<h1 class="page-title">TOEFL Introduction - Session One</h1>
<strong>TOEFL Introduction </strong>

<strong><u>Standardized Testing</u></strong>
<h4>Say the word "test" to nearly anyone - student, teacher, administrator -and their faces cloud over. Everyone realizes the “intimidation potential” that tests have, and perhaps there is a good reason for this fear. In fact, in recent years, the entire subject of testing and assessment has come under intense scrutiny at all levels of education.</h4>
<h4>Nevertheless, testing is not about to disappear, and in the ESL field, there already exist some major tests and exams most learners will face at one point or another in their studies. Some of the most widely accepted are TOEFL, TOEIC, IELTS and Cambridge.</h4>
<h4>As teachers, it is vital to become aware of these forms of evaluations and help our students as best as possible to be ready for them. These exams can alter lives; a 10% lower than expected grade could mean a missed opportunity for a new job, an acceptance letter for university and so on.</h4>
<h4>So, let’s see what’s out there exactly…</h4>
<h3></h3>
<h3><strong>TOEFL Introduction</strong>
The TOEFL test refers to the Test of English as a Foreign Language. The TOEFL program is designed to measure the ability of non-native speakers to read, write and understand English as used at college and university campuses in North America. The TOEFL test is also sometimes used to evaluate the English ability of candidates for admission to academic or professional programs outside of English-speaking countries. Since it was first administered in 1965, about 850,000 candidates have taken the TOEFL test annually. Currently over 4,300 colleges, universities, professional programs and sponsoring institutions throughout North America require the TOEFL test. The content of the TOEFL test consists of general use of both written and spoken North American English. Although the TOEFL test places special emphasis on English, in both spoken and academic writing contexts, as used on North American university campuses, specialized knowledge of cultural or academic subject matter will not provide an advantage to TOEFL test examinees. Educational Testing Service conducts extensive research and review of TOEFL test content to ensure that there is no bias against or in favor of particular national, racial or linguistic groups.</h3>
<h4><strong>Test Format</strong>
The TOEFL test is administered in two different formats, the traditional paper-based format and the Computer-based Test (CBT) first introduced in July 1995. The TOEFL test is currently taken in the in the computer-based format in most parts of the world, however the paper-based TOEFL test continues to be used in areas where the CBT is less feasible. The computer-based TOEFL test uses both question and items similar to the paper-based format and questions that are computer-specific.</h4>
<h4><strong>The TOEFL CBT Test
</strong>Candidates taking the computer-based TOEFL test will first go through a seven-step tutorial designed to teach computer skills necessary for taking the test. The tutorial is un-timed and un-scored. Skills such as using a mouse, scrolling and icon recognition are covered in the tutorial. There is one tutorial for each of the four sections of the TOEFL test; Listening, Structure, Reading and Writing. The Listening and Structure sections of the TOEFL CBT are a computer-adaptive. This means that candidates will first be given a question of average difficulty and will then be given questions of lower or higher difficulty based on whether the question was answered correctly or incorrectly. In other words, computer-adaptive testing tailors difficulty levels based on candidates' abilities. The format of the computer-based TOEFL test is as follows:</h4>
<h4>Section Time Limit No# of Questions, Tutorials no time limit
Listening 40-60 minutes 30-50, Structure 15-20 minutes 20-25, Break 5 min,  Reading 70-90 minutes 44-55, Writing 30 minutes 1 topic</h4>
https://youtu.be/lnWXVvMDeGg
<h3><em><strong>Overview of the Course</strong></em></h3>
<h4>Welcome to <strong><i><em>TOEFL</em></i><sup>®</sup> Test Preparation</strong>: The Insider's Guide. In this six-week course <em>(In TESOL- 6 Sessions,)</em> we will explain the TOEFL test and take you through an in-depth look at all four sections of the TOEFL test: Reading, Listening, Speaking and Writing. You will have the opportunity to learn more about the question types, scoring guidelines and resources to help you prepare for test day. We will give you test preparation tips and practice materials. <em>As a TESOL teacher, although you are not preparing to take the test, you should learn how your students should prepare and guide them through the TOEFL preparations. We hope that reviewing this program can guide you through TOEFL. </em></h4>
<h4>You should expect to spend 2 to 4 hours per week to get the most out of this course. The course includes video lectures, discussion forums, weekly quizzes, practice tests and recommended readings. ETS instructors and staff will moderate the discussions and provide feedback where possible on a weekly basis.</h4>
<h4>Please note: Passing this course is not a predictor of how well you might perform on the actual <i><em>TOEFL i</em></i><i><em>BT</em></i>® test.</h4>
<h4>Learning Objectives</h4>
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<h4>Gain a broad understanding of the four sections of the TOEFL test: Reading, Listening, Speaking and Writing</h4>
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<h4>Acquire helpful tips to prepare you for the TOEFL test</h4>
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<h4>Improve your English language skills</h4>
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<h4>Learn how the TOEFL test is scored</h4>
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<h4>Learn how to use your TOEFL test scores for employment, school, visas, scholarships</h4>
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<h4>Find test prep resources for the TOEFL test</h4>
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<h4>Learn how to register for the TOEFL test</h4>
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<h4>Weekly Topics</h4>
<h4>Week 1 – Welcome to TOEFL Test Preparation: The Insider's Guide</h4>
<h4>1.1  Welcome</h4>
<h4>1.4  Around the World With the TOEFL Test</h4>
<h4>1.5  A Look Inside the TOEFL Test</h4>
<h4>1.6  Accommodations and Accessibility</h4>
<h4>1.8  This Week in Review and Getting Ready for Week 2</h4>
<h4>Week 2 – Reading Section</h4>
<h4>2.1  Challenges of Reading</h4>
<h4>2.2  About the Reading Section</h4>
<h4>2.3  Factual/Negative Factual Information Questions</h4>
<h4>2.4  Inference and Rhetorical Purpose Questions</h4>
<h4>2.5  Vocabulary Questions</h4>
<h4>2.6  Reference Questions</h4>
<h4>2.7  Sentence Simplification Questions</h4>
<h4>2.8  Insert Text Questions</h4>
<h4>2.9  Prose Summary and Fill in a Table Questions</h4>
<h4>2.10  How the Reading Section is Scored</h4>
<h4>2.11  Reading Practice Test</h4>
<h4>2.12  Practice Activities and Resources</h4>
<h4>2.13  This Week in Review and Getting Ready for Week 3</h4>
<h4>Week 3 – Listening Section</h4>
<h4>3.1  Challenges of Listening</h4>
<h4>3.2  About the Listening Section</h4>
<h4>3.3  Gist-Content and Gist-Purpose Questions</h4>
<h4>3.4  Detail Questions</h4>
<h4>3.5  Function Questions</h4>
<h4>3.6  Attitude Questions</h4>
<h4>3.7  Organization Questions</h4>
<h4>3.8  Connecting Content Questions</h4>
<h4>3.9  Inference Questions</h4>
<h4>3.10  How the Listening Section is Scored</h4>
<h4>3.11  Listening Practice Test</h4>
<h4>3.12  Practice Activities and Resources</h4>
<h4>3.13  This Week in Review and Getting Ready for Week 4</h4>
<h4>Week 4 – Speaking Section</h4>
<h4>4.1  Challenges of Speaking</h4>
<h4>4.2  About the Speaking Section</h4>
<h4>4.3  Independent Questions 1 and 2</h4>
<h4>4.4  Integrated Questions 3 and 5</h4>
<h4>4.5  Integrated Questions 4 and 6</h4>
<h4>4.6  How the Speaking Section is Scored</h4>
<h4>4.7  Speaking Practice Test</h4>
<h4>4.8  Speaking Practice Responses</h4>
<h4>4.9  Practice Activities and Resources</h4>
<h4>4.10  This Week in Review and Getting Ready for Week 5</h4>
<h4>Week 5 – Writing Section</h4>
<h4>5.1  Challenges of Writing</h4>
<h4>5.2  About the Writing Section</h4>
<h4>5.3  Integrated Writing Question 1</h4>
<h4>5.4  Independent Writing Question 2</h4>
<h4>5.5  How the Writing Section is Scored</h4>
<h4>5.6  Writing Practice Test</h4>
<h4>5.7  Writing Practice Responses</h4>
<h4>5.8  Practice Activities and Resources</h4>
<h4>5.9  This Week in Review and Final Steps for Week 6</h4>
<h4>Week 6 – About Test Day and Beyond</h4>
<h4>6.1  Putting It All Together: Preparing for Test Day</h4>
<h4>6.2  The Test Center</h4>
<h4>6.3  How to Register</h4>
<h4>6.4  Receiving and Sending Scores</h4>
<h4>6.5  Week 6 Quiz</h4>
<h4>6.6  Official TOEFL Prep Resources</h4>
<h4>6.7  End-of-Course Survey</h4>
<h4>6.8  Share with a Friend</h4>
<h4>6.9  Go Pursue Your Dreams</h4>
<h4 class="page-title">TOEFL: University Admission Advice</h4>
https://youtu.be/estajtn1i-0

