Tài liệu Toefl CBT book part 3 pdf

Study Guide Checklist  1. Obtain, read, and study the TOEFL Information Bulletin for Computer- Based Testing. (To order, call 609-771-7100 or visit www.toefl.org/ infobull.html.)  2. Become familiar with the general description and structure of the TOEFL test as described in Part I.  3. Familiarize yourself with the “Questions Commonly Asked About the TOEFL Test” in Part I.  4. Review Part II, “Analysis of Exam Areas.”  5. Review Part III, following the timeframe you determine in the “How to Use this Book” section.  6. Write an essay and ask a writing instructor to score it according to the TOEFL test scoring criteria. (You can use my essay grading service if you wish, which is explained in “How to Use This Book.”)  7. Take Practice Test I, using the audio CD included in this book for the Listening section.  8. Check your answers, analyze your results, and review areas of the test you need to improve.  9. Write another essay and have it graded.  10. Return to Part III and continue your study following the time sequence you have established.  11. When finished with Part III, take the other practice tests in order. Use the audio CDs for the Listening section of each test. After you take each test, check your answers and analyze your results.  12. Return to any weak areas and study them again. xx CliffsTestPrep TOEFL CBT For more material and information, please visit Tai Lieu Du Hoc at www.tailieuduhoc.org I I NTR NTR O O D D U U CTI CTI O O N N T T O O TH TH E T E T O O E E F F L L C C O O M M PUTE PUTE R-BA R-BA S S E E D D TE TE ST ST PART I For more material and information, please visit Tai Lieu Du Hoc at www.tailieuduhoc.org For more material and information, please visit Tai Lieu Du Hoc at www.tailieuduhoc.org 3 GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE TOEFL TEST The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is an exam that determines whether a student whose native language is not English has strong enough English skills to succeed in courses at a college or university in the United States or Canada. The test, which is administered by an agency called the Educational Testing Service, contains four parts: Listening, Structure (which tests knowledge of grammar and mechanics), Reading, and Writing. The length of the test and time allotted to take it vary at each administration and may also depend upon how many questions you answer correctly. The general tutorial lasts approximately 40 minutes, although there are portions that you can move through quickly. Each section also begins with a mandatory tutorial, which you can move through as quickly or as slowly as you wish. (Expect to spend at least a few minutes on each, though.) The Listening section takes from 40 to 60 minutes, the Structure section takes from 15 to 20 minutes, and the Reading Section takes from 70 to 90 minutes. The length of each of these three sections depends on the number of questions at the particular administration. The Writing section takes 30 minutes. The time for the entire test, including tutorials, is between 200 and 280 minutes. Because you will be selecting score recipients immediately after you take the test, plan to be at the testing center for a minimum of four hours. (See the next chapter for further explanation of selecting score recipients.) Take your time and relax. Only look at the clock to get a sense of how much time you have left in a particular section. How Colleges and Universities Use TOEFL Scores Thousands of colleges and universities require TOEFL test scores. However, no school considers the TOEFL test the only criterion for admission. Schools may also consider your grades from previous studies as well as other criteria, including records from an intensive English program (if you have taken one). Each school has its own criteria for the TOEFL test score that is acceptable for admission. The TOEFL test results you receive cannot indicate whether your score is considered passing, because a score that one school considers suitable may not be accepted by another school. In general, you do not help yourself by gaining admission to a school before your English is up to the necessary level. For more material and information, please visit Tai Lieu Du Hoc at www.tailieuduhoc.org Computer-Based versus Paper-Based Testing Two basic types of the TOEFL test exist: a computer-based test (CBT) and a paper- based test (PBT). Until a few years ago, everyone taking the TOEFL test used a pencil and paper version. But now, the computer-based test is given almost every- where in the world. This book gives you lots of information about how to take the computer-based test, because that is the version you will probably be required to take. You can take a paper-based test (PBT) only in areas where the CBT is not avail- able. The Supplemental TOEFL Administration Program provides the PBT in areas where the CBT isn’t offered. The questions asked on the CBT and the PBT are very similar. However, the method of answering those questions differs. On the PBT, each answer choice is assigned a letter: for example, A, B, C, and D. On the CBT, answer choices are not lettered; you simply click with your mouse on the correct answer choice. In this book, we use letters to label answer choices for clarity, even though you won’t see those letters appear on the TOEFL test computer screen. When you take the CBT, rather than take the test at a specific time and place with other applicants, you make an appointment at a testing facility and take the test on a computer. You have more control during the listening comprehension section