How
to Improve Your Reading Skill
The
main challenge posed by the Reading section is the turgid and technical nature
of the material. The passages are usually written in a convoluted style and
often contain abstruse content matter, typically of a specialized scientific,
social science or business nature.
Ø Skim
the first and last sentences of the introduction, the first sentence of each
body paragraph, and the first and last sentences of the conclusion.
Ø Pay
attention to transition words.
Ø Find
the main idea and note the structure, scope, tone and conclusion.
Ø Start
working through the questions.
Ø Do
the "easy" questions first.
Ø For
each question, locate the key words, go back to the necessary section of the
passage, and read the passage more carefully to locate the answer.
Ø Make
a guess before looking at the answer choices.
Ø Eliminate
wrong answers and choose the answer choice most similar your own guess.
Learn
from the Speed Readers
You
can read much faster when you guide your eyes. Unfortunately, that is easier to
accomplish on paper than it is on the screen. Nevertheless, you should try
various techniques during your preparation until you find the one which you
like the best. For example, you can guide your eyes by the pencil provided by
the test center, or you can use the mouse pointer. Generally, there is no
patent recipe, so you have to experiment.
Focus
on Improving Skimming Skills for the TOEFL Reading Section
Reading
on the TOEFL exam is not necessarily “normal reading.” In other words, students
don’t have time to read the reading section in-depth, so an essential skill is
necessary: skimming. Skimming is basically reading quickly for a general
understanding of the passage, taking note of main ideas and overall
organization. How does one go about doing this? Well, when you are skimming,
keep the following in mind:
Read
only the first two or three sentences of the first paragraph and the first and
last sentences of each paragraph after that.
Move
quickly across the words as you read them – do not be tempted to read the
passage word for word.
Take
note of key words.
As
you skim each TOEFL reading article, you will probably notice words that are
repeated or words that are synonymous with the main idea of the passage as a
whole. Taking note of key words, which are words that define the topic and
supporting points of the passage, is crucial on the TOEFL. More than likely,
questions that follow will ask specifically about key words and if you have an
idea of where they are in the passage, you will be able to answer the questions
faster.
Don’t
be afraid to take notes.
Overall,
taking brief notes on a reading passage can be helpful because it will give you
an idea of where to find specific bits of information in each passage.
Sometimes, it is useful to give each paragraph a word or phrase that best
summarizes its main idea. Keep in mind that all note-taking will have to be on
a separate piece of paper because the TOEFL iBt is now given on a computer.
Watch
for connections between paragraphs.
Look
for the ways in which main ideas in one paragraph might relate to the main
ideas in the other paragraphs. You might find during your outlining process
that some paragraphs actually address the same concept; take note of them while
also paying close attention to the transitional words between all the
sentences.
Pay
attention to connecting words. While connecting words are often encouraged
in your writing for the TOEFL, when you train your eye to pay attention to them
in reading it can lead to a greater understanding of a reading passage.
Connecting words can often be placed into categories. Here are several
categories and their corresponding connecting words:Connecting words that show RESULTS:
as a result, so, thereforeConnecting words that show COMPARISONS: in contrast,
on the other handConnecting words that show STEPS: first, second, next, finally
TOEFL
Reading Practice
Practice these strategies by taking an academic text, or an article from
a well-established newspaper. It will really
help your outlining abilities
When you finish skimming each passage, which generally takes about 1-2
minutes, you should have an outline of the
passage in your mind. This outline will serve as a guide when
answering the bulk of the TOEFL reading questions and hopefully, a tool
to get you to finish each 20-minute reading section on time!
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar