Coursera上托福专项课程01：TOEFL Reading and Listening Sections Skills Mastery 学习笔记

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TOEFL Reading and Listening Sections Skills Mastery

Course Certificate

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Week 01: Introduction to the iBT TOEFL Test

[1] Course Introduction

Welcome

Welcome to TOEFL Reading & Listening Sections Skills Mastery! In this course, you will learn what an iBT test looks like and become familiar with the various reading and listening question types that you will need to answer on the TOEFL iBT test. You will also learn why vocabulary plays an important role in improving your overall score and learn some tips that can help you learn new words.

Tips for Success:

• Make sure to follow any links to outside sources for more information and practice. Links mentioned in videos are available directly below the videos under “Download.”
• Take notes as you go through the lessons and revisit content as needed before taking module quizzes.
• Participate in the discussions to stay engaged and to interact with others interested in improving their scores on the TOEFL iBT exam.

Meet your teacher

English language instructor

In the Division of Continuous Education

Hello, my name is Shiva
Sutherland and I’m an English language instructor at the University of California, Irvine in the Division
of Continuing Education.

I’m originally from Iran, but I’ve been living
in Southern California for about 12 years now.

My first language is Farsi, and I started learning
English when I was 14 and haven’t stopped since.

See learners succeed in scoring the language score that they want

get ready for the next chapter of their educational journey

I really enjoy teaching. What I enjoy teaching about
IBT is seeing learners succeed in scoring the
language score that they want, and getting ready
for the next chapter of their educational journey.

I hope you really enjoyed
these lessons and engage in the discussions every week to get the most
out of the course.

[2] Introduction to the TOEFL iBT Test

TOEFL iBT Test Content

Introduction to the iBT TOEFL Test

The iBT test is one of the most reliable language proficiency tests in the world and is accepted in more than 150 countries. It is made and administered by ETS (Educational Testing Services). The following information includes the most recent test updates. Let’s take a look at the current format and see what sections the test includes. The following link will take you to the information about the test content:

TOEFL iBT Test Content (For Test Takers)

Scores

Scores are reported both online and by mail. You will receive the scores for the reading and listening sections as soon as you finish the test, but the scores for the speaking and writing sections may take up to a week.

Recently, ETS provides all test-takers with what they call “my best score,” which is the combination of the test taker’s highest section scores from all TOEFL iBT test dates within the last two years. That means if you get a high reading score in one test, for example, and in the second test your listening score is high but the reading score is lower than the previous test, your report card will select the higher section score from each test and report these in one. For more information, see What Are MyBest**® Scores?

How to Register for the Test

Even if you are still preparing for the test, you can still register for it. Register as soon as possible since test sessions are booked very quickly and you may have to wait for weeks to find an available center. Follow the instructions on the following link to learn how to create an account and register for the test.

Register for the TOEFL iBT Test With Your ETS Account (For Test Takers)

Accessibility & Accommodations

ETS provides special services for test-takers needing accommodations. For more information, consult Accommodations for Test Takers with Disabilities or Health-related Needs

Sample Test

You will have a chance to familiarize yourself with the test and every skill that will be tested in this course. However, please also practice by taking this sample test. For the best estimate of your progress, record your answers to the test when you first take it, and at the end of this course, you will be able to check your progress. The sample test takes approximately 60 minutes to complete.

TOEFL Practice Test: A TOEFL Sample Test from Magoosh

Sources

https://www.ets.org/toefl/test-takers/ibt/about

https://www.ets.org/toefl/score-users/about/country-list

https://magoosh.com/toefl

Getting to Know the TOEFL iBT Test

Overview of the Test

Understanding Your TOEFL iBT Score

How is the iBT Scored?

What does your Score Mean?

Quiz

Question 1

How long is an iBT test?

TOEFL iBT考试的总时长通常为约3小时，具体时间可能会略有不同，因为其中包括了一些必要的考试准备、登记和指示时间。

Question 2

How many tasks are included in the writing section of iBT?

TOEFL iBT写作部分包括两个任务。

Question 3

What task follows the listening section of iBT?

在 iBT 的听力部分之后，接下来的任务通常是口语部分。

Question 4

How many questions does each reading section include?

TOEFL iBT阅读部分通常包括三个阅读段落，每个阅读段落后面会有大约12到14道问题。

Question 5

How long is the scheduled break between the listening section and the speaking section?

在 TOEFL iBT 考试中，听力部分和口语部分之间的预定休息时间通常为 10 分钟。

Question 6

What is the total time allowed for the two questions in the writing section of the TOEFL iBT test?

