托福考试解读

    If you are interested in studying at an American university, you have probably heard about the Test of English as a Foreign Language. The test is widely known as the TOEFL. It is the most widely used language assessment exam for American universities.
    如果你想到美国上大学,你可能已经听说过“检定非英语为母语者的英语能力考试”。人们普遍称之为“托福考试”。它是美国大学采用最广泛的一种语言评估考试。

    Many foreign students are frightened of the TOEFL because it is risky. Good test results on the TOEFL will open many doors. But a low TOEFL score will limit your choices for financial aid and admission to top schools. The most competitive universities generally expect an Internet-based test score of 90 or above. Others accept lower scores, and some do not require a TOEFL score at all. Most universities do not publicize an actual cutoff score, but a high score will always help.
    许多外国学生都害怕托福考试,因为该考试有风险。在托福考试中考个好成绩能创造很多机会。但托福分数不高会限制你在奖学金和顶尖名校入学上的选择。最有竞争力的大学普遍预期学生的托福网考分数至少为90分,另一些大学接受低一点的分数,有些大学则根本不需要托福成绩。许多大学不会公布实际录取分数线,但高分总有好处。

    There are two major versions of the TOEFL test. The first is the iBT, or Internet-based Test. It is offered in most of the world and accepted by nearly every university and scholarship program in the United States.
    托福考试分为两个主要版本。其一是托福网考(又称之为托福机考、新托福)。全球大部分地区都能参加考试,也被几乎所有美国大学和奖学金项目所认可。

    The other version of the test is called the Paper-based Test or PBT. It is still used in some developing countries. Scholarship programs provide money for a student to continue his or her education. Many scholarship programs will accept the PBT results when a student first asks for financial aid. However, they may require students to take the iBT before official admission. The PBT is less costly to take and does not require use of the Internet. Some businesses and government offices use the PBT to test the English language skills of their employees.
    托福考试的另一个版本被称之为托福纸考。它在一些发展中国家仍被采用。奖学金项目为学生继续深造提供资金。许多奖学金项目在学生申请时都接受托福纸考成绩。然而她们可能要求学生们在正式录取之前参加托福网考。参加托福纸考的费用便宜些,也不需要使用互联网。一些企业和政府机构使用托福纸考来测试其员工的英语技能。

    The iBT and PBT have very different structures. The main difference is that the iBT is completely online and includes questions to measure the person's ability to speak in English. The iBT also has integrated tasks. For example, listening, reading, and speaking are mixed together. The Paper-based Test does not mix the different sections. The PBT has an area to test grammar, the rules governing the use of words and phrases. The Internet-based Test does not.
    托福网考和纸考具有完全不同的考试结构。主要区别在于,网考完全在线,并且包括测试个人英语口语能力的问题。托福网考还有综合性题目。例如听力、阅读和口语混合到一起。托福纸考不会混合不同的考试部分。托福纸考具有测试语法、单词及短语应用规则的部分。托福网考没有这部分内容。

    If you have a choice, take the iBT if it is not too pricey. The Paper-based test is being phased out. It will eventually disappear.
    如果你可以选择,请参加托福网考,如果不是太贵的话。托福纸考逐渐被淘汰,它最终会被取消。

    Here are some tips for getting started with TOEFL:
    以下是准备托福考试的一些技巧:

    1. Plan ahead – It takes a long time to improve your TOEFL score. Many students study just before the test. Raising your score will takes months of intensive work. Do not expect a big lift in your test results after two weeks. There is no easy way to improve your score quickly. You will have to spend a lot of time and energy.
    1,提前计划 - 提高托福成绩需要很长时间。许多学生只是在考试前学习。提高考试成绩需要几个月的紧张学习,别指望学习两个星期你的托福分数就能大幅提高。托福考试没有快速提高成绩的捷径。你需要花费大量时间和精力。

    2. Master the basics first – Many students study for the TOEFL before they are ready. You should have at least an upper-intermediate English level before you attempt the test. If you score below 500 on the PBT or 70 on the iBT, study the fundamentals for a few months and come back to the TOEFL later.
    2. 首先掌握好基础知识 - 许多学生在打好基础前就开始学习托福。在参加考试前你至少应该具有中高级英语水平。如果你托福纸考低于500分,或网考低于70分,请花几个月学习基础知识再回来学习托福。

    3. Get a study guide – It is easy to find study guides for the iBT. Pearson, Barron's, ETS, and Kaplan all produce quality materials. Take a practice test once or twice a month. The best study guides will have explanations in the answer key. PBT study guides are difficult to find because the test is being phased out.
    3. 获得学习材料 - 找到托福网考的学习材料容易。培生、巴伦、美国教育考试中心和卡普兰都出版合格的学习材料。每个月参加一两次模拟考试。最好学习材料的答案都有解释。纸考学习材料很难找到,因为纸考正在被淘汰。

    4. Use outside resources – Using TOEFL practice materials all the time will make you crazy. Remember, you are learning a language, not a test. You can improve your TOEFL score by making English part of your daily life. Some simple ways are listening to podcasts, informal conversation with English speakers, watching movies and reading newspapers. Some others are reading English textbooks, sending and reading text messages in English, and writing online comments in English.
    4. 使用外部资源 - 一直使用托福练习材料会让你发疯。请记住你是在学习一门语言而不是考试。你可以把英语融入日常生活以提高托福成绩。一些简单的办法就是听播客,同英语人士进行非正式对话,看电影和读报。还有些办法包括阅读英语教材,用英语收发短信,用英语发表网上评论。

    The bottom line is, the best way to do well on the TOEFL is to know English well. Do not depend on informal advice or tricks. Do not try to outwit the test maker. Think of reading, listening, speaking, writing, and grammar as a single connected concept–communication. The real goal of the test is to measure how well a student can communicate in English-speaking classroom. Immerse yourself in English on a daily basis and improvement is sure to follow.
    关键是,考好托福的最好办法是学好英语。不要依赖于非正式的建议或技巧。不要试图算计考试机构。将阅读、听力、口语、写作以及语法当作一个简单的相关概念--沟通。考试的真正目的是衡量学生在英语课堂中的沟通能力。让自己的日常沟通沉浸在英语中,自然会有提高。

    I'm Adam Brock.
    我是亚当·布洛克(Adam Brock)。(51VOA.COM对本文翻译保留全部权利,未经授权请勿转载,违者必究!)