English-language proficiency is an

increasingly important skill for students of

all ages all over the world. The ability to
communicate in English can lead to
increased personal, educational, and
professional opportunities. More and more
companies around the world are beginning
to view English-language ability as a
desirable quality in their employees. In the
field of higher education, English has
become the unofficial common language of
certain disciplines such as business and
computer science.

Student Handbook
for

English Academy Grupo CEDVA 2024

NAME:___________________________________________________

TEACHER:________________________________________________

GROUP:______________ CAMPUS:___________________________
Introduction

The TOEFL Junior Standard test is composed of multiple-choice questions, each with four answer choices. The test has
three sections, each measuring a critical skill in the use of English. Each section has 42 questions, and total testing time is
approximately two hours. All questions are placed in the context of a school environment.

The Listening Comprehension section measures a student’s ability to understand talks and conversations in English heard
in a school environment, whether it is a school principal making an announcement, a pair of students discussing an
assignment, or a classroom teacher giving a lecture on an academic topic.

The Language Form and Meaning section measures a student’s depth of vocabulary knowledge and understanding of
English grammatical structures. All of the questions appear within texts that a student can expect to find in a school
environment.

The Reading Comprehension section measures a student’s ability to read and understand texts written in English found
in a school environment. Such texts range from class schedules and short emails to longer academic passages.

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 1st partial

1. Listening Question Types in Detail

1.1 Imperatives
1.2 Yes/Questions
1.3 Wh-Questions
1.4 Agreement and disagreement
2. Language Form Question Types
2.1 Parts of speech
2.1.1 Nouns and pronouns
2.1.2 adjectives
2.1.3 adverbs
2.1.4 prepositions
2.1.5 verbs, conjunctions, and interjections
2.2 Tenses
3. Text Types (Reading)
3.1 Non-linear texts (schedules or menus)
3.2 Correspondence (notes, emails, letters)
3.3 Age-appropriate fictional stories
4. Classroom Instructions (listening)
4.1 Identify the main idea.
4.2 Identify the purpose of the talk.
4.3 Make an inference.
4.4 Make a prediction.
5. Language Meaning Question Types in Detail
5.1 Verbs conjugation
5.2 Adverbs of manner
5.3 Adverbs of frequency

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 1. Listening Question Types in Detail
The three question types are Classroom Instruction, Short Conversations, and Academic Listening. Test takers
will see the Classroom Instruction questions first, followed by the Short Conversations questions, and finally
the Academic Listening questions.

1.1 Imperatives

We can use imperatives to give orders and instructions.

Wait quietly before class.

Be nice to your brother or sister.
Don't forget your bag!

How to use them

The imperative is the same as the verb. We use the verb without you.

Help your parents at home.

Play quietly!
For a negative order or instruction, use don't.

Don't run in the corridors.

Don't be late!
Use please to be more polite.

Please put the plates on the table.

Don't make so much noise, please.

Activity: Go to Brightspace and do the activity Imperatives-Listening activity.

1.2 YES/NO Questions

In English, there are two basic types of questions: Yes / No questions and Wh– questions. Yes / No questions
are also called closed questions because there are only two possible responses: Yes or No. When forming a
Yes / No question, it must include one of these verbs: BE, DO, HAVE, or a modal verb. It is impossible to ask a
Yes / No question without one of these verbs.

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1.3 Wh- questions
Wh-questions begin with what, when, where, who, whom, which, whose, why and how. We use them to ask
for information. The answer cannot be yes or no.

Forming wh-questions
With an auxiliary verb
We usually form wh-questions with wh- + an auxiliary verb (be, do or have) + subject + main verb or with
wh- + a modal verb + subject + main verb

Examples:

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 Forming Wh- questions without an auxiliary verb
When what, who, which or whose is the subject or part of the subject, we do not use the auxiliary. We use the
word order subject + verb:
What fell off the wall? Which horse won?
Who bought this? Whose phone rang?

Practice:
Complete the following questions with appropriate question words.
1. ________is your math teacher? Mr. Dundee. 7. ________is that? That is an old coin.
2. ________is his cat? The blue one. 8. ________are my shoes? In front of the door.
3. ________is my backpack? In the living room. 9. ________is the the captain of the team? It's
Julia.
4. ________is Hannah doing? She is watching TV.
10. ________is the captain? She is at the gym
5. ________is an engineer? Nora.
6. ________color is the new bus? Red.

1.4 Agreement and disagreement

Here are some expressions you can use to agree and disagree. You will need to use these expressions in a
discussion activity.

Agreeing Disagreeing Partly agreeing

That’s right! I don’t agree! I agree up to a point, but ...
Absolutely! I totally disagree! I see your point, but ...
Exactly! Absolutely not! That’s partly true, but ...
Me too! That’s not right! I'm not so sure about that.
Yes, I agree! I’m not sure about that
I totally agree!
I couldn’t agree more!
I see exactly what you mean!
You're right. That's a good point
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 TOEFL JR Practice 1 - Listening

Listening Comprehension (Audios 1-5)

Follow along as you listen to the directions for the listening section.

