1. Wash the avocado seed with cold water. Stick four tooth-picks around the middle of the seed.

12. What’s the main idea of the fourth paragraph? 　　 A. Every school requires the same minimum score. 　　 B. Colleges and universities have their own requirements for the score. 　　 C. The two kinds of TOEFL tests have some differences in minimum scores. 　　 D. The computer test has more possible scores.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D

　　 Avocados are large, heavy, dark green fruits that are usually shaped like pears. The riper they get, the softer they get. People eat avocados in salads and sandwiches. But probably the most popular way to use avocados is in guacamole, a delicious Mexican snack(小吃). Inside the fruit is a very large seed(种子), which you can use to grow a tall, beautiful avocado plant.

11. The present TOEFL measures the following EXCEPT _____ skills. 　　 A. reading　 　 B. writing　　 　C. listening　　　　 D. speaking

10. Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the text? 　　 A. You can find some information about the TOEFL on the Internet. 　　 B. You can also write a letter to find some information about the TOEFL. 　　 C. You can take the TOEFL as many times as you want free of charge. 　　 D. TOEFL is not a test for native speakers of English.

9． What is the main idea of the text? 　　 A. A brief introduction to the TOEFL.　 　　 B. The meaning of the TOEFL. 　　 C. Two kinds of TOEFL tests.　　　　 　　 D. Great changes of the TOEFL.

8. The author of the passage advises us to do all the following EXCEPT_______.

　 A. we should think before, while and after we read a passage 　 B. we’d better look up every new word in a dictionary 　 C. we should learn to guess the meanings of new words 　 D. the clues in a passage should be made use of 　　 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 C

　　 TOEFL is an important test for foreign students who want to study in the United States. TOEFL stands for Test of English as a Foreign Language.

　　 More than four thousand American universities and other schools require students who want to study there to take the test. It measures the ability to read, write and understand English.

　　 The Educational Testing Service produces two kinds of TOEFL tests. One is taken by computer in a special testing center. This is how people in most areas of the world take the TOEFL. The second is taken with paper and pencil.

　　 Colleges and universities set their own requirements. But, in general, schools want a minimum (最低的) score on the paper-and-pencil test of about 550. This is out of a possible 677 points. On the computer test, schools generally require a minimum score of about 213 out of a possible 300 points.

　　 The TOEFL includes a part to test listening skills. A new TOEFL is being developed. It will also test speaking skills. This test will be given starting in September 2005. The Educational Testing Service says it is still doing tests to see what might be considered a passing score.

　　 You can take the TOEFL as many times as you wish. But you must pay each time. The cost is about 130 dollars. Experts say it is a good idea to take the test one or two times for experience.

　　 They also say the best way to prepare for the TOEFL is to use English as much as you can. Internet users can find more information about the TOEFL at www.toefl.org. The postal (邮政的) address is TOEFL Services, Educational Testing Service, Post Office Box 6151, Princeton, New Jersey, 08541, USA.　

7. Which of the following can best be put in the blank in the passage?

　 A. countries　　　　　 B. mountains　　　　　 C. rivers　　　　　 D. cities

6. The word “scan” in the second paragraph probably means _______. 　 A. reading carefully　　　　　　　 　 B. reading quickly and not word by word 　 C. reading by repeating some important words　 　 D. reading more than one article at the same time

5. This passage is probably taken from _______. 　 A. a newspaper for general readers　 　 B. a magazine for language teachers 　 C. a book for language learners　　　 　 D. an advertisement for a new book

4. Which of the following is TRUE? 　 A. Mike is angry with Mr Smith. 　 B. Mr Smith wants Mike to keep quiet. 　 C. Mr Smith wants Mike to sell his piano. 　 D. Mr Smith is going to move to another building.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B

　　 Good readers know that reading isn’t just about knowing words - it’s a way of thinking. Smart readers think before, during and after reading. Here are some tips that may be of some help.

　　 Think before you read. Before you read the text, ask yourself the questions that why you are reading it and what you want to get from it. Answering the questions will help you choose what words you need to know and what words you can skip or scan.

　　 Think while you are reading. Can you get the meaning of the text without looking up new words in a dictionary? Are there any clues in the text? A text will often give examples that may help you understand what some of the words mean. Let’s take the following sentence for example.

　　 Many large Russian cities, such as Chelyabinsk and Irkutsk, have taken steps to protect their culture.

　　 The words “Chelyabinsk” and “Irkutsk” may be new to us, but the sentence tells us that they are examples of _______.

　　 Think after you read. Do you understand the text? What is the main idea of the text? Can you guess the meaning of the new words? Which words do you need to look up? Is the text too easy or too hard for you?

　　 If you practice reading and thinking in this way, you will become a smarter reader and you will learn more, faster and better.