Today on Inside the TOEFL Test, we're going inside the TOEFL iBT Reading section.

Specifically, the Inference and Rhetorical Purpose questions.

Inference questions ask you to identify information or comprehend an idea that is not explicitly stated in the reading passage.

You can recognize inference questions because they usually include the words "infer," "imply" or "suggest," like in these examples.

Rhetorical purpose questions are similar, because they also ask for information not explicitly stated.

These will ask why the author has presented a piece of information.

One way to approach these types of questions, if you can't identify the correct answer immediately, is to eliminate wrong answers.

You will see more on this as we go through the example.

Now let's do a sample inference question.

Here's a paragraph from a reading passage about meteorite impacts.

Next, let's look at the question.

You see that it uses the word "inferred," so that clearly tells you that it's an inference question.

Can you identify the correct answer?

It's choice C, because it's supported by this sentence, which indicates that scientists knew in 1980 that there had been an impact.

And this one, where it said the site had been located in the Yucatan.

Let's look at why the other choices can be eliminated.

Choice A is not correct.

Because there isn't anything written or implied in the passage about geologists keeping the impact site secret.

Choice B is also not correct.

Saying that it was a "well-known fact" contradicts the passage where it talks about the discovery of the crater in the Yucatan.

Choice D also can't be correct.

Because the paragraph doesn't mention climate as a factor in the discovery of the impact site.

Now let's look at an example of a rhetorical purpose question.

It asks about information from a different paragraph in the same reading passage about meteorites and dinosaurs.

It's like an Inference question, but it asks why the author includes a particular piece of information.

When reading each answer choice, the most important part to focus on is the "to clause" at the beginning of each one.

Then pick the answer that best describes what the author is trying to do.

In this case, the correct answer is C.

One way to build your reading skills is by practicing skimming, which is reading quickly to identify major points.

One way to skim is to read the introductory paragraph, then the first sentence of each of the middle paragraphs, and then read the concluding paragraph.

When you're practicing, try reading a passage twice, the first time skimming to get the main ideas, then read it again more carefully to see if you really did get those main ideas.

Another tip that will help with rhetorical purpose questions is to make sure you know the definition of these words.

Because they are often used to describe kinds of rhetorical purposes.

There are lots of ways to improve your English skills.

Whatever you do, keep practicing.

And good luck on your TOEFL test.