Directions In this section of the test, you will hear a teacher or other school staff members talking to students. Each talk
is followed by one question. Choose the best answer to each question and mark the letter of the correct answer on your
answer sheet. You will hear each talk only one time.

EXAMPLES

Here is an example: Here is another example:

What does the teacher want the students to do? What will the students probably do next?

(A) Help a new classmate (A) Sing a song

(B) Prepare for gym class (B) Listen to some music

(C) Welcome a guest speaker (C) Choose instruments to play

(D) Return books to the library (D) Discuss the life a musician

The correct answer is (A), "Help a new classmate" The correct answer is (B), "Listen to some music".

QUESTIONS 1-5
1. What does the principal want the students to do?

(A) Go to school on foot (C) Accept a new student

(8) Use bus services (D) Do something different

(C) Tell him their address

(D) Fix the bus 4. What does the teacher want Sarah Palin to do?

(A) Make friends with Matthew

2. What is the purpose of the talk? (B) Share something with every classmate

(A) To tell the students how to subtract (C) Change her action to Matthew

(B) To tell the students how to add (D) Help her friend Matthew

(C) To tell the students common ideas

(D) To tell the students how to add and subtract fractions 5. What is teacher explaining?

(A) Ways to create a model volcano

3. What does the teacher want the students to do?
(B) Taking pictures of a volcano
(A) Introduce themselves
(C) How to use sequential words
(B) Visit new school
(D) Rules of describing a sequence of events

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 2. Language form question Types
The Language Form and Meaning section measures test takers’ understanding of the structure of English and
the depth of their English vocabulary knowledge. The questions are presented within a series of short texts.
Each question requires the test taker to choose the correct word or phrase that accurately completes a
sentence. Knowledge of correct language form and meaning is an essential element in clear and accurate
communication in English, and this knowledge is part of the groundwork for success in reading, listening,
speaking, and writing in English. Language form and meaning cannot be understood in isolation. Therefore, it
is important for the test taker to read the entire text to gather the overall meaning and context when answering
the questions. Often, the answer to a particular question will depend on information that comes in the previous
and/or following sentences.
2.1 Parts of speech
In the English language, every word is called a part of speech. The role a word plays in a sentence denotes
what part of speech it belongs to.
Parts of speech can be defined as words that perform different roles in a sentence. Some parts of speech can
perform the functions of other parts of speech too.
2.1.1 Nouns and Pronouns
Nouns are words that are used to name people, places, animals, ideas and things. Nouns can be classified
into two main categories: Common nouns and Proper nouns. Common nouns are generic like ball, car, stick,
etc., and proper nouns are more specific like Charles, The White House, The Sun, etc.
Examples of nouns used in sentences:
She bought a pair of shoes. (thing)
I have a pet. (animal)
Is this your book? (object)
Many people have a fear of darkness. (ideas/abstract nouns)
He is my brother. (person)
This is my school. (place)
Pronouns are words that are used to substitute a noun in a sentence. There are different types of pronouns.
Some of them are reflexive pronouns, possessive pronouns, relative pronouns and indefinite pronouns. I, he,
she, it, them, his, yours, anyone, nobody, who, etc., are some of the pronouns.
Examples of pronouns used in sentences:
I reached home at six in the evening. (1st person singular pronoun)
Did someone see a red bag on the counter? (Indefinite pronoun)
Is this the boy who won the first prize? (Relative pronoun)
That is my mom. (Possessive pronoun)
I hurt myself yesterday when we were playing cricket. (Reflexive pronoun)

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 2.1.2 Adjectives
Adjectives are words that are used to describe or provide more information about the noun or the subject in a
sentence. Some examples of adjectives include good, ugly, quick, beautiful, late, etc.
Examples of adjectives used in sentences:
The place we visited yesterday was serene.
Did you see how big that dog was?
The weather is pleasant today.
The red dress you wore on your birthday was lovely.
My brother had only one chapati for breakfast.
2.1.3 Adverbs
Adverbs are words that are used to provide more information about verbs, adjectives and other adverbs used
in a sentence. There are five main types of adverbs namely, adverbs of manner, adverbs of degree, adverbs of
frequency, adverbs of time and adverbs of place. Some examples of adverbs are today, quickly, randomly,
early, 10 a.m. etc.
Examples of adverbs used in sentences:
Did you come here to buy an umbrella? (Adverb of place)
I did not go to school yesterday as I was sick. (Adverb of time)
Savio reads the newspaper everyday. (Adverb of frequency)
Can you please come quickly? (Adverb of manner)
Tony was so sleepy that he could hardly keep his eyes open during the meeting. (Adverb of degree)
2.1.4 Prepositions
Prepositions are words that are used to link one part of the sentence to another. Prepositions show the
position of the object or subject in a sentence. Some examples of prepositions are in, out, besides, in front of,
below, opposite, etc.
Examples of prepositions used in sentences:
The teacher asked the students to draw lines on the paper so that they could write in straight lines.
The child hid his birthday presents under his bed.
Mom asked me to go to the store near my school.
The thieves jumped over the wall and escaped before we could reach home.
2.1.5 Verbs, conjunctions and interjections
Verbs are words that denote an action that is being performed by the noun or the subject in a sentence. They
are also called action words. Some examples of verbs are read, sit, run, pick, garnish, come, pitch, etc.

