improving toefl score by alice huang 黃士嘉 英文四 b. toefl (test of english as a foreign...
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Improving TOEFL ScoreBy 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
Reading
30 60-80 minutes
36-56 questions
Read 3 or 4 passages from academic texts and answer questions
Listening
30 60-90 minutes
34-51 questions
Listen to lectures, classroom discussions and conversations, then answer questions
Break 10 minutes
Speaking
30 20 minutes 6 tasks Express an opinion on a familiar topic; speak based on reading and listening tasks
Writing
30 50 minutes 2 tasks Write essay responses based on reading and listening tasks; support an opinion in writing
Ets.org
Reading
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 bananas, were introduced from Southeast Asia.
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.
(D) African communities were not large enough to support agriculture.
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 NotesDrop 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 Questions1. Why does the man go to see the registrar?
(A) To find out why he is not on the list of graduating students
(B) To explain why he has not fulfilled his graduation requirements
(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.
TipsTake 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 – 6Campus 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 2presented with two situations or opinions, you'll choose which you prefer and explain your choice
Opinion then support
Campus Situations
Question 3Read a passage
Listen to a response
30 seconds to prepare
60 seconds to speak
Question 5Listen 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 4Read a passage
Listen to lecture
30 seconds to prepare
60 seconds to speak
Question 6Listen to lecture
20 seconds to prepare
60 seconds to speak
TipsTake 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 120 minutes
150-225 words
Question 230 minutes
300+ words
Question 1
Reading3 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 subjectie 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
Ets.org
Points in the Reading Counterpoints in the Lecture
In the memoir, the Chevalier claims thathe 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 confirmthat 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 well-connected friends to offer his jailers a bribe to free him.
Other prisoners who had even more powerful political connections were never able tobribe 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.
Tips• Relevance• Organization
Use transitions (first, second, third, finally, in conclusion … )Avoid redundancyWrite in PARAGRAPHS
• Language
GrammarWord choice/vocabulary
Tips
• For Q1, 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)
Writing25 minute Essay question
Grammar questions
ReadingReading Comprehension
Vocabulary
MathBasic 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 The multiple-choice questions ask students to:• Recognize sentence errors• Choose the best version of a piece of
writing• Improve paragraphs
Writing (multiple choice) 10
Critical reading (multiple choice)
25 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
Critical reading (multiple choice)
25
Critical reading (multiple choice)
20
Mathematics (multiple choice and student-produced response)
25 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
Mathematics (multiple choice)
25
Mathematics (multiple choice)
20
Variable (unscored, multiple choice)
25 25 from CollegeBoard.org
Credits
All samples are taken from ets.org
The TOEFL testing formats are also from ETS
SAT testing formats are from CollegeBoard
Many tips are also stated at ETS (TOEFL video library etc)
Thank you for Coming!