Boom! Another amazing TOEFL iTP Course Sneak Preview! In today’s episode, I will show you how to understand correlative sentences, compare and contrast, and breaking down parallels in vocabulary questions. This is one of the many passages in the module on my course, and if you’re interested in purchasing it, the link is down below!
Tag: toeflpreparation
TOEFL iTP | Reading | Course Preview & Vocabulary-In-Context | Civil War
Welcome back to a WONDERFUL reading special! So, if you’re listening to this on my ESL podcast, we’re just two days away from the full launch (September 15th). However, if you’re watching this on September 3rd (Facebook, IG, or YouTube), you’re in luck!
This is a wonderful pre-course episode for what’s in store in my wonderful reading course (TOEFL iTP), and this is a full reading lesson that you will see in my course, too. The course, between now and September 22nd, can be bought at a super reduced cost (bundle) with Structure & Written Expression for just $100! That’s right, three courses for just $100 for the first week and you can buy them now, too!
Nonetheless, the techniques I have in this video/podcast are going to be superb in understanding the context of paragraphs and these types of questions. Tune in!
Reading Passage
The Civil War created feverish manufacturing activity to supply critical material, especially in the North. When the fighting stopped, the stage was set for dramatic economic growth. Wartime taxes on production vanished, and the few taxes that remained leaned heavily on real estate, not on business. The population flow from farm to city increased, and the labor force it provided was buttressed by millions of newly arrived immigrants willing to work for low wages in the mills of the North and on the railroad crews of the Midwest and West.
Government was nothing if not accommodating. It established tariff barriers, provided loans and grants to build a transcontinental railroad, and assumed a studied posture of nonintervention in private enterprise. The social Darwinism of British philosopher Herbert Spencer and American economist William Graham Summer prevailed. The theory was that business, if left to its own devices, would eliminate the weak and nurture the strong. But as business expanded, rivalry heated up. In the 1800’s, five railroads operating between New York and Chicago were vying for traffic, and two more were under construction. As a result of the battle, the fare between the cities decreased to $1. The petroleum industry suffered from similar savage competition, and in the 1870’s, many oil industries failed.
- The word “feverish” in line 1 is closest in meaning to
- Extremely rapid
- Sickly and slow
- Very dangerous
- Understandable
- Which of the following is closest in meaning to the word “critical” in line 1?
- Industrial
- Serious
- Crucial
- Insulting
- The phrase “the stage was set” in line 2 is closest in meaning to which of the following?
- The play was over
- The progress continued
- The foundation was laid
- The direction was clear
- The phrase “real estate” in line 4 refers to
- Tools and machines
- Actual income
- New enterprises
- Land and buildings
- The word “buttressed” in line 5 is closest in meaning to
- Concerned
- Supplemented
- Restructured
- Enriched
- The word “accommodating” in line 8 is closest in meaning to
- Persistent
- Indifferent
- Balanced
- Helpful
- Which of the following could best be substituted for the word “posture” in line 10?
- Stature
- Predicament
- Position
- Situation
- The word “prevailed” in line 11 is closest in meaning to
- Influenced
- Triumphed
- Premiered
- Evolved
- The phrase “left to its own devices” in line 12 means
- Forced to do additional work
- Allowed to do as it pleased
- Made to change its plans
- Encouraged to produce more goods
- The word “vying” in line 14 is closest in meaning to
- Competing
- Hoping
- Arranging
- Caring
- The word “savage” in line 16 is closest in meaning to
- Fierce
- Growing
- Surprising
- Genuine
Podcast
Video
Answers Next page
TOEFL iBT | Listening | Lecture | Full Webinar: Aristotle’s Theory of Happiness
Are you ready?! Oh, you’re blessed! In today’s EXTRA-LONG-WEBINAR, I and students from Colombia, Brazil and Peru are dissecting all the details of these questions. We came across a very difficult question (#2) which is going to be a great topic of discussion. Nonetheless, Aristotle’s Theory of Happiness provided us with stress and ease and times, so get ready to take notes and answer the questions with us!
TOEFL iTP | Listening | Part B | College Course
- Who is taking part in the conversation?
