Reading is the first section
of TOEFL iBT. Reading passage appears on the right side of the computer screen
whereas the questions appear on the left side. Since the passages are long, the
students may need to scroll down to view the entire passage. Students should
practice using the tool bar on the computer screen. They can click on 'NEXT' to
proceed to the next question, 'BACK' to come to the previous question, 'REVIEW'
to view all the questions alongwith answers given/not given for the particular
passage, for making changes, if any. There is a glossary feature too in the
Reading section. Any word/phrase marked in blue in the passage means that an
explanation thereof is available and can be obtained simply by clicking on the
word.
The Reading section may have
3-5 passages each of around 700 words. Time allowed for attempting 12-14
questions on each passage will be 20 minutes .So total time allowed for the
Reading section will be 60-100 minutes depending upon the number of reading
passages. Students are allowed to take notes and use the same for making an
answer, but they are not allowed to carry the same outside the Test venue and
have to surrender them before leaving. Technical terms, if any, may be
highlighted in the text which may be clicked on for finding the meaning thereof
in the glossary.
STRATEGY READING TOEFL
1.
Before
going to the 1st question, just check out the beginning of every paragraph.
This will make an overall idea about the organization. Don't use more than
30sec for this
2.
Answer the reference questions first
(Vocabulary/Word reference, Pronoun reference, Highlighted sentence, Sentence
Insertion etc.) - To answer these questions, most of the time, you will not
have to read any other sentence than the indicated one. Therefore, these are
time savers. A little information about the sentence insertion question is
that, read the given sentence very carefully. If it starts with a pronoun, then
identify to what it may refer to. Go to the passage and check the sentences
preceding the insertion boxes. Think whether the pronoun of the given sentence can
refer to the subject (or idea) presented in this sentence. Even if the given
sentence does not start with a pronoun, usually you will be able to identify
where to insert the sentence by reading only 9 sentences (Given sentence + the
sentence before each box + the sentence after each box). However, generally,
you'll need much lesser reading than this.
3.
Now
go for the inference type questions (and any other types of questions not
indicated in this post). Try to stick into the paragraph if it is mentioned. If
not, the knowledge on overall organization of the essay (got in step 1) will
help here. If that also fails, check out where the previous and next question
came from. It is most likely that the answer of this question falls in between
the answers of the previous and next question. I named this method as
"TOEFL Sandwich". Read the middle part of the sandwich carefully and
answer the question.
4.
Now
go for the "Except" type questions. These questions generally take
more time because it needs searching for 4 different information. Going through
step 3 will already reduce a lot of works, i.e. you have read a lot of things
already. Now, first, read each answer choice and then find related information
from the passage and decide whether you need to consider this choice or need to
refute it. Using this approach, I've found these questions answerable in very
short time.
5.
Now,
go for the summary/Classify type questions. If you forget about the
organization of the passage by this time and if there is about 3~4 mins left
(not less than it),repeat step 1. When answering the summary questions, do not
take an answer only because you have read that in the passage. Take only those
answers which represent a broader idea than others.
EXAMPLE:
A.
Most people can remember a phone number for up to thirty
seconds. When this short amount of time elapses, however, the
numbers are erased from the memory. How did the information get there in the
first place? Information that makes its way to the short term memory (STM) does
so via the sensory storage area. The brain has a filter which only allows
stimuli that is of immediate interest to pass on to the STM, also known as the
working memory.
There is much debate about the capacity and duration of the short term memory. The most accepted theory comes from George A. Miller, a cognitive psychologist who suggested that humans can remember approximately seven chunks of information. A chunk is defined as a meaningful unit of information, such as a word or name rather than just a letter or number. Modern theorists suggest that one can increase the capacity of the short term memory by chunking, or classifying similar information together. By organizing information, one can optimize the STM, and improve the chances of a memory being passed on to long term storage.
When making a
conscious effort to memorize something, such as information for an exam, many
people engage in "rote rehearsal". By repeating something over and
over again, one is able to keep a memory alive. Unfortunately, this type of
memory maintenance only succeeds if there are no interruptions. As soon as a
person stops rehearsing the information, it has the tendency to disappear. When
a pen and paper are not handy, people often attempt to remember a phone number
by repeating it aloud. If the doorbell rings or the dog barks to come in before
a person has the opportunity to make a phone call, he will likely forget the
number instantly.* Therefore, rote
rehearsal is not an efficient way to pass information from the short term to
long term memory.* A better way is to
practice "elaborate rehearsal". *This involves
assigning semantic meaning to a piece of information so that it can be filed
along with other pre-existing long term memories.*
Encoding information semantically also makes it more retrievable. Retrieving information can be done by recognition or recall. Humans can easily recall memories that are stored in the long term memory and used often; however, if a memory seems to be forgotten, it may eventually be retrieved by prompting. The more cues a person is given (such as pictures), the more likely a memory can be retrieved. This is why multiple choice tests are often used for subjects that require a lot of memorization.
Encoding information semantically also makes it more retrievable. Retrieving information can be done by recognition or recall. Humans can easily recall memories that are stored in the long term memory and used often; however, if a memory seems to be forgotten, it may eventually be retrieved by prompting. The more cues a person is given (such as pictures), the more likely a memory can be retrieved. This is why multiple choice tests are often used for subjects that require a lot of memorization.
1. According to
the passage, how do memories get transferred to the STM?
a. They revert from the long term memory.
a. They revert from the long term memory.
b. They are
filtered from the sensory storage area
c. They get chunked
when they enter the brain
d. They enter via
the nervous system.
Explanation:
·
Choice A is the opposite of
what happens.
·
Choice C is what a person should try
to do when memorizing something.
