Ebook TOEFL BT insider the super guide part 1

About This Book BT TOEFL Insider: The Super Guide is a complete English skills book designed for students intending to take the BT TOEFL exam. It is designed to give students a complete understanding of all of the BT TOEFL sections and what is expected of test takers, as well as to provide students with useful skills and strategies for meeting those expectations. To achieve these goals. BT TOEFL Insider: The Super Guide contains the following: Four sections that focus specifically on each section of the ¡BT TOEFL J Detailed explanations of each BT TOEFL question type Specific strategies to solve each question type ■ Guided and unguided practice to learn and then perfect English skills ■ Supplemental activities designed to develop technical language skills Vocabulary previews and reviews to build academic vocbaularv • Full answer key with detailed explanations of each question A complete BT TOEFL Practice Test What is the TOEFL? The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is a vital measure of proficiency in English. The TOEFL covers the essentials of English, including listening, reading, speaking, and writing. The TOEFL focuses on the effective application of English in academic situations. The test is designed to assess how foreign students will perform in an Englishonly academic setting. The test requires not only the understanding of given material, but also the effective application of that material for specific academic purposes. The TOEFL assumes that test takers have a mastery of the basic principles of English, and such mastery is essential for success on the test. This point cannot be overemphasized. Gaining a proficiency in the fundamentals of English (grammar, vocabulary, reading, listening, speaking, and writing skills) is the first step to success on the TOEFL. The TOEFL, therefore, leads to the right direction in English study because it requires the realistic application of the test takers English abilities. 4 About the tBT The BT TOEFL is the newest version of the TOEFL exam. It was first instituted in the United States in 2005. The BT TOEFL is largely based on a communicative approach to language learning. It places a great deal of importance on the ability to communicate effectively in English in an academic environment. It is the first version of the TOEFL exam to assess English proficiency in all four language areas (reading, listening, speaking, and writing). It is also the first version of the exam to require that test takers apply these skills in an integrated fashion. Therefore, the BT TOEFL represents a more authentic, but also more challenging, assessment of English proficiency. The BT TOEFL is an Internetbased test. This simply means that the test data will be transmitted to ETS scoring centers via the Internet. Test takers will still have to report to authorized test centers to take the test Changes in the ¿BT TOEFL (InternetBased TOEFL) The BT TOEFL not only reflects a change in the way the test is administered, but also in the format of the test itself. Some of the major changes on the test are listed below: ■ Elimination of the grammar section The BT TOEFL contains no explicit testing of grammar. Rather, knowledge of grammar is tested through the test takers ability to comprehend the reading and listening sections, and also by the range of grammar structures employed in the speaking and writing sections, and the accuracy with which they use those structures. ■ Addition of a mandatory speaking section Previous versions of the TOEFL had no speaking evaluation. However, test takers could take the TSE (Test of Spoken English) as a supplement to provide them with an evaluation of their speaking ability. On the BT TOEFL, for the first time, all TOEFL test takers will be evaluated on their speaking abilities. ■ Inclusion of integrated tasks The BT TOEFL speaking and writing sections have integrated tasks which require the test taker to first read and listen to material, and then incorporate that material into their response. The objective is to more effectively mimic the type of speaking and writing that students will be required to do in a true academic setting. ■ Lengthening of reading and listening tasks The reading passages and the lectures that appear on the BT TOEFL have been lengthened. The reading passages are now typically around 700 words, and the lectures typically last from 46 minutes. ■ Changes in question types There have been significant changes in the question types that appear in the reading and listening sections. Questions now ask not only about basic factual and inferred information, but also about the relationships between different ideas and the pragmatic purposes of discourse. (4 Implications for Test Takers The changes made in the BT TOEFL have important implications for test takers. The BT TOEFL is a far more holistic test than earlier forms of the TOEFL, and test takers will have to be truly proficient in English in order to succeed. In earlier forms of the TOEFL it was possible to “study for the test. Specifically, it was possible for students with high grammar and vocabulary abilities, but with poor communicative abilities, to do relatively well on the TOEFL. This will no longer be a realistic option. Students who possess poor communicative abilities in English will have little chance of success on the BT TOEFL. Therefore, mastery of fundamental English skills is an essential part of BT TOEFL preparation.

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e S u p e r G U t

CONQUER

Study Smarter, Not H arder

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T O E F L (BT

4SIDE

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

The Super Guide

Số hóa bởi Trung tâm Học liệu – ĐH TN http://www.lrc-tnu.edu.vn

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INSIDER: The Super Guide

ftxintad ui the ¡Republic oft Jichco

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TOEFL® ÍBT

INSIDER

The Super Guide

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i> Reading Section

p a R1 / \ i BT Reading Question Types

Ch 1 Basic Comprehension Questions

Ch 2 inferencing Reading & Reading to Learn Questions

E3 Thematic Reading Practice

Ch 1 Main Idea Questions

Ch 2 Supporting Detail Questions

Ch 3 C ontent-Linking Questions

Ch 4 Organization / Rhetorical Connection Questions

Ch 5 Organization Questions

Ch 6 Identifying Relationship Questions

Ch 7 Stance / Attitude Questions

191197

2 11225239253267 281295

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<g) Speaking Section 3°9

part g Speaking for /BT TOEFL Tasks

Independent Speaking Tasks (Task 1-2)