- two students
- two professors
- two sociologists
- two lecturers
2. Why does the woman want to talk with Mike?
- she wants his opinion of sociologists
- she wants to hear him lecture
- she wants to know about a course he took
- she wants to meet Professor Patterson
3. What kind of course does the man prefer?
- a course where the professor lectures
- a course where the students just listen and take notes
- a course with Professor Patterson
- a course where the students take part in discussion
4. How does the woman feel about professor Patterson’s course?
- she thinks it’ll be boring
- she doesn’t want to take it
- it sounds good to her
- she’d prefer a course with more student participation
Podcast
TOEFL iBT | Speaking | 1 on 1 Coaching | Questions 1-3: Her Road to a 28 In Speaking!
So, I decided to chop up a coaching session with my student who had recently gotten a 28 on the speaking section of TOEFL. My editing isn’t the best, but in this video, you’re going to hear a tremendous amount of feedback, as well as her answers to everything and those “moments of clarity.” She invested in 8 hours of coaching and got the mark of 28, and this is coaching session #3 so hear how I break everything down!
TOEFL iBT | Reading | Webinar Preview (This Weekend)
It’s Monday, and it’s another week for a wonderful webinar! In this week’s webinar, I will be covering TOEFL iBT (Reading). On my membership, I have blogs/exercises in which I use techniques to find the answer. In the upcoming webinar this weekend, we will apply all of the techniques to a specific reading passage and see how everyone does! The seating is unlimited and the buy-in is just $5. After the webinar, you will have the video uploaded onto the link (for a lifetime), and the membership will be at a 5% discount, as well as the additional coaching hours (33% discount) because you bought the webinar, to begin with.
Let me know if you’re interested in some reading techniques!
I will debut a full reading lesson later today, so stay tuned!
Podia
TOEFL iTP | Reading | Full Course Preview | All Questions
We’re here! A day after and you are now getting the full preview of my TOEFL iTP Reading Course! Seriously, this is going to take a while to put together, so this is why it’s going to take 45 days. Understand, though, that the presale is available. If requested, I will publish it and upload it as the days go along. So, in saying that, here are all the questions! The video/podcast down below has the explanation!
TOEFL Reading Course
TOEFL Structure Course
TOEFL Written Expression
Recognizing distractors in main idea/main topic/main purpose questions.
S – Too specific
G – Too general
X – Incorrect
I – Irrelevant
C – Correct
There are two main types of cell division. Most cells are produced by a process called mitosis. In mitosis, a cell divides and forms two identical daughter cells, each with an identical number of celled plants and animals. Sex cells, however, are formed in a special type of cell division called meiosis. This process reduces the number of chromosomes in a sex cell to half the number found in other kinds of cells. Then, when sex cells unite, they produce a single cell with the original number of chromosomes.
- What is the main topic of this passage?
S) A. The method by which one-celled organisms reproduce
C) B. A comparison between mitosis and meiosis
X) C. Meiosis, the process by which identical cells are produced
Overview questions
American folk music originated with ordinary people at a time when the rural population was isolated and music was not yet spread by radio, audios, compact disks, or music DVDs. It was transmitted by oral tradition and is noted for its energy, humor, and emotional impact. The major source of early American folk songs was music from the British Isles, but songs from Africa as well as songs of the American Indians have a significant part in its heritage. Later settlers from other countries also contributed songs. In the nineteenth century, composer Stephen Foster wrote some of the most enduringly popular of all American songs, which soon became part of folk tradition. Beginning in the 1930’s, Woody Guthrie gained great popularity by adapting traditional melodies and lyrics and supplying new ones as well. In the 1950’s and 1960’s, singer-composers such as Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan, and Joan Baez continued this tradition by creating “urban” folk music. Many of these songs dealt with important social issues, such as racial integration and the war in Vietnam.
- The primary purpose of this passage is to
- Trace the development of American folk music
- Explain the oral tradition
- Contrast the styles of folk musicians
- Point out the influence of social issues on “urban” folk music
Negative Factual Questions
Inference Questions
A star very similar to the Sun is one of the nearest stars to Earth. That star is Alpha Centauri, just 4.3 light-years away. Other than our own Sun, the nearest star to the Earth is a tiny red star, not visible without a telescope, called Proxima Centauri.
