Questions of the TOEFL iBT Reading Comprehension Practice Test 005

Question 1. According to the paragraph, which of the following is the main definition of conformity?
A) The tendency to act or think like other members of a group.
B) A change in behavior that is due to a request or suggestion from another person.
C) A change in behavior that is the result of a direct order or command from another person.
D) A prediction that, by being made, causes itself to become true.

Question 2. According to the paragraph, which of the following is NOT one of the three main areas of social influence?
A) Conformity
B) Engagement
C) Compliance
D) Obedience

Question 3. According to the paragraph, which of the following is NOT true about social influence?
A) Social influence refers to the persuasive effects people have on each other.
B) The study of social influence overlaps with research on attitudes and persuasion.
C) Social influence is not related to the study of group dynamics.
D) Social influence refers to the way in which individuals change their ideas and actions to meet the demands of a social group.

Question 4. Which of the following can be inferred from the paragraph about social influence?
A) Conformity is seen as a positive tendency in American culture.
B) Social influence refers to the persuasive effects people have on themselves.
C) The study of social influence is distinct from the study of attitudes and persuasion.
D) Most effects of social influence are strongest when they take place in individual settings.

Question 5. Why does the author mention the Milgram study in the passage?
A) To highlight the importance of obedience as a form of social influence
B) To emphasize the negative effects of social influence on individuals
C) To show how social influence affects the financial field
D) To provide an example of self-fulfilling prophecy

Question 6. Why does the author mention the self-fulfilling prophecy in the passage?
A) To emphasize the negative effects of social influence on individuals
B) To demonstrate the impact of social influence on financial decisions
C) To highlight the power of social influence to change behavior
D) To provide an example of a unique form of social influence

Question 7. The word "overlaps" in the paragraph is closest in meaning to...
A) Differs
B) Extends
C) Coincides
D) Separates

Question 8. The phrase "the persuasive effects" in the paragraph is closest in meaning to...
A) The causes of influence
B) The influence of persuasion
C) The influence of behavior
D) The impact of influence

Question 9. Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the following sentence? "Conformity is usually viewed as a negative tendency in American culture, but a certain amount of conformity is adaptive in some situations, as is nonconformity in other situations."
A) Conformity is seen as a negative tendency, but can also be positive.
B) Conformity is always negative in American culture.
C) Nonconformity can also be negative in certain situations.
D) The adaptiveness of conformity and nonconformity depends on the situation.

Question 10. Look at the four letters – (A), (B), (C) and (D) – that indicate where the following sentence can be added to the passage. "People may induce hostility in others by their own behavior, causing the self-fulfilling prophecy to become true." Where would the sentence best fit?
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)