than you would if you took the PBT. You can determine how much time you need to spend on each listening question (within the section’s total time limit, of course), and you can set the volume level of the listening passages because you have individual headphones. Another significant difference between the PBT and the CBT is that the listening comprehension and structure sections of the CBT are computer-adaptive. This means that the first question you’re given in either of these sections is of medium difficulty. If you answer correctly, the next question you receive is more difficult; if you answer incorrectly, the next question is less difficult. Your score depends on the number of questions you answer correctly, but it also depends on the level of difficulty of your questions. The reading and writing sections are not computer- adaptive. The CBT is scored quite differently from the PBT. The total number of points you can score on the CBT is 300. On the PBT, the top score is 677. Colleges and uni- versities are informed of the version of the test you take, so they know the top score you can possibly receive. CBT scores are reported to institutions within two weeks after taking the test. You can review your unofficial CBT score while sitting at the computer at the conclu- sion of your test. That score is “unofficial” because the writing section cannot be scored automatically; you can only determine how you performed on the other three sections of the test. 4 Part I: Introduction to the TOEFL Computer-Based Test For more material and information, please visit Tai Lieu Du Hoc at www.tailieuduhoc.org The CBT is more flexible than the PBT regarding the time it takes and the number of questions you must answer. The TOEFL Bulletin and the TOEFL Web site can give you the most up-to-date information about the test structure. You can order the Bulletin by calling 609-771-7100 or download it from www.toefl.org/infobull. html. The Bulletin also contains registration information. Computer Tutorials The TOEFL computer-based test contains a tutorial, which you can review at your own speed. The tutorial shows you exactly how to use the computer to answer questions and move from one question to the next. You can purchase a CD-ROM that has a copy of the computer tutorial in advance of the test so that you are comfortable with the computer functions when you arrive at the test site. (To order the CD-ROM, use the contact information given in the previous section.) Even if you review the tutorial in advance, you will need to review it again on the day of your test; everyone who takes the TOEFL test must go through the mandatory tutorial immediately before starting the test itself as well as a short tutorial before each individual test section. When the CBT first became available, test-takers spent approximately 40 minutes going through the tutorial before starting the test. But if you go through the tutorial in advance, you probably won’t need that much time to review it on the test day. For a general introduction to the computer you’ll use on the day of your exam, see the chapter “Computer Basics for Taking the TOEFL Test,” later in Part I. Institutional Testing Program (ITP) Some institutions administer TOEFL exams for their own students. ITP tests are actually previously used TOEFL tests; tests that are no longer administered to TOEFL test-takers. Colleges and universities that participate in the ITP administer exams to their students in order to diagnose their level of proficiency or to gauge their progress in an intensive English program. Some schools actually use these scores for admission to the college or university itself, while others use them only for general information within their intensive English program. ITP scores obtained in an administration at one school are not permitted to be used for admis- sion at another school. You can register for the ITP at any institution that offers the test. You can’t, how- ever, register for the ITP through the Educational Testing Service (the agency that administers the TOEFL). Scores are provided only to the institution and cannot be used for any other purpose. 5 General Description of the TOEFL Test For more material and information, please visit Tai Lieu Du Hoc at www.tailieuduhoc.org STRUCTURE OF THE TOEFL TEST Format of the Test Subject Area Time Number of Questions General tutorial Up to 40 minutes Listening tutorial Approximately 10 minutes Listening 40–60 minutes 30–50 questions Structure tutorial Approximately 5 minutes Structure 15–20 minutes 20–25 questions Break 5 minutes Reading tutorial Approximately 10 minutes Reading 70–90 minutes 44–55 questions Writing tutorial Approximately 5 minutes Writing 30 minutes 1 topic TOTAL 155–200 minutes 94–130 (plus essay) (excluding tutorials) Note that the time range shown in this table doesn’t include the time you spend on tutorials, because that can vary so widely. Plan to spend additional time after the test to view your scores and designate your score recipients. (You can choose up to four colleges and universities from a drop-down list on the computer screen.) The total possible time that this test requires, including tutorials and the post-test items, ranges from 4 to 4 1 ⁄ 2 hours. A clock appears on your computer screen during all sections of the test so that you know how much time you have left to complete each section. You can move through each section as quickly as you like, but the Listening section is more dif- ficult to hurry through; you cannot control the speed of the passages you hear. Each section has a time limit. The rest of this chapter provides