TOFEL Prep - reading Feb. 9, 2015

Last Week: Reading section: 60-80 minutes 20 minutes per passage Requires you understand information from subjects you are not familiar with. tests how well you understand college level reading material

Main Idea, Main Topic, Purpose Usually the fist question Phrased as: What is the main idea of the passage? The primary idea of the passage is… Which of the following best summarized The author’s main idea?

why an author wrote a passage The main idea question asks why an author wrote a passage

The answer choices usually begins with infinitives: To define…. To discuss… To illustrate….. To distinguish between….. To relate….. To propose….. To support the idea that To compare ______ and _______

The correct answer will summarize The main points of the passage. It will be more general than the supporting Ideas. Not so general that it includes details from outside the passage.

Distractors: Are too specific Are too general Are incorrect according to the passage Are unrelated to the main idea Save the main idea question until you have answered the other questions

Tone Questions Asks you to determine the author’s Feelings about the topic https://www.youtube.com/watch/?v=Co8q0qQnOUE

Question phrased as: What tone does the author take in writing this passage? The tone of this passage could best be described as….

Sample Answer Choices: Positive Negative Favorable Critical Neutral Optimistic Unfavorable Impersonal Amused Angry Pleased Defiant Respectful Worried Humorous outraged Objective impersonal

Authors use adjectives to create tone: Remarkable Brilliant Admirable Simplistic uninteresting

Most TOFEL reading passages will have a neutral tone. A passage the takes a position for or against have a different tone BEWARE of answers that indicate strong emotions

http://www.cmt.com/videos/taylor-swift/215750/picture-to-burn.jhtml http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=taL3uxboZ5I

Homework Due Wednesday: Read text book 30 minutes - minimum Page 293 questions 1-10