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Reach120

Complete the Words: practice passages with answers and explanations

A passage with the ends of words cut off, and four candidates for each gap that all start the same way. It is the fastest task in the 2026 Reading section and the easiest one to lose points on by reading only the gap. Every passage below is published whole, with the keyed answer and why each wrong option was written.

Written by the Reach120 research teamReviewed

  • 934

    Reading questions

  • 175

    Reading passages

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Passage · Environmental science

How Mangroves Protect Coastlines

Mangrove trees grow where tropical coastlines meet the sea. Their tangled roots prot____ young fish from larger predators and slow waves before they reach the shore. The roots also tra____ mud and plant material, gradually building new soil. Although salty water creates difficult conditions, mangroves have ada____ by filtering salt through their roots or releasing it through their leaves. Communities that res____ damaged mangrove forests can therefore support wildlife while reducing coastal erosion.

Your turn · no account needed

Complete the partially missing word prot____.

Graded against the answer key on our server, not by an AI model. Reading practice is free and uncapped.

Worked Complete the Words passages, with every answer

Each passage below is published in full, with its gaps, its options, the keyed answer and the reason each distractor was written. Read the whole passage before you decide — the gap alone almost never settles it.

Passage 1

Caring for Objects in a Museum

Art Conservation · Level 4 · 86 words · 10 questions

Museum conservators work quietly to protect fra____ objects from the damage of time. Light, humidity, and dust can deter____ ancient paint if left unchecked. Before any repair, a conservator studies the piece care____, sometimes using X-rays to see beneath the sur____. The goal is to stab____ an object, not make it look new. Materials chosen must be rever____, so future experts can undo the work if better methods appe____. Every treatment is recorded in detailed not____. Through such labor, artifacts stay ava____ for visitors to appr____.

  1. 1. Complete the partially missing word not____.

    • A.notions
    • B.notches
    • C.notaries
    • D.notesAnswer

    Why D (notes) is the answer: 'recorded in detailed notes' fits keeping a written history of care.

    • A. 'notions' means vague ideas and does not fit 'detailed' records.
    • B. 'notches' are cut grooves and do not mean written records.
    • C. 'notaries' are officials and are unrelated to records.

  2. 2. Complete the partially missing word deter____.

    • A.deter
    • B.detergent
    • C.determine
    • D.deteriorateAnswer

    Why D (deteriorate) is the answer: 'can deteriorate ancient paint' means to make it worse over time.

    • A. 'deter' means to discourage and does not take 'paint' as an object of decay.
    • B. 'detergent' is a noun for a cleaner and cannot be this verb.
    • C. 'determine' means to decide and does not fit damaging paint.

  3. 3. Complete the partially missing word appr____.

    • A.apprentice
    • B.appreciateAnswer
    • C.apprehend
    • D.approach

    Why B (appreciate) is the answer: 'to appreciate for generations' fits scholars and visitors valuing the artifacts.

    • A. 'apprentice' is a noun for a trainee and cannot follow 'to' as this verb.
    • C. 'apprehend' means to arrest or grasp and does not fit enjoying art.
    • D. 'approach' means to come near and misses the sense of valuing.

  4. 4. Complete the partially missing word care____.

    • A.carefullyAnswer
    • B.careless
    • C.careful
    • D.carefulness

    Why A (carefully) is the answer: The adverb 'carefully' modifies 'studies', describing how the piece is examined.

    • B. 'careless' means without care and reverses the meaning.
    • C. 'careful' is an adjective and cannot modify the verb 'studies'.
    • D. 'carefulness' is a noun and is ungrammatical after the verb.

  5. 5. Complete the partially missing word rever____.

    • A.reversibleAnswer
    • B.reversing
    • C.reverence
    • D.reversal

    Why A (reversible) is the answer: 'must be reversible' means the repair can be undone, matching the next clause.

    • B. 'reversing' is a participle and does not fit as a predicate adjective here.
    • C. 'reverence' means deep respect and is unrelated.
    • D. 'reversal' is a noun and does not fit after 'must be'.

  6. 6. Complete the partially missing word appe____.

    • A.appeal
    • B.appease
    • C.append
    • D.appearAnswer

    Why D (appear) is the answer: 'if better methods appear' means become available in the future.

    • A. 'appeal' means to plead and does not fit 'better methods'.
    • B. 'appease' means to calm and is unrelated to methods emerging.
    • C. 'append' means to attach and does not fit the sentence.

  7. 7. Complete the partially missing word sur____.

    • A.surge
    • B.surname
    • C.surplus
    • D.surfaceAnswer

    Why D (surface) is the answer: 'see beneath the surface' fits using X-rays to look under the top layer.

    • A. 'surge' means a sudden rise and does not fit 'beneath the'.
    • B. 'surname' means a family name and is unrelated.
    • C. 'surplus' means an excess and does not fit 'beneath the'.

  8. 8. Complete the partially missing word stab____.