<strong>(Video Transcript)</strong>

&nbsp;
<h4><span role="link" data-index="1" data-start="6291">- TOEFL scores are accepted for many different purposes.</span><span role="link" data-index="2" data-start="9333">But they are most often used to meet the English language</span></h4>
<h4><span role="link" data-index="3" data-start="12333">the requirement for admissions into a university program.</span><span role="link" data-index="4" data-start="16083">We spoke to a few university admissions officers</span></h4>
<h4><span role="link" data-index="5" data-start="19083">to hear what they had to say about the importance of </span><span role="link" data-index="6" data-start="21916">English language skills and how they use </span><span role="link" data-index="7" data-start="24166">English language tests scores.</span></h4>
<h4><span role="link" data-index="8" data-start="26583">- Hello, my name is Joanne Barker,</span><span role="link" data-index="9" data-start="29375">I'm the director of the international office at </span><span role="link" data-index="10" data-start="32500">the University of Adelaide in Australia.</span></h4>
<h4><span role="link" data-index="11" data-start="36000">Taking every opportunity you can to communicate in English,</span><span role="link" data-index="12" data-start="40125">with whomever you can, at whatever opportunity you have.</span></h4>
<h4><span role="link" data-index="13" data-start="45708">Having strong skills in English is going to enable you </span><span role="link" data-index="14" data-start="49875">to become a part of the university community</span></h4>
<h4><span role="link" data-index="15" data-start="53666">and engage actively with your </span><span role="link" data-index="16" data-start="55416">fellow students and with teachers.</span></h4>
<h4><span role="link" data-index="17" data-start="58416">- My name is Kim Bartlett and</span></h4>
<h4><span role="link" data-index="18" data-start="60291">I am the director of admissions at McGill University,</span><span role="link" data-index="19" data-start="63791">in Montreal, Canada. </span><span role="link" data-index="20" data-start="65875">And one of the things that leads to success definitely</span></h4>
<h4><span role="link" data-index="21" data-start="69583">is English proficiency.</span><span role="link" data-index="22" data-start="71333">Once you as an applicant take your test, at TOEFL,</span><span role="link" data-index="23" data-start="76958">you can be sure that it will be sent promptly and</span></h4>
<h4><span role="link" data-index="24" data-start="80791">accurately and securely to the university of your choice. </span><span role="link" data-index="25" data-start="85083">So I encourage you, if you're thinking about studying </span><span role="link" data-index="26" data-start="89250">internationally, don't let a language be a barrier.</span></h4>
<h4><span role="link" data-index="27" data-start="94833">- My name is Jon Burdick, I am Vice-Provost and</span></h4>
<h4><span role="link" data-index="28" data-start="97041">Dean of College Admission and Financial-Aid at the</span></h4>
<h4><span role="link" data-index="29" data-start="99500">University of Rochester.</span></h4>
<h4><span role="link" data-index="30" data-start="102166">My encouragement to you is to keep going.</span></h4>
<h4><span role="link" data-index="31" data-start="103833">You can get to that point where English is one of the things</span></h4>
<h4><span role="link" data-index="32" data-start="106666">you know how to do very well.</span></h4>
<h4><span role="link" data-index="33" data-start="108166">It opens up huge doors.</span></h4>
<h4><span role="link" data-index="34" data-start="110250">Learning to speak English, which is a dominant second</span></h4>
<h4><span role="link" data-index="35" data-start="113166">language all around the world and certainly in academic</span></h4>
<h4><span role="link" data-index="36" data-start="115916">settings in the world of technology,</span></h4>
<h4><span role="link" data-index="37" data-start="118291">a lot of communication things going on,</span></h4>
<h4><span role="link" data-index="38" data-start="120750">learning to do it well enough to be heard,</span></h4>
<h4><span role="link" data-index="39" data-start="123083">to be understood, to show everybody that you know what</span></h4>
<h4><span role="link" data-index="40" data-start="126875">you're talking about and you're ready to to contribute</span></h4>
<h4><span role="link" data-index="41" data-start="129416">excellent great new ideas is the entire worldwide dialog,</span></h4>
<h4><span role="link" data-index="42" data-start="133458">that's the purpose of English language learning.</span></h4>
<h4><span role="link" data-index="43" data-start="136000">- I'm Robert Watkins, Assistant Director of Admissions at</span></h4>
<h4><span role="link" data-index="44" data-start="138833">the Graduate International Admissions Center of the</span></h4>
<h4><span role="link" data-index="45" data-start="141458">University of Texas, Austin.</span></h4>
<h4><span role="link" data-index="46" data-start="143166">You need to be able to operate and to communicate</span></h4>
<h4><span role="link" data-index="47" data-start="147041">and to be conversent to do well in English almost</span></h4>
<h4><span role="link" data-index="48" data-start="151125">from day one that you've arrived on the campus where</span></h4>
<h4><span role="link" data-index="49" data-start="154458">you want to study.</span></h4>
<h4><span role="link" data-index="50" data-start="156000">In my experience, I've found that TOEFL ibt the internet</span></h4>
<h4><span role="link" data-index="51" data-start="158958">based test, to be one of the most reliable English</span></h4>
<h4><span role="link" data-index="52" data-start="163125">proficiency measurements that we could possibly employ</span></h4>
<h4><span role="link" data-index="53" data-start="167625">here at the University of Texas, Austin.</span></h4>
<h4><span role="link" data-index="54" data-start="169875">- My name is Keith Brown, I'm Director of Admissions</span></h4>
<h4><span role="link" data-index="55" data-start="172375">at/ for a UK University.</span></h4>
<h4><span role="link" data-index="56" data-start="175291">English language proficiency is absolutely critical</span></h4>
<h4><span role="link" data-index="57" data-start="177958">to succeed in your studies you need to be able to</span></h4>
<h4><span role="link" data-index="58" data-start="181500">listen to academics, listen to fellow students,</span></h4>
<h4><span role="link" data-index="59" data-start="184750">take part in seminars, take part in discussions,</span></h4>
<h4><span role="link" data-index="60" data-start="188583">read around the subject.</span></h4>
<h4><span role="link" data-index="61" data-start="190958">In the UK we do a lot of group work, so you need to be able</span></h4>
<h4><span role="link" data-index="62" data-start="193916">to work with people from other countries including the UK</span></h4>
<h4><span role="link" data-index="63" data-start="197500">and everywhere else.</span></h4>
<h4><span role="link" data-index="64" data-start="199041">So the common language of communication is English.</span></h4>
<h4><span role="link" data-index="65" data-start="201291">- TOEFL scores are used to make admissions decisions</span></h4>
<h4><span role="link" data-index="66" data-start="204375">all around the world.</span></h4>
<h4><span role="link" data-index="67" data-start="205916">Not just the major English speaking countries,</span></h4>
<h4><span role="link" data-index="68" data-start="207958">like the US, the UK, Canada and Australia but</span></h4>
<h4><span role="link" data-index="69" data-start="211833">anywhere universities have an English language requirement.</span></h4>
<h4><span role="link" data-index="70" data-start="215375">So places like China, Korea, France, Germany, Japan,</span></h4>
<h4><span role="link" data-index="71" data-start="221083">Brazil, Mexico, Singapore, in fact,</span></h4>
<h4><span role="link" data-index="72" data-start="224291">more 130 countries around the world.</span></h4>
<h4><span role="link" data-index="73" data-start="227583">Even though these universities have specific TOEFL score</span></h4>
<h4><span role="link" data-index="74" data-start="230791">requirements, admissions officers ultimately want students</span></h4>
<h4><span role="link" data-index="75" data-start="234291">with strong English skills who can be</span></h4>
<h4><span role="link" data-index="76" data-start="236791">successful in their programs.</span></h4>
<h4><span role="link" data-index="77" data-start="238791">So make sure you focus on developing your English skills</span></h4>
<h4><span role="link" data-index="78" data-start="241583">and not just on a test score.</span></h4>
<h4 class="page-title">TOEFL: Where do they accept TOEFL?</h4>
<h3>Where can you go with <i><em>TOEFL®</em></i> test scores?</h3>
<h4>The TOEFL<i><em><sup> </sup></em></i>test is the most widely respected English-language test in the world, recognized by more than 10,000 colleges, universities and agencies in more than 130 countries, including Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States.</h4>
<h4>To search institutions that accept TOEFL scores, visit the <a class="external" href="http://www.toeflgoanywhere.org/search-who-accepts-toefl" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">TOEFL Destination Search(opens new window)<span class="screenreader-only"> (Links to an external site.)</span><span class="ui-icon ui-icon-extlink ui-icon-inline" title="Links to an external site."><span class="screenreader-only">Links to an external site.</span></span></a>. You can search by institution name, location or TOEFL score requirement. Be sure to confirm any institution’s information (such as score requirements) with the institution directly.</h4>
<h4>Here are some important notes about using TOEFL scores in Australia and the United Kingdom (UK):</h4>
<h4><strong>Australia</strong>: TOEFL scores are accepted for student visas, and also for a number of additional visa categories including skilled migration, post-study work, temporary graduate and permanent residence. Get more details about Australian visas from the <a class="external" href="http://www.border.gov.au/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Department of Immigration and Border Protection(opens new window)<span class="screenreader-only"> (Links to an external site.)</span><span class="ui-icon ui-icon-extlink ui-icon-inline" title="Links to an external site."><span class="screenreader-only">Links to an external site.</span></span></a>.</h4>
<h4></h4>
<h4>TOEFL scores are also accepted by Australian professional accreditation bodies in fields such as accounting, health care and engineering. Read more in our <a class="external" href="http://www.ets.org/s/toefl/pdf/toefl-faq-skilled-migration-hp-ac-ada.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Skilled Migration FAQs(opens new window)<span class="screenreader-only"> (Links to an external site.)</span><span class="ui-icon ui-icon-extlink ui-icon-inline" title="Links to an external site."><span class="screenreader-only">Links to an external site.</span></span></a>.</h4>
<h4></h4>
<h4><strong>UK</strong>: TOEFL scores are accepted by the vast majority of universities in the UK, including all of the Russell Group universities. TOEFL scores are also accepted for UK student visas, under certain conditions. Read more about <a class="external" href="http://www.ets.org/toefl/ibt/about/who_accepts_scores/uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">UK student visas(opens new window)<span class="screenreader-only"> (Links to an external site.)</span><span class="ui-icon ui-icon-extlink ui-icon-inline" title="Links to an external site."><span class="screenreader-only">Links to an external site.</span></span></a>.</h4>
<h1 class="page-title">TOEFL: What's included in TOEFL?</h1>
https://youtu.be/eiajvo64zyg