Integrated Speaking Tasks (Task 3-6)

part g Writing for /'BT TOEFL Tasks

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What is the TOEFL? ỹ

Implications for Test Takers 0 /'BT TOEFL Scoring Ranges

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<4 About This Book

/'BT TOEFL Insider: The Super Guide is a complete English skills book designed for students intending to take the /BT TOEFL exam It is designed to give students a complete understanding of all of the /BT TOEFL sections and what is expected of test takers, as well as to provide students with useful skills and strategies for meeting those expectations To achieve these goals /BT TOEFL Insider: The Super Guide contains the following:

/ Four sections that focus specifically on each section of the ¡BT TOEFL

J Detailed explanations of each /'BT TOEFL question type

/ Specific strategies to solve each question type

■/ Guided and unguided practice to learn and then perfect English skills

■/ Supplemental activities designed to develop technical language skills

/ Vocabulary previews and reviews to build academic vocbaularv

•/ Full answer key with detailed explanations of each question

/ A complete /BT TOEFL Practice Test

What is the TOEFL?

The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is a vital measure of proficiency in English The TOEFL covers the essentials of English, including listening, reading, speaking, and writing The TOEFL focuses on the effective application of English in academic situations The test is designed

to assess how foreign students will perform in an English-only academic setting The test requires not only the understanding of given material, but also the effective application of that material for specific academic purposes The TOEFL assumes that test takers have a mastery of the basic principles of English, and such mastery is essential for success on the test This point cannot be overemphasized Gaining a proficiency in the fundamentals of English (grammar, vocabulary, reading, listening, speaking, and writing skills) is the first step to success on the TOEFL The TOEFL, therefore, leads to the right direction in English study because it requires the realistic application of the test taker's English abilities

4 About the tBT

The /BT TOEFL is the newest version of the TOEFL exam It was first instituted in the United States

in 2005 The /BT TOEFL is largely based on a communicative approach to language learning It places a great deal of importance on the ability to communicate effectively in English in an academic environment It is the first version of the TOEFL exam to assess English proficiency in all four language areas (reading, listening, speaking, and writing) It is also the first version of the exam to require that test takers apply these skills in an integrated fashion Therefore, the /BT TOEFL represents a more authentic, but also more challenging, assessment of English proficiency.The /BT TOEFL is an Internet-based test This simply means that the test data will be transmitted to ETS scoring centers via the Internet Test takers will still have to report to authorized test centers to take the test

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(Ạ Changes in the ¿BT TOEFL (Internet-Based TOEFL)

The /'BT TOEFL not only reflects a change in the way the test is administered, but also in the format

of the test itself Some of the major changes on the test are listed below:

■ Elimination of the gram m ar section

The /BT TOEFL contains no explicit testing of grammar Rather, knowledge of grammar is tested through the test takers' ability to comprehend the reading and listening sections, and also by the range of grammar structures employed in the speaking and writing sections, and the accuracy with which they use those structures

■ Addition of a mandatory speaking section

Previous versions of the TOEFL had no speaking evaluation However, test takers could take the TSE (Test of Spoken English) as a supplement to provide them with an evaluation of their

speaking ability On the /BT TOEFL, for the first time, all TOEFL test takers will be evaluated on their speaking abilities

■ Inclusion of integrated tasks

The /'BT TOEFL speaking and writing sections have integrated tasks which require the test taker

to first read and listen to material, and then incorporate that material into their response The objective is to more effectively mimic the type of speaking and writing that students will be

required to do in a true academic setting

■ Lengthening of reading and listening tasks

The reading passages and the lectures that appear on the /'BT TOEFL have been lengthened.The reading passages are now typically around 700 words, and the lectures typically last from 4-6 minutes

■ Changes in question types

There have been significant changes in the question types that appear in the reading and

listening sections Questions now ask not only about basic factual and inferred information, but also about the relationships between different ideas and the pragmatic purposes of discourse

('4 Implications for Test Takers

The changes made in the /BT TOEFL have important implications for test takers The /BT TOEFL is

a far more holistic test than earlier forms of the TOEFL, and test takers will have to be truly proficient

in English in order to succeed In earlier forms of the TOEFL it was possible to “study for the test" Specifically, it was possible for students with high grammar and vocabulary abilities, but with poor communicative abilities, to do relatively well on the TOEFL This will no longer be a realistic option Students who possess poor communicative abilities in English will have little chance of success on the /'BT TOEFL Therefore, mastery of fundamental English skills is an essential part of /BT TOEFL preparation

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Q iBT TOEFL Scoring Ranges

The /BT TOEFL assesses a test taker’s English proficiency on a 120 point scale, with 30 points being assigned to each of the 4 major English proficiencies (reading, listening, speaking, and writing) What constitutes an acceptable score on the /BT TOEFL will vary from institution to institution Furthermore, some institutions may place a heavier emphasis on the score of one section

of the test than on scores from other sections

TOEFL Score Comparison for Reading

Internet-

based Reading

Computer- based Reading

Paper- based Reading

Computer- based Reading

Paper- based Reading

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Internet- Computer-

Paper-based Listening based Listening based Listening

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Internet-

based Total

Computer- based Total

Paper- based Total /

Computer- based Total

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ịẠ What the ĨBT TOEFL Looks Like

