Toeic test prep

TOEIC

TEST

PREP

TOEIC_00_FM.qxd:Layout 1 6/17/10 8:49 AM Page i

Other Titles of Interest from LearningExpress

Grammar Success in 20 Minutes a Day

Reading Comprehension Success in 20 Minutes a Day

TOEFL iBT: The English Scores You Need

Vocabulary for TOEFL iBT

Vocabulary and Spelling Success in 20 Minutes a Day

Writing Success in 20 Minutes a Day

TOEIC_00_FM.qxd:Layout 1 6/17/10 8:49 AM Page ii

NEW YORK

®

TOEIC

TEST

PREP

TOEIC_00_FM.qxd:Layout 1 6/17/10 8:49 AM Page iii

Copyright © 2010 Learning Express, LLC.

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. Published in the

United States by LearningExpress, LLC, New York.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:

TOEIC test prep.—1st ed.

p. cm.

ISBN 978-1-57685-757-1

1. Test of English for International Communication—Study guides. 2. English language—

Examinations—Study guides. 3. English language—Textbooks for foreign speakers.

PE1128.T65535 2010

428.2'4—dc22

2010006387

Printed in the United States of America

9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

First Edition

ISBN: 978-1-57685-757-1

Regarding the Information in This Book

We attempt to verify the information presented in our books prior to publication. It is always a good idea,

however, to double-check such important information as minimum requirements, application and testing

procedures, and deadlines with your local law enforcement agency, as such information can change from time

to time.

For more information or to place an order, contact LearningExpress at:

2 Rector Street

26th Floor

New York, NY 10006

Or visit us at:

www.learnatest.com

TOEIC_00_FM.qxd:Layout 1 6/17/10 8:49 AM Page iv

v

CONTENTS

HOW TO USE THIS BOOK vi

CHAPTER 1 Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC) 1

CHAPTER 2 The LearningExpress Test Preparation System 11

CHAPTER 3 Diagnostic Exam 27

CHAPTER 4 Listening Comprehension Review 85

CHAPTER 5 Reading Comprehension Review 105

CHAPTER 6 Speaking Review 125

CHAPTER 7 Writing Review 143

CHAPTER 8 Practice Exam 1 169

CHAPTER 9 Practice Exam 2 229

CHAPTER 10 Practice Exam 3 279

APPENDIX Audio File Transcripts 329

ADDITIONAL ONLINE PRACTICE 377

TOEIC_00_FM.qxd:Layout 1 6/17/10 8:49 AM Page v

vi

This book was written to help ensure your success with the TOEIC. It includes test taking tips, descrip￾tions of the four test sections, practice questions, and four full-length practice exams.

Studying this material will help you to know what to expect when you take the test. For many of us,

test taking is stressful enough without adding any surprises. In this book, you will learn what to expect from

each section of the test, what kinds of questions are asked, and how much time you will have. You will also see

examples for each type of question.

You will have four opportunities to take full-length practice exams modeled on the actual TOEIC within

this book, plus an additional practice exam online. Consider taking the diagnostic exam before reading Chap￾ters 4 through 7. This will allow you to see how well you can answer different questions from the TOEIC listen￾ing, reading, speaking, and writing sections now as you begin preparing for the actual TOEIC. When you finish

the book, take practice exams 1 through 3 and the online practice exam for additional practice and to see how

much you have improved.

This book is accompanied by audio files, which can be accessed at http://www.learnatest.com/

SpeakingGuides/TOEIC_Test_Prep. Every time you must listen to an audio file within a set of practice

questions or during a practice exam, you will see this icon: . The information next to this icon will indi￾cate which audio file you should listen to. Make sure your computer has speakers; otherwise you will need

to use headphones.

The complete transcripts for all audio files are included in the appendix of this book, in case you do

not have access to a computer or headphones. If you do not have access to these, ask someone who speaks

English fluently to read the material to you face-to-face or into a tape recorder. Be sure your reader speaks

clearly at a normal, conversational pace.

