VStep Prefparation Materials

Nội dung text: VStep Prefparation Materials

1. CONTENTS PART 1: VSTEP READING SKILLS 4 SKILL I: ANSWER MAIN IDEA QUESTIONS CORRECTLY 4 SKILL 2: RECOGNIZE THE ORGANIZATION OF IDEAS 10 SKILL 3: ANSWER STATED DETAIL QUESTIONS CORRECTLY 18 SKILL 4: FIND "UNSTATED" DETAILS 26 SKILL 5: FIND PRONOUN REFERENTS 31 SKILL 6: ANSWER IMPLIED DETAIL QUESTIONS CORRECTLY 45 SKILL 7: ANSWER TRANSITION QUESTIONS CORRECTLY 51 SKILL 8: FIND DEFINITIONS FROM STRUCTURAL CLUES 65 SKILL 9: DETERMINE MEANINGS FROM WORD PARTS 72 SKILL 10: USE CONTEXTTO DETERMINE MEANINGS OF DIFFICULT WORDS.77 SKILL 1 1: USE CONTEXTTO DETERMINE MEANINGS OF SIMPLE WORDS 82 SKILL 12: DETERMINE WHERE SPECIFIC INFORMATION IS FOUND 99 SKILL 13: DETERMINE THE TONE, PURPOSE, OR COURSE 103 SKILL 14: DETERMINE WHERE TO INSERT A PIECE OF INFORMATION 111 READING PRACTICE 118 PART 2: LISTENING SKILLS 473 PART 3: SPEAKING SKILLS 516 SPEAKING PROMTS 517 PART 1: SOCIAL INTERACTION (3 MINS) 517 PART 2: SOLUTION DISCUSSIONS (4 MINS) 521 PART 3: TOPIC DEVELOPMENT (5 MINS) 527 PART 3: WRITING SKILLS 539 LETTERS (HANOUTS- LÍ THUYẾT) 539 2
2. PART 1: VSTEP READING SKILLS (TOEFL SKILLS OF READING COMPRPEHENSION QUESTIONS) SKILL I: ANSWER MAIN IDEA QUESTIONS CORRECTLY Almost every reading passage on the paper TOEFL test or computer TOEFL test will have a multiple-choice question about the main idea of a passage. Such a question may be worded in a variety of ways; you may, for example, be asked to identify the topic, subject, title, primary idea, or main idea. These questions are all really asking what primary point the author is trying to get across in the passage. Since TOEFL passages are generally written in a traditionally organized manner, it is relatively easy to find the main ideas by studying the topic sentences, which are most probably found at the beginning of each paragraph. If a passage consists of only one paragraph, you should study the beginning of that paragraph to determine the main idea. Look at a multiple-choice example from the paper TOEFL test that asks about the topic of a passage with one paragraph. READING QUESTIONS (PAPER AND COMPUTER) Example from the Paper TOEFL Test The passage 1: In the philosophy of John Dewey, a sharp distinction is made between intelligence and reasoning. According to Dewey, intelligence is the only absolute way to achieve a balance between realism and idealism, between practicality and wisdom of life. Intelligence involves "interacting with other things and knowing them," while reasoning is merely the act of an observer, " a mind that beholds or grasps objects outside the world of things " With reasoning, a level of mental certainty can be achieved, but it is through intelligence that control is taken of events that shape one's life. The question: What is the topic of this passage? (A) The intelligence of John Dewey (B) Distinctions made by John Dewey (C) Dewey's ideas on the ability to reason (D) How intelligence differs from reasoning in Dewey's works 4
3. The opposite process of denitrification returns nitrogen to the air. During the process of denitrification, bacteria cause some of the nitrates from the soil to convert into gaseous nitrogen or nitrous oxide (N 2 0). In this gaseous form, the nitrogen returns to the atmosphere. BỘ LUYỆN VSTEP MỚI NHẤT 2021 (TÀI LIỆU NÂNG CAO TIẾNG ANH) VÀ BỘ SƯU TẬP CÁC CHỦ ĐỀ NGHE* NÓI* ĐỌC *VIẾT VSTEP* Bộ tài liệu giúp người dạy, người học chiếm lĩnh kiến thức và mục tiêu cần đạt được . TẤT CẢ NỘI DUNG ĐỀU CÓ HƯỚNG DẪN VÀ BÀI TẬP ÁP DỤNG. Đủ file nghe chuẩn cho phần Speaking, Listening. Thầy cô đang ôn HSG THPT có thể tham khảo ạ. DEMO FULL BỘ CÁC NỘI DUNG : 1.Grammar 2.Vocabulary 3.Reading 4. Listening 5. Speaking 6. Writing 7. Quà Tặng THẦY CÔ QUAN TÂM IB Ạ. THANKS Zalo 098816613 The question: Which of the following would be the best title for this passage? (A) The Process of Nitrogen Fixation (B) Two Nitrogen Processes (C) The Return of Nitrogen to the Air (D) The Effect of Nitrogen on Plant Life This question asks you about the best title for the passage. In a passage with more than one paragraph, you should be sure to read the first sentence of each paragraph to determine the subject, topic, title, or main idea. In this example, the first sentence of the first paragraph indicates that the first paragraph is about the process of nitrogen fixation. If you look only at the first paragraph, you might choose the incorrect first answer, which would be a good title for the first paragraph only. The first sentence of the second paragraph indicates that the process of denitrification is discussed in the second paragraph. The third answer is incorrect because the return of nitrogen to the air is the process of denitrification, and this is discussed in the second paragraph only. The last answer is incorrect because the effect 6
