Steven J. Matthiesen - Essential Words for the TOEFL (Barrons Essential Words Series)

The TOEFL is a comprehensive English language examination required by more than 3,00 colleges and universities in the United States, Canada, and other parts of the world. In addition , foreign born professionals frequently need a TOEFL score for certification to practice thei r profession in the United States or Canada . The TOEFL is a timed test that consists of the three sections listed here .

THE TOEFL
Section 1	Listening Comprehension	50 questions 35 minutes
Part A Part B Part C	Statements Short Dialogs Minitalks and Extended Conversations	20 questions 15 questions 15 questions
Section 2
Structure and Written Expression Structure Written Expression	40 questions 25 minutes 15 questions 25 questions
Section 3	Vocabulary and Reading Comprehension Vocabulary Reading Comprehension	60 questions 45 minutes 30 questions 30 questions

SECTION 1: LISTENING COMPREHENSION

This section of the TOEFL test your ability to understand spoken American English. You will hear taped conversations to which you will make responses. Part A and B contain samples of informal American English. Idiomatic expressions and two-word verbs are common in these parts.

Single Statement

In Part A you will hear a single statement made by a man or a woman. In your test booklet, ther e are four sentences. You must choose the sentence that is closest in meaning to the one you heard . YOU WILL HEAR : To get to the post office, cross the street, go three blocks, and you'll see it right on the corner . YOU WILL SEE :

(A) The post office is right on the corner. (B) The post office is at the next corner. (C) The post office has a cross near it.

(D) The post office is three blocks away. The correct choice is, which most closely gives the same meaning as the sentence you heard. It is important for you to know that if similar sounding words or the same words appear in an answer choice, that answer choice is seldom correct.

Short Dialogs

Part B contains short dialogs followed by a question about what the people said in their conversation. Generally, key information is found in the second speaker's sentence. You will need to understand the meaning of the conversation and also the context , such as the time or place in which it could occur. The correct choice directly answers the question. YOU WILL HERE: (Man Did you get to go shopping last night'? (Woman) They'd already locked the doors by the time

I got there . (Man) What does the woman mean ? YOU WILL SEE :

(A) She arrived in time to shop. (B) She was too late. (C) She locked the doors.

(D) She had to buy the door. The correct choice is. Since the doors were locked when she arrived, she could not have gone shopping. Note that the other choices use words heard in the conversation. Choices that contain such words are usually not correct.

Extended Conversation / Minitalks

In Part C you will hear an extended conversation or a minitalk. The English in this section is generally more formal and academic, typical of English conversation or lectures that take place in a university or college setting. After each conversation or minitalk, there are between four and eight spoken questions about its content. Choose your answer from among the four choices that appear in your test book-let. Look at the example here. YOU WILL HERE: Man: Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to this tour of one of the nation's most important cities, Chicago. Before we begin, I'd like to give you some background information that will make the tour more enjoyable for you. The city was founded in 1837. Its strategic location on Lake Michigan quickly made it the center of commerce for the Midwest section of the country. It is currently the third largest metropolitan area In the United States. The city's site is generally level, built mostly on glacial plain. The narrow Chicago River extends one mile inland from Lake Michigan, where it splits, dividing the city into North, West, and South sides. Chicago's weather is subject to rapid changes, but generally the climate is cold and windy in the winter, and hot and humid in the summer. Woman: What gave Chicago an advantage over other Midwest cities? YOU WILL SEE:

(A) Its level site. (B) Its location on Lake Michigan. (C) Its large population.

(D) Its location along the Chicago River. According to the minitalk, would be the correct choice. Remember that you will not have a written copy of the speaker's talk or conversation and you will only hear it once. You must concentrate on details, such as names, dates, and the main idea of the selection that you hear. Do not read the choices as you listen to the talk. Listen care-fully and try to remember what you hear.

SECTION 2: STRUCTURE AND WRITTEN EXPRESSION

This section contains two types of questions, both designed to test your ability to recognize correct style and grammar in written English. The sentences are academic; ones that you typically find in college level texts, journals, and encyclopedias. The sentence topics include the social sciences, physical and life sciences, and the humanities.