Maria Yasinta
Saktianingrum 3eb25/24211296
TOEFL Reading Test Structure
In the reading
section of the TOEFL you are being tested on your ability to understand texts
found in an academic setting. This means that you must have a large vocabulary
and the capacity to understand complex ideas. Let's take a closer look at the
TOEFL reading test structure and contents of the test, a test sample and some
extra strategies and tips to help you improve.
Exam Content, Length, Time: Reading
The reading
section of the TOEFL is comprised of 3 - 5 texts and 12 - 14 questions. You
will read the texts and have between 60 - 100 minutes to answer. Each text is
to be completed in 20 minutes.
Content Focus: Academic Reading
Comprehension
You will read
texts that test your comprehension of academic content at the university level.
Expect to read the kinds of passages you find in textbooks. The test obviously
is looking at your ability to read at an academic level. You can expect texts
to appear on the test that are similar to the following:
• biographical
information
• historical
information
• descriptive
• argumentative
• exposition
What is expected of you when you read.
When you read the texts and answer the
questions, the test is checking to see if you can:
1 Find specific
facts
2 Find specific
answers
3 Understand the
basic ideas in the text and overall subject matter
4 Learn new
information by reading at an academic level
Can you prepare for this section of TOEFL?
Yes you can
prepare and practice for the reading comprehension section. Do not worry about
studying topics though. You do not need to already know the content. The test
is NOT trying to see if you studied history, science, engineering or any other
topic. The test IS trying to see if you can read in English at an advanced
level with understanding.
You have the
time needed to read passages and answer questions. Everything that is required
of you is right there in the text. In this way, the preparation you need to
focus on is language study.
How to prepare for the reading section for
TOEFL: Quick Tips
1. Take many
practice tests.
This will show
you what the test is like. Your score will tell you what you need to study.
2. Time yourself
on the practice tests.
When you write
practice tests, you have 20 minutes for each one. Time yourself on
some of them. This will give an idea about how quickly you need to read and
answer questions.
3. Read widely!
You should be
reading English often. To " read widely" simply means that you read
about many things such as science, politics, geography, news and topics where
you can expect to learn new words and phrases. Have you read BBC News online,
The Lonely Planet online or The Guardian online? These are 3 sites to start
with.
4. Boost your
vocabulary.
Test Structure
This section of
the TOEFL will provide you with 3 - 5 texts of about 700 words. There are about
12 -14 questions per text for you to answer. The test is 60 to 100 minutes in
length.
Reading Content
The content of
the texts are comprised of arguments, expositions and historical subjects. All
of the texts are academic and so you should expect to read about things that
one comes across at the college and university level. You do not need to have a
background in history, science or any other subject. All the information you
need to answer the questions properly is provided for you.
Question Types
You will read
texts and be asked to look for the main idea in them. You need not know every
vocabulary word in the texts. You will see words that you do not know but these
definitions are often given to you in a helpful glossary. You are expected to
be able to do the following:
• Read a text
and learn from it
• Read a text
and understand it in a general way
• Read a text
and locate specific information and facts
Test Sample
The very best
way to relax about this section of the test is to have a look at a sample of
the exam itself. This way you will know what to expect.
Reading Strategies
To prepare for
this test section you should read often, read about many subjects and use a
vocabulary journal to keep track of your new words. It is really important to
read topics like the news, science, geography, and politics. Ensure the
level of English is advanced.
Quick Tips
• Ensure that
you take practice tests. Get them marked by a teacher. Find out what your score
is as soon as possible. Compare this score to the score you need to get on the
real TOEFL test.
• If you get a
low score on the test then ask your teacher for suggestions about what to
read.
• Reading books,
magazines, and news sites online like The New York Times, The Washington Post,
and The Guardian are a good start.
EXAMPLE:
PASSAGE
WOMEN BUSINESSES
Until recently, most American entrepreneurs were men. Discrimination against
women in business, the demands of caring for families, and lack of business
training had kept the number of women entrepreneurs small. Now, however,
business owned by women account for more than $ 40 bilion in annual revenues,
and this figure is likely to continue rising throughout the 1990s. As Carolyn
Doppelt Gray, an official of the Small Bussiness 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 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 have found out that isn’t going to happen, so they go out
their own.”
In the past, most women entrepreneurs worked in “women’s” field:
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 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 business fail, just as men
often do. They still face hurdles in the business world, especially problems in
rasing money; the banking and finance world is still dominated by men, and old
attitudes die hard. Most business 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.
QUESTION
1.
What is the main idea of this passage?
A.
Women today are better educated than in the
past, making them more attractive to 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.
Answer : D
2.
The world “excluded” in line 9 is closest in
meaning to
A.
Not permitted in
B.
Often invited to
C.
Decorators of
D.
Charged admission to
Answer : A
3.
All the following were mentioned in the passage
as detriments to women in the business world EXCEPT
A.
Women were required to stay at home with their
families.
B.
Women lacked ability to work in business
C.
Women faced discrimination in business
D.
Women were not trained in business.
Answer : B
4.
In line 11, “that” refers to
A.
A woman becomes chairman of the board.
B.
Women working hard
C.
Women achieving advanced degrees
D.
Women believing that business is a place for
them
Answer : A
5.
According to the passage, Charlotte Taylor
believes that women in the 1970s
A.
Were unrealistic about their opportunities in
business management
B.
Were still more interested in education than
business opportunities
C.
Had fewer obstacles in business than they do
today.
D.
Were unable to work hard enough to succed in
business
Answer : A
6.
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 os Sandra Kurtzig
C.
Point out that initially the financial resources
of Sandra Kurzig’s business were limited
D.
Suggest that the company needed to expand
Answer ; C
7.
In line 13, the world “this” refers to
A.
Women becoming entrepreneurs
B.
Women buying cosmetics and clothing
C.
Women working in “women’s fields”
D.
Women staying at home.
Answer : C
8.
The expression “keep tabs on” in line 16 is
closest in meaning to
A.
Recognize
B.
Keep records of
C.
Provide transportation for
D.
Pay the salaries of
Answer ; B
9.
The word “hurdles” in line 22 can be best
replaced by
A.
Fences
B.
Obstacles
C.
Questions
D.
Small groups
Answer : B
10.
It can be inferred from the passage that the
author believes that businesses operated by women are small because
A.
Women prefer a small intimate setting
B.
Women can’t deal with money
C.
Women are not able to borrow money easily
D.
Many women fail at large businesses.
Answer ; C
Sumber:
Upgrade Toefl Score; Penyunting, Anggia
Eka.-Cet.1.- Jakarta: Cmedia, 2012.
