TONE, PURPOSE, OR COURSE
HOW TO IDENTIFY THE QUESTION
TONE what is the tone of the passage?
PURPOSE what is the author´s purpose in this passage?
COURSE in which course would this reading be assigned?
WHERE TO FIND THE ANSWER
TONE there will be clues throughout the passage that the author is showing some emotion rather than just presenting facts.
PURPOSE draw a conclusion about the purpose from the main idea and supporting details.
COURSE draw a conclusion about the course from the topic of the passage and the supporting details.
HOW TO ANSWER THE QUESTION
TONE 1 skim the passage looking for clues that the author is showing some emotion.
2 choose the answer that identifies the emotion.
PURPOSE 1 study the main idea in the topic sentence and the details used to support the main idea.
2 draw a conclusion about the purpose.
COURSE
1 study the main idea in the topic sentence and the details used to support the main idea.
2 draw a conclusion about the course.
Practice English in Mylot
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Skill 12: Determine where specific information is found
Sometimes the final question in a reading passage will ask you to determine where in the passage a piece of information is found. the answer choices will list possible locations for that information. the best way to approach this type of question is to study the question to determine the information that you are looking for and then to go the lines listed in the answers and skim for that information.
QUESTIONS ABOUT WHERE IN THE PASSAGE
HOW TO IDENTIFY THE QUESTION
where in the passage..?
WHERE TO FIND THE ANSWER
The answer can be in any of the lines listed in the answers to the question.
HOW TO ANSWER THE QUESTION
1.- choose a key word or idea in the question.
2.- skim the lines in the passage that are listed in the answers to the question. you should skim for the key word or idea.
3.- choose the answer that contains the line numbers of a restatement of the question.
QUESTIONS ABOUT WHERE IN THE PASSAGE
HOW TO IDENTIFY THE QUESTION
where in the passage..?
WHERE TO FIND THE ANSWER
The answer can be in any of the lines listed in the answers to the question.
HOW TO ANSWER THE QUESTION
1.- choose a key word or idea in the question.
2.- skim the lines in the passage that are listed in the answers to the question. you should skim for the key word or idea.
3.- choose the answer that contains the line numbers of a restatement of the question.
Skill 11: Use context to determine meanings of simple words
You will sometimes be asked to determine the meaning of a simple word, a word that you see often in everyday English. in this type of question, you should not given the normal, everyday meaning of the word; instead, the TOEFL test wants to know the meaning of the word in this situation.
VOCABULARY QUESTIONS CONTAINING SIMPLE WORDS
HOW TO IDENTIFY THE QUESTION
what is the meaning...?
which of the following is closest in meaning to...?
the word is a simple word, one that you see often in everyday english.
WHERE TO FIND THE ANSWER
the question usually tells you in which line of the passage the word can be found.
HOW TO ANSWER THE QUESTION
1.- find the word in the passage.
2.- read the sentence that contains the word carefully.
3.- look for context clues to help you understand the meaning
4.- choose the answer that the context indicates.
VOCABULARY QUESTIONS CONTAINING SIMPLE WORDS
HOW TO IDENTIFY THE QUESTION
what is the meaning...?
which of the following is closest in meaning to...?
the word is a simple word, one that you see often in everyday english.
WHERE TO FIND THE ANSWER
the question usually tells you in which line of the passage the word can be found.
HOW TO ANSWER THE QUESTION
1.- find the word in the passage.
2.- read the sentence that contains the word carefully.
3.- look for context clues to help you understand the meaning
4.- choose the answer that the context indicates.
Skill 10: Use context to determine meanings of difficult words
On the TOEFL test you will sometimes be asked to determine the meaning of a difficult word, a word that you are not expected to know. in this case, the passage will give you a clear indication of what the word mean.
VOCABULARY QUESTIONS CONTAINING DIFFICULT WORDS
HOW TO IDENTIFY THE QUESTION
what is the meaning...?
which of the following is closest in meaning to...?
the word is a difficult word, one that you probably do not know.
WHERE TO FIND THE ANSWER
The question usually tells you in which line of the passage the word can be found.
HOW TO ANSWER THE QUESTION
1.- find the word in the passage.
2.-read the sentence that contains the word carefully.
3.- look for context clues to help you understand the meaning.
