1. ORIENTATION
2. CORE CONCEPTS- The basic skills necessary to
complete the exam.
3. CRACKING- The appropriate strategies to crack
each question type in the exam.
4. DRILLS AND FULL LENGTH PRACTICE TEST- After
working on your strategies and drills, you will get
the chance to practice under real testing
conditions.
WHAT IS THE TOEFL?
Review coverage
The challenge!
When you are listening to a conversation in the
Toefl ibt you need to focus your note taking
skills to do the following:
• Identify what the topic is.
• Figure out why the topic is being addressed.
• Note the supporting examples.
Since you are allowed to take notes in the listening test, one common
mistake is trying to write too much. Keep your note taking to a
minimum and focus only on major points. (Play track 2 Q275 –AK
291)
THE LISTENING SECTION ON THE TOEFL
Understanding predictable test patterns
TYPES OF CONVERSATION STRUCTURES: Conversations on the
TOEFL ibt fall into some predictable pattern. Try to identify the
Pattern when listening to the people speak.
1. Meaning questions: “ What does the man/ woman mean”? The first
speaker sets up the conversation with a direct or indirect question or
a general statement to which the second speaker responds . The
second speaker holds the answer to the question. Example:
Ana: Have you heard about the new periodical wing that the
administration wants to add on the to the south side of the library?
Jim: Yeah, I can barely wait until it is finished
THE LISTENING SECTION ON THE TOEFL
Understanding predictable test patterns
Question:
For meaning question on the TOEFL ibt, ask yourself what did the
second speaker say? Concentrate on how the second speaker
responds to what the first speaker said.
THE LISTENING SECTION ON THE TOEFL
Understanding predictable test patterns
2. Infer / Imply questions: these questions are easy to recognize because you
will read the word infer/ imply in the question.
What can be inferred about the woman?
What does the woman imply?
What can be inferred about the conversation
Jim: I have to stop at the bank before dinner. I’m down to my last few dollars.
Ana: why bother? I thought we’d use the gift certificate I got from my
graduation present
THE LISTENING SECTION ON THE TOEFL
Understanding predictable test patterns
Question:
The best answer correctly paraphrases “ Why bother? I’d thought we’d
use the gift certificates I got for my graduation present.
THE LISTENING SECTION ON THE TOEFL
Understanding predictable test patterns
3. Action questions: Some typical action questions are:
These are questions that center on the “Action word” in the conversation.
Again listen closely to the speakers for clues as to what will happen next.
Example
Jim: I’m just about sick of all this chemistry homework. I don’t even have a
spare minute to cook.
Woman: Well, if it would help at all, I could run to the cafeteria and pick
something up for you.
THE LISTENING SECTION ON THE TOEFL
Understanding predictable test patterns
Question:
Action questions are either about what the second speaker will do or
what the second speaker recommends.
THE LISTENING SECTION ON THE TOEFL
Understanding predictable test patterns
4. Detail Questions: Detail questions may appear in several forms, yet it
is easy to recognize them because they refer to specific items
mentioned in the conversation. Some typical detail questions are:
What does the man want to know? What do the speakers say about?
What happened to the…….? What is the man’s problem?
Action questions are either about what the second speaker will do or
what the second speaker recommends.
THE LISTENING SECTION ON THE TOEFL
Understanding predictable test patterns
FOUR POE (PROCESS OF ELIMINATION TECHNIQUES)
Let’s say you are taking the TOEFL ibt and you are experiencing a lot of
trouble understanding the words on the recording and hears
something like this..
Woman: Will Mary bbebebebbblalaa Sunday?
Man: Sunday blalal bebebeb blah Mary’s
Now look at the answer choices. Remember, the only words you
understood were Sunday and Mary.
THE LISTENING SECTION ON THE TOEFL
Understanding predictable test patterns
THREE POE (PROCESS OF ELIMINATION TECHNIQUES)
Question:
WHAT DOES THE MAN MEAN?
a. Sunday is a day Mary often works.
b. Mary rarely works on Sunday
c. Some days Mary’s work is awful.
d. Mary has had a terrible cough last Sunday.
Opposites: TOEFL often tries to trap test takers by giving one wrong
answer choice which look pretty similar to the correct answer but
will mean the opposite.
