First, the six major changes in the reading part of the new TOEFL test
1. Four main buttons and functions in the reading section of the new TOEFL test.
In the reading part of the new TOEFL test, the reading articles appear on the right side of the computer screen (this is just the opposite of the GRE computer test, because in the reading part of the GRE computer test, the reading articles appear on the left side of the computer screen), and the corresponding topics appear on the left side of the computer screen. Because the article is very long, you need to scroll with the help of the scroll bar to see the full text. In the reading section, candidates can browse all the questions forward by clicking the next button, or they can look back at the previous questions by clicking the back button and return to the very beginning of the article. The TOEFL reading section also has a button with review function. Click this button, and the examinee will see all the questions and their status-answered, unanswered and unseen. Finally, there is a help button in the reading section of the new TOEFL. After clicking this button, candidates will get a list of topics with useful explanations.
2. The length of the article, the number of questions and the examination time in the reading part of the new TOEFL test have changed.
The original TOEFL test took 55 minutes to read and required five articles to be completed. Each article is about 350 words long, and the number of topics behind each article is about 10, that is, the total number of topics is 50. The specific arrangement of the reading part of the new TOEFL test is shown in the following table:
Reading part
The number of questions about the length of the article allowed by the reading time.
600-700 words in 20 minutes 12- 14
600-700 words in 20 minutes 12- 14
600-700 words in 20 minutes 12- 14
The fourth article. 5 20 minutes 600-700 words each 12- 14
It should be pointed out that:
The fourth paragraph & amp5; 5 belongs to the additional test part, that is, the number of articles encountered by candidates in the reading part may be 3 or 5, so the corresponding test time is 60 minutes and 100 minutes;
(2) The examination time of the reading part is preset, that is, the total time of the reading part is fixed, but the time spent on each article and topic is flexibly mastered by the candidates themselves;
(3) The number of articles read has greatly increased, reaching about 700 words.
3. Reading articles in the new TOEFL test has changed the treatment of professional vocabulary and topic orientation.
A prominent feature of the new TOEFL reading section is that the blue word in the article indicates that the word has a definition. Clicking on this word will pop up this definition. In other words, all uncommon professional words encountered in reading the article will be blue, and the definition and explanation of this word will be given after clicking.
All questions about language use in the new TOEFL reading section are about a word, a sentence or a paragraph in the article. One of the most remarkable features of this topic positioning is that when a question is quoted to a granular word or sentence in an article, the word or sentence is highlighted. You don't need to look for it. The detailed questions in TOEFL will be answered in specific paragraphs, so you don't need to browse the article to find the answers to the detailed questions. In other words, the reading of the new TOEFL test no longer examines the ability of language use to locate problems. This greatly reduces the difficulty of the topic itself.
4. The setting of distractions in the reading part of the new TOEFL test is more complicated.
Through the third point above, we already know that in the new TOEFL reading test, many detailed questions no longer need to be located, which reduces the difficulty of the questions themselves. In order to balance the difficulty of the topic, ETS adopts the method of making the setting of interference options more complicated and tends to approach GRE. Not only the interference options increase, but also the interference is obviously enhanced, especially for the paraphrased questions.
5. There are many kinds of questions in the reading part of the new TOEFL test, and the scores also show great changes.
The forms of the new TOEFL test questions have become diversified, and the scores of the corresponding questions have also changed greatly. We can divide the reading questions in the new TOEFL into three types:
(1) Click an answer: For this multiple-choice question, you will choose the best answer from four possible answers. This kind of topic is a traditional four-choice topic, 1 point.
(2) Add sentiment: For this kind of questions, you will click a box to add a sentiment to the article. There are four such articles to insert sentences? [■]? Then the topic gives the examinee a sentence, asking the examinee which one should be inserted in the article. [■]? This place. The general way to ask questions is this: Look at the four squares [■] to indicate where the following sentences can be added to the article, and the score of such questions is also1;
(3) Drag the answer option: The biggest feature of this type of question is that you don't need to click the option, but drag the option that the candidate thinks is correct to the corresponding table. Its specific forms can be divided into two categories, and its score will change with the change of specific forms:
A. summarize the most important points:
The way to ask this kind of question is as follows: here is an introduction sentence that briefly summarizes the article. Choose three answer options to complete the summary. Express the most important point in the article. Some sentences do not belong to the abstract, because they express ideas that do not appear in the article, or are secondary ideas in the article. This kind of topic mainly examines the examinee's mastery of important arguments and viewpoints, with a score of 2 points. The specific scoring rules are as follows:
Scores, possible answers, correct scores
3 points
3 2
2 1
0 - 1 0
B. Understand the details related to the theme (schematic diagram) Question types:
This question mainly examines the examinee's grasp of important structural information. The way to ask questions is to choose appropriate sentences from the answers and match them with the types described. The two answer options will not be used. According to the number of answers, it is classified as 5 out of 7 or 7 out of 9, and its corresponding scores are 3 and 4. The specific scoring rules are as follows:
Scores, possible answers, correct scores
3 points
5 3
4 2
3 1
0 - 2 0
4 points
7 4
6 3
5 2
4 1
0? 3 0
6. Four types of questions have been added to the reading part of the new TOEFL test.
Four types of questions have been added to the reading part of the new TOEFL test, namely, reporting (synonymous rewriting), understanding coherence (inserting sentences), organizing information (structural information table) and summarizing the most important points (summary points).
Second, use an article to experience the characteristics of the new TOEFL reading test on the spot
Send the article to the audience and feel the characteristics of the new TOEFL article on the spot.
Underground railway
The subway is one of the most fascinating and exciting phenomena in the cruel American slavery era. In fact, it is neither an underground organization nor any kind of railway, but an intricate, loosely organized and highly secret network dedicated to helping black slaves in southern States of the United States get rid of slavery and gain freedom in northern America, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. Because its members rarely dare to record their activities, railway? The history of has been spread orally or lost. Nevertheless, it is possible for us to reproduce vivid pictures of the people concerned and the great challenges they face.
As early as the late16th century, when the first captured laborers were brought from Africa to the New World, the railway was composed of an informal arrangement. One who provides food and shelter. A house, shop or barn where they provide shelter? One who guides escaped slaves to safety along difficult routes. All kinds of people work on this railway, including missionaries, politicians, farmers, shopkeepers, former slaves and even Indians. Most people don't know that they are part of an organization all over the United States? But they are United by their hatred of slavery and their desire to help those who are struggling to escape.
Perhaps the most famous railway worker is Harriet Tubman. Tubman was born into a slave family in Maryland. At the age of 25, he escaped by railway and eventually became a conductor himself. More than 10 points? In a year's time, she returned to the south nearly 20 times, bringing back many of her family members and dozens of others, perhaps as many as 300 people in total.
The conditions faced by runaways are severe. They are often forced to travel at night and navigate by Polaris. Rivers, swamps and forests blocked their way. They can only carry very little food and rely on stationmaster and conductor to keep them from hunger. Sometimes, lucky people can travel by carriage, ship or horse, but most people have to walk. If they can't really leave the southern States, they may have no choice but to live in the depths of swamps or mountains, separated from their families, isolated from the world, or join the Native American community.
The risks faced by fugitives are unimaginable. Escapers will endure terrible punishment, including amputation or amputation, and even harder labor than before is almost guaranteed, or sold? Down the river, deep into the south, farther away from freedom. 1850 after the fugitive slave law was passed, a new professional slave class? The hunters got up and paid them handsomely to catch the slaves on the runway and return them to their owners. They can even chase prey in the free northern region. Young men are the most successful in railway travel, although sometimes women and children try to escape. Strength and speed are crucial. Slaves occasionally disguise themselves and try to disguise themselves as messengers or even lighters? Skinned slaves, as white people. Holidays and weekends are the best time to escape, or any other situation that allows the authorities to take the lead.
Activities on the railway reached a peak in the last decades before the outbreak of the American Civil War. The great political tension caused by slavery has torn the country apart. White people in the south generally believe that slavery is an inseparable part of their culture. Of course, their economy depends on it. Besides, they hate being dominated by the North and Washington. On the other hand, people in the north can only see the cruelty of slavery and the hypocrisy it represents in a country that claims to be based on the principle of freedom and equality for all mankind. Although extremely destructive, the civil war finally solved this problem. With the ratification of the 13 amendment to the US Constitution on1February 18 and 1865, it became law. What? Neither slavery nor involuntary slavery? Will exist in America. ?
Three. Concluding remarks
Having said that, we have made a detailed analysis of the characteristics of the reading part of the new TOEFL test, and at the same time, we have made a profound and comprehensive analysis of how to achieve substantive understanding, that is, we have given a methodological question. With this method, the rest of the work will be natural. Finally, I want to end this article with three sentences, hoping that these three sentences can encourage and inspire the candidates on the new TOEFL journey: nothing can predict your success better than diligence. What would you do if you were lying on a rose when you were young? I will lie on thorns when I am old. With time and patience, mulberry leaves will become satin.