4.- choose the answer that the context indicates.
VOCABULARY QUESTIONS CONTAINING DIFFICULT WORDS
HOW TO IDENTIFY THE QUESTION
what is the meaning...?
which of the following is closest in meaning to...?
the word is a difficult word, one that you probably do not know.
WHERE TO FIND THE ANSWER
The question usually tells you in which line of the passage the word can be found.
HOW TO ANSWER THE QUESTION
1.- find the word in the passage.
2.-read the sentence that contains the word carefully.
3.- look for context clues to help you understand the meaning.
4.- choose the answer that the context indicates.
Skill 9: Determine meanings from word parts
When you are asked to determine the meaning of a long word that you do not know in the reading comprehension section of the TOEFL test, it is sometimes possible to determine the meaning of the word by studying the word parts.
A SHORT LIST OF WORD PARTS
PART MEANING EXAMPLE
contra against contrast
mal bad malcontent
mis error mistake
sub under subway
dec ten decade
multi many multiple
sol one solo
tri three triple
dic say dictate
domin master dominant
jud judge judgement
mor death mortal
spec see spectador
terr earth territory
ver turn divert
viv live revive
A SHORT LIST OF WORD PARTS
PART MEANING EXAMPLE
contra against contrast
mal bad malcontent
mis error mistake
sub under subway
dec ten decade
multi many multiple
sol one solo
tri three triple
dic say dictate
domin master dominant
jud judge judgement
mor death mortal
spec see spectador
terr earth territory
ver turn divert
viv live revive
Skill 8: Find definitions from structural clues
When you are asked to determine the meaning of a word in the reading comprehension section of the TOEFL test, it is possible 1 that the passage provides information about the meaning of the word and 2 that there are structural clues to tell you that the definition of a word is included in the passage.
STRUCTURAL CLUES
HOW TO IDENTIFY THE QUESTION
What is...?
what is the meaning of...?
what is true about...?
TYPES OF CLUES
punctuation: comma, parentheses, dashes.
restatement: or, that is, in other words, i.e
examples: such as, for example, e.g.
WHERE TO FIND THE ANSWER
Information to help you determine what something means will generally be found after the punctuation clue, the restatement clue, or the example clue.
HOW TO ANSWER THE QUESTION
1.- find the word in the passage.
2.- locate any structural clues.
3.- read the part of the passage after the structural clue carefully.
4.-eliminate any definitely wrong answers and choose the best answer from the remaining choices.
STRUCTURAL CLUES
HOW TO IDENTIFY THE QUESTION
What is...?
what is the meaning of...?
what is true about...?
TYPES OF CLUES
punctuation: comma, parentheses, dashes.
restatement: or, that is, in other words, i.e
examples: such as, for example, e.g.
WHERE TO FIND THE ANSWER
Information to help you determine what something means will generally be found after the punctuation clue, the restatement clue, or the example clue.
HOW TO ANSWER THE QUESTION
1.- find the word in the passage.
2.- locate any structural clues.
3.- read the part of the passage after the structural clue carefully.
4.-eliminate any definitely wrong answers and choose the best answer from the remaining choices.
Skill 7: Answer transition questions correctly
You will sometimes be asked to determine what probably came before the reading passage (in the preceding paragraph) or what probably comes after the reading passage (in the following paragraph). of course, the topic of the preceding or following pragraph is not directly stated, and you must draw a conclusion to determine what is porbably in these paragraphs.
This types of question is a transition question. it asks you to demonstrate that you understand that good writing contains transitions from one paragraph to the next. A paragrph may start out with the idea of the previous paragraph as a way of linking the ideas in the two paragraphs. a paragrah may also end with an idea that will be further developed in the following paragraph.
TRANSITION QUESTIONS
HOW TO IDENTIFY THE QUESTION
The paragraph preceding the passage probably...
what is most likely in the paragraph following the passage?
WHERE TO FIND THE ANSWER
The answer can generally be found in the first line of the passage for a preceding question. The answer can generally be found in the last line for a following question.
HOW TO ANSWER THE QUESTION
1.- read the first line for a preceding question.
2.-read the last line for a following question.
3.-draw a conclusion about what comes before or after.
4.- choose the answer that is reflected in the first or last line of the passage.