HOW TO USE THIS BOOK

TOEIC_00_FM.qxd:Layout 1 6/17/10 8:49 AM Page vi

1

CHAPTER

1 TEST OF

ENGLISH FOR

INTERNATIONAL

COMMUNICATION

(TOEIC)

There are several tests of English proficiency. What sets the TOEIC, or Test of English for International

Communication, apart from the others is its strong business theme. It is focused on real-life situations

in the international workplace and so is tailored to adult business professionals who want to certify

that their English meets the daily tasks of professional business communication. TOEIC test scores are used by

businesses, schools, and governments all over the world to hire, recruit, and promote adult speakers of English

as a second language. An employer can look at a non-native English speaker’s TOEIC test scores to gauge his or

her everyday English skills. Employers can also use it to set language standards and create training programs for

their workers.

The test is most commonly taken by businesspeople who use or plan to use English in real-life work set￾tings. They often work for hotels, hospitals, or restaurants, or use their English frequently in international busi￾ness meetings or conventions. The test is taken by candidates for managerial, sales, and technical positions in

international business, commerce, and industry. Other test takers are simply preparing to enter the workforce

or seeking to improve their qualifications for new jobs.

TOEIC_01_1-26.qxd:Layout 1 6/17/10 8:51 AM Page 1

Although the test is especially suited to estab￾lishing employment credentials, TOEIC scores can

also be used as a qualification for placement in uni￾versity programs or courses. The test is often used in

instructional settings, where it serves as an assess￾ment tool to measure a broad range of English lan￾guage skills and place students in appropriate classes.

Individual test takers can also use their TOEIC scores

to monitor their own competence in and progress

with their English language skills.

How to Register for the TOEIC

The TOEIC is given in public sessions, at language

schools, and at organizations around the world. You

can register for the test online through the testing

website, www.ets.org/toeic, using most major credit

cards. The test fee for public testing sessions in the

United States is $75. You can also register for these

sessions by mail by filling out a paper application,

which can be downloaded from the same website.

For public testing sessions outside the United

States you must contact your local testing office about

registration. There is a link on the testing website that

offers contact information for testing offices in over

75 countries around the world. If there is no informa￾tion for your country, or you need a different testing

location, you can complete an information request

form. The testing service can make special arrange￾ments to administer the test in these circumstances.

There are 12 public testing sessions each year in

the United States, one per month. A regularly updated

calendar of the testing dates can be found on the Inter￾net. The registration deadline for these tests is 5:00 P.M.

Eastern Time the Thursday a week before the test. After

you register for the test, you will not be able to cancel

the registration or change your test date. A test may be

canceled if fewer than five people register for it.

After you submit your online registration, you

will receive a confirmation that the registration was re￾ceived. This confirmation is not the same as a test ticket.

The test ticket will be e-mailed later with a date, time,

and location. It usually takes less than a week for the test

provider to process your registration and send the test

ticket. You will need the ticket and a photo ID to check

in for the test. Passports, driver’s licenses, state ID cards,

military ID cards, and national ID cards are the recom￾mended forms of identification. Before you register for

the test, you should make sure that you will have a valid

form of identification on the day of the test; otherwise,

you cannot be admitted to the testing session.

Institutional testing sessions are arranged by

language schools and employers. Anyone who wants

to take the test in this venue should talk to his or her

instructor, coordinator, or supervisor. When a test is

administered by a company or school, registration

processes and fees are set by that institution.

Where the TOEIC Is Given

In the United States, tests are administered regularly

in public sessions in 23 states.

■ California—Berkeley, Costa Mesa, Fullerton,

Irvine, La Jolla, Los Angeles (two locations),

–TEST OF ENGLISH FOR INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATION (TOEIC)–

2

The TOEIC is widely accepted as a measure of

English skills. It can help you:

■ improve your professional resume

■ track your progress in English acquisition

■ show employers you are ready for success

at the next professional level

■ know your own strengths and limitations

■ qualify for educational opportunities and

placement

■ build your confidence

■ qualify for a new position

WHY TAKE THE TOEIC?