In the TOEFL if there is pair of OPPOSITES in the answer choice one of
them is likely the correct answer!
THE LISTENING SECTION ON THE TOEFL
Understanding predictable test patterns
THREE POE (PROCESS OF ELIMINATION TECHNIQUES)
Extremes: Always remember that the TOEFL ibt talks will not contain anything controversial, violent
passionate or silly.
Question:
Use common sense and process of elimination to eliminate any answer choice that are too extreme.
The answer choice containing the word AWFUL is too extreme. Any answer choice that might contain
negative connotations and extreme words are automatically wrong.
THE LISTENING SECTION ON THE TOEFL
Understanding predictable test patterns
THREE POE (PROCESS OF ELIMINATION TECHNIQUES)
I n this case you can eliminate any answer choice that gives a literal
translation
Ana: How did rob perform in the production of Romeo and Juliet last
night?
Jim: You wouldn’t believe it! He performed head and shoulders above
the rest of the cast.
THE LISTENING SECTION ON THE TOEFL
Understanding predictable test patterns
Question:
Now, let us use the POE techniques we learned from our previous
discussions and make your choice of answer.
THE LISTENING SECTION ON THE TOEFL
The Academic Lecture
These picture flips occur during the lectures. You must pay close
attention and take notes to what is being said about the word,
diagram, graph or picture that appears on the screen.
100% sure that TOEFL will ask you a question about that word,
diagram or picture.
THE LISTENING SECTION ON THE TOEFL
The Academic Lecture
GENERAL STRATEGY
TOEFL will only ask 4 to 6 questions about each long conversation
or lecture; therefore you only need to remember 4 to 6 pieces of
information. Your short term memory plus your systematic note
taking will be most helpful here.
INTRODUCTION: In the first part of the lecture the narrator will say
several introductory sentences. Listen for any key words that gives
you clues as to the main topic. For example, you might hear:
Narrator: Listen to a professor discuss the side effects of an experimental drug being
tested on cancer patients
The question type associated in the Introductory part of the lecture
Is the Main idea question. Main idea questions test how well you
understand and interpret the general content of the talk. This type of
question are usually asked in the following forms:
What is the purpose of the talk?
What is the main purpose of the talk?
What is the professor mainly discussing?
THE LISTENING SECTION ON THE TOEFL
The Academic Lecture
GENERAL STRATEGY
Questions/ Definitions: If at any time during the conversations or lectures the students
pose rhetorical questions listen closely for the answer of the professor. Also, if the
professor at any time define vocabulary words or if a word appears on the screen listen
closely and take notes!
The question type associated in the Question/ Definition part of the lecture is the Detail
question. Detail questions ask for specific facts mentioned in the lectures. These
question types do not involve pictures. Detail questions will appear on the test as
follows:
What does the professor say about the way steamer ships sail?
According to the speaker, why do ants live in colonies?
How does the students manage to take so many courses?
According to the professor , what is a monologue?
Note:
The answer choices in a detail question on the Academic lecture part; three of the four
answer choices simply were not mentioned in the passage or were mentioned in
association with a topic other than the one asked about.
THE LISTENING SECTION ON THE TOEFL
The Academic Lecture
GENERAL STRATEGY
List and Examples: The speakers will frequently give list of items to
illustrate or clearly provide details about what they are discussing.
They also provide examples to support their claims. If you hear lists
or words or examples; listen for and take notes of specific details or
unusual details that surround them.
The question type associated in the List and example part of the lecture
is the Clicking on One of four letters and Multiple answer
questions.
THE LISTENING SECTION ON THE TOEFL
The Academic Lecture
Clicking on One of four letters may come in two different forms; Clicking on one of four
letters in a picture or clicking on one of four pictures. These question types always refer to
a picture, map or diagram.
Click on the letter that indicates the location of the first site where
West Point is located
THE LISTENING SECTION ON THE TOEFL
The Academic Lecture
GENERAL STRATEGY
Multiple answer questions: Multiple answer questions asks for specific facts
mentioned in the conversation or lectures. However they ask you to click on
two choices rather than ovals. These questions do not involve pictures.
Multiple questions may appear in the exam as follows.
What security procedures does the librarian tell the man he must follow?
