Name : Pramagusti Tsabit Sabili
Class : 3EB10
NPM : 25216774
Read for Speed: 5 TOEFL
Reading Tips and Test-taking Strategies for Total Success
“Okay,” you may say, “I get it, I
get it! Studying for the reading section of TOEFL is vital. But how does one do
it?”
Glad you asked!
There are multiple study strategies
and areas of improvement that you may consider to get a higher score on the
reading section of the test.
1. Improve Your Reading Speed
Time is of the essence when it comes to the TOEFL. In
fact, all other things being equal, good timing and the
ability to pace yourself can make or break your TOEFL score.
In other sections, time is
specifically called out. For example, when you are speaking, you will have 15
seconds to prepare an answer and 45 seconds to record it. In the Listening
section, you can only hear the dialogue when it is played out to you.
The Reading section is where a sense
of time and pace will need to come from you and you alone. You need to judge
how much time you have left to complete the readings and give your answers.
This is trickier than it seems,
because you will be faced by not one difficult-to-understand text, but several
(three or four).
The Reading section can have up to 56 questions for 3
or 4 passages, and the maximum time given for the section is 80 minutes.
That means you will have only 5 minutes to read each text and
about 1 minute to answer each question in the
Reading section.
If you want to have more time
to answer the questions, you will need read each passage in just 3 or 4
minutes—and you’re probably going to want to read each passage more than once.
That’s tough!
To succeed, you’ll need start improving your
reading speed.
Time yourself when you study for the test and note how long it
takes you to go through a given passage. You will likely notice that you slow
down when your level of comprehension drops down, and that’s normal! When you
understand less, you need to slow down and read more carefully.
Everyone reads at a different pace. Your task is
to make your reading pace slightly faster for the very
specific test-taking situation, so you can switch gears and go into full-speed
mode if you need to.
Apart from studying TOEFL-style academic passages, be
sure to read other English language material as well. Read English
literature, newspapers and magazines—reading a variety of English writing styles will
help improve your reading speed.
2. Work on Your Comprehension Speed
Once you have worked on your reading
speed and are comfortable gulping down a complex English passage in
less time (in under 4 minutes, to be precise), you are ready for the next
step.
Now you need to teach yourself to remain
calm and avoid stressing out when you encounter an unfamiliar word.
The reading section will be full of challenging words you have not seen before.
They put in challenging words that you probably do not know on
purpose.
The reading section will ask you to deduce
meaning and infer informationfrom words you do not
understand.
This is what the reading section is actually testing.
Not your ability to memorize a thesaurus before the test, but your
skill at dealing with vocabulary words that you do not know. Not
knowing a word is not only normal, but it is expected from speakers of English
as a foreign language.
When you stumble across a word you
do not understand, your first reaction might be to check Google
Translate or consult a dictionary. When these tools are not available, you may
panic and get hung up on trying to understand the word, wasting time that
is extremely valuable for you during the TOEFL.
Well, relax.
Force yourself to skip that unknown
word and continue reading. Often, you will find that the meaning of the
whole text is easy to understand, even if you did not understand a few words.
Cool, right?
3. Learn Specific Vocabulary
Even though you will encounter unknown words,
developing a nice and wide vocabulary never hurt anyone. When you
study for the Reading section of the TOEFL, whether you are at home or in
class, go ahead and look up words you don’t understand!
Since you are practicing for the
Reading section of the TOEFL, try to read every text completely without looking
up any words. After you have read the whole text and tried to understand
everything on your own, then you may look up words. This is very similar to the
actual testing situation.
Make a list of unfamiliar words and
translate them using an English-to-English dictionary. This is
important! You must avoid the temptation to use a dictionary which
translates words from English to your native language. Don’t give in!
The English-to-English dictionary
will be very helpful to you. Not only will you read a clear English explanation
for the word you do not understand, you will also familiarize yourself with
synonyms (similar words) and antonyms (opposite words). Hint, hint! This is
hugely useful and very much applicable to TOEFL.