<strong>Video Transcript. </strong>
<h4><span role="link" data-index="1" data-start="7207"><em><strong>The TOEFL Test</strong></em> allows you to demonstrate that you have </span><span role="link" data-index="2" data-start="10177">the English language skills necessary </span><span role="link" data-index="3" data-start="12512">for effective communication in academic setting. </span><span role="link" data-index="4" data-start="15849">Here's an overview of what to expect on the test. </span><span role="link" data-index="5" data-start="19419">The TOEFL Test has four sections, </span><span role="link" data-index="6" data-start="21955">Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing. </span><span role="link" data-index="7" data-start="25659">All four sections are completed in one testing session, </span><span role="link" data-index="8" data-start="29329">which takes about four hours. </span><span role="link" data-index="9" data-start="32132">The first section is Reading. </span><span role="link" data-index="10" data-start="34301">The Reading section has three or four passages </span><span role="link" data-index="11" data-start="37037">of about 700 words each. </span><span role="link" data-index="12" data-start="39373">For each passage, you will answer </span><span role="link" data-index="13" data-start="41742">12 to 14 multiple choice questions. </span><span role="link" data-index="14" data-start="45212">You will have 60 to 80 minutes </span><span role="link" data-index="15" data-start="47247">to complete the Reading section. </span><span role="link" data-index="16" data-start="49249">And during that time, you can return to previous questions </span><span role="link" data-index="17" data-start="52452">to review or change your answers. </span><span role="link" data-index="18" data-start="54922">Next, is the Listening section. </span><span role="link" data-index="19" data-start="57291">For this section, you will wear a headset </span><span role="link" data-index="20" data-start="59626">to hear the conversations and lectures. </span><span role="link" data-index="21" data-start="62129">There are two or three conversations. </span><span role="link" data-index="22" data-start="64531">Each is about three minutes long </span><span role="link" data-index="23" data-start="67034">and has five multiple choice questions. </span><span role="link" data-index="24" data-start="69836">There are four or six lectures, each of those </span><span role="link" data-index="25" data-start="72673">about three to five minutes long </span><span role="link" data-index="26" data-start="74841">and has six multiple choice questions. </span><span role="link" data-index="27" data-start="77544">In the Listening section, you will only hear </span><span role="link" data-index="28" data-start="80013">the conversations and lectures one time. </span><span role="link" data-index="29" data-start="82583">Also you must answer the questions in the order </span><span role="link" data-index="30" data-start="85419">that they are presented. </span><span role="link" data-index="31" data-start="86954">In this section, you can't go back to previous questions. </span><span role="link" data-index="32" data-start="90657">You will have 60 to 90 minutes to complete the section. </span><span role="link" data-index="33" data-start="94828">You probably notice that in the Reading </span><span role="link" data-index="34" data-start="96930">and Listening sections, the testing time </span><span role="link" data-index="35" data-start="99366">and number of questions can vary. </span><span role="link" data-index="36" data-start="102002">That is because every test includes some extra questions </span><span role="link" data-index="37" data-start="105973">that are being evaluated by ETS for use in future tests </span><span role="link" data-index="38" data-start="110711">and do not count toward your score. </span><span role="link" data-index="39" data-start="112879">So, your test will either have extra Reading questions </span><span role="link" data-index="40" data-start="116984">or extra Listening questions, but never both. </span><span role="link" data-index="41" data-start="120754">And you won't know which questions are the extra ones </span><span role="link" data-index="42" data-start="124291">so make sure you do your best on all of them. </span><span role="link" data-index="43" data-start="127461">After the Listening section, there is a required </span><span role="link" data-index="44" data-start="130097">10-minute break. </span><span role="link" data-index="45" data-start="131965">So use the time to have some water or a snack </span><span role="link" data-index="46" data-start="134468">and refresh yourself for the rest of the test. </span><span role="link" data-index="47" data-start="137838">After the break is the Speaking section. </span><span role="link" data-index="48" data-start="140007">The Speaking section has six tasks </span><span role="link" data-index="49" data-start="142576">and takes about 20 minutes to complete. </span><span role="link" data-index="50" data-start="145545">Some tasks require you to listen to part of a conversation </span><span role="link" data-index="51" data-start="148882">or lecture, so you will continue to use your headset. </span><span role="link" data-index="52" data-start="152452">Some also require you to read a short passage. </span><span role="link" data-index="53" data-start="156723">For each task, you will be asked a question </span><span role="link" data-index="54" data-start="159493">and will be given a short time to prepare your response. </span><span role="link" data-index="55" data-start="162629">Then, you will speak into the microphone </span><span role="link" data-index="56" data-start="165432">on your headset for 45 to 60 seconds, </span><span role="link" data-index="57" data-start="168368">depending on the question. </span><span role="link" data-index="58" data-start="170637">Last, is the Writing section, in which you will </span><span role="link" data-index="59" data-start="173306">complete two writing tasks in 50 minutes </span><span role="link" data-index="60" data-start="176376">by typing your responses into the computer. </span><span role="link" data-index="61" data-start="179546">In the first task, you will read a passage </span><span role="link" data-index="62" data-start="181748">and listen to a short lecture, then write your response. </span><span role="link" data-index="63" data-start="185318">You will have 20 minutes to write your response. </span><span role="link" data-index="64" data-start="188388">In the second task, you will be asked your opinion </span><span role="link" data-index="65" data-start="191458">on an issue and you will have 30 minutes to write </span><span role="link" data-index="66" data-start="194428">your response. </span><span role="link" data-index="67" data-start="195996">And that's it. </span><span role="link" data-index="68" data-start="197531">After you finish the test, you should go do something fun. </span><span role="link" data-index="69" data-start="200667">You've earned it. </span><span role="link" data-index="70" data-start="202135">You did your best on an important test </span><span role="link" data-index="71" data-start="203837">and that's a great accomplishment.</span></h4>
<h4 class="page-title">TOEFL: How it's Made &amp; Scored?</h4>
<h4>How the <i><em>TOEFL<sup>®</sup></em></i> Test is Made</h4>
<h4>People often ask, “How do you decide what to put on the test?” and “How do you create the test?”</h4>
<h4>Producing a Stimulus and Questions</h4>
<h4>The development of TOEFL test content begins with test developers who are experts in a wide variety of subjects. These test developers search for source material that is typical of what can be found in a first- or second-year university-level class. They consult textbooks and published research studies, work with professors and researchers, and draw on their own expertise to produce what we call a <i><em>stimulus</em></i>—material such as a reading passage or a lecture. They then create questions which ask about the content of the stimulus. But things don’t end there.</h4>
<h4>Fairness, Reliability and Validity</h4>
<h4>Next, the stimulus and questions go through multiple reviews by other experts. They are reviewed for content <i><em>accuracy</em></i>. They are also reviewed for<i><em>fairness</em></i>, <i><em>reliability</em></i> and <i><em>validity</em></i>. To be fair, test content must not be biased toward one group over another. It must not include content that could be unnecessarily upsetting to test takers; this could cause them to perform poorly due to the stress of focusing on the emotionally charged content. To be reliable, tests given at different times must be of a similar difficulty to one another. To be valid, the test must be designed to assess only the skills that need to be measured. In other words, we must test what we say we are testing. A test of English should not ask people to solve complex math problems because we are not testing math skills—we are testing English skills.</h4>
<h4>Multiple-choice Questions</h4>
<h4>For multiple-choice questions in the Reading and Listening sections, reviewers ensure that there is one and only one right answer, unless the question was specifically designed to have more than one right answer. They also ensure that right answers are definitely right and that wrong answers are definitely wrong. For Reading, right answers represent what a good, competent reader of English would understand from the passage. For Listening, right answers represent what a good, competent listener of English would understand from the conversation or lecture. Each set of questions covers the content of an entire reading or listening stimulus.</h4>
<h4>Editing and Design</h4>
<h4>The stimulus and questions are then modified as needed, in consultation with the original test developer who produced the material. Then they are sent to editors who fact check the material, correct any grammatical and typographical errors, and ensure a consistent style. If an image is needed, such as artwork or a photograph, it is created or obtained by our art department. If copyright permission is needed, it is acquired by our copyright permissions department. If recordings are needed, they are produced in a studio by voice actors who read scripts containing the test material. Once all the materials are gathered, they are entered into a system that displays the content exactly as it will be seen by test takers, and everything is proofed several more times.</h4>
<h4>Pretesting and Finalizing</h4>
<h4>Some of the content is pretested to determine whether the test questions perform as anticipated. We then analyze the pretest results and can determine from these analyses whether a question is too difficult, not difficult enough, or whether it is more difficult for one population than for a different population of the same ability level. For example, did females perform better than males on a question? This would suggest that there is a problem—perhaps something about the question is not fair to males. We want to be fair and equitable to everyone, so such a question would need to be examined and probably revised. Also, we can see from the pretest results whether a large percentage of people of high English proficiency chose an incorrect answer. This could mean that the incorrect answer choice that they chose is faulty in some way. It could also mean that the correct answer is not precisely or clearly written. Problematic answer choices are then modified. After all analyses are complete and any necessary modifications are made, the question can be used in a test.</h4>
<h4>Test Assembly and Certification</h4>
<h4>All finalized stimuli and questions are sent to a database from which test assemblers choose material and assemble a test. Experts then take the entire test, going through the questions one by one. These experts also consider an assembled form as a whole. If overlapping content is found, it is replaced. The form is then certified as ready to be administered at test centers around the world.</h4>
<h4>But that’s not enough for us. Once test takers have taken the test and the data is returned, we look at the results to make sure that all the test questions performed as intended. If any question did not, it is thrown out and does not count toward a test taker’s score.</h4>
<h4>Our Responsibility to You</h4>
<h4>So whenever you take your <i><em>TOEFL iBT<sup>®</sup></em></i> test, you can be assured that hundreds of ETS employees have worked to make sure your score accurately reflects your ability. We know that our tests have an impact on real people, so it is our responsibility to create the highest quality assessments possible, one question at a time.</h4>
<h4>How the <i><em>TOEFL<sup>®</sup></em></i> Test is Scored</h4>
<h4>Each of the four sections of the test—Reading, Listening, Speaking and Writing—is scored on a scale from 0-30. The total score is the sum of the four section scores, with a range of 0-120.</h4>
<h4>You will learn more details about how each section is scored in weeks 2-5 of the course.</h4>
<h4>Accommodations and Accessibility</h4>
<h4>ETS is committed to serving test takers with disabilities or health-related needs by providing reasonable accommodations that are appropriate given the purpose of the test.</h4>
<h4>For information regarding accommodations for test takers with disabilities or health-related needs, visit <a class="external" href="https://www.ets.org/toefl/ibt/register/disabilities" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Accommodations for Test Takers with Disabilities or Health-related Needs(opens new window)<span class="screenreader-only"> (Links to an external site.)</span><span class="ui-icon ui-icon-extlink ui-icon-inline" title="Links to an external site."><span class="screenreader-only">Links to an external site.</span></span></a></h4>
<h4>For information regarding <i><em>TOEFL iBT</em></i><sup>®</sup> test preparation tools in accessible formats, visit <a class="external" href="https://www.ets.org/toefl/ibt/register/disabilities/test_preparation/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">TOEFL iBT Test Preparation Tools in Accessible Formats<span class="screenreader-only"> (Links to an external site.)</span><span class="ui-icon ui-icon-extlink ui-icon-inline" title="Links to an external site."><span class="screenreader-only">Links to an external site.</span></span></a></h4>
<h4 class="page-title">TOEFL: Session One Summary</h4>
https://youtu.be/lg_NX_FAwH4

<strong>Video Transcript</strong>
<h4><span role="link" data-index="1" data-start="6673"> Throughout this week, we learned general information </span><span role="link" data-index="2" data-start="8575">about the TOEFL test.</span></h4>
<h4><span role="link" data-index="3" data-start="10377">We started the week by meeting Cynthia, Insook, </span><span role="link" data-index="4" data-start="13780">Molly, Shawn, and Michael, who are the instructors </span><span role="link" data-index="5" data-start="17084">that will be leading you through the course. </span><span role="link" data-index="6" data-start="19319">You also had the chance to introduce yourself </span><span role="link" data-index="7" data-start="21788">and tell us where you're from. </span><span role="link" data-index="8" data-start="23724">We hope you have taken this opportunity </span><span role="link" data-index="9" data-start="25692">to connect with others who are also preparing </span><span role="link" data-index="10" data-start="27961">to take the TOEFL test. </span><span role="link" data-index="11" data-start="29630">During this week, we heard from </span><span role="link" data-index="12" data-start="31131">a few university representatives </span><span role="link" data-index="13" data-start="33133">about the English language skills </span><span role="link" data-index="14" data-start="34835">that are expected at universities around the world, </span><span role="link" data-index="15" data-start="37871">where English is the language of instruction. </span><span role="link" data-index="16" data-start="40674">Studying in another country offers a lot of new </span><span role="link" data-index="17" data-start="43443">exciting experiences. </span><span role="link" data-index="18" data-start="45712">You adjust to a new culture with new friends. </span><span role="link" data-index="19" data-start="48715">Achieving your score goals on the TOEFL test </span><span role="link" data-index="20" data-start="51118">can help you feel confident in the English skills you need </span><span role="link" data-index="21" data-start="53954">to succeed in a university setting. </span><span role="link" data-index="22" data-start="56556">Next week, we will look deeper inside </span><span role="link" data-index="23" data-start="58458">the reading section of the TOEFL test. </span><span role="link" data-index="24" data-start="61194">We will learn about the question types in this section </span><span role="link" data-index="25" data-start="63997">and we will share tips to help improve your reading skills. </span><span role="link" data-index="26" data-start="67301">Before next week, be sure to leave us your questions </span><span role="link" data-index="27" data-start="70137">about the reading section, </span><span role="link" data-index="28" data-start="71638">like how do I distinguish the main points from minor ones? </span><span role="link" data-index="29" data-start="75776">Or how do I increase my vocabulary? </span><span role="link" data-index="30" data-start="78912">You can do this in the discussion board in this unit. </span><span role="link" data-index="31" data-start="81782">See you next week!</span></h4>
<h4 class="page-title">TOEFL: Session Two- Reading</h4>
https://youtu.be/Ln-FdeSO_jc

<strong>(Video Transcript)</strong>

&nbsp;

<span role="link" data-index="1" data-start="6039">- Hi, I'm Cynthia, your reading expert</span>

<span role="link" data-index="2" data-start="8275">and TOEFL instructor for this week.</span>

<span role="link" data-index="3" data-start="10711">Being able to read text in English can open up</span>

<span role="link" data-index="4" data-start="13046">a lot of opportunities for you.</span>

<span role="link" data-index="5" data-start="15349">Think how much you read every single day.</span>

<span role="link" data-index="6" data-start="18085">Instructions, news articles, transportation signs.</span>

<span role="link" data-index="7" data-start="21922">These are all examples of things you have to read.</span>

<span role="link" data-index="8" data-start="25125">So you can see how important reading is</span>

<span role="link" data-index="9" data-start="27160">to anyone learning English.</span>

<span role="link" data-index="10" data-start="28996">We spoke to a few English language learners</span>

<span role="link" data-index="11" data-start="31465">about the challenges and successes they encountered</span>

<span role="link" data-index="12" data-start="34401">while working to improve their English reading skills.</span>

<span role="link" data-index="13" data-start="38739">- It takes me a long time to read in English,</span>

<span role="link" data-index="14" data-start="41375">I have to read things three or four times before</span>

<span role="link" data-index="15" data-start="44077">I understand them.</span>

<span role="link" data-index="16" data-start="45712">- When I started learning English reading</span>

<span role="link" data-index="17" data-start="48515">several years ago, the most challenging part for me</span>

<span role="link" data-index="18" data-start="51251">is the vocabulary.</span>

<span role="link" data-index="19" data-start="53120">Because if I cannot recognize several words in a paragraph,</span>

