Test of english as foreign language TOEFL: 20 TOEFL Tips Part 2
Test of english as foreign language TOEFL: Useful Sentences for TOEFL Essay Writing
Test of english as foreign language TOEFL: TOEFL Topic 17: Some people think that they can learn better by themselves than with a teacher ...
Test of english as foreign language TOEFL: TOEFL Essay: It has recently been announced that a new restaurant may he built in your neighborhood. Do you support or oppose this plan?...
Test of english as foreign language TOEFL: TOEFL Topic 15
Test of english as foreign language TOEFL: TOEFL Essay: Some people believe that university students should be required to attend classes. Others believe that going to classes should be ....
Test of english as foreign language TOEFL: TOEFL writing: Topic 13
Test of english as foreign language TOEFL: TOEFL Tips for the CBT
Test of english as foreign language TOEFL: 20 TOEFL Tips Part 1
Test of english as foreign language TOEFL: iBT TOEFL experience
Never leave a question blank. Eliminate all of the answers you know are wrong and then make an educated guess. On the CBT, you cannot skip a question and go back to it. You have to answer a question and confirm that you are happy with your answer. You cannot change your answers, so double check to be sure. The reading section is not computer adaptive. You can skip or change questions, but only if you have extra time. You can always go back and change questions on the paper test, but students rarely have time to do this.
12. Secrets for the Listening section
Don't look back at a listening question after you have decided on an answer. You should always try to read ahead. If you know the questions before you hear the passage you will have a head start. Do not try to take any notes on paper or in the test booklet. This is not permitted. When you are practising for the listening sections, don't play the tape or CD more than once. On the real test you will only hear everything once. You have to train your ears to listen right the first time.
13. Secrets for the Structure section
Many students say that this is the most difficult part of the TOEFL test. Don't get distracted by the difficult words. Many native speakers do not know the scientific terms in these sentences. The important thing is that you can identify the parts of the sentence. Simplify a sentence that has many terms you don't understand by using simple words of the same form. Your job is to make a sentence correct. Always make sure that every sentence has a subject and a verb. Look at the punctuation in the sentence. You should be able to recognize the structure (for example, prepositional phrase or noun clause) even if you don't understand what the sentence means. Don't choose the first letter that looks wrong until you try every choice. You might find two that look wrong. Then you have to make an educated guess.
14. Secrets for the Reading section
Just like in the structure section, it is not important that you know every word in the reading section. Concentrate on the areas that the questions pertain to. Skim through the passage, read the questions, then read for more detail. The questions usually come in the order they appear in the passage. Anticipate the type of questions you will be asked in this section. At least 60 percent of the readings will have a main idea question. You will be asked at least two vocabulary questions from each reading. You will also be asked some detailed questions and some inference questions. You will not have time to reread a whole passage.
15. Secrets for the Writing section
You will have 30 minutes to write the essay on the CBT. The paper based tests is sometimes accompanied by the TWE (Test of Written English). You will not have access to a spell check function on the CBT. The most important thing is to keep your writing simple and clear. Don't use vocabulary and punctuation that you are unsure of. You will not impress the reader. When you practice for this section, find a format that you are comfortable with. Use this format every time. For example, your thesis might always be in the third sentence of your introduction. You might always end your conclusion with a question. Make sure to use lots of examples to support your essay. Transitional words and phrases will make your essay read smoothly. Memorize a list of these and practice using them. Always leave time to review what you have written. Read your essay silently in your head.
16. Make your corrections clear
If you are taking the paper test, remember that a machine will be marking your test. Only one circle must be filled in. Fill it in all the way using a sharp dark pencil. Do not use pen! If you erase something, make sure it is completely erased. Many students lose points for being sloppy with their pencils and erasers.
17. Dress in comfortable clothing
Dress in comfortable layers on test day. You never know whether or not the test room will be cold or warm. Wear your favourite shirt. When you feel comfortable you perform better! Don't wear tight clothing. You have to sit in one place for a long time.
18. Make sure to eat before the test
Four hours is a long time to go without a snack. You will not be allowed to bring any food or drinks into the test room with you. Eat a sensible meal before you take the test. Avoid too much caffeine as it will give you the shakes. Don't consume large amounts of sugar right before the test. You will get tired very quickly. Make sure that you have had plenty of water (but not too much as you will not want to waste time in the washroom).
