I believe there are monsters born in the world to human parents. Some you can see, misshapen and horrible, with huge heads or tiny bodies. . . . And just as there are physical monsters, can there not be mental or psychic monsters born? The face and body may be perfect, but if a twisted gene or a malformed egg can produce physical monsters, may not the same process produce a malformed soul?
–East of Eden, by famous California author John Steinbeck (1902-1968)
If you would like to improve your TOEFL Reading score, the best way is to constantly read: focus on subjects or authors that you love, and then branch out to read the more academic articles that are used in TOEFL. Students often ask for pleasure reading recommendations, and one of the authors that is high on many teachers’ lists is California author (and Nobel Prize winner) John Steinbeck.
To practice your reading skills (and at the same time learn a little more about the works of John Steinbeck), read this excerpt from one of the author’s most famous works, East of Eden. If you love California, you will probably find Steinbeck’s tales of the Salinas Valley fascinating!
Answer the TOEFL style questions after the reading. If you don’t know the TOEFL Reading format, read our post on Types of TOEFL Reading Part 1 Questions.
TOEFL Reading Practice
I believe that there is one story in the world, and only one. . . . Humans are caught—in their lives, in their thoughts, in their hungers and ambitions, in their avarice and cruelty, and in their kindness and generosity too—in a net of good and evil. . . . There is no other story. A man, after he has brushed off the dust and chips of his life, will have left only the hard, clean questions: Was it good or was it evil? Have I done well—or ill?
– John Steinbeck, East of Eden
TOEFL Practice Questions
1. “Avarice” is closest in meaning to
a) greed
b) thirst
c) anger
2. The word “net” could best be replaced with
a) web
b) basket
c) bag
3. The author mentions the “story” to say that . . .Â
a) . . . humans are trapped, like they are in a net, by life. Entrapment is a story told again and again.
b) . . . the forces of good and evil are found in everything we do.
c) . . . the only story that we have is our own.
4. According to the author, why is the question of whether we did good and evil so important?
a) It is the only thing that matters once we look past all of the other details/events of our life.
b) We will all be judged on the actions we did during our lives.
c) Good and evil are the only two things in the world, so they are the last questions we have to ask ourselves.
Answers to the TOEFL Practice Questions
1. “Avarice” is closest in meaning to
a) greed
b) thirst
c) anger
The definition of “avarice” is “greed.”Â
2. The word “net” could best be replaced with
a) web
b) basket
c) bag
In English, we often talk about being caught in “webs” or in “nets.” We do not use the verb “catch” with words like  “basket” or “bag.”
3. The author mentions the “story” to say that . . .
a) Humans are trapped, like they are in a net, by life. Entrapment is a story told again and again.
b) The forces of good and evil are found in everything.
c) The only story that we have is our own.
The sentence reads, “Humans are caught—in their lives, in their thoughts, in their hungers and ambitions, in their avarice and cruelty, and in their kindness and generosity too—in a net of good and evil. . . . There is no other story.” The author is implying that there are good things (kindness, generosity) and bad things (avarice, cruelty) in the world, and that every story involves these two factors.Â
4. According to the author, why is the question of whether we did good and evil so important?
a) It is the only thing that matters once we look past all of the other details/events of our life.
b) We will all be judged by others on the actions we did during our lives.
c) Good and evil are the only two things in the world, so they are the last questions we have to ask ourselves when we look back on our lives.
The sentence says, “A man, after he has brushed off the dust and chips of his life, will have left only the hard, clean questions: Was it good or was it evil? Have I done well—or ill?” The sentence suggests that if we remove certain details of our lives (referred to as “the dust and chips”) then we are left with what are called “the hard, clean questions.” The questions are about our life, and if it was lived in good, or in bad. The answer is not “A” because there is no mention of this being the “only thing that matters” and it is not “B” because there is not a mention of being judged by other people.Â
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Would you like to read more by John Steinbeck? Check out some of his more famous works:
- East of Eden
- The Grapes of Wrath
- In Dubious Battle
- Of Mice and Men
- Travels with Charley