2019-05-21 TOEFL: word roots, reading summary

Greg Malivuk
[email protected]
http://www.pastebin.com/u/gmalivuk - notes from all classes
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Word Roots (list 1) - With your partners, try to think of one or two words to explain the meaning of each root.
ab (abduct, abdicate) = away
ad (advocate, addition, advance) = to/toward
aer/aero (aerial, aerate) = air
agri/agro (agriculture, agribusiness, agrarian) = field
ambi (ambidextrous, ambiguous, ambivalent) = both
amb/ambul (amble, ambulatory, ambulate) = walk
ami/amo (amiable, amorous) = love/friendship
andro (android, androgen) = man/male (The root for female is “gyn”.)
anim (animate, animal) = spirit; movement
ann/enn (annual, millennium, anniversary) = year
ante/anti (antecedent, anteroom, anticipate) = before/in front of
anthropo (anthropology, philanthropy) = human
anti (antibacterial, antisocial) = against (Something in front of you can block you.)
aqua (aquamarine, aqueduct, aquarium) = water (sometimes specifically fresh water)
arch (monarch, hierarchy, archbishop, archangel, matriarchy) = first (in power or importance)
archa (archaeology, archaic) = old/first (in time)
art (artist, artifact, artisan) = skill (“liberal arts” were traditionally the skills a free man (i.e. not slave) needed)
astro (astronomy, astrology) = star
aud/audi (audience, audible) = hear
auto (automatic, autograph) = self
bel (belligerent, rebellious) = war/fight
bene (benefit, benevolent) = good
bi (bilingual, bilateral, bisexual) = two
bio (biology, biography, biosphere) = life
cept/ceive (intercept, receive) = catch/capture
cardi/cardio (cardiac, cardiology) = heart
carn (carnivore, carnal) = meat (if it’s dead)/flesh (if it’s alive)
cede/ceed (intercede, intercessory, exceed) = go
cent (century, centimeter, centennial) = hundred/hundredth
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both = all two (when there are only two total)
(“I speak both languages.” = there are only two languages we’re talking about)
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TOEFL: 4 sections, 4 hours, 120 points (30/section), $205
1 reading: 60-80 minutes, 3 or 4 passages, 12-14 questions per passage (15 raw points)
2 listening: 60-90 minutes, 2 or 3 sets (each set = 17 questions, 3 listenings, 10 minutes to pick answers)
	(10-minute break)
3 speaking: 20 minutes, 6 tasks, 5.5 minutes of speaking time
4 writing: 55 minutes, 2 tasks, 20+30 minutes to write
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Reading Question Types:
- vocabulary
- inference
- reference
- purpose/method
- detail/fact
- negative fact
- paraphrase
- sentence insertion
- summarize
- organize/categorize
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Summary Questions
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Most TOEFL reading passages end with a summary question (the rest end with an organize question).
These questions give you “an introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage”, and you need to choose three (out of six) sentences that express the most important ideas in the passage.
Incorrect answer choices are often minor details. Others are either untrue according to the passage, or not mentioned in the passage.
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Cambridge: Identify whether each sentence is a summary, a minor detail, or not mentioned in the passage.
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BREAK
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Delta p. 152 - Take 3 minutes to choose the most important information about Winslow Homer.
A - This is basically a summary of paragraph 1.
(B - This isn’t mentioned. We don’t know what he was best known for. Also, this passage is about his watercolors, not his oils.)
C - This introduces the content of paragraph 2.
(D - This is not mentioned, and is only a minor detail.)
(E - This is a specific detail about just one painting.)
F - This explains the rest of paragraph 2.
p. 154 - Do the same for cultural evolution.
(A - Nothing says it’s the most important force, AND that’s a minor detail in a passage about cultural evolution.)
B - This is the main topic of paragraph 2.
(C - This is a detail that doesn’t say anything about cultural evolution.)
D - This is the last part of paragraph 2.
E - This is paragraph 3.
(F - This isn’t mentioned.)
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3 correct = 2 points
2 correct = 1 point
0 or 1 correct = 0 points
If you don’t answer it, you’ll get exactly 0 points on this question.
If you randomly guess, you’ll get an average of 0.55 points on this question.
If you can (correctly) eliminate one answer, you’ll get an average of 0.8 points.
If you can eliminate two answers, you’ll get an average of 1.25 points.
(If you can eliminate three answers, then you get everything correct for 2 points.)
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Delta p. 707 has sample score conversions. One thing to notice about reading and listening is that if you do worse than random guessing, you’ll get a score of 0 even if you get several answers correct. The easiest way to do worse than guessing is to leave questions blank.
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Cengage p. 156 exercise 8.1 - In Passage 1, what are the main ideas of each paragraph?
1 econ. resources = natural, synthetic, and human resources -> prod. of goods and services
	(2 categories: property = land+capital and human = labor+ent. skills)
2 land = nat. resourses for production; capital = aids to producing goods+services
3 labor = talents of humans (excl. ent. skills)
4 ec. res. all limited supply
Which answer choices on p. 157, together with the introductory sentence, best express all of these main points?
intro sentence = paragraph 1 (economic resources generally)
E = paragraph 2 (property resources)
F = paragraph 3 (human resources)
B = paragraph 4 (limited supply)

passage 2 - Take notes on the main ideas of the four paragraphs.
1 West Side Story is a musical based on Romeo and Juliet, set in the 1950s. (plot details)
2 Three “legends” created it: LB = composed music, SS = wrote lyrics, JR = choreographed dances
3 successful: Opened in NYC, immediate hit, Tony Award 1958, again 1980 1995 2002 on Broadway
4 movie adaptation in 1961, 10 academy awards
Which answer choices are these?
Intro = paragraph 1
B = paragraph 2
C = paragraphs 3 and 4
D = other information from paragraph 1
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In general, you should skim the reading passage first in any case. Sometimes you could probably go directly to the summary question and answer it before looking at any other questions.
Oxford p. 404-5 - Look again at the first reading from yesterday’s test.
Paragraph 1 - explains the placebo effect
Paragraphs 2-3 - study of knee pain
Paragraph 4 - research on other diseases
Paragraphs 5-6 - neuroscientific evidence about placebo
Compare these topics to the answer choices on p. 407, for question 13
a = paragraphs 5-6
e = paragraph 1
f = paragraphs 2-4
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If you’re often “distracted” by specific details, it might be a good idea to at least guess answers to the summary question before you look at any other questions or at the content of the paragraphs beyond their first sentences.
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Homework: finish Cengage exercise 8.1 (passages 3, 4, 5)