19. Refer to the official TOEFL website
The official TOEFL website ( www.toefl.com) has a number of helpful things that you can download for free. They will supply you with a list of writing topics for the essay. You can also find important information about test centres and test updates. Many of your questions can be answered here. You will also get hints about which resources are worth buying.
20. Ask for a Score Report Request Form
Before you take the TOEFL you should contact the test centre and ask for a Score Report Request Form. You can choose four institutions where you want your score to be sent to free of charge. You should bring this information with you on test day. If you are taking the CBT you will know your Listening and Reading score. You won't find out your Structure/Writing score until you get this information in the mail. If you wait until after test day, you will be charged 12 US dollars for each institution that you wish to receive your score.
Here are some useful sentences that help you to make your essay coherent and achieve a higher score for you writing. These sentences can be used at the beginning or middle of paragraphs. They can also be used in any essay.
1) Introduction • I do strongly support the idea that … • I do completely agree with the statement… • There are a lot of reasons for the choice and I would like to put them in the following way • Although "XYZ" has its advantages, in my point of view, … • There reasons are as follows • As far as I am concerned, I prefer the latter for the following argument
2) Body • To begin with, … • Secondly, … • The third advantage of "XYZ" is also the most important reason. • One important aspect of "XYZ" is … • Another equally important thing about "XYZ" is … • First, … • Second, … • Third, … • One reason for supporting "XYZ" is • Last but not least, … • In a "EFD" perspective, … • Additionally, … • Above all advantages there is only one disadvantage. It is that … But it does not matter for me.
3) Conclusion • In conclusion, … • From all those reasons above, … • So based on all the above mentioned point, I think it is better to … • To sum up, … • All in all, as far as I am concerned, I agree to say that …
... Others think that it is always better to have a teacher. Which do you prefer? Use specific reasons to develop your essay.
Score 4
Basically, there are two mains to learn that are learning either by yourself or with the help of a teacher. Some people feel better studying alone, but others prefer the teacher's aid. In my opinion, we learn worse by ourselves than with a tutor, because with a person who has a great knowledge about certain matter we will be leading to learn in the best way and also, we always will have the aid of an experienced person.
To begin with, a teacher knows the best mood to teach some issue to a student, because he was trained to it. Therefore, learning with a tutor leads us to have the best form of study. Although, alone, you could develop new ideas about the studied theme, perhaps, you may be studying an issue in the wrong way.
Secondly, we learn faster with a teacher because if you could understand a certain topic, he would explain it in depth to you. However, by ourselves, we will waste a lot of time to understand a topic, which the teacher could explain in a few minutes. For instance, once, I would have a test about chemical reactions and I could not understand one topic about this matter, I lose a lot of time trying to understand, then I went to my teacher told him to explain me and in five minutes he did.
In summary, I believe that learning with the help of a teacher is much better than by ourselves, because the teachers was trained to teach using the best main. In order of that if I could have the teacher's aid, I would choose it instead of learning alone.
Score 5
Some people prefere self-learning than guided learning. Others think that guided learning is always better. Personally, I go somewhere in between; I choose self-learning with little guidance from an expert. As I see that all the forms of learning are different versions of self-learning.
I prefere self-learning because it allows me to learn on my own pace; I could speed up for some parts I have some knowldge about, while slowing down to comprehend a hard point till I understand it completely. self-learning makes me my own teacher, I could teach myself at any time I want at my convinience. There is many sources for self-learning; I could read books, get information from the Internet, or simply by trail and error. Self-learning is essential for gaining experience, which is something that can never be tought by a teacher, and it is essential for gaining general knowledge, where as teachers mainly teach scientific materials.
While teacher based learning or guidance is necessary for education too; it provides training for the students and tailored education too. The students need a professional advice to overcome the problems they face. This type of education is provided in schools, universities, and training centers.
Combining self-learning with guided learning by teachers, one can get the best education and experience he needs. Depending only on one of them leads to ill educated students, who either tend to rely totally on a teacher to tell them what they have to do, or depending on a printed material that lacks the necessary interaction between the student and the teacher. So For me, I choose a balanced mix between these two types of education to get the most of what I learn.
Score 5
There are various methods for people to study. Some people would like to study with their teachers, but others believe that it will be better to study alone. Actually, both means have comparable advantages. Personally, however, I am confident that studying with teachers is the best way to learn for many reasons.
