TOEFL Reading 9

 

[1] The Andean civilizations were a variety of cultural groups that developed in areas from the highlands of Colombia to the Atacama Desert. Prior to the Spanish conquest, the Inca Empire was the last sovereign political entity that emerged from the Andean civilizations. However, the constituents of this last empire were not all fully loyal. Groups of the Chachapoya that had been conquered had lingering hostile sentiments towards the Incas. As a result, the Inca nobility refused to offer refuge in their kingdom during the time of the Spanish conflict. Furthermore, the local cultures were also a patchwork of different languages, practices and people that were never fully integrated. This contributed to the different economic systems of the various groups that evolved. For instance, the Chimu used money in commerce while the Inca did not. Moreover, the economy of the Inca Empire was based on barter and taxation of luxury goods and labour. The Inca system of taxation was even said to have accommodated the old and the lame by extracting a symbolic tribute from them in the form of head lice. Yet, in spite of their sophistication and vast territory, the last Inca stronghold was overcome by Spanish conquerors in 1572.
 

[2] The Inca Empire was the largest empire in Pre-Columbian America. The Incas succeeded in building an empire with territory encompassing western South America, the Andean mountains, large parts of Peru, Ecuador, western and south-central Bolivia, northwest Argentina, north and north-central Chile and southern Colombia. The empire’s administration, politics and military were located in Cusco, now Peru. This was because the Incas originated from the highlands of Peru sometime in the early 13th century. Nevertheless, the Incas used a variety of ways, from bloody conquest to peaceful assimilation, to expand their territory into a state comparable to the historical empires of the Old World order.
 

[3] For example, the Chimu were one of the peoples assimilated into the Inca Empire. Specifically, they were conquered in a campaign led by the Inca ruler Tupac Inca Yupanqui only fifty years prior to the arrival of the Spanish. The Chimu were the residents of Chimor, with their capital located at the city of Chan Chan in the Moche Valley of modern-day Trujillo, Peru. Furthermore, archeological evidence suggests that Chimor grew out of the Moche culture since there are similarities in the characteristics of the two cultures’ black ceramic pottery and intricate work in precious metals. Spanish chroniclers were also able to record accounts of the Chimu culture from subjects who had lived prior to the assimilation into the Inca Empire.
 

[4] In addition, the Muisca were a population encountered by the Spanish Empire in 1537, at the time of their conquest. The group formed the Muisca Confederation of the central highlands in present-day Colombia. The Chibcha-speaking people of the Muisca consisted of two confederations: the Hunza (Tunja) and the Bacatá. The Hunza were from the northern area, belonging to the Zaque. The Bacata were from the southern area, belonging to the Zipa. Both confederations were located in the highlands of modern-day Cundinamarca and Boyacá, specifically in the central area of Colombia's Eastern Range.
 

[5] The official language of the Inca Empire was Quechua. The Inca themselves referred to their empire as Tawantinsuyu which, when translated, refers to "The Four Regions" or "The Four United Provinces." Many other languages spoken by the various conquered peoples of the Inca Empire existed at this time and consequently, hundreds of local languages and dialects of Quechua were also spoken. Religious exercises consisted of many forms of worship that centered on the local sacred Huacas. While many local forms of worship persisted in the empire, the Inca leadership encouraged the worship of Inti, the sun god, and therefore imposed its sovereignty above other cults such as Pachamama. Moreover, the Incas considered their King, the Sapa Inca, to be the "child of the sun." As is common in ancient cultures, the sovereign wielded much power and influence over the people, even to the point where the sovereign was deified and considered a living god. Many of these cultural and religious characteristics transformed as Spanish rule replaced the Inca Empire in 1572, bringing a close to the rich culture of the peoples of the Andes Mountains.

1 Why does the author mention that Chimu people used money in commerce while the Incan people did not in paragraph 1?

• To show that the Inca Empire comprised of more than one economic system
• To compare the difference between the Chimu and the Inca
• To illustrate that the difference of economic system led to hostile sentiments toward the Incas
• To point out the reason for a complex tax system

ANSWER EXPLANATION

Question is worth: 1 point.

Correct Answer: a
Your Selection: Not Answered

(A) is the correct answer. The point of the paragraph was to show the diversity of the different cultures within the empire, including various economic systems. The key to answering the question is to identify the key sentence: For instance, the Chimu used money in commerce while the Inca did not. The key words, For instance, show the sentence gives an example based on the previous sentence, This contributed to the different economic systems of the various groups that evolved which explains the purpose of the example.

(B) is not correct because the Chimu are just being used as an example; the sentences are not comparisons between two cultures.

(C) is incorrect because there although hostility is mentioned in the passage, the economic system is not mentioned as the source of that hostility. (Avoid this trap by underlining or highlighting the word hostility and linking ideas – which do not even occur in paragraph 2).

(D) is incorrect and confusing as there is a reference in the paragraph to tax. However, it is not used to explain why the Chimu people used money and the Inca did not.

