[Part7]ReadingComprehension--Format&Tactics Tactics, amp

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7. Short Readings
Format
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Part VII is the longest part of TOEIC. It's also the last part, so you may be starting to get tired. However, you need to stay focused on the test for a little longer. (Of course, if you want, you may work on part VII before you work on parts V and VI.)
Part VII consists of short reading passages followed by questions about the passages. There are four possible answer choices for each question. You must pick the best answer choice based on the information in the passage and then mark that answer on your answer sheet.
The Passages
There are from twelve to fifteen passages. Most are quite short. Some consist of only three or four sentences; the longest have around 150 words. The passages deal with a wide variety of topics and involve many different types of written materials.
There are from two to five questions per passage for a total of 40 questions. They include these three main types:
1. Overview questions
2. Detail questions
3. Inference questions
* Overview questions occur after most of the passages. To answer overview questions correctly, you need a "global" (overall) understanding of the passage. The most common overview question asks about the purpose or the main topic of the passage:
What does this article mainly discuss?
What is the purpose of this letter?
Why was this notice written?
Some ask about the best title or heading of a passage:
What is the best heading for this announcement?
Which of the fo/lowing is the best title for the article?
Other overview questions ask about the writer of the passage, the readers of the passage, or the place of publication:
In what business is the writer of the passage?
What is the author's opinion of ____ ?
Who would be most interested in the information in this announcement?
For whom is this advertisement intended?
Where was this article probably published?
* Detail questions, the most common type of Part VII question, ask about specific points in the passage. You will usually have to scan the passage to find and identify the information. Sometimes the answer and the information in the passage do not look the same. For example, a sentence in a passage may read "This process is not as simple as it once was." The correct answer may be "The process is now more complex."
Some detail questions are negative questions. These almost always include the word NOT, which is printed in uppercase (capital) letters:
Based on the information in the passage, which of the following is NOT true?
Negative questions usually take longer to answer than other detail questions.
* A few questions in Part VII are inference questions. The answers to these questions are not directly stated in the passage. Instead, you must draw a conclusion about the information that is given. Some typical inference questions:
Which of these statements is probably true?
Which of the following can be inferred from this notice?
Answer Choices
All are believable answers to the questions. Incorrect choices often contain information that is presented somewhere in the passage but does not correctly answer the question.
A Note About Vocabulary
Most of the vocabulary in the passages consists of relatively common English words and phrases, but there will certainly be expressions that you do not know. However, you can understand most of a reading and answer most of the questions even if you don't know the meaning of all the words. Also, you can guess the meaning of many unfamiliar words in the passages through context. In other words, you can use the familiar words in the sentence in which an unfamiliar word appears to get an idea of what the unfamiliar word means.
Tactics
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1. First, look at the passage quickly to get an idea of what it is about.
2. Next, read the questions about the passage. You should not read the answer choices at this time. Try to keep these questions in the back of your mind as you read the passage.
3. Read the passage. Try to read quickly, but read every word; don't just skim the passage. Look for answers to the questions that you read.
4. Answer the questions. For detail and inference questions, you will probably have to refer back to the passage. Use the eraser-end of your pencil as a pointer to focus your attention as you look for the information needed to answer the question.
5. If you are unsure of the answer, eliminate answer choices that are clearly wrong, and then guess.
6. Don't spend too much time on any item. If you find a question or even an entire passage confusing, guess at the answer or answers and come back to these items later if you have time.
7. If you have not answered all the questions and only a few minutes ere left, read the remaining questions without reading the passages, and choose the answers that seem most logical.
* Types of Readings and Practice Exercises
A. Articles
B. Business Correspondence
C. Advertisements
D. Announcements
E. Non-Prose Readings

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6. Error Identification

Format
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Section VI of TOEIC tests your ability to recognize mistakes in grammar or usage in written sentences. It consists of twenty items. In each item, four expressions -- usually one or two words each -- are underlined. You have to examine all four items and decide which one must be rewritten (it can't simply be omitted) to form a correct sentence. In other works you need to find the underlined expression that contains a mistake.