First of all, teachers can give students their experiences that do not exist in any text book. Other than academic practice, teachers will teach their students how to work in teams, how to live with other people in societies, how to handle with stress, etc. These experiences are sometimes as important as academic knowledge, but students will never perceive them if they study alone.
Next, teachers can be the consultants for their students. When people study maths, for instance, they will face sooner or later some clues that they cannot find solutions. Teachers then can play the vital role to help their students get through it thoroughly. If students study without teachers, can you imagine how much time will be spent on those problems?
Lastly, teachers can help shape their students' future careers. Teachers will perhaps be the ones who know their students academic ability the best. Therefore, they can guide students to choose careers that exactly fit their ability. For examples, teachers will encourage students who are good at sciences to be doctors, or who are excellent in maths to be businessmen.
All in all, I strongly believe that advantages of studying with teachers totally supercede studying alone; teachers will give their experiences, teachers can be good consults, and teachers can help match their students abilities to careers.
... Why? Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.
Score: 4 If a new restaurant is to be built in my neighborhood, I will definitely support the idea. I have several reasons to think that having it in my community will be beneficial and I will now present these reasons to you.
First of all, I think that a new restaurant will be the perfect opportunity for unemployed people from the neighborhood to find a job. Moreover, they won't have to travel to work for a long time since the restaurant will be near their homes. I believe this is going to be really good for my community, because lately many families have moved out for lack of job opportunities. A new restaurant will not solve the unemplyment problem but at least it will give some of the people a chance to work and will stop them from moving out.
Another reason why I support the idea of having a new restaurant built in my neighborhood is that there aren't enough places for social gatherings in my neighborhood. A new restaurant, therefore, will probably become very popular and turn into a new place where people can get together and have fun. In addition to that, I think the new restaurant might attract people from all over the town. Thus, it might help towards making our neighborhood more popular.
To sum it all, I support the idea of having a new restaurant built in my neighborhood because it will offer jobs for unemployed people and will also become a popular place where people can get together and have fun - that's something out neighborhood really needs.
Score: 5
It has been announced that a new restaurant may be built in your neighborhood. After pondering this plan from several aspects, I totally support this plan. The reasons are presented below. There is no denying that a new restaurant gives me more options to have dinner. I love delicious food. My family will go out for dinner at least once every week. And I often give a dinner for our friends. So a new restaurant is a new choice for us. I may try more and enjoy more. Building a new restaurant is a piece of good news for me.
Another reason why I support this plan is that a new restaurant is helpful to local economy. The new restaurant is required to pay taxes to the local government. The local government may use the money to serve the local people. At the mean time, a new restaurant will improve the local economical climate, which can attract more businessmen and more investment.
Finally, the plan can create more employment opportunities. The new restaurants and the new following enterprises the businessmen invest in need more employees. Most of the positions can be obtained by the local people, which can directly improve the living conditions of the local people.
Based on the above discussion, I support the plan to build a new restaurant in my neighborhood.
Score: 4
"What do you think if there will be a restaurant built near your address?" People may have different opinions. Some people will be against it because of too much noise, potential pollution, etc,. Other people, however, will welcome it very much. As far as I am concerned, I like to have a restaurant built in my neighborhood.
In the first place, a restaurant will make my daily life more convenient. As we know, cooking is a very important thing in human's life and also very time-consuming. When I come back from work and feel tired, I normally want to eat out. If a restaurant is very far away from my address, I have to give up that idea because I do not want to waste my time and energy on the road. As a result, I have to cook myself. What a pain! If there is a restaurant nearby, it will make difference. What I need to do is to talk a leisure walk to the restaurant, sit down, make an order, enjoy my dinner and then, the most important thing, leave without cleaning the mess.
In the second place, I have another good place to meet my friends. Sometimes, meeting friends at home is tedious, especially meeting some friends that I am not very familiar with. If there is a restaurant nearby, I can invite them to go to the restaurant. While drinking and eating, we will have more topics to talk. And the beautiful environment of the restaurant will make the talk more pleasure. In addition, I can make more friends in the restaurant. A restaurant the best place to make friends if you are not shy. If the restaurant is just within walking distance of my home, I will be there more frequently and have more chances to know more people.
In conclusion, I will support the plan of building a restaurant near my home not only because a restaurant can make my life more convenient, but also because it can be a ideal place to meet friends and make more friends.
