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Reading & Vocabulary Workbook for the TOEFL exam | |
Publisher: Thomson Peterson's
Author: -
US$14.00 (approx)
ISBN 0-7689-0976-7
With so many books that offer practice and preparation for the TOEFL exam, not to mention websites such as this one where you can practice for free, it takes a lot of work to make yet another book stand out from the crowd. Peterson's have made a good try with this book which tries to offer more than just a set of practice exercises offered at a reasonable price. As well as a number of useful tips for sharpening your English skills, the introduction includes topics such as 'Getting into an American college' and a set of pre-exam tips, such as 'Do not stay up late cramming for an exam. Get a good night's sleep.' The book also unintentionally introduces students to another aspect of life in USA through its relentless over-selling. Apart from announcing 'teacher-approved techniques' on the cover (would they use 'teacher disapproved techniques'?) the Peterson's website is strongly promoted, complete with a full-page advertisement on the final page.
Cost-cutting is evident as soon as you open the book. There are no illustrations, and the paper feels cheap. However, the important part - what the book has to say - is high quality. After a preface which tells you about the exam and how to use the book, there is a 'pretest' so that students can identify their weak areas. Part one concentrates on developing reading skills. The book explains clearly how to identify the main theme of a text, and find the supporting ideas. It also teaches skills such as skimming and understanding inferences. There are plenty of exercises, examples and explanations to help the student, along with handy tips. Part two is the oddly-named 'How thoughts are related' which partly explains matters such as connectives, but mostly provides exam reading practice. Parts three to five give practice in coping with contemporary texts, historical material and scientific reading materials. The remainder of the book - some fifty pages - is taken up by three practice reading and vocabulary practice tests. This is followed by a word list of the vocabulary used in the book and the page the word appears on (though without a definition) and an answer key.
Who is this book for? The answer is in the title. This book is for anyone who is teaching or studying for the Reading and Vocabulary TOEFL. The book sticks to its task and does it very well. In a way it is a pity that it is so focused, because many of the tips on how to approach a reading task are useful for general English learning, but there is so much TOEFL-specific material that anyone not taking the test is not advised to buy it. If on the other hand, you want to pass the exam and improve your English, unlike many books that 'teach to the test' this is the book for you.
Verdict: Good techniques for exams and English
Assessment 8/10