Advanced English: TOEFL Part Two: The Reading Section

Introductory Questions What kinds of questions will be on the reading section of the TOEFL? How long is the reading section of the TOEFL? What should I study in order to prepare for the reading section of the TOEFL?

Answers There will be standard multiple choice, sentences that require the student to click on a phrase, word, or paragraph, and sentences that require the student to insert a sentence into its correct position in the paragraph.

Answers (continued) The reading section varies in length depending on the iBT or the PBT formats. It usually lasts about 60-100 minutes with 36-70 questions.

Answers (continued) Since the reading section of the test requires the student to have an understanding of English vocabulary and critical thinking, he or she should focus on having a broad range of English as well as advanced comprehension ability.

Video and Questions Watch the video and answer the following questions: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTsE-LRSo_M

Video and Questions What did the boy’s brother want him to do? What does “paraphrase” mean? What was an example the boy uses in paraphrasing? What are some tips the girl gives for better paraphrasing techniques?

Exercise 1: Paraphrasing Read the following sentences and attempt to paraphrase each of them. Until recently, my mother had smoked 2 packs of cigarettes per day, but now since she has developed cancer, she quit smoking.

Paraphrasing (continued) The canine population has grown 39% since 25% of the shelters have been closed down over a 4 year period.

Sample Test: Reading courtesy of: http://www.ets.org/portal/site/ets/menuitem.1488512ecfd5b8849a77b13bc3921509/?vgnextoid=eff32d3631df4010VgnVCM10000022f95190RCRD&vgnextchannel=07f17f95494f4010VgnVCM10000022f95190RCRD Here is a sample reading test that you might see on an actual TOEFL reading section. Answer the questions below (the answer key is at the end).

Sample Test: Reading The railroad was not the first institution to impose regularity on society, or to draw attention to the importance of precise timekeeping. For as long as merchants have set out their wares at daybreak and (5) communal festivities have been celebrated, people have been in rough agreement with their neighbors as to the time of day. The value of this tradition is today more apparent than ever. Were it not for public acceptance of a single yardstick of time, social life would be unbearably (10) chaotic: the massive daily transfers of goods, services, and information would proceed in fits and starts; the very fabric of modern society would begin to unravel.

Sample Test: Questions What is the main idea of the passage? In modern society we must make more time for our neighbors. The traditions of society are timeless. An accepted way of measuring time is essential for the smooth functioning of society. Society judges people by the time at which they conduct certain activities.

Sample Test: Questions 2. In line 7, “this tradition” refers to the practice of starting the business day at dawn friendly relations between neighbors the railroad’s reliance on time schedules people’s agreement on the measurement of time

Answer Key C D Can you explain your answers?