Duolingo English Test (DET)
Take the Duolingo English Test — Interactive Reading, Set 1: 20 multiple-choice questions (30 minutes) with instant scoring and a full answer review.…
What this test covers
The first 5 questions of this test, with the correct answer and explanation.
Q1. Read the passage: City beekeeping In recent years, beekeeping has become popular in many cities. Hives can be found on the roofs of offices, hotels and schools. Supporters say that city gardens and parks offer bees a wide variety of flowers, often more than modern farmland, where large fields may contain a single crop. Some researchers, however, warn that too many hives in one area could leave less food for wild bees, which are also important pollinators. They suggest that people who want to help bees should plant more flowers rather than simply adding hives. Which word best completes the sentence? "Supporters say that city gardens offer bees a wide ______ of flowers."
Answer: B. variety
Explanation: "A wide variety of" is the natural phrase.
Q2. Read the passage: City beekeeping In recent years, beekeeping has become popular in many cities. Hives can be found on the roofs of offices, hotels and schools. Supporters say that city gardens and parks offer bees a wide variety of flowers, often more than modern farmland, where large fields may contain a single crop. Some researchers, however, warn that too many hives in one area could leave less food for wild bees, which are also important pollinators. They suggest that people who want to help bees should plant more flowers rather than simply adding hives. According to the passage, why might city gardens be good for bees?
Answer: B. They often have more kinds of flowers than modern farmland
Explanation: Farmland may contain a single crop; city gardens offer more variety.
Q3. Read the passage: City beekeeping In recent years, beekeeping has become popular in many cities. Hives can be found on the roofs of offices, hotels and schools. Supporters say that city gardens and parks offer bees a wide variety of flowers, often more than modern farmland, where large fields may contain a single crop. Some researchers, however, warn that too many hives in one area could leave less food for wild bees, which are also important pollinators. They suggest that people who want to help bees should plant more flowers rather than simply adding hives. What concern do some researchers raise?
Answer: A. Too many hives could leave less food for wild bees
Explanation: They warn that many hives could reduce food for wild bees.
Q4. Read the passage: City beekeeping In recent years, beekeeping has become popular in many cities. Hives can be found on the roofs of offices, hotels and schools. Supporters say that city gardens and parks offer bees a wide variety of flowers, often more than modern farmland, where large fields may contain a single crop. Some researchers, however, warn that too many hives in one area could leave less food for wild bees, which are also important pollinators. They suggest that people who want to help bees should plant more flowers rather than simply adding hives. Which idea is expressed in the last sentence?
Answer: D. Planting flowers may help bees more than adding hives
Explanation: Researchers suggest planting more flowers instead of only adding hives.
Q5. Read the passage: City beekeeping In recent years, beekeeping has become popular in many cities. Hives can be found on the roofs of offices, hotels and schools. Supporters say that city gardens and parks offer bees a wide variety of flowers, often more than modern farmland, where large fields may contain a single crop. Some researchers, however, warn that too many hives in one area could leave less food for wild bees, which are also important pollinators. They suggest that people who want to help bees should plant more flowers rather than simply adding hives. Which is the best title for the passage?
Answer: C. Bees in the City: Benefits and Concerns
Explanation: The passage covers both the appeal and the worries of urban beekeeping.
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Q6. Read the passage: High-speed trains High-speed trains can travel at more than 300 kilometres per hour. For journeys of a few hundred kilometres, they are often faster than flying, because passengers do not need to travel to an airport outside the city or wait for security checks. They also produce much less carbon dioxide per passenger than planes. However, building high-speed railway lines is extremely expensive, and the tracks must be almost straight and level, which makes them difficult to build in mountainous areas. Which word best completes the sentence? "For journeys of a few hundred kilometres, high-speed trains are often ______ than flying."
Q7. Read the passage: High-speed trains High-speed trains can travel at more than 300 kilometres per hour. For journeys of a few hundred kilometres, they are often faster than flying, because passengers do not need to travel to an airport outside the city or wait for security checks. They also produce much less carbon dioxide per passenger than planes. However, building high-speed railway lines is extremely expensive, and the tracks must be almost straight and level, which makes them difficult to build in mountainous areas. Why can trains be faster than planes for medium-length journeys?
Q8. Read the passage: High-speed trains High-speed trains can travel at more than 300 kilometres per hour. For journeys of a few hundred kilometres, they are often faster than flying, because passengers do not need to travel to an airport outside the city or wait for security checks. They also produce much less carbon dioxide per passenger than planes. However, building high-speed railway lines is extremely expensive, and the tracks must be almost straight and level, which makes them difficult to build in mountainous areas. Which advantage of high-speed trains does the passage mention?
Q9. Read the passage: High-speed trains High-speed trains can travel at more than 300 kilometres per hour. For journeys of a few hundred kilometres, they are often faster than flying, because passengers do not need to travel to an airport outside the city or wait for security checks. They also produce much less carbon dioxide per passenger than planes. However, building high-speed railway lines is extremely expensive, and the tracks must be almost straight and level, which makes them difficult to build in mountainous areas. According to the passage, why are high-speed lines difficult to build in mountains?