This types of question is a transition question. it asks you to demonstrate that you understand that good writing contains transitions from one paragraph to the next. A paragrph may start out with the idea of the previous paragraph as a way of linking the ideas in the two paragraphs. a paragrah may also end with an idea that will be further developed in the following paragraph.
TRANSITION QUESTIONS
HOW TO IDENTIFY THE QUESTION
The paragraph preceding the passage probably...
what is most likely in the paragraph following the passage?
WHERE TO FIND THE ANSWER
The answer can generally be found in the first line of the passage for a preceding question. The answer can generally be found in the last line for a following question.
HOW TO ANSWER THE QUESTION
1.- read the first line for a preceding question.
2.-read the last line for a following question.
3.-draw a conclusion about what comes before or after.
4.- choose the answer that is reflected in the first or last line of the passage.
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Skill 6: Answer implied detail questions correctly
You will sometimes be asked to answer a question by drawing a conclusion from a specific detail pr details in the passage. questions of this type contain the words implied, inferred, likely, or probably to let you know that the answer to the question is not directly stated. in this type pf question it is important to understand that you do not have to pull the answer out of thin air. instead , some information will be given in the passage, and you will draw a conclusion from that information.
IMPLIED DETAIL QUESTIONS
HOW TO IDENTIFY THE QUESTION
it is implied in the passage that...
it can be inferred from the passage that...
it is most likely that...
what probably happened...?
WHERE TO FIND THE ANSWER
The answers to these questions are found in order in the passage.
HOW TO ANSWER THE QUESTION
1.- choose a key word in the question.
2.- scan the passage for the key word (or a related idea)
3.- carefully read the sentence that contains the key word.
4.- look for an answer that could be true, according to that sentence.
IMPLIED DETAIL QUESTIONS
HOW TO IDENTIFY THE QUESTION
it is implied in the passage that...
it can be inferred from the passage that...
it is most likely that...
what probably happened...?
WHERE TO FIND THE ANSWER
The answers to these questions are found in order in the passage.
HOW TO ANSWER THE QUESTION
1.- choose a key word in the question.
2.- scan the passage for the key word (or a related idea)
3.- carefully read the sentence that contains the key word.
4.- look for an answer that could be true, according to that sentence.
Skill 5: Find pronoun referents
In the reading comprehension section of the TOEFL test, you will sometimes be asked to determine which noun a pronoun refers to. In this type of question it is important to understand that a noun is generally used first in a passage, and the pronoun that refers to it comes after. whenever you are asked which noun a pronoun refers to, you should look before the pronoun to find the noun.
PRONOUN REFERENTS
HOW TO IDENTIFY THE QUESTION
The pronoun ... in line x refers to which of the following?
WHERE TO FIND THE ANSWER
The line where the pronoun is located is generally given in the question. the noun that the pronoun refers to is generally found before the pronoun.
HOW TO ANSWER THE QUESTION
1.- Find the pronoun in the passage. (the line where the pronoun can be is generally stated in the question).
2.- look for nouns that come before the pronoun.
3.- read the part of the passage before the prooun carefully.
4.- eliminate any definitely wrong answers and choose the best answer from the remaining choices.
PRONOUN REFERENTS
HOW TO IDENTIFY THE QUESTION
The pronoun ... in line x refers to which of the following?
WHERE TO FIND THE ANSWER
The line where the pronoun is located is generally given in the question. the noun that the pronoun refers to is generally found before the pronoun.
HOW TO ANSWER THE QUESTION
1.- Find the pronoun in the passage. (the line where the pronoun can be is generally stated in the question).
2.- look for nouns that come before the pronoun.
3.- read the part of the passage before the prooun carefully.
4.- eliminate any definitely wrong answers and choose the best answer from the remaining choices.
Skill 4: Find UNSTATED details
You will sometimes be asked in the reading comprehension section of the TOEFL test to find an asnswer that is not stated or not mentioned or not true in the passage. this type of question really means that three of the answers are stated, mentioned, or true in the passage, while one answer is not. your actual job is to find the three correct answers and then choose the letter of the one remaining answer.
You should note that there are two kinds of answer to this type or question: 1 there are three true answers and one answer that is not discussed in the passage, or 2 there are three true answers and one that is false according to the passage.