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Examples of verbs used in sentences:
She plays cricket every day.
Darshana and Arul are going to the movies.

• My friends visited me last week.

• Did you have your breakfast?
• My name is Meenakshi Kishore.
Conjunctions are a part of speech that is used to connect two different parts of a sentence, phrases and
clauses. Some examples of conjunctions are and, or, for, yet, although, because, not only, etc.
Examples of conjunctions used in sentences:

• Meera and Jasmine had come to my birthday party.

• Jane did not go to work as she was sick.
• Unless you work hard, you cannot score good marks.
• I have not finished my project, yet I went out with my friends.
Interjections are words that are used to convey strong emotions or feelings. Some examples of interjections
are oh, wow, alas, yippee, etc. It is always followed by an exclamation mark.
Examples of interjections used in sentences:

• Wow! What a wonderful work of art.

• Alas! That is really sad.
• Yippee! We won the match.
Activity: Watch the video “Parts of speech” in the section Week 2 in Brightspace
PRACTICE
Go through the following sentences and identify the part of speech of the underlined words.
Namitha is not coming today. ________________
My mom will be leaving to Bangalore tomorrow. ________________
The teacher asked the students to stand. ________________
He is my brother. ________________
There is a cat under the table. ________________
The clothes did not dry as it was raining all night. ________________
Sheena and her sister dance well. ________________
I am wearing a green dress for the party. ________________
Oh! That is really sad. ________________
She is coming with me. ________________

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 2.2 Tenses

English has a lot of tenses — 12 in fact! We can categorise the tenses into three basic types: present, past and
future. In addition to these basic forms, each tense then also has the following aspects:
progressive aspect (ing form)
perfect aspect (have + past participle)
perfect progressive aspect (have/had been + ing)
But what is a tense aspect? They are a bit like different flavours of the same tense.
The tense (present/past/future) situates the action in time, while the aspect gives more detail about whether it
was in progress, already completed, etc. This gives us our total of 12 tenses

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PRACTICE

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 TOEFL JR Practice 2 Language and meaning.

Choose the word or words in each box that correctly complete each sentence.
Here are two sample questions:

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 3. Texts types – Reading
3.1 Non-linear texts
What is Nonlinear Text?
Nonlinear text is the opposite of linear text. As its name suggests, it is nonlinear and non-sequential. In other
words, the readers do not have to go through the text in a sequential manner in order to make sense of the
text. This type of text has many reading paths since it’s the readers who decide the sequence of reading, not
the author of the text.
There are many definitions of the term nonlinear text. Most people consider texts with visuals or graphs along
with it as examples for nonlinear texts. Some examples include flowcharts, menus, schedules charts, and
graphs (ex: pie chart, bar graphs), graphical organizers such as knowledge maps and story maps.

Reading a schedule

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 3.2 Correspondence
Correspondence is the most important channel through which Business Communication and
Official Communication takes place in any written or digital form between two or more parties.
It may be in the form of letters, memos, e-mail messages, text messages, fax messages,
voicemails, notes etc.
Parts of a letter

3.3 Age-appropriate fictional stories

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TOEFL JR Practice 3 Reading

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 4. Classroom instructions – Reading
One of the most frequent ways that language is used is in the daily routines; these are referred to as classroom
language. When we use classroom instructions or commands, we can use polite ways to give instructions.
These are some examples of polite ways to give instructions in English.
5. Could you please close the door? 12. Would you mind putting the cellphone
6. Could you please answer the questions? inside your pocket?
7. Could you repeat that? 13. Do you mind if I sit next to you?
8. Can you answer these two questions? 14. Do you mind if you two work together?
9. Can you open the door in page 54? 15. Please listen to the recording
10. Can you say that again? 16. Please pay attention to your classmate
11. Would you mind closing the window? presentation
17. Please raise your hand
Classroom Instructions with English Modals
Here are some simple classroom instructions using the modal “could”:
1. Could you please open your notebooks to page 10?
2. “Could everyone turn off their cell phones ?”
3. “Could you share your findings with the class?”
4. “Could you please pass the worksheets to the front of the class?”
Here is a list of classroom instructions using the modal “can”:
1. Can you turn to page 15 in your textbooks, please?
2. Can you work in pairs for this activity?
3. Can you hand in your essays by the end of the class?
4. Can you please raise your hand if you have a question?

Here are some classroom instructions sentences using “Would you mind”:

5. Would you mind passing out the handouts to your classmates?

6. Would you mind leading the group discussion on this topic?
7. Would you mind turning off the projector ?
8. Would you mind helping your classmates with any questions they may have?
There are some listening strategies that you can use when you are practicing your listening
comprehension.

4.1 Identify the main idea.

4.2 Identify the purpose of the talk.
4.3 Make an inference.
4.4 Make a prediction

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Main idea of a listening passage
At the beginning of a listening passage the speaker usually tells you what the main topics are and in
what order they will come. You can use this information to quickly understand the main ideas of the text.

