Time is definitely a factor in the Reading Comprehension section. Many students who take the TOEFL test note that they are unable to finish all the questions in this section. Therefore, you need to make the most efficient use of your time in this section to get the highest score. The following method is the best way of attacking a reading passage to get the most questions correct in a limited amount of time. In the new version of the TOEFL, the amount of about 50 items that include vocabulary, and reding comprehension.
1. Reading Comprehension
This section usually consists of five or six aas script (reading) short, each of which is followed by some questions, and peranyaan these questions must be answered in accordance with the information expressed or implied in the text.
2. Vocabulary
This section consists of loose sentences are some of the words or he underlined.
STRATEGIES FOR THE READING COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS
1)
Skim the reading passage to determine the main idea
and the overall organization of ideas in the passage.
You do not
need to understand every detail in a passage to answer the questions correctly.
It is therefore a waste of time to read the passage with the intent of
understanding every single detail before you try to answer the questions.
2)
Look ahead at the questions to determine
what types of questions you must answer. Each type of question is answered
in a different way.
3)
Find the section of the passage that deals with each question.
The question type tells you exactly where to look in the passage to find correct answers.
The question type tells you exactly where to look in the passage to find correct answers.
Ø For main
idea questions, look at the first line of each paragraph.
Ø For directly
and indirectly answered detail questions, choose a key word in the question,
and skim for that key word (or a related idea) in order in the passage.
Ø For
vocabulary questions, the question will tell you where the word is located in
the passage.
Ø For where
questions, the answers are found anywhere in the passage.
4)
Read the part of the passage that contains the answer
carefully.
The answer
will probably be in the same sentence (or one sentence before or after) the key
word or idea.
5)
Choose the best answer to each question from the four
answer choices listed in your test book.
You can choose the best answer according to what is given in the appropriate section of the passage, eliminate definitely wrong answers, and mark your best guess on the answer sheet.
READING
COMPREHENSION SAMPLE QUESTIONS
The
technology of the North American colonies did not differ strikingly from that
of Europe, but in one respect, the colonists enjoyed a great advantage.
Especially by comparison with Britain, Americans had a wonderfully plentiful
supply of wood.
The
first colonists did not, as many people imagine, find an entire continent
covered by a climax forest. Even along the Atlantic seaboard, the forest was
broken at many points. Nevertheless, all sorts of fine trees abounded, and
through the early colonial period, those who pushed westward encountered new
forests. By the end of the colonial era, the price of wood had risen slightly
in eastern cities, but wood was still
extremely abundant.
The
availability of wood brought advantages that have seldom been appreciated. Wood
was a foundation of the economy. Houses and all manner of buildings were made
of wood to a degree unknown in Britain. Secondly, wood was used as fuel for
heating and cooking. Thirdly, it was used as the source of important industrial
compounds, such as potash, an industrial alkali; charcoal, a component of
gunpowder; and tannic acid, used for tanning leather.
The
supply of wood conferred advantages but had some negative aspects as well. Iron
at that time was produced by heating iron ore with charcoal. Because Britain
was so stripped of trees, she was unable to exploit her rich iron mines. But
the American colonies had both iron ore and wood; iron production was
encouraged and became successful. However, when Britain developed coke
smelting, the Colonies did not follow suit because they had plenty of wood and
besides, charcoal iron was stronger than coke iron. Coke smelting led to
technologic innovations and was linked to the emergence of the Industrial
Revolution. In the early nineteenth century, the former colonies lagged behind
Britain in industrial development because their supply of wood led them to
cling to charcoal iron. (Paragraph 4)
1. What does the passage mainly discuss?
(A) The advantages of using wood in the colonies
(B) The effects of an abundance of wood on the
colonies
(C) The roots of the Industrial Revolution
(D) The difference between charcoal iron and coke iron
2. The word strikingly in the first paragraph
is closest in meaning to
(A) realistically.
(B) dramatically.
(C) completely.
(D) immediately.
3. Which of the following is a common assumption about
the forests of North America during the colonial period?
(A) They contained only a few types of trees.
(B) They existed only along the Atlantic seaboard.
(C) They had little or no economic value.
(D) They covered the entire continent.
4. According to the passage, by the end of the
colonial period, the price of wood in eastern cities
(A) rose quickly because wood was becoming so scarce.
(B) was much higher than it was in Britain.
(C) was slightly higher than in previous years.
(D) decreased rapidly because of lower demand for
wood.
5. What can be inferred about houses in Britain during
the period written about in the passage?
(A) They were more expensive than American houses.
(B) They were generally built with imported materials.
(C) They were typically smaller than homes in North
America.
(D) They were usually built from materials other than
wood
6. Why does the author mention gunpowder in
paragraph 3?
(A) To illustrate the negative aspects of some
industrial processes
(B) To give an example of a product made with wood
compounds
(C) To remind readers that the colonial era ended in
warfare
(D) To suggest that wood was not the only important
product of the colonies
7. The phrase follow suit in paragraph 4
means...
(A) do the same thing.
(B) make an attempt.
(C) have the opportunity.
(D) take a risk.
8. According to the passage, why was the use of coke
smelting advantageous?
(A) It led to advances in technology.
(B) It was less expensive than wood smelting.
(C) It produced a stronger type of iron than wood
smelting.
(D) It stimulated the demand for wood.
Answer key for reading comprehension:
- B
- B
- D
- C
- D
- B
- A
- A
SUMBER
: Irham Ali Saifuddin, 2005, Buku Pintar TOEFL, DIVA Press, Yogyakarta.