2 According to paragraph 2, the Inca empire included all of the following territory EXCEPT:

• Peru
• Brazil
• Colombia
• Bolivia

ANSWER EXPLANATION

Question is worth: 1 point.

Correct Answer: b
Your Selection: Not Answered

(B) is the correct answer. Brazil is the only territory that is not listed in the paragraph: Again, use your highlighter or pen to underline the answers mentioned so you can quickly eliminate the region not mentioned:

The Incas succeeded in building an empire with territory encompassing western South America, the Andean mountains, large parts of Peru, Ecuador, western and south-central Bolivia, northwest Argentina, north and north-central Chile and southern Colombia. A, C, and D are stated in the paragraph.

3 Which sentence is most similar to the following sentence from paragraph 3?

Spanish chroniclers were also able to record accounts of the Chimu culture from subjects who had lived prior to the assimilation into the Inca Empire.

• The Spanish conquerors kept careful financial accounts of the Chimu and their wealth stolen from the Inca Empire.
• Spanish historians uncovered written evidence and examples of the Chimu people from before they were conquered by the Incas
• The Inca Empire's extensive records of the destruction of the Chimu culture were not uncovered prior to the arrival of the Spanish.
• The Chimu people willingly joined the Inca Empire through careful accords and peace negotiations.

ANSWER EXPLANATION

Question is worth: 1 point.

Correct Answer: b
Your Selection: Not Answered

(B) is the correct answer. It is the only answer that contains all of the same information from the original sentence. To answer the question, identify the key words in the sentence:
“Spanish chroniclers were also able to record accounts of the Chimu culture from subjects who had lived prior to the assimilation into the Inca Empire.”
Then, find their synonyms - Spanish historians/accounts/prior to the assimilation
which are found in sentence (B).

(A) is incorrect because the original sentence does not refer to financial records.

(C) is not correct because there is no evidence in the paragraph to support this sentence.

(D) is incorrect because the original sentence does not contain information about agreements the Chimu entering the Inca Empire.

4 The word 'ceramic' in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to:

• clay
• plastic
• metal
• wood

ANSWER EXPLANATION

Question is worth: 1 point.

Correct Answer: a
Your Selection: Not Answered

(A) is the correct answer. Ceramics are often made of clay, a natural material used for pottery.

(B) is incorrect because plastic is a synthetic or organic material that can be molded when heated. It did not exist in ancient times.

(C) is wrong because metal is a solid material that is typically hard, shiny, malleable, fusible, and ductile, with good electrical and thermal conductivity (e.g., iron, gold, silver, copper, and aluminum, and alloys such as brass and steel).

(D) is incorrect as wood is a hard, fibrous substance composing most of the stem and branches of a tree or shrub, and lying beneath the bark.

5 Based on information presented in paragraph 4, what can we infer about the various groups of people in the Andes mountains?

• They endured hard winters.
• The were many peoples isolated by rough, mountainous terrain.
• Different languages kept local groups from joining with one another against the Spanish.
• There was a pre-existing complex system of political and military alliances.

ANSWER EXPLANATION

Question is worth: 1 point.

Correct Answer: d
Your Selection: Not Answered

(D) is the correct answer. The presence of confederations suggests a pre-existing system of political and military alliances: To answer this question correctly, read through the paragraph to find the general purpose of the text. Highlight key words to help you understand the gist, which in this case, refer to the intricate political and military system:

...the Muisca were a population encountered by the Spanish Empire in 1537, at the time of their conquest. The group formed the Muisca Confederation of the central highlands in present-day Colombia. The Chibcha-speaking people ...The Hunza were from the northern ... The Bacata were from the southern area, belonging to the Zipa.

(A), (B), and (C) are not mentioned in the text.

6 According to paragraph 4, where were the Musica confederations primarily located?

• Highlands of Peru
• Lowlands of Colombia
• Highlands of Colombia
• Mountains of Ecuador

ANSWER EXPLANATION

Question is worth: 1 point.

Correct Answer: c
Your Selection: Not Answered

(C) is the correct answer. It is stated in the text:
In addition, the Muisca were a population encountered by the Spanish Empire in 1537, at the time of their conquest. The group formed the Muisca Confederation of the central highlands in present-day Colombia.
(A), (B), and (D) are not stated in the text.

7 The word 'themselves' in paragraph 5 refers to:

• The Four Regions
• The Incas
• Quecha
• The Spanish

ANSWER EXPLANATION

Question is worth: 1 point.

Correct Answer: b
Your Selection: Not Answered

(B) is the correct answer. Themselves is referring to the subject of the sentence, the Incas. The key to answering this question is to identify the part of speech which is a reflexive pronoun. We know that reflexive pronouns refer to the subject noun of the same sentence – in this case, Incas.

8 Based on the information in paragraph 5, what can we infer about the religion of the Inca Empire?

• The Incas treated the religion of their subjects as equal to their own.
• The Incas belief in the “sun god” greatly influenced the Spanish conquerors.
• The deification of the Inca king only occurred upon the death of the king.
• The Incas' many beliefs, including in the “sun god” would fade and disappear after Spanish conquest.