a brief overview of each section of the test. For more in-depth information, be sure to review Part III. 6 For more material and information, please visit Tai Lieu Du Hoc at www.tailieuduhoc.org 7 Structure of the TOEFL Test Listening Section The Listening section measures your ability to understand spoken English. This section is split into two parts: ■ Part A: Dialogues. These are brief conversations between at least two people. Sometimes each speaker speaks only once, and sometimes one or both of the speakers speak more than once. After the conversation, you’re asked a question, and you click the most appropriate answer choice. You must answer between 11 and 17 questions in this section. ■ Part B: Conversations and Talks. The conversations in this section are longer than in Part A. Short lectures and academic discussions are included as well. Each conversation or talk is spoken only one time; you can’t repeat it. Several questions are asked after each, and you must click the most appropriate answer choice for each question. You will hear two or three conversations in this section; each lasts less than one minute. After each conversation, you answer two or more ques- tions. You will also hear four to six short lectures (approximately 2 1 ⁄ 2 min- utes each) and academic discussions (2 minutes or less each). There are generally three to seven questions for each short lecture and academic discussion. Structure Section The Structure section tests your understanding and usage of standard written English. You will answer two types of questions in the Structure section of the TOEFL test. The first type of question is an incomplete sentence with four choices of words or phrases to complete the sentence. The second type of question requires you to identify a word or phrase in a sentence that is incorrect. On the computer-based version of the TOEFL test, the two types of questions are inter- spersed throughout the Structure section. Note: If you take the paper-based version of the TOEFL test, the two types of questions will be separated. Part A of the Structure section will contain only the first type of question. Part B will contain only the second type of question. Reading Section The Reading section measures your ability to read and understand academic pas- sages typical of those you would read in a North American university or college. You will encounter various question types in this section, which are explained in detail in Part III of this book. Your understanding of vocabulary is tested in this section. For more material and information, please visit Tai Lieu Du Hoc at www.tailieuduhoc.org Writing Section The Writing section measures your ability to compose in standard written English on an assigned topic. Your task in this section is to generate and organize ideas and to support them with examples and evidence. A list of possible essay topics is available in advance in the TOEFL Bulletin or on the TOEFL test Web site (www.toefl.org). 8 Part I: Introduction to the TOEFL Computer-Based Test For more material and information, please visit Tai Lieu Du Hoc at www.tailieuduhoc.org 9 QUESTIONS COMMONLY ASKED ABOUT THE TOEFL TEST Q. How do I obtain a copy of the TOEFL Bulletin? A. Order it or download it from www.toefl.org/infobull.html or call 609-771-7100. Q. How do I know which form of the test to take? A. The TOEFL Web site lists the locations where the different forms of the test are given. Q. Can I choose to take either the paper-based test or the computer-based test? A. No. You can take only the test that is available in your area. Q. Can I take the TOEFL test more than once? A. Yes, you can take the test as many times as you wish, but only once in one month. If you take the test twice in one month, your scores for the second examination aren’t reported. Q. What materials must I bring to the exam? A. You must bring registration documentation if you applied for the test in a way that provides a written document. Otherwise, bring your confirmation number. Also, bring identification as specified in the TOEFL Bulletin. Q. What other materials may I bring to the exam? A. For the CBT, you may not bring anything else with you to the exam, including paper and calculators. Before you take the test, you’re given a locker in which to place the contents of your pockets. Q. Will I know my score when I finish the exam? A. You will receive actual scores for the Listening and Reading sections. You will receive a range of possible scores in the Structure section. The reason you cannot get an exact Structure score on test day is because the Structure and Writing scores are combined. Therefore, that score cannot be finalized until the essay you create for the Writing section is read and graded (usually within two weeks after the exam). Q. What do I do if I don’t want my score reported? A. You can cancel your scores after taking the exam when you’re shown the scores on the computer. If you cancel your scores but change your mind within 60 days, you can reinstate them for a fee; see the TOEFL Bulletin for more information. If you don’t cancel your scores, you can still choose not to report them to any institutions, simply by not choosing any institutions as score recipients. For more material and information, please visit Tai Lieu Du Hoc at www.tailieuduhoc.org . of the TOEFL test as described in Part I.  3. Familiarize yourself with the “Questions Commonly Asked About the TOEFL Test” in Part I.  4. Review Part. is available in advance in the TOEFL Bulletin or on the TOEFL test Web site (www .toefl. org). 8 Part I: Introduction to the TOEFL Computer-Based Test For