Q10. Read the passage: High-speed trains High-speed trains can travel at more than 300 kilometres per hour. For journeys of a few hundred kilometres, they are often faster than flying, because passengers do not need to travel to an airport outside the city or wait for security checks. They also produce much less carbon dioxide per passenger than planes. However, building high-speed railway lines is extremely expensive, and the tracks must be almost straight and level, which makes them difficult to build in mountainous areas. Which is the best title for the passage?
Q11. Read the passage: Short naps Many people feel sleepy in the early afternoon. Research suggests that a short nap of 10 to 20 minutes can improve alertness and mood without leaving people feeling groggy. Longer naps, especially those over an hour, may cause a person to wake up from deep sleep, which can make them feel worse for a while and make it harder to fall asleep at night. For this reason, sleep experts recommend keeping naps short and taking them before 3 p.m. Which word best completes the sentence? "A short nap can improve ______ and mood."
Q12. Read the passage: Short naps Many people feel sleepy in the early afternoon. Research suggests that a short nap of 10 to 20 minutes can improve alertness and mood without leaving people feeling groggy. Longer naps, especially those over an hour, may cause a person to wake up from deep sleep, which can make them feel worse for a while and make it harder to fall asleep at night. For this reason, sleep experts recommend keeping naps short and taking them before 3 p.m. According to the passage, how long should a nap ideally be?
Q13. Read the passage: Short naps Many people feel sleepy in the early afternoon. Research suggests that a short nap of 10 to 20 minutes can improve alertness and mood without leaving people feeling groggy. Longer naps, especially those over an hour, may cause a person to wake up from deep sleep, which can make them feel worse for a while and make it harder to fall asleep at night. For this reason, sleep experts recommend keeping naps short and taking them before 3 p.m. Why can a nap of over an hour make people feel worse?
Q14. Read the passage: Short naps Many people feel sleepy in the early afternoon. Research suggests that a short nap of 10 to 20 minutes can improve alertness and mood without leaving people feeling groggy. Longer naps, especially those over an hour, may cause a person to wake up from deep sleep, which can make them feel worse for a while and make it harder to fall asleep at night. For this reason, sleep experts recommend keeping naps short and taking them before 3 p.m. When do sleep experts recommend taking naps?
Q15. Read the passage: Short naps Many people feel sleepy in the early afternoon. Research suggests that a short nap of 10 to 20 minutes can improve alertness and mood without leaving people feeling groggy. Longer naps, especially those over an hour, may cause a person to wake up from deep sleep, which can make them feel worse for a while and make it harder to fall asleep at night. For this reason, sleep experts recommend keeping naps short and taking them before 3 p.m. Which is the best title for the passage?
Q16. Read the passage: The Sunday market Every Sunday, the old car park behind the town hall turns into a busy market. Local farmers sell fresh vegetables, fruit and eggs, and small businesses offer bread, cheese and handmade crafts. The market began ten years ago with just eight stalls; today there are more than sixty. Many visitors say they come not only to shop but also to meet friends and enjoy the live music. Organisers now plan to open the market on Wednesdays as well. Which word best completes the sentence? "Local farmers sell ______ vegetables, fruit and eggs."
Q17. Read the passage: The Sunday market Every Sunday, the old car park behind the town hall turns into a busy market. Local farmers sell fresh vegetables, fruit and eggs, and small businesses offer bread, cheese and handmade crafts. The market began ten years ago with just eight stalls; today there are more than sixty. Many visitors say they come not only to shop but also to meet friends and enjoy the live music. Organisers now plan to open the market on Wednesdays as well. How many stalls did the market have when it began?
Q18. Read the passage: The Sunday market Every Sunday, the old car park behind the town hall turns into a busy market. Local farmers sell fresh vegetables, fruit and eggs, and small businesses offer bread, cheese and handmade crafts. The market began ten years ago with just eight stalls; today there are more than sixty. Many visitors say they come not only to shop but also to meet friends and enjoy the live music. Organisers now plan to open the market on Wednesdays as well. Besides shopping, why do many visitors come to the market?
Q19. Read the passage: The Sunday market Every Sunday, the old car park behind the town hall turns into a busy market. Local farmers sell fresh vegetables, fruit and eggs, and small businesses offer bread, cheese and handmade crafts. The market began ten years ago with just eight stalls; today there are more than sixty. Many visitors say they come not only to shop but also to meet friends and enjoy the live music. Organisers now plan to open the market on Wednesdays as well. What do the organisers plan to do?
Q20. Read the passage: The Sunday market Every Sunday, the old car park behind the town hall turns into a busy market. Local farmers sell fresh vegetables, fruit and eggs, and small businesses offer bread, cheese and handmade crafts. The market began ten years ago with just eight stalls; today there are more than sixty. Many visitors say they come not only to shop but also to meet friends and enjoy the live music. Organisers now plan to open the market on Wednesdays as well. Which is the best title for the passage?