·
Choice D is not mentioned.
The correct
answer is B. This is a factual question.
2. All of the
following are mentioned as places in which memories are stored EXCEPT the:
a. STM
b. long term
memory
c. sensory storage
area
d. maintenance
area
Explanation:
·
Choice A is mentioned in the first
paragraph.
·
Choice B is mentioned in the second
paragraph.
·
Choice C is mentioned in the first
paragraph.
The correct
answer is D. This is a negative factual question.
3. Why does the
author mention a dog's bark?
a. To give an
example of a type of memory
b. To provide a
type of interruption
c. To prove that
dogs have better memories than humans
d. To compare
another sound that is loud like a doorbell
Explanation:
·
Choice A is incorrect because it is
not the "reason" the author mentions it.
·
Choice C is not mentioned.
·
Choice D distracts you because both
are mentioned as examples.
The correct answer is B.
This is an author purpose question.
4. How do
theorists believe a person can remember more information in a short time?
a. By organizing
it
b. By repeating
it
c. By giving it a
name
d. By drawing it
Explanation:
·
Choice B is what regular people think
is true.
·
Choice C is not mentioned.
·
Choice D is a type of cue for
retrieval.
The correct
answer is A. This is a factual question
5. The author believes
that rote rotation is:
a. the best way
to remember something
b. more efficient
than chunking
c. ineffective in
the long run
d. an unnecessary
interruption
Explanation:
·
Choice A is contradicted by "not
an efficient way".
·
Choice B is incorrect because these
two terms are not compared.
·
Choice D is illogical.
The correct
answer is C. This is a factual question.
B.
"Most economists in the United states seem
captivated by spell of the free market. Consequently, nothing seems good
ornormal that does not accord with the requirements of the free market. A price
that is determined by the seller or for that matter, established by anyone
other than the aggregate of consumers seems pernicious, Accordingly, it
requires a major act of will to think of price – fixing (the determination of
prices by the seller) as both “normal” and having a valuable economic function.
In fact, price-fixing is normal in all industrialized societies because the
industrial system itself provides, as an effortless consequence of its own
development, the price-fixing that requires, Modern industrial planning
requires and rewards great size. Hence a comparatively small number of large
firms will be competing for the same group of consumers. That each large firm
will act with consideration of its own needs and thus avoid selling its
products for more than its competitors charge is commonly recognized by advocates
of free-markets economic theories. But each large firms will also act with full
consideration of the needs that it has in common with the other large firms
competing for the same customers. Each large firm will thus avoid significant
price cutting, because price cutting would be prejudicial to the common
interest in a stable demand for products. Most economists do not see
price-fixing when it occurs because they expect it to be brought about by a
number of explicit agreements among large firms; it is not. More over those
economists who argue that allowing the free market to operate without
interference is the most efficient method of establishing prices have not
considered the economies of non socialist countries other than the United
States. These economies employ intentional price-fixing usually in an overt
fashion. Formal price fixing by cartel and informal price fixing by agreements
covering the members of an industry are common place. Were there something
peculiarly efficient about the free market and inefficient about price fixing,
the countries that have avoided the first and used the second would have
suffered drastically in their economic development. There is no indication that
they have. Socialist industry also works within a frame work of controlled
prices. In early 1970’s, the soviet union began to give firms and industries
some of the flexibility in adjusting prices that a more informal evolution has
accorded the capitalist system. Economists in the United States have hailed the
change as a return to the free market.But Soviet firms are no more subject to
prices established by free market over which they exercise little influenced
than are capitalist firms.
1. The primary
purpose of the passage is to
a.
refute the theory that the free market plays a useful
role in the development of industrialized societies.
b.
suggest methods by which economist and members of the
government of the United States can recognize and combat price-fixing by large
firms.
c.
explain the various ways in which industrialized
societies can fix in order to stabilized the free market
d.
argue that price-fixing, in one form or another, is an
inevitable part of and benefit to the economy of any industrialized society.
e.
Analysis of free markets in different economies
Correct Answer : E
2. The passage
provides information that would answer which of the following questions about
price-fixing?
I.What are some of the ways in which prices can be fixed?
II.For what products is price-fixing likely to be more profitable than the operation of the free market?
III.Is price-fixing more common in socialist industrialized societies or in nonsocialist industrialized societies?
I.What are some of the ways in which prices can be fixed?
II.For what products is price-fixing likely to be more profitable than the operation of the free market?
III.Is price-fixing more common in socialist industrialized societies or in nonsocialist industrialized societies?
a.
I only
b.
III only
c.
I and II only
d.
II and III only
e.
I, II and III
Correct Answer : A
3. The author’s
attitude toward “Most economists in the United States” can best be described as
a.
spiteful and envious
b.
scornful and denunciatory
c.
critical and condescending
d.
ambivalent but deferential
e.
uncertain but interested
Correct Answer : C
4. It can be
inferred from the author’s argument that a price fixed by the seller “seems
pernicious” because
a.
people do not have confidence in large firms
b.
people do not expect the government to regulate prices
c.
most economists believe that consumers as a group
should determine prices.
d.
most economists associate fixed prices with communist
and socialist economies.
e.
Most economists believe that no one group should
determine prices.
Correct Answer : C
5. The suggestion
in the passage that price-fixing in industrialized societies is normal arises
from the author’s statement that price-fixing is
a.
a profitable result of economic development
b.
an inevitable result of the industrial system
c.
the result of a number of carefully organized decisions.
d.
a phenomenon common to industrialized and to
industrialized societies.
e.
a phenomenon best achieved cooperatively by government
and industry.
Correct Answer : B
SOURCE:
