Minggu, 29 Juni 2014

Strategies For The Reading Comprehension Section

Strategies For The Reading Comprehension Section
Prepare before the Test


Read on a variety of topics to build your English vocabulary.A large number of the passages on the TOEFL deal with topics in the natural sciences, the social sciences, and history. A smaller number related to culture and the arts. Read as much as you can in these subject area, particularly from textbooks, magazines, and newspapers.

Practice trying to guess the meaning of unfamiliar words from the way they are used in sentences. Use other words in the sentence, your understanding in the passage, and your knowledge of the world as clues to the meaning of unfamiliar words.

Be familiar with the testing tools used on the computer test. Practice using the mouse and the scroll bar. Practice reading from a computer screen and scrolling through a passage.

Pace Yourself

Work as quickly as you can.Pay attention to the number of questions and the amount of time you have during the test. On the paper test, you have 55 minutes to read all of of the passages and answer 50 questions, This means you have only 10 to 11 minutes to spend on each passage and its questions.

You can leave questions unanswered on both the paper test and the computer test. Later, you can go back to answer, review, or change your answers to previous questions. This is easier to do on the paper test because you can see and mark the questions. On the computer test, you have to remember which questions you skip because you are not allowed to write anything. Eliminate answer choices you know are incorrect. Then, if you are not sure of the correct answer, guess!

Answer all questions about one passage before you move on to the next passages. On the computer test, although you are allowed to return to previous passages, this process takes a lot of time. It is better to finish each passage before going on.


Begin by Skimming

On both the paper and computer tests, begin a passage by skimming it. Skimming is reading quickly for a general understanding of the meaning and organization. Frequently the first question about a passage asks about its topic or main idea.

Read the first one or two sentences in each paragraph to get an idea of its content. Notice key words and phrases that are repeated throughout the passage. Read the last sentences in the last paragraph.

On the computer test, you must use the scroll bar on skim the passages because most of them are too long to fit on a single screen.


Identify What the Question Wants

Identify exactly what each question wants to know. Does it ask about information that is mentioned in the passage? Or does it ask about something that is NOT in the passage? Does it ask you to identify something that author stated. Or does it ask you to make an inference based on something the author implied? Does it ask you about the meaning of a word or phrase?

When you know what you are looking for, you can scan the passage to find the information you need. Scanning means looking for key words and phrases. On the computer test, sometimes the computer will tell you which paragraph to look in and will make that paragraph with an arrow.

In question about vocabulary, look for context clues in the passage. Use your knowledge of sentence structure, punctuation, and other words and ideas in the passage.


Sample: Reading Comprehension Questions
Questions 1–4 are about the following announcement.
Student Volunteers Needed!
On Saturday, December 12th, from 10 A.M. until 4 P.M., Carverton Middle School will be holding a music festival in the school gymnasium. The special event will feature a variety of professional musicians and singers.
Task
Time
Date
Make posters
1 P.M.–4 P.M.
December 5th
Set up gym
11 A.M.–4 P.M.
December 11th
Help performers
9 A.M.–4 P.M.
December 12th
Welcome guests
10 A.M.–2 P.M.
December 12th
Clean up gym 
4 P.M.–7 P.M.
December 12th

Interested students should speak with Ms. Braxton, the music teacher. Students who would like to help at the festival must have written permission from a parent or guardian.
1. What time will the festival begin?
  1. 10 A.M.
  2. 11 A.M.
  3. 1 P.M.
  4. 2 P.M.
2. In line 2, the word feature is closest in meaning to _______.
  1. look
  2. keep
  3. include
  4. entertain
3. What job will be done the day before the festival begins?
  1. Making posters
  2. Setting up the gym
  3. Cleaning up the gym
  4. Helping the performers
4. Who is told to talk to Ms. Braxton?
  1. Parents
  2. Students
  3. Teachers
  4. Performers
Questions 5–11 refer to the following story.
 Line

  "Did you see that?" Joe said to his friend Bill. "You're a great shooter!"
  Bill caught the basketball and bounced it before throwing it again. The ball flew into
the net.
  "Bill, you never miss!" Joe said admiringly.
 5
  "Unless I'm in a real game," Bill complained. "Then I miss all the time."
  Joe knew that Bill was right. Bill performed much better when he was having fun
with Joe in the school yard than he did when he was playing for the school team in front
of a large crowd.
  "Maybe you just need to practice more," Joe suggested.
 10
  "But I practice all the time with you!" Bill objected. He shook his head. "I just can't
play well when people are watching me."
  "You play well when I'm watching," Joe pointed out.
  "That's because I've known you since we were five years old," Bill said with a smile. "I'm just not
comfortable playing when other people are around."
 15
  Joe nodded and understood, but he also had an idea.
  The next day Joe and Bill met in the school yard again to practice. After a few minutes, Joe
excused himself.
  "Practice without me," Joe said to his friend. "I'll be back in a minute."
  Joe hurried through the school building, gathering together whomever he could find—two
 20
students, a math teacher, two secretaries, and a janitor.

