4. Even though the school is struggling as __________ lack of funds, it is expected to continue to operate, due to the immense popularity among the local residents. A. the result of a B. result a C. result D. result of 5. One of Cuba’s major sources of income is raising the sugar. 6. A brilliant presenter, __________ used to draw a tremendous crowd, but now the amount of money he is charging is considered too high. A. always B. he C. be D. he was 7. In spite of the antagonistic display by their opponents’ supporters, __________ city commissioners tried to keep reason and calm at the forefront. A. the three incumbent B. a three incumbent C. three incumbently D. the incumbent three 8. Modern outboard boat engines frequently are sold with pump that automatically mixes oil with gasoline. 9. Whether there should be more control over handguns __________ long been a topic of debate in the United States. A. having B. has C. is D. have 150 Part III: Detailed Review of Items Tested A B C D A B C D For more material and information, please visit Tai Lieu Du Hoc at www.tailieuduhoc.org 10 . Having been found guilty of theft, __________ to find work in his chosen field as an accountant. A. was difficult for Henry Jones B. Henry Jones found it difficult C. found Henry Jones difficult D. it was found by Henry Jones difficult 11. Henry Flagler was the railroad baron who he also developed a number of magnificent hotels and other fabulous structures. 12 . This course is one of __________ few English courses offered by the college each month. A. the B. only C. mostly D. almost Answers and Explanations for Structure Quiz 6 1. A: it. A subject of the second clause is required because the that clause is the main clause. The sentence, as corrected, means the same as, “To give an effective speech, delivery is the most important thing.” 2. B: deciding. The sentence requires a conjugated verb, decided. 3. D: low tide. The context is definite, so the definite article the is necessary: how low the tide is. 4. A: the result of a. This is an idiomatic expression. 5. D: the. Sugar is being used as a general statement, meaning all sugar. 6. B: he. He used to means he was accustomed to doing something in the past. He was used to would have to be following by a verb+ing. 7. A: the three incumbent. The article the is necessary because it is specific and makes sense with the ordinal number three. Incumbent is an adjective because it modifies commissioners, which in this case is also modified by city. 8. B: with pump. It would make sense to say with a pump. 9. B: has. The sentence requires a conjugated verb, so having makes no sense. It is not passive, so is makes no sense. The subject is whether, so the verb must be singular. 151 Structure A B C D For more material and information, please visit Tai Lieu Du Hoc at www.tailieuduhoc.org 10 . B: Henry Jones found it difficult. The second clause needs a clause beginning with a subject. Because the sentence begins with a participle, having, the subject of the second clause must be the same person or thing as the subject of the origi- nal sentence. 11. B: he. After the relative pronoun who, it is not correct to have another pronoun. The word should be omitted. 12 . A: the. The expression is one of the. The answer only would have been correct if it had been followed by a (only a few). 152 Part III: Detailed Review of Items Tested For more material and information, please visit Tai Lieu Du Hoc at www.tailieuduhoc.org 153 READING In this chapter, you get an overview of what to expect when you take the Reading section of the TOEFL test. I cover the various items tested in the Reading section and provide sample questions that help you understand what you’ll encounter on test day. As I indicated in Part II, the Reading section consists of several reading passages that are each followed by a series of questions. In general, you will encounter the following four types of questions in the Reading section: ■ General. You will be asked to identify the main idea of a passage or to in- dicate what an appropriate title for the passage would be. ■ Details. You will be asked questions about particular details explained in the passage. ■ Vocabulary. Vocabulary questions test your understanding of particular words within the passage. ■ Referents. Referent questions test your ability to identify antecedents of pronouns used in the passage. When you read a passage on the TOEFL test, first skim the entire passage, paying attention to the first sentences of each paragraph, in order to grasp the main idea. Then read the passage completely and move on to the questions. The reading pas- sage appears on the computer screen while you look at the questions. The Reading section isn’t computer adaptive, so you can return to prior questions if necessary. The computer program will not allow you to read the questions until you have viewed the entire reading passage. Identifying Main Ideas and Purpose Prepare yourself for Reading section questions that ask for the main idea, a good title, or what you can infer from the reading passage. Keep in mind that questions asking for the main idea of a passage or a good title for the passage are essentially the same question. You must determine the overall meaning of the entire passage and not