Tactics
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1. Read each item word for word. Don't just look at the underlined portion of the sentences because the error is often incorrect only because of the context of the sentence.

2. Don't read too quickly. If you do, your eyes may skip over errors, especially those involving "small words" (prepositions, pronouns, articles). Try to pronounce each word in your mind as you read. This will help you catch errors that "sound wrong."

3. If you are unable to find an error after the first reading, look at the verbs in the sentence to see if they are used correctly, since verb errors are the most common errors in Part VI. Check the verb's tense, form, and agreement with the subject.

4. If the verb seems to be used correctly, check for other common errors: word choice, word form, preposition use, and so on.

5. If you still cannot find an error, eliminate choices that seem to be correct. If more than one choice remains, make a guess. Put a mark on your answer sheet next to items that you are not sure of so that you can come back to these items if you have time at the end of Section VI. (Be sure to erase all these marks before the end of the test.)

6. Never spend too much time on any one item.

7. Never leave any blank answers. Always guess.

8. As soon as you finish Part VI, go on to Part VII. Keep in mind that Part VII (Reading Comprehension) takes more time to complete than either Part V or Part VI.

*Testing Points and Skill-Building Exercises
A. Verb Errors
B. Word-Choice Errors
C. Word-Form Errors
D, Preposition Errors
E. Errors with Gerunds, Infinitives, and Simple Forms
F. Errors with Pronouns
G. Errors with Singular and Plural Nouns
H. Errors with Comparative and Superlative Forms of Adjectives
I. Errors with Articles
J. Word-Order Errors
K. Errors with Connecting Words
L. Errors with Participial Adjectives

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5. Sentence Completion

Format
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This section consists of forty sentences, each missing one or more words. Below each sentence are four words or phrases. Your job is to decide which of these four choices produces a complete, grammatical, and logical sentence when it is put into the sentence.


Tactics
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1. Begin by reading each item carefully. Try to guess what word or words are missing. Look for these words or similar words among the answer choices.

2. The most common testing point in Part V involves word choice. You can identify these items because the four answer choices look alike or have similar meanings. Use the context of the sentence to help you choose the answer, and look for any grammar clues that help you eliminate distractors.

3. The second most common type of item in Part V involves word form. You can recognize these because the answer choices are all forms of the same word. Use the endings of the words to determine which choice is correct in the context of the sentence.

4. Verb problems are the third most common item type in Part V. The answer choices for these items are four forms of the same verb. Look for time words and other clues.

5. If the correct choice is not obvious, eliminate choices that are clearly incorrect and guess. Put a mark by items that you found difficult so that you can come back to them if you have time. Never leave any items unanswered.

6. Never spend too much time on any one item.

7. As soon as you finish Part V, go on to Part VI.

* Testing Points and Skill-Building Exercises
A. Word Choice
B. Word Forms
C. Word Choice/Word Forms
D. Verbs
E. Prepositions
F. Connecting Words
G. Gerunds, Infinitives, and Simple Forms

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4.Short Talks

Format
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In Part IV, you will hear a number of talks on the audio program. There are two, three, and sometimes four questions for each talk. The questions are written in your test booklet. There are four answer choices following each question. You have to choose the best answer to the question based on the information that you hear in the talk. Before each of the talks, there is an introductory statement.

Examples of introductory statements:

Questions 80 and 81 are based on the following announcement:
Questions 93 to 96 refer to the following lecture:

Following each talk, you'll hear instructions to answer particular questions, with eight-second pauses between each of them. (You do not have to wait for these announcements to answer the questions.)

Because this part of the test consists of both spoken material on the tape and written questions and answer choices, it tests both listening and reading skills.

1. The talks: The talks are all monologues -- that is, they are delivered by one speaker. They are fairly short -- most are less than one minute long.

