TOEFL Tips 2 of 4: Reading

The TOEFL is taken by 800,000 international students per year and is a 4-hour exam that consists of 135 multiple choice questions. There are 4 major parts of the exam and I've broken these blog posts into the same 4 part format.

The Reading section is the second part you should focus on and has 36-56 questions. Students will have between 60-80 minutes to complete this section. 

Inside the actual reading section, students will be required to read 3-4 passages from academic texts and answer questions. 
This is a shift from earlier TOEFL tests that would have had you read common literary passages. Examples from past TOEFL tests included passages from "Of Mice and Men," or "The Great Gadsby," to name a few.

"We have definitely noticed a shift from more literary passages to more academic concentrated ones," Noted the head of the English department at the top public school in Harbin,China. 

To practice for the reading section, try to read as much as you possibly can. Any reading will help build vocabulary and increase comprehension. Each day you should also try to read a passage from an academic text. Read from a subject area that holds your interest but make sure the passage is academically concentrated. Since this type of reading is more likely to be on a TOEFL test. Good examples would include medical or engineering journals. Bad examples would include JK Rowling or James Patterson novels. Easy fiction novels are good to increase overall reading comprehension but that style of writing is not likely to be seen on a TOEFL test. 

While reading try to find the subject, object, and verb of a sentence. 

Also, try to listen for these 25 TOEFL test words below taken from the top 100 TOEFL words. All 100 words can be found here: https://quizlet.com/8680224/top-100-toefl-words-flash-cards/

1. Intrepid- fearless.
2. Irate- angry. 
3. Jeopardy- danger.
4. Leash- control.
5. Loafer- an idle, lazy person.
6.Dubious- feeling doubt. 
7.Dumbfound- astonish.
8.Efface- rub or wipe out, obliterate. 
9.Elucidate- to make understandable. 
10.Enchant- charm, delight.
11.Endeavor- to make and effort, to try very hard.
12.Endorse- approve, support a claim or statement. 
13.Enthral- take the whole attention, enslave. 
14.Pillage- plunder (esp in war).
15.Presumptuous- too bold or self-confident. 
16.Quashed- annulled. 
17. Quenching- satisfy, to put and end to, put out. 
18.Refurbished- make clean, as if like new. 
19.Extol- to praise highly. 
20.Flimsy- lacking solidarity, strength. 
21.Fraud- a fault, deception. 
22.Exploit- to use for selfish advantage or profit. 
23.Extensive- far reaching. 
24.Gaudy- too bright and showy. 
25.Ghastly- death-like, pale and ill. 

written by: Tom Petrucci, Senior Consultant, Ivy Bridge Group. 
888-424-4613
tpetrucci@ivybridgegroup.com 

TOEFL Tips Part 1 of 4: Listening

Are you listening to me? The TOEFL is an arduous 4-hour exam that consists of 135 multiple choice questions. There are 4 major parts of the exam and I've broken these blog posts into the same format.

The listening section has 3 blocks of questions. Each set contains the following:

-(1) conversation: 4 mins between a man and a woman

-(1) lecture: 5 mins of a professor delivering a speech

-(1) discussional lecture: 5 mins of a professor interacting with students

Here is how the questions break down for each lisening:

conversation : 5 questions

lecture : 6 questions

discussion lecture: 6 questions

17 questions total. 10 mins of time to complete all questions.

Right after the listening section completes you will have one question appear on your screen. The question will be read out loud to you. Once the narrator finally finishes the question, then your timer will start. The occurs for each listening. Each question should take you 35 seconds to answer.

To practice, as you're listening to the radio or even other people's conversations take some notes. Try to find the subject, verb, and object of a sentence.

Also, try to listen for these 25 TOEFL test words below taken from the top 100 TOEFL words. All 100 words can be found here: https://quizlet.com/8680224/top-100-toefl-words-flash-cards/

1. Affable- polite and friendly, easy to talk to.

2. Affliction- distress, suffering.

3. Affluent- wealthy, abundant.

4. Agitate- move, shake, stir up.

5. Ambiguous- having more than one meaning.

6. Annex- take possession of.

7. Aqueous- of or like water.

8. Ardous- demanding great effort, strenuous.

9. Aroma- quality or surrounding atmosphere considered typical.

10.Atone- make repayment.

