TOEFL PREPARATION TOEFL PREPARATION COURSE COURSE

Reading Reading ComprehensionComprehension

Leonor Rosales ArellanoLeonor Rosales Arellano Aulas 2-250Aulas 2-250 lrosales@itesm.mxlrosales@itesm.mx

TOEFL Reading SectionTOEFL Reading Section

The TOEFL Reading section evaluates your ability The TOEFL Reading section evaluates your ability to read and answer questions about passages to read and answer questions about passages written in formal Englishwritten in formal English

You will have to read five passages with You will have to read five passages with academic content.academic content.

Each passage has an average of 10 questions. Each passage has an average of 10 questions. Overview items: main idea,main topic and main purposeOverview items: main idea,main topic and main purpose Vocabulary Vocabulary Referent PronounReferent Pronoun Detail and Factual informationDetail and Factual information InferencesInferences Negative questionsNegative questions Organization of passageOrganization of passage

PassagesPassages

The passage covers a wide range ofThe passage covers a wide range oftopics:topics: Science and technologyScience and technology: astronomy, : astronomy,

geology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, geology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, zoology, botany, medicine, engineering and zoology, botany, medicine, engineering and mechanics.mechanics.

North American historyNorth American history, government, , government, geography and culturegeography and culture

ArtArt: literature, painting, scultpure, : literature, painting, scultpure, architecture, dance and drama architecture, dance and drama

Social scienceSocial science: anthropology, economics, : anthropology, economics, psychology, urban studies and sociologypsychology, urban studies and sociology

Biography.Biography.

You’ll see that the topics overlap.You’ll see that the topics overlap.

It is not necessary to have backgound It is not necessary to have backgound informationinformation

of the topics you read in the test to answer theof the topics you read in the test to answer the

questions.questions.

Type of question and percentage

Explanation Example

Main idea/topic/Purpose10%

Identify the option that summarizes the author’s main idea.

What’s the main idea of the passage?

Factual Questions24%

Identify specific information and details in the passage.

According to the passage, where did…?

Negative questions9%

Identify specific information and details in the passage.

Which of the following is NOT true?

Scanning questions

Identify specific information and details in the passage.

Where in the passage does the author discuss…?

Inference questions12%

Draw conclusions based on the passage.

The author implies that which of the following is true

Vocabulary-in-context 26%

Identify the meaning of a word in the passage.

The word____ in line 15 is closest in meaning to…

Reference question10%

Identify a noun to which a pronoun refers.

In line 20, the word “there” refers to which….

General strategies for reading General strategies for reading sectionsection

Use your time wisely. You have 55 Use your time wisely. You have 55 minutes to read five passages and 50 minutes to read five passages and 50 questions. Read each passage in 10 questions. Read each passage in 10 minutes and use the last five minutes minutes and use the last five minutes to go back to difficult questions. to go back to difficult questions.

DON’T LEAVE BEFORE THE TIME IS DON’T LEAVE BEFORE THE TIME IS OVER.OVER.

General strategiesGeneral strategies Acquire a large vocabulary of formal Acquire a large vocabulary of formal

and academic English. Reading and academic English. Reading passages are written in formal passages are written in formal English and are general academic.English and are general academic.

Answer the Vocabulary Appendix on Answer the Vocabulary Appendix on pages 352-385. Check answers in pages 352-385. Check answers in www.heinle.com

Practice general reading strategies Practice general reading strategies such as skimming and scanning.such as skimming and scanning.

Strategies: How to approach Strategies: How to approach the passagesthe passages

You have two options:You have two options: Skim the passage before you start Skim the passage before you start

answering the questions. Or….answering the questions. Or…. Take a quick look at the questions first Take a quick look at the questions first

and identify the types of questions you and identify the types of questions you will need to answer. Don’t read the will need to answer. Don’t read the options, just focus on the information options, just focus on the information you need to concentrate on.you need to concentrate on.

Eliminate answers that are clearly wrong or Eliminate answers that are clearly wrong or do not answer the questions. If more than do not answer the questions. If more than one option remains, make a wise guess.one option remains, make a wise guess.

Mark difficult or time consumming Mark difficult or time consumming questions ( negatives and inferences) so questions ( negatives and inferences) so that you can come back to them later. that you can come back to them later. Don’t forget to erase any mark you make.Don’t forget to erase any mark you make.

Don’t spend more than 10 minutes per Don’t spend more than 10 minutes per reading passage.reading passage.

