Improving TOEFL Score By Alice Huang B TOEFL

Improving TOEFL Score By Alice Huang 黃士嘉 英文四B

TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) Full score: 120 My score: 114 and 117 ibt and pbt Rome was not built in a day

TOEFL Format Section Points Time Limit Questions Tasks Readin g Ets. org 30 60 -80 minutes 36 -56 questions Read 3 or 4 passages from academic texts and answer questions Listenin 30 g 60 -90 minutes 34 -51 questions Listen to lectures, classroom discussions and conversations, then answer questions Break 10 minutes Speakin 30 g 20 minutes 6 tasks Express an opinion on a familiar topic; speak based on reading and listening tasks Writing 50 minutes 2 tasks Write essay responses based on reading and listening tasks; support an opinion in writing 30

Reading Comprehension Vocabulary Picking out the main ideas

Tips Read broad ranges (many topics) Increase vocabulary (amateur level) Read question first Use the sentence to guess the word’s meaning Practice finding a passage’s key points Can read again and read the previous questions

Sample: Agriculture, Iron, and the Bantu People There is evidence of agriculture in Africa prior to 3000 b. c. It may have developed independently, but many scholars believe that the spread of agriculture and iron throughout Africa linked it to the major centers of the Near East and Mediterranean world. The drying up of what is now the Sahara desert had pushed many peoples to the south into sub-Saharan Africa. These peoples settled at first in scattered hunting- and-gathering bands, although in some places near lakes and rivers, people who fished, with a more secure food supply, lived in larger population concentrations. Agriculture seems to have reached these people from the Near East, since the first domesticated crops were millets and sorghums whose origins are not African but West Asian. Once the idea of planting diffused, Africans began to develop their own crops, such as certain varieties of rice, and they demonstrated a continued receptiveness to new imports. The proposed areas of the domestication of African crops lie in a band that extends from Ethiopia across southern Sudan to West Africa. Subsequently, other crops, such as

Sample Questions 1. The word “diffused” in the passage is closest in meaning to (A) emerged (B) was understood (C) spread (D) developed 2. According to paragraph 1, why do researchers doubt that agriculture developed independently in africa? (A) African lakes and rivers already provided enough food for people to survive without agriculture. (B) The earliest examples of cultivated plants discovered in Africa are native to Asia. (C) Africa’s native plants are very difficult to domesticate.

2 pts Complete the summary by selecting the THREE answer choices that express the most important ideas in the passage. Write your answer choices in the spaces where they belong. Agriculture and iron working probably spread to Africa from neighboring regions. (A)Once Africans developed their own native crops, they no longer borrowed from other regions. (B) The harshness of the African climate meant that agriculture could not develop until after the introduction of iron tools. (C) The use of livestock improved transportation and trade and allowed for new forms of political control. (D) As the Sahara expanded, the camel gained in importance, eventually coming to have religious significance. (E) The spread of iron working had far-reaching effects on social, economic, and political organization in Africa. (F) Today’s Bantu-speaking peoples are descended from a technologically advanced people who spread throughout Africa.

Listening Can’t go back to the previous questions Typically ask about the main idea and supporting details Some questions ask about a speaker’s purpose or attitude

Sample Notes Drop off graduation form for diploma Warning flag Familiar? Yes; 48 total, 24 intermediate or higher, department chair outline 2 years ago meet chair, 8 more courses Computers reliable 2 basic + field Only Intro; no intermediate available Independent field -> count as intermediate Classmate did so Depth, enjoyment Contact chair and call to verify No deadline soon but might be bad if too late

Sample Questions 1. Why does the man go to see the registrar? students requirements (A) To find out why he is not on the list of graduating (B) To explain why he has not fulfilled his graduation (C) To find out the exact requirements for graduation (D) To submit a document required for graduation 2. According to the registrar, what step is currently taken to ensure that students fulfill their graduation requirements? (A) Academic records are regularly checked by the registrar’s office. (B) Students meet with a department chairperson to plan their course work. (C) Students receive letters listing the courses that they still need to take. (D) Warning letters are sent to students who have fallen behind in their course work.

Attitude or Purpose Question (A) She is uncertain about the reliability of the computer. (B) She will approve the man’s form despite her doubts about it. (C) She needs more information about the man’s credits. (D) She needs to call someone to help her fix computer errors.

Tips Take good notes English subtitles or none (NO Chinese!) Watch English TV shows/movies Listen to English radio channels Listen to online videos VOA/空中英語 -> TED -> ICRT -> BBC and CNN news Listen to different accents!!