# 15Neighbors are the people who live near us. In your opinion, what are the qualities of a good neighbor? Use specific details and examples in your answer.
Score 4 Most of us live in some areas with at least one neighbor or more. If you have good neighbors, you're in a lucky. There are some important qualities that good neighbors must possess in order for social relationship to succeed.
A good neighbor is someone who understand your situations. For example, yourchilderen may run across his lawn, even if he tells not to or your trash can blow across into his yard. In these cases, if he dose not have understanding of tolerance, he maybe not as good neighbor. In addition, when you go through difficulties like death of one of your familiy, he can help you as much as he can.
Respect, of course, is the most significant quality. Due to the features of modern society, it is neighbors that are the closest to your living. Therefore, it is necessary to respect other's privacy. Sometimes it is easy to know what happen in other's house because we can easily see and hear. It is extremely crucial to respect other's privacy.
Last, if you and he have similar hobby and interest, it will be better to get along with. Therer are soccer club, bowling club or orchestra that make you close.
Neighbors can be important part of our lives. If your neighbors respect privacy, have understanding of your situations and common interests, your place would be the best place to live.
Score 4
Are the people who live near usand they are an important part in our live.they effect in our daily life.Furthermore the have to be . helpful, frindly and ressspectful
First all the paople go to thier work and let thier chieldren at home. whereas the cheldren may face gangerous problem .the neibourr may save the cnildren life during her mother at work.
Next nowadays we are suffer from alot of strees and load.therefore we need to aperson who can help us.as well we don't have enough time to go to our fiends and our neighbour is the nearest person ofus and he can help us.For example last month I layed out from my workand I was in avery bad condithion.As soon as I go to my neghbour and taik with him I felt better
On the other hand all people return from thier work tire and need to take a nap. sothat neghbor has to respect tier neghboras well as respest thier life.for example last night I came back from my work tired and need to relaxe as weel as sleep.In spite of they had a big party but,the turn down the music as I asked.
on the whole neibours are very imortant to us . while they play an important part in our daily life.In addition to they can make our life better.so they have to be helpful, frindly and ressspectful
Score 5
"Good morning", my neighbor Ann gave me a sweet smile with her greeting when she saw me out of home. "Save your energy, I'll keep the door for you." my neighbor Jim kept the door of the elevator when he saw me heading to the elevator. Such small but friendly things happen to me everyday, because I am lucky to live in a friendly apartment building. My neighbors are polite, helpful and responsible persons, and I have no doubt that they are good neighbors.
A good neighbor is a polite neighbor. When you meet her, for example, she will say hello to you with a smile face. When you walk after her, she will hold the door for you. When your kids wave to her, she will begin a small friendly conversation with the kids. Polite neighbors give you a good mood in your every day's life.
A good neighbor is a helpful neighbor. For instance, when you take heavy grocery and try to keep yourself in balance, he will give you a hand. When you left your laundry in the washing machine, he will remind you or post a note in the laundry room. When your car is in repair, he will voluntarily give you a ride to shopping mall. Helpful neighbors help you to solve some problems in your life.
A good neighbor is a responsible neighbor. She will not listen the loudly music in the midnight, because she know she has the responsibility to keep a quiet circumstance for her neighbors to sleep well. She will call police when she sees something strange in the neighborhood, keeping a good security for the neighborhood. She will actively involve in the neighborhood's affairs, bringing the best for the neighborhood. Responsible neighbors contribute to the neighborhood's better future.
All in all, politeness, helpfulness and responsibility are the essential characters a good neighbor must possess. Many people hope to have good neighbors and one thing we must not forget is to make ourselves good neighbors in our neighborhood.
Score 5
Today most of the people work in the companies in the towns or in big cities. Because of they have to live in apartment in the block of flats in the big cities from where they could go very quickly to work. And they have a lot of neighbors around them. Every one of them has different tastes and interests so they often disturb each other. Only few have the chance to live in houses outside the town, away from the annoying neighbors, and go to work by car. Apart from that I think that neighbors could be good have and in the following essay I will mention some of the qualities of good neighbor.
