Questions of the TOEFL iBT Reading Comprehension Practice Test 015

Question 1. According to the paragraph, what is the estimated mass of the central black hole of the Milky Way?
A) 4 million times that of the sun
B) 4 billion times that of the sun
C) 40 million times that of the sun
D) 40 billion times that of the sun

Question 2. Paragraph 2 mentions four distinct components of the Milky Way’s structure. Which component contains old, metal-poor stars?
A) Central bulge
B) Disk
C) Halo
D) Spiral arms

Question 3. According to the paragraph, which of the following is NOT true about the disk of the Milky Way?
A) It is a flat, circular structure that extends outward from the central bulge.
B) It contains most of the galaxy’s star-forming regions and its spiral arms.
C) It has a diameter of approximately 100,000 light-years and contains an estimated 200 to 400 billion stars.
D) It rotates once every 200-250 million years.

Question 4. The author mentions all of the following EXCEPT:
A) The name and origin of the Milky Way.
B) The location and membership of the Milky Way in a group of galaxies.
C) The composition and distribution of gas, dust, and dark matter in the Milky Way.
D) The distance and direction to other galaxies in relation to the Milky Way.

Question 5. Which of the following can be inferred from the paragraph about the structure of the Milky Way?
A) The disk of the Milky Way is made up of dark matter and old, metal-poor stars.
B) The halo of the Milky Way is a flat, circular structure that extends outward from the central bulge.
C) The spiral arms of the Milky Way are solid structures that rotate around the central bulge.
D) The central bulge of the Milky Way is surrounded by a disk-like structure that contains the majority of the galaxy's stars and its spiral arms.

Question 6. Why does the author mention the interactions between the Milky Way and its neighboring galaxies in the last paragraph?
A) To provide information about the distribution of dark matter in the Milky Way.
B) To explain the role of neighboring galaxies in the evolution and structure of the Milky Way.
C) To describe the basic properties of the Milky Way and its formation and evolution.
D) To highlight the current state of research and observation of the Milky Way.

Question 7. The word "coalesced" in the passage is closest in meaning to:
A) merged
B) collapsed
C) expanded
D) contracted

Question 8. The phrase "star-forming regions" in the passage is closest in meaning to:
A) areas of higher density within the disk of the galaxy
B) spherical structures located in the center of the galaxy
C) large, spherical structures that surround the disk
D) flat, circular structures that extend outward from the central bulge

Question 9. Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the following sentence? "Through the use of advanced telescopes and instruments, they are able to observe the movements and properties of stars and gas within the Milky Way, and to gather information about the distribution of dark matter and other exotic objects within the galaxy."
A) They use special tools to study stars, gas, dark matter, and other things in our galaxy.
B) They have advanced telescopes and instruments that help them see stars, gas, dark matter, and other objects in our galaxy better.
C) They observe stars, gas, dark matter, and other objects in our galaxy with advanced telescopes and instruments.
D) They can learn more about stars, gas, dark matter, and other things in our galaxy by using advanced telescopes and instruments.

Question 10. Look at the four letters – (A), (B), (C), and (D), – that indicate where the following sentence can be added to the passage. "The halo of the Milky Way is thought to contain a large amount of dark matter." Where would the sentence best fit?
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)