    • A.stabilizer
    • B.stable
    • C.stability
    • D.stabilizeAnswer

    Why D (stabilize) is the answer: 'to stabilize an object' takes the base verb after 'to'.

    • A. 'stabilizer' is a noun and cannot serve as the infinitive verb.
    • B. 'stable' is an adjective and is ungrammatical after 'to'.
    • C. 'stability' is a noun and cannot follow 'to' as a verb.

  9. 9. Complete the partially missing word ava____.

    • A.avail
    • B.availability
    • C.avalanche
    • D.availableAnswer

    Why D (available) is the answer: 'remain available' uses the predicate adjective after 'remain'.

    • A. 'avail' is a verb and does not fit after 'remain' as a predicate.
    • B. 'availability' is a noun and cannot follow 'remain' here.
    • C. 'avalanche' is a snow slide and is unrelated.

  10. 10. Complete the partially missing word fra____.

    • A.fraction
    • B.fragment
    • C.fragrant
    • D.fragileAnswer

    Why D (fragile) is the answer: 'fragile objects' fits things easily damaged that conservators protect.

    • A. 'fraction' means a part and cannot describe objects here.
    • B. 'fragment' is a noun for a broken piece and does not fit before 'objects' as a describer.
    • C. 'fragrant' means sweet-smelling and is unrelated to damage.

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Passage 2

Carrying Water Across Roman Valleys

Engineering History · Level 4 · 94 words · 10 questions

Roman engineers built aqu____ to bring fresh water from distant hills into crowded cities. The channels sloped downward at a gentle, carefully calculated gra____ so that gra____ alone kept the water flowing. Where a valley int____ the route, workers raised tall stone arches to support the con____ high above the ground. Skilled sur____ used simple lev____ tools to measure the slope across many miles. Inside the channel, a wat____ lining pre____ leaks and kept the supply clean. On arrival, the water fed public fountains, private homes, and eno____ heated baths that citizens visited daily.

  1. 1. Complete the partially missing word gra____.

    • A.gravityAnswer
    • B.granular
    • C.grateful
    • D.gravel

    Why A (gravity) is the answer: 'Gravity' alone kept the water flowing downhill.

    • B. 'Granular' describes texture, not a force.
    • C. 'Grateful' is an emotion and does not move water.
    • D. 'Gravel' is small stones, not the force keeping water flowing.

  2. 2. Complete the partially missing word wat____.

    • A.waterproofAnswer
    • B.watering
    • C.waterfall
    • D.watchful

    Why A (waterproof) is the answer: A 'waterproof' lining prevented leaks in the channel.

    • B. 'Watering' is a verb form and misfits the noun phrase.
    • C. 'Waterfall' is a falling stream, not a lining.
    • D. 'Watchful' means alert and cannot describe a lining.

  3. 3. Complete the partially missing word int____.

    • A.intern
    • B.interruptedAnswer
    • C.internal
    • D.interested

    Why B (interrupted) is the answer: A valley 'interrupted' the route, meaning it broke the path.

    • A. 'Intern' is a trainee and is irrelevant.
    • C. 'Internal' is an adjective and does not work as this verb.
    • D. 'Interested' is an emotion and does not fit a valley.

  4. 4. Complete the partially missing word pre____.

    • A.preventedAnswer
    • B.preferred
    • C.prepared
    • D.presented

    Why A (prevented) is the answer: The lining 'prevented' leaks, meaning it stopped them.

    • B. 'Preferred' means chose and does not fit stopping leaks.
    • C. 'Prepared' means got ready and does not mean stop.
    • D. 'Presented' means showed and is illogical for leaks.

  5. 5. Complete the partially missing word lev____.

    • A.levying
    • B.levelingAnswer
    • C.levitate
    • D.levers

    Why B (leveling) is the answer: 'Leveling tools' measure whether a surface is flat or sloped.

    • A. 'Levying' means imposing a tax and is irrelevant.
    • C. 'Levitate' means to float and does not fit.
    • D. 'Levers' are bars for lifting, not slope-measuring tools here.

  6. 6. Complete the partially missing word con____.

    • A.consent
    • B.conduitAnswer
    • C.concert
    • D.conduct

    Why B (conduit) is the answer: A 'conduit' is the channel the arches support high above ground.

    • A. 'Consent' means permission and is irrelevant.
    • C. 'Concert' is a musical event, not a water channel.
    • D. 'Conduct' as a noun means behavior and does not carry water.

  7. 7. Complete the partially missing word gra____.

    • A.grammar
    • B.granite
    • C.grateful
    • D.gradientAnswer

    Why D (gradient) is the answer: A 'gradient' is the calculated downward slope of the channel.

    • A. 'Grammar' concerns language and is irrelevant.
    • B. 'Granite' is a rock, not a slope value.
    • C. 'Grateful' is an emotion adjective and does not fit.