Review coverage
Here you can see how the screen will look like in the exam. You’ll notice that some words
Appear in gray boxes . These words have a special type of question associated with
them. Remember if you prefer you are free to skip questions within this section.
THE READING SECTION ON THE TOEFL IBT
Reading Strategy
The reading section is LINEAR. This means that the questions do not
disappear once you have answered them. You can skip the hard
questions and answer them later.
For every passage there are eight to twelve questions that follows, the
first skill you need to learn is to how to distinguish the easy questions
from the hard ones.
There are nine different types of questions in the Reading section of the
TOEFL ibt. These questions are categorized as FIRST PASS (EASY)
SECOND PASS (MEDIUM) THIRD PASS (HARD)
THE READING SECTION ON THE TOEFL IBT
Pass means to systematically work through or pass through
the passage. As the various question types are introduced,
The general rule is to pass all questions that are hard and to answer all
easy questions first! Through practice you will be able to work more
confidently and the correct answers will be easier to anticipate.
First- Pass questions Second-Pass questions Third-Pass questions
Vocabulary in context Main idea questions Infer/imply questions
Reference questions Paraphrase questions Except/not questions
Detail questions Black square sentence Summary Questions
insertion questions a. Prose summary
questions
b. Fill in table questions
THE READING SECTION ON THE TOEFL IBT
CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER
One essential strategy for the TOEFL ibt is learning to analyze the
biggest and most obvious test pattern in the exam.
The TOEFl reading passage in both the Computer based and internet
based test arranges the questions in the order in which they appear
in the test.
Always remember where you found the answer to the previous question
to help you locate the next question . In other words the answer to
question 5 will be found in the text after the line where you found
the answer to question 4!
THE READING SECTION ON THE TOEFL IBT
PACING
Pacing is crucial in the reading test. You want to avoid going too fast or
too slow. TOEFL arranges the passages in loose order of progressive
difficulty. Always expect the last passage to be more difficult than
the first.
Due to this progression, it is logical to start at the beginning of the
reading section answer the easy questions first, the second pass
second, and third pas questions third.
If at any time a question is too difficult, skip it and come back at the very
end of the test.
THE READING SECTION ON THE TOEFL IBT
Vocabulary in Context: For VIC questions, you have to select the best
synonym in the passage. In other words, a VIC question is about the
definition of a word. Look at the example on the following page
THE READING SECTION ON THE TOEFL IBT
look at the word highlighted in
All animal life on the planet earth the text. Click on the answer
depends on a sufficient supply of choice that is closest in meaning
oxygen for its day to day survival. to the word blanketed
The trees that now just decorated
sporadically dot our landscape , hid
but once heavily blanketed the warmed
earth’s surface, still are able to
covered
provide a large portion of the
oxygen supply. For VIC question such as this one,
you’ll need to two sentences: the one
in which the word is contained and the
other one that comes before it. Then
eliminate any choice that doesn’t
mean the same.
THE READING SECTION ON THE TOEFL IBT
Vocabulary in context 2
TOEFL has another method of testing, VIC words. On the left side of the
computer screen, you will see several sentences in bold text with the
VIC word being tested highlighted. Look at the example on the
following page.
THE READING SECTION ON THE TOEFL IBT
passage. Click on the word or
Lighting, fire, volcanoes and phrase in the bold text that has
earthquakes occur without the same meaning
warning and not only rapidly
destroy many square miles of old
growth forest in a matter of
hours, but may also permanently
prevent new trees from growing.
Likewise disease causing fungi
and insect pests can either
eradicate certain types of
Rather than clicking on one of the
four answer choices that TOEFL has
provided you must click on the word
that greedy is synonymous or
antonymous
Look at the word eradicate in the
THE READING SECTION ON THE TOEFL IBT
On the left side of the computer screen, you will see several sentences
in bold text with the VIC reference word being tested highlighted.
Reference questions are easy to spot. Simply look for the questions that
use the word refer . Look at the following example on the next page.
THE READING SECTION ON THE TOEFL IBT
All species of trees have evolved look at the word highlighted word
from plants that flourished many in the passage. Click on the word
centuries ago in warm and wet or phrase in the bold text that it
tropical regions of the planet . As refers to.
the distribution of trees has spread
to other regions, the differing
climates of these regions have
effectively limited the type of trees
For reference questions , First read
that can live there. The greater the range the sentences in bold and find
whether the noun being tested is
of temperature and rainfall that a certain
singular or plural . In this case it is a
specie of tree can withstand, the more singular pronoun. Search for other
singular nouns in the bold text.
adaptable it is and therefore the wider the
range of distribution.