Your vocabulary will grow and so
will your confidence. By the time you get to your test day, you will have a
much larger English vocabulary to help you out.
4. Keep Moving
Timing is everything in TOEFL.
When it comes to the Reading
section, remember that you will not have more than 4 minutes per passage,
so do not get hung up on every passage. Try not to stop! Keep moving no
matter what.
There are
multiple passages on the test, and you are guaranteed to feel more
comfortable with one or another. Some will seem harder and some will seem
easier. Skim the passage, note key words in sentences, leave unfamiliar
terms behind and keep in mind that TOEFL passages may contain words that even
native speakers don’t typically know.
Keep in mind that the TOEFL is
highly specific.
You may see a question like: “The
word X on line Y is closest in meaning to…” with four choices of words
following. Rest assured—most of the choices will sound similar or have very
similar meanings, so you will need to read the text carefully to identify
the correct answer.
5. Use the Line Numbering
The TOEFL quirk of numbering every
fifth line in the passage is meant to help you navigate to the words or
sentences referred to in the questions. Practice locating specific lines by the
numbers provided—you might be surprised by how much time you can actually waste
looking for line 29 or 47!
That being said, when starting your
actual TOEFL, take a deep breath and do not let the Reading section tire you
out.
You have practiced and studied
enough, and it is now time to demonstrate your excellent English reading
skills!
sample
exercise
Reading Comprehension Passage 1
Robert Moog was an American inventor
who developed the Moog Synthesizer. It was one of the first synthesizers to
gain widespread use as a musical instrument. Moog’s synthesizers were an
important pa Line of musical innovation in rock and jazz music in the 1960s and
1970s. Robert Arthur Moog was born in Queens, a borough of New York City 75
years ago. He became fascinated with electronics as a teenager, particularly an
early electronic music instrument called the theremin. Moog studied physic and
electrical engineering at Queens College and Columbia University, both in New
York City and later received a Ph.D. in engineering physic Cornel University in
Ithaca, New York. In 1954, while still an undergraduate student, Moog formed
his own company to sell theremins and theremin kits.
Soon after, Moog began working on a
keyboard instrument that could replicate the sound of any musical instrument
electronically. Working with American composer Herbert Deutsch, Moog introduced
the prototype Moog Synthesizer at a convention in 1964. The device represented
a significant advance over previous electronic synthesizer because of its use
of new semiconductor technology, which made it smaller
and considerably cheaper than earlier machines. The Moog, as it was known, was
soon in demand by musician all over the world.
In 1964, Moog began a collaboration
with American composer and organist Walter Carlos (now Wendy Carlos), who
released the bestselling electronic music album Switched-On Bach in 1968. Rock
groups such as the Beatles and Yes and jazz musicians such as Herbie Hancock
and Chick Corea began incorporating Moog Synthesizer into their recordings, a
trend that increased when the company introduced the compact and portable
Minimoog in 1970. A Moog Synthesizer was also prominently featured
on the soundtrack to the movie A Clockwork Orange in 1971. Encyclopedia of
World Biography, 2008
1.
The pronoun “it” paragraph 2 refers to…
(A)
electronic synthesizer
(B) a keyboard instrument
(C) prototype of Moog Synthesizer
(D) new semiconductor technology
Jawab:
(C) prototype of Moog Synthesizer
Keyword: intoduced yhe prototype
Pembahasan: Prototype of Moog
Synthesizer. Jika dilihat dari bacaan pada paragraf 3, Moog memperkenalkan
sebuah prototype Moog Synthesizer.
2. According to the passage,
all of the following are true about The Moog, EXCEPT…
(A)
it was invented by Robert Moog
(B) it was first introduced in 1964
(C) it initiated new technology which was smaller and cheaper than previous
(D) it was the first synthesizer in the world
Jawab: (D) it was the first
synthesizer in the world
Keyword: made it smaller and
considerably than
Pembahasan: it was the first
synthesizer In the world. Karena dalam bacaan ke-18-19 dituliskan bahwa
sebelumnya sudah diciptakan mesin synthesizer “which made it smaller and
considerably cheaper than earlier machine”
3.