When Joe explained why he needed them, everyone
was happy to help.
  Joe reminded the group to stay quiet as they all
went toward the school's basketball court. As Joe
 25
had hoped, Bill was still practicing basketball. He
made five baskets in a row without noticing the
silent people standing behind him.
  "Hey, Bill!" Joe called out finally.
  Bill turned. A look of surprise came over his
 30
face.
  "I just wanted to show you that you could play
well with people watching you," Joe said. "Now
you'll have nothing to worry about for the next
game!"
5. What would be the best title for the story?
  1. Joe Joins the Team
  2. Practice Makes Perfect
  3. Bill Wins the Big Game
  4. Bill's Basketball Problem
6. In line 6, the word performed is closest in meaning to _______.
  1. acted
  2. played
  3. moved
  4. changed
7. Why is Bill upset?
  1. He plays better in practice than he does during games.
  2. The school yard is not a good place to practice.
  3. Joe watches him too closely when he plays.
  4. His team loses too many games.
8. Why does Bill play well when Joe is watching him?
  1. He is comfortable with Joe.
  2. Joe tells him how to play better.
  3. He does not know that Joe is there.
  4. He wants to prove to Joe that he is a good player.
9. Why does Joe decide to gather a group of people?
  1. Because he wants more players for his team
  2. Because he wants to help Bill feel less nervous
  3. Because he wants to show them his talent
  4. Because he wants more people to see the next game
10. At the end of the story, all of the following people watch Bill practice EXCEPT _____.
  1. Joe
  2. a janitor
  3. a math teacher
  4. the basketball coach
11. Why does the group have to be quiet when they go to the basketball court?
  1. Because Joe is telling Bill what to do
  2. Because they do not want Bill to know they were there
  3. Because Bill likes to practice alone
  4. Because the group needs to listen to Joe’s instructions


Sumber :
·         https://www.ets.org/toefl_junior/prepare/standard_sample_questions/reading_comprehension
·         http://khengdina.hubpages.com/hub/TOEFL-strategies-For-The-Reading-Comprehension-Section
·         http://www.tcyonline.com/toefl/str_read.php


Minggu, 08 Juni 2014

TUGAS SOFTSKILL : STRATEGY OF STRUCTURE TOEFL

Nama         :  Riesky Ramadhian
Kelas         :  3 EB 25
NPM          :  26211166

STRATEGY OF STRUCTURE TOEFL

According to wikipedia is “grammar is the set of structural rules that govern the composition of clauses, phrases, and words in any given natural language. The term refers also to the study of such rules, and this field includes morphology, syntax, and phonology, often complemented by phonetics, semantics, and pragmatics. Linguists do not normally use the term to refer to orthographical rules, although usage books and style guides that call themselves grammars may also refer to spelling and punctuation.” While understanding the grammar by Oxford learner's pocket dictionary is: book that describes the rules for forming words and making sentences.
TOEFL stands for Test of English as a Foreign Of Language. TOEFL is a standardized English language skills in writing a person who covers four aspects of mastery: Listening, Writing and Reading.

Strategy of Structure
1.    First study the sentence.
Your purpose is to determine what is needed to complete the sentence correctly.
2.    Then study each answer based on how well it completes the sentence.
Eliminate answers that do not complete the sentence correctly.
3.    Do not try to eliminate incorrect answers by looking only at the answers.
The incorrect answers are generally correct by themselves. The incorrect answers are generally incorrect only when used to complete the sentence.
4.    Never leave any answers blank.
Be sure to answer each question even if you are unsure of the correct response.
5.    Do not spend too much time on the Structure questions.
Be sure to leave adequate time for the Written Expression questions.

Skill 1: Make sure that sentence has a subject and a Verb .
You know that a sentence in English should have a subject and a verb. The most common types of problems that you will encounter in the Structure section of the TOEFL test are related to subjects and verbs; perhaps the sentence is missing either the subject, or the verb, or both; perhaps the sentence has an extra subject or verb.
Example :
______was ringing continuously for hours.