4. 4. Eliminate any definitely wrong answers and choose the best answer from the remaining choices. TOEFL EXERCISE 1: Study each of the passages and choose the best answers to the ques- tions that follow. In this exercise, each passage is followed by several main idea, topic, or tide questions so that the students can practice this type of question. On the TOEFL test, one passage would probably not have two such questions because they are so similar. PASSAGE ONE (Questions 1-2) Fort Knox, Kentucky, is the site of a U.S. army post, but it is even more renowned for the Fort Knox Bullion Depository, the massive vault that contains the bulk of the U.S. government's gold deposits. Completed in 1936, the vault is housed in a two-story building constructed of granite, steel, and concrete; the vault itself is made of steel and concrete and has a door that weighs more than twenty tons. Naturally, the most up-to-date security devices available are in place at Fort Knox, and the army post nearby provides further protection. 1. Which of the following best describes 2. Which of the following would be the the topic of the passage? best title for this passage? (A) The city of Fort Knox, Kentucky (A) The Massive Concrete Vault (B) The federal gold depository (B) Fort Knox Security (C) The U.S. army post at Fort Knox (C) Where the United States Keeps Its Gold (D) Gold bullion (D) A Visit to Kentucky PASSAGE TWO (Questions 3-4) One identifying characteristic of minerals is their relative hardness, which can be determined by scratching one mineral with another. In this type of test, a harder mineral can scratch a softer one, but a softer mineral is unable to scratch the harder one. The Mohs' hardness scale is used to rank minerals according to hardness. Ten minerals are listed in this scale, ranging from talc with a hardness of 1 to diamond with a hardness of 10. On this scale, quartz (number 7) is harder than feldspar (number 6) and is therefore able to scratch it; however, feldspar is unable to make a mark on quartz. 8
5. BỘ LUYỆN VSTEP MỚI NHẤT 2021 (TÀI LIỆU NÂNG CAO TIẾNG ANH) VÀ BỘ SƯU TẬP CÁC CHỦ ĐỀ NGHE* NÓI* ĐỌC *VIẾT VSTEP* Bộ tài liệu giúp người dạy, người học chiếm lĩnh kiến thức và mục tiêu cần đạt được . TẤT CẢ NỘI DUNG ĐỀU CÓ HƯỚNG DẪN VÀ BÀI TẬP ÁP DỤNG. Đủ file nghe chuẩn cho phần Speaking, Listening. Thầy cô đang ôn HSG THPT có thể tham khảo ạ. DEMO FULL BỘ CÁC NỘI DUNG : 1.Grammar 2.Vocabulary 3.Reading 4. Listening 5. Speaking 6. Writing 7. Quà Tặng THẦY CÔ QUAN TÂM IB Ạ. THANKS Zalo 098816613 PASSAGE FOUR (Questions 7-9) Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882) was perhaps the best-known American poet of the nineteenth century. His clear writing style and emphasis on the prevalent values of the period made him popular with the general public if not always with the critics. He was particularly recognized for his longer narrative poems Evangeline, The Song of Hiawatha, and The Courtship of Miles Standish, in which he told stories from American history in terms of the values of the time. Evangeline was set during the French and Indian War (1754-1763), when the British forced French settlers from Nova Scotia; two lovers, Gabriel and Evangeline, were separated by the British, and Evangeline devoted her lifetime to the search for Gabriel. With its emphasis on sentimental, undying love, Evangeline was immensely popular with the public. In The Song of Hiawatha, Longfellow depicted the noble life of the American Indian through the story of the brave Lf iawatha and his beloved wife Minehaha. The tear- inspiring poem follows Hiawatha through the tragedies and triumphs of life, ending with the death of Minehaha and Hiawatha's departure into the sunset in his canoe. The Courtship of Miles Standish takes place during the early period of the settlement of New England, a period which was viewed as a time of honor and romance. In this poem 10
6. BỘ LUYỆN VSTEP MỚI NHẤT 2021 (TÀI LIỆU NÂNG CAO TIẾNG ANH) VÀ BỘ SƯU TẬP CÁC CHỦ ĐỀ NGHE* NÓI* ĐỌC *VIẾT VSTEP* Bộ tài liệu giúp người dạy, người học chiếm lĩnh kiến thức và mục tiêu cần đạt được . TẤT CẢ NỘI DUNG ĐỀU CÓ HƯỚNG DẪN VÀ BÀI TẬP ÁP DỤNG. Đủ file nghe chuẩn cho phần Speaking, Listening. Thầy cô đang ôn HSG THPT có thể tham khảo ạ. DEMO FULL BỘ CÁC NỘI DUNG : 1.Grammar 2.Vocabulary 3.Reading 4. Listening 5. Speaking 6. Writing 7. Quà Tặng THẦY CÔ QUAN TÂM IB Ạ. THANKS Zalo 098816613 The passage: If asked who invented the game of baseball, most Americans would probably reply that it was their belief that Abner Doubleday did. They believe this because the story about Doubleday is part of the tradition of baseball. Doubleday was given credit for this invention early in the twentieth century when sporting-goods manufacturer Spaulding inaugurated a commission to research the question of who invented baseball. In 1908, a report was published by the commission in which Abner Doubleday, a U.S. Army officer from Cooperstown, New York, was given credit for the invention of the game. The National Baseball Hall of Fame was established in Cooperstown in honor of Doubleday. Today, most sports historians are in agreement that Doubleday really did not have much to do with the development of baseball. Instead, baseball seems to be a close relative of the English game of rounders and probably has English rather than American roots. The question: In this passage (A) an idea is presented and then refuted (B) a concept is followed by examples (C) a cause is followed by an effect (D) a belief is supported with reasons 12
7. paragraphs. The first sentence of the first paragraph mentions a belief, and the first sentence of the second paragraph states that Doubleday was given credit for this invention early in the twentieth century. From this, it can be determined that the second paragraph gives the historical background of the belief that is discussed in the first paragraph, so you should click on the second paragraph to answer this question. The following chart outlines the key information that you should remember about questions on the organization of ideas: ORGANIZATION OF IDEAS HOWTO IDENTIFY THE on both paper How is the information in the QUESTION and computer passage organized? test How is the information in the second paragraph related to the information in the first paragraph? on computer Click on the paragraph that test only WHERE TO FIND The answer to this type of question can generally be THE ANSWER determined by looking at the first sentence of the appropriate paragraphs. HOW TO ANSWER 1 . Read the first line of each paragraph. THE QUESTION 2. Look for words that show relationships among the paragraphs. 3. Choose the answer that best expresses the relationship. TOEFL EXERCISE 2: Study each of the passages and choose the best answers to the questions that follow. PASSAGE ONE (Questions 1-2) Conflict within an organization is not always viewed as undesirable. In fact, various managers have widely divergent ideas on the value that conflict can have. According to the traditional view of conflict, conflict is harmful to an organization. 14
8. 4. Click on the paragraph that describes the application of IQin the real world. PASSAGE THREE (Questions 5-6) The largest lake in the western United States is the Great Salt Lake, an inland saltwater lake in northwestern Utah, just outside the state capital of Salt Lake City. Rivers and streams feed into the Great Salt Lake, but none drain out of it; this has a major influence on both the salt content and the size of the lake. Although the Great Salt Lake is fed by freshwater streams, it is actually saltier than the oceans of the world. The salt comes from the more than two million tons of minerals that flow into the lake each year from the rivers and creeks that feed it. Sodium and chloride — the components of salt — comprise the large majority of the lake's mineral content. The Great Salt Lake can vary tremendously from its normal size of 1,700 square miles, depending on long-term weather conditions. During periods of heavy rains, the size of the lake can swell tremendously from the huge amounts of water flowing into the lake from its feeder rivers and streams; in 1980 the lake even reached a size of 2,400 square miles. During periods of dry weather, the size of the lake decreases, sometimes drastically, due to evaporation. 2. Click on the paragraph that supports the view that organizational conflict can be beneficial. 5. How is the information in the passage organized? (A) Two unusual characteristics of the Great Salt Lake are discussed. (B) Contrasting theories about the Great Salt Lake's salt levels are presented. (C) The process by which the Great Salt Lake gets its salt is outlined. (D) The reasons for the variations in the Great Salt Lake's size are given. 6. Click on the paragraph that explains where the Great Salt Lake gets its salt. TOEFL EXERCISE (SKILLS 1-2): Study each of the passages and choose the best answers to the questions that follow. PASSAGE ONE (Questions 1-2) 16
9. PASSAGE TWO (Questions 3-6) Vaccines are prepared from harmful viruses or bacteria and administered to patients to provide immunity to specific diseases. The various types of vaccines are classified according to the method by which they are derived. The most basic class of vaccines actually contains disease-causing microorganisms that have been killed with a solution containing formaldehyde. In this type of vaccine, the microorganisms are dead and therefore cannot cause disease; however, the antigens found in and on the microorganisms can still stimulate the formation of antibodies. Examples of this type of vaccine are the ones that fight influenza, typhoid fever, and cholera. A second type of vaccine contains the toxins produced by the microorganisms rather than the microorganisms themselves. This type of vaccine is prepared when the microorganism itself does little damage but the toxin within the microorganism is extremely harmful. For example, the bacteria that cause diphtheria can thrive in the throat without much harm, but when toxins are released from the bacteria, muscles can become paralyzed and death can ensue. A final type of vaccine contains living microorganisms that have been rendered harmless. With this type of vaccine, a large number of antigen molecules are produced and the immunity that results is generally longer lasting than the immunity from other types of vaccines. The Sabin oral antipolio vaccine and the BCG vaccine against tuberculosis are examples of this type of vaccine. 3. Which of the following expresses the main idea of the passage? (A) Vaccines provide immunity to specific diseases. (B) Vaccines contain disease-causing microorganisms. (C) Vaccines are derived in different ways. (D) New approaches in administering vaccines are being developed. 4. How many types of vaccines are presented in the passage?
10. (D) a definition and example of a hoax 8. The author's main point is that (A) various types of hoaxes have been perpetrated (B) Charles Dawson discovered a human skull and jawbone (C) Charles Dawson was not an honest man (D) the human skull and jawbone were extremely old 9. Click on the paragraph that defines a hoax. 10. Click on the paragraph that explains how one particular hoax was resolved. DIRECTLY ANSWERED QUESTIONS Many questions in the Reading section of both the paper TOEFL test and the computer TOEFL test will require answers that are directly stated in the passage. This means that you should be able to find the answer to this type of question without having to draw a conclusion. The directly answered questions that are commonly asked are (1) stated detail questions, (2) "unstated" detail questions, and (3) pronoun reference questions. SKILL 3: ANSWER STATED DETAIL QUESTIONS CORRECTLY A stated detail question asks about one piece of information in the passage rather than the passage as a whole. The answers to these questions are generally given in order in the passage, and the correct answer is often a restatement of what is given in the passage. This means that the correct answer often expresses the same idea as what is written in the passage, but the words are not exactly the same. The questions that test stated details are generally multiple-choice questions. On the computer test, there may also be a type of stated detail question that asks you to 2
11. the name Middle Plantation referred to Williamsburg. The best answer to this question is answer (C) because the passage directly states that Jamestown was the first permanent English colony in America. Now look at a multiple-choice example of a stated detail question from the computer TOEFL test. Example from the Computer TOEFL Test Reading Williamsburg is a historic city in Virginia that was settled by English colonists in 1 633, twenty-six years after the first permanent English colony in America was settled at Jamestown. In the beginning, the colony at Williamsburg was named Middle Plantation because of its location in the middle of a peninsula between two rivers, the York and the James. The site for Williamsburg had been selected by the colonists because the soil drainage was better there than at the Jamestown location, and there were fewer mosquitoes. Question: According to the passage, the colonists chose Williamsburg because (A) it was in England (B) there were no nearby rivers (C) there were lots of mosquitoes (D) the soil drained well This question asks what is true according to the passage about why the colonists chose Williamsburg, so you know that the answer will be directly stated in the passage. You should skim through the passage to find the part of the passage that discusses this topic. The answer to this question is found in the statement that the site for Williamsburg had been selected by the colonists because the soil drainage 4