2. The questions: Three main types of questions are asked about the talks: overview questions, detail questions, and inference questions.

* Overview questions require a general understanding of the lecture or of the situation in which it is given. Overview questions ask about the main idea or purpose of the lecture, or about the speaker, the audience, or the location where the talk is given. Some typical overview questions:

Who is speaking?
What is the purpose of the talk?
What kind of people would probably be interested in this talk?
What is happening in this talk?
Where is this announcement being made?

* Detail questions relate to specific points in the talk. They begin with question words: who, what, where, why, when, how, how much, and so on. Some ars negative questions; they ask what was not mentioned in the talk:

Which of the following is NOT true about... ?

* Inference questions require you to make a conclusion based on the information provided in the talk. These questions often contain the word probably or forms of the verbs imply or infer:

What is probably true about... ?
What does the speaker imply about... ?
What can be inferred from this talk?

3. The answer choices: All the answer choices are plausible answers to the questions, in many cases, the distractors are mentioned in the talk. Just because you hear an answer choice mentioned in the talk does not mean it is the correct answer for a particular question.


Tactics
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1. Listen carefully to the introductory announcement that is given before each talk. It will tell you what kind of talk you are going to hear (an announcement or a commercial, for example) as well as which questions to look at during that talk.

2. Always look at the questions as the talk is being given on the audio program. Do not look away or close your eyes in order to concentrate on the spoken material. You must focus on both the talk and the written questions.

3. Because the questions ars written out, you can use them to focus your listening for particular information.

4. Do not mark your answer sheet while the talk is going on, even if you know the answer. The act of answering a question may cause you to miss the information you need to answer the question or questions that follow.

5. Do not wait for the speaker on the audio program to instruct you to answer the questions. In fact, you should ignore those announcements. Begin answering as soon as the talk is over, and answer all the questions related to that talk as soon es you can. If you have a few seconds left before the next talk begins, preview the next few questions in your test booklet.

6. Never continue working on the questions about one talk after another talk has begun.

7. If you are not sure of an answer, eliminate unlikely choices and then guess.

8. Always answer each question. Never leave any blanks.


* Testing Points and Skill-Building Exercises
A. Public Announcements
B. News, Weather, and Public Service Bulletins
C. Commercial Messages
D. Business Talks
E. Recorded Messages

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3.Short Conversations

Format
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This part of TOEIC consists of thirty short conversations, either between a man and a woman or between two men. The conversations airs three-part exchanges: The first speaker says something, the second speaker responds, and the first speaker says something else. Two typical patterns airs given below:

Speaker 1: Asks a question. Speaker 1: Makes a statement.
Speaker 2: Responds to the question. Speaker 2: Questions the statement.
Speaker 1: Comments on the response. Speaker 1: Responds to the question.

In your test book, each question is written out, followed by four possible answer choices. Your job is to decide which one of these best answers the question. Then you need to mark the corresponding answer on your answer sheet.


Tactics
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1. Between each conversation theirs is an eight-second pause. This may not sound like a long time, but you can actually accomplish quite a bit during this pause. You need to mark the answer for the item that you just heard and then preview the next item. Previewing the item consists of reading the question -- this tells you what to listen for -- and of quickly looking over the four answer choices.

2. While listening to the conversation, keep your eyes on the answer choices. Don't close your eyes or look away. Try to evaluate the four choices as you airs listening.

3. Remember that distractors are sometimes mentioned in the conversations but are not answers to the question. Don't choose an answer just because you hear a word or two from the answer in the conversation.

4. If the correct answer is not obvious, try to eliminate answers that seem to be incorrect. If more than one answer choice is left, take a guess.

5. Mark your answers as quickly as possible so that you can preview the next item.

6. Never leave any answers blank. If you are not sure, always guess.


* Testing Points and Skill-Building Exercises
A. Overview Questions
B. Detail Questions
C, Inference Questions

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2.Questions/Responses

Format
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This part of TOEIC consists of thirty items. Each item consists of a question on the audio program followed by three possible responses (answers) to the question, also on the audio program. Your job is to decide which of these three best answers the question. Between each item is a five-second pause. Part II problems do not involve any reading skills; therefore, this part is considered a "pure" test of listening skills. Your test book simply tells you to mark an answer for each problem.

