اختبار TOEFL القراءة تجريبي 2026 و2027 - نموذج 1

Passage 1: The Development of Urban Farming

In recent years, urban farming has become a growing movement in many large cities. Urban farming refers to the practice of growing food inside or near cities, often on rooftops, empty lots, balconies, or in specially designed indoor spaces. Although farming is usually associated with rural land, city-based agriculture has developed in response to several modern challenges, including population growth, food transportation costs, and the need for more sustainable communities.

One reason urban farming has attracted attention is that it can shorten the distance between food production and consumption. In traditional agriculture, fruits and vegetables may travel hundreds or even thousands of kilometers before reaching consumers. This transportation requires fuel, packaging, refrigeration, and storage. By contrast, food grown within a city can often be delivered to local markets or restaurants more quickly. This can reduce transportation costs and may also allow consumers to receive fresher produce.

Urban farming can also make use of spaces that would otherwise remain empty or underused. Rooftops, for example, receive sunlight and are often flat enough to support containers or lightweight growing systems. Some cities have encouraged rooftop farms because they can also help reduce building temperatures. Plants absorb sunlight and release moisture, which can cool the surface of a roof. In this way, urban farming may provide both food and environmental benefits.

However, urban farming has limitations. Land in cities is expensive, and not all spaces are safe for food production. Soil in empty lots may contain pollution from old buildings, traffic, or industrial activity. As a result, many urban farmers use raised beds or containers with clean soil. Indoor farms avoid some of these problems, but they require electricity for lighting and climate control. If the electricity comes from fossil fuels, the environmental benefits may be reduced.

Despite these challenges, urban farming continues to expand. Supporters do not claim that it can replace traditional agriculture. Instead, they argue that it can become one part of a broader food system. It may provide fresh produce, create educational opportunities, and help city residents understand where food comes from. For these reasons, many planners now view urban farming not as a temporary trend, but as a practical tool for improving city life.

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Passage 2: The Role of Failure in Scientific Discovery

Scientific progress is often described as a series of successful discoveries, but this description leaves out an important part of the process: failure. Experiments frequently produce unexpected results, instruments do not always work as planned, and initial explanations are often incomplete. Rather than being simply a sign of poor work, failure can help scientists refine questions, improve methods, and discover new possibilities.

One important function of failure is that it reveals weaknesses in a hypothesis. A hypothesis is a proposed explanation that can be tested. If an experiment does not support the hypothesis, the scientist must reconsider the original idea. This does not mean the work was useless. On the contrary, a failed prediction can show that the natural world is more complex than expected. Scientists may then design better experiments or develop a more accurate explanation.

Failure can also lead to accidental discoveries. In some cases, researchers notice an unexpected result and investigate it further. The key is not the failure itself, but the scientist’s ability to recognize that an unusual result may be meaningful. Many discoveries have depended on careful observation of events that were not originally part of the research plan. This requires patience and an open mind.

Another reason failure is valuable is that it encourages stronger methods. If an experiment produces confusing results, scientists may need to improve their instruments, collect more data, or control additional variables. Over time, these improvements make research more reliable. In this sense, failure contributes to the quality of science by forcing researchers to be more careful.

The public sometimes misunderstands scientific failure. When scientists revise their conclusions, people may assume that science is unreliable. In reality, revision is one of science’s strengths. Scientific knowledge improves because researchers test ideas, compare evidence, and correct mistakes. A conclusion that changes in response to better evidence is not necessarily weak; it may show that the scientific process is working.

For students, understanding the role of failure can change how they view learning. A wrong answer or unsuccessful experiment should not always be treated as an endpoint. It can be a starting point for deeper thinking. In both classrooms and laboratories, failure can become useful when it leads to better questions and more careful investigation.