• James Watson, Francis Crick, and Maurice Wilkins are the Nobel prize-
winning molecular biologists credited with the discovery of the double
helix shape of DNA. DNA, the enzymes that make up the chromosomes
and therefore the cells of the body, are linked together in two parallel
strands of billions of enzymes which coil around the one another. This
pattern resembles curled train rails intertwined and twisted around
each other to form an overlapping and spiraled strand of genetic
information. This discovery is one of the most significant in the entire
field of molecular biology.
Detail questions : Ask for specific facts contained in the passage. You’ll
need to see what information is required , then go to the passage to
find it.
There are at least two detail questions for each passage. The strategy to
finding the answer is the same: use chronological order and lead
words.
• Some recent investigations have uncovered evidence that Watson, Radiation from world war II
Crick, and Wilkins were not the sole specialists researching the
properties of DNA. A British scientist, Rosalind Franklin, may have Faulty and inadequate equipment
contributed to crucial experimental work which led to the discovery of
the DNA strand. Franklin spent the first half of her professional career in Genetic Inheritance
England where she researched how rodents responded to
interbreeding. She later relocated to France soon after the Second Overexposure to dangerous chemicals
World War. Under the guidance of French crystallographer Jacques
Mering, who is credited with the first mapping of crystal scaffolding, she
learned to design complex models of various chemical compositions. In
addition, she perfected a technique for diffracting X-rays. After
returning to England in 1951, she began conducting experiments in
molecular genetics at King’s College Cambridge under the critical
supervision of James Randal.
Main idea questions: Main idea questions almost always appear first!
This is a trap that TOEFL uses to force you to read the entire passage.
If you answer this question first, not only you will lose an incredible
amount of time reading and re-reading the whole passage, but you
will also most likely to answer incorrectly!
THE READING SECTION ON THE TOEFL IBT
• Some recent investigations have uncovered evidence that Watson, How Rosalind franklin was instrumental in the
Crick, and Wilkins were not the sole specialists researching the discovery of the shape of DNA
properties of DNA. A British scientist, Rosalind Franklin, may have
contributed to crucial experimental work which led to the discovery of Whether Watson, Crick and Wilkins were
the DNA strand. Franklin spent the first half of her professional career in students of the physicist Rosalind Franklin
England where she researched how rodents responded to
interbreeding. She later relocated to France soon after the Second How the double Helix shape of the DNA
World War. Under the guidance of French crystallographer Jacques molecule radically altered genetics
Mering, who is credited with the first mapping of crystal scaffolding, she
learned to design complex models of various chemical compositions. In
The dangers of using potentially substandard x-
addition, she perfected a technique for diffracting X-rays. After
ray equipment
returning to England in 1951, she began conducting experiments in
molecular genetics at King’s College Cambridge under the critical
supervision of James Randal. USE
Where would the sentence best fit in the passage? Click on the
square to add the sentence to the passage. When you point and
click the mouse on a black square, the designated sentence will
appear in place of it.
• Part of a passage: Their demise also
resulted in the extinction of a half-dozen
Look at the four squares that
species of forest insects and the severe
indicate where the following
crippling of other animal populations such
sentence could be added to the
as the wild turkey: these all relied on the
passage.
American Chestnut as a source of habitat
and food. Affected wildlife attempted to
adapt to their disrupted environment by
looking to other species of trees, such as In fact, is it widely believed that the
the A corn, and seed-bearing plants for scope of its devastation far eclipses
food. This placed great ecological even that of the fungal disease, also
pressure on those species, as none could accidentally introduced, that
equal the American Chestnut in its ability to ravaged Dutch Elm trees across
provide a consistently abundant crop of Europe and North America, from
nuts. The problems the American 1910 to 1928.