TOEIC_01_1-26.qxd:Layout 1 6/17/10 8:51 AM Page 2

Northridge, Rosemead, Sacramento, San Diego,

San Francisco, San Jose, Torrance

■ Colorado—Denver

■ District of Columbia—Washington

■ Florida—Fort Lauderdale, Miami

■ Georgia—Tucker

■ Hawaii—Honolulu

■ Idaho—Lewiston

■ Illinois—Chicago

■ Kansas—Manhattan

■ Kentucky—Covington

■ Massachusetts—Boston

■ Michigan—Ann Arbor, Battle Creek, Novi

■ Minnesota—St. Paul

■ New Jersey—Closter, Fort Lee, Union City

■ New York—New York City (two locations)

■ Ohio—Columbus

■ Oklahoma—Edmund, Oklahoma City, Stillwa￾ter, Tahlequah

■ Oregon—Lake Oswego, Portland

■ Pennsylvania—Philadelphia

■ Tennessee—Nashville

■ Texas—Austin, Dallas, Houston, Wichita Falls

■ Utah—Salt Lake City

■ Washington—Seattle

There is also a public testing site in Hato Rey, Puerto

Rico. The addresses of these testing sites can be found

on the TOEIC website.

To find testing locations outside the United

States, you will need to get the contact information

for the international testing offices. There are offices

in the following countries:

These offices can give you information about

international testing locations. If you need a different

testing location or information about another coun￾try, you need to fill out an information request form

to see if you can make special testing arrangements.

–TEST OF ENGLISH FOR INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATION (TOEIC)–

3

Argentina

Australia

Austria

Bahrain

Belgium

Belize

Bolivia

Brazil

Cambodia

Canada

Chile

China

Colombia

Costa Rica

Croatia

Dominican

Republic

Ecuador

Egypt

El Salvador

France

Germany

Greece

Guatemala

Honduras

Hong Kong

Hungary

India

Indonesia

Ireland

Israel

Italy

Japan

Jordan

Kenya

Korea

Kuwait

Laos

Latvia

Lebanon

Malaysia

Mexico

Morocco

Nepal

Netherlands

New Zealand

Nicaragua

Nigeria

Panama

Paraguay

Peru

Philippines

Poland

Portugal

Puerto Rico

Qatar

Russia

Saudi Arabia

Singapore

Spain

Switzerland

Syria

Taiwan

Thailand

Tunisia

Turkey

Ukraine

Uruguay

United Arab

Emirates

United Kingdom

Uzbekistan

Venezuela

Vietnam

West Bank/Gaza

Yemen

TOEIC_01_1-26.qxd:Layout 1 6/17/10 8:51 AM Page 3

Format of the TOEIC

The TOEIC is broken into two separate tests that can

be taken together or separately. Each of these two

tests is further divided into two skill sets: the Listen￾ing and Reading Test; and the Speaking and Writing

Test. You must register for each test individually. The

Listening and Reading Test contains eight different

types of questions and the Speaking and Writing Test

contains nine types of questions. This book helps you

familiarize yourself with the different types of ques￾tions as well as the test format.

The Listening and Reading Test is a two-and￾a-half-hour test, given in paper-and-pencil format.

It is broken into a timed 100-question listening sec￾tion and a timed 100-question reading section. Test

takers have 45 minutes to complete the listening

portion and 75 minutes to complete the reading

section. This is a multiple choice test with a sepa￾rate answer sheet. You should practice filling in

bubbles for the answers on a separate answer sheet

if you are not already familiar with the process. The

selections should be filled in darkly and completely

with a #2 pencil.

The Speaking and Writing Test is taken on a

computer. The speaking portion is 20 minutes long

and requires the test taker to complete 11 speaking

tasks, which are recorded for scoring. The writing

portion of the test takes one hour to complete and re￾quires the test taker to complete eight writing tasks

on a standard QWERTY keyboard. If you are plan￾ning to take the Speaking and Writing Test, you

should practice using the standard QWERTY (English￾language) keyboard.

You can use the sample tests in this book to

practice with the test format. It is important to thor￾oughly familiarize yourself with the format and ques￾tion types before test day.

Types of Questions on the Tests

There are 17 question types on the TOEIC test. Eight

different kinds of questions are used on the Listening

and Reading Test, and nine kinds of question are used

on the Speaking and Writing Test. This section pro￾vides a brief breakdown of the kinds of questions you

can expect to see. The rest of this book provides you

with more detailed descriptions, more examples, and

more thorough explanations of the question types on

each section of the test. It is very important to be famil￾iar with the kinds of questions you will see, so that you

do not waste valuable test time trying to determine

what kind of answer is expected.

–TEST OF ENGLISH FOR INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATION (TOEIC)–

4

The Listening and Reading Test is administered in paper￾and-pencil multiple choice format.

The Speaking and Writing Test is administered using a

computer.

TOEIC_01_1-26.qxd:Layout 1 6/17/10 8:51 AM Page 4

Question Types on the

Listening Portion

On the listening portion of the Listening and Reading

Test, you will see:

■ questions that ask you to choose the best descrip￾tion of a picture

■ questions that ask you to choose the best re￾sponse to a question or statement

■ questions about a recorded dialogue you will hear

■ questions about a short talk or message you will

listen to

Here are four descriptions of questions you might see

on the listening portion of the TOEIC test.

1. Photograph Description. For these questions

you will look at a picture in your test book, then

hear four statements about that picture. When

you hear the statements, select the one that best

describes what you see in the picture. Then, mark

the letter of that statement on your answer sheet.

The statements will not be printed in your test

book and will be spoken one time. There are 40

photograph description questions.

Example

You will see:

You will hear:

Now, listen to the four statements:

a. He had a terrible accident.

b. The freeway is crowded.

c. The bus is late.

d. The cars are for sale.

The best description of the picture is The

freeway is crowded, so you would mark answer

choice b on your answer sheet.

2. Question Response. For this type of question,

you will hear a question or statement and three

responses spoken in English. Then, you will se￾lect the best response to the question or state￾ment and mark the letter of your answer choice

on your answer sheet. The questions will not be

printed in your test book and will be spoken

one time. There are 30 question response items

on the test.

Example

You will hear:

How often do we have staff meetings?

You will also hear:

a. today

b. four

c. once a month

For this question you would mark choice c on

the answer sheet, because the answer once a

month best answers a question about the

frequency of meetings.

3. Conversations. In this section, you will hear

several conversations between two people. You

will be asked to answer three questions about

each conversation. The conversations will not

be printed in your test book and will be spoken

only once. There are ten conversations and three

questions about each conversation, for a total of

30 questions.

4. Short Talks. These questions are similar to the

conversation questions, except there is only one

speaker. You will listen to someone speaking

and answer a few written questions about what

you heard. The talks will not be printed in your

test book and will be spoken only one time.

There are 30 questions about the short talks.

–TEST OF ENGLISH FOR INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATION (TOEIC)–

5

TOEIC_01_1-26.qxd:Layout 1 6/17/10 8:51 AM Page 5

Question Types on the

Reading Portion

On the reading portion of the Listening and Reading

Test, you will see:

■ questions that ask you to choose the best word

to complete a sentence

■ questions that ask you to choose the best word

to complete a text

■ questions about a single text you will read

■ questions that you must use two pieces of text

(usually a block of text and an item in a differ￾ent, real-world format) to answer

Here are four descriptions of questions you

might see on the reading portion of the TOEIC test.

1. Incomplete Sentences. In this kind of question,

you will read a sentence with a word missing.

There will be four answer choices for the miss￾ing word. You must choose the best word to

complete the sentence and mark the correspon￾ding letter of that answer choice on your answer

sheet. There are 40 incomplete sentence ques￾tions on the test.

Example

Yesterday’s meeting __________ because the

director was sick.

a. cancelled

b. is cancelled

c. is cancelling

d. was cancelled

For this question, you would mark choice d on

your answer sheet because was cancelled

correctly completes the sentence.

2. Text Completion. The text completion ques￾tions are similar to the incomplete sentence

questions, except the sentences flow together

into a single block of text. This means that you

will have to read several sentences together to be

able to choose the missing word. You will then

fill in the correct letter of the answer choice on

your answer sheet. There are 12 text completion

questions on the test.

