TOEFL Listening Practice Test - American Colonies!

Click the PLAY Button (The conversation starts after few seconds) and Listen to this conversation once. During the conversation try to take as many notes as possible using you scratch paper. Then answer to the questions below.

12: What is the talk mainly about?

A) The three main areas colonists settled in the New World
B) The importance of the Lost Colony
C) The impact of the London company
D) The significance of the settlement of Jamestown



13: Why does the professor mention sir Walter Raleigh?

A) To Explain that he organized the new settlement in a colony
B) To explain that he was fearless
C) To provide information about the first child born in the New World belonging to English parents
D) To give an example of how he convinced the Queen to grant him the land in the New World



14: What does the professor say about Jamestown

A) it was the first successful colony in Virginia.
B) It had strong leadership to survive
C) Its settlers had to cooperate with the Native Americans to maintain their existence.
D) All of the above


15: According to the professor, what is the significance of tobacco being grown in Kamestown?

A) It developed into a cash crop that South depended on.
B) The crop was profitable to the London Company
c) it helped Jamestown prosper
D) The professor does not say



16: Why does the professor discuss the archaeological digs that have taken place in Jamestown?

A) To explain how historians learned that tobacco was grown in Jamestown
B) It demonstrates the importance of the artifacts which have been uncovered
c) It is not clear from the paragraph why the digs were discussed
D) To explain why a company on site is producing Jamestown glass


17: Why does the professor say this?

A) To make sure the students read the material
B) to have the students analyze the significance of the two types of colonies
C) To explain that the New England colonies will be different from the Virginia colonies
D) To encourage students to think creatively



More exercises:
TOEFL listening speed writing exercise








Answers: 

12: d
13: a
14: d
15: c
16: b
17: b

TOEFL Listening - Archaeology !

Click the PLAY Button (The conversation starts after few seconds) and Listen to this conversation once. During the conversation try to take as many notes as possible using you scratch paper. Then answer to the questions below.

1: What is the talk mainly about?

a) Leptis Magna
b) Ptolemais
c) Libya's archaeological sites
d) Roman and Phoenician settlements


2: In the lecture, the professor describes the findings at leptis Magna. Indicate whether each of the following is one which was mentioned

a) Cisterns
b) amphitheater
c) Mosaic tiles
d) School
e) Basilica


3: Why does the professor mention the Phoenicians?

a) To explain who founded Ptolemais
b) To explain who founded Leptis Magna
c) To explain why traders were important to North africa
d) To give a short history of North Africa


4: According to the professor, what is the importance of the cisterns?

a) They stored water for the people of Ptolemies
b) They carried water for the people of Ptolemies
c) They were used in the heating of houses
d) They were used in the baths


5: What does the professor mean when he says this...

a) To tell students that the class will mainly deal with these sites
b) To show how the discoveries wil shed new light on ancient lives
c) To point out new opportunities for employment may result for archaeologists
d) All of the above


6: Why does the professor say this...
a) To explain the cost of excavating
b) To explain there are not enough people to excavate
c) To explain how long it takes to unearth an entire site
d) To explain the extent of finished excavation


Answers are at the bottom of this page




More exercises:
TOEFL listening speed writing exercise





Answers
1: c
2: YES=b, e NO=a, c, d
3: b
4: a
5: a
6: d

What should be my CGPA to avail funding for higher studies in Canada?

I am a member of a group called Prospective Bangladeshi Students for Canadian universities. Few days ago they have, published a list of around 20+ students who got funding. I have gone through their profile and extract some valuable information. Hope this will give you a better idea about getting funding in Canada.

CGPA :

This will break a lot of peoples heart but there are few exceptions too.
The average CGPA was 3.75 and the median was 3.79. 
So if your CGPA is above 3.70 you are way ahead of the race.

Do you want to know the number of publication you should have to avail funding?
See this post!

400 Must Have Words for the TOEFL (A to D)

Do you know them all?

