Tips and Trick TOEFL Reading
TOEFL READING
The first section you’ll have on the TOEFL iBT is the
Reading section. As mentioned above, this section can vary in length. So if you
don’t get any experimental questions, Reading will be 60 minutes long and
contain 36-42 questions. If you do get
experimental questions, it’ll be 80 minutes long and contain 48-56
questions.
Your main task is
to read passages and answer questions about
them. Each reading passage is long—usually about 700
words—and you’ll have three or four passages in total (if you get four, one
will be an experimental passage).
Passages deal with a variety of academic topics, from history and art to
science and psychology. Each passage also comes with 12-14 questions (or a
“question set”). You
are not timed on each passage and question set, so it’s important
to manage your time wisely. (We go over this more in tip #1 below.)
Reading is first scored in raw points (i.e., the number of points you
get per question) and then converted to a scaled score out of 30. A good Reading score varies depending on
where you’re applying, but generally anything above 22 (the 50th percentile)
can be considered good.
TOEFL Reading Question Types
There are three Reading question
types: multiple choice, Inserting a Sentence, and Reading to Learn. We explain
each of these below.
- Multiple Choice
Most Reading questions are standard
multiple choice. These questions are each worth 1 raw point and give you four
answer choices to choose from.
For this question type, you may have
to define a vocabulary word in the text or answer a question about the content
or form of the passage.
- Inserting a
Sentence
You’ll get one Inserting a Sentence question, worth 1 raw point,
with each passage. This question is always the second-to-last
question in a question set (right before the Reading to Learn question, which
we discuss more below).
With this question, you get a new sentence and four possible places to
insert it in the passage.
- Reading to
Learn
This is perhaps one of the most unique question types on the TOEFL. The
Reading to Learn question requires you to arrange the main points of the
passage in a chart or summary by clicking and dragging sentences.
There is only one
Reading to Learn question per passage, and it’ll always come at
the end of a question set.
In addition, this is the only Reading question type worth 2-3 raw points,
meaning you can
get partial credit if you only get some of the answers correct.
3 Tips for Attacking the TOEFL
Reading Pattern
Here are our top tips for dealing
with the TOEFL Reading pattern.
#1: Learn to Manage Your Time
Reading lasts 60-80 total minutes,
but because there’s no timer for each passage and question set, you’ll
need to practice managing your time so that you don’t accidentally run out at
the end.
To recap, spend around 20 minutes total on
each passage and question set. Ideally, you’ll spend five minutes reading
the passage and 15 minutes answering the questions for that passage (or
about one minute per question). Note that some questions, such as the Reading
to Learn question, will take a little longer to complete, while others will
take less time.
Try to stick to a
one-minute pace per question as best you can. This prevents you
from spending too much time on a single question and falling behind.
#2: Choose a Passage-Reading Strategy Ahead of Time
To do well on TOEFL Reading, you must know how to approach the passages so that
you’re using your time wisely and are clearly comprehending the main
points of the text.
There are a few
ways you can approach Reading section passages:
·
Read
the entire passage first (recommended)
·
Skim
the passage and then answer the questions
·
Answer
the questions paragraph by paragraph
·
Read
the questions first (not recommended)
In general, the
best method is to read the passage in its entirety. If you choose
this strategy, spend no more than five minutes reading each passage. Be aware,
though, that this method works well only if you’re highly proficient in
English.
Ultimately, choose
the passage-reading strategy that works best for you. To figure
out which one you like the most, try out each of the four strategies above
using different Reading practice tests. When finished, go
with the strategy that gives you the highest score.
#3: Skip Difficult Questions and Return to Them Later
The Reading format doesn’t require you to answer a question before moving
on, so use this feature to your advantage by skipping difficult questions. This
way you can keep moving and answering questions on the test, even if you get
stuck. You’ll also avoid spending too much time on one difficult question.
Just remember to go
back and answer any unanswered questions before time runs out. Even
if you have to guess, it’s better to choose a random answer than to choose
nothing at all since there are no penalties for wrong answers on the
TOEFL.
EXAMPLE TOEFL READING
:
Practice 1
Read the passage below carefully. After you read, answer
the questions that follow. Keep in mind that you will be asked to identify not
only the overall main idea but also the main idea of individual paragraphs.
[Answers and explanations to all practice questions are located in Appendix A.]
Bicycles
(1)Today, bicycles are so common that it’s hard to
believe they haven’t always been around. (2)But two hundred years ago, bicycles
didn’t even exist, and the first bicycle, invented in Germany in 1818, was
nothing like our bicycles today. (3)It was made of wood and didn’t even have
pedals. (4)Since then, however, numerous innovations and improvements in design
have made the bicycle one of the most popular means of recreation and
transportation around the world. (5)In 1839, Kirkpatrick Macmillan, a Scottish
blacksmith, dramatically improved upon the original bicycle design.
(6)Macmillan’s machine had tires with iron rims to keep them from getting worn
down. (7)He also used foot-operated cranks similar to pedals so his bicycle
could be ridden at a quick pace. (8)It didn’t look much like a modern bicycle,
though, because its back wheel was substantially larger than its front wheel.