The paragraph following the passage most likely discusses…
(A) collaboration between The Moog and other musicians
(B) the description of compact and portable Mini Moog
(C) the improvement of Moog Synthesizer
(D) trend in the music industry about synthesizer
Jawab:
(C) the improvement of Moog Synthesizer
Keyword : Moo Sythesizer was also
prominently
Pembahasan: Yang paling mungkin
dibahas dalam paragraf selanjutnya adalah the improvement of Moog synthesizer.
4. The main idea of
paragraph three is …
(A)
the Moog’s collaboration in music field
(B) the Moog in the movie soundtrack
(C) the introduction of Minimoog
(D) the collaboration of The Moog with music groups
Jawab:
(A) the Moog’s collaboration in music field
Keyword: Moog began a collaboration
Pembahasan: the Moog’s collaboration
in music field. Dalam bacaan dituliskan bahwa Moog mulai berkolaborasi dengan
berbagai musisi dalam berbagai genre musik.
Reading Comprehension Passage 2
Until recently,mostAmericanentrepreneursweremen.
Discrimination against women in business, the demands of caring for families,
and lack of business training had kept the number of women entrepreneurs Line
small. Now, however, businesses owned by women account for more than $40
billion in annual revenues, and this figure is likely to continue rising
throughout the 1990s. As Carolyn Doppelt Gray, an official of the Small
Business Administration, has noted, “The 1970s was the decade of women entering
management, and the 1980s turned out to be the decade of the woman
entrepreneur”.
What are some of the factors behind
this trend? For one thing, as more women earn advanced degrees in business and
enter the corporate world, they are finding obstacles. Women are still excluded from
most executive suites. Charlotte Taylor, a management consultant, had noted,
“In the 1970s women believed if they got an MBA and worked hard they could
become chairman of the board. Now they’ve found out that isn’t
going to happen, so they go out on their own”.
In the past, most women entrepreneurs
worked in “women’s” fields: cosmetics and clothing, for example. But this is
changing. Consider ASK Computer Systems, a $22-million-a-year computer software
business. It was founded in 1973 by Sandra Kurtzig, who was then a housewife
with degrees in math and engineering. When Kurtzig founded the business, her
first product was software that let weekly newspapers keep tabs on their
newspaper carriers and her office was a bedroom at home, with a shoebox under
the bed to hold the company’s cash. After she succeeded with the newspaper
software system, she hired several bright computer-science graduates to develop
additional programs. When these were marketed and sold, ASK began to grow. It
now has 200 employees, and Sandra Kurtzig owns $66.9 million of stock.
Of course, many women who start their
own businesses fail, just as men often do. They still face hurdles in
the business world, especially problems in raising money; the banking and
finance world is still dominated by men, and old attitudes die hard. Most
businesses owned by women are still quite small. But the situation is changing;
there are likely to be many more Sandra Kurtzigs in the years ahead.
5. What is the main idea of
this passage?
(A)
Women today are better educated than in the past, making them more attractive
to the business world.
(B) The computer is especially lucrative for women today.
(C) Women are better at small businesses than men are.
(D) Women today are opening more businesses of their own.
Jawab: (D) Women today are opening
more businesses of their own.
Keyword: businesses owned by women
account for more than $40 billion
Pembahasan: Gagasan utama bacaan
tersebut adalah Wanita masa kini makin banyak yang membuka usaha sendiri.
6. The word “excluded” in
paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to…
(A)
not permitted in
(B) often invited to
(C) decorators of
(D) charged admission to
Jawab:
(A) not permitted in
Keyword: form most executive suites
Pembahasan: Kata “excluded” =
dikecualikan”pada paragraf ke 2 adalah memiliki arti terdekat dengan not
permitted in = tidak diizinkan dalam.
• often invited to = sering diundang
untuk.
• decorators of = dekorator dari.