TOEFL iBT考试的写作部分总共允许50分钟时间，用于完成两个题目。

Week 02: The iBT Reading Section

Welcome to week 2 on the reading section of the iBT. This week, you will become familiar with the question types that you will encounter on a real iBT test. You will also practice answering some sample reading questions. This will help you know what to expect when you take the reading test and how to prepare your answers effectively.

Learning Objectives

---

• Learners will be able to practice iBT reading samples.
• Learners will become familiar with iBT reading question types.

The iBT Reading Questions

TOEFL Reading

The reading section is the first section you will see on an iBT test. It tests your ability to understand academic reading material. Academic means the passages are like what you would find in a textbook at university. All fields of study from chemistry to literature to psychology, etc. are possible topics of the reading passages. You will need to read three passages and, on average, the length of each is about 700 words.

Even if you are not familiar with the topic, if your English is good enough, you will be able to answer all the questions based on the information in the reading passage. If you see a highlighted word, you can see the definition for it by holding your mouse over it.

When doing the reading section, the question is on one side of your screen and the passage is always available on the other side. When you start each reading passage, it’s best to read it quickly. Many of the questions will refer to a specific paragraph, so you can then re-read that section. You don’t want to run out of time! Also, you can click through all the questions of a given passage, so you don’t have to answer them in order. Answer all the ones you think are easy and then use the rest of your time to do the harder questions. To make sure you don’t miss any, there is a review button that will open up a screen listing all the questions and show if they were answered or not. There are links that allow you to quickly go to any question.

Let us explore and see what reading questions look like. The following link will take you to the website that shows you different questions you will need to answer as well as the number of each of the questions. It might seem like some of the question types are the same, but in the videos you will learn more and will be able to recognize each question type. Understanding question types is very important in improving your score. That’s because each question type can be approached differently and you can use certain strategies to answer these questions. We will talk about those strategies in Course 3. However, let’s get started with understanding iBT question types now.

https://magoosh.com/toefl/toefl-reading-question-type-overview/

The Reading Section (Part 1)

Welcome to this
presentation about the reading section
of the IBT Test. As mentioned the reading
section is designed to measure your ability to read and
understand academic texts. You also had a chance to
see some sample questions. Now, we are going to learn
more about what you can expect and how we can get
ready for these questions. The three reading
passages are about 700 words long and have
about 10 questions each. You have about 54-72 minutes to read and answer the questions. These passages are taken
from university-level, textbooks and are
hardly modified (几乎没有修改). That means they are not edited for the test
purpose too much.

As you can see, the
reading passage will appear on the right side of the screen and questions
on the left side. As you saw in the last slide, there is a very useful feature
called the review button. By clicking on the “Review”
button on the top toolbar, you can see a list of all the
questions to help you check if you answered all the
questions or skipped some. Also, by clicking
on the question on the list you can locate
it in the passage. If you want to leave
the review and return to the place where you
were working in the test, click on the “Return” button. In this picture, you
can see what the screen looks like once you click
on the “Review” button.

Before we continue, let’s review the question
types briefly. As you can see, there
are nine different types of questions in each passage and there are various
question types in each set or the entire
reading section. There are one, factual questions
2-3 questions per set. Two, negative factual questions
0-2 questions per set, three, vocabulary questions
3-4 questions per set. Four, rhetorical purpose
questions 1-2 questions per set. Five, inference questions
1-2 questions per set. Six, sentence
simplification questions. None or one question. Seven, insert text questions, one question per set. Eight, summary questions,
one question per set. Nine, fill in a table
one question per set.

Rhetorical 美 [rɪˈtɔːrɪkl] 修辞的

If the passage has difficult
or technical vocabulary or words data are usually used
only for specific topics, the vocabulary will be glossed (注释). These words or phrases will be underlined in blue and
if you click on them, you will get a short definition. There may be up to 2-3 glossed
expressions per passage.

The ETS website has multiple short videos
about each question. If you have never taken the
test before and need to see what the questions look
like check out this link. However, the next
presentation will show you the specific link to
each type of question. Now, before we learn how
to approach each question, there are a few steps
you can take to prepare yourself for
the reading section. First, take sampled
reading tests to find out what questions you
may need to practice more. For example, you may do
well on factual questions, but may need to practice
inference questions. You can find some great sample
tests on the ETS website. Second, find out what type of
question you’re looking at. This will help you know how
to find the right answer. If you look at this strategy
in the second presentation. Third, skim passages for about 2-3 minutes to get the general impression
of the main idea. Fourth, practice frequently to increase the speed of reading. You can do so by choosing any academic text that
you’re interested in. Finally, consistently add to
your academic vocabulary. You will learn more about
vocabulary in module 4. In the next presentation, we will explore each
question type in detail.

