TOEFL Complete the Words
The first task of the new TOEFL Reading section: finish ten half-written words in a short academic paragraph.
You see a short academic text in which some words are cut off. The first letters of each word are shown; you type the missing letters. The task tests vocabulary, grammar and spelling at the same time, and it moves fast, so practice makes a big difference.
How the Task Works
Short text, ten gaps, and you type every missing letter yourself.
?The Task at a Glance
- Text A short academic paragraph, about 70–90 words.
- Gaps Ten words are incomplete. Only the first letters are shown.
- Answer You type the rest of each word. Spelling must be correct.
- Section It opens the Reading section, which adapts to your level.
Plants need light to grow, and most of them also need water.
Practice 1
Type the missing letters, then check your answers. Allow about 3 minutes.
Life in a Beehive
Honeybees live in large colonies that can contain tens of thousands of insects. Each colony has a sin qu, whose ma role is to l eggs. Worker bees, which are all female, perform almost every ot ta in the hive. Young workers cl cells and fe larvae, while older ones leave the hive to col nectar and pollen. In this way, the colony divides its labour acco to age.
Show the answers
1. single · 2. queen · 3. main · 4. lay · 5. other · 6. task · 7. clean · 8. feed · 9. collect · 10. according
Practice 2
A second text on a different topic. Try to beat your first score.
Urban Heat Islands
Cities are often warmer than the countryside around them. This effect, kn as the urban he island, occurs bec buildings and roads abs heat during the day and release it slo at night. In addi, there are fe trees to provide sh and cool the air. Planners can red the effect by adding parks, planting trees along streets and using lig materials for roofs.
Show the answers
1. known · 2. heat · 3. because · 4. absorb · 5. slowly · 6. addition · 7. fewer · 8. shade · 9. reduce · 10. lighter
Strategies
What helps most in this task.
✓Five Tips
- Read the whole sentence The words around a gap tell you if you need a noun, a verb or a linking word.
- Check the grammar Many gaps are small grammar words or endings: -s, -ed, -ly, because, although.
- Count the letters The space shows how many letters are missing. Use it to choose between two possible words.
- Spell carefully A word you understand but misspell still counts as wrong.
- Keep moving If a word does not come, make your best guess and go on; come back if time allows.
Context first, then the letters.
Read for meaning, decide what kind of word fits, then spell it carefully. Speed comes with practice.
Read. Predict. Spell. Move on.
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