The /BT TOEFL takes about four hours The sections are presented in the following order: Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing There are two versions of the test, and the version which you take

is determined randomly (The differences in the two versions are explained in tables 1.1 and 1.2.) The scoring is the same no matter which version of the test you take

‘ Please note that the Speaking and W riting sections are the same in both versions of the test

— Table 1.1 (/'BT TOEFL Version 1)

(20 minutes per passage)

About 60 minutes (30 minutes for answering questions + time for listening)

About 20 minutes (Including time for listening and reading material needed for some questions)

About 50 minutes (20 minutes for Integrated task

& 30 minutes for Independent task)Sections /Tasks 3 Reading passages

(about 700 words each)

3 Listening sets (Each set contains

3 Listening tasks)

Independent Speaking &

Integrated Speaking

Integrated Writing

& Independent WritingQuestions 12-14 questions per

passage

17 questions per Listening set

6 Speaking tasks (2 Independent tasks

& 4 Integrated tasks)

2 Writing tasks (1 Integrated task &

1 Independent task)

- Table 1.2 (/BT TOEFL Version 2)

Time 100 minutes About 40 minutes About 20 minutes About 50 minutes

(20 minutes per (20 minutes for (Including time for (20 minutes forpassage) answering questions listening and reading Integrated task

+ time for listening) ! material needed for & 30 minutes for

some questions) Independent task)Sections/T asks 5 Reading passages 2 Listening sets Independent Integrated Writing &

(about 700 words (Each set contains Speaking & Integrated Independent Writingeach) 3 Listening tasks) Speaking

Questions 12-14 questions per 17 questions per 6 Speaking tasks 2 Writing tasks

passage Listening set (2 Independent tasks (1 Integrated task &

& 4 Integrated tasks) 1 Independent task)

1 3

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Reading Section

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Reading Section Contents

/BT TOEFL Reading Section

Question Format

Question Types

A /'BT Reading Question Types

ch 1 Basic Comprehension Questions

Referent Questions

Vocabulary Questions

Fact Questions

Negative Fact Questions

Sentence Simplification Questions

Question Practice 1, 2

ch.2 Inferencing Reading & Reading to Learn Questions

Inference Questions

Rhetorical Purpose Questions

Sentence Insertion Questions

Prose Summary Questions

Classifying, Categorizing, and Organizing Information Questions

Question Practice 1, 2

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p A R T E3 Thematic Reading Practice

ch 8 Art & Literature

Vocabulary Preview Guided Reading 1, 2 Unguided Reading Vocabulary Review /BT Practice

1 7 4 175

176

180 i8 i, 185

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y iBT TOEFL Reading Section

✓ The Reading section will contain either 3 or 5 reading passages

✓ Each reading passage is between 600 and 700 words in length

/ Each reading passage contains 12-14 questions

/ Test takers have 20 minutes per passage

■ Reading Sections

On the /BT TOEFL, reading passages are grouped together in short sections For example, if there are three reading passages in total, they will be grouped together in two sections, one with two reading passages and one section with a single reading passage In any section, you may go back to any question within that section at any time However, once a section is completed, you may not go back to questions within that section This means that you may skip difficult questions and return to them later, but only within a section

■ Tim e M anagem ent

Since you only have 20 minutes per passage to read each passage and answer all of the questions for that passage, you must be aware of how you utilize your time during the test If you spend too much time on questions at the beginning of a reading section, you may run out of time before you reach the end of the section

■ Deep Reading vs Skimming

In order to save time, many test takers skip reading the passage and go directly to the questions Then they go back and skim the passage as they attempt to answer the questions In general, this is not a good strategy to use Many /'BT TOEFL reading questions test your understanding of broad concepts from the passage, not specific details, and it is hard to grasp these broad

concepts just by skimming the passage Instead, start by reading the passage thoroughly but

quickly Then move on to the questions If it is necessary to go back and skim the passage to find

the answer to a specific question, then do so

■ Glossary Term s

Occasionally, a reading passage will have a word or phrase that is marked in blue If you click on

to these phrases, a pop-up box with an explanation of the term will appear

18 Số hóa bởi Trung tâm Học liệu – ĐH TN http://www.lrc-tnu.edu.vn

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(¡0 Question Format

Most questions on the reading section ot the /BT TOEFL will follow the flow of the passage The first questions will relate to information at the beginning of the passage, and later questions will refer to later sections of the passage However, there are a few exceptions to this rule Some questions will draw on information from the entire passage These questions will be some of the last questions for the passage In addition, there are certain question types that always appear as the last questions for a passage, no matter what part of the passage they refer to

Most questions will refer you to a specific section of the passage which contains the information

needed to answer the question There are two ways that questions can refer you back to the

passage Some questions will refer you to a specific paragraph in the passage Skim this paragraph

to find the relevant information Other questions will highlight a keyword from the passage This

keyword will be highlighted in the passage as well Focus on the sentences immediately around the highlighted word in the passage to find the relevant information

9 Question Types

There are three main types of questions on the reading section of the /BT TOEFL: basic

comprehension questions, inferencing reading questions, and reading to learn questions

■ Basic Comprehension Questions

These questions test your ability to comprehend the basic ideas in the passage In general, they focus on your basic reading skills and your overall vocabulary level Basic comprehension

questions are the most common questions on the test and usually make up about 60% of the

questions for each passage

■ Inferencing Reading Questions

These questions test your ability to recognize the logical connections between different ideas in a passage These questions focus on more advanced reading skills, such as the ability to recognize

a logical flow of ideas and to draw logical conclusions In general, inferencing reading questions make up about 30% of the questions for each passage

■ Reading to Learn Questions

These questions test your ability to understand the passage as a whole They focus on your

ability to “see the big picture” in the passage There is only one of these questions per reading passage, but these questions are worth more than one point Therefore, it is important to take your time in answering them

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[/BT Reading Question Types]

Basic Comprehension Questions

Inferencing Reading & Reading to Learn Questions

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Basic Comprehension

Questions

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Referent Questions

A key reading skill required when taking the /BT TOEFL is the ability to follow a discussion of a certain person, place, thing, or idea, even when this idea is referred to subsequently by pronouns or pro-forms Referent questions will test this basic reading skill In order to answer a referent question properly, you must keep track of the subjects being discussed and how they are later addressed by specific pronouns and pro-forms There are usually between one and two referent questions for a reading passage, and each question is worth one point

Identifying the Question

Referent questions always follow the same format Look at the example below:

The word he in the passage refers to

Solving the Question

• One of the quickest ways to solve referent questions is to identify which p a rt o f speech the pronoun

belongs to - whether it is a subject or an object, whether it is possessive or plural, etc Then match up the pronoun to the noun that belongs to the same part of speech

• Sometimes you will see more than one possible answer based on the part of speech In this case, re-read

the sentence carefully, then work backwards from the pronoun and trace it to its logical antecedent.

You should be able to spot the referent quickly

• Some referent questions involve p ro -fo rm s instead of pronouns Pro-forms are phrases that can refer to

either nouns or actions, so they are a little bit more complex to solve than referent questions with

pronouns Nonetheless, if you read the passage carefully, you should be able to trace the p ro -fo rm to its

antecedent easily.

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Basic Drills

The idea that subatomic particles could be broken down into components came from studies

in the 1930s of cosmic rays, or high energy protons, that come from outer space W hen these

rays hit the nuclei of lead atoms, the nuclei broke into particles that were even smaller than

the protons and neutrons within the nuclei Although these results presented major questions

to scientists concerning the composition of matter and the universe, there was really no easy

way to study these new subatomic particles The only way to study them at all was to conduct experiments on mountaintops where cosmic rays could be detected more easily.

The word them in the passage refers to

Correct Answer: particles

1 What grammatical role do the pronoun and the antecedent play in the passage?

Read the following paragraphs and the referent questions that go with them The correct answers are

provided in bold

As the United States expanded, telephones became necessary as a way for people to

communicate more quickly with each other over long distances This was especially true in

the growing state of California Relatively slow communications at the time risked isolating

California from the large population centers in the Eastern U.S In 1860, the first attempt was

made to bridge this d ivide: a company set up a series of riders and horses called the Pony

Express to dispatch messages from Missouri to California Each rider would ride about one

hundred miles with a bag of messages which he would hand over to the next rider, and so on,

all the way to California Although it enabled messages to reach California in as little as seven

days, it was still a risky venture with no guarantees of how long it would take or whether the

messages would even get to their destination at all

The phrase this divide in the passage refers to

Correct Answer: the co m m u nic a tiv e isolation between C alifo rnia an d the Eastern U.S

2 How does the pro-form “this divide” match up with concepts in the passage?

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Questions

Obviously, good vocabulary skills are important for high levels of reading comprehension However, what is even more important is the ability to use contextual clues to figure out the basic meaning of an unfamiliar word Even most native English speakers do not know the precise meaning of every word they read However, they are able to use contextual clues contained in the reading to help them guess the basic meaning of the word The /BT TOEFL will test both of these skills through its vocabulary questions Typically, there will be between two and four vocabulary questions per passage, and each question is worth one point

» Identifying the Question

Nearly all vocabulary questions ask you for the meaning of a specific word However, some vocabulary questions will occasionally ask you for the meaning a short phrase Look at the examples below:

The word negligent in the passage is closest in m eaning to

Based on the inform ation in paragraph 1, the phrase trust fund baby can best be

defined a s

» Solving the Question

• Always go back and read the sentence containing the vocabulary term Even if you know the

vocabulary word, it may be used in a different context than you are familiar with

• Look for context clues within the sentence In many situations the sentence will provide important clues

regarding the meaning of the vocabulary word

• Look for context clues in the surrounding sentences If the sentence containing the vocabulary term

does not contain useful context clues, the surrounding sentences may

• Pay close attention to conjunctions and transitional phrases They can often provide important clues

regarding the meaning of a word

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Basic Drills

Nearly all economic theories, no matter what other precepts they adhere to, hold the law of

supply and dem and as one of their most basic tenets Simply put, when dem and for a

commodity is high, the price will rise until the dem and declines

The word tenets in the passage is closest in meaning to

Correct Answer: principles

1 What context clues in the sentence indicate this is the meaning of “tenets” ?

Read the following paragraphs and the vocabulary questions that go with them The correct answers areprovided in bold

Efficiently converting heat into work, often through the use of a steam engine, was a primary goal Ideally, a machine would convert heat into work, work would produce more heat, and this heat would, in turn, produce more work in a perfect cycle From this ideal came the

notion of the perpetual m otion machine, and the race was on to build one M any big business

tycoons spent fortunes on this endeavor.