When people live close to each other in an urban environment, the quality of life is directly related to the way they treat each other. Consequently, one of the most obvious qualities for good neighbor is to be quiet, because when people are at home they want to relax calmly in front of the TV or to listen to the music. For example, I have awful neighbors from morning till night they listen music very loudly, so that I could not do my homework for school and sometimes I could not sleep. And also when my neighbor's dog barks, I get annoyed. What is more I think that they must also be tactful and reasonable. Neighbors are people near you. But when you choose an apartment to live in, you could not choose your neighbors. It depends on luck to have a good neighbor. And it will be wonderful if you could rely on him/her. For example a young couple which have to go out on business and have to leave his child alone at home. And instead of doing that they could leave their child with their neighbor.
Last but not least neighbors could become good friends. When one of the neighbors make a party and make a lot of noise, which disturb his/her neighbors, he/she could invite them to the party. In this way the reasonablneighbor could cancel their bust of indignation and make new friends. In conclusion neighbors are a piece of big puzzle called city, we could compare each of them but we could not change them. All we have to do is to keep a positive attitude, respect neighbors' privacy, and be patient to your neighbors.
..... optional for students. Which point of view do you agree with? Use specific reasons and details to explain your answer.
Score 4 :
Recently, in the university, there is a debate about the requirement of attending classes. Some people believe that students should been given option to decide if going to classes. I support this opinion, that teacher, purpose and ability of the student himself is the main reason .
First, teacher should make his class attracting, to attach student in his class. And student could get useful knowledge, open their eyes, in the class. If the lecture is bored, or student do not understand the meaning of adviser, in spite of compulsory requirement of attending classes, students will choose absence.
Second, student choose each class having different purpose. Sometimes, they choose one class only because they want to get the credit. They merely want to pass the exam and get a score. Last, to some knowledge, some student tend to learn by themselves, or they find they can understand it more rapid than the process of the class. So ,they think it will waste time to go to the class, and will be better to given the freedom to use that time to do other things.
In sum, option is very important to university student to let them arrange their time rationally, to make it more efficient. However, there are always two sides to a story. It will make some students lose blinding force of themselves. So how to balance the relation between option and requirement will be the most important thing facing the manager of university.
Score: 4
Class attendance is beeing debated for a long time. Some people think that it is the core of the educational system and it should not be left as an option for students. While others believe that it should the students choice whether to attend the class or not. Each party of those people has its own strong reasons.
The first group believes that attendenace of classes in universities should be mandatory, and they are supported by the following reasons. The guidance of the proffessors in class is essential for a good education, and without it the student can not master his subjects or understand the core of his curriculum. Attendance may be viewed as a matter of respect to the proffessor, the proffessor who stands in an empty class will be embarrassed. Laboratories and experiments which lays the foundation of the science must be attended by all students, and these experiments can not be carried out outside class.
The second group believes that attendance should be an option for students and they have their own reasons too. A student may be on a work-study system, he can not attend the morning classes, so he can work in the morning and self study in the evening. A student may be of the self-study type, some people, including me, prefere studing at their own pace and using their own resources and means, so attending lectures will waste their times and efforts. Some students may live away from college, making it hard and a waste of time for them to make the journy every day to attend classes, they prefere to attend few classes and self study the rest.
Having considered the both advantages and disadvantages of both sides one can weight them and reach a conclusion. Either to make it a requirement for the valuable benefits of the guidance in class, or to make it an option to meet the students needs. Personally, I think it should be optional for the convinience of the students, as forcing them to attend the classes will make it a burden instead of making it exciting and interesting.
Score: 5
I think attending all the classes should be doubtlessly required for all the university students. This is in classes that one can get himself realy involved in the discussions, which are completely relevent to the subjects covered in the course. Todays, most of university teachers are complete masters of the subjects that they teach. It seems also that presenting a monolouge is not as effective as getting the students involved in teaching by having an interactive environment in which students can think and present their thoughts without fear or disgrace. So the classes are moving to having flat and interactive conditions. So, I don't think it would be a good idea to ignore these optimal situations for learning, in favor of loneliness for having better focus on the teaching materials or relative reading.
One other reason I think will remove any doubt on the matter is the overall time spend for attending classes during one semester; as long as I know, each credit of a course is equivalent to one hour of class attendance in a week. So, for a regular 3 credit university course, a registered student is required to spend just three hours in potentially more than 30 hours of official university hours in one week. Is this time realy so much that a student decides to save it for - in the best conditions - self studies? Does this student learn subjects as afficiently when he is studying by himself, as in a live class? What does he do when facing a contradiction or even when a question rises in his mind that hinders his normal progress? Another benefit of attending the classes is that students have to get themselves with the class by reviewing the subjects covered in each session and ask their probable misunderstandings or questions in the next session.
