Selasa, 01 Juli 2014

Tugas IV (Bahasa Inggris II)



Strategy Toefl for Reading Comprehension
The third section of the TOEFL test is the Reading Comprehension section. This section consists of fifty questions (some tests may be longer). You have fifty-five minutes to complete the fifty questions in this section.
In this part of the test you will be given reading passages, and you will be asked two types of questions about the reading passages:
1.      Reading Comprehension questions ask you to answer questions about the information given in the reading passages. There will be a variety of questions about each reading passage, including main idea questions, directly answered detail questions, and implied detail questions.
2.      Vocabulary questions ask you to identify the meanings of vocabulary words in the reading passages. To answer these questions, you may have to know the meanings of the words. You can also identify the meanings of some of the words by understanding the context surrounding the words.

GENERAL STRATEGIES
1.      Be familiar with the directions. The directions on every TOEFL test are the same, so it is not necessary to spend time reading the directions carefully when you take the t should be completely familiar with the directions before the day of the test.
2.      Do not spend too much time reading the passages! You do not have time to read each reading passage in depth, and it is quite possible to answer the questions correctly without first reading the passages in depth. Some students prefer to spend a minute or two on each passage reading for the main idea before starting on the questions. Other students prefer to move directly to the questions without reading the passages first.
3.      Do not worry if a reading passage is on a topic that you are unfamiliar with. All of the information that you need to answer the questions is included in the passages. You do not need any background knowledge to answer the questions.
4.      Never leave any questions blank on your answer sheet. Even if you are unsure of the correct response, you should answer the question. There is no penalty for guessing.
The Reading Comprehension section of the TOEFL test consists of five reading passages, each followed by a number of reading comprehension and vocabulary questions. Topics of the reading passages are varied, but they are often informational subjects that might be studied in an American university: American history, literature, art, architecture, geology, geography, and astronomy, for example.
Time is definitely a factor in the Reading Comprehension section. Many students who take the TOEFL test note that they are unable to finish all the questions in this section. Therefore, you need to make the most efficient use of your time in this section to get the highest score. The following method is the best way of attacking a reading passage to get the most questions correct in a limited amount of time.

STRATEGIES FOR THE READING COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS
1.      Skim the reading passage to determine the main idea and the overall organization of ideas in the passage.
You do not need to understand every detail in a passage to answer the questions correctly. It is therefore a waste of time to read the passage with the intent of understanding every single detail before you try to answer the questions.
2.      Look ahead at the questions to determine what types of questions you must answer.
 Each type of question is answered in a different way.
3.      Find the section of the passage that deals with each question.
The question type tells you exactly where to look in the passage to find correct answers.
a.       For main idea questions, look at the first line of each paragraph. The main idea is the main idea of a paragraph which contains information, explanation, description, or the opinion of the author of the topic. The main idea is the explanation for the title of the topic, explaining from the author's perspective. The main idea is a topic description, it will be longer and be a complete sentence. Some things you need to consider in answering questions about main idea, among others: 
·         The kind of question regarding the details or the details contained in certain parts of the reading. 
·         Answer to this type of question in general can be found directly in the passage. 
·         Answer to questions of this kind are generally administered sequentially in reading. 
·         In many cases, detailed questions require you to select the answer that is paraphrasing, or a restatement of the same intonation with different words, and facts contained in the passage. A meyampaikan paraphrasing the same meaning, but differ slightly in vocabulary and word usage of language. 
b.      For directly and indirectly answered detail questions, choose a key word in the question, and skim for that key word (or a related idea) in order in the passage.
c.       For vocabulary questions, the question will tell you where the word is located in the passage.
d.      or where questions, the answers are found anywhere in the passage.
4.      Read the part of the passage that contains the answer carefully.
The answer will probably be in the same sentence (or one sentence before or after) the key word or idea.
5.      Choose the best answer to each question from the four answer choices listed in your test book.
You can choose the best answer according to what is given in the appropriate section of the passage, eliminate definitely wrong answers, and mark your best guess on the answer sheet.

Examples        :
Alexis de Tocqueville, the French political scientist, historian, philosopher and politician, is most famous for a four-volume book he wrote called “Democracy in America”. He came to America in 1831 to study the American form of democracy and what it might mean to the rest of the world. After a visit of only nine months, he wrote a remarkable book which is regarded as a classic. De Tocqueville had unusual powers of observation.
He described not only the democratic system of government and how it operated, but also its effect on how Americans think, feel, and act. Many scholars believe he had a deeper understanding of traditional American beliefs and values than anyone else who has written about the United States. What is so remarkable is that many of these traits which he observed nearly 200 years ago, are still visible and meaningful today. His observations are also important because the timing of his visit, the 1830s, was before America was industrialized. This was the era of the small farmer, the small businessman, and the settling of the western frontier. It was the period of history when the traditional values of the new country were newly established. In just a generation, some 40 years since the adoption of the U.S. Constitution, the new form of government had already produced a society of people with unique values. He was, however, a neutral observer and saw both the good and bad sides of these qualities.
The first part of “Democracy in America” was written in 1831-32 and published in 1835. A highly positive and optimistic account of American government and society, the book was very well received. He attempted to get a glimpse of the essence of American society, all the while promoting his own philosophy: the equaling of the classes and the inevitable depth of aristocratic privilege. The rest of the book he labored on for four years, and in 1840 the second part was published. This was substantially more pessimistic than the first, warning of the dangers despotism and governmental centralization, and applying his ideas and criticisms more directly to France. As a result, it was not received as well as the first part, except in England where it was acclaimed highly.
1.      What is the passage primarily about?
a.       Alexis de Tocqueville
b.      “Democracy in America”
c.       the progress achieved in America within about 40 years after adoption of the U.S. Constitution
d.      the impact of the book “Democracy in America”
2.      All of the following fields of professional interest and activity are used to describe de Tocqueville EXCEPT
a.       Philosopher
b.      Author            
c.       Political scientist                                   
d.      Politician
3.      According to the passage, when did de Tocqueville visit America
a.       1830s  
b.      1831   
c.       1831-32          
d.      1835
4.      The phrase “these traits” in lines 9-10 refers to
a.       Observations              
b.      How Americans think, feel, and act
c.       Traditional American beliefs and values        
d.      Visible and meaningful observations
5.      What in the passage is mentioned as being truly remarkable?
a.       Many of his observations are still visible and meaningful today
b.      The book was so detailed and thorough after only such a comparatively short visit
c.       That the second volume should be so pessimistic in comparison with the first
d.      De Tocqueville’s powers of observation
6.      The word “unique” in line 16 is closest in meaning to
a.       Clearly identifiable                
b.      Outstanding
c.       Unmatched                
d.      Positive
7.      The word “neutral” in line 16 is closest in meaning to
a.       Impartial         
b.      Careful           
c.       Important
d.      Thorough
8.      Which of the following can be inferred from the passage?
a.       The English don’t like the French
b.      The book was most important because it was the first time that American values had been clearly documented
c.       De Tocqueville was a slow writer
d.      De Tocqueville was primarily motivated by an interest in his own country
9.      According to the passage, “Democracy in America” consisted of how many volumes?
a.       One    
b.      Two    
c.       Three  
d.      Four
10.  Which of the following is true, according to the passage?
a.       The visit lasted only five months
b.      The visit coincided with American industrialization
c.       The first part was published in 1835; the second part in 1840
d.      The second part was more optimistic than the first


Source : http://www.toeflskill.com/2011/05/reading-comprehension.html

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