Reading Strategy
There are many different kinds of
reading. For instance, you might study a chapter in a textbook, or skim a
magazine article. The question is, how should you read on the TOEFL?
Since
time is limited, you have to read effeciently. Reading effeciently on the TOEFL
is a three-step process:
* Strategically
skim * Read ideas
* Answer Question by Scanning for key words
Step 1 –
Strategically Skim
Imagine
you’re reading a newspaper. You don’t have a lot of time to spare, but you still
want to see what’s in the news. So what do you do? You probably read over the
headlines, look at the photos, and skim the lead paragraphs. You certainly do
not start at the top of the newspaper page and read every single word untiil
you get to the bottom of the page. You can find out what’s in the news without
reading every word on the page.
You
need to employ a similar strategy when reading a TOEFL passage. Skimming is a
quick technique- it takes only a few seconds. It gives you a general idea of
the passage and the important topics that will be discussed. It puts you in the
right frame of mind when you begin step 2.
How
you skim depends on the passage type:
If
the passage type is...
|
You
should skim
|
One
long paragraph
|
The
first two sentences and the last sentence.
|
Two
or more paragraphs
|
The
first sentence of each paragraph and the last sentence of the last paragraph.
|
Step 2 Read Ideas
How
you handle step 2 is crucial. If you read too closely, you may run out of time.
If you read superficially, your comprehension of the passage might be poor. So
how should you read on the TOEFL?
- Read Ideals, Not Words
To
pace yourself accurately on the TOEFL, you need to read ideas, not words.
Compare reading to eating a bowl of rice. It would take forever to read a whole
book, or the reading passages in thr TOEFL, if you read every single word.
What
you should read are clumps of words. A skilled reader reads phrases, sentences,
adn ideas; recognizes subject, their actions, and their results; and finds main
ideas and sees how they are supported and organized.
- Handle Confusion
One
of the greatest challenges in reading is dealing with confusion. The TOEFL’s
passages are supposed to be confusing. Most likely, there are going to be
sentences in the passages taht don’t make any sense to you. Chances are, you’re
not going to be the only test-taker that’s confused. However, what will set you
apart from the other test-takers is the way you handle your confusion.
- Stay Focused
Have
you ever been a book and, after you’ve completed a page, forgotten what you
have just read? It happens to all of us when we lose focus.
Since
time is limited, don’t lose your focus on the TOEFL. As you’re reading the
passages, do NOT think about time running out, how you’re doing on the test, or
how you’re going to celebrate when the TOEFL is over. Your concentration will
suffer, you will not understand the passage, and you may have to waste precious
time reading it.
Step 3 – Scan for Key Words
Scanning
is not the same as reading. When you scan, your eyes move very quickly over the
sentences and paragraphs. You have only one purpose: find the key word. Once
you find the key word, you can read around that word for the information you
need to answer that question.
Question
Type
There
are four main question types in the Reading section:
1. Standard multiple-choise
a. Facts Question
b.
Reverce Question
c. Vocabulary Question
d.
Main Idea Question
e.
Before/After Question
f. Inference Question
2. Click on the sentence
3. Reference questions
4. Insert a sentence
Example
Reading Comprehension
The cause ot tooth decay is acid,
which is produced by bacteria in the mouth. The acid removes minerals from
tooth enamel, allowing tooth decay to begin; the saliva in your mouth encourages
remineralization and neutralized the acid. The rate at which bacteria in the
mouth produce acid depends on the amount of plaque on the teeth, the
composition of the microbial flora, and whether the bacteria of the plaque have
been “primed” by frequent exposure to sugar. To keep your teeth healthy, a
regular dental hygiene program should be followed.
Removing plaque with a toothbrush and
dental floss temporarily reduces the numbers of bacteria in the mouth and thus
reduces tooth decay. It also makes the surfaces of the teeth more
accessible, enabling saliva to neutralize acid and remineralize lesions. If
flouride is present in drinking water when teeth are forming, some fluoride is
incorporated into the enamel of the teeth, making them more resistant to attack
by acid. Fluoride toothpaste seems to act in another way, bypromoting the
remineralization of early carious lesions.
In addition to a regular dental
hygiene program, a good way to keep your teeth healthy is to reduce your intake
of sweet food. The least cavity-causing way to eat sweets is to have them with
meals and not between. The number of times you est sweets rather than the total
amount determines how much harmful acid the bacteria in your saliva produce.
But the amount of sweets influences the quality of your saliva. Avoid, if you
can, sticky sweets that stay in your mounth along time. Also try to brush and
floss your teeth after eating sugary foods. Even rinsingyour mounth with water
is effective. Whenever possible, eat foods with fiber, such as raw carrot
sticks, apples, celery sticks, etc, that scrape off plaque,
acting as atoothbrush. Cavities canbe dreatly reduced if these rules are
followed when eating sweets.
1. What does this passage mainly
discuss?
a. Good nutrition
b. Food with fiber
c. Ways to keep your teeth healthy
d. Flouridization and cativies
Answer : C
2. According to the passage, all
of the following statements about plaque are true EXCEPT
a. It consists of acid producing bacteria
b. It is not affected by eating sweets.
c. It can be removed from teeth by brushing and flossing
d. It reduces the positive effect of saliva
Answer : B
3. The word “it” in line 9
refers to
a. dental floss
b. bacteria
c. removal of plaque
d. plaque
Answer : C
4. The word “scrape off” in line
23 is closest in meaning to
a. repel
b. rub together with
c. remove
d. dissolve
Answer : C
5. According to the passage, the
value of eating foods with fiber is that
a. they contain vitamin A
b. they are less expensive than a toothbrush
c. they are able to remove the plaque from your teeth
d. they contain no sugar
Answer : C
Structure
Example 1
Example 1
1. In
December 7, 1787, Deleware became the first state
to ratify the constitution.
A B C D
Answer
: A (On December 7, 1787, Deleware became the first state to ratify the
constitution.)
constitution.)
2. The
first national park in world, Yellow Stone National Park, establised
in 1879.
A B C D
A B C D
Answer
: C (The first national park in the
world, Yellow Stone National Park, establised in
1879)
1879)
3. Never
before has so many people in our country
been interested in football.
A B C D
Answer
:
B (Never before have so many people in our country been
interested in football.)
4. Those
of you who smoke should have their lungs X-rayed regularly.
A B C D
A B C D
Answer
: C (Those of you who smoke should have your
lungs X-rayed regularly.)
5. My
brother’s new car costs much more than his
friend Jack.
A B C D
A B C D
Answer
: D (My brother’s new car costs much
more than his friend Jack’s.)
Example 2
1. ...... the imported English dictionaries have information about pronunciation.
a. Most
b. Most of
c. The most
d. To the most
Answer : B
2. The newspaper described ....... of the terrorist group in detail.
a. the amoral activity
b. amoral activity
c. of amoral of activity
d. active of amorality
Answer : A
3. Families like ..... Rockefellers have become synonymous with wealth.
a. the
b. a
c. of
d. in
Answer : A
4. Highly motivated, ambitious people often ..... more hours in a day.
a. needs
b. need
c. are needed
d. needing
Answer : B
5. The swimming instructor came ..... if the apartment was still available
a. to see
b. seing
c. saw
d. for seeing
Answer : A
Reference
:
-Estiwi Retno Purnaning, Alvina Kusuma, Nurul Hudha, dan Anggia Eka.
2014. Big Book TOEFL.Jakarta : Cmedia
-Dhany R.
Cyssco. 2002. TOEFL Preparation Model
Test. Jakarta : Niaga Swadaya
-Ricard X. Bailey. 2001. TOEFL
Testbuster: REA's Testbuster for the Test of English As a Foreign Language with
TESTware: Research & Education Assoc
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