VOA慢速英语20061109a

EDUCATION REPORT - Taking the TOEFLBy Nancy Steinbach

Broadcast: Thursday, November 09, 2006

This is the VOA Special English Education Report.




The TOEFL is an important test for non-native English speakers who want to attend an American college or university. TOEFL is the Test of English as a Foreign Language. And it is the subject this week in our Foreign Student Series¹.

The Educational Testing Service is moving to end the use of the paper-and-pencil version² of the TOEFL. And on September thirtieth ETS stopped offering³ its existing computer test. The new version is called the TOEFL iBT, or Internet-Based Test.

The TOEFL iBT has been used since two thousand five at testing centers in the United⁴ States, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Puerto Rico. In March of this year, it was expanded to other countries in Europe and to Africa, Eurasia, the Middle East and Latin⁵ America.

The charge for the TOEFL iBT is different in each country. Until the TOEFL iBT is offered in a country, the pencil-and-paper test will continue to be used.

The TOEFL measures the ability to read, write and understand English. The new test represents⁶ about ten years of work by ETS. The testing service redesigned it to measure not just knowledge of the language, but the ability to communicate in English. The four-hour test now includes a speaking part, in addition to reading, writing and listening.

Each part of the test is worth a possible thirty points. So the highest score on the TOEFL is one hundred twenty points.

Different colleges and universities require different minimum⁷ scores on the TOEFL. So be sure to find out the score requirements⁸ of the schools that interest you.

Experts say the best way to prepare for the TOEFL is to use English as much as you can. The TOEFL Web⁹ site offers advice to help you prepare. The address is toefl.org

More than six thousand schools and agencies¹⁰ in one hundred ten countries use the TOEFL. But students who have already earned degrees from colleges in English-speaking countries may not be required to take it.

And recently we received an e-mail asking if another English test can be used instead of the TOEFL when applying to American schools. Listen next week for the answer.

And that's the VOA Special English Education Report, written by Nancy Steinbach. This is the tenth week of our Foreign Student Series. You can find the earlier reports, including transcripts¹¹ and MP3 files¹², at voaspecialenglish. I'm Steve Ember.

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 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？

3 offering   

n.提供，奉献物，牲礼

参考例句：

• What is your competition offering?你的竞争者提出的条件是什么？
• The police are offering a big reward for information about the robbery.警方出大笔赏金要求提供那起抢劫案的破案线索。

4 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。

5 Latin   

adj.拉丁的，拉丁语的，拉丁人的；n.拉丁语

参考例句：

• She learned Latin without a master.她无师自通学会了拉丁语。
• Please use only Latin characters.请仅使用拉丁文字符。

6 Represents   

v.表现( represent的第三人称单数 )；代表；体现；作为…的代表

参考例句：

• This represents a volte-face in government thinking. 这代表着政府观点的彻底转变。
• The Russian Revolution represents a landmark in world history. 俄国革命是世界历史上的一个里程碑。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 minimum   

adj.最低的，最小的；n.最小量，最低限度

参考例句：

• What is the minimum price?最低价是多少？
• Today's minimum temperature is 10℃.今天的最低气温是10℃。

8 Requirements   

n.所需的（或所要的）东西；必要条件，必备的条件；要求( requirement的名词复数 )；必要条件；需要；需要的东西

参考例句：

• the basic requirements of life 基本生活所需
• This company should be able to fulfill our requirements. 这家公司应该能够满足我们的要求。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 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？

10 agencies   

n.代理( agency的名词复数 )；服务机构；（政府的）专门机构；代理（或经销）业务（或关系）

参考例句：

• There are many specialized agencies in the United Nations. 联合国有许多专门机构。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The project is funded by the World Bank and other multilateral agencies. 这项计划由世界银行和其他多国机构资助。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 transcripts   

n.抄本（ transcript的名词复数 ）；转写本；文字本；副本

参考例句：

• Like mRNA, both tRNA and rRNA are transcripts of chromosomal DNA. tRNA及rRNA同mRNA一样，都是染色体DNA的转录产物。 来自辞典例句
• You can't take the transfer students'exam without your transcripts. 没有成绩证明书，你就不能参加转学考试。 来自辞典例句

12 files   

文件夹( file的名词复数 )； 卷宗； 纵列

参考例句：

• A stack of files awaited me on my desk. 我桌上有一堆文件正待我去处理。
• Files were strewn higgledy-piggledy over the floor. 文件乱七八糟地扔了一地。