(9)In 1861, the French Michaux brothers took the evolution of the bicycle a
step further by inventing an improved crank mechanism. (10)Ten years later,
James Starley, an English inventor, revolutionized bicycle design. (11)He made
the front wheel many times larger than the back wheel, put a gear on the pedals
to make the bicycle more efficient, and lightened the wheels by using wire
spokes. (12)Although this bicycle was much lighter and less tiring to ride, it
was still clumsy, extremely top-heavy, and ridden mostly for entertainment.
(13)It wasn’t until 1874 that the first truly modern bicycle appeared on the
scene. (14)Invented by another Englishman, H.J. Lawson, the “safety bicycle”
would look familiar to today’s cyclists. (15)This bicycle had equal sized
wheels, which made it less prone to toppling over. (16)Lawson also attached a
chain to the pedals to drive the rear wheel. (17)With these improvements, the
bicycle became extremely popular and useful for transportation. (18)Today they
are built, used, and enjoyed all over the world.
1. What is the subject of this passage?
a. kinds of bicycles
b. the history of bicycles
c. how to ride a bicycle
d. bicycle safety
b. the history of bicycles
c. how to ride a bicycle
d. bicycle safety
Answer : b. This passage is about the history of
bicycles. It does describe several different kinds of bicycles (choice a),
but these descriptions are in the context of how the bicycle has evolved over
time. There is no discussion of how to ride a bicycle, so choice c is
incorrect. While some of the developments in bicycle design were improved
safety features, the passage does not provide information on riding bicycles
safely (choice d).
2. The main idea of this passage is best expressed in
which sentence?
a. Sentence (1):
Today, bicycles are so common that it’s hard to believe they haven’t always
been around.
b. Sentence (13): It wasn’t until 1874 that the first truly modern bicycle appeared on the scene.
c. Sentence (4): Since then, however, numerous innovations and improvements in design have made the bicycle one of the most popular means of recreation and transportation around the world.
d. Sentence (18): Today they are built, used, and enjoyed all over the world
b. Sentence (13): It wasn’t until 1874 that the first truly modern bicycle appeared on the scene.
c. Sentence (4): Since then, however, numerous innovations and improvements in design have made the bicycle one of the most popular means of recreation and transportation around the world.
d. Sentence (18): Today they are built, used, and enjoyed all over the world
Answer : c. This
is the only sentence general enough to encompass all of the ideas in the
passage. Each paragraph describes the innovations that led to the modern design
of the bicycle, and this design has made it popular around the world.
3. Which of the following would be the best title for
this passage?
a. Bicycles are Better
b. A Ride through the History of Bicycles
c. Cycle Your Way to Fitness
d. The Popularity of Bicycles
b. A Ride through the History of Bicycles
c. Cycle Your Way to Fitness
d. The Popularity of Bicycles
Answer : b. The
essay describes the history of the bicycle, from its invention in 1818 to its
modern design, so “A Ride through the History of Bicycles” is the best title.
There is no comparison to other kinds of transportation or any discussion of
using bicycles for fitness, so choices a and c are incorrect. The passage does
tell us that bicycles are “one of the most popular means of recreation and
transportation around the world.” But the focus is on the history of bicycle
design, not on its popularity.
4. Which sentence best expresses the main idea of
paragraph 2?
a. Macmillan was a
great inventor.
b. Macmillan’s bike didn’t look much like our modern bikes.
c. Macmillan’s bike could be ridden quickly.
d. Macmillan made important changes in bicycle design.
b. Macmillan’s bike didn’t look much like our modern bikes.
c. Macmillan’s bike could be ridden quickly.
d. Macmillan made important changes in bicycle design.
Answer .: d.
Macmillan may have been a great inventor, but this paragraph only describes his
innovations in bicycle design. The first sentence in this paragraph expresses
this main idea in a clear topic sentence. The rest of the paragraph provides
specific examples of the improvements he made in bicycle design.
5. What is the author’s main purpose in paragraph 4?
a. To show how Lawson’s improvements made bicycles
popular.
b. To show how innovative Lawson’s design was.
c. To show how dramatically bicycle designs have changed.
d. To show why bicycles are so popular today.
b. To show how innovative Lawson’s design was.
c. To show how dramatically bicycle designs have changed.
d. To show why bicycles are so popular today.
Answer : a.
The best clue is sentence 17, which serves as a topic sentence for the
paragraph: “With these improvements, the bicycle become extremely popular and
useful for transportation.” Lawson’s improvements may have been innovative
(choice b), but there is no emphasis in this paragraph on the innovative nature
of his design changes (innovation is the emphasis in paragraph 3, however). The
paragraph also does not focus on the dramatic nature of change over the years
(that is the focus of the whole passage, but not this paragraph), so choice c
is incorrect. The paragraph does mention the popularity of bicycles (choice d),
but it does not explain why bicycles are so popular.
References :
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