It can be inferred from this passage that….
- Proxima Centauri is similar to the Earth’s Sun.
- Proxima Centauri is the closest star to the Earth.
- Alpha Centauri is invisible from the Earth.
- Proxima Centauri is less than 4.3 light-years from the Earth.
Recognizing inferences based on longer passages
Vocabulary-in-context Questions
The planet Mercury is visible to the naked eye but is not the easiest planet to spot.
- Unclothed
- Unaided
- Unarmed
Every atlas has its own legend.
- Mythical story
- Famous person
- Explanation of symbols
Reference Questions
There is a poisonous, plant-like animal called the anemone that lives among coral reefs. When small fish venture too close to the tentacles of these “living flowers,” they are stung and eaten. For unknown reasons, the anemone makes an exception of the clownfish, which swims through its deadly tentacles in safety. When in danger, the clownfish dashes among the anemone’s tentacles where other fish are afraid to follow. The clownfish even builds its nest where the anemone can protect it.
- The word “they” in line 2 refers to
- Coral reefs
- Small fish
- Tentacles
- Flowers
- The word “it” in line 4 is a reference to the
- Clownfish
- Nest
- Anemone
- Exception
TOEFL iBT | Listening | Lecture | 1 on 1 Coaching | The Bobo Doll Experiment
We’re here with PQ Content (Prolific Quality) and in today’s podcast, we’ve got ourselves a cut-out coaching session for you guys! Ange, from the Philippines, wanted to do some listening in her coaching session, and it ended up turning into one of the best I had ever done to this date. You guys can also take notes, prepare your answers, choose which ones and walk with us on this journey of solving. Enjoy! Remember, TOEFL iBT Membership features many more of these, so if you’re interested, make sure you tune in! If you want to practice, listen to the audio in the podcast and then answer the questions down below!
Questions
1 According to social learning theory, how does a child learn aggressive behaviour?
- Through playing with toys
- Through their genetics
- Through learning and interaction
- All the above
2 What was done to the children who were assigned to the control group?
- They were subjected to aggressive models
- They received no treatment
- They were subjected to non-aggressive models
- They received both aggressive and nonaggressive models
3 What was an opposite-sex model in the Bobo Doll experiment?
- The control group had equal number of girls and boys.
- Boys were exposed to violence committed by an adult female
- Girls were exposed to violence committed by an adult male
- Both B and C
4 According to the lecture, which statement was used to describe the experiment?
- The results of the experiment could be used to generalize a wide variety of situations
- The experiment was criticized as being unethical
- The study of behaviour led the psychologist to believe that violence is acceptable.
- The experiment is considered to be a failure in proving social learning theory
5 From the results observed, what might be the reason for including opposite-sex and same-sex models?
- To study the implication of gender specific violence
- To study girls and boys separately
- To study the differences between men and women
- The difference in models is just random
6 What was one of the major ideas demonstrated through Bandura’s experiment?
- Girls behaved less aggressively than boys
- Children learned aggressive behavior through learning and imitation
- Control groups were more aggressive than others
- Aggression was not learned
Answers on next page
TOEFL iBT | Reading | 3 Strategies for Answering ‘Sentence Insertion Questions’
Oh, we’re back! I’m excited about this one because it’s been a long time coming! In this episode, I’ll be teaching you how to answer Sentence Insertion Questions, and if you want the full breakdown, my TOEFL iBT Membership is FREE FOR TWO DAYS! Take advantage of it and check out the other awesome things you have available! Remember to watch my video, too!
Webinar June 19th!
WELCOME, ALL!
Oh, so many of you asked, I’ve delivered.
In the first-ever TOEFL Speaking Webinar, you guys will learn all the tips and techniques for establishing yourself as a great speaker in question 1.
Because TOEFL Speaking question 1 is one of the most difficult (especially in developing ideas), it’s crucial to understand the HOW TO, and that’s exactly what you’ll be getting in this phenomenal webinar!