Chestnut blight engendered thus show the
ripple effects that can occur within any
ecosystem when new elements are
introduced in an unsound manner. The easiest way to answer black square
questions is to use Chronology
technique. Then after inserting read he
sentences before and after you just
inserted
• Use l long man drills / inferences passage 3 question 8 as example
THE READING SECTION ON THE TOEFL IBT
Third pass questions: Third pass questions should be left until last
because they almost always use paraphrases and synonyms. They
take longer to answer and can’t be answered by reading only one or
two sentences.
Except/ not questions: Except not questions are the easiest of the
third pass questions, but they can require a lot of time. The correct
answer to an except / not is always the choice that does not answer
the question.
Their demise also resulted in the
Question: According to paragraph 3, all of the
extinction of a half-dozen species of forest following were results of the wide disappearance of
American Chestnut trees EXCEPT:
insects and the severe crippling of other
animal populations such as the wild A. The loss of creatures who required the
tree's resources for their survival.
turkey: these all relied on the American
Chestnut as a source of habitat and food. B. Overuse of other types of trees by wildlife
Affected wildlife attempted to adapt to attempting to compensate for the change.
• At Cambridge, Franklin ingeniously combined her knowledge of X-ray Is not directly supported by the passage in the form of
diffraction with chemical and crystal mapping to successfully
paraphrase.
photograph a rough image of a single strand of DNA. Unfortunately, the
equipment she used was substandard and it exposed her to dangerous
X-rays. In 1956, Franklin learned she had cancer and died two years Repeats information word for word from the passage.
later. Some scientists now speculate that the overexposure to
dangerous X-rays during the course of her work was actually the cause Introduces ideas not found in the passage.
of her cancer. Subsequently, Franklin’s compiled notes were given over
the Watson, Crick, and Wilkins who then went on to perfect nucleic acid Contains extreme words such as: always, never, must and
research. When the three scientists finally did receive the Nobel prize, shall.
they gave no credit to Franklin for the crucial work she performed which
led to the discovery of the double helix shape of DNA. Violates common sense.
The Writing Section
TOEFL IBT
The final section of the TOEFL measures your ability
to communicate in an academic environment.
On the Writing section, you’ll be asked to do the
following:
•Read a passage on an academic subject, listen to a
lecture on the same topic, and write an essay that
discusses the relationship between the two. You’ll have
three minutes to read and 20 minutes to respond.
•Write an essay that states, explains and supports your
position on an issue. You’ll have 30 minutes to write this
essay.
In conclusion, the main points made in the lecture contrasts with the
reading.
(Points #1 and 2 from the lecture) demonstrates that (main idea of the
reading) is in doubt.
The words in bold are suggestions: you don’t have to use them exactly. You may or you
may not write a third body paragraph. However your writing should still follow the
general pattern established in the outline.
WRITING PRACTICE DRILL #1
The first type of writing question will provide you with the
following directions:
You will have 3 minutes to read the following passage. You may take
notes during your reading. After the 3 minutes are up, you will hear
a lecture on the topic. You may take notes during the lecture as
well.
After the lecture ends, you will have 20 minutes to write your
response.
After 3 minutes, resume the audio for the listening passage. Being played Track 23 on the CD.
[Stop the CD for 3 minutes while you read the passage on page 379.]
Scant physical evidence remains technology but fire. Loaves of wheat
of the first human domestication paste, when baked into bread, could
of grain. Still, there is enough to be stored for long periods, certainly
conclude that ancient peoples, longer than raw seeds. This kept the
motivated by the nutritional value of food value of wheat available for an
bread or cakes made of wild wheat, extended period after it had been
looked for controlled ways to grow it harvested.
to provide a consistent food supply.
There related discoveries are likely to Finally, ancient peoples found that,
have led to the introduction of bread if the paste was allowed to sit in
as the first grain-based food. the open, yeast spores from the air
The first discovery was that wheat settled on it and began fermenting
could be prepared for use by grinding. the wheat. This natural process of
People probably began consuming fermentation caused bubbles to form
wheat by chewing it raw. Because in the wheat paste, suggesting that it
wheat is very hard, they gradually would be lighter in texture and even
discovered that it was less trouble to easier to eat when baked.
eat if crushed to paste between two
stones. The result would have been the
ancestor of the drier, more powdery
wheat flour we use today.
From there, it was a short step to
the next breakthrough—baking the
simplest bread, which requires no
Showing support for a Reading passage
Another prompt that you will encounter in the test is stated as
follows: