TOEIC Preparation
Week 2
Class (Re-­‐)organisation
• 10 x 1h30 (4.45-­‐6.15) + 1 x 2h
• Quiz 1 + listening test à 6th November
• Quiz 2 + reading test à 4th December
• Full-­‐length practice test à 11th December…
4.30-­‐6.30
OR 4.45-­‐6.45
OR w/b 7th December
OR January exam?
Part I: Picture Identification
10 numbered photographs in test book Hear 4 sentences per photograph
Choose the correct description
Pictures: ordinary situations, people, objects
Descriptions: short, grammatically simple sentences, main component or smaller details
• Speed: 5-­‐second pause between Qs, no pause between sentences A) B) C) D)
•
•
•
•
•
Strategy
Preview photographs and ask:
PEOPLE
OBJECTS
SCENES
What are they doing?
What is it?
What is in the foreground?
Where are they?
Where is it?
What is in the background?
Who are they? (profession)
What is it made of?
What is happening?
How are they different?
What is happening?
How do they feel?
Grammar
Most correct answers are in:
• The simple present tense
Eg. “The furniture looks new”
• The present continuous tense (progressive)
Eg. “The woman is riding a bicycle”
Tricks
Eliminate distractors (incorrect answers):
• Problems in meaning
• Problems in sound
• Problems in sound + meaning
Meaning Problems
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Related words eg. “car”, “drive”
Incorrect verb eg. “reading”, “writing”
Incorrect prepositions eg. “in front of”, “behind”
Incorrect environment eg. “inside”, “outside”
Incorrect material for objects
Assign characteristics to the wrong person
Identify people in scene without people
Identify background detail as central feature
Sound Problems
• Homonyms (same pronunciation + spelling, different meaning) eg. “train”
• Homophones (same pronunciation, different spelling, different meaning) eg. “wrap”, “rap”
• Rhyming words eg. “pile”, “file”
• Similar-­‐sounding words eg. “car”, “card”
• Often both sound and meaning problem –
inaccurate description with sound-­‐alike words
Practice Test Part I
Choose the correct answer and identify the type of distractor
Question 1
A.
B.
C.
D.
They’re shaking hands
They’re filling their glasses
They’re applauding the speaker
They’re waving to their friends
Question 2
A.
B.
C.
D.
The train is moving fast
It’s a rainy day
Their umbrellas are in the closet
They’re walking on the sidewalk
Question 3
A.
B.
C.
D.
The carpenter is using a drill
The patient is sitting up
The driver is wearing gloves
The dentist is examining the man
Question 4
A.
B.
C.
D.
They’re talking about the house
They’re closing the window
They’re printing the plans
They’re catching a mouse
Question 5
A.
B.
C.
D.
The plane has already landed
The passengers are ready to board
The train has left the station
The pilot has a uniform
Question 6
A.
B.
C.
D.
Their hats are in their hands
The window is broken
Their bags are in the car
They’re looking at clothes in the window
Question 7
A.
B.
C.
D.
He’s walking down the hall
He’s wearing a bathing suit
He’s talking to his colleagues
He’s looking out the window
Question 8
A.
B.
C.
D.
The customers are sitting inside
The chairs are on the sidewalk
The waiter is standing by the window
The tables are in the kitchen
Question 9
A.
B.
C.
D.
She’s reading a newspaper
She’s eating a meal
She’s looking at new shoes
She’s reporting the news
Question 10
A.
B.
C.
D.
There is a big truck on the road
The bridge crosses a river
There isn’t any traffic on the highway
The cars are passing under the bridge
Now you write the questions…
In groups of 4, write 4 sentences per picture, 1 correct description and 3 distractors.
Descriptions
PEOPLE
OBJECTS
SCENES
What are they doing?
What is it?
What is in the foreground?
Where are they?
Where is it?
What is in the background?
Who are they? (profession)
What is it made of?
What is happening?
How are they different?
What is happening?
How do they feel?
Use a variety of distractors
Meaning Problems
Related words
Incorrect verb
Incorrect prepositions
Incorrect environment
Incorrect material for objects
Assign characteristics to the wrong person
• Identify people in scene without people
• Identify background detail as central feature
•
•
•
•
•
•
Sound Problems
• Homonyms (same pronunciation + spelling, different meaning)
• Homophones (same pronunciation, different spelling, different meaning) Rhyming words
• Similar-­‐sounding words
1
2
3
4
6
9