access to the gold and other riches of the Northwest

• become acquainted with the inhabitants of the West.

• investigate the possibility of improved farmland in the West.

• facilitate the movement of commerce across the continent

The river Meriwether Lewis was instructed

to explore was the

• Wood

• Missouri

• Columbia

• Mississippi

According to the passage, the explorers

spent their first winter in what would become

• North Dakota

• Missouri

• Montana

• Idaho

The author states that Lewis and Clark

studied all of the following characteristics of

the explored territories EXCEPT

• mineral deposits

• the weather

• animal life

• native vegetation

The phrase "Picking up" in line 16 could

best be replaced by which of the following?

• Searching for

• Following

• Learning about

• Lifting

It can be inferred from the passage that

prior to the Lewis and Clark expedition the

size of the continent had been

• of little interest

• underestimated

• known to native inhabitants of the West

• unpublished but known to most scientists

Wherer in the passage does the author refer

to the explorers' failure to find an easy

passageway to the western part of the

continent?

• Lines 1-3

• Lines 7-8

• Lines 16-18

• Lines 21-24