A

Abandon Abduction Abstract Accumulate Accuracy Accuse Acquire Acquisition Adapt Addictive Adjacent Adjust Adolescent Advent Adversely Advocate Affection Affluence Aggravate Aggregate Agnostic Allegedly Allegiance Allocate Amateurish Ambiguous Amend Analyze Ancestral Anesthesia Animism Annex Anomaly Anticipate Antipathy Apex Apprehend Arbitrary Arrogantly Artillery Ascertain Assail Assess Asset Assimilate Associate Astrological Atheist Augment Authority

B

Battle, Be inclined to, Berate Biased Bitterly Bond Bribery Bulk Burden Bureaucratic

C

Candidate Capricious Cartel Cast Catastrophic Cause Cease Certifiably Charismatic Chronologically Circulate Civil Clique Coalition Coerce Cohesion Coincide Collapse Collide Combustion Commodity Compensate Complex Complication Component Compress Concentrated Condemn Confide Conflict Connotation Conquest Consciously Consequence Constraint Contamination Contemplate Contemptuous Contest Context Contrary Convey Convict Core Corrode Counter Cremation Cultivation Cumbersome Cure Curriculum Cynically

D

De facto, Decipher Decline Decrepit Degrade Deify Delinquency Denominator Denote Deny Depict Deplete Derive Descendant Despise Despondent Detain Detection Deviant Devise Devotion Dilemma Dimension Diminish Discretely Discriminate Disease Dispose of Distill Distinctly Distort Diverse Divination Domesticate Dynamic

More vocabulary practice with memory tricks

TOEFL IELTS Score Requirement for Canadian Universities - Ontario

"All of these data are collected from the university's website as on 28th May 2013. This requirement may varies according to program. These data can be used as MINIMUM REQUIREMENT."

University of Waterloo

Undergrad studies

Choose ONE of the following test options
Internet-based TOEFL(iBT)	IELTS	MELAB	CAEL	New TestPTE(Academic)	EFAS
90; writing 25; speaking 25	7.0	85; 80 per section; for co-op programs: speaking 3	70; 60 per band; writing 70; speaking 70	63; writing 65; speaking 65	80% overall in level 400 (Revised - effective fall 2013 entry: 75% overall in 400 level with 75% in each of academic, oral, and writing)

Graduate studies

Accepted ELPC examinations	Required scores
TOEFL (PBT) Paper based test	580 overall
TOEFL (iBT) Internet based test	90 overall; 25 writing; 25 speaking
IELTS (academic)	7.0 overall
MELAB	85 overall; 80 per section
CAEL	70 overall; 60 per band; 70 writing; 70 speaking
PTE (academic)	63 overall; 65 writing; 65 speaking
EFAS	80% overall in level 400

WHANT TO KNOW HOW MUCH YOU SHOULD SCORE? 

University of Toronto

Undergrad & Graduate 

TOEFL

Test of English as a Foreign Language

The minimum scores required for the different TOEFL tests are:

Internet-based Test:

Minimum Requirement

total score of 100 + 22 on Writing

Discretionary Range

total score 89-99 +19 - 21 on Writing

Paper-based Test:

Minimum Requirement

total score of 600 + 5.0 on TWE

Discretionary Range

total score 573-597 + 4.5 on TWE

If you score in the discretionary ranges shown above, and you are otherwise well qualified for admission, we will automatically consider other academic evidence of English proficiency (for example, results of English courses) and we will advise you whether our English language requirements have been satisfied. It is not necessary to request this special consideration. Letters of reference will NOT be used for this purpose. As we cannot guarantee that these scores will be accepted, we recommend that you take another test if the final official results can be submitted to us by the appropriate document deadline. 

IELTS

International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic Module

The minimum requirement is an overall band of 6.5, with no band below 6.0.

BROCK University

Undergrad studies

TOEFL IBT (Internet-based Test of English as a Foreign Language), MELAB (Michigan English Language Assessment Battery), IELTS (International Language Testing System), PTE Academic (Pearson Test of English), or ITELP (International Test of English Language Proficiency) scores. Normally, only those with TOEFL IBT scores of 88 or greater, with a minimum of 21 on Speaking and 21 on Writing; MELAB scores of 85 or greater, with no other part under 80; IELTS scores of 6.5 or greater, with no band below 6.0; PTE Academic scores of 58; or ITELP scores of 565 or greater with a minimum composition score of 240 will be considered for admission.

Graduate studies

A minimum TOEFL PBT (Paper Based Test) score of 550 plus 4.0 minimum for the TWE (Test of Written English), or TOEFL iBT (Internet based) minimum overall score of 80 with no sub-test score under 19;
or
A minimum score of 6.5 on the International English Language Testing System - Academic (IELTS), with no section under 5.5;

Carleton University

Undergrad & Graduate studies

Paper-based TOEFL             580

Internet-based TOEFL      86 (22 in writing and speaking, 20 in reading and listening)

IELTS                                     6.5 IELTS (min 6.0 each band)

University of Guelph

Undergrad studies

The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) with a minimum overall score of 6.5 with no band less than 6.