The Reading Section (Part 2)

In the previous presentation, you learned about the reading
section of IBT in general. Now we are going to learn
about the question types. The following sections will explain
each of the main IBT question types. You’ll find out how to
recognize each type, and see examples of each
type with explanations. You will also find tips that can help
you answer each reading question type. However, make sure to
complete course number 3 for complete presentations on tips and
strategies.

Factual and negative factual questions. These questions are about details and
facts that are found in the passage. The information you need to look for
is explicit, which means it is stated clearly and your job is to search and
find that particular piece of information. Therefore, you don’t really need
to look for a general theme. You may remember the details when
you were skimming the passage, but more often, you may need to refer
back to the passage in order to know what exactly is said about
the subject of the question. Remember that your choice should answer
this specific question that was asked. Not just because it is
mentioned in the passage. In the YouTube video
in the following link, you can learn more and
see a sample question.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PplEa1Qe0xw

Unlike factual and
negative factual questions, inference questions require you
to find implicit information. That means the information you need to
understand is not clearly expressed, and you need to gather some clues and
other pieces of information. In order to answer the question. Make sure your answer doesn’t contradict
the main idea of the passage. Many of the options may distract you, because they contain some
information from the passage. But do not choose an answer just
because it seems important or true or mentioned in the passage, but
relate to another point in the text. You should be able to defend your
choice by finding the information in the passage that leads to
the inference you chose. You can learn more in this video.

Rhetorical questions ask you
why the author presented a particular piece of information. In order to answer these questions, you need to understand how some statements
relate to the rest of the passage. You don’t need to look for overall
organization of the reading passage, but look for the logical links
between sentences and paragraphs.

Vocabulary questions
are relatively easy to identify. They ask you what the particular
word from the passage means. In IBT tests,
the focus in on academic vocabulary. There’s no word list to memorize for
the test. But, being familiar with
academic texts will be the best way to increase your vocabulary. And I’ll talk about this in
detail in module 4, great. Fortunately, you don’t need to
know very difficult words and the technical words are defined for you. Make sure you choose your answers based
on what the word in the question means in the particular context, because
some words have several meanings and you want to make sure you
choose the right one. You can see a sample question
in the YouTube video.

Sentence simplification questions
are very similar to paraphrasing which means the ideas can be expressed
using different words or structure. Some reading tests have one question
like this, but there may not be any sentence simplifications in
your reading section at all. They’re easy to recognize because
they’re highlighted in the passage. Be careful not to choose an answer simply
because it is mentioned in the passage or may be true. You can learn more in this video.

To answer insert text questions, you need to figure out where
a sentence in a paragraph belongs. That means you need to understand
the logic of the passage and grammatical connections. Every reading section has
one insert text question. The video in the link will show you what these questions look like.

Summary questions measure your
ability to understand and recognize the major ideas in the passage. You will be asked to choose the major
ideas by separating them from minor ideas. Or ideas that are not in the passage. The correct answer choice
will synthesize or put together major ideas in the passage. You need to create a mental framework
to remember the main ideas. You’ll be given six choices and asked to select three that
summarize the main ideas. These questions are worth two points.

In fill-in-a-table question, you’ll need to complete a table based
on the information in the passage. Your job is to complete
the table by dragging and dropping the correct choices in the table. These questions measure your ability
to organize information into appropriate groups or categories. These questions, like summary questions,
require a mental framework. You can earn up to three points. Watch this video to learn more.

ETS has a complete reading practice test. You can find it by
following the link below. This is the end of the presentation
about reading question types. Don’t worry if you feel that
there was a lot of information. In course number 3, you will be able to
learn some useful strategies that can help you answer these questions. In the next module, module number 3, we will get familiar with
the listening section. Thank you for watching. See you in the next module.

Quiz: The iBT Reading Section

Discussion Prompt

Share your answers to the following questions. Also, try to comment on at least two classmates’ posts.

1. Do you consider yourself a fast reader? If so, share your tips. If not, share how you are planning to improve your speed.

ChatGPT:

To improve reading speed, I plan to implement the following strategies:

1. Practice speed reading techniques: I will dedicate time each day to practice speed reading techniques such as using a pointer to guide my eyes, minimizing subvocalization, and expanding my field of vision to capture more words at once.

2. Set specific goals: I will set realistic goals for increasing my reading speed, such as aiming to read a certain number of pages or articles within a designated time frame. Setting specific targets will help me track my progress and stay motivated.

3. Use technology: I will explore speed reading apps and tools that are designed to improve reading speed and comprehension. These tools often incorporate features such as rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP) and guided pacing to train the eyes to move more quickly across the text.

4. Read a variety of materials: I will diversify my reading material to include different genres, topics, and formats. This will not only help me broaden my knowledge but also expose me to a wider range of vocabulary and writing styles, which can contribute to improved reading speed.