We’ll be covering agre//disagree, preferential questions, and much more — you’ll also have the ability to practice with me, speak, and I’ll be giving you live feedback. The goal is to have around 5 students for the webinar so that we can have maximum speaking time for each student. This webinar will be a minimum of 1 hour and a maximum 1.5 hours — and don’t worry! After the webinar, you’ll have it for your lifetime!
Not able to make it? That’s ok! You’ll be able to purchase the webinar after, too!
In saying that, if you’re interested in other speaking questions, reading (such as the videos I’ve uploaded), listening or writing webinars, let me know!
TOEFL iTP | Reading | Protecting the Coastline
Welcome back to another TOEFL iTP! We’re on fire with the readings, and you guys love my TOEFL iTP Reading blogs. Remember, on July the 1st, you will be able to preorder my TOEFL iTP Reading Course! Nonetheless, let’s get into this!
TOEFL iTP Structure Course (priced at $57). Or, you can buy the Written Expression (now $27) and get the Structure Course for just $30! Inquire today!
In the first half of the nineteenth century, the U.S. government decided that it needed to set up a system for protecting its coastline. It then began building a series of forts along the coast of the eastern part of the country to facilitate its defenses.
The largest of these forts was Fort Jefferson, which was begun in 1846. This fort was built on Garden Key, a cluster of small coral islands 70 miles west of Key West. At the time of its construction, Fort Jefferson was believed to be of primary strategic importance to the United States because of its location at the entryway to the Gulf of Mexico. Because of its location at the entrance to a great body of water, it became known as the Gibraltar of the Gulf, in reference to the island located at the mouth of the Mediterranean. The fort itself was a massive structure. It was hexagonal in shape, most of the Garden Key, it was approximately half a mile in circumference.
In the latter half of the nineteenth century, during the Civil War and its aftermath, the fort was used as a prison rather than a military installation. The most notorious of its prisoners was Dr. Samuel Mudd, a physician who was most probably innocently involved in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. The actual assassin, John Wilkes Booth, broke his leg as he lept from the stage of the Ford Theater during the assassination. Dr. Mudd set Booth’s broken leg, unaware of Booth’s involvement in the assassination. As a result of this action, Dr. Mudd was sentenced to life in prison and remanded to Fort Jefferson. He was pardoned after only four years because of his courageous efforts in combatting an epidemic of yellow fever that ravaged the fort.
Continuous use of Fort Jefferson ended in the 1870s, although the U.S. Navy continued with sporadic use of it into the twentieth century. Today, the massive ruins still remain of the tiny island that stands guard over the entrance to the gulf, undisturbed except for the occasional sightseer who ventures out from the coast to visit.
Longman
- The passage is mainly about
- A series of forts
- A series of events at one fort
- A single event at one fort
- A series of events at several forts
- All of the following are true about Fort Jefferson EXCEPT that
- It is on an island
- It was built because of its strategic location
- It is in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico
- It has been compared with an island at the opening of the Mediterranean
- The word “hexagonal” in line 9 is closest in meaning to
- Six-sided
- Seven-sided
- Eight-sided
- Irregular in shape
- The pronoun “it” in line 11 refers to
- Fort
- Shape
- Moat
- Circumference
- All of the following are stated about Dr. Samuel Mudd EXCEPT that
- He was a medical doctor
- He cared for Lincoln’s assassin
- He was imprisoned at Fort Jefferson
- He was most likely guilty of Lincoln’s assassination
- How was Fort Jefferson most likely used in 1865?
- As a strategic defensive unit of U.S. military
- As a penal institution
- As a regularly functioning naval base
- As a destination for tourists
- “Yellow fever” in line 19 is most likely
- an enemy military force
- a prison regimen
- a contagious disease
- a mental illness
- What is implied about Fort Jefferson today?
- It is a thriving community.
- It is a relatively quiet place.
- It is still in use by the U.S. military.
- It remains in good condition.
- Where in the passage does the author describe an injury to the man who shot Lincoln?
- Lines 5-7
- Lines 13-15
- Lines 15-16
- Lines 18-19
- The information in the passage is presented
- In chronological order
- By listing examples of a concept
- In spatial order
- By arguing for a hypothesis