This document contains 10 TOEFL reading comprehension questions. Each question is preceded by a short dialogue between a man and woman using comparative structures like "couldn't be happier", "never tried harder", and "couldn't have been any lower". The questions then ask what the man or woman means in their response.

1. NEGATIVE WITH
COMPARATIVE
TOEFL Exercise
10

2. Number 1
Man : Are you pleased with the exam
results?
Woman : I couldn’t be happier.
Question : WHAT DOES THE WOMAN
MEAN?
Answer : D. She’s delighted with the
results.

3. Number 2
Woman : Is Paula lazy, as usual, this
semester?
Man : She’s never tried harder.
Question : WHAT DOES THE MAN
MEAN?
Answer : C. Paula made a strong
effort.

4. Number 3
Man : Was is a good sale? Did you
buy a lot?
Woman : Prices couldn’t have been any
lower.
Question : WHAT DOES THE WOMAN
SAY ABOUT THE SALE?
Answer : A. The prices were great!

5. Number 4
Woman : What do you think of Betsy?
Man : I don’t know a more intelligent
woman.
Question : WHAT DOES THE MAN SAY
ABOUT BETSY?
Answer : D. She’s extremely
intelligent.

6. Number 5
Woman : Did the patient really need the
surgery?
Man : It couldn’t have been more
unnecessary.
Question : WHAT DOES THE MAN
MEAN?
Answer : A. The patient absolutely
didn’t need the surgery.

7. Number 6
Man : Did any of you get hurt in the
accident?
Woman : We couldn’t have been luckier.
Question : WHAT DOES THE WOMAN
IMPLY?
Answer : B. No one was hurt.

8. Number 7
Woman : How do you think you did on
the final exam in biology?
Man : Nothing could have been more
difficult than that exam!
Question : WHAT DOES THE MAN
MEAN?
Answer : B. The exam wasn’t at all
easy.

9. Number 8
Man : Are you ready to accept the
new position?
Woman : Nobody wants the job more
than I do.
Question : WHAT DOES THE WOMAN
MEAN?
Answer : A. She wants that job very
much.

10. Number 9
Man : How did you do in the race?
Woman : Only one person was faster.
Question : WHAT DOES THE WOMAN
MEAN?
Answer : A. She was second in the
race.

11. Number 10
Woman : Do you think that the math
project this semester was
easy?
Man : Seldom has a math project
been more complicated.
Question : WHAT DOES THE MAN
MEAN?
Answer : A. This math project was
extremely complex.