By being with the class, the amount of materials to be studied at the end of the semester for the final exams, which are very common, is reduced and made easy in study.
Considering these normal conditions, I think if a student realy is to study and learn the required subjects, the best way would include attending the official class sessions. But if this is not the case and he need not get the best from his course, he can cram for the final exam just a few hours and hopefuly get a pass mark!
Score 5
Sometimes I feel that studying alone seem to be more effective than attending the classes, especially, when I have a strong interest in a certain subject. However, I disagree with the point of view that the classes should be optional for university students, because the function of the classes is never replaced by studying alone.
The main reason for my view is that we can't learn all knowledge gained from the classes by learning the textbook alone. Since the professor had studied his subject for many years and had spent much times to prepare the class. There muse be some knowledge that are distinctive and can't be gained from the textbook.
Furthermore, the professor knew which knowledge was very important, which can be skipped, and carefully arranged the schedule. Studying as the schedule should be more effective.
Another reason for my view is that we not only can learn some knowledge in the classes but also learn the team spirit, the discipline and routine. In the classes, we often discuss with other students, sometimes we even cooperate with others to accomplish a project. So we have to learn to get along with others and train our team spirit. Regular attending the classes also can let us used to routine and obey the discipline. All these characters are very important for our coming jobs. So based on all these reasons and examples, I think university students should attend the classes and that can't be optional.
Some people prefer to eat at food stands or restaurants. Other people prefer to prepare and eat food at home. Which do you prefer? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
Score 4
Some people life to eat outside in restaurants where as others enjoy home-cooked food. I am the kind of person who would always prefer to eat food at home. I feel its better to make food at home and eat due to various reasons.
First, the home-cooked food is always healthy. When we cook at home we make sure that we use less oil and clean vegetables. We wash our hands and dishes very well before cooking. All these things decrease our chances of catching any infection or eating unhealthy diet. Unhealthy diet which can come from even using more oil in food can lead to serious consequences. For example oil may lead to cardiac problems in future. Also, looking at today's sedentary life style where work is mostly done by machines, we need to have good diet in order to be healthy. Also the food prepared at home is usually fresh. On the other hand in restaurants food could have been cooked days before and hence might cause infections. Fresh food has its own advantages when it comes to nutrition.
Another reason I think cooking food at home is good because it creates a bond between family members. Everyone helps in the kitchen and they cook, talk and have fun together. It also gives a sense of responsibility to kids. They also learn how to manage kitchen stuff, how to clean dishes etc.
I support to home cooked food because its cheaper. When we prepare food at home it comes out to be very economical than the food at restaurants. Whenever you go out to eat, you pay for the ambience, location and enjoyment. All this is added to your food bill.
In conclusion I totally support eating food at home but eating outside once in a while to celebrate an occassion is also not bad.
Score 5
Where to eat is a necessary and important question we have to consider everyday. Some people seem to think it is more convenient to eat at food stands or restaurants; others tend to prefer to prepare and eat food at home.I have developed my own point of view, I support the latter opinion for three reasons as follow.
To begin with, eating at home is cheaper than eating outside. There is the cost of service and decoration, so people would be asked more money when they eat at restaurants. However, we can save this part of cost, and eat the same quality food at home. For example, if I eat a steak, I will need to pay at least twenty US dollars. I also can enjoy a steak meal if I spend about ten dollars making it by myself.
In addition, food in people's own homes is cleaner. Actually, we can't control the situation if the restaurant's kitchen is clean. What we only can do is eating at home, because we can ask ourselves notice the cleaness of kitchen and the freshness of food. Eating at home is more healthy for us, so people should choose this opition. Last but not least, it can save a lot of time if we prepare food by ourselves. We only have to go to the supermarket once a week, and spend less time making simple cooking everyday. Take my sister as an example. She likes cook by herself. Therefore, she doesn't have to look for and decide what she wants to eat everyday. The life habbit helps her save a lot of time, so she advices me to be used to eat at home.