<span role="link" data-index="20" data-start="58091">I just cannot grasp the meaning of the whole</span>

<span role="link" data-index="21" data-start="61094">paragraph, or the passage.</span>

<span role="link" data-index="22" data-start="63964">- When I read, I'm not sure which information</span>

<span role="link" data-index="23" data-start="66133">is important, and which information is not so important.</span>

<span role="link" data-index="24" data-start="69569">- When I first started reading in English,</span>

<span role="link" data-index="25" data-start="72172">I would stop often to look up the words I didn't know.</span>

<span role="link" data-index="26" data-start="75876">But the more I read, the larger my vocabulary becomes.</span>

<span role="link" data-index="27" data-start="80047">I have also learned that I don't need to understand</span>

<span role="link" data-index="28" data-start="83317">every word in a passage.</span>

<span role="link" data-index="29" data-start="85218">I try to figure out words from context,</span>

<span role="link" data-index="30" data-start="88322">and only look up words when I absolutely have to.</span>

<span role="link" data-index="31" data-start="92459">- When I read, I take notes about</span>

<span role="link" data-index="32" data-start="94194">important points.</span>

<span role="link" data-index="33" data-start="95696">When I take notes, I put things into my own words.</span>

<span role="link" data-index="34" data-start="98799">This helps me better understand what</span>

<span role="link" data-index="35" data-start="101034">a reading passage is about.</span>

<span role="link" data-index="36" data-start="103136">- Let's address some of the concerns you have</span>

<span role="link" data-index="37" data-start="105539">about reading, by preparing together.</span>

<span role="link" data-index="38" data-start="108342">This week, we're going to take a deeper look</span>

<span role="link" data-index="39" data-start="111044">at the reading section of the TOEFL IBT Test.</span>

<span role="link" data-index="40" data-start="114681">First, we'll discuss the question types</span>

<span role="link" data-index="41" data-start="117718">that you'll see on the test.</span>

<span role="link" data-index="42" data-start="119586">We'll then provide you with some tips</span>

<span role="link" data-index="43" data-start="121154">on how to answer the questions.</span>

<span role="link" data-index="44" data-start="123390">And then we'll give you a chance</span>

<span role="link" data-index="45" data-start="124725">to practice answering reading questions</span>

<span role="link" data-index="46" data-start="126927">from an actual TOEFL test.</span>

<span role="link" data-index="47" data-start="129363">Are you ready to get started?</span>

<span role="link" data-index="48" data-start="131598">Let's go.</span>
<h1 class="page-title">TOEFL: Academic Reading</h1>
https://youtu.be/-lceQKjqXUY

<strong>(Video Transcript)</strong>
<h4><span role="link" data-index="1" data-start="6340">If you're like me, you like to read popular </span><span role="link" data-index="2" data-start="9042">magazines for fun. </span><span role="link" data-index="3" data-start="11044">Maybe sports magazines, </span><span role="link" data-index="4" data-start="12613">or magazines about celebrities. </span><span role="link" data-index="5" data-start="15716">These kinds of magazines can be helpful </span><span role="link" data-index="6" data-start="17885">when you're learning English. </span><span role="link" data-index="7" data-start="19586">As part of a broad strategy for building </span><span role="link" data-index="8" data-start="22222">your reading skills with an array </span><span role="link" data-index="9" data-start="24157">of English language texts. </span><span role="link" data-index="10" data-start="26260">They're full of engaging topics </span><span role="link" data-index="11" data-start="27995">and interesting opinions expressed </span><span role="link" data-index="12" data-start="30097">in an informal tone. </span><span role="link" data-index="13" data-start="31932">But to be successful on the TOEFL test, </span><span role="link" data-index="14" data-start="34835">you need to read academic texts </span><span role="link" data-index="15" data-start="37337">as part of your preparation strategy. </span><span role="link" data-index="16" data-start="40173">At any university, you will encounter textbooks </span><span role="link" data-index="17" data-start="43543">and articles on a wide variety </span><span role="link" data-index="18" data-start="45879">of academic subjects. </span><span role="link" data-index="19" data-start="47915">Including the social sciences, </span><span role="link" data-index="20" data-start="50450">the arts, and </span><span role="link" data-index="21" data-start="51818">physical and life sciences. </span><span role="link" data-index="22" data-start="53921">Because these are the kinds of texts you'll </span><span role="link" data-index="23" data-start="55589">be using in university courses. </span><span role="link" data-index="24" data-start="57991">They're also the kinds of texts you'll see </span><span role="link" data-index="25" data-start="60127">on the TOEFL test. </span><span role="link" data-index="26" data-start="61762">So, today we're going to look at </span><span role="link" data-index="27" data-start="63797">three key characteristics of academic texts.</span></h4>
<h4><span role="link" data-index="28" data-start="67668">First, academic texts generally use </span><span role="link" data-index="29" data-start="70737">formal language. </span><span role="link" data-index="30" data-start="72873">Stylistically, there are probably very few contractions </span><span role="link" data-index="31" data-start="76944">or abbreviations. </span><span role="link" data-index="32" data-start="78712">In terms of vocabulary, the author may use </span><span role="link" data-index="33" data-start="81214">specialized, or infrequently used words. </span><span role="link" data-index="34" data-start="84885">And almost no idioms or slang expressions. </span><span role="link" data-index="35" data-start="88088">Also, the author may use grammar that is </span><span role="link" data-index="36" data-start="90424">not typical of everyday spoken language. </span><span role="link" data-index="37" data-start="93460">Or, text written for non-academic purposes. </span><span role="link" data-index="38" data-start="96496">Such as entertainment.</span></h4>
<h4><span role="link" data-index="39" data-start="98365">Next, the material is presented in a logical </span><span role="link" data-index="40" data-start="101635">and objective way, that is to say, </span><span role="link" data-index="41" data-start="104237">without personal bias. </span><span role="link" data-index="42" data-start="106139">Based on facts, not feelings. </span><span role="link" data-index="43" data-start="108275">Whereas popular writing often exaggerates </span><span role="link" data-index="44" data-start="111445">and appeals to emotions. </span><span role="link" data-index="45" data-start="113380">Due to its objectivity, the tone may feel </span><span role="link" data-index="46" data-start="116049">impersonal, rather than personal. </span><span role="link" data-index="47" data-start="118719">A popular magazine article, on the other hand, </span><span role="link" data-index="48" data-start="121621">may be written in a way that tries </span><span role="link" data-index="49" data-start="123657">to appeal to your emotions. </span><span role="link" data-index="50" data-start="125993">Maybe it tries to get you to care about</span></h4>
<h4><span role="link" data-index="51" data-start="128795">whether a contract between a sports team </span><span role="link" data-index="52" data-start="131431">and a particular player will be renewed, for example. </span><span role="link" data-index="53" data-start="134401">Or, maybe it tries to make you upset </span><span role="link" data-index="54" data-start="136403">that a certain celebrity wasn't chosen for a role </span><span role="link" data-index="55" data-start="139172">in an upcoming movie.</span></h4>
<h4><span role="link" data-index="56" data-start="140674">Textbooks and academic papers generally </span><span role="link" data-index="57" data-start="143243">won't try to appeal to your emotions. </span><span role="link" data-index="58" data-start="146213">Last, academic texts are conceptually complex. </span><span role="link" data-index="59" data-start="150717">This means the ideas being presented </span><span role="link" data-index="60" data-start="153286">in an academic text may not be straightforward ones. </span><span role="link" data-index="61" data-start="157824">In other words, they may be nuanced, </span><span role="link" data-index="62" data-start="160093">or multidimensional.</span></h4>
<h4><span role="link" data-index="63" data-start="161628">Not simplistic. </span><span role="link" data-index="64" data-start="163030">And the relationship among those ideas </span><span role="link" data-index="65" data-start="165132">may also be complicated. </span><span role="link" data-index="66" data-start="167167">There may be interconnected parts. </span><span role="link" data-index="67" data-start="169803">These parts may be spread across the text. </span><span role="link" data-index="68" data-start="172739">So the reader may need to draw connections </span><span role="link" data-index="69" data-start="175208">between individual sentences </span><span role="link" data-index="70" data-start="177377">or across paragraphs. </span><span role="link" data-index="71" data-start="179179">Additionally, the reader may need to draw </span><span role="link" data-index="72" data-start="181081">inferences, which means, the reader has to </span><span role="link" data-index="73" data-start="183950">read between the lines. </span><span role="link" data-index="74" data-start="186153">This doesn't necessarily mean academic </span><span role="link" data-index="75" data-start="187954">texts are difficult, it just means that they </span><span role="link" data-index="76" data-start="190724">are not simplistic in their presentation of material.</span></h4>
<h4><span role="link" data-index="77" data-start="194961">So, to review. </span><span role="link" data-index="78" data-start="196430">Academic texts use formal language. </span><span role="link" data-index="79" data-start="199466">They present ideas logically and objectively. </span><span role="link" data-index="80" data-start="202669">And they are conceptually complex. </span><span role="link" data-index="81" data-start="205138">When you practice reading in English, </span><span role="link" data-index="82" data-start="207340">be sure you are reading quality academic texts.</span></h4>
<h4><span role="link" data-index="83" data-start="211078">They will help you prepare for test day </span><span role="link" data-index="84" data-start="213213">and beyond.</span></h4>
<h4></h4>
<h4>About the Reading Section</h4>
<h4>The first section of the <i><em>TOEFL iBT<sup>®</sup></em></i>  test is the Reading section.</h4>
<h4>This section uses reading passages from university-level textbooks that introduce a topic. The passages may have been changed slightly to make them appropriate for testing purposes, but they are real academic materials.</h4>
<h4>Topics of the reading passages can vary, but you do not need to have any prior knowledge of the topics. Everything you need to know to answer the questions is in the passages, because the questions are testing your English skills, not your knowledge of the topic.</h4>
<h4>There are 3 or 4 reading passages of about 700 words each. For each passage, there are 12 to 14 multiple-choice questions. You <i><em>will </em></i>be able to see the reading passage as you answer each question.</h4>
<h4>Most questions have four choices and a single correct answer. Some questions ask you to select two or more correct answers from a larger group of choices.</h4>
<h4>You will have 60 to 80 minutes to complete the Reading section. During that time, you can return to previous questions to review or change your answers.</h4>
<h4>You will learn more details about the Reading section this week through a series of videos about the different Reading question types.</h4>
<h1 class="page-title">TOEFL: Reading Time Management</h1>
<h3><strong>Managing Your Time</strong></h3>
<h4>During the Reading section, you should spend no more than 20 minutes on each passage and its related questions. You can use free practice materials such as <a class="external" href="https://www.ets.org/toefl/ibt/prepare/quick_prep/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><i>TOEFL iBT </i><sup>®</sup> Quick Prep(opens new window)<span class="screenreader-only"> (Links to an external site.)</span><span class="ui-icon ui-icon-extlink ui-icon-inline" title="Links to an external site."><span class="screenreader-only">Links to an external site.</span></span></a> to time yourself. As you practice, you will see how much time you typically need to read each passage and how much time you typically need to answer the questions. Once you figure this out, you can adjust how much time you need to give yourself.</h4>
https://youtu.be/5ITT8A1vwGk

<strong>Video Transcript </strong>

<span role="link" data-index="1" data-start="6173">- Today we're going to talk about how to approach</span>

<span role="link" data-index="2" data-start="8742">the TOEFL iBT Reading passage.</span>

<span role="link" data-index="3" data-start="11712">Good reading techniques will give you the best chance</span>

<span role="link" data-index="4" data-start="14548">to do well on the TOEFL reading section.</span>

<span role="link" data-index="5" data-start="17217">It's a good idea to begin by focusing on the big picture.</span>

<span role="link" data-index="6" data-start="23657">What topic is going to be discussed in the passage?</span>

<span role="link" data-index="7" data-start="26293">Before you begin to read,</span>

<span role="link" data-index="8" data-start="28295">take a look at the title,</span>