If you have only five minutes left and you If you have only five minutes left and you haven’t started reading the last passage, haven’t started reading the last passage, answer factual, vocabulary or referent answer factual, vocabulary or referent questions first. (Questions in the middle)questions first. (Questions in the middle)

General strategiesGeneral strategies

Choose the best answer to each Choose the best answer to each question from the four answer question from the four answer choices listed in the test book. choices listed in the test book.

Figure out if the answer is too Figure out if the answer is too general, too specific, irrelevant, general, too specific, irrelevant, incorrect or correct. Eliminate wrong incorrect or correct. Eliminate wrong answers.answers.

Overview questions: Main Overview questions: Main ideaidea

Almost every reading passage will have a Almost every reading passage will have a question about the main idea, topic, subject, question about the main idea, topic, subject, primary idea, or main idea.primary idea, or main idea.

StrategyStrategy Since the TOEFL passages are written in a Since the TOEFL passages are written in a

traditional organized manner, it is not difficult to traditional organized manner, it is not difficult to find the main idea by studying find the main idea by studying the topic the topic sentencesentence, which is most probably found at the , which is most probably found at the beginning of the paragraph.beginning of the paragraph.

After you have finished answering all the After you have finished answering all the questions in the passage, double-check you main questions in the passage, double-check you main idea answer.idea answer.

Overview items: Main topicOverview items: Main topic

When there is no main idea question, we When there is no main idea question, we could have to answer a main topic could have to answer a main topic question. The passage will ask you what question. The passage will ask you what the passage is generally about. the passage is generally about.

StrategyStrategy Scan the nouns in the passage, some of Scan the nouns in the passage, some of

them should belog to the same semantic them should belog to the same semantic field and will help you determine the main field and will help you determine the main topic.topic.

Overview items: PurposeOverview items: Purpose

PurposePurpose The purpose is the reason why the author The purpose is the reason why the author

wrote the passagewrote the passage Strategies:Strategies:

Focus on the first and last paragraph.Focus on the first and last paragraph. Identify key words in the passage that could Identify key words in the passage that could

give hints of the purpose of the passage.give hints of the purpose of the passage. Answers are usually written in infinitive.Answers are usually written in infinitive.

Overview items: Tone and Overview items: Tone and attitudeattitude

Tone and attitude items require you to Tone and attitude items require you to determine the author’s feelings. determine the author’s feelings.

Strategy:Strategy: Scan for the adjectives in the passage. Scan for the adjectives in the passage.

They will show if the author’s feelings They will show if the author’s feelings were positive, negative or neutral. See were positive, negative or neutral. See page 291.page 291.

Most TOEFL reading passages have a Most TOEFL reading passages have a neutral tone.neutral tone.

Overview item: Organization Overview item: Organization of the passageof the passage

Some questions ask about the organization of the Some questions ask about the organization of the passage or the relation between two paragraphs:passage or the relation between two paragraphs: How is the information in the passage How is the information in the passage

organized?organized? StrategyStrategy

Recognize signal words (transition words) in the Recognize signal words (transition words) in the passage and identify the organization patterns passage and identify the organization patterns they represent.they represent.

Read the first line of each paragraph.Read the first line of each paragraph. Look the words that show the relationship between Look the words that show the relationship between

the paragraphs.the paragraphs.

Transition wordsTransition words

You can check some transition words You can check some transition words on The Internet:on The Internet:

http://jc-schools.net/write/http://jc-schools.net/write/transition.htmtransition.htm

Overview items: TransitionOverview items: Transition Some questions might ask you what the following Some questions might ask you what the following

or preceding paragraph could be about.or preceding paragraph could be about. How to identify the question?How to identify the question?

The paragraph preceding the passage The paragraph preceding the passage probably..probably..

What is most likely in the paragraph following What is most likely in the paragraph following the passage?the passage?

StrategyStrategy The answer can be found in the first line of the The answer can be found in the first line of the

passage for a preceding question.passage for a preceding question. The answer can be found in the last line of the The answer can be found in the last line of the

passage for a following question.passage for a following question.

Detail and Factual Detail and Factual information itemsinformation items

Detail items ask for specific information in Detail items ask for specific information in the passage.the passage.

Questions about information in the Questions about information in the passage: passage: According to the passage, what….According to the passage, what…. According to the author, which…According to the author, which… The author states in the passage that…The author states in the passage that…

Strategies for Detail Strategies for Detail QuestionsQuestions

TOEFL items follow an order, so you TOEFL items follow an order, so you should not waste time rereading the should not waste time rereading the passage.passage.

Answer choices will be a restatement of Answer choices will be a restatement of the information in the passage.the information in the passage.

Locate a key word in the question. Scan Locate a key word in the question. Scan the passage. Once you find it, read one the passage. Once you find it, read one sentence before and one sentence aftsentence before and one sentence after.er.