The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) :

Paper-based: minimum score of 600; and Test of Written English (TWE) of 5

Computer-based: minimum score of 250; and TWE of 5

Internet-based: minimum total score of 89 with no individual scaled score less than 21

Graduate

International English Language Testing System (IELTS)
6.5
Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL - Paper based test (PBT)
550
Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL Internet-based test (IBT))
Note: A minimum score of 21 must be achieved in each of the four categories (listening, speaking, reading, writing).

89

University of Windsor

Undergrad and Grad

A minimum score of 6.5 on the International English Language Testing System (IELTS);

A minimum score of 220 with a T.W.E. 4.5 on the Computer-based Test, 83 with an essay score of 20 on the Internet-based Test of English as a Foreign Language (T.O.E.F.L.)

Ryerson University

Undergrad

Minimum English Proficiency Results 
(subject to change - use as a guideline only)

Program	TOEFL - 0886	MELAB	IELTS	CAEL
- Creative Industries - Journalism  -Professional Communication - Radio and Television	-580 Paper-based -92-93 Internet-based	90	6.5	70
All Faculty of Engineering and Architectural Science programs except Architectural Science All Faculty of Science programs except Computer Science	-560 Paper-based -83-87 Internet-based	85	6.5	60
All other Ryerson programs	-580 Paper-based -92-93 Internet-based	85	6.5	70

  

Graduate

Please note, meeting the minimum English proficiency requirements does not guarantee admission. Programs may set additional requirements to these minimum standards.

Academic Program	TOEFL (IBT)	IELTS	MELAB
General Requirement	93	7.0	85
Computer Networks	80	6.5	80
Communication and Culture	100	7.5	90
Journalism	105	7.5	90
Psychology	100	7.5	90

*Other English proficiency scores may be considered on an individual basis

McMaster University

Undergrad & Grad

TOEFL(Test of English as a Foreign Language) www.toefl.com IBT: 

86 

overall with a minimum score of 20 on each of the four components (Reading, Writing, Speaking, Listening)

Valid for 2 years

IELTS(International English Language Testing System)

6.5 Overall with a minimum score of 5.0 in each of the  four components (Reading, Writing, Speaking, Listening)

University of Ottawa / Université d’Ottawa: 

TOEFL

Paper based: 580 written : 4.5

iBT: 92 Writen : 24

IELTS 

Total : 7 

Written :6.5

York University

TOEFL IELTS Reading exercise 07

This exercise is helpful for both TOEFL and IELTS test takers.

Government subsidies to farmers

(Level - Hard)

<-----     TOEFL IELTS Reading Exercise 06

All these activities may have damaging environmental impacts.  For example, land clearing for agriculture is the largest single cause of deforestation; chemical fertilisers and pesticides may contaminate water supplies; more intensive farming and the abandonment of fallow periods tend to exacerbate soil erosion; and the spread of monoculture and use of high-yielding varieties of crops have been accompanied by the disappearance of old varieties of food plants which might have provided some insurance against pests or diseases in future.  Soil erosion threatens the productivity of land in both rich and poor countries.  The United States, where the most careful measurements have been done, discovered in 1982 that about one-fifth of its farmland was losing topsoil at a rate likely to diminish the soil's productivity.  The country subsequently embarked upon a program to convert 11 per cent of its cropped land to meadow or forest.  Topsoil in India and China is vanishing much faster than in America. 

Government policies have frequently compounded the environmental damage that farming can cause.  In the rich countries, subsidies for growing crops and price supports for farm output drive up the price of land.  The annual value of these subsidies is immense: about $250 billion, or more than all World Bank lending in the 1980s.  To increase the output of crops per acre, a farmer's easiest option is to use more of the most readily available inputs: fertilisers and pesticides.  Fertiliser use doubled in Denmark in the period 1960-1985 and increased in The Netherlands by 150 per cent.  The quantity of pesticides applied has risen too: by 69 per cent in 1975-1984 in Denmark, for example, with a rise of 115 per cent in the frequency of application in the three years from 1981. 

In the late 1980s and early 1990s some efforts were made to reduce farm subsidies.  The most dramatic example was that of New Zealand, which scrapped most farm support in 1984.  A study of the environmental effects, conducted in 1993, found that the end of fertiliser subsidies had been followed by a fall in fertiliser use (a fall compounded by the decline in world commodity prices, which cut farm incomes).  The removal of subsidies also stopped land-clearing and over-stocking, which in the past had been the principal causes of erosion.  Farms began to diversify.  The one kind of subsidy whose removal appeared to have been bad for the environment was the subsidy to manage soil erosion. 

