TOEFL Question of The Day

iBT: TOEFL Question of The Day: "TOEFL Reading 30/30? Here's how to get it?

The following is taken from a posting by "Satish" on a google discussion forum on the iBT. While the English used in the posting is not perfect, many of the strategies advocated convey a lot of practical advice that is worth keeping in mind.
- Understand the main idea
- Visualise / get a mental picture of the construction of the passage
- Scan for specific information as necessary
- Associate content with real life, with your knowledge and with common sense
- React on an emotional level as well

I liked it. What do you think?

Dave

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I had very successful stints of mock Reading and expectedly I made 30/30. The
clue is review every answer after you answer all the questions.

It is damn easy, but review every answer so that you will be granted 30.

First of all understand

1.Understand what the passage is about
You may find it hard to read something which you are not familiar recently. Hence first refresh the topic. Is it about lunar surface or American tribes? Try to get in your mind what lunar or what tribe is? A small association with your knowledge will pave way for your understanding of the passage. Without emotional interest you will read a passage as 'p a s s a g e' in your mind.


2.Visualize the passage
The biggest reading ability is to visualize what you read. When you read a novel you visualize the story, you live in it. When you read the passage visualize the
development as if it is a story. With such a technique you can answer 6/11
questions without any doubt. This visualization you may achieve at the end of
2nd or 3rd reading of the passage. Your mind has made images of the passage. You see lunar volcanoes and you see tribes, your visual memory is being used.


3.Refer for intricate details
With your visual memory, you will know where to look at for the required detail. Otherwise you need to scan every line for the required detail.


4.Read the passage minimum thrice
When you read first try to make an entry with your knowledge. Try to know what the passage is about and how much of it is known to you. In the second reading construct visual images. Third reading is done for answering details questions.


5.Be emotional
You do not expect a human to calculate, but to estimate. Such a difference in tone will lead you to 30. when you do an emotional reading of your passage you understand the tone of author and meaning behind passages.

With all these techniques I scored a 30/30.