Where to eat is a necessary and important question we have to consider everyday. Some people seem to think it is more convenient to eat at food stands or restaurants; others tend to prefer to prepare and eat food at home. I have developed my own point of view, I support the latter opinion for three reasons as follow. To begin with, eating at home is cheaper than eating outside. There is the cost of service and decoration, so people would be asked more money when they eat at restaurants. However, we can save this part of cost, and eat the same quality food at home. For example, if I eat a steak, I will need to pay at least twenty US dollars. I also can enjoy a steak meal if I spend about ten dollars making it by myself.
In addition, food in people's own homes is cleaner. Actually, we can't control the situation if the restaurant's kitchen is clean. What we only can do is eating at home, because we can ask ourselves notice the cleaness of kitchen and the freshness of food. Eating at home is more healthy for us, so people should choose this opition.
Last but not least, it can save a lot of time if we prepare food by ourselves. We only have to go to the supermarket once a week, and spend less time making simple cooking everyday. Take my sister as an example. She likes cook by herself. Therefore, she doesn't have to look for and decide what she wants to eat everyday. The life habbit helps her save a lot of time, so she advices me to be used to eat at home.
An examination is meant to test a person's knowledge or skills in a particular area. But sometimes two people with the same knowledge may not receive the same score on an exam. This is because only one of them knows how to do well on the exam.
That's what test-taking strategies are: methods of taking exams that lead to greater success. Here are some tips to help you with the CBT.
Know the Directions Ahead of Time Make absolutely sure you know the directions for each section of TOEFL CBT. Read and reread the directions given on the CBT practice tests on the CD-ROM, or on the computer-based TOEFL tutorial CD-ROM distributed by ETS. Once you learn how to do the questions, you won't have to read the directions during the real TOEFL exam.
Know How to Use the Computer Ahead of Time Try to use computers whenever possible. Most Kaplan centers are equipped with computers and will have some TOEFL practice programs for you to work on. You can practice the skills you will need for taking the TOEFL CBT on any computer that uses a mouse.
Leave No Blanks Guess If You Don't Know the AnswerAs a general rule, you should avoid leaving "blanks." Remember that you are not penalized for a wrong answer - in fact, you have a 25 percent chance of getting the question right if you guess, compared to 0 percent if you leave it blank.
A wise test taker will make educated guesses on the TOEFL if he doesn't know the answer. This means using what you already know to eliminate answers that you know are wrong. Each section of this book will help you with strategies for making educated guesses on the various sections of the test
Read All the Answer Choices Before Selecting the Best One Don't pick the first answer choice that "looks good" Read all the answer choices and then pick the best answer. Many of the wrong answers on the TOEFL have been purposely written to confuse you. In order to distinguish the "distractors" from the right answer, you must always read all the answer choices.
Develop Your Stamina The TOEFL-CBT allows a ten-minute break between the Listening Comprehension section and the remainder of the test. You will need to keep working even if you are tired. Take practice tests as you would take the real test. Do not let yourself be distracted. You need to increase your ability to sit in one place for an extended period of time.
Eat Breakfast Eat a good breakfast the day of your test, but nothing greasy or unusual. The test is long and hunger can be distracting. Remember that there is no food or drink allowed in TOEFL CBT testing centers.
1. Familiarize yourself with the two TOEFL formats
There are two different types of TOEFL tests. In some countries the original paper test is used. Most countries use the computer based TOEFL (CBT). Make sure you find out which test you will be taking before you start studying for the TOEFL. If your country uses the CBT you have to take this test. You cannot choose to take the paper based test. Most of the types of questions are similar, although there are a few new questions that can only be answered on a computer. The CBT uses visual stimuli and has a written portion.
2. Research TOEFL score requirements
The TOEFL is required for any non-native English student who wants to go to a post secondary school in the United States. Most people take the TOEFL in order to apply to a specific school or program. Before you begin studying, find out what the requirements are for the schools you are interested in going to. Remember that the scores for the paper based test are different than the scores for the CBT. The average minimum score required is approximately 550 (paper test) or 215 (CBT). A prestigious university such as Harvard has much higher expectations (600 and 250). Some schools will look at your scores from different sections. Many universities expect you to get at least 4 out of 6 on your essay. TOEFL scores are only valid for two years.
3. Learn academic English
TOEFL is used for a different purpose than other ESL tests. The TOEFL measures your ability to succeed in an American university or college. You don't have to know about the business world as you do in the TOEIC test. Instead, you should concentrate on studying language that you would hear on campus and terms that you would hear in the classroom. You should read textbooks, encyclopaedias, journals and research articles rather than advertisements and resumes. You won't need to know any background information about certain subjects, but it will help you to become familiar with this type of material. If you have a friend who goes to an English university, go to class with him as often as you can. Borrow his books and hang out with his friends.