Negative itemsNegative items

Negative items ask you to determine which of Negative items ask you to determine which of the four choices is not given in the passage. the four choices is not given in the passage. These items contain the words NOT, EXCEPT, These items contain the words NOT, EXCEPT, or LEAST likey.or LEAST likey.

Questions about information that is NOT in Questions about information that is NOT in the passage:the passage: All of the following are mentioned in the All of the following are mentioned in the

passage EXCEPT….passage EXCEPT…. Which of the following is NOT mentioned in Which of the following is NOT mentioned in

the passage?the passage?

Strategies for Negative Strategies for Negative QuestionsQuestions

Look for the information given in the Look for the information given in the passage and eliminate those options.passage and eliminate those options.

Choose the option NOT mentioned in the Choose the option NOT mentioned in the passage.passage.

Check your time. If more that two Check your time. If more that two minutes have passed, eliminate the minutes have passed, eliminate the options you found and guess. Use the options you found and guess. Use the last five minutes to go back to this last five minutes to go back to this question.question.

Inferences itemsInferences items

Some TOEFL items ask you about Some TOEFL items ask you about information that is given in the information that is given in the passage and you are required to passage and you are required to make inferences. In order to answer make inferences. In order to answer them you must read between lines them you must read between lines and make conclusions based on the and make conclusions based on the information in the passage.information in the passage.

Strategies for Inference Strategies for Inference ItemsItems

Carefully read the sentence that Carefully read the sentence that contains the keyword.contains the keyword.

The answer to the question will be The answer to the question will be information NOT given in the passage.information NOT given in the passage.

Incorrect answers will be information Incorrect answers will be information from the passage but restated.from the passage but restated.

Vocabulary itemsVocabulary items

Vocabulary items ask about the meaning Vocabulary items ask about the meaning of words or phrases in context. Some clues of words or phrases in context. Some clues that can help you find the meaning of that can help you find the meaning of words are:words are: Synonyms Synonyms ExamplesExamples ContrastContrast General contextGeneral context

SynonymsSynonyms

TOEFL passages are written for TOEFL passages are written for academic purposes and the author academic purposes and the author must use synonyms and avoid must use synonyms and avoid repetition of words. repetition of words.

Search in the text. It is probable that Search in the text. It is probable that the author used a synonym close to the author used a synonym close to the vocabulary word in the question.the vocabulary word in the question.

ContrastContrast

If the vocabulary word is in a If the vocabulary word is in a contrast sentence, you might be able contrast sentence, you might be able to figure out its meaning by finding to figure out its meaning by finding the opposite word.the opposite word.

Example: Example: Although buisiness partnership enjoy Although buisiness partnership enjoy

certain advantages over proprietorships, certain advantages over proprietorships, there are there are drawbacksdrawbacks as well. as well.

ExamplesExamples

If you do not know the meaning of the word, If you do not know the meaning of the word, check if the author gives an example. check if the author gives an example. Possible words that will give you an example Possible words that will give you an example are:are: For exampleFor example For instanceFor instance Such asSuch as i.e (this is)i.e (this is) e.g. (example given)e.g. (example given) Punctuation marks: parenthesis () or hypens - -Punctuation marks: parenthesis () or hypens - -

General contextGeneral context

You can guess the meaning of a word You can guess the meaning of a word through general context.through general context. The The bargesbarges headed across the lake headed across the lake A barge is probably which of the A barge is probably which of the

following?following? A) a trainA) a train B) a planeB) a plane C) a bicycleC) a bicycle D) a boatD) a boat

Reference itemsReference items

Referece words are words in the passage Referece words are words in the passage that refer to back concepts mentioned that refer to back concepts mentioned earlier in the passage. earlier in the passage.

Reference questions could be about:Reference questions could be about: Subject pronoun: I, you, he…Subject pronoun: I, you, he… Object pronoun: me, them …Object pronoun: me, them … Possessive pronoun: mine, his, oursPossessive pronoun: mine, his, ours Demonstrative pronoun: this, that, thoseDemonstrative pronoun: this, that, those Indefinite pronoun: someone, anyoneIndefinite pronoun: someone, anyone Specified item: this concept, that dilemaSpecified item: this concept, that dilema

Strategies for Referece Strategies for Referece ItemsItems

Find the pronoun on the passage.Find the pronoun on the passage. Look for nouns that come before the Look for nouns that come before the

pronoun.pronoun. Read the part of the passage before the Read the part of the passage before the

pronoun carefully.pronoun carefully. Eliminate any wrong answers.Eliminate any wrong answers.