Напоминаем вам, что исскуство быстрого чтения отшлифовывается путем регулярных тренировок. Мы лишь подсказываем вам, как сэкономить время на чтение заданий секции Reading теста TOEFL. Напоминаем, что если вам не понятны некоторые выражения, то на значения их могут указывать:

1. Глагол "TO BE"
2. Уточнения
3. Пунктуация
4. Союз «или»
5. Примеры
6. Слова-указатели
7. слова/словосочетания-контрасты (антонимы)
8. Сочинительные и подчинительные союзы
9. Вводные слова

Упражнение 1

Прочитайте предложения. Найдите слово-указатель, которое относится к подчеркнутому слову и напишите его ниже.

Example: Because of their vitality and pervasiveness, some familiarity with Greek myth and legend is almost indispensable to a full appreciation of European culture.

their _____________ Greek myth and legend ________________

"Vitality and pervasiveness" belong to "Greek myth and legend.

1. The first complete American dictionary of the English language was compiled in 1828 by the lawyer and lexicographer Noah Webster, who was particularly keen to show that American English was distinct from that spoken in Britain.

who _____________________________________________
that ____________________________________________

2. Under the ice, bubbles gather against the ice roof until they overflow and escape through the tide cracks.

they _____________________________________________

3. Amnesty International consists of over 900 groups of individuals who work for the release of political prisoners incarcerated for their beliefs.

who ____________________________________________
their _____________________________________________

4. Seward's Folly is what people called Alaska when U.S. Secretary of State William Seward arranged to purchase it from Russia in 1867.

it ____________________________________________

5. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police use horses and wear their famous red uniforms on ceremonial occasions.

their __________________________________________

6. Some psychiatrists believe that every person is surrounded by a force field that broadcasts his or her emotions to other people.

his ____________________________________________
her____________________________________________

7. In 1863, when a Hungarian count recognized the potential of Californian soil and sun for growing wine grapes, he planted the first European variety there near the town of Sonoma.

when ____________________________________________
he _______________________________________________
the first European variety _____________________________
there _____________________________________________

8. Research in sensory deprivation has revealed that the human mind cannot operate normally unless it receives a constant succession of stimuli.

It __________________________________________________


9. Novelist Willa Gather used the frontier life of the Nebraska prairie of her youth for her subject matter.

her ______________________________________________
subject matter _____________________________________

10. Arctic people must not only defend themselves from the environment and wild animals, but they must also protect these natural resources.

themselves _______________________________________
they _____________________________________________
these natural resources _____________________________

Правильные ответы для этого упражнения смотрите здесь.

Упражнение 2

Данный тип упражнения посвящен пониманию текста при помощи сочинительных и подчинительных союзов, а также вводных слов.

Познакомьтесь со списком сочинительных и подчинительных союзов

Ограничения but, however, although, yet, except for
Усиление surely, certainly, indeed, above all, most importantly
Пример for example, next, for instance, thus, such, such as
Контраст unlike, in contrast, whereas, on the other hand, instead
Последовательность although, yet, nevertheless, of course, after all
Вывод finally, in conclusion, at last, in summary, to sum up
Дополнение in addition, also, moreover, then, first, second (etc.)
Сравнение similarly, like, in the same way, both, equally important
Объяснение now, in addition, furthermore, in fact, in this case, at this point
Следствие therefore, as a result, consequently, accordingly, otherwise

Закончите предложения, выбирая предложенную фразу, которые должны следовать после подчеркнутых союзов и вводных слов.

Example: Although potatoes are richer in food value than any other vegetable, they are not always a wise choice for a garden crop because they need a considerable amount of room. Consequently,

(A) they are the most common vegetable in a garden.
(B) people don't eat potatoes very much.
(C) they can be more economically grown on farms.
(D) farmers overcharge for their potatoes.

You should circle (C) because if potatoes are not a wise choice for a garden because of the amount of room they need, they could be grown on a farm more economically, since a farm does have adequate space.

