english for postgrad program

Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)
TOEFL Service
Education Testing Service
P.O. Box 6151
Princeton, NJ 08541-6151 USA
Or website at http://www.toefl.org.

SCORES FOR PAPER TOEFL
677
650
600
550
500
450
400
350
300
TOEFL consists of three sections
1. Listening comprehension
2. Structure and written expression
3. Reading comprehension
1. Listening Comprehension
a) Part A. Short Conversations
Thirty short conversations between two speakers with one question spoken on tape after each conversation.
You must choose from four possible answers in your test book the answer that would be the best response to the question you have heard.
b) Part B. Longer Conversations
Two longer conversations between two speakers with four questions spoken on tape after each conversation.
You must choose from four possible answers in your test book the answer that would be the best response to the question you have heard.
c) Part C. Talks and Lectures
Three short talks and lectures with several questions spoken on tape after each talk.
You must choose from four possible answers in your test book the answer that would be the best response to the question you have heard.

Types of Problems in the Listening Comprehension Section
Part A. Short Conversation
1. Details
2. Idiomatic expressions
3. Suggestions
4. Assumptions
5. Predictions
6. Implications
7. Problems
8. Topics
Part B. Longer Conversation
1. Informal conversations
2. Academic conversations
3. Class discussions
Part C. Talks and Lectures
1. Radio programs
2. Tours
3. Academic talks
4. Lectures

PART A.
1. Details
Details are specific facts stated in a conversation. In some conversations on Part A, you will hear all of the information that you need to answer the problem correctly. You will NOT need to draw conclusions.
When you hear a conversation between two speakers, you must remember the details that were stated.
2. Idiomatic expressions
Idiomatic expressions are words and phrases that are characteristic of a particular language with meanings that are usually different from the meanings of each of the words used alone. In some conversations on Part A, you'll hear idiomatic expressions, such as “to kill me”, which means to wait.
When you hear a conversation between two speakers, you must listen for the idiomatic expressions. You will be expected to recognize them and restate the idiom or identify the feelings or attitudes of the speakers.
3. Suggestions
A suggestion is a recommendation. In some conversations on Part A, you will hear words and phrases that make a suggestion, such as “you should”, “why don’t you”, or “why not”.
When you hear the words and phrases introducing a suggestion, you must be able to recognize and remember what the speaker suggested, and who made the suggestion.
4. Assumption
An assumption is a statement accepted as true without proof or demonstration. In some conversations on Part A, an assumption is proven false, and the speaker or speakers who had made the assumption express surprise.
When you hear a conversation between two speakers, you must be able to recognize remarks that register surprise, and draw conclusions about the assumptions that the speaker may have made.
5. Predictions
A prediction is a guess about the future based on evidence from the present. In some short conversations on Part A, you will be asked to make predictions about the future activities of the speakers involved.
When you hear a conversation between two speakers, you must listen for evidence from which you may draw a logical conclusion about their future activities.
6. Implications
Implied means suggested, but not stated. In many ways, implied conversations are like prediction conversations. In some conversations on Part A, you will hear words and phrases or intonations that will suggest how the speakers felt, what kind of work or activity they were involved in, or where the conversation may have taken place.
7. Problems
A problem is a situation that requires discussion or solution. In some conversations on Part A, you will hear the speakers discuss a problem.
When you hear a discussion between two speakers, you must be able to identify what the problem is. This may be more difficult because different aspects of the problem will also able included in the conversation.
8. Topics
A topic is a main theme in a conversation or in a piece of writing. In some conversations on Part A, the speakers will discuss a particular topic.
When you hear a conversation, you must be able to identify the main topic from among several secondary themes that support the topic.
PART B
1. Informal conversations
Informal conversations are conversations between friends or with a service personnel in stores or restaurant. In some conversations on Part B, you will hear an informal conversations between two speakers.
When you hear a conversation, you must be able to summarize the important ideas. You will usually NOT be required to remember small details. It will help you to review the conversations in Part A.
2. Academic conversations
Academic conversations are conversations between students and professors or other academic personnel on a college or university campus. In some conversations on Part B, you will hear an academic conversation between two speakers.
When you hear a conversation, you must be able to summarize the main ideas. You may also be asked to recall important details.
3. Class discussions
Class discussions are conversations that occur in classrooms. In some talks on Part B, you will hear a class discussion between two, three, or more speakers.
When you hear a discussion, you must be able to summarize the important ideas. You will usually NOT be required to remember small details. It will help you to audit some college classes.
Part C
1. Radio programs
radio programs are short talks that provide information about the news. In some talks on Part C, you will hear information about the news.
When you hear a talk, you must be able to summarize the information. You will usually NOT be required to remember small details. It will help you to listen to feature news programs on radio and television. Listen carefully. Ask yourself questions to test your ability to remember the information.
2. Tours
tours are short talks that provide factual information about a tourist attraction. In some talks on Part C, you will hear a talk by a tour guide.
When you hear a talk, you must be able to summarize the important ideas. You must be able to answer questions that begin with the following words: who, what, when, where, why.
3. Academic talks
academic talks are short talks that provide orientation to academic courses and procedures. In some talks on Part C, you will hear academic talks on a variety of college and university topics.
When you hear a talk, you must be able to summarize the main ideas. You must also be able to answer questions about important details. You will usually not be asked to remember minor details.
4. Lectures
lectures are short talks that provide information about academic subjects. They are like short lectures that might be heard in a college classroom. In some talks on Part C, you will hear academic information in a short lecture.
When you hear a talk, you must be able to summarize the important ideas. You must be able to answer questions that begin with the following words: who, what, when, where, why.


