Real-World TOEFL Reading Practice Questions with Answers (2026) — Practice Passages, Explanations & Strategy

Real-World TOEFL

Preparing with real-style practice questions is the fastest way to build score-ready skills for the TOEFL Reading section. This post gives you up-to-date 2026 context, the exact kinds of questions ETS now uses, three full practice passages with multiple-choice questions and fully worked answers, a question-type cheat sheet, and a 6-week practice plan so you can turn practice into points. All factual claims about format and timing are verified from official ETS practice materials and the January 21, 2026 update.

(When you see ETS below I’m referring to the official test maker: ETS.)

What changed for Reading in 2026 — quick facts you must know

• The updated TOEFL iBT launched globally on January 21, 2026. The Reading section was streamlined to shorter modules and uses adaptive routing in some administrations — practice must reflect the newer passage lengths and timing.

• ETS publishes reading practice sets and full practice tests matched to the 2026 format — use these official materials for the most reliable practice.

Why this matters: practicing older-format passages (very long, essay-like texts) will not prepare you for the new timing and adaptive item types. Use the examples below (modeled on ETS practice sets) and then check official ETS practice PDFs and sample tests.

How to use this article

1. Time yourself for each passage (use the time guidelines given).

2. Answer the multiple-choice questions before reading the explanations.

3. After each passage, read the worked answers and compare your process to the strategy tips.

4. Bookmark the ETS practice PDFs and full practice tests linked at the end and repeat weekly.

The reading question types — a quick cheat sheet (table)

Question type	What it asks	How to attack it
Main idea / gist	The central point of the passage	Summarize whole passage in 1-2 phrases; eliminate answer choices with narrow focus
Detail (explicit)	Specific fact stated in text	Scan for keywords and read surrounding 1–2 lines
Inference	What must be true though not directly stated	Use passage logic — only choose answers that follow logically
Vocabulary in context	Meaning of a word/phrase in the passage	Replace the word with choices to see which preserves meaning
Function / purpose	Why the author included a sentence or paragraph	Look for rhetorical signals (contrast, example, cause)
Organization / coherence	How passage is structured	Check topic sentences and transitions

Practice sets from ETS include all these types — the sample passages below mirror ETS style and difficulty for 2026.

Practice Passage 1 — Short academic excerpt (Time: 12 minutes)

Passage (condensed):Modern conservation projects increasingly use citizen science to collect biodiversity data. Volunteers monitor local habitats, reporting species observations via smartphone apps. Researchers value citizen contributions for two reasons: volunteers provide large-scale geographic coverage that is often impossible for small academic teams, and continued public engagement increases local stewardship. However, citizen data can present challenges — observers vary in expertise, and detection rates can differ by season and habitat. To address these weaknesses, many projects combine volunteer data with targeted expert surveys and statistical methods that account for observation bias.

Questions (choose one best answer)

1. The main purpose of the passage is toA) criticize citizen science projects for unreliable data.B) explain why citizen science is useful and how its weaknesses are handled.C) describe the technical details of statistical corrections.D) argue that professional researchers should replace volunteers.

2. According to the passage, one advantage of citizen science is that itA) eliminates the need for expert surveys.B) guarantees consistent data across seasons.C) offers broad geographic coverage.D) produces data with no detection bias.

3. The word “detection” in the passage most nearly meansA) discovery.B) interpretation.C) measurement.D) alteration.

Answers & explanations (Passage 1)

1 — B. The passage presents both benefits and challenges and describes solutions (combine with expert surveys and stats), so B covers the whole passage. (Eliminate A and D — they are extreme; C is narrower.) (Main idea)

2 — C. The passage explicitly states volunteers “provide large-scale geographic coverage.” A and B are contradicted; D is false. (Detail)

3 — A. “Detection rates” refers to how often species are found/discovered in observations — closest is “discovery.” (Vocab in context)

Strategy note: For main-idea questions, paraphrase the passage in one sentence before scanning choices — this avoids picking a tempting but narrow option.

Practice Passage 2 — Longer excerpt with inference (Time: 18 minutes)

Passage (condensed):In the 19th century, urban planners redesigned many cities to incorporate public parks, responding to concerns about health, morality, and social order. Parks provided urban residents with green space for exercise and relaxation but also served as venues for social mixing across classes. Some critics argued that parks primarily benefitted the middle and upper classes, who used them for leisure, while workers continued to face crowded housing with inadequate sanitation. Yet historians note that the park movement also catalyzed reforms to public health infrastructure and influenced later progressive urban policies.

Questions

4. Which statement is best supported by the passage?A) Parks were originally intended solely for the health of the poor.B) The park movement had no effect on urban sanitation policies.C) Parks served multiple social and political functions beyond recreation.D) Urban planners invented parks to segregate social classes.