1. Glass was precious to Egyptians, who used it interchangeably with gemstones, but
(A) it is over 4.000 years old.
(B) its novelty as an artist's material prevents its being taken seriously.
(C) today it has come out of factories and into the workshops.
(D) today it is so commonplace in everyday objects that it is seldom given a second thought.

2. Glimpses into the prenatal world via ultrasound imaging occasionally show behavior such as
(A) the development of the central nervous system.
(B) the sex of the baby-to-be.
(C) a fetus sucking its thumb.
(D) structures as small as the pupil of an eye of a second-trimester fetus.

3. Although the animals and plants that live in the world's various deserts come from different ancestral stocks.
(A) they have solved their problems of survival differently.
(B) none of them have adapted to the jungles.
(C) they are from different deserts.
(D) they resemble one another to a surprising degree.

4. Children dress up in witches' hats or goblin suits to play pranks when celebrating the ancient pagan holiday of Halloween. In contrast.
(A) Thanksgiving is a traditional holiday.
(B) Thanksgiving is always celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November.
(C) families dress more formally and set elegant tables for the more serious occasion of Thanksgiving.
(D) children enjoy Thanksgiving.

5. Everything from chairs and fishing poles to rope and paper can be made from bamboo. Equally important,
(A) this giant grass grows in warm climates.
(B) fresh spring bamboo shoots take longer to cook than winter ones.
(C) a variety of food can be made from this giant grass.
(D) preserved bamboo shoots can be used in soups instead of fresh ones.

6. Earth satellites transmit telephone and television signals, relay information about weather patterns, and enable scientists to study the atmosphere. This information has helped people communicate ideas and expand their knowledge. In conclusion,

(A) satellites have enriched the lives of humankind.
(D) satellites are expensive to send into space and sometimes are difficult to maintain.
(C) a dish antenna can pick up 300 TV channels from satellites.
(D) satellites are placed in an orbital region around Earth called the geostationary belt.

7. In the 1940s, when many of today's astronauts hadn't even been born, comic strip detective Dick Tracy fought crime in an atomic-powered space vehicle. In addition to that,
(A) many of today's astronauts have used a kind of atomic-powered space vehicle.
(B) he used lasers to process gold and a two-way wrist TV for communication.
(C) Dick Tracy was a very popular comic strip in the U.S.
(D) astronauts used lasers to process gold and communicated on long-distance flights using two-way wrist TVs.

8. Until recently, chlamydial infections could be detected only by a complicated test that took up to seven days to complete and which was offered only at a few medical centers. As a result,
(A) up to 10 percent of all college students are afflicted with it.
(B) chlamydial infections were rarely diagnosed.
(C) chlamydial infections are treated promptly.
(D) doctors prescribe large doses of antibiotics to treat the infections.

9. Medical researchers have recently developed a nonsurgical method of treating heart disease that, in some cases,
(A) is just as effective as coronary bypass surgery but is much less expensive and disabling.
(B) can replace a clogged artery by the transplanting of a vein or artery from another part of the body.
(C) continues to be underused because coronary bypass operations are lucrative for hospitals and surgeons.
(D) requires opening up the chest and operating under local anesthesia.

10. Neurons, which cannot divide, are the basic cells of the brain. Glial cells, which can increase in number, provide support and nourishment to the neurons. It was hypothesized that if Einstein's brain was more active in some areas, more glial cells would be found there. Indeed,
(A) scientists found that the physicist's brain contained more gliai cells per neuron in all four areas, compared with the brains of eleven normal males.
(B) scientists previous work had shown that animals put in environments that stimulate mental activity develop more glial cells per neuron.
(C) scientists examined sections of the upper front and lower rear of both hemispheres because these areas are involved in "higher" thinking.
(D) scientists found that even though there was evidence he had greater intellectual processing, it cannot be determined if Einstein was born with this or developed it later.

Правильные ответы для этого упражнения смотрите здесь.