The word endeavor in the passage is closest in meaning to

Correct Answer: a ttem pt

2 What context clues in the paragraph indicate this is the m eaning of “endeavor" ?

Many were shocked to find that, in spite of his position, the diplom at was oafish and

uncultured

The word oafish in the passage is closest in m eaning to

Correct Answer: crude

3 What transitional words or conjunctions suggest that this is the meaning of “oafish”?

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(m- Fact Questions

Understanding the key details in passages is obviously important for reading comprehension The /BT TOEFL tests your ability to understand these details through the use of fact questions Fact questions typically focus on relatively important concepts, not minor details There are usually three to five fact questions for each passage on an /BT TOEFL exam, and each one is worth a point

Fact questions will be phrased either as a complete question or as a sentence that needs completion In addition to this, a fact question will directly address a paragraph by starting off with “according to paragraph or it will highlight a key word or phrase in the passage Look at the examples below:

According to paragraph 2, Christopher Colum bus sailed from Spain in search o f

According to paragraph 3, what does a ventilator do ?

The Aztec Indians were conquered by

What was the overall objective of the G em ini mission ?

• When answering a fact question, it is usually a good idea to start by identifying key w ords o r phrases in

the question Then scan the section o f the passage in w hich they appear When you locate those

ideas in the passage, read that section carefully to find the answer to the question

• Most answers to fact questions will paraphrase an idea that is discussed in a paragraph Therefore, do

not scan the passage for the exact same words that are used in the answer choices Instead, scan for equivalent ideas

• Other answers to fact questions incorporate several ideas into a synthesis, or summary, of multiple ideas contained in a section of the passage Again, read carefully in order to understand both key details and the relationships between key details.

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Basic Drills

Although he is not given m uch credit in medical history, Ernest Duchesne, a French medical student, was actually the person who first discovered penicillin in 1896 Duchesne discovered that a certain type of mold could destroy potentially harmful bacteria However, it was not

immediately clear to other researchers that the mold was responsible for killing the bacteria;

thus, the discovery remained more or less forgotten It was not until 1939 that a team of

scientists from Oxford University finally showed the potential of penicillin as a powerful killer

of bacteria Unfortunately, it was extremely difficult to produce any useful quantities of the mold at the time.

According to paragraph 2, why was Duchesne’s discovery forgotten?

Correct Answer: The antibacterial properties o f pe n ic illin were n o t recognized.

1 What key words from the question indicate where to look for the answer?

2 The correct answer choice is a paraphrase of information contained within the paragraph

Underline that information in the paragraph

Read the following paragraphs and the fact questions that go with them The correct answers are

provided in bold Then answer the questions

Research indicates that the hum an brain is constantly being tricked by commercial

advertisements Advertising seems to bypass the logical parts of the brain and instead targets less rational and more emotional parts of the brain It appears that most ads concentrate on the portion of the brain that feels pleasure For instance, a television commercial showing a happy family joined together at dinner may elicit a pleasurable response from someone who views it This pleasure wall cause the viewer to keep watching the commercial in hopes of

maintaining the pleasant feeling As a result, he will begin to see a particular product featured

in the commercial, like a food item or beverage Eventually, the viewer unconsciously begins

to associate the featured product with the pleasurable response to the advertisement, and he will be inclined to buy the product because of this association

According to the passage, an advertisement showing a happy family is intended to

Correct Answer: m ake viewers associate pleasant feelings w ith a specific pro duct

3 The answer to this question is a synthesis of information contained within the paragraph

Underline the sentences that contain this information

1

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Negative Fact Questions

When reading a passage, it is critical that you are able to track multiple ideas The /BT TOEFL will test ’ ability to do this with negative fact questions Instead of picking the single correct answer for a negative question, you will be asked to choose the one statement that doesn't correctly answer the question Typically, there are no more than two negative fact questions per reading passage Each question is wc one point

Negative fact questions are easy to identify because they always end in the word “EXCEPT.” Look at tl- example below:

According to paragraph 4, all of the following are factors that led to W orld W ar I

EXCEPT:

• Make sure you carefully read the passage carefully in order to understand the ideas addressed by a

negative fact question If you clearly grasp the central idea o f the paragraph and carefully read the answer choices, then you should be able to spot the obviously in co rre ct answ er choice in most neg

fact questions

• Negative fact questions usually require you to remember multiple details about a paragraph’s central

idea, so it may be necessary to scan a paragraph in order to recall key details about this idea Then \ through a process o f elimination and rule out answer choices that you know are correct.

• Occasionally, a negative fact question will be large and address a central idea o f the entire passagi

this case, scanning the passage could take too much time Instead, make sure you are able to follow

key ideas o f the passage, and you should be able to identify the incorrect answer choice quickly.