There are several language signals you can listen for to notice main ideas: phrases like: begin, let’s
start, talk about, introduce, look at ideas or words that are repeated often in the passage signals that
indicate important information is coming next: we are going to discuss…, it is important to note…
words and phrases that signal general information: in general, overall, on the whole

Purpose of a listening passage

To find the topic of a listening passage, you need to listen for gist to quickly understand the general
meaning. This means that you should listen in a general way and think about what the speaker is trying
to communicate and how they might feel about the topic based on their tone of voice. In the PTE you
only hear each audio or video clip once, but when practising for the test, try listening once for the gist.
Then listen for a second time more intensively for specific information.

In the Listening: Highlight Incorrect Words item type, you are presented with a transcript of an audio
recording that contains some errors. While listening and reading you need to select the words that differ
from what the speaker says.

Make an inference.

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Make a prediction.

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 TOEFL JR Practice 4 Listening

6. Which of the following is true?

(A) Parents are encourage to use car pool.

(8) Parents must submit a written declaration
(C) The school will detain students who try to slip out of the gate
(D) Parents should collect their children within half an hour of the scheduled time

7. What is the purpose of the talk?

(A) To introduce the lesson on the history of the Declaration of Independence

(8) To stress the importance of the Declaration of Independence
(C) To tell the meaning of "All man are created equal."
(D) To introduce Thomas Jefferson

8. What is the purpose of the talk?

(A) To introduce Mark Twain's works

(8) To tell the students how to read Mark Twain's works
(C) To tell the students that the writers are influenced by their environments
(D) To discuss how a location decides a writer's style

9. What is the purpose of the talk?

(A) To explain how to play a game

(B) To distinguish different objects
(C) To teach how some words are spelled
(D) To do some cleaning

10. Why is the teacher talking about the activity?

(A) Because she wants the students to do research on a kind of birds

(B) Because she wants the students to build more nests for birds
(C) Because she wants the students to do a presentation
(D) Because she wants the students to learn how to work together

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 5. Language Meaning Question Types in Detail - Reading
Language Meaning: These questions test knowledge of the meaning of words and phrases representative of
typical middle-school vocabulary. Test takers will not be able to determine meaning solely from context. That
skill is tested in the Reading Comprehension section.
5.1 Verbs conjugation
Verb Conjugation—Grammar Rules
Verb conjugation refers to how a verb changes to show a different person, tense, number or mood.
To be verb conjugation
In English, we have six different persons: first person singular (I), second person singular (you), third person
singular (he/she/it/one), first person plural (we), second person plural (you), and third person plural (they). We
must conjugate a verb for each person. The verb to be is a particularly notable verb for conjugation because
it’s irregular.

Verb tense conjugation

Verbs are also conjugated according to their tenses. Verb tense indicates when the action in a sentence is
happening (e.g., in the present, future, or past). Regular verbs follow a standard pattern when conjugated
according to tense. Look at the examples below:
Conjugation of the regular verb to live (based on tense):

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Conjugation of the regular verb to work (based on tense):

Irregular verbs do not follow a standard pattern when conjugated according to verb tense. The following
example illustrates this point:

Conjugation of the irregular verb to drink (based on tense):

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5.2 Adverbs of manner

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5.3 Adverbs of Frequency

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TOEFL JR Practice 5 Language and meaning

26
 2nd partial

1. Text Types (reading)

1.1 News articles
1.2 Biographical texts
1.3 Persuasive texts (such as editorials or movie reviews)
1.4 Expository texts on general or academic topics (texts found in a typical textbook; for example, a
social studies or science book)

2. Short Conversations(listening)
2.1 Identify the main idea
2.2 Identify one or more of the important details of the conversation
2.3 Make an inference
2.4 Make a prediction
2.5 Identify why a speaker talks about certain information, or the speaker’s purpose
2.6 Recognize how a speaker feels or what a speaker means when using certain intonation or stressing
certain words

3. Text Types (language form and meaning)

3.1 Emails, notes, or announcements
3.2 Short fictional passages
3.3 Student reports

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 1. Text Types (reading

1.1 News articles

News articles are written to inform and educate readers on current affairs/events. They are used to provide
readers with information they need/want to know about the world around them.

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 1.2 Biographical texts
A biography is a text written about someone else's life (usually someone famous). An autobiography is a text
written about one's own life.

Activity: Write a short biography about

your favorite person, she/he could be
famous or a person from your family

1.3 Persuasive texts

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 1.4 Expository texts
Expository texts, or informational texts, are non-fiction texts that give facts and information about a topic.
These academic texts are common in subjects such as science, history and social sciences. Introduction.
Characteristics of an expository text

PRACTICE
Read the texts and match with the correct text type

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PRACTICE TOEFL JR 6 READING

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32
2.1 Short conversations
In this question type, the test taker will listen to a conversation. These conversations are between two students
or between a student and a school staff member, like a teacher or librarian. Each conversation lasts 60 to 90
seconds. After the conversation, the test taker will answer three or four questions. The questions may ask the
test taker to do some of the following based on the conversation:
1. Identify the main idea
2. Identify one or more of the important details of the conversation
3. Make an inference
4. Make a prediction
5. Identify why a speaker talks about certain information, or the speaker’s purpose
6. Recognize how a speaker feels or what a speaker means when using certain intonation or stressing
certain words
Sample Questions
The question type is shown in parentheses before each set of response choices.
Students listen to the conversation below:
(Narrator): Listen to a conversation between two students.
(Boy): Hi Lisa! Do you know where Ms. Plattner is?
(Girl): No, I haven’t seen her today. Isn’t she usually in her classroom?
(Boy): I just went to her classroom, but she wasn’t there. I need to give her a permission slip so that I can go on the
class trip tomorrow.
(Girl): Do you mean the trip to the zoo?
(Boy): Uh-huh. Are you going?
(Girl): Yes, of course. I’ve been looking forward to this trip for weeks. Ms. Plattner told me we’d finally get to see some
of the animals we’ve been learning about, like giraffes and pandas. I really hope the weather is good tomorrow. Ms.
Plattner said that some of the animals don’t like to come outside if it’s raining. Are you excited about the trip?
(Boy): I am, but I might not be able to go. Ms. Plattner said that if I don’t turn in the permission slip by today, I can’t
come on the trip. If only Ms. Plattner were here so I could give it to her!
(Girl): Hmm. Well, do you know if any other teachers are going on the trip?
(Boy): Now that you mention it ... I think Mr. Harris is going with us.
(Girl): Couldn’t you give him the permission slip? I’m sure he’ll tell Ms. Plattner that you turned it in on time.
(Boy): That’s a great idea. I’ll go and find his office. Thanks so much for your help, Lisa!
(Girl): No problem.
(Narrator): Now answer the questions
(The question below tests understanding of the main idea of the conversation.)
What is the boy’s problem?
(A) He cannot find his teacher.*
(B) He cannot find his classroom.
(C) He does not have an important form.
(D) He does not feel well enough to go on a trip.
(The question below tests understanding of an important detail in the conversation.)
What does the girl say about some animals in the zoo?
(A) They are very large.
(B) They are new to the zoo.
(C) They are from all over the world.
(D) They do not like to go out in the rain.*
(The question below tests the ability to recognize meaning created by intonation and stress.)

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34
 PRACTICE TOEFL JR 7 LISTENING

Now you will hear some conversations.

Each conversation is followed by three or more questions.
Choose the best answer to each question and mark the letter of the correct answer on your answer
sheet.
You will hear conversation only one time.

11. What happened to the girl? 16. Why did the professor place the book on
(A) She forgot the time. reserve?
(8) She came to class late. (A) Because the book is very expensive
(C) She mistook the time. (8) Because he didn't want anyone to read it
(D) She met with an accident. (C) Because he wanted everyone to read it
(D) Because he had bought the book
12. What's wrong with the girl's mother?
(A) She got up late. 17. What will the boy probably do next?
(B) She missed the bus. (A) Go to the reserve room
(C) She is ill. (8) Leave the library
(D) She went to the field early morning (C) Find a seat and read other books
(D) Go to a bookstore
13. What will the teacher probably do next?
(A) Punish the girl 18. What did the boy do last night?
(B) Ask her to go back to her seat (A) He studied for a test.
(C) Tell the girl's parents (B) He met with a friend.
(D) Tell the headmaster (C) He watched a game.
(D) He went to bed early.

14. What problem does the boy have? 19. What did the girl think of India's victory?
(A) He can't find the reserve room. (A) She thought it unbelievable.
(B) He can't find his syllabus. (8) She thought they deserved it.
(C) He can't find a book. (C) She thought it was sheer luck.
(D) He can't find his sociology notebook (D) She thought it was an easily earned
victory.
15. What does "reserve" mean? 20. What did the boy think was the reason
(A) Anyone can read the reserved book. why the
(B) You can find the reserved book at the Pakistan lost?
usual (A) The mistake of batsmen
place. (B) The skill of bowlers
(C) You can keep the reserved book for one (C) They didn't concede many runs
day. (D) The captain's knock
(D) You can only read the reserved book in
the
library

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21. What agreement did they reach? 23. How did the girl feel?
(A) 223 was not easy for Pakistan to reach. (A) She felt agitated
(B) Their players needed more practice in (B) She felt happy.
fielding (C) She felt excited
(C) The mistake of batsmen made Pakistan (D) She felt relaxed
lose.
(D) India's victory was easily earned
24. What did they think of the language
22. What did they think of today's exam? paper?
(A) The girl thought computer science was (A) The girl thought it was easy.
easy. (B) The boy thought even one-mark
(B) The boy thought computer science was questions were very easy.
a little bit difficult (C) The boy thought he would get a high
(C) The girl didn't finish the language paper mark
(D) The boy thought the language paper (D) The girl thought synonyms are rather
was easy. difficult.