Tactics
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1. There are no answer choices to consider before or while the item is being read. You should just concentrate on the question and the three responses on the audio program, and pay no attention to the test book.

2. Try to identify the type of question (information question, yes/no question, alternative question, and so on). The correct response, of course, often depends on the type of question being asked.

3. Try to eliminate distractors.

4. Don't mark an answer until you have heard all three responses. When you hear a response that you think is correct, rest your pencil on that oval on the answer sheet. If you change your mind and hear a response that you think is better, move your pencil to that choice. Once you have heard all three responses, mark the oval that your pencil is resting on. (This technique helps you remember which choice you think is best.)

5. If you hear all three responses and none of the three seems correct, take a guess and get ready for the next item.

6. There is very little time (only five seconds) between items in Part II. You need to decide on an answer and fill in the blank quickly to be ready for the next item.

* Testing Points and Skill-Building Exercises
A. Information Questions
B. Yes/No Questions
C. Other Types of Questions
D. Recognizing Sound/Meaning Distractors
E. Recognizing Other Types of Distractors

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1.Sentences About Photographs

Format
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The first part of TOEIC consists of twenty numbered photographs that are in your test book. For each photograph, you will hear on the audio program four sentences that refer to it. You must decide which of the sentences best describes something you can see in each photograph.

The photographs are pictures of ordinary situations. Around two-thirds of the photographs involve a person or people; around one-third involve an object or a scene without people.

The sentences are short and grammatically simple. They generally deal with the most important aspects of the photographs, but some focus on small details or on objects or people in the background.

Each item is introduced by a statement that tells you to look at the next numbered photograph. The pacing for this part is fast: There is only a five-second pause between items, and there is no pause between sentences (A), (B), (C), and (D).


Tactics
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1. Always complete each item as quickly as possible so that you can preview the photograph for the next item. Don't wait for the statement that says, "Now look at photograph number __. "

2. If you are previewing a photograph that involves a person or people, look for aspects of the photographs that are often mentioned in the sentences:

* What are the people doing?
* Where are they?
* Who are they? (Is there a uniform or piece of equipment or anything else that indicates their profession or role?)
* What distinguishes them? (Is there a hat, a mustache, a puree, a pair of glasses, a tie, or anything else that differentiates the people?)
* What do the people's expressions tell you? (Do they look happy? Unhappy? Excited? Bored? Upset?)

3. If you are previewing a photograph of an object, focus on these aspects:

* What is it?
* What is it made of?
* What -- if anything -- is it doing?
* Where is it?

4. If you are previewing a photograph of a scene, focus on these aspects:

* Where is it?
* What is in the foreground (the "front" of the picture)?
* What -- if anything -- is happening?
* What is in the background (the "distant" part of the picture)?

5. Don't mark an answer until you have heard all four choices. When you hear a choice that you think is correct, rest your pencil on that oval on your answer sheet. If you change your mind and hear a sentence that you think is better, move your pencil to that choice. Once you have heard all four sentences, mark the oval that your pencil is resting on. (This technique helps you remember which choice you think is best.)

6. Try to eliminate choices with problems in meaning, sound, and sound + meaning.

7. Most correct answers involve verbs in the simple present ("The furniture looks new.") or present progressive tense ("The woman is riding a bicycle."). Be suspicious of answer choices involving any other tenses.

8. Never leave any blanks. Always guess before going on to the next item.

9. As soon as you have finished marking the answer, stop looking at and thinking about that photograph and move on to the next item.

* Testing Points and Skill-Building Exercises
A. Sentences with Meaning Problems
B. Sentences with Sound Problems
C. Sentences with Sound and Meaning Problems