An excellent book that combines instruction and practice., 25 Feb 2002

Although the book is five years old, and the TOEFL test itself has passed through a number of changes (most notably the current computer-based format), the book continues to be among the best available for students who need to actually learn, and not just familiarize themselves with the test format.

The Listening section trains the student in the skills required on the test, starting with the very basics: distinguishing similar sounds in single words, word meanings, expressions of time, quantity and comparison, idioms, phrasal verbs and so on. Then the book proceeds to short conversations, and ultimately to longer, more difficult conversations.

The Structure section is excellent and very comprehensive, with the answer section providing the correct choice along with very clear explanations.

The Reading Comprehension section begins with 30 pages of vocabulary building practice which is pretty heavy going, but could be useful for a student who is willing to work very hard to improve his/her vocabulary. The rest of the section is very good training in the skills and strategies necessary for analyzing the reading passages.

The book also contains three practice tests, one of which is diagnostic and refers the students to various sections of the book for each wrong answer.

In summary, this is a good, solid instructional tool which, as a teacher, I keep referring students back to, despite all the newer materials on the market. I am eagerly awaiting the new edition.

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