Speaking Independent Questions 1 & 2 Integrated Questions 3 – 6 Campus situations Academic courses

Question 1 & 2 Format Topic to speak about with no additional material 15 seconds to prepare 45 seconds to speak

Question 1 speak about a person, place, object or event that is familiar to you Question 2 presented with two situations or opinions, you'll choose which you prefer and explain your choice Opinion then support

Campus Situations Question 3 Read a passage Listen to a response 30 seconds to prepare 60 seconds to speak Question 5 Listen to conversation 20 seconds to prepare 60 seconds to speak Summarize the speaker’s point (Question 3), then give your opinion (Question 5)

Academic Courses Question 4 Read a passage Listen to lecture 30 seconds to prepare 60 seconds to speak Question 6 Listen to lecture 20 seconds to prepare 60 seconds to speak

Tips Take notes of key points, not full responses Don’t read or memorize Speak naturally (not an essay) using connections Because, then, after that … Clear and fluid speech at a natural pace Good pronunciation and good intonation Grammar Full answer Don’t repeat (try clarifying or elaborating, think of wording the topic in different ways) Simple sentences Practice recording your voice with a timer

Writing 2 Questions Question 1 20 minutes 150 -225 words Question 2 30 minutes 300+ words

Question 1 Reading 3 minutes reading for a writing Look for the main idea (first paragraph) Notice the relating key points (usually 3) Don’t memorize Listening (same topic, different perspective) 2 minutes listening Take notes (opinion usually first) Look for corresponding details

Question 1 Summarize the reading Answer how the lecture corresponds to the reading

Question 2 Your opinion on the subject ie which do you prefer, do you agree or disagree, what do you think Outline Specific examples supporting your stance

Tips Read the question carefully Answer the question (answer only what the question asks, using what the question provides) Topic sentence – usually first sentence, answering the question Examples and details for support Conclude - summary

Points in the Reading Counterpoints in the Lecture In the memoir, the Chevalier claims that he was wealthy while living in Switzerland, but since the Chevalier is known to have borrowed money there, he cannot have been very rich. The Chevalier’s wealth was in the form of property that had to be sold in order to generate cash. So he wasn’t poor; he just had to borrow money for a few days while he waited for his property to be sold. The memoir claims to recount accurate conversations between the Chevalier and the famous writer Voltaire; this cannot be true, since it was written so many years after the conversations occurred. Each night after the conversations took place, the Chevalier wrote down everything he could remember from them. Witnesses confirm that when writing his memoir years later, the Chevalier regularly consulted these notes. The memoir states that the Chevalier escaped from a Venetian prison by making a hole in the ceiling and climbing through the roof; this is unlikely, since the Chevalier could have asked politically wellconnected friends to offer his jailers a bribe to free him. Other prisoners who had even more powerful political connections were never able to bribe their way to freedom, so the Chevalier probably couldn’t either. Also, prison records indicate that soon after the Chevalier’s escape, the ceiling of his room in the prison had to be repaired. Ets. org

Tips • • Relevance Organization Use transitions (first, second, third, finally, in conclusion … ) Avoid redundancy Write in PARAGRAPHS • Language Grammar Word choice/vocabulary

Tips • For Q 1, Listen/read to two lectures, write down their main points, summarize them, compare and contrast them • Timed practice • Learn to recognize your grammar mistakes and correct them

Concluding Tips Reviewing for one, is reviewing for all of them Read broad range of topics Practice concentration Double check your stuff the night before Get a good night’s sleep and a hearty breakfast Don’t panic

SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) For applying for college Format (3 hours and 45 minutes + 3 short breaks) Writing 25 minute Essay question Grammar questions Reading Comprehension Vocabulary Math Basic to algebra, statistics etc

Min Total Time Content Writing (essay) 25 60 The essay measures a student's ability to develop and express a point of view on an issue. Writing (multiple choice) 25 Writing (multiple choice) 10 Critical reading (multiple choice) 25 Critical reading (multiple choice) 20 Mathematics (multiple choice and studentproduced response) 25 Mathematics (multiple choice) 20 Variable (unscored, multiple 25 The multiple-choice questions ask students to: • Recognize sentence errors • Choose the best version of a piece of writing • Improve paragraphs 70 The questions assess students' reading skills, such as: • Identifying main and supporting ideas • Determining the meaning of words in context • Understanding authors' purposes • Understanding the structure and function of sentences 70 The questions require students to apply mathematical concepts and to use data literacy skills in interpreting tables, charts and graphs. They cover skills in four major areas: • Number and operations • Algebra and functions • Geometry and measurement • Data analysis, statistics and probability 25 from College. Board. org

Credits All samples are taken from ets. org The TOEFL testing formats are also from ETS SAT testing formats are from College. Board Many tips are also stated at ETS (TOEFL video library etc)

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