25. What will they probably do?

(A) Enjoy their vacation
(B) Find their teacher to ask questions
(C) Wait for their marks anxiously
(D) Ask other students how they feel

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 3.Text types
3.1 Emails, notes, or announcements
How to write a formal email
Follow these five simple steps to make sure your English emails are perfectly professional:

1. Begin with a greeting

Always open your email with a greeting, such as “Dear Lillian”. If your relationship with the reader is formal,
use their family name (eg. “Dear Mrs. Price”). If the relationship is more casual, you can simply say, “Hi Kelly”.
If you don’t know the name of the person you are writing to, use: “To whom it may concern” or “Dear
Sir/Madam”.
2. Thank the recipient
If you are replying to a client’s inquiry, you should begin with a line of thanks. For example, if someone has a
question about your company, you can say, “Thank you for contacting ABC Company”. If someone has replied
to one of your emails, be sure to say, “Thank you for your prompt reply” or “Thanks for getting back to me”.
Thanking the reader puts him or her at ease, and it will make you appear more polite.
3. State your purpose
If you are starting the email communication, it may be impossible to include a line of thanks. Instead, begin by
stating your purpose. For example, “I am writing to enquire about …” or “I am writing in reference to …”.
Make your purpose clear early on in the email, and then move into the main text of your email. Remember,
people want to read emails quickly, so keep your sentences short and clear. You’ll also need to pay careful
attention to grammar, spelling and punctuation so that you present a professional image of yourself and your
company.
4. Add your closing remarks
Before you end your email, it’s polite to thank your reader one more time and add some polite closing remarks.
You might start with “Thank you for your patience and cooperation” or “Thank you for your consideration” and
then follow up with, “If you have any questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to let me know” and “I look forward
to hearing from you”.
5. End with a closing
The last step is to include an appropriate closing with your name. “Best regards”, “Sincerely”, and “Thank you”
are all professional. Avoid closings such as “Best wishes” or “Cheers” unless you are good friends with the
reader. Finally, before you hit the send button, review and spell check your email one more time to make sure
it’s truly perfect!
Aren’t you an EF English Live student yet? See the general and business English course in action by
requesting a one month for only one dollar* trial. Find more information about essential professional English
tips here.

37
 Announcements

An announcement is a statement made to the public or to the media which gives information about
something that has happened or that will happen. The announcement could be written or spoken

3.2 Short fictional passages

A short story is a work of prose fiction that can be read in one sitting—usually between 20 minutes to an
hour. There is no maximum length, but the average short story is 1,000 to 7,500 words, with some
outliers reaching 10,000 or 15,000 words.

38
PRACTICE

3.3 Student reports

Student reports refers to the formal document, it is the 'what' of student reporting. Student reports
comprise high-level, point-in-time judgements of achievement and progress that are determined
through analysis of a range of assessment evidence.

Student reports provide meaningful information for teachers, students and their parents/carers on
students' achievement and progress against clearly defined standards; this includes what has been
learned and how well, where improvement is needed, and what should be done next.

39
PRACTICE TOEFL JR 8 LANGUAGE FORM AND MEANING

40
3rd partial
1. Reading Question Types
1.1 Identify the main idea of the text
1.2 Identify factual information that appears (or does not appear) in the text
1.3 Make inferences
2. Academic Listening
2.1 Identify the main idea
2.2 Identify one or more of the important details of the conversation
2.3 Make an inference
2.4 Make a prediction
2.5 Identify why a speaker talks about certain information, or the speaker’s purpose
2.6 Recognize how a speaker feels or what a speaker means when using certain intonation or stressing
certain words
3. Text Types (Language form and meaning)
3.1 Magazine articles
3.2 Advertisements
3.3 Passages from textbooks
4. Reading Question Types
4.1 Identify the author’s purpose
4.2 Identify the word in the text that a pronoun refers to
4.3 Use surrounding context to determine meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary words, idiomatic phrases,
or figurative language

41
 1. Reading Question Types
1. Main Idea: These questions ask test takers to
identify the main idea of a text. Sometimes, test
takers will be asked to identify the main idea by
choosing the best title for a text.

2. Fact and Negative Fact: These questions ask test takers about important factual information explicitly
stated in the text. The negative fact questions ask test takers to identify the answer choice that is not
true according to information explicitly stated in the text.

42
3. Inference: These questions ask test takers to identify information that, although not explicitly stated
in the text, is implicit in the text and is part of a general understanding of the text. The inference is one
which the author would expect the reader to make.

43
PRACTICE

Sample Reading Passage and Questions

Correct answers are indicated with an asterisk (*).
The question type is shown in parentheses before each set of response choices.
The text type below is a non-linear text.
Questions 1– 4 are about the following announcement:

(The question below tests understanding of (A) look

factual information in the text.) (B) keep
1. What time will the festival begin? (C) include
(A) 10 a.m. (D) entertain
(B) 11 a.m.
(C) 1 p.m. (The question below tests understanding of
(D) 2 p.m. factual information in the text.)
3. What job will be done the day before the
festival begins?
(The question below tests the ability to (A) Making posters
determine the meaning of vocabulary in (B) Setting up the gym
context.) (C) Cleaning up the gym
2. In line 3, the word feature is closest in (D) Helping the performers
meaning to _______.

