當提及托福的閱讀難題，一般會把難度歸因於文章自身的複雜邏輯關係，其多重句意關係的關鍵是長而艱深的修飾語。從考生的角度來說，通常讀懂文章與時限的雙重壓力是閱讀扣分的主要因素。不過，每一期的學生多少會有即便自身閱讀能力充足，卻因為題目的混淆性而失分的情形。
以下以TPO之文章節錄與其一細節題作為範例：
Cleisthenes' principal contribution to the creation of democracy at Athens was to complete the long process of weakening family and clan structures, especially among the aristocrats, and to set in their place locality-based corporations called demes, which became the point of entry for all civic and most religious life in Athens. Out of the demes were created 10 artificial tribes of roughly equal population. From the demes, by either election or selection, came 500 members of a new council, 6,000 jurors for the courts, 10 generals, and hundreds of commissioners. The assembly was sovereign in all matters but in practice delegated its power to subordinate bodies such as the council, which prepared the agenda for the meetings of the assembly; and the courts, which took care of most judicial matters. Various committees acted as an executive branch, implementing policies of the assembly and supervising, for instance, the food and water supplies and public buildings. This wide-scale participation by the citizenry in the government distinguished the democratic form of the Athenian polis from other, less liberal forms.
Question:
According to paragraph 4, one role of the new council was to
A. determine what issues came before the assembly
B. prepare the agenda for the courts
C. carry out the assembly’s policies
D. oversee the distribution of food and water
解析：
這個題目沒有highlight提示，且段落、單一句構極長，於是選擇回文定位council找到：
From the demes, by either election or selection, came 500 members of a new council, 6,000 jurors for the courts, 10 generals, and hundreds of commissioners.
The assembly was sovereign in all matters but in practice delegated its power to subordinate bodies such as the council, which prepared the agenda for the meetings of the assembly, and the courts, which took care of most judicial matters.
題目問council的角色，從第一個定位出的句子無法得知，於是採用第二句，此時部分考生看到council, which prepared the agenda for the meetings of the assembly, and the courts，以為assembly與courts平行，再加上看到prepared the agenda for導致選擇B選項而錯失分。
為避免落入該陷阱，應該把整句(定位第2句)速讀一次，會發現courts是與council平行作為 "下放權力" 的第二例子；正確答案是A，其將prepared the agenda for the meetings of the assembly重述為determine what issues came=prepare agenda。
從這題可知 TOEFL 的細節題常有混淆選項，最重要的莫過於如何讀題快又審慎，若想得知其中訣竅，歡迎到Pin TOEFL教室與顧問聊聊！
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