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Basic Drills

In 1856, the United States Supreme Court ruled that the African-American slave Dred Scott could not gain freedom in a state that prohibited slavery, and this case had many damaging implications for slaves, African Americans, and the country in general First, it stated that any person of African descent could never be a citizen, whether he was free or not Further, it

claimed that since slaves were property, they could not be taken from their owners, even if these owners lived in a free state The decision, in principle anyway, allowed for slavery to be legal in any state in the US In effect, it further divided the free states of the North from the

slave states of the South, and it moved both sides closer to the American Civil War.

All of the following were results of the US Supreme Court decision on Scott’s case EXCEPT:

(A) It heightened tensions between the divided North and South.

(B) It permitted slavery to be practiced even in free northern states.

(C) It denied citizenship to anyone who had African ancestors.

(D) It allow ed slaves to gain freedom in states that b an n e d slavery.

1 The answer choice in bold is obviously untrue because it contradicts a key idea from the passage

Underline the sentence that contains this idea.

Read the following paragraphs and the negative fact questions that go with them The correct answersare provided in bold Then answer the questions that go with them

Most landforms that are now seen owe their existence to glacial deposition These formations occurred as glaciers moved south and pushed walls of rocks, soil, and other rubble ahead of them At some point, however, these glaciers could no longer move south as they reached a point of stability, melting as fast as they were growing They would then begin to retreat, and,

in doing so, they would leave behind the debris that they had shoved in front of them In

some places, these hills of debris were up to several hundred feet high The long hill that

marked the southernmost extent of a glacier is called the terminal moraine Today, some can still be seen running across parts of the US Perhaps the greatest example of one is the island

of Long Island, which lies just east of New York City

All of the following are m entioned as connected to the terminal moraine EXCEPT:

(A) It is formed from soil, rock, and other debris

(B) At the p o in t o f stability, it m elted as fast as it grew.

(C) It marks the southern boundary of a glacier

(D) One formed the island of Long Island, New York

2 The correct choice can be found by getting rid of obviously true statements through a process of elimination and then scanning the paragraph for the other correct choices Find and underline the sentences that discuss these accurate statements

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The extinction of megafauna, or large ancient mammals, occurred about the same time as the appearance of man, so it has been theorized that hum ans were responsible for this extinction Some scientists suggest that hum ans may have over-hunted these animals and driven them to extinction There is no doubt that these animals were a valuable source of food for early man; there is ample archaeological evidence for hum an consum ption of them For example, bones have been found with marks indicating that stone tools were used to remove meat from them Those in support of the hum an extinction theory also point to evidence indicating that humans caused the extinction of the giant lemur in Madagascar and the m oa in New Zealand They claim that similar extinctions could have been perpetrated by hum ans in prehistoric times.

Some scientists point to climate change as the most likely factor in the disappearance of these animals During the Ice Age, Siberia had more of a steppe-like climate with expansive

grasslands, perfect for supporting large, grass-eating m am m als like the m am m oth

Unfortunately, as the climate changed after the ice Age, the grasslands were replaced by swampy tundra, causing many populations of megafauna to starve to death Though humans may have contributed to some degree to the extinction of these animals, it seems more likely that they were already on the decline due to a loss of their main food supply

Other scientists propose a third possible explanation They theorize that these m am mals, especially in North America, probably succumbed to disease carried by some microbe, which they called a “hyperdisease” because it was able to jum p across species boundaries

Unfortunately, though the hypothesis may be interesting, the scientists who support it have found no proof that such a disease actually occurred It seems, then, that it will still be some time before there will be a universally accepted explanation for the megafauna extinction.

All of the following are theories of why megafauna went extinct EXCEPT:

(A) Climate changed destroyed their food source

(B) Early humans over-hunted the m am mals for food

(C) A disease that could jum p between species killed them

(D) The m a m m a ls froze to death in a lo ng Ice Age.

This is a large negative fact question that addresses the central idea of an entire passage Answer choices (A), (B) and (C) contain key details of the passage; underline the sentences that mention these key details

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^ Sentence Simplification Questions

HWhen reading a passage, you must be able to understand the ideas and relationships contained within a sentence, even when that sentence is long and complex The /BT TOEFL tests this skill with Sentence Simplification questions These questions ask you to select a sentence that accurately presents the main ideas in a highlighted sentence from the passage This highlighted sentence will be fairly long and/or complex Sentence Simplification questions appear in roughly two-thirds of the /BT TOEFL reading passages, and each is one point You will never be given more than one per reading passage

> Identifying the Question

Every sentence simplification question uses the same phrasing Look at the example below:

W hich of the sentences below best expresses the essential inform ation in the

highlighted sentence in the passage? Incorrect choices change the m eaning in

im portant ways or leave out essential inform ation.

• The key to solving a Sentence Simplification question is to understand the essential inform ation

mentioned in the question You must first recognize the central ideas in the highlighted sentence This can be difficult because of the sentence's length or structure, so focus on the central ideas presented in the sentence and identify them in the answer choices

• It is critical that you understand the key relationships between ideas in the highlighted sentence.