44
PRACTICE TOEFL JR 8 READING

45
46
 2. Academic Listening
In this question type, test takers will listen to a classroom lecture or discussion about an academic topic. These
lectures or discussions are usually initiated by a classroom teacher, and one or more students may ask a
question, answer a question posed by the teacher, or make a comment about a topic. Each lecture or
discussion lasts 90 to 120 seconds.
The test takers will then answer four or five questions. The questions may ask the test taker to do some of the
following based on the lecture or discussion.
1. Identify the main idea
2. Identify one or more of the important details of the conversation
3. Make an inference
4. Make a prediction
5. Identify why a speaker talks about certain information, or the speaker’s purpose
6. Recognize how a speaker feels or what a speaker means when using certain intonation or stressing
certain words

47
PRACTICE
Sample Questions
The question type is shown in parentheses before each set of response choices.
Students listen to the lecture below:

(Narrator): Listen to a teacher talking in a geography class.

(Woman): Have you ever thought about how people do research on mountains? People have been interested in
mountains for quite some time. A few centuries ago, scholars looked at mountains and tried to figure out how
mountains form. But the way experts worked in the past was different from how scientists work nowadays. First of
all, in the past they did not travel to faraway parts of the world. They just studied the closest mountains, which were
usually not too far from where they lived.
In the past, experts had rather strange ideas about how mountains appeared on Earth. For example, one scholar
proposed that over a long period of time, the Earth cooled and when this happened, the surface shrank and formed
folds. One way to imagine this is to think of a fruit. When it’s new and fresh, its surface is smooth. But if you don’t eat
it right away, it’ll start to dry and shrink too. This is how the first scholars thought the smooth surface of the Earth
became uneven and hilly.
Today we know that mountains rise when two masses of land push against each other. As a result they are pushed
upward. And in many places this process is still happening and can be observed in real time! For example, this
is what’s happening to the Andes, the great mountain chain in South America. The Andes are among the highest
mountain ranges in the world, and they will get even higher, because this chain hasn’t stopped forming. The Andes
are expected to continue bulging upward for quite some time. That’s why scientists are so interested in studying them.
They find it easier to study things that are still happening rather than things of the past. That’s why whole teams of
experts like the Andes so much and go there to do scientific research.
As you can guess, one problem for these experts is that the process of mountain formation is really, really slow.
Mountains only rise by a few centimeters every hundred years. It’s almost impossible to notice a change like that. To
record such tiny changes, you need a lot of precision. Just think about what kind of equipment must be necessary to
take such accurate measurements. Therefore scientists use appropriate devices that allow them to take measurements
of such slow processes.
(Narrator): Now answer the questions.

48
 1. (The question below tests understanding of the main idea of the lecture.)

What does the teacher mainly talk about?

(A) How scientists study mountains
(B) The first scientist to study mountains
(C) Common physical features found in mountains
(D) Where the highest mountains are located

2. (The question below tests understanding of the speaker’s purpose.)

Why does the teacher mention fruit?

(A) To question whether all mountains have the same structure
(B) To suggest that farming is difficult in mountainous areas
(C) To explain an early theory of how mountains formed
(D) To give examples of plants grown in the mountains

3. (The question below tests understanding of an important detail in the talk.)

According to the teacher, why are scientists interested in the Andes?

(A) They are easy to climb.
(B) They are still becoming taller.
(C) They are close to many research centers.
(D) They form the longest mountain chain in the world.

4. (The question below tests the ability to make an inference based on what is not directly stated in the
talk.)

What does the speaker imply about the equipment scientists use to study mountains?
(A) It is very small.
(B) It is easy to damage.
(C) It is difficult to use.
(D) It is very accurate.

49
PRACTICE TOEFL JR 9

Now you will hear some talks and discussions about academic topics. Each talk or discussion is following by
four or more questions. Choose the best answer to each questions and mark the letter of the correct answer on
your answer sheet. You will hear each talk or discussion only one time.

26. What's the main idea of the talk? 30. What's the purpose of the discusslon between the
professor and the student?
(A) How Watt invented the steam machine
(A) To explain why God is good
(B) Traders need more clothes
(B) To ensure why we can see God
(C) How the industrial Revolution influenced people's
lives (C) To argue why God exists

(D) The way to extract pure iron out of iron ore (D) To discuss whether God exists

27. Why did the textile trader begin to look for faster and 31. Why does the student always remain silent when she
cheaper ways of producing clothes? is asked?

(A) Steel was getting more and more expensive (A) Because she doesn't like her professor

(B) England got most of its energy from waterwheels. (B) Because she can't give an exact answer to the
professor
(C) Factory machines were powered by coal
(C) Because she is thinking something else
(D) People began buying more and more goods in
(D) Because she can't understand what the professor
the 1700s. says

28. What can be inferred according to the taik? 32. Why does the studaent still believe in God even
(A) Steam engines are better powered by Coke than though she can't see Him?
coal. (A) Because she regards God as a kind of faith
(B) Fewer people worked in smalworkshops than in large (B) Because God has saved many people
factories during the Industrial Revolution.
(C) Because God created Satan
(C) The quality of cloth made entirely by hand is better.
(D) Because Satan is evil
(D) The Industrial Revolution has negatively influenced
people's lives to some extent.

