2017/1/17 InsidetheTOEFLTestReadingSentenceSimplificationQuestion

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InsidetheTOEFLTestReading
SentenceSimplificationQuestion

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Michael

Intro
[musicplaying]

Michael:Hi,I'mMichaelfromETS.TodayonInsidetheTOEFLTest,we're
goinginsidetheTOEFLiBTReadingsection.Specifically,theSentence
Simplificationquestions.

Onscreen:
InsidetheTOEFLTestReading
SentenceSimplification

Michael:SentenceSimplificationquestionsaskyoutoidentifyasentencethathas
essentiallythesamemeaningasasentencefromthereadingpassage.Thecorrect
answerchoicecontainsthemainideasfromthesentenceinthepassagebutmay
leaveoutminororunimportantdetails.Itshouldrestatethemostimportant
informationinasimplerway.

Onscreen:
SentenceSimplificationIdentifyasentencethathasessentiallythesame
meaning

Correctanswercontainsthemainideasrestatedinasimplerway

Michael:SentenceSimplificationquestionsareeasytorecognizebecausethe
wordingofthequestionisalwaysexactlythesame:
"Whichofthesentencesbelowbestexpressestheessentialinformationinthe
followingsentence?Incorrectchoiceschangethemeaninginimportantwaysor
leaveoutessentialinformation."

Onscreen:SentenceSimplification
Whichofthesentencesbelowbestexpressestheessentialinformationinthe
followingsentence?Incorrectchoiceschangethemeaninginimportantwaysor
leaveoutessentialinformation.

Michael:Thehighlightedsentencewillhavebothessentialandnonessential
information.Yourjobistopicktheanswerchoicethatbestincludestheessential
informationandleavesoutthenonessentialinformation.
Answeringthistypeofquestionwillrequireyoutounderstandtherelationship

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2017/1/17 InsidetheTOEFLTestReadingSentenceSimplificationQuestion

betweenthepiecesofinformationinthesentence.

Often,thereisanimportantcause/effectrelationship,ortheremaybeaconclusion
basedonsomeevidence.Solookforthosesameideasintheanswerchoices.

Onscreen:Essentialinformation(greencheckappears)
Nonessentialinformation(redxappears)

Relationshipbetweenpiecesofinformationinthesentence

Cause/effect
Conclusionbasedonevidence

Michael:Here'sanexampleofasentencesimplificationquestionfromapassage
aboutmeteoriteimpactsanddinosaurextinction.
Thistypeofquestioncanbechallenging,becausealloftheanswerchoiceswill
containwordsorphrasesthataresimilartoonesinthegivensentence.
Forexample,3oftheanswerchoicestalkabouttheexplosion
3talkaboutfires
and3mentionthedestructionofplantlife

Onscreen:Whichofthesentencesbelowbestexpressestheessentialinformation
inthefollowingsentence?Incorrectchoiceschangethemeaninginimportant
waysorleaveoutessentialinformation.

Theexplosionisalsocalculatedtohaveproducedvastquantitiesofnitric
acidandmeltedrockthatsprayedoutovermuchofEarth,starting
widespreadfiresthatmusthaveconsumedmostterrestrialforestsand
grassland.

a.Scientistsbelievethatlargeamountsofnitricacidandmeltedrockwere
releasedbytheexplosion,causingfiresthatprobablydestroyedmostof
Earth'splantlife
b.FiresspreadoutoverEarth,burningmanyforestsandreleasingnitricacid
andothermaterialsintotheatmosphere.
c.Scientistshavecalculatedtheamountofnitricacidandmeltedrockthat
wasreleasedonEarthaftertheexplosion.
d.Scientistsbelievethatlargefiresinforestsmusthavespreadtograsslands
andcausedexplosionsthatdestroyedmostofEarth'splants.

Michael:So,canyouidentifythecorrectanswer?It'sA,becauseallofthe
importantinformationisalignedwiththegivensentence.
BoththegivensentenceandchoiceAtalkaboutthelargeamountsofnitricacid
andmeltedrock
thatweretheresultoftheexplosion
andthatstartedfiresthatdestroyedplantlife.

Onscreen:
Theexplosionisalsocalculatedtohaveproducedvastquantitiesofnitricacidand
meltedrockthatsprayedoutovermuchofEarth,startingwidespreadfiresthat
musthaveconsumedmostterrestrialforestsandgrassland.

GreencheckappearsnexttoanswerchoiceA.Scientistsbelievethatlarge
amountsofnitricacidandmeltedrockwerereleasedbytheexplosion,causing
firesthatprobablydestroyedmostofEarth'splantlife

Michael:Theotherresponseshavecontentthatcontradictsthehighlighted
sentence,orjustisn'tthere.
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2017/1/17 InsidetheTOEFLTestReadingSentenceSimplificationQuestion

ChoiceBlookslikeagoodansweratfirst,becauseittalksaboutthefires
spreadingandburningforests

ButchoiceBsaysthatitwasthefiresthatreleasedthenitricacid,whichis
differentfromthehighlightedsentence,whichsaysthatthenitricacid,alongwith
themeltedrock,causedthefires.

Onscreen:
Theexplosionisalsocalculatedtohaveproducedvastquantitiesofnitricacidand
meltedrockthatsprayedoutovermuchofEarth,startingwidespreadfiresthat
musthaveconsumedmostterrestrialforestsandgrassland.

RedXappearsnexttoanswerchoiceB.FiresspreadoutoverEarth,burning
manyforestsandreleasingnitricacidandothermaterialsintotheatmosphere.

Michael:ChoiceCcanbeeliminatedbecauseitleavesoutessentialinformation
aboutthefiresandthedestructionofforestsandplantlife.

Onscreen:
RedXappearsnexttoanswerchoiceC.Scientistshavecalculatedtheamountof
nitricacidandmeltedrockthatwasreleasedonEarthaftertheexplosion.

Michael:Finally,choiceDisincorrectbecauseagain,thecauseandeffectare
reversed.Thisonesaysthatthefirescausedtheexplosions,whenitwasreallythe
otherwayaround.

Onscreen:
RedXappearsnexttoanswerchoiceD.Scientistsbelievethatlargefiresin
forestsmusthavespreadtograsslandsandcausedexplosionsthatdestroyedmost
ofEarth'splants.

Michael:Onetiptobuildyourreadingskills,whichwillalsohelpyouanswer
sentencesimplificationquestions,istolookatcomplexsentencesorparagraphs,
andseparatethemainideasfromlessimportantinformation.
Nonessentialinformationcanbethingslikeexamples,ortextinparentheses,or
veryspecificinformationlikenumbersordates.

Onscreen:IdentifyMainIdeas
Mainideas

Lessimportantinformation:

Examples
Parentheses
Numbers/dates

Michael:TherearelotsofwaystoimproveyourEnglishskills.Whateveryoudo,
keeppracticing.AndgoodluckonyourTOEFLtest.

Onscreen:FormoreinformationabouttheTOEFLtestandtoregister,visitthe
TOEFLwebsiteatwww.toeflgoanywhere.org
[END]

Totallengthofvideo:4:04

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2017/1/17 InsidetheTOEFLTestReadingSentenceSimplificationQuestion

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