5. Take breaks and rest: I will make sure to take regular breaks while reading to prevent fatigue and maintain focus. Short breaks will allow my eyes and mind to rest, preventing burnout and maximizing reading efficiency.

6. Evaluate and adjust: I will periodically assess my reading speed and comprehension to identify areas for improvement. If certain techniques or strategies are not yielding the desired results, I will adjust my approach and try alternative methods.

By implementing these strategies consistently and persistently, I aim to gradually increase my reading speed while maintaining comprehension and retention of the material.

Week 03: The iBT Listening Section

Welcome to week 3 on the listening section of the iBT. This week, you will become familiar with the question types that you will encounter on a real iBT test. You will also practice answering some sample listening questions. This will help you know what to expect when you take the listening test and how to prepare your answers effectively.

Learning Objectives

---

• Learners will be able to practice iBT listening samples.
• Learners will become familiar with iBT listening question types.

iBT Listening Questions

TOEFL Listening

The listening section of the iBT test comes after the reading section and has five parts. There will be two conversations and three lectures. Each conversation is followed by five questions. The conversations are mostly about topics related to campus issues like housing, the library, cafeteria, parking, etc. That’s why they are sometimes referred to as “campus questions.” Just like reading, the lectures are taken from a variety of academic topics like the arts, life sciences, physical sciences, social sciences, etc. The lectures are followed by six questions.

Listening Question Types

Most of the listening questions that follow the lectures and conversations are traditional multiple-choice questions with four answer choices and one correct answer. However, there are some multiple-choice questions with more than one correct answer. For example, there might be questions with five answer choices, two of which are correct answers. There are also questions that ask you to put events or process steps in order as well as to fill in table questions that we have looked at in the reading section of the test.

Now you can click on the link below. Just like the previous section about the reading test, you will have a chance to become familiar with the different question types you need to answer.

https://www.testden.com/toefl/listening.htm

The Listening Section (Part 1)

Welcome back. The second
section of the TOEFL iBT, test your understanding of spoken material and your
ability to understand and answer questions about the conversations and
lectures that you hear. In the first section
of the presentation, we’ll get familiar with
this structure of the test. In the second part, we will look at the
question types. The listening section includes two conversations
and three lectures. You’ll hear them
only one time each. Each conversation is
about three minutes long and has five multiple
choice questions. Each lecture has about
five minutes long and has six multiple
choice questions. You will have 41 to 57 minutes to complete the
listening section.

When you begin the
listening section, you’ll see a computer screen with a picture of a person
wearing headphones. This screen will tell you
to put on your headphones. In this slide, you can
see what your screen will look like once you’ve
finished the reading section.

The next screen will
tell you how to change the volume by clicking on the
volume icon on the toolbar. After that, you will see
the direction screen. After you click on
the dismiss button, the listening section
begins immediately. The first listening task
is always a conversation. You can see a picture
of two people speaking, but you will not be able to see the questions until the
conversation is over. This picture stays on the screen while you’re
listening to the conversation. Once the conversation is over, you can see the first multiple choice question on the screen. After choosing your answer, you need to click on
“Next” and “Okay” buttons. In the lecture tasks, you can see a picture of
the professors speaking. Just like the conversation tasks, you will not see the questions until the lecture is finished. However, specific words and technical vocabulary
will be shown on the screen when
speaker mentions them. The following link was included
in your reading material. In case you have
not had a chance to look at the sample test yet, it’s a good idea to look at it just to see what the
tasks look like. In the next presentation, we will look at
the question types you will see in the test. See you in the next presentation.

The Listening Section (Part 2)

In the previous presentation, we saw what the test
looks like in general. In this presentation,
we’re going to look at the question types in detail. As mentioned, the
listening section includes two conversations
and three lectures, you’ll hear them
only one time each. In each conversation is
about three minutes long and has five multiple
choice questions. Each lecture is
about five minutes long and has six multiple
choice questions. You will have 41 to 57 minutes to complete the
listening section.

Here is a list of the
question types that you will need to answer in
every listening section. They include one, gist-content and
gist-purpose questions. Two, detailed questions. Three, function questions. Four attitude questions. Five, organization questions. Six, connecting
content questions, and finally seven,
Inference questions.

gist: 要点，主旨

Gist-content and
gist-purpose questions are similar to main
idea questions, the answer may be expressed
implicitly or explicitly. They test your understanding of the gist of the lecture
or conversation. They are typically phrased as, why does the student
visit the professor? What are the speakers
mainly discussing? What is the lecture mainly about?

Detailed questions ask you about explicit details or facts. They are either directly or indirectly related to gist of the lecture or conversation. You’ll need to take notes
to remember the answer. They are typically phrased as, according to the professor, what is one way that
X can affect Y? What resulted from
the invention of X? According to the professor, What is the main problem
with the X theory?