be tricked into identifying some specific detail. The main idea is just what it says: the principal thought that the passage conveys. The main idea is the one major concept that pervades the entire passage. Look at the entire passage and watch for the topic that is discussed in every paragraph. Don’t be confused by a detail or even a subtopic. The answer to the questions ask- ing you to identify the main idea will be very general. For more material and information, please visit Tai Lieu Du Hoc at www.tailieuduhoc.org Sometimes the TOEFL test asks you to identify the author’s purpose in presenting an idea in the passage. These questions ask you to identify why the author gave the information. When you encounter a question about purpose, ask yourself what the writer was trying to accomplish. What positive effect does the information in the passage provide? Studying the Details As you read, concentrate on the main idea and don’t dwell on the details. You will be able to return to the passage and reread sections that deal with specific details. Generally, questions are asked in order of how information is presented in the pas- sage, so you should be able to skim back through the reading and find the details you need. Questions on details require a strong understanding of vocabulary, be- cause frequently different words will be used in the question than are used in the passage. Some detail questions will ask you to identify the correct drawing, picture, graph, or other depiction that explains something that was covered in the reading. You may also be asked to match or organize items to show your understanding of the passage. Testing Your Vocabulary On previous versions of the TOEFL test, vocabulary was tested independently, out of context. Now, vocabulary is tested in context, which means that you have the context of the entire reading passage to assist you in determining the meaning of a specific word. A strong knowledge of vocabulary is important for scoring well on the Reading section not only because you have to answer individual vocabulary questions, but also because you can use your vocabulary knowledge to answer other questions. In the Reading section, you need to understand the vocabulary words or be able to figure out their meaning from other techniques. Remember: The best way to improve your reading and vocabulary is to read as much as and as many different types of material as possible. Read newspapers, magazines, books, and whatever else you can. Pay attention to the types of things that the TOEFL test will ask. Studying lists of vocabulary words as you prepare for the TOEFL test doesn’t make sense, because there are simply too many words to learn. If you’re unfamil- iar with a word that you find in a reading passage, try to determine its meaning from the context. To help you do so, the following sections offer an overview of commonly used prefixes, suffixes, and roots. With a working knowledge of these elements of English vocabulary, you increase your chances of determining the meaning of words that are unfamiliar to you. 154 Part III: Detailed Review of Items Tested For more material and information, please visit Tai Lieu Du Hoc at www.tailieuduhoc.org Prefixes A prefix is a short string of letters (usually only one syllable long) affixed to the beginning of a word in order to change its meaning. For example, the prefix pre- means “comes before.” When pre- is attached to the root -fix, which means “at- tach,” you can determine that a prefix is a group of letters attached to the front of a word. Following are some of the most commonly used prefixes and examples that will help you to identify them. a- or ab- The prefix a- or ab- means “away from,” “from,” or “not.” The men averted their eyes from the accident. Meaning: The men turned their eyes away from the accident. (See –vert in the “Roots” section later in the chapter.) The man’s skin growth was abnormal. Meaning: The man’s skin growth was not normal. The women abducted the young boy. Meaning: The women led the boy away, meaning she kidnapped him. Sheila was absent yesterday. Meaning: Sheila was not present yesterday. It is atypical. Meaning: It is not typical. a- or an- The prefix a- can have another meaning, which is the same as the meaning of the prefix an As the following examples show, this prefix means “without.” It is amorphous. Meaning: It is without shape. It is anhydrous. Meaning: It is without water. He is amoral. Meaning: He is without morals. 155 Reading For more material and information, please visit Tai Lieu Du Hoc at www.tailieuduhoc.org It is aseptic. Meaning: It is without disease-causing microorganisms. ad- The prefix ad- means “to” or “toward.” When this prefix is attached to a root that starts with certain letters — d, f, g, l, m, q, r, s, and t — the d drops out and the first letter of the root is repeated. For example, when ad- is added to the root -fix, the resulting word is affix (rather than adfix); the d drops out and the letter f is repeated. Verbs that contain this prefix are often followed by the preposition to (even though the word to is part of the definition of ad-). The university admitted Bill. Meaning: The university granted Bill entrance to the university. The glue has dried and will not adhere to the surface. Meaning: The glue has dried and will not stick to the surface. She has found it easy to adapt to her new situation. Meaning: She has found it easy to fit well to her new situation. She used tape to affix the picture to the wall. Meaning: She used tape to attach or fix the picture to the wall. ante- The prefix ante- means “before.” This room is called the anteroom. Meaning: This room comes before another room. It is from the antediluvian period. Meaning: It is from the period before the flood. This is from the antebellum period. Meaning: This is from the period before the war. anti- or ant- The prefix anti- or ant- means “opposite” or “counteracting.” Michelle drank the antacid. Meaning: Michelle drank the substance to counteract acid. 156 Part III: Detailed Review of Items Tested For more material and information, please visit Tai Lieu Du Hoc at www.tailieuduhoc.org They haven’t found a suitable antibody. Meaning: They haven’t found a suitable substance to counteract the harmful one. The plane was shot down by an antiaircraft weapon. Meaning: The plane was shot down by a weapon that counters aircraft. This is the antithesis of that. Meaning: This is the exact opposite of that. They say that Mary is antisocial. Meaning: They say that Mary is the opposite of social; she is not sociable. bi- The prefix bi- means “two.” James fell off his bicycle. Meaning: James fell off his two-wheeled cycle. He is serving on the bipartisan committee. Meaning: He is serving on the committee consisting of two political parties. The legislature is bicameral. Meaning: The legislature has two chambers. He used the binoculars to see the distant figures. Meaning: He used the optical device for two eyes to see the distant figures. We need to complete the biweekly bulletin. Meaning: We need to complete the bulletin that comes out every two weeks. circum- The prefix circum- means “around” or “on all sides.” The circumference of the circle is two inches. Meaning: The length of the boundary around the circle is two inches. Please stop trying to evade the issue with circumlocution. Meaning: Please stop trying to evade the issue by speaking around what you mean. 157 Reading For more material and information, please visit Tai Lieu Du Hoc at www.tailieuduhoc.org Everybody please circumscribe the correct answer on your paper. Meaning: Everybody please draw a circle around the correct answer on your paper. They circumnavigated the globe. Meaning: They sailed around the globe. con- The prefix con- means “together” or “with.” When con- precedes a root that starts with the letters l or r, the n becomes l or r, respectively. When con- precedes a root that starts with the letters p, m, or b, the n becomes m. The men conspired to overthrow the government. Meaning: The men plotted together to overthrow the government. Michelle and Susan conferred about the proper procedure. Meaning: Michelle and Susan discussed the proper procedure together. They corresponded by videotape while he was away. Meaning: They communicated with each other by videotape while he was away. The materials were very compact. Meaning: The materials were very well packed together. contra- Contra- means “against,” “opposing,” or “opposite.” Helen contradicted Ellen’s testimony. Meaning: Helen’s testimony was opposite Ellen’s. He described a contrary view of the situation. Meaning: He described an opposing view of the situation. The students contravened the rules. Meaning: The students acted in opposition to the rules. The two men had contrasting views on the issue. Meaning: The two men held opposing views on the issue. 158 Part III: Detailed Review of Items Tested For more material and information, please visit Tai Lieu Du Hoc at www.tailieuduhoc.org de- The prefix de- means “from” or “down.” The soldier was demoted for improper behavior. Meaning: The soldier’s rank was lowered, or brought down, for improper be- havior. (Demoted is the opposite of promoted.) She deducted forty dollars from the total cost of the coat. Meaning: She subtracted (marked down) forty dollars from the total cost of the coat. They debarked the ship peacefully. Meaning: They came down from the ship peacefully. The dead plants began to decay. Meaning: The dead plants began to break down to basic parts. dis- Dis- means “apart” or “away.” The boys dissected the frog. Meaning: The boys took the frog apart. She dissented from the majority opinion. Meaning: She voted apart from the majority opinion. The employer dismissed the staff member. Meaning: The employer sent the staff member away. The materials dissipated. Meaning: The materials separated or moved away from each other. He is a dissident. Meaning: His ideas are apart from those of the majority. dys- The prefix dys- means “bad,” “faulty,” “difficulty,” or “illness.” He was suffering from dysentery. Meaning: He was suffering from an illness of the large intestine. 159 Reading For more material and information, please visit Tai Lieu Du Hoc at www.tailieuduhoc.org . to break down to basic parts. dis- Dis- means “apart” or “away.” The boys dissected the frog. Meaning: The boys took the frog apart. She dissented from. possible. Read newspapers, magazines, books, and whatever else you can. Pay attention to the types of things that the TOEFL test will ask. Studying lists