In less enlightened countries, and in the European Union, the trend has been to reduce rather than eliminate subsidies, and to introduce new payments to encourage farmers to treat their land in environmentally friendlier ways, or to leave it fallow.  It may sound strange but such payments need to be higher than the existing incentives for farmers to grow food crops.  Farmers, however, dislike being paid to do nothing.  In several countries they have become interested in the possibility of using fuel produced from crop residues either as a replacement for petrol (as ethanol) or as fuel for power stations (as biomass).  Such fuels produce far less carbon dioxide than coal or oil, and absorb carbon dioxide as they grow.  They are therefore less likely to contribute to the greenhouse effect.  But they are rarely competitive with fossil fuels unless subsidised - and growing them does no less environmental harm than other crops. 

01 Research completed in 1982 found that in the United States soil erosion - 

A  reduced the productivity of farmland by 20 per cent. 

B  was almost as severe as in India and China. 

C  was causing significant damage to 20 per cent of farmland. 

D  could be reduced by converting cultivated land to meadow or forest. 

02 By the mid-1980s, farmers in Denmark - 

 A  used 50 per cent less fertiliser than Dutch farmers. 

B  used twice as much fertiliser as they had in 1960. 

C  applied fertiliser much more frequently than in 1960. 

D  more than doubled the amount of pesticide they used in just 3 years. 

03 Which one of the following increased in New Zealand after 1984? 

A  farm incomes 

B  use of fertiliser 

C  over-stocking 

D  farm diversification 

1. C 

2. B 

3. D

TOEFL IELTS Reading Exercise (Topic: Short Term Memory)

Short Term Memory

1    Most people can remember a phone number for up to thirty seconds. When this short amount of time elapses, however, the numbers are erased from the memory. How did the information get there in the first place? Information that makes its way to the short term memory (STM) does so via the sensory storage area. The brain has a filter which only allows stimuli that is of immediate interest to pass on to the STM, also known as the working memory.

2    There is much debate about the capacity and duration of the short term memory. The most accepted theory comes from George A. Miller, a cognitive psychologist who suggested that humans can remember approximately seven chunks of information. A chunk is defined as a meaningful unit of information, such as a word or name rather than just a letter or number. Modern theorists suggest that one can increase the capacity of the short term memory by clunking or classifying similar information together. By organizing information, one can optimize the STM, and improve the chances of a memory being passed on to long term storage.

3   When making a conscious effort to memorize something, such as information for an exam, many people engage in "rote rehearsal". By repeating something over and over again, one is able to keep a memory alive. Unfortunately, this type of memory maintenance only succeeds if there are no interruptions. As soon as a person stops rehearsing the information, it has the tendency to disappear. When a pen and paper are not handy, people often attempt to remember a phone number by repeating it aloud. If the doorbell rings or the dog barks to come in before a person has the opportunity to make a phone call, he will likely forget the number instantly.* Therefore, rote rehearsal is not an efficient way to pass information from the short term to long term memory.* A better way is to practice "elaborate rehearsal". *This involves assigning semantic meaning to a piece of information so that it can be filed along with other preexisting long term memories.*

4     Encoding information semantically also makes it more retrievable. Retrieving information can be done by recognition or recall. Humans can easily recall memories that are stored in the long term memory and used often; however, if a memory seems to be forgotten, it may eventually be retrieved by prompting. The more cues a person is given (such as pictures), the more likely a memory can be retrieved. This is why multiple choice tests are often used for subjects that require a lot of memorization.

Glossary:
semantic: relating to the meaning of something


Reading Comprehension questions:

Question 1: According to the passage, how do memories get transferred to the STM?

They revert from the long term memory.
They are filtered from the sensory storage area.
They get chunked when they enter the brain.
They enter via the nervous system.

Question 2: The word elapses in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to:

passes
adds up
appears
continues

Question 3: All of the following are mentioned as places in which memories are stored EXCEPT the:

STM
long term memory
sensory storage area
maintenance area

Question 4: Why does the author mention a dog's bark?

To give an example of a type of memory
To provide a type of interruption
To prove that dogs have better memories than humans
To compare another sound that is loud like a doorbell

Question 5: Look at the four stars (*) that indicate where this sentence can be added to the passage. Where would the sentence fit best?

For example, a reader engages in elaborate rehearsal when he brings prior knowledge of a subject to a text.

After 1st Star (*)
After 2nd Star (*)
After 3rd Star (*)
After 4th Star (*)

Question 6: How do theorists believe a person can remember more information in a short time?