5. The passage implies that critics believed parks wereA) harmful to the environment.B) mainly advantages for wealthier citizens.C) a waste of city funds.D) unrelated to later progressive policies.

Answers & explanations (Passage 2)

4 — C. The passage lists several functions: health, social mixing, venues for leisure, and catalysts for reform; so parks “served multiple social and political functions.” A and B contradict text; D is not supported.

5 — B. The passage says critics argued parks “primarily benefitted the middle and upper classes,” matching B. (Inference / implication)

Strategy note: Inference questions often paraphrase critics’ positions — locate the sentence that mentions “some critics argued” and use it as evidence.

Practice Passage 3 — Vocabulary + purpose + detail (Time: 15 minutes)

Passage (condensed):The black-legged kittiwake, a seabird, has experienced population declines in parts of the North Atlantic. Scientists link these declines to reduced availability of small forage fish, which are sensitive to ocean temperature changes. Conservationists advocate for marine protected areas (MPAs) that restrict fishing in key feeding grounds. However, some fisheries economists caution that MPAs may displace fishing effort unless carefully designed, and they argue that complementary policies (seasonal closures, gear restrictions) are required to balance ecological and economic goals.

Questions

6. The author mentions “forage fish” primarily to

7. A) highlight a species that preys on kittiwakes

8. .B) identify a threat to the kittiwake population

9. .C) explain the diet of all seabirds.

10. D) criticize fisheries economists.

1. The primary function of the third sentence (“Conservationists… key feeding grounds.”) is to

   A) introduce a proposed solution.

   B) present opposing evidence

   C) provide historical background

   D) describe fishing technologies.

1. According to the passage, one challenge with MPAs is that they may

   A) reduce kittiwake food supply.

   B) increase ocean temperatures.

   C) displace fishing effort.D) be unsupported by scientists.

   
   

Answers & explanations (Passage 3)

6 — B. Forage fish are mentioned as the food whose reduction is linked to kittiwake declines — it identifies a threat. (Detail / cause)

7 — A. The sentence introduces MPAs as a conservation proposal — a solution. (Function / purpose)

8 — C. Passage states economists caution MPAs “may displace fishing effort” unless designed well. (Detail / inference)

Strategy note: For purpose questions, ask: “Is this introducing a solution, giving counterargument, or giving background?” Keywords like “however” and “advocate” are signals.

Scoring your practice & what to do next

• Score yourself 1 point per correct answer. Aim for 85%+ on timed sets to be competitive.

• Review every mistake with this routine: (1) find exact phrase in passage that contradicts your choice, (2) note what trap (paraphrase, extreme language, outside knowledge) you fell for, (3) write a one-sentence rule to avoid it next time.

For extended practice, use ETS’s official Reading Practice Questions PDF and the full practice tests that reflect the 2026 format. Those resources are the gold standard to check your answers and timing.

6-week practice plan (summary table)

Week	Focus
1	Diagnostic: 1 full official practice reading set; identify weak question types.
2	Target main-idea & inference drills — 6 passages.
3	Vocab in context + scanning speed — flashcards + timed passage drills.
4	Function & organization questions — practice paragraph mapping.
5	Mixed timed sets — simulate test timing and adaptive pacing.
6	Two full official reading practice tests; error log review.

FAQ — includes the focus keyword

Q: Where can I find reliable TOEFL reading practice questions with answers for the 2026 format?

A: Use ETS’s official Reading Practice Questions PDF and the updated full practice tests (these were revised for the January 21, 2026 update).

Supplement with reputable prep partners that reference official ETS items. Start with the ETS practice sets and full practice exams listed below.

Q: How should I time myself for TOEFL reading practice questions with answers?A: Follow the 2026 timing guidance: practice passages in the 12–18 minute windows (depending on passage length) and aim to finish with time to spare for review. Use official ETS practice to calibrate.

Final tips — convert practice into higher scores

• Practice active scanning: underline names, dates, verbs; circle contrast words (however, although).

• Avoid outside knowledge: answer only from passage evidence.

• Do mixed timed sets weekly to build adaptive speed for 2026 shorter sections.

• Use official ETS practice PDFs and the sample full test to validate your level and timing.

CTA — official practice & further reading

• TOEFL iBT Reading Practice Questions (official PDF) — download and work through the practice sets. https://www.ets.org/pdfs/toefl/toefl-ibt-reading-practice-sets.pdf

• Full-length official TOEFL iBT Practice Tests (2026 format) — take the sample/full practice tests to simulate timing. https://www.ets.org/pdfs/toefl/toefl-ibt-full-length-practice-test-1.pdf

• TOEFL Test Overview & 2026 updates (official) — read the updated test overview to confirm timing and format. https://www.in.ets.org/toefl/test-takers/ibt/about/content.html