Archive for the ‘toefl’ Category

Best TOEFL Books and Study Guides

Sunday, June 8th, 2008

If you are looking to buy a TOEFL study guide, you should check out THE TOEFL BOOKSTORE. They link to Amazon for their TOEFL books and study guides, which means you usually save at least 10% on the TOEFL books. More importantly, if you look at the menu on the right side of the store, the books are sorted into categories, so that you can quickly find the book you are looking for. Have any of the readers here already used any TOEFL iBT books to help them study? If so, leave a comment letting us know which book you tried, and how helpful you found it.

TOEFL iBT scores for Chinese students go up

Friday, June 6th, 2008

ETS has reported that TOEFL scores for Chinese students have gone up to match the worldwide average. In case you were wondering, the worldwide average for the TOEFL iBT is 78. The average score in Taiwan is 72, in comparison. I think especially in the Speaking section of the TOEFL, Chinese students have suffered when compared to many others (though this applies to Japanese students as well). One thing to remember is that if you have an accent, you should try to work on any part of your accent which might cause your words to be misunderstood. But what you SHOULD NOT do is mumble in an attempt to hide your accent. It doesn’t work, and just causes more problems.

3 Free TOEFL iBT Listening Practice Sessions

Tuesday, June 3rd, 2008

Here are some great free practice listening sections. Remember to time yourself when answering, as timing is very important on the TOEFL iBT.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/?v=vyay4RU4SDk]

For this TOEFL iBT lesson, here are the questions:

Questions:
3. What does this TOEFL lecture mainly concern?

a) The archaeological record found in New England shipwrecks
b) The rules for a game that the students are going to play
c) The leading causes of shipwrecks off the coast of New England
d) The role of the State Archaeological Society

4. What is the main purpose of this discussion?
a) To compare regressive and progressive taxes
b) To explain the need fo a new sales tax
c) To discuss the concept of income tax
d) To contrast direct and indirect taxation

5. What is the main topic of this discussion?
a) Edward Hopper’s early career as a commercial artist
b) A style of movie making called film noir
c) Edward Hopper’s realistic, bleak style of painting
d) Edward Hopper’s influence on other painters

[youtube=http://youtube.com/?v=l4umLhdInnc 468 391]

6. What is the class mainly discussing?
a) Government regulation and self-regulation in the advertising industry
b) A court decision that affected advertising for children in Sweden
c) The problems that a ban on advertising caused the tobacco industry
d) A negative advertising campaign designed to prevent people from smoking

7. What is the main point of this lecture?
a) To compare the characters of Greek epic poetry and those of modern novels
b) To discuss why the professor enjoys the Iliad more than the Odyssey
c) To contrast the main characters of the Iliad and the main character of the Odyssey
d) To explain why the professor is going to have to change the syllabus

[youtube=http://youtube.com/?v=bg5dNEytNZk 468 391]

8. What is the main subject of this lecture?
a) The failures of the United Nations
b) The historical role of the League of Nations
c) The origins of World War II
d) The forgotten successes of the League of Nations

9. What is the main idea of this lecture?
a) Despite certain advantages, there are any problems involved in the use of hot dry rock technology.
b) Hot dry rock technology is too expensive to ever be used as a practical energy source.
c) The main purpose of hot dry rock technology is to provide pure, clean water.
d) hot dry rock is a potentially important alternative source of energy.

Answers:
3. A
4. D
5. C
6. A
7. C
8. B
9. D

Free TOEFL Speaking Examples

Sunday, March 23rd, 2008

Here are some good, long TOEFL iBT Speaking examples. Just keep doing these until you are ready to take the exam.
[youtube=http://youtube.com/?v=UlZj1tjbE14]

[youtube=http://youtube.com/?v=2Kv5a7MrCQw]

TOEFL Grammar -ING & -ED Adjectives

Wednesday, March 19th, 2008

This is a two-part lesson about participal adjectives. It’ll be very useful to you for the speaking section especially, where mistakes in grammar will hurt your score.

[youtube=http://youtube.com/?v=15khdJh1gq0]

[youtube=http://youtube.com/?v=dEdK_DSf9o0]