<span role="link" data-index="9" data-start="29796">and the illustration at the beginning of the passage.</span>

<span role="link" data-index="10" data-start="32633">If there is one.</span>

<span role="link" data-index="11" data-start="33867">Then, for the text, you can use the technique</span>

<span role="link" data-index="12" data-start="36837">called skimming.</span>

<span role="link" data-index="13" data-start="38338">Take a glance at the first few sentences</span>

<span role="link" data-index="14" data-start="40641">of the first paragraph.</span>

<span role="link" data-index="15" data-start="42676">These sentences form the introduction</span>

<span role="link" data-index="16" data-start="45279">and usually give the reader an idea of</span>

<span role="link" data-index="17" data-start="47748">what is to come.</span>

<span role="link" data-index="18" data-start="49750">Then take a look at the first sentence</span>

<span role="link" data-index="19" data-start="52085">of each of the other paragraphs.</span>

<span role="link" data-index="20" data-start="54721">These sentences often provide information</span>

<span role="link" data-index="21" data-start="57124">about the main point, or points,</span>

<span role="link" data-index="22" data-start="59159">in each paragraph.</span>

<span role="link" data-index="23" data-start="60961">At this stage, you should have an impression</span>

<span role="link" data-index="24" data-start="63297">of what the main topic of the passage is.</span>

<span role="link" data-index="25" data-start="66300">As well as an understanding of some of</span>

<span role="link" data-index="26" data-start="68135">the key ideas to be discussed.</span>

<span role="link" data-index="27" data-start="70537">You should also have an impression</span>

<span role="link" data-index="28" data-start="72205">about the author's intent.</span>

<span role="link" data-index="29" data-start="74374">Is the author explaining a phenomenon,</span>

<span role="link" data-index="30" data-start="77344">or presenting opposing points of view?</span>

<span role="link" data-index="31" data-start="80447">What is the main purpose of the text you're reading?</span>

<span role="link" data-index="32" data-start="83383">While you skim, pay attention</span>

<span role="link" data-index="33" data-start="85485">to the structure, or organization of the passage.</span>

<span role="link" data-index="34" data-start="89289">You may want to take notes</span>

<span role="link" data-index="35" data-start="90791">in the form of an outline.</span>

<span role="link" data-index="36" data-start="92859">Here's an example.</span>

<span role="link" data-index="37" data-start="99967">Now you're ready to carefully read the passage</span>

<span role="link" data-index="38" data-start="103003">from beginning to end.</span>

<span role="link" data-index="39" data-start="105072">As you read, you can fill in more of the outline.</span>

<span role="link" data-index="40" data-start="108775">Such as the specific details</span>

<span role="link" data-index="41" data-start="110711">that support some of the key ideas.</span>

<span role="link" data-index="42" data-start="113213">Remember to just jot down phrases.</span>

<span role="link" data-index="43" data-start="115949">The outline, or notes, are only meant</span>

<span role="link" data-index="44" data-start="118552">to help you remember what you've read.</span>

<span role="link" data-index="45" data-start="121154">You shouldn't spend a lot of time writing.</span>

<span role="link" data-index="46" data-start="123590">Don't worry if you don't understand</span>

<span role="link" data-index="47" data-start="125258">everything in the passage.</span>

<span role="link" data-index="48" data-start="127294">It's not necessary to understand every detail.</span>

<span role="link" data-index="49" data-start="130797">What is important is that you understand</span>

<span role="link" data-index="50" data-start="133133">the main idea being discussed.</span>

<span role="link" data-index="51" data-start="135902">It's also important to think about</span>

<span role="link" data-index="52" data-start="138005">why the author has included pieces of information.</span>

<span role="link" data-index="53" data-start="141875">Is a piece of information an example</span>

<span role="link" data-index="54" data-start="144544">of a phenomenon?</span>

<span role="link" data-index="55" data-start="146613">A supporting detail for an argument?</span>

<span role="link" data-index="56" data-start="149416">Or, perhaps the introduction of a new idea.</span>

<span role="link" data-index="57" data-start="152586">After reading through the passage,</span>

<span role="link" data-index="58" data-start="154755">begin to look at the questions.</span>

<span role="link" data-index="59" data-start="156990">Once you read each question,</span>

<span role="link" data-index="60" data-start="158658">you can go back to the passage</span>

<span role="link" data-index="61" data-start="160327">to look in a targeted way</span>

<span role="link" data-index="62" data-start="162295">for the information you need to answer that question.</span>

<span role="link" data-index="63" data-start="166166">This is called scanning.</span>

<span role="link" data-index="64" data-start="168135">For instance, if a question asks about climate</span>

<span role="link" data-index="65" data-start="171204">in the Middle Ages, then look for those words in the passage.</span>

<span role="link" data-index="66" data-start="175909">After you've located them,</span>

<span role="link" data-index="67" data-start="177878">re-read the phrases and sentences</span>

<span role="link" data-index="68" data-start="179880">containing those words.</span>

<span role="link" data-index="69" data-start="181882">You should be able to find the information you need</span>

<span role="link" data-index="70" data-start="184117">to answer the question.</span>

<span role="link" data-index="71" data-start="185619">Remember, that as you look at each question</span>

<span role="link" data-index="72" data-start="188121">you'll be able to see the paragraph,</span>

<span role="link" data-index="73" data-start="190090">or paragraphs, that the question refers to</span>

<span role="link" data-index="74" data-start="192859">on one side of your computer screen.</span>

<span role="link" data-index="75" data-start="195796">You will also be able to scroll through</span>

<span role="link" data-index="76" data-start="197798">the entire passage.</span>

<span role="link" data-index="77" data-start="199700">So, if you keep these things in mind,</span>

<span role="link" data-index="78" data-start="202536">you should be able to move through</span>

<span role="link" data-index="79" data-start="204071">all the questions for each reading passage</span>

<span role="link" data-index="80" data-start="207007">at a reasonable pace.</span>

<span role="link" data-index="81" data-start="209042">Just remember to answer all the questions</span>