  8. 8. Complete the partially missing word aqu____.

    • A.aquarium
    • B.aquifer
    • C.aquatic
    • D.aqueductsAnswer

    Why D (aqueducts) is the answer: 'Aqueducts' are the water-carrying structures Romans built.

    • A. 'Aquarium' is a fish tank, not a city water channel.
    • B. 'Aquifer' is underground rock storing water, not a built structure.
    • C. 'Aquatic' is an adjective and cannot be the object built.

  9. 9. Complete the partially missing word sur____.

    • A.surveyorsAnswer
    • B.surface
    • C.surplus
    • D.surrender

    Why A (surveyors) is the answer: 'Surveyors' measured the slope using leveling tools.

    • B. 'Surface' is a noun for the top of something, not the workers.
    • C. 'Surplus' means excess and does not name people.
    • D. 'Surrender' means to give up and is irrelevant.

  10. 10. Complete the partially missing word eno____.

    • A.enormity
    • B.enormously
    • C.enormousAnswer
    • D.enough

    Why C (enormous) is the answer: 'Enormous heated baths' were the large public bathhouses citizens used.

    • A. 'Enormity' is a noun and cannot modify 'heated baths' as an adjective.
    • B. 'Enormously' is an adverb and cannot fill the adjective slot.
    • D. 'Enough' is a quantifier and reads awkwardly before 'heated baths.'

Open this passage in the sample library

These are Reach120 practice passages written for the 2026 task format. None of them is a real TOEFL test item, and nothing on this page is published, licensed, endorsed or reviewed by ETS. Difficulty levels are our own bank’s values.

What Complete the Words asks you to do

  • You read a short passage in which several words are printed with their endings removed — for example prot____ or ada____.
  • For each gap you choose the word that completes it, from options that share the same visible opening.
  • Because the options start identically, the gap on its own is never enough. The sentence around it decides the answer.

What ETS states

  • The 2026 specification lists the Reading section at 50 items and 35 raw points, with task types Complete the Words, Read in Daily Life, and Read an Academic Passage.

    These are published blueprint values, which the specification states are subject to minor revisions until the official launch. The item count includes non-scored items, so items do not equal raw points — the specification lists a maximum of 1 point per scored item.

  • The specification lists an estimated Reading time of an 18–21 minute router plus a 9 minute module, in a two-stage router-plus-module adaptive design.

    The times are estimated. Reading prints a single 9 minute module for both routes, unlike Listening, which prints two discrete module lengths.

  • Reading items are machine-scored selected responses, evaluated by rule-based algorithms per the specification’s item-type notes.

    Machine-scored is not exclusive to Reading and Listening — Build a Sentence is machine-scored too. This says nothing about how Reach120 scores your practice.

Sourced from the ETS 2026 test specifications, read 2026-07-27. Everything outside this box is Reach120’s own reading of it.

What the task actually measures

  • Whether you read for meaning rather than for shape — every distractor matches the visible letters.
  • Whether your vocabulary is precise enough to separate near neighbours such as protect, protest and project.
  • Whether you check the grammar of the completed sentence, which is what usually eliminates the last wrong option.

Reading the gap versus reading the sentence

Weaker

Their tangled roots prot____ young fish → “protest” starts correctly, so it goes in.

Stronger

Their tangled roots prot____ young fish from larger predators → the roots keep the fish safe, so “protect” is the only option the sentence supports.

Both options survive the letters. Only one survives the clause after the gap, which is where this task type is decided.

How Complete the Words is scored

Each item has one keyed answer and is scored as a selected response, so an attempt is either right or wrong. What is worth studying is not the score but which distractor pulled you — the explanations below name the trap rather than repeating the key.

How to practise it

  1. 1Read the whole passage once at normal speed before you touch a gap. The later sentences often decide the earlier ones.
  2. 2Fill the gaps you are certain about first, then use the sense of the finished sentences to narrow the rest.
  3. 3Say the completed sentence to yourself. A wrong option usually breaks the grammar, not only the meaning.
  4. 4When you miss one, write down the pair you confused. Complete the Words errors repeat across passages far more than they repeat within one.

Complete the Words: common questions

How many Complete the Words questions are on the TOEFL?
ETS publishes the Reading section as a whole — 50 items and 35 raw points across three task types — and does not publish a per-task-type count. Reading is also adaptive, so the number an individual sees depends on the module they are routed to.
Is Complete the Words the same as a fill-in-the-blank question?
It is close, with one difference that matters: the beginning of the word is already printed, so every option is a plausible completion of the same letters. The elimination has to come from the sentence.
Can I practise Complete the Words without an account?
Yes. The passages on this page are free to read with their answers, and the drill below grades a live item without a signup. Reach120 keeps Reading and Listening practice uncapped on the free tier.
Is it worth studying word roots for this task?
Some, but reading in context pays better. The distractors are chosen precisely because they share the visible root — what separates them is what the sentence needs.

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