Strategies for Reading Test :
Read
It might sound obvious but the best way to practice for TOEFL’s reading
test is to read as much as possible beforehand on as wide a variety of topics
as possible. Current affairs, health, sports, it doesn’t matter. Also, cover
all the media in your reading materials like books, online texts, and also
magazines. Familiarize yourself also with the size of texts that are 700 words
long.
Keep a Vocabulary
Notebook
How to do remember what you have to do everyday? Do you write lists on
paper? Do you keep an online agenda? Do you stick yellow post-its on your
fridge? It doesn’t matter. Do the same with new vocabulary. Build a vocabulary
bank and refer to it as often as you can to refresh it in your memory. This
will help you develop a strong vocabulary that should be a great help to you
when you sit TOEFL’s reading test.
Practice Past Tests
You need to always remember that TOEFL is a standardized test. This means
it always follows the same format. Practice past tests to familiarize yourself
with the format.
Practice Staying
Within The Time Limit
As well as familiarizing yourself with the structure of the exam, you need
to practice working within the time limit. When you practice past exams respect
the time constraints. Set an alarm clock if necessary. Remember that in TOEFL
iBT the software will cut you off when you reach the time limit so it is
critical you learn to work within it.
Learn to Skim
In English, skimming involves reading a passage quickly and understanding a
text by extracting the important details at a glance. This is a crucial skill
for the TOEFL reading test. Practice doing this with passages in the run-up to
the exam.
Practice Summing Up
Never presume you know the meaning of a text while you are reading it.
Always stop at the end of each paragraph and try to sum up what you have just
read (even if it have to whisper rather than say it out loud).
Highlight (if you need
to)
Highlighting important data like vocabulary, dates and places might help you
relax and order your thoughts. Go ahead and do this while you are reading if it
helps.
Learn To Guess
Unfamiliar Words
When you are faced with a new word what do you do? Panic? Consult a
dictionary? Neither of these responses will help you in your exam. Learn to
guess the meaning of new words from the context of a passage or the words and
paragraphs which surround it.
Learn To Pick Out
Pronouns
When you speak, you know there is a big difference between the pronouns he,
she and it. It is the same when you are reading. Learn to pay attention to the
pronouns in a text so you know to whom or what it is referring, especially if
there are multiple characters in the text. This could be the difference between
you answering a question correctly and incorrectly.
Relax
In order to really capture the meaning of a text, you need to be relaxed so
that you can focus on it completely. If you are very nervous you might miss
important, and maybe obvious, points. Develop relaxation techniques like deep
breathing during the test or even a yoga session before it! Whatever keeps you
calm and works for you should not be ignored.
Examples :
When buying a house, you must be sure to
have it checked for termites. A termite is much
like an
ant in its communal habits,
although physically the
two insects are distinct. Like those ants, termite
colonies consist of
different classes, each with its
own particular job. The
most perfectly formed termites, both male and
female, make up the productive class. They have
eyes,
hard body walls and fully developed wings. A pair
of
reproductive termites founds the
colony. When new
reproductive termites develop, they leave to form
another colony. They use their wings only this on
time
and then break them off.
The worker termites
are small, blind and
wingless, with soft bodies. They make up the
majority
of the colony and do all the work. Soldiers are
eyeless and wingless but are larger than the
workers
and have hard heads and strong jaws and legs. They
defend the colony and are cared for by the workers.
The male and female of
the reproductive
class remain inside a closed-in cell when the
female
lays thousands of eggs. The workers place the eggs
in cell and care for them. Even if one colony is
treated
with poison, if a male and female of the
reproductive
class escape, they can form a new colony.
Pest control
companies can inspect a house
for infestation of termites. Often, of lay person
can not
spot the evidence, so it is critical to have the
opinion
of a proffesional. Treatments vary depending upon
the type of termite.
1. How are termites like ants?
A. They live in communities,
and each class has a specific duty
B. Their bodies are the same
shape
C. The king and queen are
imprisoned
D. The females' reproductive
capacities are the same
2. The word "communal" in line 3 is
closest in meaning to
A. Eating
B. Reproducing
C. Organizational
D. Social
3. Which of the following is not true?
A. All termites have eyes
B. Some termites cannot fly
C. Workers are smaller than
soldiers
D. Termites do not fly often
4. In line 4, the word "distinct" is
closest in meaning to
A. Similar
B. Different
C. Genetically related
D. Strong
5. In line 6, "classes" is closest in
meaning to
A. Sexes
B. Colonies
C. Courses
D. Categories
Answers :
1. A
2. D
3. B
4. B
5. D
Strategies for Structure :
1. First study the sentence.
Your purpose is to determine what is needed to
complete the sentence correctly.
Then study each answer based on how well
it completes the sentence.
Eliminate answers that do not complete the sentence
correctly.
Do not try to eliminate incorrect
answers by looking only at the answers.
The incorrect answers are generally correct by
themselves. The incorrect answers are generally incorrect only when used to
complete the sentence.
Never leave any answers blank.
Be sure to answer each question even if you are unsure
of the correct response.
Do not spend too much time on the
Structure questions.
Be sure to leave adequate time for the Written
Expression questions.
Examples :
1. The committee has
met twice and ....
A. they reached a final decision
B. a final decision was reached
C. its decision was reached
D. it has reached a final decision
2. The manager won't be able to attend the
shareholders' meeting tomorrow because....
A. he must to give a lecture
B. he will be giving a lecture
C. of he will give lecture
D. he will have giving a lecture
3. Brenda's score on the test is the highest in
class.
A. She should study hard last night.
B. She should have studied hard last
night.
C. She must have studied hard last
night.
D. She had to study hard last night
4. Mother wanted to serve some coffee to my
guests; however....
A. she hadn't many coffee.
B. there is not a great amount of
coffee.
C. she didn't have my coffee.
D. she was out of coffee.
5. Having been served lunch,....
A. the problems were discussed by
the participants.
B. the participants discuss the
problems.
C. it was discussed by the
participants.
D. A discussion of the problems were
made by the participants.
6. East Kalimantan
relies heavily on income from oil and natural gas, and....
A. Aceh province also.
B. Aceh province too.
C. Aceh province is as well.
D. so does Aceh province.
7. The participants have had some problems
deciding....
A. when they should announce the
result of the meeting.
B. when are they sgoing to announce
the result of the meeting.
C. when should they announce the
result of the meeting.
D. the time when the result of the
meeting to announce.
8. This year will be more difficult for our
organization because....
A. we have less money and volunteers
than last year.
B. there is a little money and
volunteers than last year.
C. it has less money and fewer
volunteers than it had last year.
D. it has fewer money and less
volunteers than it had last year.
9. Professor Baker told his students that...
A. they can turn over their reports
on Mondays.
B. the reports can turn over on
Monday.
C. they could hand in their reports
on Monday.
D. the reports they can hand in on
Monday.
10. The adder is a venomous snake ... bite may
prove fatal to humans.
A. its
B. whom its
C. that
D. whose
Answers :
1. D
2. B
3. B
4. C
5. B
6. D
7. A
8. C
9. C
10. D