(A) Loudly
(B) In the morning
(C) The phone
(D) The bells

Analysis:
In this example, you should notice immediately that there is a verb, was ringing, but there is no subject. Answer (C) is the best answer because it is a singular subject that agrees with the singular verb was ringing. Answer (A), loudly, and answer (B), in the morning, are not subjects, so they are not correct. Although answer (D), bells, could be a subject, it is not correct because bells is plural and it does not agree with the singular verb was ringing.

SKILL 2: BE CAREFUL OF OBJECTS OF PREPOSITIONS
Object (what comes after) preposition MUST noun or pronoun). An example of the preposition that in, at, of, to, by, on, behind, and others. Please refer to the dictionary to determine the form of the preposition.
example:
After his exams Tom will take a trip by boat.
In the sentence above, there are two preposition: after and by. The word exam (noun) is the object of the preposition after, and the boat is an object of the preposition by.
The object of the preposition can create confusion on the part of the TOEFL test structure / grammar. REMEMBER! The object of the preposition is not the subject of the sentence.
Example :
With his friends _____ found the movie theater.
a) has
b) he
c) later
d) when

Analysis:
In this example you should look first for the subject and the verb. You should notice the verb found and should also notice that there is no subject. Do not think that friend is the subject; friend is the object of the preposition with, and one noun cannot be both a subject and an object at the same time. Because a subject is needed in this sentence, answer (B), he, is the best answer. Answers (A), (C), and (D) are not correct because they cannot be subjects

SKILL 3: BE CAREFUL OF PRESENT PARTICIPLES
Present participle is verb + ing : talking , playing , watching, etc. . Present participle form of the problem can be Spieler Structure TOEFL test . Present participle can only be an adjective ( adjective ) which generally describes the subject of like Appositive ( see here on appositive ) or be part of keja word ( verb ) when preceded by be ( am , is , are , was , were ) .
The man is talking to his friend .
The man talking to his friend has a beard .
In the first sentence talking present participle form of the verb part because preceded by Be ( is ) . While no. 2 talking present participle is an adjective ( describes the men 's ) and not as part of a verb because it is not preceded by some as the first sentence . Verb of the sentence into two: has ( the man has a beard ) .
Sample sentences below illustrates how the present participle can be a rapscallion in Structure TOEFL test.
Example :
The child ____ playing in the yard is my son.
a.       Now
b.      Is
c.       He
d.      was

Analysis:
In this example, if you look at only the first words of the sentence, it appears that child is the subject and playing is part of the verb. If you think that playing is part of the verb, you might choose answer (B), is, or answer (D), was, to complete the verb. However, these two answers are incorrect because playing is not part of the verb. You should recognize that playing is a participial adjective rather than a verb because there is another verb in the sentence (is). In this sentence there is a complete subject (child) and a complete verb (is), so this sentence does not need another subject or verb. The best answer here is (A).

SKILL 4 : BE CAREFUL OF PAST PARTICIPLES
Past participles can cause confusion in the Structure section of the TOEFL test because a past participle can be either an adjective or a part of a verb. The past participle is the form of the verb that appears with have or be. It often ends in -ed, but there are also many irregular past participles in English. (See Appendix F for a list of irregular past participles).
Example :
The packages____ mailed at the post office will arrive Monday.
a.       Have
b.      Were
c.       Them
d.      just

Analysis :
In this example, if you look only at the first few words of the sentence, it appears that packages is the subject and mailed is either a complete verb or a past participle that needs a helping verb. But if you look further in the sentence, you will see that the verb is will arrive. You will then recognize that mailed is a participial adjective and is therefore not part of the verb. Answers (A) and (B) are incorrect because mailed is an adjective and does not need a helping verb such as have or were. Answer (C) is incorrect because there is no need for the object them. Answer (D) is the best answer to this question.

Skill 5 : Use a Adverb Time Connector and Cause Connector correctly
Sentences using clauses of clause adverb of time has 2 basic patterns:
§  I will sign the check before you live.
§  Before you live, I will sign the check.
Each of the examples above, there are two clauses: you live and I will sign the check. The second clause of the adverb time clause which (you live) because it is preceded by a conjunctive adverb time connector (before). Note the use of the coma when the time adverb connector located at the front of the sentence.
The example below illustrates how the pattern is used as a matter of sentence in Structure TOEFL test.
Example :
____ was late, I missed the appointment.
a.       I
b.      Because
c.       The train
d.      Since he

Analysis :
In this example you should recognize easily that there is a verb, was, that needs a subject. There is also another clause, I missed the appointment. If you choose answer (A) or answer (C), you will have a subject for the verb was, but you will not have a connector to join the two clauses. Because you need a connector to join two clauses, answers (A) and (C) are incorrect. Answer (B) is incorrect because there is no subject for the verb was. Answer (D) is the best answer because there is a subject, he, for the verb was, and there is a connector, since, to join the two clauses.