UNSTATED DETAIL QUESTIONS
HOW TO IDENTIFY THE QUESTION
which of the following is not stated...?
which of the following is not mentioned...?
which of the following is not discussed...?
all of the following are true except...
WHERE TO FIND THE ANSWER
The answers to these questions are found in order in the passage.
HOW TO ANSWER THE QUESTION
1.- choose a key word in the question
2.- scan in the appropriate place in the passage for the key word (or related idea).
3.- read the sentence that contains the key word or idea carefully.
4.- look for answers that are definitely true according to the passage. eliminate those answers.
5.- choose the answer that is not true or not discussed in the passage.
You should note that there are two kinds of answer to this type or question: 1 there are three true answers and one answer that is not discussed in the passage, or 2 there are three true answers and one that is false according to the passage.
UNSTATED DETAIL QUESTIONS
HOW TO IDENTIFY THE QUESTION
which of the following is not stated...?
which of the following is not mentioned...?
which of the following is not discussed...?
all of the following are true except...
WHERE TO FIND THE ANSWER
The answers to these questions are found in order in the passage.
HOW TO ANSWER THE QUESTION
1.- choose a key word in the question
2.- scan in the appropriate place in the passage for the key word (or related idea).
3.- read the sentence that contains the key word or idea carefully.
4.- look for answers that are definitely true according to the passage. eliminate those answers.
5.- choose the answer that is not true or not discussed in the passage.
Skill 3: Answer stated detail questions correctly
A stated detail question asks about one piece of information in the passage rather than the passage as whole. the answers to these questions are generally given in order in the passage, and the correct answer is often a restatement of what is given in the passage. this means that the correct answer often expresses the same idea as what is written in the passage, but the words are not exactly the same.
STATED DETAIL QUESTIONS
HOW TO IDENTIFY THE QUESTION
According to the passage...
it is stated in the passage...
the passage indicates that...
the author mentions that...
which of the following is true...
WHERE TO FIND THE ANSWER
The answers to these questions are found in order in the passage.
HOW TO ANSWER THE QUESTION
1.- choose a key word in the question.
2.- skim in the appropriate part of the passage for the ker word or idea.
3.- read the sentence that contains the key word or idea carefully.
4.- look for the answer that restates an idea in the passage.
5.- eliminate the definitely wrong answers and choose the best answer from the remaining choices.
STATED DETAIL QUESTIONS
HOW TO IDENTIFY THE QUESTION
According to the passage...
it is stated in the passage...
the passage indicates that...
the author mentions that...
which of the following is true...
WHERE TO FIND THE ANSWER
The answers to these questions are found in order in the passage.
HOW TO ANSWER THE QUESTION
1.- choose a key word in the question.
2.- skim in the appropriate part of the passage for the ker word or idea.
3.- read the sentence that contains the key word or idea carefully.
4.- look for the answer that restates an idea in the passage.
5.- eliminate the definitely wrong answers and choose the best answer from the remaining choices.
Skill 2: Recognize the organization of ideas
In the reading comprehension section of the TOEFL test, there will sometimes be questions about the organization of the ideas in a passage. In this types of question, you will be asked to determine how the ideas in one paragraph (or paragraphs) relate to the ideas in another paragraph (or paragraphs).
ORGANIZATION OF IDEAS
HOW TO IDENTIFY THE ANSWER
How is the information in the passage organized?
How is the information in the second paragraph related to the information in the first paragraph?
WHERE TO FIND THE ANSWER
The answer to this type of question can generally be determined by looking at the first sentence of the appropriate paragraphs.
HOW TO ANSWER THE QUESTION
1.- Read the first line of each paragraph.
2.- Look for words that show the relationship between the paragraphs.
3.- Choose the answer that best expresses the relationship.
ORGANIZATION OF IDEAS
HOW TO IDENTIFY THE ANSWER
How is the information in the passage organized?
How is the information in the second paragraph related to the information in the first paragraph?
WHERE TO FIND THE ANSWER
The answer to this type of question can generally be determined by looking at the first sentence of the appropriate paragraphs.
HOW TO ANSWER THE QUESTION
1.- Read the first line of each paragraph.
2.- Look for words that show the relationship between the paragraphs.
3.- Choose the answer that best expresses the relationship.
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