TOEFL Reading Insert Text Questions
You're given a new sentence and four black squares (■) marking possible insertion points in the passage. Your job is to click the square where the sentence fits best — usually the one place where the sentence's connecting words (pronouns, transitions) actually have something to connect to.
What This Question Looks Like
"Look at the four squares that indicate where the following sentence could be added: "This change, however, was short-lived." Where would the sentence best fit?"
How to Answer It
- Read the new sentence first and identify its connecting word or phrase — "however," "this," "as a result" — then figure out what it needs to refer back to.
- Test each square by reading the sentence before it and the sentence after it together with the new sentence inserted — only one location will flow logically in both directions.
- If the new sentence starts with "however" or "in contrast," look for a square right after a sentence describing something that gets reversed or contradicted.
The Trap Most Students Fall Into
A square placed right before a sentence that mentions a similar topic, even though the logical connector in the new sentence doesn't actually match up.
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