ANSWER EXPLANATION

Question is worth: 1 point.

Correct Answer: d
Your Selection: Not Answered

(D) is the correct answer. Since cultural and religious features of the Inca Empire faded after the Spanish conquest, it is reasonable to assume that the "sun god" would fade as well.

(A) is not correct because the Incas treated the religion of their subjects as lesser god:
...the Inca leadership encouraged the worship of Inti, the sun god, and therefore imposed its sovereignty above other cults such as Pachamama.

(B) is wrong because the Spanish conquerors replaced the beliefs of the "sun god" with their own religion:
Many of these cultural and religious characteristics transformed as Spanish rule replaced the Inca Empire in 1572,

(C) is not correct because the Inca king was deified during his rule:
Moreover, the Incas considered their King, the Sapa Inca, to be the "child of the sun."

9 Examine the four █ in the selection below and indicate at which block the following sentence could be inserted into the passage:

The conquering of the Chimu incorporated yet another people and culture into the Inca empire.

 

█ [A] For example, the Chimu were one of the peoples assimilated into the Inca Empire. █ [B] Specifically, they were conquered in a campaign led by the Inca ruler Tupac Inca Yupanqui only fifty years prior to the arrival of the Spanish. █ [C] The Chimu were the residents of Chimor, with their capital located at the city of Chan Chan in the Moche Valley of modern-day Trujillo, Peru. █ [D] Furthermore, archeological evidence suggests that Chimor grew out of the Moche culture since there are similarities in the characteristics of the two cultures’ black ceramic pottery and intricate work in precious metals..

• [A]
• [B]
• [C]
• [D]

ANSWER EXPLANATION

Question is worth: 1 point.

Correct Answer: c
Your Selection: Not Answered

(C) is the correct answer. The inserted sentence refers back to the previous mention of the conquering of the Chimu and sets up a transition to refer to Chimu culture.

(A) is incorrect because the sentence that would follow would be introducing the Chimu for a second time in that case.

(B) is not correct because of the emphasis on who specifically conquered the Chimu in the following sentence which would prevent the inserted sentence from acting as a correct transition.

(D) is incorrect because the sentence before that point would already have referred to the culture of the Chimu and would cause a disruption in the order of events in the paragraph.

10Directions: An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage is provided below. Complete the summary by selecting the THREE answer choices that express the most important ideas in the passage. Some sentences do not belong in the summary because they express ideas that are not presented in the passage or are minor ideas in the passage. This question is worth 2 points.

Drag your answer choices to the spaces where they belong. To remove an answer choice, drag it back. To review the passage, click VIEW TEXT.

 

The Inca empire was an empire of many cultures, peoples, languages, and customs from the Andes mountains.

• A. The cultures and people in the Andes consisted of different groups and economic systems.
• C. The assimiliation of peoples into the Inca empire included acknowledging dominant Inca religious beliefs
• D. The civilizations in the Andes, through conquest and assimilation, had help from different groups to resist the Spanish, but to no avail.

 

• A. The cultures and people in the Andes consisted of different groups and economic systems.
• B. The Inca empire expanded using conquest to subjugate their neighbors.
• C. The assimiliation of peoples into the Inca empire included acknowledging dominant Inca religious beliefs
• D. The civilizations in the Andes, through conquest and assimilation, had help from different groups to resist the Spanish, but to no avail.
• E. The Andes mountains were isolated enough to prevent the creation of one, broad empire.
• F. The Spanish struggled to capture the Andean civilizations and never fully conquered the region nor the Inca empire.

ANSWER EXPLANATION

Question is worth: 2 points.

Correct Answer: a,c,d
Your Selection: Not Answered

(A), (C), and (D) are the correct answers. We find the answers in the text:

(A): ... Furthermore, the local cultures were also a patchwork of different languages, practices and people that were never fully integrated. This contributed to the different economic systems of the various groups that evolved.

(D): The group formed the Muisca Confederation of the central highlands in present-day Colombia. The Chibcha-speaking people of the Muisca consisted of two confederations: the Hunza (Tunja) and the Bacatá. The Hunza were from the northern area, belonging to the Zaque. The Bacata were from the southern area, belonging to the Zipa. Both confederations were located in the highlands of modern-day Cundinamarca and Boyacá, specifically in the central area of Colombia's Eastern Range.

(B) is incorrect because, while it is true, it is not an important topic in the text

(E) is not correct because it contradicts the statement in the text that the vast Inca empire stretched across South America:
The Incas succeeded in building an empire with territory encompassing western South America, the Andean mountains, large parts of Peru, Ecuador, western and south-central Bolivia, northwest Argentina, north and north-central Chile and southern Colombia.

(F) is not correct because the Spanish did fully conquer the Inca empire, according to the text:
Many of these cultural and religious characteristics transformed as Spanish rule replaced the Inca Empire in 1572, bringing a close to the rich culture of the peoples of the Andes mountains.