Function questions measure your understanding beyond
basic comprehension. They often involve
listening again to a part of the lecture
or conversation. These questions are
typically phrased as, what does the professor
imply when he says this? Why does this student say this? What does the professor
mean when he says this?

Attitude questions measure
your understanding of the speaker’s
attitude or opinion. They may also test your
ability to understand irony. Irony means the
language signifies the opposite typically for
humor or emphatic effect. These questions are
usually phrased as, what is the professor’s
attitude toward X? What is the professor’s
opinion of X? Or what does the woman mean, when she says this. For which, you will hear part of the conversation or
lecture one more time.

Organization questions
test your understanding of the overall organization
of the lecture. They may focus on
the relationship between two parts of the lecture, they may ask you to connect
the main topic to sub-topics. Organization questions
are typically phrased as, why does the professor discuss X? Why does the professor mention X? How is the discussion organized?

Connecting content questions
require you to make connections between or among
pieces of information. They test your ability to draw
conclusions or inferences. The answer may be stated
explicitly or implicitly. There typically phrased as, what is the likely outcome
of doing X before Y? What can be inferred about X? What does the professor
imply about X?

Inference questions. To answer these questions, you need to reach a
conclusion based on facts in the lecture
or conversation. The answer restated implicitly, they are typically phrased as, what does the professor
imply about X? What will the student
probably do next? What can be inferred about X?

ETS has great videos
that show you what each question looks like
in sample test items. Please follow this link
to watch those videos. This is the end of this module. In course number 3, we will
practice some tips and strategies that will
help you answer these questions more effectively. In the next module, we’re going to focus on
vocabulary for the iBT test. Thank you for watching.

Quiz: The iBT Listening Section

Discussion Prompt

Share your answers on the following questions. Make sure to comment on at least two classmates’ posts.

1. What factors can make listening challenging?
2. How many hours a day do you listen to English content? This can be the news, songs, movies, audio books, lectures, etc.? How well do you understand them?

Several factors can make listening challenging:

1. Distractions: External distractions such as noise from the environment, background chatter, or electronic devices can make it difficult to focus on what is being said.

2. Speech rate: Speakers who talk too fast or too slow may challenge listeners’ ability to keep up with the pace of speech.

3. Accent and dialect: Speakers with different accents or dialects may be difficult to understand, especially for listeners who are not familiar with those variations of language.

4. Complexity of language: The complexity of the language used, including vocabulary, grammar, and sentence structure, can pose challenges for listeners, particularly if the content is technical or specialized.

5. Lack of context: Without sufficient context or background information, listeners may struggle to understand the meaning and significance of what is being said.

6. Ambiguity and vagueness: Ambiguous or vague language, including unclear references, ambiguous pronouns, or equivocal expressions, can lead to confusion and misunderstanding.

7. Emotional factors: Strong emotions such as stress, anxiety, or fatigue can impact listeners’ ability to concentrate and process information effectively.

8. Non-verbal cues: In some situations, non-verbal cues such as facial expressions, gestures, or body language are important for understanding the intended message. The absence of these cues, such as in audio-only communication, can make listening more challenging.

9. Cultural differences: Differences in cultural norms, communication styles, and social conventions may affect how messages are conveyed and interpreted, leading to misunderstandings or misinterpretations.

10. Physical barriers: Physical barriers such as distance, poor acoustics, or hearing impairments can hinder the ability to hear and understand spoken communication.

Overall, effective listening requires active engagement, concentration, and adaptability to overcome these challenges and accurately comprehend the intended message.

Week 04: Vocabulary for the iBT

Welcome to week 4, “Vocabulary for iBT." This week, you will become familiar with some important words you need to know before you take the iBT test. You will also learn why it is important to know these words and look at some tips that will help you boost your vocabulary.

Learning Objectives

---

• Learners will be able to practice new vocabulary in context.
• Learners will become familiar with iBT related vocabulary.

The Importance of Vocabulary

The Importance of Vocabulary

In modules two and three of this course, we learned what the reading and listening sections of the iBT look like. As you may have noticed, vocabulary plays a very important role in getting your desired scores. Although, as mentioned, you don’t need to know extensive technical vocabulary, you still need to know a sufficient amount of academic vocabulary.

Academic vocabulary might be confused with difficult vocabulary. Academic vocabulary is not necessarily difficult. It consists of words that are necessary to understand academic passages or conversations. For example, when you read a magazine like “People,” which covers a lot of celebrity news, you see different words than in “National Geographic,” which contains articles about science, geography, history, and world culture.

