Reading: stories, inference and purpose

Nobody writes "Mia was nervous"

• A story says: "Mia checked her bag for the third time and looked at the clock again." The writer never says nervous, but you know.
• Stories in TOEFL Junior Reading ask you to notice clues 线索 like these.

Stories in the Reading section

• Some passages are short stories about students, families and friends. Questions ask about characters 人物, events, feelings and the best title.
• Follow the plot 情节: what happens first, what the problem is, and how it ends.

Read the story

• Read this original story once, then use it for the questions in this lesson.

The Lost Map

Ana had planned the class hike for two weeks. On Saturday morning she counted the students at the park gate: twelve, plus Mr Ortiz and her cousin Ben, who had come to help. Then she opened her backpack and froze. The trail map was not there.

"We can use the map on my phone," said Ben. But the park had no signal, and the screen showed only a grey square. Ana's face turned red. She looked at the twelve students, who were already eating their snacks.

Mr Ortiz smiled. "Let's ask at the visitor centre," he said. The ranger there gave them a paper map and showed them a shorter path to the lake. "It's the best view in the park," she added.

At the lake, the students took photos and cheered. On the way back, Ana walked at the front, holding the map with both hands. She did not let go of it once.

Feelings from actions and words

• Writers show feelings: she smiled, he shook his head, her hands were shaking, he pushed his lunch away.
• Choose the feeling that the clue supports. Laughed and called her sister right away → happy or excited, not worried.

Why does a character do something?

• Why…? questions ask for a reason. The reason is usually a few lines before or after the action. Read both sides.
• Making an inference 推断 means using clues to reach an answer the text does not say directly. It must still come from the text.

NOT and EXCEPT questions

• "All of the following are true EXCEPT…" Three options are in the story; one is not.
• Find each option in the text and cross it out. The one you cannot find (or that the text contradicts) is the answer.

The best title for a story

• The best title names the main event or problem of the whole story, not one small scene.
• Check your choice: would someone who read only the title know what the story is mostly about?

Common mistakes

Mia's bag, by the way, contained her ticket all along. It usually does.

Recap

Official sources

• Checked on 15 November 2026: Reading Comprehension sample questions (ETS), which include a story, and the Test Taker Handbook (ETS, PDF). The stories here are original.