Jumat, 04 November 2011

A Key Success of TOEFL Exams

FORMAT OF TOEFL EXAMS

Section 1: Listening Comprehension
Part A: Short conversations. The conversations are between two people. After each conversation, a third voice will ask a question about what was said. You must find the answer to the question in the test book.
Part B: Longer conversations. The conversations are between two people. After each conversation, a third voice will ask some questions about what was said. You must find the answer to the question in the test book.
Part C: Oral readings. These may be about any subject. There are several questions about each reading or conversation. You must find the answer to the question in the test book.

A PATTERNED PLAN OF ATTACK

Section 2: Structure and Written Expression
Part A: Multiple choice answers to complete sentences. You must choose the best way to complete the sentence in formal written English.
Part B: Sentences have four words or phrases underlined. You must choose the one underlined part that is incorrect in formal written English.
Samples:
1. In the past 200 years, the earth’s atmosphere __________ enriched in carbon dioxide.
(A) becoming
(B) have become
(C) becomes
(D) has become
The answer is (D). The present perfect tense is usually used with the phrase in the past + [time] (e.g., in the past 3 weeks, in the past 2 hours).
2. In some religions, people fasts for a period of mourning.
             (A)                        (B)          (C)             (D)
The answer is (B). Because people is a plural noun, the verb fast should reflect the plural subject.
3. None of the nutrients in soil _________ found in sand.
(A) are usually
(B) that is usually
(C) is usually
(D) typically
The answer is (C). None is the singular subject of this sentence, and the verb should also be the singular is.
4. Many old elephants they die after they lose their teeth and can no longer chew food.
                                   (A)              (B)              (C)                   (D)
The answer is (A). Having both Many old elephants and they causes the sentences to have a repeated subject.
5. Most countries spend a large portion of their budgets __________ for their citizens.
(A) education provided
(B) provide education
(C) to education provides
(D) providing education
The answer is (D). The sentence can be correctly completed by the gerund phrase providing education. None of the other three choices would form a grammatical sentence.
6. A adult elephant has so little hair that it appears almost hairless.
     (A)                           (B)                        (C)                  (D)
The answer is (A). The correct form of the indefinite article before a word that begins with a vowel (a, i, e, o, or u) is an.

A PATTERNED PLAN OF ATTACK



Section 3: Reading Comprehension
You must read selections in the test book and answer questions based on what is stated or implied in the readings.
TIPS: HOW TO DEAL WITH THE WORDS YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND
Example 1:
The mayfly is a dainty insect with lacy wings and a slender, forked tail that trails behind it in flight.
In this sentence, there are several words you may not know: dainty, lacy, slender, forked, and trails. However, the number of words that you don’t understand is sufficient (enough) for you to understand what the sentence is about:
The mayfly is a ---------- insect with ---------- wings and a ----------, ---------- tail that ---------- behind it in flight.
This sentence is a description of an insect that can fly and has a tail.
The same technique can also help you figure out meanings of more complex sentences by looking at the same meanings of word parts, for example:
Example 2:
Coastal areas dilute and filter out large amounts of waterborne pollutants, protecting the quality of waters used for swimming and fishing and as wildlife habitats.
With this sentence, if you simply skip over the words or parts of words that you do not understand, you might have:
Coast-- areas ------ and ------ out large amounts of water----- pollut---s, protecting the ------ of waters used for swimming and fishing and as wildlife --------.
Even with several important words in this sentence omitted, it is still possible to figure out that “coast (take) out large amounts of water pollution, protecting the waters used for swimming, fishing, and wildlife.” This is the basic idea of the sentence. However, there are several key words that you must know to understand the sentence: coast, pollution, protect, and possibly wildlife .

A PATTERNED PLAN OF ATTACK


A SUCCESSFUL OVERALL APPROACH
Many who take the TOEFL don’t get the score that they are entitled to because they spend too much time dwelling on hard questions, leaving insufficient time to answer the easy questions they can get right. Don’t let this happen to you. Use the following system in Section 2 and 3 to mark your answer sheet:
1. Answer easy questions immediately.
2. Place a”+” next to any problem that seems solveable but is too time-consuming.
3. Place a “-“ next to any problem that seems impossible. Act quickly. Don’t waste time deciding whether a problem is a “+” or a “-“.
After working all the problems you can do immediately, go back and work your “+” problems. If you finish them, try your “-“ problems (sometimes when you come back to a problem that seemed impossible you will suddenly realize how to solve it). Goodluck!

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