In this lesson, we will learn some new academic vocabulary that will help you improve your score on the iBT test.The words that are used in this reading can help you understand iBT questions, prompts, listening conversations, as well as academic readings passages and lectures. This is not the only list that is available. There are many different word lists you can find on the web. Also, this list is not the most comprehensive either, but it will help you prepare for the test and the words that you may read or hear. Try to work on at least five new words per day, and in less than one week, you will know all these words by heart.

30 Essential Words for the TOEFL Test

Here are 30 words that you’ll probably see on the TOEFL test—in prompts, passages, questions or listening sections.

1. Considerable (adjective): large or great in size, distance or amount

Robert ate a considerable amount of pizza. He couldn’t choose between sausage or extra cheese pizza, so he ate them both.

2. Interpret (verb): to explain the meaning of something especially between two languages

If your parents have weak English skills and you visit Los Angeles together, please interpret anything they don’t understand.

3. Attitude (noun): manner, feeling or position, sometimes with regard to a person or thing

Flight attendants show their welcoming attitude by greeting their passengers and showing concern.

4. Estimate (verb): to form an approximate judgment or opinion

I estimate that we will walk about four hours a day when we are touring New York City.

5. Authority (noun): the power or right to control

Police officers have the authority to write traffic tickets.

6. Demonstrate (verb): to describe, explain or show using actions or reasoning

Bakers with the most popular baking shows demonstrate clearly how to make wonderful cakes, cookies and bread.

7. Proceed (verb): to move or go forward

As soon as every student arrives, the class can proceed*.*

8. Stable (adjective): to show a secure and steady position

A chair with one weak leg is not stable for anyone to use.

9. Contribute (verb): to give; frequently used when referring to providing money or ideas

Since he didn’t have a job currently, Albert decided to contribute his time instead of money to the project.

10. Risk (noun): a situation with the chance to lose something or to be injured

The risk of falling trees is high in a windstorm, so I stay indoors.

11. Prior (adjective): something that happens before another event in time

Prior to having mobile phones, everyone depended on landlines.

12. Shift (verb): to move, usually in an undramatic but noticeable way

The stock market investor shifted some money from one fund to another.

13. Benefit (noun): an advantage or helpful result

The applicant accepted the job offer that included the benefit of working from home three days a week.

14. Impact (noun): the result of something influencing or making strong contact with something or someone else

The impact of America’s Great Depression in the 1930s greatly affected businesses and families.

15. Distribute (verb): to divide or give out

Before Bill held a barbeque party, he distributed invitations to all his neighbors.

16. Challenge (verb): to question a statement’s truth or to invite someone to compete

Many residents challenged the mayor’s suggestion of raising taxes in the city.

17. Evaluate (verb): to determine the value or significance

My instructor evaluates my essays and gives me helpful feedback on my writing.

18. Former (adjective): previous in time or order

When Rebecca left her job, she called Ms. Whitson her “former” supervisor.

19. Interfere (verb): to interrupt or when something conflicts with another

The children’s new puppy interfered with getting their homework finished. As the puppy grew, the situation improved.

20. Issue (noun): a significant topic or problem that people debate

Even after years of discussion, the issue of global warming continues to be debated.

**21. Reinforce (**verb): to strengthen or support physically or through ideas

The official reinforced her campaign promise by lowering taxes when she took office.

22. Significantly (adverb): in a great or important way

My pronunciation in English improved significantly during my speaking class.

23. Widespread (adjective): found or distributed over a large area or group

When a popular music concert is cancelled, fans react with widespread disappointment.

24. Imply (verb): to suggest but not directly say

The unhappy look on the coach’s face implied that she was unhappy with the team’s performance.

25. Increase (verb): to become greater in size or quantity

The size of cities increased greatly when young people left farming work in the countryside.

26. Effective (adjective): successful at producing the desired result

Vaccines have been effective in preventing harmful viruses from spreading.

27. Debate (verb): to argue about a subject, sometimes in a formal manner

My best friend and I debated over which restaurant to visit: he wanted vegetarian; I wanted seafood.

28. Sustain (verb): to maintain mental or physical strength over time

He was able to sustain keeping a job and going to school at the same time because his family did all the household chores.

29. Support (verb): to agree with or approve of, or to give financial help

Voters frequently support candidates who inspire them and promise to help the community.

30. Measure (verb): calculate the size, amount or degree of something

Before Rocky asked the teacher to delay the test, he measured how many other students agreed with him.