<span role="link" data-index="82" data-start="211778">the best you can.</span>

&nbsp;
<h3><strong>Tips</strong></h3>
<h4>There are several key skills that you’ll need to be successful in the Reading section. You should be able to:</h4>
<h4><strong>1.  Synthesize information presented in the text </strong></h4>
<h4>This means that you can read chunks of text and identify main ideas being expressed. You should be able to draw connections between individual sentences and paraphrase the information that is presented.</h4>
<h4><strong>2.  Identify the author’s rhetorical purpose</strong></h4>
<h4>When you read a piece of information, you should be able to understand why the author has included it. Is it an example of a phenomenon, a supporting detail for an argument, or perhaps the introduction of a new idea? Understanding the structure of each paragraph and the whole passage is critical to understanding its contents.</h4>
<h4><strong>3.  Scan the text to find specific pieces of information</strong></h4>
<h4>In order to put together the big picture about what’s going on in a passage, you will also need to comprehend the little pieces that fit together to make that big picture. It is important to be able to quickly locate a sentence or portion of a paragraph that discusses a particular point. Once you’ve found that sentence, you can re-read it in order to understand exactly what is being expressed.</h4>
<h4><strong>4.  Understand academic vocabulary used in the passage</strong></h4>
<h4>A newspaper or magazine article might use more everyday language—the sort of thing you hear in conversations and read in emails. But an academic text, regardless of the subject, contains certain vocabulary that is standard in academic discourse. There might be words related to presenting theories: "propose", "hypothesis", "scenario". Or there could be words that connect two sentences: "however", "in addition", "thus". A good reader should be familiar with this type of vocabulary.</h4>
<h4 class="page-title">TOEFL: Factual Information</h4>
<h3><strong>Factual/ Negative Information Questions </strong></h3>
https://youtu.be/NZXpDpbG7mg
<h4><strong>Video Transcript</strong></h4>
<h4><em>Michael</em>:<strong> </strong>Hi, I’m Michael from ETS. Today on Inside the TOEFL Test, we’re going inside the TOEFL iBT Reading section. Specifically, the factual information and negative factual information questions.</h4>
<h4>Factual Information questions ask you to recognize information that is explicitly stated in the text.
These may include facts such as major ideas, supporting details, or definitions.
Negative factual information questions are similar, except that, instead of only one answer being true, three of the four answers are true, and you have to determine which one is false.</h4>
<h4><em>On-screen:  </em><em>Question Structure</em>
<em>Factual Information – explicitly stated</em></h4>
<ul>
 	<li>
<h4>Major ideas</h4>
</li>
 	<li>
<h4>Supporting details</h4>
</li>
 	<li>
<h4>Definitions</h4>
</li>
</ul>
<h4><em>Negative Factual Information – 3 out of 4 answers are true. Which one is FALSE?</em></h4>
<h4><em>Michael</em>: Factual Information questions will have phrases like “According to the paragraph,” or “Paragraph X answers which of the following?” in the question.</h4>
<h4>For negative factual information questions, look for the words “NOT” or “EXCEPT” in capital letters.</h4>
<h4><em>On-screen</em><em>: Recognizing the Question Type</em>
<em>Factual Information</em></h4>
<ul>
 	<li>
<h4>According to the paragraph</h4>
</li>
 	<li>
<h4>Paragraph X answers which of the following</h4>
</li>
</ul>
<h4><em>Negative Factual Information</em></h4>
<ul>
 	<li>
<h4>According to the paragraph, which of the following is NOT true?</h4>
</li>
 	<li>
<h4>The author mentions all of the following EXCEPT</h4>
</li>
</ul>
<h4><em>Michael</em>: Here are some tips for answering factual and negative factual information questions:
Number 1. Don’t automatically select an answer just because it contains words or phrases from the paragraph. Make sure you carefully evaluate each option to determine if it is correct.
2. For the negative factual information questions, remember that you’re looking for an answer that either isn’t in the paragraph, or directly contradicts information in the paragraph.</h4>
<h4><em>On-screen: </em>
<em>Factual Information</em></h4>
<ul>
 	<li>
<h4>Don’t select an answer just because it contains words or phrases from the paragraph.</h4>
</li>
 	<li>
<h4>Evaluate each option to determine if it is correct.</h4>
</li>
</ul>
<h4><em>For Negative Factual Information questions</em></h4>
<ul>
 	<li>
<h4><em>Answer is either not in the paragraph, or it contradicts information in the paragraph.</em></h4>
</li>
</ul>
<h4><em>Michael</em>: Let’s look at a sample factual information question. First, here’s an excerpt from a reading passage about meteorite impacts.</h4>
<h4><em>On-screen</em>: Sample Questions – Factual Information</h4>
<h4>The body that impacted Earth at the end of the Cretaceous period was a meteorite with a mass of more than a trillion tons and a diameter of at least 10 kilometers. Scientists first identified this impact in 1980 from the worldwide layer of sediment deposited from the dust cloud that enveloped the planet after the impact. This sediment layer is enriched in the rare metal iridium and other elements that are relatively abundant in a meteorite but very rare in the crust of Earth. Even diluted by the terrestrial material excavated from the crater, this component of meteorites is easily identified. By 1990 geologists had located the impact site itself in the Yucatán region of Mexico. The crater, now deeply buried in sediment, was originally about 200 kilometers in diameter.</h4>
<h4><em>Michael</em>: And here’s the question.</h4>
<h4><em>On-screen</em>:  According to paragraph 3, how did scientists determine that a large meteorite had impacted Earth?</h4>
<ol>
 	<li>
<h4>They discovered a large crater in the Yucatán region of Mexico.</h4>
</li>
 	<li>
<h4>They found a unique layer of sediment worldwide.</h4>
</li>
 	<li>
<h4>They were alerted by archaeologists who had been excavating in the Yucatán region.</h4>
</li>
 	<li>
<h4>They located a meteorite with a mass of over a trillion tons.</h4>
</li>
</ol>
<h4><em>Michael</em>: Be careful when selecting your answer, because 3 of the 4 answer choices misstate information from the passage OR contradict information from the passage.
One answer we can definitely eliminate is C, because there is no mention in this paragraph of archeologists working in the Yucatan region.
Choice A looks like what is said here in the last two sentences, where it does say they found the crater in 1990. But they determined in 1980 that there was a meteorite impact, so it’s not choice A.
Choice D is incorrect because it says that “they located a meteorite,” which is not true because what they found was the crater, and other evidence of the meteorite impact, not the meteorite itself.
That leaves choice B, which is supported by the second and third sentences. The second sentence mentions “the worldwide layer of sediment” and the third sentence explains how it is unique. Therefore B is the correct answer.</h4>
<h4><em>On-screen</em>:</h4>
<ul>
 	<li>
<h4>Red X appears next to answer option C. They were alerted by archaeologists who had been excavating in the Yucatán region.</h4>
</li>
 	<li>Highlight
<h4>appears on answer option A. They discovered a large crater in the Yucatán region of Mexico.</h4>
</li>
 	<li>Highlight
<h4>appears on</h4>
last
<h4>two sentences of the reading excerpt “By 1990 geologists had located the impact site itself in the Yucatán region of Mexico. The crater, now deeply buried in sediment, was originally about 200</h4>
kilometers
<h4>in diameter.”</h4>
</li>
 	<li>Highlight
<h4>appears on this sentence from the reading excerpt, “Scientists first identified this impact in 1980 from the worldwide layer of sediment deposited from the dust cloud that enveloped the planet after the impact.”</h4>
</li>
 	<li>
<h4>Red X appears next to answer option A. They discovered a large crater in the Yucatán region of Mexico.</h4>
</li>
 	<li>
<h4>Red X appears next to answer option D. They located a meteorite with a mass of over a trillion tons.</h4>
</li>
 	<li>Highlight
<h4>appears on</h4>
last
<h4>two sentences of the reading excerpt “By 1990 geologists had located the impact site itself in the Yucatán region of Mexico. The crater, now deeply buried in sediment, was originally about 200</h4>
kilometers
<h4>in diameter.”</h4>
</li>
 	<li>Highlight
<h4>appears on answer</h4>
option
<h4>B. They found a unique layer of sediment worldwide.</h4>
</li>
 	<li>Highlight
<h4>appears on reading excerpt sentences: “Scientists first identified this impact in 1980 from the worldwide layer of sediment deposited from the dust cloud that enveloped the planet after the impact. This sediment layer is enriched in the rare metal iridium and other elements that are relatively abundant in a meteorite but very rare in the crust of Earth.”</h4>
</li>
 	<li>Green check mark
<h4>appears on answer</h4>
option
<h4>B. They found a unique layer of sediment worldwide.</h4>
</li>
</ul>
<h4><em>Michael: </em>Now let’s look at a Negative Factual Information question. Here is another paragraph about meteorite impacts from the same reading passage.
And here’s the question.</h4>
<h4><em>On-screen</em>: Negative Factual Information Questions</h4>
<h4>This impact released an enormous amount of energy, excavating a crater about twice as large as the lunar crater Tycho. The explosion lifted about 100 trillion tons of dust into the atmosphere, as can be determined by measuring the thickness of the sediment layer formed when this dust settled to the surface. Such a quantity of material would have blocked the sunlight completely from reaching the surface, plunging Earth into a period of cold and darkness that lasted at least several months. The explosion is also calculated to have produced vast quantities of nitric acid and melted rock that sprayed out over much of Earth, starting widespread fires that must have consumed most terrestrial forests and grassland. Presumably, those environmental disasters could have been responsible for the mass extinction, including the death of the dinosaurs.</h4>
<h4>According to paragraph 4, all of the following statements are true of the impact at the end of the Cretaceous period EXCEPT:</h4>
<ol>
 	<li>
<h4>A large amount of dust blocked sunlight from Earth.</h4>
</li>
 	<li>
<h4>Earth became cold and dark for several months.</h4>
</li>
 	<li>
<h4>New elements were formed in Earth’s crust.</h4>
</li>
 	<li>
<h4>Large quantities of nitric acid were produced.</h4>
</li>
</ol>
<h4><em>Michael: </em>You know it’s a Negative Factual Information question because of the word EXCEPT in capital letters. So three of the choices are going to match information in the paragraph, and only one will not.
Let’s see how many correct choices we can find by scanning for key words that appear in the answers, like dust, sunlight, cold, dark, elements, crust, and nitric acid.  We may also need to look for synonyms of these words.
So if we scan the paragraph for some text about dust and blocked sunlight that corresponds to choice A, we find this, and it’s a match.
Choice B is here, where it talks about the cold and darkness.
There is nothing in the paragraph that talks about new elements or the Earth’s crust, so choice C looks like it might be the answer.
For choice D, we found that information here, where it talks about nitric acid.
So choice C is our answer.</h4>
<h4><em>On-screen</em>:</h4>
<ul>
 	<li>Highlight
<h4>appears on EXCEPT in the question: According to paragraph 4, all of the following statements are true of the impact at the end of the Cretaceous period EXCEPT:</h4>
</li>
 	<li>
<h4>3 of 4 answers are true. Which one is FALSE?</h4>
</li>
 	<li>Highlight
<h4>appears on dust, sunlight, cold, dark, elements, crust, and nitric acid in the answer options</h4>
</li>
 	<li>Highlight
<h4>appears on reading excerpt sentences: “The explosion lifted about 100 trillion tons of dust into the atmosphere,” and “Such a quantity of material would have blocked the sunlight completely from reaching the surface,”</h4>
</li>
 	<li>Highlight
<h4>appears on reading excerpt phrase: “plunging Earth into a period of cold and darkness that lasted at least several months.”</h4>
</li>
 	<li>Highlight
<h4>appears on reading excerpt phrase: “The explosion is also calculated to have produced vast quantities of nitric acid”</h4>
</li>
 	<li>
<h4>Highlight and green check appear on answer option C. New elements were formed in Earth’s crust.</h4>
</li>
</ul>
<h4><em>Michael: </em>Here is a tip to help you improve your reading skills.
Read news and magazine articles about various subjects as often as you can, and practice taking notes. When deciding what to write down, ask yourself what pieces of information are important, or relevant or credible? Then write those down, but keep the notes short. That will help you remember important information in what you read.</h4>
<h4><em>On-screen:</em> Skill Building Tips – Taking Notes</h4>
<ul>
 	<li>
<h4>What is important, relevant or credible?</h4>
</li>
 	<li>
<h4>Keep the notes short to help you remember important facts</h4>
</li>
</ul>
<h4><em>Michael: </em>There are lots of ways to improve your English skills. Whatever you do, keep practicing. And good luck on your TOEFL test.</h4>
<h4><em>On-screen:</em> For more information about the <em>TOEFL</em>® test and to register, visit the <em>TOEFL</em>® website at <a class="external" href="http://www.toeflgoanywhere.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">www.toeflgoanywhere.org<span class="screenreader-only"> (Links to an external site.)</span><span class="ui-icon ui-icon-extlink ui-icon-inline" title="Links to an external site."><span class="screenreader-only">Links to an external site.</span></span></a></h4>
<h1 class="page-title">TOEFL: Inference &amp; Rhetorical Purpose Questions</h1>
<h2 class="hd hd-2 unit-title">Inference and Rhetorical Purpose Questions</h2>
https://youtu.be/7nd8c9NnPVw

