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IBT TOEFL Reading Section

Reading Problems
1. Lack in reading English books or articles. 2. Lack in reading skills: skimming and scanning. 3. Lack in vocabulary 4. Over-analyze information, paragraphs, or

passages. 5. Get influenced by general knowledge. 6. Spend more time in answering questions in passage 1 and then rush in answering questions in passage 3.

The Test Components


Passages

3-5 passages Questions 39-42 questions (12-14 questions each) Topics science, technology, history, government, geography, arts, social sciences, the humanities, biography, autobiography, culture, etc. Timing 60-100 minutes Score Scale
0-30

Types of Skills
1. Vocabulary

2. Reference
3. Restatement/Paraphrasing 4. Details

5. Inferences
6. Authors Purpose and Method 7. Sentence Addition

8. Summaries and Charts

Basic Question Types Multiple choice

Basic Question Types Insert a sentence

Basic Question Types Category chart

Basic Question Types Summary

Reading Strategy
Cambridge

Read the entire passage first. The main topic is usually stated at the beginning of the passage. Read the title and quickly stroll through the passage to get an idea what the passage is generally about. Do not spend too much time reading the passage. Skim each passage to determine the main idea and overall organization of ideas in the passage.

Thomson [Bruce Rogers]

Longman

Tip #1

Be familiar with reading in English. You should be reading in English every single day. Read the newspaper or news online, print out the daily lessons on English and find academic papers at the library or online. Do not just stick to topics related to areas that you are interested in become familiar with a variety of subjects

Tip #2
Practice skimming passages rather than spending valuable time reading the passage in detail. (Skimming is when you quickly glance through text rather than reading every single word). Then go back and read the passage more slowly you will find you understand more now that you know what the key points of the passage are. By practicing using any passage of written English, you will dramatically increase your fluency and reading rate.

Tip #3

Highlight the main ideas of the passage often you will find this in the introduction. Also highlight key points and facts such as numbers and dates. You will not have time to read every paragraph in detail during your TOEFL reading exam and practicing this regularly will increase your reading speed and fluency.

Tip #4

Make quick notes after your first or second reading to save time when looking back for the answers to the questions.

Tip #5

Do not worry if you are unfamiliar with the topic of the passage. Everything you need to know to answer the questions will be in the passage in your TOEFL reading section and no prior knowledge is required.

Tip #6

Do not spend too much time on a question you are completely unsure of. If you do not know the answer to the question, try to eliminate any answers that you feel are not correct. You want to make sure you have enough time for the questions and answers you are sure of!

Tip #7

Increase your vocabulary and understanding of idioms this will help your overall understanding of passages in your TOEFL reading exam.

Tip #8

Guess if you are running out of time if you have very little time left, it is better to complete all questions than to leave an answer blank. Remember, you will not lose points for incorrect answers in your TOEFL reading exam.

Tip #9

Choose unfamiliar words from past TOEFL reading exams and try to guess what they mean from the words surrounding it, as well as using the context of the paragraph. This will help you stay calm during the exam when you come across words you do not know, as you will be well trained to make an educated guess.

Vocabulary
Identifying meaning from a given definition
The verb be

A cutlass is a short, curved sword Appositives Mercury, the silver-colored metal used in thermometers, is usually in liquid form Punctuation Mercury the silver-colored metal used in thermometers is usually in liquid form The word or The Husky, or sled dog, of the North is a hardy breed

Vocabulary
Identifying meaning from a given definition

Examples

Percussion instruments, such as drums, cymbals, & tambourine, were the preferred instruments in the study
Adjective clauses

Airships, which are cigar-shaped steerable balloons, can be used for many purposes, such as filming, advertising, & entertainment.

Vocabulary
Identifying meaning from a given definition
Referents

The solar-powered batteries in the ERS-1 are expected to function for at least two years, during which time this satellite will be able to gather more information than any previous satellite Contrasts The brief scenes in the movie focus on the boys point of view, whereas the longer scenes Other words in the sentence In order to sip the nectar with its long tongue, the bee must dive into the flower & in so doing becomes dusted with the fine pollen grains from the antlers

Vocabulary Using context to guess the meaning of words in passages


Read the passage and guess the meaning if the highlighted expressions. Write one or two synonyms or a definition on the lines next to the expressions.

Vocabulary Questions - Examples


Examples: individual words The word in the passage is closest in meaning to
phrases

In the case of a phrase, the question might be: In stating , the author means that

Vocabulary Question Types


Identify the meanings of individual words and phrases

as they are used in the reading passage (a word might have more than one meaning, but in the reading passage, only one of those meanings is relevant.)
On the TOEFL iBT, words in the passage that are

unusual, technical, or have special meanings in the context of the topic are defined for you.

Vocabulary Questions - TIPS


The question IS NOT just asking the meaning of a word;

it is asking for the meaning as it is used in passage. DO NOT just choose an answer just because it can be a correct meaning of the word; understand which meaning the author is using in the passage. Reread the sentence in the passage, substituting the word or phrase you have chosen. Confirm that the sentence still makes sense in the context of the whole passage.

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