Skill 6 : Use the information that the Other Adverb Other Connectors with correct
OTHER ADVERB CONNECTORS
Condition(pengandaian)
Contrast (berlawanan)
Manner(cara)
Place
If (jika)
In case (if)
Provided (if)
Providing (if)
Unless (kecuali jika)
Whether
Although (walaupun)
Even though (although)
Though (although)
While (walaupun/sedangkan/tapi)
Whereas (while)
As
In that
Where
Wherever (di manapun)
Contoh:
Bob Went to school even though he felt sick.
Even though Bob felt sick, he went to school. 

Note:
Note the use of the coma when the connector at the beginning of the sentence.
Pay attention to the subject (the word is blocked) and verbs (words that are blocked and underlined) in each clause
Except: While or whereas always use comma (,)
·         The Smith family arrived at 2:00, while the Jones family arrived an hour later.
·         Mary is rich, while John is poor.
·         While John is poor, Mary is rich.
·         Whereas John is poor, Mary is rich.
The example below illustrates how the pattern is used as a matter of sentence in Structure TOEFL test.
Example :
You will get a good grade on the exam provided _____.
a) studying
b) study
c) to study
d) you study

SKILL 7 : INVERT THE SUBJECT AND VERB WITH QUESTION WORDS
There is some confusion about when to invert the subject and verb after question words such as what, when, where, why, and how. These words can have two very different functions in a sentence. First, they can introduce a question, and in this case the subject and verb that follow are inverted.
Example :
The lawyer asked the client why____it.
a.       did he do
b.      did he
c.       he did
d.      did

Analysis :
In this example the question word why is used to connect the two clauses, so a subject and verb are needed after this connector; this is not a question, so the subject and verb should not be inverted. The best answer is therefore answer (C).

SKILL 8 : INVERT THE SUBJECT AND VERB WITH PLACE EXPRESSIONS
After ideas expressing place, the subject and the verb sometimes invert in English. This can happen with single words expressing place, such as here, there, or nowhere.
Example :
On the second level of the parking lot ...................
a.       is empty
b.      are empty
c.       some empty stalls are
d.      are some empty stalls

Analysis :
This example begins with the place expression on the second level of the parking lot, which consists of two prepositional phrases, on the second level and of the parking lot. This sentence needs a subject and a verb to be complete, and the two answers that contain both a subject stalls and verb are are answers (C) and (D). The subject and verb should be inverted because the place expression is necessary to complete the idea some empty stalls are ......The best answer is therefore answer (D).

SKILL 9 : INVERT THE SUBJECT AND VERB WITH CONDITIONALS
In certain conditional structures, the subject and verb may also be inverted. This can occur when the helping verb in the conditional clause is had, should, or were, and the conditional connector if is omitted.
Example :
The report would have been accepted____in checking its accuracy.
a.       if more care
b.      more care had been taken
c.       had taken more care
d.      had more care been taken

Analysis :
In this example a connector (if) and a subject and verb are needed, but if could be omitted and the subject and verb inverted. Answer (A) is incorrect because it contains the connector if and the subject care but no verb. Answer (B) is incorrect because it contains the subject care and the verb had been taken but does not have a connector. In answers (C) and (D), if has been omitted. Because it is correct to invert the subject more care and the helping verb had, answer (D) is correct.

SKILL 10 : INVERT THE SUBJECT AND VERB WITH COMPARISONS
An inverted subject and verb may occur also after a comparison. The inversion of a subject and verb after a comparison is optional, rather than required, and it is a rather formal structure. There have been a number of inverted comparisons on recent TOEFL tests, so you should be familiar with this structure.
Example :
The results of the current experiment appear to be more consistent than____the results of any previous tests.
a.       Them
b.      Were
c.       they were
d.      were they

Analysis :
In this example you should notice the comparison more consistent than, and you should also understand that the results of the current experiment is being compared with the results of any previous tests. Because the results of any previous tests is the subject, only a verb is needed; the best answer to this question is therefore answer (B). We know that it is possible for a subject and a verb to be inverted after a comparison, and in this case the subject the results of any previous tests comes after the verb were.

Sumber :
·         http://englishahkam.blogspot.com/
·  http://bahasainggris-jepang.blogspot.com/2013/11/strategi-cara-menjawab-soal-structure.html
·         http://popi-irawan.blogspot.com

·         http://argumentunram.blogspot.com/2013/02/strategies-of-structure-and-written.html