TOEFL Reading: Factual and Negative Factual Information

✅ What is it about? 📍Factual Information asks you to find the information that is explicitly stated in the text, for example, major ideas...

✅ What is it about?

📍Factual Information asks you to find the information that is explicitly stated in the text, for example, major ideas, supporting details, definitions, terms, etc. You task is to find the CORRECT answer within the wrong ones.

📍Negative Factual Information asks you to recognize the information that is explicitly stated in a reading passage and is NOT TRUE. It means that 3 of 4 answers are true in this question, and 1 of 4 is false.

✅ How does the question sound?

Factual Information

📍According to the paragraph,...

📍Paragraph XYZ answers which of the following...?

Negative Factual Information

📍According to the paragraph, which of the following is NOT true...?

📍The author mentions all of the following EXCEPT,...

✅ How to answer?

📍Do not select an answer that contains the words or phrases from the paragraph.

📍Evaluate each option to determine if it is correct.

📍The wrong answer contradicts or mistakes the information from the passage or it does not mention there. So the right answer should be mentioned and explained within the text.

📍For Negative Factual Information answer is either not in the paragraph, or it has information that directly contradicts the paragraph.

✅ Sample question

Factual Information

Females in the period of Paleolithic learned how to distinguish between toxic and non-toxic mushrooms, assisted men in collecting eggs and berries with time. Furthermore, women became the main gatherers of mosses for sleeping mats and other plants for housings. They also helped men with the process of dressing and butchering freshly killed prey when it was delivered after the hunting expedition. Another reason why they were involved in the progress of hunting is that animals' sinews and fibers from plans that were used to rope a tie and fasten the hides and baskets. Also, those tools could be utilized to create netting for hunting and fishing, sometimes for transport too. In societies where hunting and horticulture elements were present, the female could grow and give a different variety of foods such as grains, legumes, and so on. Sewing and food gathering was a part of the activities that would be conducted outside, precisely in Mediterranean communities. They were usually associated with a preschool and apprentice system where women would take a leading role and educate young ones. It demonstrates another role of women in society such as teachers.

According to the paragraph 5, why did Neolithic women were involved in the process of hunting along with men?

Which one do you think is the right answer? Leave your explanations to the chosen answer in the comments below.

A. They were going to hunting expeditions as well as male inhabitants to provide food.

B. They took ties and hides to create netting that helped men to kill pray easier.

C. They used sinews and fibers to make housing equipment.

D. They collected all the materials they saw after hunting to bring them to their communities.

Negative Factual Information

Violence was part of Paleolithic times; however, it was disorganized and haphazard. As people started to settle down and build large settlements, they became closer to each other and helped to increase population. An invention took place - organized warfare. Intensification of agriculture as well as social and economic pressures assisted with producing more food supplies and fine belongings that were wanted by the neighbors. In the 9,000s BCE period, populated settlements like Jericho began to construct defensive walls. Besides, wounds and injures from new kinds of projectiles (like the Khiam Point) were found on the skeletons unearthed in that place. Scientists believe those arms were invented during the Neolithic era.

According to paragraph 2, all of the following statements are true about the effects that close settlements and agriculture intensification had in the Paleolithic era EXCEPT:

Which one do you think is the right answer? Leave your explanations to the chosen answer in the comments below.

A. There was an abundance of food and valuable artifacts.B. New types of arms were developed.C. Wars became more common in the Neolithic era than before.D. City fortification, e.g. walls, began to appear.