• charged admission to = dibebankan
masuk ke.
7.
The author mentions the “shoebox under the bed” in the third paragraph in order
to…
(A)
show the frugality of women in business
(B) show the resourcefulness of Sandra Kurtzig
(C) point out that initially the financial resources of Sandra Kurtzig’s
business were limited
(D) suggest that the company needed to expand
Jawab:
(C) point out that initially the financial resources of Sandra Kurtzig’s
business were limited
Keyword: to hold the company’s cash
Pembahasan: Penulis menyebutkan
“shoebox under the bed” dalam paragraf ketiga untuk menunjukkan bahwa pada
awalnya sumberdaya keuangan dari bisnis Sandra Kurtzig’s terbatas (point out
that initially the financial resources of Sandra Kurtzig’s business were
limited).
Reading Comprehension Passage 3
Scientists do not yet thoroughly
understand just how the body of an individual becomes sensitive to a substance
that is harmless or even wholesome for the average person. Milk, wheat, and
egg, for example. Line rank among the most healthful and widely used foods. Yet
these foods can cause persons sensitive to them to suffer greatly. At first,
the body of the individual is not harmed by coming into contact with the
substance. After a varying interval of time, usually longer than a few weeks,
the body becomes sensitive to it, and an allergy has begun to develop.
Sometimes it’s hard to figure out if you have a food allergy since it can
show up so many different ways.
Your symptoms could
be caused by many other problems. You may have rashes, hives, joint pains
mimicking arthritis, headaches, irritability, or depression. The most common
food allergies are to milk, eggs, seafood, wheat, nuts, seeds, chocolate,
oranges, and tomatoes. Many of these allergies will not develop if these foods
are not fed to an infant until her or his intestines mature at around seven
months.
Breast milk also tends to be
protective. Migraines can be set
off by foods containing tyramine,
phenethylamine, monosodium glutamate, or sodium nitrate. Common foods which
contain these are chocolate, aged cheeses, sour cream, red wine, pickled
herring, chicken livers, avocados, ripe bananas, cured meats, many Oriental and
prepared foods (read the labels!). Some people have been successful in treating
their migraines with supplements of B-vitamins, particularly B6 and niacin.
Children who are hyperactive may
benefit from eliminating food additives, especially colorings, and foods high
in salicylates from their diets. A few of these are almonds, green peppers,
peaches, tea, grapes. This is the diet made popular by Benjamin Feingold, who
has written the book Why your Child is 30 Hyperactive. Other researchers have
had mixed results when testing whether the diet is effective.
8. The topic of this
passage is…
(A)
reactions to foods
(B) food and nutrition
(C) infants and allergies
(D) a good diet
Jawab:
(A) reactions to foods
Keyword: an individual becomes
sensitive to a substance
Pembahasan: Topik dari bacaan tersebut
adalah reaksi terhadap makan (reactios of foods).
9. According to the
passage, the difficulty in diagnosing allergies to foods is due to …
(A)
the vast number of different foods we eat
(B) lack of a proper treatment plan
(C) the similarity of symptoms of the allergy to other problems
(D) the use of the prepared formula to feed babies
Jawab: (C) the similarity of
symptoms of the allergy to other problems
Keyword: it
can show up so many different ways
Pembahasan:
Menurut bagian ini, kesutitan dalam mendiagnosis alergi terhadap makanan adalah
karena kemiripan gejala alergi dengan masalah lain (the similarity of symptoms
of the allergy to other problems).
10.
The author states that the reason that infants need to avoid certain foods
related to allergies has to do with the infants…
(A)
lack of teeth
(B) poor metabolism
(C) underdeveloped intestinal tract
(D) inability to swallow solid foods
Jawab:
(C) underdeveloped intestinal tract
Keyword: until her or his intestines
mature
Pembahasan: Dinyatakan dalam bacaan
bahwa alasan bahwa bayi perlu menghindari makanan tertentu yang
berhubungan dengan alergi karena saluran pencernaan yang belum berkembang baik
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