Vocabulary for the iBT (Part 1)

Welcome to this presentation
about IBT vocabulary. You read that vocabulary is an essential
part of preparation for your IBT test. You also saw a list with
useful words that can help you understand IBT questions,
readings and lectures. Now let’s look at some practical ways
that can help you learn new words. Why is the vocabulary so important? That’s because even though there
isn’t a section of the IBT test that is devoted entirely to testing
your vocabulary, you will need to understand words in context and
use varied language in your speech. In fact, you need vocabulary to do
well in all four sections of the test. However, in order to really
boost your vocabulary, you need to start as soon as possible. Sufficient time and practice will help you
remember the words when you need them. Practicing a long list of vocabulary
just a week before the test is not very useful,
because you may forget most of them or confuse the ones that look or
sound the same.

We are going to look at these seven tips. They will help you practice new
words in a more systematic way. Number one, read whenever possible. Number two, write down new words. Number three, vocally practice new words. Four, visually remember words. Five, make the words
meaningful by examples. Six, use new words regularly so
that you don’t forget them. Seven, identify different
parts of a new word.

Now let’s see what each
of these tips mean.

Reading is not just important for
picking up new words. It will put these words into context, meaning you will learn a new word and
also understand how it can be used. So try to read regularly,
like 30 minutes a day. Also try to read different passages
from a variety of subjects like history, physics, social sciences
in order to see new words. When you read, try to understand the passage as a whole
before you look up the unfamiliar words.

Tip number two, write the words. This will help you remember
them along with the meaning. Also, it’s a good idea to keep a diary so
that you will have a collection of all your new words that you can
easily revise when you need them.

Tip number three,
vocally practice new words. Have a word of the day and use your
newly learnt word throughout the day, so you will learn to use it in context and
not forget it quickly. Say the words out loud and
pay attention to the word stress, because word stress can
change that word’s meaning. For example, produce is a verb,
which means make. But produce refers to things
that are grown by farming.

Tip number four, visually
remembering words is very helpful. Try writing words on small sticky
notes and adding them to items around the house so that you will associate
new words with their relevant images.

Tip number five,
try to memorize words in a meaningful way, like a special example
that makes sense to you. You don’t need to use the exact same
examples you find in a dictionary. Instead, you can change some of those words to make the example easier for you to remember.

Tip number six, use new words regularly. In order to do so, you need to have
a daily or weekly schedule to practice these words in your writing or your
speaking, so that you don’t forget them. Write articles that people will enjoy reading or start a journal or a diary that could be about anything.

Tip number seven,
identify different parts of new words. Identify the root, suffix, or
parts used after the root, and prefix, or
parts that are used before the root. Try to dissect a word if possible,
to guess the meaning. For example, differ is a verb and a root. But by adding -ent to the end of the word,
you get an adjective, different. By adding L-Y to different, you have a new word which is an adverb,
differently. Add E-N-T-I-A-T-E to the root and you can
see a totally new verb, differentiate. And by adding prefix in- to
the beginning of the word different, you can see a new adjective, indifferent.

In the next presentation, we’re going to
explore strategy number seven a lot more. See you in part two.

Vocabulary for the iBT (Part 2)

在英语中，词性（Part of Speech）是指词汇根据其在句子中的功能和意义被归类的方式。英语中常见的词性包括名词（Noun）、动词（Verb）、形容词（Adjective）、副词（Adverb）、代词（Pronoun）、介词（Preposition）、连词（Conjunction）和冠词（Article）。以下是每种词性的简要介绍：

1. 名词（Noun）：表示人、事物、地点、概念或抽象概念，如“cat”（猫）、“book”（书）、“London”（伦敦）、“love”（爱）等。

2. 动词（Verb）：表示行动、状态或事件，以及对名词或代词进行的动作，如“run”（跑）、“eat”（吃）、“sleep”（睡觉）等。

3. 形容词（Adjective）：用于描述名词或代词的特征或性质，如“big”（大）、“beautiful”（美丽）、“happy”（快乐）等。

4. 副词（Adverb）：用于修饰动词、形容词、其他副词或整个句子，表示时间、程度、方式等信息，如“quickly”（快速地）、“very”（非常）、“well”（好地）等。

5. 代词（Pronoun）：用于替代名词，以避免重复使用特定的名词，如“he”（他）、“she”（她）、“it”（它）、“they”（他们）等。

6. 介词（Preposition）：用于连接名词、代词或动词短语与其他词语，表示位置、方向、时间、关系等，如“in”（在……里）、“on”（在……上）、“at”（在……处）、“from”（从……来）等。

7. 连词（Conjunction）：用于连接词语、短语或句子的不同部分，构建句子结构，如“and”（和）、“but”（但是）、“or”（或者）等。

8. 冠词（Article）：用于限定名词，并指示名词的特指性或泛指性，包括定冠词“the”和不定冠词“a”（或“an”）。

了解词性有助于理解句子结构和语法规则，并提高英语的阅读、写作和沟通能力。

Welcome back. In the previous presentation, we learned some tips that can help you
learn new words in a more structured way. In this presentation,
we’re going to explore a strategy that will help
you expand your vocabulary. Before we can explore this strategy,
we need to define words part of speech. In English, each word is assigned
to a particular part of speech. There are eight parts of speech
in the English language nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, pronouns, prepositions, conjunctions and
interjections. An individual words can function as
more than one part of speech when used in different circumstances.

