Vocabulary_for_TOEFL_iBT

Copyright © 2007 LearningExpress, LLC.

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. Published in the United States by LearningExpress, LLC, New York.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data: Vocabulary for TOEFL iBT.

p. cm.

ISBN: 978-1-57685-632-1

1. Test of English as a Foreign Language—Study guides. 2. English language— Examinations—Study guides. 3. Vocabulary—Examinations—Study guides. 4. English language—Ability testing. I. LearningExpress (Organization)

PE1128.V63 2007 428.0076—dc22

2007026015

Printed in the United States of America

9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

ISBN: 978-1-57685-632-1

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in many situations. You may find you prefer nonsense words instead. As the meaning of the sentence gradually becomes clear, you can start substituting words that might work in the sentence.

Obtaining a better vocabulary doesn’t have to be hard work. It mostly takes curiosity. Remember those unfamiliar words you encounter in conversations or while reading. Take them apart. Welcome them to your world. Share them with your coworkers, friends, or family. You’ll be greatly rewarded for your efforts— because long after you have finished this book and taken the TOEFL iBT, you’ll still possess a wealthy vocabulary of English words!

HOW TO USE THIS BOOK

If you are trying to gain admission into universities where instruction is in English and this is not your native language, you will have to pass the TOEFL iBT (Test of English as a Foreign Language Internet-based test). The reason for this is simple: Academic institutions want to be sure that you can read, write, and comprehend spoken English so that you can succeed in the college classroom. Sometimes, this test will also be used to evaluate you by many government, licensing, and certification agencies, or exchange and scholarship programs.

Vocabulary for TOEFL iBT will help nonnative speakers build or renew vital vocabulary skills. Vocabulary is a broad topic, and it forms the foundation for reading comprehension, grammar, and spelling. For the TOEFL iBT, you will not be allowed to use a dictionary, thesaurus, or other reference tool to help you with unfamiliar words. In general, the better your basic vocabulary skills are, the better you will do on the entire TOEFL iBT.

Whether your exam is months away or coming up in a few weeks, this book will help you prepare. Begin getting ready for the TOEFL iBT by creating a study plan for yourself. Determine how much time you have until the test day, and then decide how much time you can devote to studying each week. With Vocabulary for TOEFL iBT, we suggest that you choose a time each day to improve your vocabulary. Think about when would be the best time for you. It may be first thing in the morning, during your commute to work, or before you go to bed at night. Whenever the time is right, just make sure you do it regularly—at least five days a week for a month. Once you establish a study plan for yourself, you should stick as closely as you can to your plan. Always keep your end goal in mind. If you study hard the first time, chances are you will not have to take this exam again—ever!

Now, once you have set a study plan for yourself, look at the table of contents to see the types of vocabulary topics covered in this book. You may want to tackle the chapters in sequence, or you may decide to study the sections that give you the most difficulty early on in your test preparation.

Each chapter is filled with practice questions to test the new skill you just read about. As you work through the practice questions, you may want to have a dictionary or thesaurus handy. This can help expand your bank of vocabulary words. After you answer the practice questions, you will undoubtedly want to check your answers against the answer explanation section at the end of each chapter.

Vocabulary for TOEFL iBT contains two practice tests at the end of the book. These tests will give you the chance to measure what you have learned and review any problem areas that you find. If after answering all the questions you feel like you need more practice, reread the questions and try responding one more time. Repetition is often the key to success and studies show that most repetitive tasks become part of a person’s inventory of skills over time.

The book finishes with a helpful word list of more than 650 commonly tested vocabulary words (Appendix A). It will be very beneficial for you to add these words to your current vocabulary. We advise tackling the words on the list as you move through Vocabulary for TOEFL iBT, not waiting until the end of the book. Another helpful list—entitled Prefixes, Suffixes, and Word Roots—is included in Appendix B. Understanding the parts that make up a word can give you a clue about a word’s definition, and this can help you make educated guesses when taking the TOEFL iBT.