TOEIC Reading Problem

English as a Second Language Preparation forum for the TOEIC® Test
1

To: Cameron Powell
From Martin Freeman
Date: March 12, 2007
Subject: Editing

Cameron,
The deadline for publishing the new book has been pushed up to March 23rd. We’ve decided to try to print the book early so that we can have better store placement during the spring sales push. This is the deadline to have in all book related material turned in for the project. The actual publishing date will be on March 25th. All written material including drafts and revisions must be categorized, filed, and then turned into me by the end of the business day on the 23rd. This book will have a first printing of roughly 300,000. With this large of a first printing number, you must make sure there are absolutely no mistakes. The last time we published a novel, there were over 30 individual mistakes identified in the final print version of the book. We anticipate your book to be a best seller. This will bring more ____ on the correctness
(A) suspect
(B) spectacular
© scrutiny
(D) surplus
of the editing. Please make sure that you also send a copy to the author.

The answer given is (A), but I think the right answer should be ©, because © makes more sense to me than (A). Am I right?

2

I don’t think this test was written by a native English speaker.

The entire sentence should be
This will draw (more)attention to the book’s accuracy.
This will draw more attention to the editing of the book.

There are other suspect sentences in the passage too.

pushed forward to March 23rd.
This is the deadline set for all book-related material…
…turned in to me…
… roughly 300,000 copies.
With this large a print run/ With this big a printing number…

3

I’m going to throw the book away!!!

4

LOL!

I’m sure it has a use, Steve… perhaps to straighten the leg of a wonky table!

Seriously though, you are learning by correcting the errors in the book itself (though I agree it would be far more useful to have a worthwhile reference/test) Well done for having the confidence, flexibility and knowledge to question the answer key.