EDUCATION REPORT - Foreign Student Series 9 >TOEFL

EDUCATION REPORT - November 14, 2002: Foreign Student Series¹ #9 >TOEFL

By Nancy Steinbach

This is the VOA Special English Education Report.

We continue our reports about how foreign students can attend an American college or university. This
information also can be found on the Special English Web² site, w-w-w dot voaspecialenglish dot com.

TOEFL (TOE-full) is an important test for foreign students who want to study in the United³ States. TOEFL
stands for Test of English as a Foreign Language. More than four-thousand American universities and other
educational centers require students seeking admission⁴ to take the test. It measures a student’s ability to
understand, read and write English.

The Educational Testing Service now produces two kinds of TOEFL tests. In most areas of the world, people
take the test on a computer in special testing centers. TOEFL also offers a version⁵ of the test taken with paper and
pencil.

Both TOEFL tests require listening, reading and writing in English. Some questions list a few possible answers.
You must choose the correct one. The test also contains new kinds of questions. For example, you may be asked
to respond⁶ to questions with more than one answer. Or you may be asked to connect a question with the correct
answer from a list of possibilities.

A writing test measures your ability to write in English. All together, the TOEFL takes between three-and-onehalf and four hours to finish.

You can take the TOEFL as many times as you wish. You must pay each time. Experts say it is a good idea to
take it one or two times to experience it. They also say the best way to prepare for the TOEFL is to use English as
much as you can.

For example, listen to English radio broadcasts. You already are doing this by listening to our Special English
programs. Listen to V-O-A’s normal English broadcasts, too. Tape one of these broadcasts. Then tell what the
broadcast was about.

You can also watch American movies. Read American publications⁷. Speak English as much as you can.

You can learn more about the TOEFL test on the Internet’s World Wide Web. The address is w-w-w dot t-o-ef-l dot o-r-g.

Or you can write for more information. The address is TOEFL Services, Educational Testing Services, Post
Office Box six-one-five-one, Princeton, New Jersey⁸, zero-eight-five-four-one, U-S-A.

This VOA Special English Education Report was written by Nancy Steinbach.

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1 series   

n.连续；系列

参考例句：

• The students have put forward a series of questions.学生们提出了一系列问题。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

2 web   

n.网，蛛丝，蹼，织物，圈套，卷筒纸；vi.生蹼，形成网；vt.织蜘蛛网于，使落入圈套

参考例句：

• The spider weaves a web.蜘蛛织网。
• You mean the World Wide Web?你是说国际互联网？

3 united   

adj.和谐的；团结的；联合的，统一的

参考例句：

• The whole nation is closely united.全国人民紧密团结。
• The two men were united by community of interests.共同的利益使两个人结合在一起。

4 admission   

n.允许进入；承认；入场费，入会费，入场券

参考例句：

• We attached a condition to his admission to our school.我们对准许他入校附加了一个条件。
• By her own admission,she was responsible for the accident.她自己承认，事故应该由她负责。

5 version   

n.版本；型号；叙述，说法

参考例句：

• His version of the events is pure supposition.他对这件事的说法纯属猜测。
• What is your version of this matter?你对这件事情的看法 怎么样？

6 respond   

vi.回答，响应

参考例句：

• I offered him a drink but he did not respond.我请他喝酒，但他未作回答。
• I greeted him but he didn't respond.我跟他打招呼，他没答理我。

7 publications   

n.发表( publication的名词复数 )；公布；出版；出版物

参考例句：

• The related publications are far too numerous to list individually. 相关出版物太多，没法一一列举。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• A detailed list of our publications is available on request. 我们的出版物有一份详细的目录备索。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 jersey   

n.运动衫

参考例句：

• He wears a cotton jersey when he plays football.他穿运动衫踢足球。
• They were dressed alike in blue jersey and knickers.他们穿着一致，都是蓝色的运动衫和灯笼短裤。