<strong>Video Transcript</strong>
<h4>Michael: Hi, I'm Michael from ETS. Today on Inside the TOEFL Test, we're going inside the TOEFL iBT Reading section. Specifically, the Inference and Rhetorical Purpose questions.</h4>
<h4>Michael: Inference questions ask you to identify information or comprehend an idea that is not explicitly stated in the reading passage.</h4>
<h4>You can recognize inference questions because they usually include the words "infer," "imply" or "suggest," like in these examples.</h4>
<h4>Rhetorical purpose questions are similar, because they also ask for information not explicitly stated. These will ask why the author has presented a piece of information.</h4>
<h4>On-screen: Inference- not explicitly stated</h4>
<ul>
 	<li>
<h4>Which of the following can be <u>inferred</u> from paragraph 1 about X?</h4>
</li>
 	<li>
<h4>The author of the paragraph <u>implies</u> that X…</h4>
</li>
 	<li>Paragraph X
<h4><u>suggests</u> which of the following about Y?</h4>
</li>
</ul>
<h4>Rhetorical purpose</h4>
<ul>
 	<li>
<h4><u>Why</u> does the author mention X?</h4>
</li>
</ul>
<h4>Michael: One way to approach these types of questions, if you can't identify the correct answer immediately, is to eliminate wrong answers. You will see more on this as we go through the example.</h4>
<h4>On-screen: Eliminate wrong answers if you can't identify the correct answer immediately.</h4>
<h4>Michael: Now let's do a sample inference question. Here's a paragraph from a reading passage about meteorite impacts.</h4>
<h4>Michael: Next, let's look at the question.</h4>
<h4>You see that it uses the word "inferred," so that clearly tells you that it's an inference question</h4>
<h4>On-screen: Which of the following can be inferred from the paragraph about the location of the meteorite impact in Mexico?</h4>
<ol>
 	<li>
<h4>The location of the impact site in Mexico was kept secret by geologists from 1980 to 1990.</h4>
</li>
 	<li>
<h4>It was a well-known fact that the impact had occurred in the Yucatán region.</h4>
</li>
 	<li>
<h4>Geologists knew that there had been an impact before they knew where it had occurred.</h4>
</li>
 	<li>
<h4>The Yucatán region was chosen by geologists as the most probable impact site because of its climate.</h4>
</li>
</ol>
<h4>Michael: Can you identify the correct answer? It's Choice C, because it's supported by this sentence, which indicates that scientists knew in 1980 that there had been an impact…</h4>
<h4>On-screen:</h4>
<ul>
 	<li>
<h4>Answer choice C is highlighted, Geologists knew that there had been an impact before they knew where it had occurred.</h4>
</li>
</ul>
<ul>
 	<li>Highlight
<h4>appears on</h4>
excerpt
<h4>text "Scientists first identified this impact in 1980 from the worldwide layer of sediment deposited from the dust cloud that enveloped the planet after the impact."</h4>
</li>
</ul>
<h4>…and this one, where it said the site had been located in the Yucatan.</h4>
<h4>On-screen: Highlight appears on excerpt text, "By 1990 geologists had located the impact site itself in the Yucatán region of Mexico."</h4>
<h4>Michael: Let's look at why the other choices can be eliminated.
Choice A is not correct, because there isn't anything written or implied in the passage about geologists keeping the impact site secret.</h4>
<h4>On-screen: Red X appears next to answer choice A. The location of the impact site in Mexico was kept secret by geologists from 1980 to 1990.</h4>
<h4>Michael: Choice B is also not correct. Saying that it was a "well known fact" contradicts the passage where it talks about the discovery of the crater in the Yucatan.</h4>
<h4>On-screen:</h4>
<ul>
 	<li>
<h4>Red X appears next to answer choice B. It was a well-known fact that the impact had occurred in the Yucatán region</h4>
</li>
 	<li>Highlight
<h4>appears on excerpt text, "By 1990 geologists had located the impact site itself in the Yucatán region of Mexico. The crater, now deeply buried in sediment, was originally about 200</h4>
kilometers
<h4>in diameter."</h4>
</li>
</ul>
<h4>Michael: Choice D also can't be correct, because the paragraph doesn't mention climate as a factor in the discovery of the impact site.</h4>
<h4>On-screen:
Red X appears next to answer choice D. The Yucatán region was chosen by geologists as the most probable impact site because of its climate.</h4>
<h4>Michael: Now let's look at an example of a rhetorical purpose question. It asks about information from a different paragraph in the same reading passage about meteorites and dinosaurs. It's like an Inference question, but it asks WHY the author includes a particular piece of information.</h4>
<h4>On-screen: If an impact is large enough, it can disturb the environment of the entire Earth and cause an ecological catastrophe. The best-documented such impact took place 65 million years ago at the end of the Cretaceous period of geological history. This break in Earth's history is marked by a mass extinction when as many as half the species on the planet became extinct. While there are a dozen or more mass extinctions in the geological record, the Cretaceous mass extinction has always intrigued paleontologists because it marks the end of the age of the dinosaurs. For tens of millions of years, those great creatures had flourished. Then suddenly, they disappeared.</h4>
<h4>In paragraph 2, why does the author include the information that dinosaurs had flourished for tens of millions of years and then suddenly disappeared?</h4>
<ol>
 	<li>
<h4>To support the claim that the mass extinction at the end of the Cretaceous is the best-documented of the dozen or so mass extinctions in the geological record</h4>
</li>
 	<li>
<h4>To explain why as many as half of the species on Earth at the time are believed to have become extinct at the end of the Cretaceous</h4>
</li>
 	<li>
<h4>To explain why paleontologists have always been intrigued by the mass extinction at the end of the Cretaceous</h4>
</li>
 	<li>
<h4>To provide evidence that an impact can be large enough to disturb the environment of the entire planet and cause an ecological disaster</h4>
</li>
</ol>
<h4>Michael: When reading each answer choice, the most important part to focus on is the "to clause" at the beginning of each one. Then pick the answer that best describes what the author is trying to do. In this case, the correct answer is C.</h4>
<h4>On-screen: Green check mark appears next to answer option C. To explain why paleontologists have always been intrigued by the mass extinction at the end of the Cretaceous</h4>
<h4>Michael: One way to build your reading skills is by practicing skimming, which is reading quickly to identify major points. One way to skim is to read the introductory paragraph, then the first sentence of each of the middle paragraphs, and then read the concluding paragraph.</h4>
<h4>On-screen: Skimming: reading quickly to identify major points</h4>
<h4>Michael: When you're practicing, try reading a passage twice, the first time skimming to get the main ideas, then read it again more carefully to see if you really DID get those main ideas.
Another tip that will help with rhetorical purpose questions is to make sure you know the definition of these words, because they are often used to describe kinds of rhetorical purposes.</h4>
<h4>On-screen: Rhetorical Purpose: Key words</h4>
<ul>
 	<li>
<h4>To illustrate</h4>
</li>
 	<li>
<h4>To explain</h4>
</li>
 	<li>
<h4>To contract</h4>
</li>
 	<li>
<h4>To refute</h4>
</li>
 	<li>
<h4>To note</h4>
</li>
 	<li>
<h4>To support</h4>
</li>
</ul>
<h4>Michael: There are lots of ways to improve your English skills. Whatever you do, keep practicing. And good luck on your TOEFL test.</h4>
<h4>On-screen: For more information about the TOEFL® test and to register, visit the TOEFL® website at <a class="external" href="http://www.toeflgoanywhere.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">www.toeflgoanywhere.org<span class="screenreader-only"> (Links to an external site.)</span><span class="ui-icon ui-icon-extlink ui-icon-inline" title="Links to an external site."><span class="screenreader-only">Links to an external site.</span></span></a></h4>
&nbsp;
<h3><strong>More About the Rhetorical Purpose Sample Question</strong></h3>
<h4>In the Rhetorical Purpose question in the video, the correct answer choice is C. Toward the end of the paragraph, the author mentions that the dinosaur extinctions have always “intrigued” paleontologists. We find out why they were so intrigued in the next two sentences: they were intrigued because the extinctions came so suddenly and occurred even though the dinosaurs had been flourishing for a long time. So the author includes that information in order to explain why the Cretaceous extinction has always been so intriguing.</h4>
<h4>Answer choices A, B and D all include correct statements from the paragraph, but they cannot be correct answers to this question because none of them states the author’s reason (the rhetorical purpose) for telling us that the dinosaurs flourished then suddenly disappeared.</h4>
<h4>Answer choice A is incorrect because nothing else in the paragraph supports the author’s statement that the Cretaceous extinction is the “best-documented” of the large extinctions. While that statement may be true, it is not related to the information asked about in the question (about how long the dinosaurs had lasted and then how quickly they disappeared).</h4>
<h4>Answer choice B is incorrect because it states a fact about the Cretaceous extinction but does not tell us why the author includes the information that this particular extinction was very sudden.</h4>
<h4>Answer choice D is incorrect because it does not relate specifically to the idea of why scientists have always been interested in this particular mass extinction. Rather, it relates to the first sentence of the paragraph discussing the harm that large impacts can cause. That information is important, but it is not the reason why the author talks about the suddenness of the dinosaur extinctions.</h4>
<h1 class="page-title">TOEFL: Vocabulary &amp; Reference Questions</h1>
<h2 class="hd hd-2 unit-title"><strong>Vocabulary Questions</strong></h2>
https://youtu.be/4sP4EpB-rIk

<strong>Video Transcript</strong>
<h4>Michael: Hi, I'm Michael from ETS. Today on Inside the TOEFL Test we're going inside the TOEFL iBT Reading section. Specifically, the Vocabulary questions.</h4>
<h4>On-screen:
Inside the TOEFL® Test – Reading
Vocabulary</h4>
<h4>Michael: Vocabulary questions ask you to identify the meanings of words and phrases as they are used in the reading passage.</h4>
<h4>It's easy to identify Vocabulary questions, because there will be a word or phrase highlighted in the reading passage, and you will see questions like these, with phrases like "closest in meaning" or "the author means."</h4>
<h4>On-screen:
Vocabulary- identify meanings of words and phrases
Word or phrase highlighted in the reading passage</h4>
<ul>
 	<li>
<h4>The word "X" in the passage is <u>closest in meaning to</u>…</h4>
</li>
 	<li>
<h4>The phrase "X" in the passage is <u>closest in meaning to</u>…</h4>
</li>
 	<li>
<h4>In stating "X", <u>the author means</u> that…</h4>
</li>
</ul>
<h4>Michael: Now let's look at a sample vocabulary question. This one is from a reading passage about meteorite impacts.
Here's an excerpt from the passage with the vocabulary word highlighted.
Here's the sample question, which asks the meaning of the word "pose".</h4>
<h4>Now, there's really not much strategy in answering these vocabulary questions. .</h4>
<h4>On-screen:
There is increasing evidence that the impacts of meteorites have had important effects on Earth, particularly in the field of biological evolution. Such impacts continue to pose a natural hazard to life on Earth.</h4>
<h4>The word "pose" is closest in meaning to</h4>
<ol>
 	<li>
<h4>claim</h4>
</li>
 	<li>
<h4>model</h4>
</li>
 	<li>
<h4>assume</h4>
</li>
 	<li>
<h4>present</h4>
</li>
</ol>
<h4>Green check appears next to answer option D. present</h4>
<h4>Michael: The words that are tested are academic vocabulary that you should know if your English is at the level of a university student.</h4>
<h4>They are not usually words that you can guess from context. So the best general strategy to be ready for this type of questions is to build your vocabulary.</h4>
<h4>On-screen: Academic Vocabulary – words that students at university level should know</h4>
<h4>Michael: Keep in mind that there's a difference between academic vocabulary and specialized vocabulary. Academic vocabulary words can be used across many fields of study. These are the kind of words you'll be tested on.</h4>
<h4>Specialized vocabulary words are specific to one field. If words like this are in a TOEFL reading passage, they will be defined for you.</h4>
<h4>On-screen: Academic Vocabulary (Expected to know)</h4>
<ul>
 	<li>
<h4>Arbitrary</h4>
</li>
 	<li>
<h4>Capacity</h4>
</li>
 	<li>
<h4>Fluctuate</h4>
</li>
 	<li>
<h4>Relatively</h4>
</li>
</ul>
<h4>Specialized Vocabulary (Defined for you)</h4>
<ul>
 	<li>
<h4>Cadence (Music)</h4>
</li>
 	<li>
<h4>Monopolies (Business)</h4>
</li>
 	<li>
<h4>Desertification (Earth Science)</h4>
</li>
 	<li>
<h4>Cetaceans (Biology)</h4>
</li>
</ul>
<h4>Michael: Here is a tip for increasing your vocabulary:
Many English words come from Latin or Greek.  So if you study Latin and Greek roots that will help you remember the meanings of words.  And it can also help you figure out the meanings of words you may not know.</h4>
<h4>On-screen:
Latin and Greek roots of English words</h4>
<table class="data-table line-h line-v">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>
<h4>Root word</h4>
</td>
<td>
<h4>Origin</h4>
</td>
<td>
<h4>Meaning</h4>
</td>
<td class="lastColumn">
<h4>Examples and Definitions</h4>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<h4>bio</h4>
</td>
<td>
<h4>Greek</h4>
</td>
<td>
<h4>life</h4>
</td>
<td class="lastColumn">
<h4>Biology-</h4>
science
<h4>of life</h4>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<h4>cardi</h4>
</td>
<td>
<h4>Greek</h4>
</td>
<td>
<h4>heart</h4>
</td>
<td class="lastColumn">
<h4>Cardiac - relating to the heart</h4>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<h4>retro</h4>
</td>
<td>
<h4>Latin</h4>
</td>
<td>
<h4>back</h4>
</td>
<td class="lastColumn">
<h4>Retrospect - review past events</h4>
</td>
</tr>
<tr class="lastrow">
<td>
<h4>vac</h4>
</td>
<td>
<h4>Latin</h4>
</td>
<td>
<h4>empty</h4>
</td>
<td class="lastColumn">
<h4>Vacant – not occupied</h4>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<h4>Michael: For example, if you know that the Latin root "terra" means earth, then when you see this sentence from the passage that talks about the "terrestrial material" found at the impact site, you'll know that it's referring to the material from the earth, not from the meteorite.</h4>
<h4>On-screen: terra = earth</h4>
<h4>Even diluted by the terrestrial material excavated from the crater, this component of meteorites is easily identified.</h4>
<h4>Michael: There are lots of ways to improve your English skills. Whatever you do, keep practicing. And good luck on your TOEFL test.</h4>
<h4></h4>
<h4><strong>Reference Questions</strong></h4>
<h4>Reference questions look similar to Vocabulary questions. A word or phrase is highlighted in the passage, and you are asked what that word refers to.</h4>
<h4>Usually the word is a pronoun, like “she,” “they” or “it”.</h4>
<h4>It could also be a relative pronoun, like “which,” “that” or “whom”.</h4>
<h4>Here's an example of a Reference question, including the excerpt from the passage with the highlighted word.</h4>
<h4><em>In classic research Paul Ekman took photographs of people exhibiting the emotions of anger, disgust, fear, happiness, and sadness. He then asked people around the world to indicate what emotions were being depicted in them</em>.</h4>
<h4><em>The word "them" in the passage refers to:</em></h4>
<h4><em>A.   emotions</em></h4>
<h4><em>B.    people</em></h4>
<h4><em>C.   photographs</em></h4>
<h4><em>D.   cultures</em></h4>
<h4>The answer is C, photographs.</h4>
<h4 class="page-title">TOEFL: Simplification &amp; Text Questions</h4>
<h4 class="hd hd-2 unit-title"><strong>Sentence Simplification Questions</strong></h4>
<h4>Sentence Simplification questions ask you to choose a sentence with the same meaning as a given sentence.</h4>
<h4>Watch the following Inside the <i><em>TOEFL</em></i>® Test video to learn more.</h4>
https://youtu.be/wxHwhbm1WWY