4. Use practice tests
The best way to prepare for the TOEFL is to practice doing the tests. If you are taking a TOEFL class, your teacher will provide you with plenty of material. If you are studying for the TOEFL on your own, you will have to purchase a few key resources. Find a textbook that has exercises, vocabulary, practice tests, CDs, and explanatory answers. You might not want to work through a book from front to back. Work on the sections that you find most challenging. Don't just rely on one book. You might have a book that is much easier than the official TOEFL. Look for free samples on the Internet to supplement your textbook.
5. Find a mentor
A reliable native English teacher who knows a lot about the TOEFL is one of the best resources a student can have. You will have many questions that your textbook can't answer for you. Frustrated students often give up. It is important that you have someone who will answer your questions and encourage you when you feel down. If you cannot afford a teacher or a tutor, find a student who has studied for the test before. Sometimes other students can give you excellent hints and help you with grammar questions. You might be able to help them with questions too. Teaching another person is a great way to learn.
6. Build up your stamina
The TOEFL test takes a long time to write. If you are taking the paper based test it will take you about 2.5 hours. The CBT is much longer. You can expect to be at the computer for 4 hours. Many students have an attention span of about two hours. This is the maximum length of most classes. After this amount of time performance starts to weaken. If you keep your study sessions to one or two hours, your brain will not be prepared to work for four. Start off with short study sessions, and work up to longer ones. Remind yourself that it is a long test a few days before test day. It is absolutely necessary that you get a good night's sleep before this test. You cannot afford to be tired.
7. Arrive prepared
If you arrive at the test centre with all of the things you need, you will feel calm and ready. When you are nervous, your memory does not work as well. Make sure you know exactly how to get to the test centre and where you can park. Bring the correct amount of money for parking. If you are writing the paper based test you should have a number of pencils, a pencil sharpener, and a few erasers that don't smudge. You will also need a pen to write the essay on the CBT if you choose not to type it. It is also important that your identification looks valid. If you have had problems with your ID before, make sure to bring a backup photo. Don't forget any paper work that ETS sends you to prove that you have registered.
8. Pace yourself
Wear a watch. This is especially important if you are taking the paper based test. Some exam rooms do not have clocks. The CBT has a clock on the screen, however, you should still wear a watch to make sure that you arrive on time! Watch your time very closely. Many students do poorly on the TOEFL because they spend too much time on difficult questions. You should never spend longer than a minute on one question. You will only have 30 minutes to write the essay at the end of the CBT. Spend at least 5 minutes planning your essay. Save at least 5 minutes to check your work.
9. Use the tutorials
On the CBT there are tutorials to help you understand how to answer the questions properly. Don't skip the tutorials. You get extra time to use them. They will help you to feel comfortable. You will also become familiar with the keyboard and mouse. They might feel slightly different to your own computer or the ones at your school.
10. Learn about the CAT (computer adaptive testing)
The first two sections of the CBT are computer adaptive. That means that you will be given a few questions that are of medium difficulty. After you answer those questions, the computer will determine which questions to give you next. The first 10-15 questions in each part are extremely important. If you answer these correctly, your score will be much higher. The questions that come later are important, but do not count as much towards your score. Don't guess wrong in order to get easier questions!
I took the new official iBT TOEFL test on Dec. 17. I felt my reading and listening is fine, but the writing and speaking parts are more difficult.
The style of free iBT training test is quite similiar to the real one I took, so it is much helpful for me to better understand and prepare the test. The difference is that I met five passages in the reading part instead of three in practice. However, they were easy. The advantage of iBT is that we can put the passage and questions on one screen to be conrespondent to each other.
In my opinion, listening is easier too. The disciplines such as astronomy or biology at the beginning give you hints to prepare. The time scroll bar also help you get rid of anxiety.
I think the second writing is more difficult for it should be 300 words around while I can only write 260 because time is not enough for me.
As to the speaking part, I think it will be better if I can practice more before attending the real test.
Anyway, I am here writing my own experience about the test. The iBT test is quite new and the free training test is very useful. If there could be more training tests it will be much helpful for the test-takers.