Incorrect answer choices may present the central ideas, but they will change the relationship between these ideas Make sure you understand these relationships so you can identify them in the correct answer choice

• Finally, make sure that you are able to recognize sum m arized ideas within the correct answer choice

Some longer and more complex sentences will use many examples of a single idea, elaborate wording,

or multiple phrases to express simple ideas Focus on the main idea o f the sentence and you should be

able to recognize a proper summary in the correct answer choice

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Basic Drills

Of all sports injuries, the most com m on are due to damage to soft tissue Such injuries often involve the knees, shoulders, elbows, and wrists Many times, a small injury to soft tissue may make an athlete compensate by altering his or her normal movements to protect the injured area This can cause trouble because the change in normal movement may put a sudden strain on uninjured areas, resulting in further injuries for the athlete In this way, one injury will often lead to another, with each new injury becoming progressively more serious

Kinesiologists, or coaches with special knowledge of kinesiology, can predict the

complications that may arise from altering normal movements and thus avoid muscle strains,

torn rotator cuffs, ligament damage, and herniated tissue

Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted

sentence in the passage? Incorrect choices change the meaning in im portant ways or leave out

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(A) center

(B) records

(C)agenda

(D) outside

1 The word fringe in the passage is closest in meaning to

2 According to paragraph 2, patients received m axim um relaxation by

(A) avoiding visitors altogether

(B) seeing people but not dogs

(C) petting the dogs they saw

(D) watching dogs from bed

Paragraph 2 is marked w ith an arrow [—•).

3 The word secreted in the passage is closest in meaning to

(A) growth

(B) hidden

(C) examples

(D) released

4 Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in

the highlighted sentence in the passage? Incorrect choices change the

meaning in important ways or leave out essential information

(A) The results caused researchers to recommend anim al therapy and

traditional therapy for recovering patients

(B) The researchers encouraged doctors to use anim al therapy in place of

more traditional care for patients with heart failure

(C) Although researchers did not recommend animal therapy for most

patients, they believed doctors should investigate it

(D) Through their research on animal therapy with recovering patients,

the researchers believed that it could be helpful

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A) heart problems

B) conversations

C) walks

D) seizures

The phrase these episodes in the passage refers to

According to paragraph 3, all of the following are physical benefits of

laving a dog EXCEPT

A) lower levels of stress

B) prevention of seizures

C) forewarning of seizures

D) respiratory improvement

Paragraph 3 is m arked w ith an arrow [—»].

According to paragraph 3, dogs used by seizure victims

(A) help owners in a way that cannot really be explained

(B) help people recover from seizures and similar episodes

(C) are used to diagnose patients at risk for this condition

(D) will alert others for help before their owner has a seizure

Paragraph 3 is m arked w ith a n arrow [—<>].

According to the paragraph 4, emotionally withdrawn children are perfect

examples of

(A) individuals who were Included in the study

(B) individuals who are afraid to interact with animals

(C) individuals who are judgmental towards people

(D) withdrawn individuals who can benefit from dogs

Paragraph 4 is m arke d w ith an arrow [—*].

»» Negative Fact Question

** Fact Question

Fact Question

A-Ch 1 I Basic Comprehension Q uestions

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f Question Practice 2

H

The Great Vowel ShiftThe Great Vowel Shift was a m ajor change in pronunciation th a t occurred in the English language in the 15'” century, m arking a change in how long vowel sounds were pronounced This term was firs t coined in the 20th century by the Danish linguist O tto Jespersen, and th is m ajor developm ent not only caused a shift in pronunciation, but it also marked the end of Middle English and the beginning of Modern English

—* This shift from Middle English pronunciation to Modern English pronunciation gradually occurred over about a century The reason fo r its occurrence is unclear, although several theories have been postulated One theory suggests th a t the British desired to distinguish th e ir

pronunciation from French pronunciation Another theory claims th a t the change in pronunciation was related to the Black Plague th a t swept through Europe in the 15th century According to this theory, the epidemic forced many people from d ifferent regions to m igrate into big cities such as London Within these urban areas, people who spoke m ultiple regional English dialects gradually merged th e ir speech into a single, standardized dialect th a t could be understood by everyone.Later, this new dialect spread from the m etropolitan areas into the countryside The

transform ation of the German language at this tim e supports this theory, fo r German people sim ilarly fled to their cities and subsequently developed a standardized pronunciation

—* The shift In pronunciation can, perhaps, be best seen by com paring Middle English to Modern English A fter the Great Vowel Shift, vowels th a t had once been pronounced sim ila rly In both French and English were now pronounced differently For example, the " i" sound in Middle English had always been pronounced as the vowel sound in "tre e ," b ut in some w ords in Modern English it is pronounced as the vowel sound in "e y e ," com bining its previous pronunciation with the "a h " sound This longer-sounding vowel, made by the com bination o f tw o vowels, is called a diphthong The Great Vowel Shift triggered the change of single vowel sounds into several

diphthongs, although Middle English pronunciation persists in some places — people in Scotland,

fo r example, commonly use Middle English pronunciation fo r m any vowel sounds

The Great Vowel Shift also affected English spelling and is responsible fo r some of the seemingly illogical spellings of certain English words The reason fo r th is is th a t English spelling was in the process o f being standardized while the G reat Vowel S h ift was going on The printing press had recently been developed, and books needed to have standardized spellings th a t

everyone could understand However, the Great Vowel Shift inundated English w ith many

perplexing spelling conventions, such as the use o f a silent "e " For instance, in Middle English, the word "m a ke " was spelled and pronounced as "m a k ," but, in Modern English, "m a k e " and sim ilar words are spelled with an "e " at the end to indicate a long vowel sound As a result o f standardized spelling, other words th a t appear to have sim ilar spellings are all pronounced d iffe re n tly For instance, the words "m e a t", "g re a t", and "th re a t" would be pronounced like "g re a t" in Middle English because they all have the vowel com bination "e a ," but in Modern English they are all pronounced differently