Now it’s time to review the last
strategy in the previous lesson. Do you remember it? It is a strategy that suggests
identifying different parts of the word, including the root, suffix and prefix. Now let’s practice. We’re going to try this strategy
by taking some words from the 30-word vocabulary list that you
had in the reading part of this module. We will identify their part of speech and
add suffixes and prefixes to make new words.

The first word in our today’s practice
is consider, which is a verb. As you can see by adding different
suffixes to the first four words, you have four new parts of speech and
new meanings. Considerable is an adjective. Considerably is an adverb. Considerate is an adjective,
and consideration is a noun. And in the last word by adding the perfect
re, you can make another verb.

The second example is another verb,
interpret. Again each of the words that are listed
here have different meanings, and part of speech. Interpreted is an adjective,
interpretation is a noun, interpretable is another adjective,
and another new noun interpretability.

Next, let’s look at another verb,
estimate. Estimated is an adjective. Estimate can be a noun
without adding any suffixes. Estimation is another noun. By adding the prefix pre,
you can make another noun. And estimator is a noun as a bill.

Let’s try an adjective now. Stable can become a noun
by adding the suffix, I-Z-A-T-I-O-N, stabilization. We can make another noun stabilizer. And two adjectives stabilized and
unstable. This time, let’s choose an adverb,
significantly. You could make an adjective significant, a verb signify,
another adjective signified. As well as insignificant,
which is made with the help of a prefix.

Imply is another verb on our list. You can change it to an adjective,
implied. A noun, implication. Or by adding the prefix R-E,
you can have a new verb, re-imply and a new adjective re-implied.

Our last example is another verb, sustain. By adding ed,
you will have an adjective, sustained. You could make a noun,
sustainability, a verb, sustainably and another noun sustainment. These were few examples to
practice the strategy, but of course you can try this
with many other words. You can now go back to the vocabulary
list, 30 essential words variety in the reading section of this module and
keep practicing. This is the end of module four,
congratulations. You completed course one. Course number two will be about
the speaking and writing sections. See you in course two.

Quiz: The Importance of Vocabulary

Discussion Prompt

Please share your responses to the following questions. Also, make sure to comment on at least two classmates’ posts.

1. Share some strategies you use to help you remember new vocabulary?
2. How often do you need to use a dictionary to look up a new word? Do you translate those words, or do you use a monolingual (English to English) dictionary?

ChatGPT:

Certainly! Here are some strategies that can help in remembering new vocabulary:

1. Use the word in context: Instead of rote memorization, try to use the new word in sentences or contexts related to your daily life. This helps in understanding its meaning and usage better.

2. Create associations: Associate the new word with something you already know. This could be through visual imagery, connecting it to a similar-sounding word, or associating it with a personal experience.

3. Use mnemonic devices: Mnemonics are memory aids that can help in remembering information. Create a mnemonic, such as a rhyme or acronym, to remember the meaning of the word.

4. Practice with flashcards: Write the new word on one side of a flashcard and its definition or an example sentence on the other side. Review these flashcards regularly to reinforce your memory.

5. Word maps or mind maps: Create a word map or mind map with the new word at the center and related words, synonyms, antonyms, and examples branching out from it. This visual representation can aid in retention.

6. Word games and puzzles: Engage in word games like crossword puzzles, word searches, or Scrabble to practice using new vocabulary in a fun and interactive way.

7. Contextualize with reading and listening: Read books, articles, or listen to podcasts, where the new vocabulary is used in context. Seeing or hearing the word used naturally can reinforce its meaning and usage.

8. Use spaced repetition: Review the new vocabulary at regular intervals over time. Spacing out your review sessions helps in long-term retention.

9. Create a vocabulary journal: Keep a notebook or digital document where you write down new words along with their meanings, example sentences, and any associations or mnemonic devices you’ve created.

10. Engage in conversations: Try to incorporate the new vocabulary into your conversations with others. Using the word in real-life communication reinforces its retention and helps in becoming more comfortable with its usage.

Remember that different strategies work for different people, so it’s essential to experiment and find what works best for you. Additionally, consistency and regular practice are key to improving vocabulary retention over time.

后记

这个TOEFL专项中的第一门课，只是介绍一下托福考试中阅读和听力部分，并不是我印象中的新东方那样的培训课程。不过，听一下英文课程还是能够练习听力的，所以，希望能够完成这个Specialization。

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