29. How dld the people get power before the 18th 33. Why does the professor mention the five senses?
century?
(A) He just wants to prove we humans can't touch or see
(A) From waterwheels God

(B) From wind (B) He wants to point out that science has problem.

(C) From human power (C) He just wants to prove God hasn't existed ever.

(D) From nature, such as coal. (D) He doesn't know who created God
50
34. What's the main idea of the talk? (C) Most of them need warm water.

(A) To give a general introduction of coral reefs (D) They can't be found where there is sunlight

(B) To discuss how coral reefs form

(C) Coral reefs must live in shallow water

(D) What coral reefs eat to grow

39. What is the main idea of the discussion?

35. What is "coral"? (A) To understand why people test drugs on mice

(A) It's a kind of large animal. (B) To stress the importance of testing drugs on mice

(B) It takes calcium from sea animals © To analyze the reason why people test drugs on mice

(C) It has an outside skeleton only. (D) To debate whether we should test drugs on mice

(D) It's made up of small sea animals

40. Why is the girl so angry about the article?

36. What is "colony"? (A) Mice are suffering from cancer

(A) All reefs together are called a colony. (B) She realices that people are testing drugs on mice.

(B) Almost all corals living together are called A colony. (C) The girl’s mom is suffering from cancer

(C) Creatures living in the shallow water are called a (D) The man doesn’t know what has happened
colony.

41. Why do humans test drugs on mice?

37. What can we learn from the talk about ""coral reef"?
(A) Because they want to find the way to cure cancers
(A) It's an underwater mountain.
(B) Because they are cruel
(B) It can grow to avoid any destruction from the ocean.
(C) Because they feel bothered
(C) It can't be very large.
(D) Because they want to sell drugs
(D) It grows up from the edge of the volcanoes

42. What may be the title for the article?

38. What is common character of coral reefs?
(A) Tests on Mice
(A) All of them from fast.
(B) Cruel Humans
(B) All of them are near the coastline
(C) The Way Humans Have to Take

(D) Poor Mice39. What is the main idea of the

discussion?

51
4. Text Types
4.1 Magazine articles
A magazine article is a nonfiction composition that stands on its own within a publication. Examples include a
profile of a significant person, an opinion piece, or personal essay. Usually, a magazine article is between
1,000 and 5,000 words, either short or long, depending on the subject.

52
4.2Advertisements
Advertisements come in many forms, each with its own level of effectiveness for different audiences. Many
companies use several types of advertisements to reach a wider group of potential consumers.

An advertisement is a form of promotion for a brand, product or service. Often, companies use advertisements
to entice people to purchase or use that brand, product or service. Advertisements can also accomplish the
following:

• Raise awareness about an issue

• Campaign for a political candidate
• Engage public interest for an event

4.3 Passages from textbooks

“Technically, a passage is simply a portion or section of a written work, either fiction or non-fiction. Some hold
that a passage can be as short as a sentence, but most consist of at least one paragraph and usually several
(Chariot Learning, “What is a reading passage?”).

53
PRACTICE TOEFL JR 10 LANGUAGE FORM AND MEANING

54
55
 4.Reading Question Types

4.1 Identify the author’s purpose

These questions ask test takers to identify why the author has included some piece of information in the text.
The question is not testing the meaning of the text, but it is testing whether test takers understand the author’s
purpose. For example, is the author providing an example, emphasizing an idea, comparing an idea, objecting
to an idea?

4.2 Identify the word in the text that a pronoun refers to

These questions ask test takers to identify the person, thing, idea, or other noun in the text that a
particular pronoun refers to.

4.3 Use surrounding context to determine meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary words, idiomatic
phrases, or figurative language.
These questions ask test takers to identify the meaning of a particular word or phrase using the
surrounding context in the text. Students are not expected to have prior understanding of the tested words or
phrases. The vocabulary tested could be concrete in nature, or it could be figurative or idiomatic.

56
PRACTICE

57
(The question below tests understanding of the (The question below tests understanding of
main idea of the passage.) factual information in the passage.)
1. Which title best summarizes the main idea
of the passage? 4. According to the passage, which animals
(A) Wild Animals in Art appear most often on the cave walls?
(B) Hidden Prehistoric Paintings (A) Birds
(C) Exploring Caves Respectfully (B) Bison
(D) Determining the Age of French Caves (C) Horses
(D) Wild cats
(The question below tests the ability to make an (The question below tests the ability to determine
inference based on what is not directly stated in the meaning of vocabulary in context.)
the passage.)
2. Based on the passage, what is probably true 5. In line 8, the word depict is closest in
about the south of France? meaning to _______.
(A) It is home to rare animals. (A) show
(B) It has a large number of caves. (B) hunt
(C) It is known for horse-racing events. (C) count
(D) It has attracted many famous artists. (D) draw

(The question below tests the ability to determine (The question below tests the ability to determine
the meaning of vocabulary in context.) the word that a pronoun refers to.)
3. In line 3, the words pays heed to are closest
in meaning to ______. 6. In line 12, the word They refers to _______.
(A) discovers (A) walls
(B) watches (B) artists
(C) notices (C) animals
(D) buys (D) materials

58
PRACTICE TOEFL JR 11 Reading

59
60