11. Calisthenics- exercises to develop strong bodies.

12. Captor- person who takes someone captive.

13. Concoct- invent, prepare by mixing together.

14. Dangle- hand or swing loosely.

15. Deprive- take away from, prevent from using.

16. Diligent- hard-working.

17. Disrobe- undress.

18. Docile- easily trained or controlled.

19. Doleful- dismal, mournful.

20. Drought- a long period of dry weather.

21. Tentative- uncertain, probable.

22. Torpid- dull and slow.

23. Treacherous- not to be trusted, perfidious.

24. Taciturn- unspoken, silent.

25. Tantalize- raise hoped that cannot be realized.

How many times can you take the TOEFL?

This is a very interesting question. The TOEFL is one of the most recognized English tests in the world. 9,000 colleges, agencies, and high schools accept TOEFL scores. The TOEFL is also accepted and taken by students in over 130 different countries. The TOEFL is issued over 50 times a year and is one of the most widely issued English language tests. Is there a limit to how many times you can take the test?

Well yes, there are limits, even for the TOEFL. You cannot take the test within 12 days of the last time you took the test.

If you have an upcoming appointment to take the TOEFLyou cannot set another appointment within the same 12-day span.

And those are the TOEFL test taking rules.

The ideal class size?

Attending a high school boarding school forum in Qindao China recently I was also given the chance to visit the top public school in the area. Many of the parents who were interested in bringing their childern to the US were also very concerned about the number of students in each class.
I watched as they looked at the bottom of every posted school's class size ratio. Parents outright avoided schools with a 20 to 1 ratio or higher and hovered around schools with a 8 to 1 or even 6 to 1 ratio. Noticing their patterns I thought about Malcolm Gladwell's latest book David and Goliath. Here Malcolm points out that a smaller class size is not necessarily better.
While it makes sense to see that too many students for one teacher will leave many students without individual help. What is interesting to note is how Gladwell was able to record the point of view of the teachers and their take on overall class dynamic. Teachers themselves would much rather teach a larger class than a class under 12 students. Too few students and it becomes even more difficult to generate interesting class discussions from many different perspectives. The ideal ratio seems to be 18 or 20 to 1 the same ratio being avoided at the boarding school fair in China.
Remember, class ratio's are not like golf scores were a lower number is better. Evaluate how your own child learns and determine if they need a smaller more personal class size that isn't too small to impede on their overall understanding of the world.

TOEFL TIPS #1 Know your timing

The TOEFL is a long test. A very long test, usually going about 4 hours. Most high schools classes range from 40 minues at the short end to only 120 minutes at the longest end. 120 minutes is still two hours shy of the 4 hours needed to take the TOEFL.

As your studying English make sure you are also practicing typing for 4 hours consistently as well as just sitting still for that amount of time.

Using apps and having a tutor are great resources to tap into but even a tutor might only meet with you for a couple of hours. Make sure your body is accustomed to sitting and typing for a full 4 hours. If you keep practicing English words in bite size portions it might be overwhelming to sit and take such an intense test for such a long amount of time.

California makes state college submission easy.

In a world where even getting a coupon for your favorite item takes a few application forms California has taken an simple approach to their state application process. 

A prospective high school student needs only 2 forms to apply to all 33 of California's state schools. 

The first form lets you apply to the 10 University of California schools. 

While the other form lets you apply to the other 23 California Sate University Schools.

The common application which was used by over 2 million students across the country is accepted by 414 public and private colleges. 

Interested In Possibly having an international student body at your private school?

Is your school interested in possibly bringing international students to your school?


email or call me and I can walk you through the process.

tpetrucci@ivybridgegroup.com
732-890-1898 cell