<strong>Video Transcript </strong>
<h4><em>Michael:<strong> </strong>Hi, I'm Michael from ETS. Today on Inside the TOEFL Test, we're going inside the TOEFL iBT Reading section. Specifically, the Sentence Simplification questions. </em></h4>
<h4><em>Michael: Sentence Simplification questions ask you to identify a sentence that has essentially the same meaning as a sentence from the reading passage. The correct answer choice contains the main ideas from the sentence in the passage but may leave out minor or unimportant details. It should restate the most important information in a simpler way.</em></h4>
<h4><em>On-screen: </em>
<em>Sentence Simplification – Identify a sentence that has essentially the same meaning</em></h4>
<ul>
 	<li>
<h4><em>Correct answer contains the main ideas restated in a simpler way</em></h4>
</li>
</ul>
<h4><em>Michael: Sentence Simplification questions are easy to recognize because the wording of the question is always exactly the same: </em>
<em>"Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the following sentence? Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information."</em></h4>
<h4><em>On-screen: Sentence Simplification</em>
<em>Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the following sentence? Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.</em></h4>
<h4><em>Michael: The highlighted sentence will have both essential and non-essential information. Your job is to pick the answer choice that best includes the essential information and leaves out the non-essential information.</em>
<em>Answering this type of question will require you to understand the relationship between the pieces of information in the sentence.</em>
<em>Often, there is an important cause/effect relationship, or there may be a conclusion based on some evidence. So look for those same ideas in the answer choices.</em></h4>
<h4><em>On-screen: Essential information (green check appears)</em>
<em>Non-essential information (red x appears)</em></h4>
<h4><em>Relationship between pieces of information in the sentence</em></h4>
<ul>
 	<li>
<h4><em>Cause/effect</em></h4>
</li>
 	<li>
<h4><em>Conclusion based on evidence</em></h4>
</li>
</ul>
<h4><em>Michael: Here's an example of a sentence simplification question from a passage about meteorite impacts and dinosaur extinction.</em>
<em>This type of question can be challenging, because all of the answer choices will contain words or phrases that are similar to ones in the given sentence. </em>
<em>For example, 3 of the answer choices talk about the explosion… </em>
<em>… 3 talk about fires</em>
<em>… and 3 mention the destruction of plant life</em></h4>
<h4><em>On-screen: Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the following sentence? Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.</em></h4>
<h4><em><strong>The explosion is also calculated to have produced vast quantities of nitric acid and melted rock that sprayed out over much of Earth, starting widespread fires that must have consumed most terrestrial forests and grassland.</strong></em></h4>
<ol>
 	<li>
<h4><em>Scientists believe that large amounts of nitric acid and melted rock were released by the <u>explosion</u>, causing<u> fires</u> that probably <u>destroyed most of Earth's plant-life</u></em></h4>
</li>
 	<li>
<h4><em><u>Fires spread out</u> over Earth, <u>burning many forests</u> and releasing nitric acid and other materials into the atmosphere.</em></h4>
</li>
 	<li>
<h4><em>Scientists have calculated the amount of nitric acid and melted rock that was released on Earth after the <u>explosion</u>.</em></h4>
</li>
 	<li>
<h4><em>Scientists believe that <u>large fires</u> in forests must have spread to grasslands and caused <u>explosions</u> that <u>destroyed most of Earth's plants</u>.</em></h4>
</li>
</ol>
<h4><em>Michael: So, can you identify the correct answer? It's A, because all of the important information is aligned with the given sentence.</em>
<em>Both the given sentence and choice A talk about the large amounts of nitric acid and melted rock…</em>
<em>…that were the result of the explosion…</em>
<em>…and that started fires that destroyed plant life.</em></h4>
<h4><em>On-screen: </em>
<em><u>The explosion is also calculated to have produced</u> <u>vast quantities of nitric acid and melted rock</u> that sprayed out over much of Earth, <u>starting widespread fires that must have consumed most terrestrial forests and grassland</u>.</em></h4>
<h4><em>Green check appears next to answer choice A. Scientists believe that <u>large amounts of nitric acid and melted rock</u> <u>were released by the explosion</u>, <u>causing fires that probably destroyed most of Earth's plant-life</u></em></h4>
<h4><em>Michael: The other responses have content that contradicts the highlighted sentence, or just isn't there. </em>
<em>Choice B looks like a good answer at first, because it talks about the fires spreading and burning forests…</em></h4>
<h4><em>But choice B says that it was the fires that released the nitric acid, which is different from the highlighted sentence, which says that the nitric acid, along with the melted rock, caused the fires.</em></h4>
<h4><em>On-screen: </em>
<em>The explosion is also calculated to have produced vast quantities of nitric acid and melted rock that sprayed out over much of Earth, starting widespread fires that must have consumed most terrestrial forests and grassland.</em></h4>
<h4><em>Red X appears next to answer choice B. <u>Fires spread out over Earth, burning many forests</u> and <u>releasing nitric acid and other materials into the atmosphere</u>.</em></h4>
<h4><em>Michael: Choice C can be eliminated because it leaves out essential information about the fires and the destruction of forests and plant life.</em></h4>
<h4><em>On-screen: </em>
<em>Red X appears next to answer choice C. Scientists have calculated the amount of nitric acid and melted rock that was released on Earth after the explosion.</em></h4>
<h4><em>Michael: Finally, choice D is incorrect because again, the cause and effect are reversed. This one says that the fires caused the explosions, when it was really the other way around.</em></h4>
<h4><em>On-screen: </em>
<em>Red X appears next to answer choice D. Scientists believe that large fires in forests must have spread to grasslands and caused explosions that destroyed most of Earth's plants.</em></h4>
<h4><em>Michael: One tip to build your reading skills, which will also help you answer sentence simplification questions, is to look at complex sentences or paragraphs, and separate the main ideas from less important information.</em>
<em>Non-essential information can be things like examples, or text in parentheses, or very specific information like numbers or dates.</em></h4>
<h4><em>On-screen: Identify Main Ideas</em>
<em>Main ideas</em></h4>
<h4><em>Less important information:</em></h4>
<ul>
 	<li>
<h4><em>Examples</em></h4>
</li>
 	<li>
<h4><em>Parentheses</em></h4>
</li>
 	<li>
<h4><em>Numbers/dates </em></h4>
</li>
</ul>
<h4><em>Michael: There are lots of ways to improve your English skills. Whatever you do, keep practicing. And good luck on your TOEFL test.</em></h4>
<h4><strong>Insert Text Questions</strong></h4>
<h4>For Insert Text questions, you are given a new sentence and asked where in the passage it would best fit. These questions require you to understand the logic of the passage and the grammatical connections between sentences.</h4>
<h4>Watch the following Inside the TOEFL® Test video to learn more.</h4>
https://youtu.be/-wyC4NezaGw

<em><strong>Video Transcript</strong></em>
<h4><em>Michael:<strong> </strong>Hi, I'm Michael from ETS. Today on Inside the TOEFL Test, we're going inside the TOEFL iBT Reading section. Specifically, the Insert Text questions. </em></h4>
<h4><em>Michael: The Insert Text questions are designed to show that you understand the logical order of ideas in a reading passage.</em></h4>
<h4><em>On-screen: Insert Text- understand the logical order of ideas in a reading passage</em></h4>
<h4><em>Michael: In the reading section, every reading passage has one Insert Text question. But instead of choosing from a list of 4 choices, like with most Reading questions, you will click on one of the 4 black squares to insert the text into the paragraph.</em></h4>
<h4><em>On-screen: </em>
<em>Insert Text- one for each reading passage</em></h4>
<h4><em>Look at the four squares [■] that indicate where the following sentence can be added to the passage.</em></h4>
<h4><em><strong>Some companies in the power industry are aware of this wider possibility and are planning sizable wind-farm projects in states other than California.</strong></em></h4>
<h4><em>Where would the sentence best fit?</em></h4>
<h4><em>Since 1980, the use of wind to produce electricity has been growing rapidly. Some companies in the power industry are aware of this wider possibility and are planning sizable wind-farm projects in states other than California. In 1994 there were nearly 20,000 wind turbines worldwide, most grouped in clusters called wind farms that collectively produced 3,000 megawatts of electricity. ■ Most were in Denmark (which got 3 percent of its electricity from wind turbines) and California (where 17,000 machines produced 1 percent of the state's electricity, enough to meet the residential needs of a city as large as San Fransico). ■ In principle, all the power needs of the United States could be provided by exploiting the wind potential of just three states – North Dakota, South Dakota, and Texas. ■</em>
<em>Large wind farms can be built in six months to a year and then easily expanded as needed. With a moderate to fairly high net energy yield, these systems emit no heat-trapping carbon dioxide or other air pollutants and need no water for cooling; manufacturing them produces little water pollution. The land under wind turbines can be used for grazing cattle and other purposes, and leasing land for wind turbines can provide extra income for farmers and rachers.</em></h4>
<h4><em>Michael: During the real test, you can change the location of the sentence as many times as you need to, so you can see how it works in each of the four places.</em></h4>
<h4><em>On-screen: Since 1980, the use of wind to produce electricity has been growing rapidly. ■ In 1994 there were nearly 20,000 wind turbines worldwide, most grouped in clusters called wind farms that collectively produced 3,000 megawatts of electricity. Some companies in the power industry are aware of this wider possibility and are planning sizable wind-farm projects in states other than California Most were in Denmark (which got 3 percent of its electricity from wind turbines) and California (where 17,000 machines produced 1 percent of the state's electricity, enough to meet the residential needs of a city as large as San Fransico). ■ In principle, all the power needs of the United States could be provided by exploiting the wind potential of just three states – North Dakota, South Dakota, and Texas. ■</em>
<em>Large wind farms can be built in six months to a year and then easily expanded as needed. With a moderate to fairly high net energy yield, these systems emit no heat-trapping carbon dioxide or other air pollutants and need no water for cooling; manufacturing them produces little water pollution. The land under wind turbines can be used for grazing cattle and other purposes, and leasing land for wind turbines can provide extra income for farmers and rachers.</em></h4>
<h4><em>On-screen: Sample question</em></h4>
<h4><em>Michael: Here's a sample Insert Text question, and the corresponding paragraph.</em>
<em>Note that the sentence says "This is the criterion…" And it's important to look for pronouns. The pronoun here is "this," so there is probably something about a criterion in the previous sentence. </em>
<em>If we insert the sentence at square number 4, the previous sentence talks about "the standard criterion," and the following sentence says "Yet an equally important criterion". So that's a likely choice. And when you read those sentences together, the sentences do flow logically. So this is the correct answer.</em></h4>
<h4><em>On-screen: Look at the four squares [■] that indicate where the following sentence can be added to the passage.</em></h4>
<h4><em><strong><u>This</u> is the criterion</strong><strong> emphasized by Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection.</strong></em></h4>
<h4><em>Where would the sentence best fit?</em></h4>
<h4><em>Impacts by meteorites represent one mechanism that could cause global catastrophes and seriously influence the evolution of life all over the planet. ■ According to some estimates, the majority of all extinctions of species may be due to such impacts. ■ Such a perspective fundamentally changes our view of biological evolution. ■ <u>The standard criterion</u> for survival of a species is its success in competing with other species and adapting to slowly changing environments. This is the criterion emphasized by Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection. <u>Yet an equally important criterion</u> is the ability of a species to survive random global ecological catastrophes due to impacts.</em></h4>
<h4><em>Michael: One tip for improving your reading is to really know your pronouns, and to practice matching them to the words they refer to in a text. Here are a few of the most common pronouns that you will see when you read.</em></h4>
<h4><em>On-screen: Skill Building Tip – know your pronouns</em></h4>
<ul>
 	<li>
<h4><em>This/these</em></h4>
</li>
 	<li>
<h4><em>That/those</em></h4>
</li>
 	<li>
<h4><em>They/them</em></h4>
</li>
 	<li>
<h4><em>Him/her</em></h4>
</li>
 	<li>
<h4><em>He/she/it</em></h4>
</li>
 	<li>
<h4><em>Which</em></h4>
</li>
</ul>
<h4><em>Michael: There are lots of ways to improve your English skills. Whatever you do, keep practicing. And good luck on your TOEFL test.</em></h4>