2) Structure and written expression

3) Reading Comprehension
a) Reading Passages
b) Five reading passages with an average of ten questions after each passage.
c) You must choose from four possible answers in your test book the answer that would be the best response to the question you have read.
Types of Problems in the Reading Comprehension Section
Reading Comprehension
1. Previewing
2. Reading for main ideas
3. Using contexts for vocabulary
4. Scanning for details
5. Making inferences
6. Identifying exceptions
7. Locating references
8. Referring to the passage
1. Previewing
Research shows that it is easier to understand what you are reading if you begin with a general idea what the passage is about. Previewing helps you form a general idea of the topic in your mind.
To preview, read the title, if there is one; the first sentence of each paragraph; and the last sentence of the passage. You should do this as quickly as possible. Remember, you are not reading for specific information, but for an impression of the topic.
2. Reading for Main Ideas
By previewing, you can form a general idea of what a reading passage is about; that is, you identify the topic. By reading for main ideas, you identify the point of view of the author—that is, what the writer’s thesis is. Specifically, what does the author propose to write about the topic? If you could reduce the reading to one sentence, what would it be?
Questions about the main idea can be worded in many ways. For example, the following questions are all asking for the same information: (1) What is the main idea? (2) What is the subject? (3) What is the topic? (4) What would be a good title?
3. Using Contexts for Vocabulary
Before you can use a context, you must understand what context is. In English, a context is the combination of vocabulary and grammar that surround a word. Context can be a sentence or a paragraph or a passage. Context helps you make a general prediction about meaning. If you know the general meaning of a sentence, you also know the general meaning of the words in the sentence.
Making predictions from the contexts is very important when you are reading a foreign language. In this way, you can read and understand the meaning of a passage without stopping to look up every new word in a dictionary. On an examination like the TOEFL, dictionaries are not permitted in the room.
4. Scanning for details
After reading a passage on the TOEFL, you will be expected to answer eight to ten multiple-choice questions. First, read a question and find important content words. Content words are usually nouns, verbs, or adjectives. They are called content words because they contain the content or meaning of a sentence.
Next, let you eyes travel quickly over the passage for the same content words or synonyms of the words. This is called scanning. By scanning, you can find a place in the reading passage where the answer to a question is found. Finally, read those specific sentences carefully and choose the answer that corresponds to the meaning of the sentences you have read.
5. Making Inferences
Sometimes, in a reading passage, you will find a direct statement of fact. That is called evidence. But other times, you will not find a direct statement. Then you will need to use the evidence you have to make an inference. An inference is a logical conclusion based on evidence. It can be about the passage itself or about the author’s viewpoint.
6. Identifying Exceptions
After reading a passage on the TOEFL, you will be asked to select from four possible answers the one that is NOT mentioned in the reading.
Use your scanning skills to locate related words and phrases in the passage and the answer choices.
7. Locating References
After reading a passage on the TOEFL, you will be asked to find the antecedent of a pronoun. An antecedent is a word or phrase to which a pronoun refers. Usually, you will be given a pronoun such as “it”, “its”, “them”, or “their”, and you will be asked to locate the reference word or phrase in the passage.
First, find the pronoun in the passage. Then read the sentence using the four answer choices in place of the pronoun. The meaning of the sentence in the context of the passage will not change when you substitute the correct antecedent.
8. Referring to the Passage
After reading the passage on the TOEFL, you will be asked to find certain information in the passage, and identify it by line number.
First, read the question. Then refer to the line numbers in the answer choices to scan for the information in the question.