3. Single Passage. These are reading comprehen￾sion questions. You will read a passage and an￾swer questions about what you read. Some of

the questions will refer to texts in real-world

formats, like advertisements or websites. The

number of questions about each passage will

vary. There are 28 single passage questions on

the test.

4. Double Passage. These are also reading com￾prehension questions, but the questions are

taken from two texts that are to be read to￾gether. You will read two passages, some of

which will be in real-world formats, and answer

questions about what you read. Some of the

questions will require that you combine infor￾mation from both passages. The number of

questions about each pair will vary. There are 20

double passage questions on the test.

Question Types on the

Speaking Portion

On the speaking portion of the Speaking and Writing

Test, you will perform six kinds of speaking tasks:

■ You will be asked to read a text aloud.

■ You will be asked to describe a picture.

■ You will respond to questions about your life

and opinions.

■ You will answer questions aloud using written

information that is provided.

■ You will listen to a problem and propose a solu￾tion to the problem.

■ You will express an opinion aloud.

–TEST OF ENGLISH FOR INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATION (TOEIC)–

6

TOEIC_01_1-26.qxd:Layout 1 6/17/10 8:51 AM Page 6

Here are six descriptions of questions you might see

on the speaking portion of the TOEIC test.

1. Read a Text Aloud. For these questions, you will

be asked to read two short texts aloud. The

readings will be recorded and scored on clarity,

pronunciation, and emphasis.

2. Describe a Picture. For this type of question,

you will orally compose three to five detailed

sentences describing a picture. What you say

will be recorded for scoring. There is only one

picture description on the speaking portion of

the test. You will have 30 seconds to prepare

the response and 45 seconds to speak about

the picture.

3. Respond to Questions. For this portion of the

test you will be asked three questions—two

simple and one more complicated—on a single

topic. You will have 15 seconds to answer the

first two questions and 30 seconds to answer

the third. Your responses will be recorded for

scoring.

Example

You will hear: Where do you usually get the

news?

You will hear: How often do you get news from

this source?

You will hear: Do you think it is important to

stay up-to-date on world events, and if so,

why?

4. Respond to Questions Using Information Pro￾vided. For these questions, a text in real-world

format, such as a webpage, advertisement, or or￾der form, will appear on the computer screen.

You will read the information and listen to

questions about it. You will then use the infor￾mation on the screen to answer questions.

There will be three questions about the infor￾mation; you will have 15 seconds to answer the

first two and 30 seconds to answer the third.

5. Propose a Solution. This speaking task requires

that you listen to a speaker talk about a prob￾lem. You will then offer a solution to the prob￾lem. You will have 30 seconds to prepare for

your response and 60 seconds to speak.

6. Express an Opinion. The final question on the

speaking portion of the test asks you to express

an opinion about a given topic. You will hear a

spoken prompt. You will then have 15 seconds

to think and prepare, and 30 seconds to orally

compose a response.

Example

You will hear: People have different under￾standings of what kinds of conversations are

appropriate in work environments. Some

people talk with their coworkers about all

aspects of their lives and others keep their

personal lives private. Do you think it is

appropriate to talk about personal problems

at the office? Give reasons and examples to

support your opinion.

Question Types on the

Writing Portion

On the writing portion of the Speaking and Writing

Test, you will perform three kinds of writing tasks:

■ write sentences describing pictures

■ compose responses to written requests for

information

■ produce a well-organized opinion essay

Here are three descriptions of questions you might

see on the writing portion of the TOEIC test:

1. Write a Sentence Based on a Picture. These

questions are different from the picture ques￾tions in the other sections of the test in that you

will not only have to describe the picture, but

–TEST OF ENGLISH FOR INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATION (TOEIC)–

7

TOEIC_01_1-26.qxd:Layout 1 6/17/10 8:51 AM Page 7

you must also incorporate two given words or

phrases into the one-sentence description. You

will have to write a single complex sentence for

each item. You have eight minutes to complete

the five picture questions.

Example

You will see:

waiting for, so

A sentence that includes waiting for and so and

also talks about the picture might read

something like: The people are waiting for the

plane to take off so they can get out of their seats.