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(A) discovered

(B) translated

(C) purchased

(D) invented

The word coined in the passage is closest in m eaning to

The word postulated in the passage is closest in meaning to

(A) accepted

(B) proven

(C) rejected

(D) proposed

3 Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in

the highlighted sentence in the passage? Incorrect choices change the

meaning in important ways or leave out essential information

(A) In big cities, the m ultiple dialects that existed combined to become a

more understandable com m on dialect

(B) A single regional dialect was chosen in the cities because it was more

comprehensible than other regional dialects

(C) Many regions of England spoke different dialects, but over time these

dialects merged into a single language

(D) In big cities, everyone understood one dialect, but in rural areas it split

up into a num ber of regional dialects

4 According to paragraph 2, the Black Plague

(A) separated the French and English people

(B) basically killed everyone who spoke Middle English

(C) caused more people to move into metropolitan areas

(D) triggered a German migration into English lands

Paragraph 2 is m arke d w ith a n arrow [—♦].

* * Vocabulary Question

Sentence Simplification Question

Fact Question

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(A) the “i” sound

(B) Modern English

(C) Middle English

(D) the Great Vowel Shift

5 The word it in the passage refers to

6 According to paragraph 3, Scottish speech is an example of

(A) the common use of French words in English

(B) speech that arose from Modern English

(C) a dialect transformed by the Great Vowel Shift

(D) contemporary Middle English pronunciation

Paragraph 3 is m arked w ith an arrow |—*].

7 The word inundated in the passage is closest in meaning to

(A) the introduction of new diphthongs

(B) the mixing of French and English vowel-sounds

(C) the use of a silent “e" in spelling

(D) the standardized pronunciation of English

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P A R T A

o

■Ï-Inferencing Reading & Reading to Learn Questions

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Inference Questions

The ability to make proper inferences is essential to gaining a complete understanding of a reading passage In order to do so, you will need to be able to make reasonable assumptions based on the implied connections between facts directly stated in the passage Typically, there will be one or two inference questions for each reading passage on the /BT TOEFL exam Each inference question will be worth one point

Identifying the Question

Inference questions are easy to identify because they will always use a word like “infer” , “imply", or

“suggest" in the question phrasing Look at the examples below:

Based 011 the inform ation in paragraph 3, what can be inferred about solar storms?

W hat is implied about ancestor worship am ong Zulu peoples ?

In paragraph 2 the author suggests that unicellular life forms

Solving the Question

• The first thing to remember about any inference question is that the c o rre ct answer choice w ill be

based on inform ation stated directly in the passage Many incorrect answer choices may seem logical

but will not be based on statements contained within the passage itself; they will ask you to assume too much

• Some inference questions will be based on the connections between specific statements within the

passage In these cases, the correct answer choice must be found through close reading Read through

the section of the passage carefully, thinking about the connections between each statement

• Some inference questions will ask you to draw a logical conclusion based on an accumulation of ideas In

these cases, you will need to skim a larger section o f the passage, paying attention to the connections

between major ideas rather than more specific details

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Basic Drills

Although the use of candles can be traced back to about 400 AD, they did not become widely used until the 14th century The best candles were made of beeswax, but these were generally confined to use in religious rituals in churches Most average people of the time preferred to use inexpensive tallow candles made from anim al fat Tallow candles may have been cheap, but they tended to be smoky and smelly, and dripped profusely while giving very weak light

In the paragraph, the author suggests that

(A) beeswax candles were too expensive for everyday use

(B) there were religious rules against tallow candles

(C) most people did not m ind the smell of tallow candles

(D) tallow candles had no good points

1 This inference comes from the implied connections between specific statements in the

paragraph Underline those specific statements

Read the following paragraphs and the inference questions that go along with them The correct

answers are in bold

As there are a variety of climates in Napa Valley, so are there a variety of soils In certain areas

of the valley, the soils are based on deposits of volcanic ash and lava In other areas, the

advances and retreat of the oceans over time have produced a different kind of soil Thus, in the southern end of the valley, the soil is often made up of sediments such as clay and sand.The volcanic soils in the north valley cannot hold water very well and so can only support

those varieties of grapes which do not require m uch water The clay soils in the south tend to hold water longer and, thus, support other grape varieties All in all, there are over 140

different types of soil spread throughout the valley

Based on the information it the paragraph, it can be inferred that

(A) grape growing is a difficult business

(B) there are some problems with the soils in Napa Valley

(C) h avin g a w ide variety o f soils helps in grow ing a w ide variety o f grapes

(D) soils are the most important element in grape growing

2 This question asks you to draw a broad inference based on key ideas in the paragraph W hat are some of the key ideas that allow you to make this inference?

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