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-­‐6.30OR  4.45-­‐6.45OR  w/b  7th DecemberOR  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?

Where are  they?

Who are  they?  (profession)

How are  they  different?

How do   they  feel?

What is  it?

Where is  it?

What is  it  made  of?

What is  happening?

What is  in  the  foreground?

What is  in  the  background?

What is  happening?

Grammar

Most  correct  answers  are  in:

• The  simple  present tenseEg.  “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. They’re  shaking  handsB. They’re  filling  their  glassesC. They’re  applauding  the  speakerD. They’re  waving  to  their  friends

Question  2

A. The  train  is  moving  fastB. It’s  a  rainy  dayC. Their  umbrellas  are  in  the  closetD. They’re  walking  on  the  sidewalk

Question  3

A. The  carpenter  is  using  a  drillB. The  patient  is  sitting  upC. The  driver  is  wearing  glovesD. The  dentist  is  examining  the  man

Question  4

A. They’re  talking  about  the  houseB. They’re  closing  the  windowC. They’re  printing  the  plansD. They’re  catching  a  mouse

Question  5

A. The  plane  has  already  landedB. The  passengers  are  ready  to  boardC. The  train  has  left  the  stationD. The  pilot  has  a  uniform

Question  6

A. Their  hats  are  in  their  handsB. The  window  is  brokenC. Their  bags  are  in  the  carD. They’re  looking  at  clothes  in  the  window

Question  7

A. He’s  walking  down  the  hallB. He’s  wearing  a  bathing  suitC. He’s  talking  to  his  colleaguesD. He’s  looking  out  the  window

Question  8

A. The  customers  are  sitting  insideB. The  chairs  are  on  the  sidewalkC. The  waiter  is  standing  by  the  windowD. The  tables  are  in  the  kitchen

Question  9

A. She’s  reading  a  newspaperB. She’s  eating  a  mealC. She’s  looking  at  new  shoesD. She’s  reporting  the  news

Question  10

A. There  is  a  big  truck  on  the  roadB. The  bridge  crosses  a  riverC. There  isn’t  any  traffic  on  the  highwayD. 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?

Where are  they?

Who are  they?  (profession)

How are  they  different?

How do   they  feel?

What is  it?

Where is  it?

What is  it  made  of?

What is  happening?

What is  in  the  foreground?

What is  in  the  background?

What is  happening?

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

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