2. Respond to a Written Request. For these ques￾tions, you must read a document that asks you

to respond with information or questions about

a topic. There are two questions of this type on

the test. You will have ten minutes to respond to

each prompt.

3. Opinion Essay. There is one complete essay to

write. It will be about 300 words in length and

will express a well-supported opinion. You will

have 30 minutes to plan and write an organized

three to five paragraph essay.

Scoring

Since your score indicates a proficiency level; it is im￾possible to fail the TOEIC test; different proficiency

levels are necessary for different jobs, tasks, and

placements. The proficiency levels that the test pro￾vide as part of your score come with descriptions of

the strengths and weaknesses typical of someone us￾ing English at that level.

The Listening and Reading Test is scored by cal￾culating the correct number of answer choices. The

raw number of correct answers is converted to a

scaled score, which compares an individual’s raw

score with the raw score of other test takers. This

makes allowances for the difficulty level of any partic￾ular test administration.

The test score you receive on the Listening and

Reading Test is based only on the number of questions

you answer correctly; there is not a penalty for incor￾rect answers. The scaled scores for this test range from

5 to 495. A proficiency level is assigned based on the

scaled score. A score report provides three scores: a lis￾tening score, a reading score, and a total score. Each of

these corresponds to a proficiency level, which is listed

with a description. There are three possible profi￾ciency levels and descriptions for the listening section

and four possible levels and descriptions for the read￾ing section. A document also exists that translates

these descriptions into real-life situations and tells

what specific tasks someone at this level can usually

do successfully in a work environment.

A test taker will usually receive a score report

about seven days after completing a public session of

the Listening and Reading Test. If the test is adminis￾tered through a private organization, the scores are

sent to that organization, whose responsibility it is to

distribute the scores to individual test takers.

There are two separate scores for the Speaking

and Writing Test, one for speaking and one for writ￾ing, but no total score. Each speaking and writing

item is scored on a scale of zero through three, zero

through four, or zero through five, according to a

rubric. The item scores are then calculated into over￾all scaled scores that indicate proficiency levels in the

domains of speaking and writing. The proficiency

levels on these tests also come with proficiency level

–TEST OF ENGLISH FOR INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATION (TOEIC)–

8

TOEIC_01_1-26.qxd:Layout 1 6/17/10 8:51 AM Page 8

descriptors that give details about the strengths and

weaknesses typical of speakers and writers at each

level. It is worth noting that the Speaking and Writing

Test is scored by people, not machines, so scores usu￾ally do not arrive as quickly as those for the Listening

and Reading Test.

The Speaking Test items are scored using rubrics

on a scoring scale between zero and three on the first

nine questions, and between zero and five on the final

two questions. The rubrics generally take into account

pronunciation, intonation and stress, grammar, vocab￾ulary, cohesion, relevance, and completeness. These

scores are converted into an overall speaking score that

ranges from zero through 200. Different scores on this

scale are correlated with eight levels of speaking profi￾ciency. There is a description of the typical skills and

abilities of speakers at each proficiency level provided

on the score report.

The Writing Test items are scored similarly.

They use rubrics with scores ranging from zero to

three on the first five questions, zero to four on the

next two questions, and zero to five on the final

question. Writing questions are generally scored on

grammar, vocabulary, organization, complexity and

variety of sentences, relevance to the prompts, and

support for ideas. These item scores are then calcu￾lated into an overall writing scale score between zero

and 200. Different scores on this scale correspond

with nine levels of writing proficiency. Detailed de￾scriptions of the strengths and weaknesses typical of

writers at each of the nine proficiency levels are pro￾vided on the score reports.

The score reports for all four tests contain a

great deal of information about a test taker’s language

skills. The reports not only give scores, but attempt to

explain, using proficiency level descriptors, exactly

what the scores mean. These descriptions can provide

valuable information for test takers, schools, and em￾ployers. Other chapters of this book go into greater

detail about the scoring of each section.

–TEST OF ENGLISH FOR INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATION (TOEIC)–

9

TOEIC_01_1-26.qxd:Layout 1 6/17/10 8:51 AM Page 9