By organizing it
By repeating it
By giving it a name
By drawing it

Question 7: The author believes that rote rotation is:

the best way to remember something
more efficient than chunking
ineffective in the long run
an unnecessary interruption

Question 8: The word it in the last paragraph refers to:

encoding
STM
semantics
information

Question 9: The word elaborate in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to:

complex
efficient
pretty
regular

Question 10: Which of the following is NOT supported by the passage?

The working memory is the same as the short term memory.
A memory is kept alive through constant repetition.
Cues help people to recognize information.
Multiple choice exams are the most difficult.

Question 11: The word cues in the passage is closest in meaning to

questions
clues
images
tests

Question 12: Which of the following best provides the important informaton in the highlighted sentence from the passage. Incorrect answer choices leave out essential information or change the meaning of it

Prompting is the easiest way to retrieve short term memory after an extended period of time.
A memory can be retrieved by prompting, in a case where it has been rarely used.
It's easier to remember short term memories than long term memories due to regular prompts.
Recalling a long term memory that is often used is easy, while forgotten memories often require prompting.

Question 13:

An introductory sentence for a summary of the passage is found below. Complete the summary by choosing the THREE answer choices that contain the most imporant ideas in the passage. Some sentences do not fit in the summary because they provide ideas that are not mentioned in the passage or are only minor ideas from the passage. This question is worth 2 points.

The brain stores information that a person may need in the immediate future in a place called the short term memory (STM).

1. Most people can only remember numbers for a short time.
2. Many psychologists agree that only a certain amount of information can be stored in the STM at once.
3. Some techniques for memorization don't work because of potential interruptions.
4. Elaborate rehearsal is generally considered less effective than rote rehearsal.
5. Assigning meaning to information makes it easier for the brain to retrieve.

Most important ideas -  Choice no 1 , 2 , 3
Most important ideas -  Choice no 1 , 2 , 4
Most important ideas -  Choice no 2 , 3 , 5
Most important ideas -  Choice no 1 , 3 , 5

More Exercises Search!

TOEFL IELTS Vocabulary Fun - Post 02

<--- See TOEFL Vocabulary Fun - Post 01

These words are frequently found on TOEFL and IELTS tests. I have provided useful meaning and Memory tricks to memorizing them. Learn them, Above all practice!

Vocabulary Fun!

berate

Definition:

(verb) censure severely or angrily; to scold; rebuke:

Example:

He berated them in public.

Memory Trick:

His friends berated(criticized) him for showing them b-rated movie.

"Why you litter ....!" Homer scolded his son

biased

Definition:

(adj) favoring one person or side over another;having or showing bias or prejudice.

Example:

They gave us a biased report on immigration trends.

Memory trick:

Look at the word bi - means both as ed ( a cartoon character) who is always Biased towards his friends.

Ed is always biased towards his best friends EDD and EDDY!

bitterly

Definitions:

(adj)

1.having a harsh, disagreeably acrid taste, like that of aspirin, quinine, wormwood, or aloes.

2.producing one of the four basic taste sensations; not sour, sweet, or salt.

3.hard to bear; grievous; distressful: a bitter sorrow.

4.causing pain; piercing; stinging: a bitter chill.

5.characterized by intense antagonism or hostility: bitter hatred.

6.hard to admit or accept: a bitter lesson.

7.resentful or cynical: bitter words.

Examples:

- she complained bitterly.

- he was bitterly disappointed

- it was bitterly cold

Bitter cold

Memory Trick:
Just think of Bitter Coffee or think as Bit of Tar (Black substance found from petroleum). it looks ugly and unbearable to watch on the garage floor. 

Bitter coffee!

bulk

Definition:

(noun)

1. magnitude in three dimensions: a ship of great bulk.

2. the greater part; main mass or body: The bulk of the debt was paid.

3. goods or cargo not in packages or boxes, usually transported in large volume, as grain, coal, or petroleum.

4. (of paper, cardboard, yarn, etc.) thickness, especially in relation to weight.

Example:

- the bulk of the work is finished

- it is cheaper to buy it in bulk

- The parcel bulked in the sack

Memory Tricks:

bulk sounds like HULK. Hope you know this BIG guy!

HULK!

bureaucratic

Definition

(adj) of or relating to or resembling a bureaucrat or bureaucracy (especially of a government or government department)

Example:

- his bureaucratic behavior annoyed his colleagues.

- a bureaucratic nightmare.

Memory tricks:

Look at the word Bureau Sound like government offices like National Bureau of Statistics, Bureau of National Health Insurance etc and the last part Ratic - someone who is like RAT (work without understanding)

Logo of a bureau