VOA慢速英语: 开始准备托福（双语）

Getting Started with TOEFL

开始准备托福

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.

倘若你对去美国上大学感兴趣，那你也许听说过检定非英语为母语者的英语能力考试，这种考试就是托福。这是申请去美国大学最广泛的语言测试考试。

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 totop schools. The most competitive universities generally expect an Internet-based test score of 90 or above. Others accept lower scores, and some donot 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，因为考试风险大。优秀的托福测试结果能打开多扇美国大学的大门。但是托福分数低的话就会限制你申请奖学金，以及限制你进入顶尖的大学。最具竞争力 的大学通常要求托福网考分数在90分或者更高。其他大学则可以接受托福分数稍低的学生，甚至有些大学根本不要求托福分数。大多数大学不会公布录取的分数 线，但是取得高分确实会有很大帮助。

There are two major versions of the TOEFL test. The first is the iBT, orInternet-based Test. It is offered in most of the world and accepted by nearly every university and scholarship program in the United States.

托福考试有两大类型。第一种是托福网考，世界大多数地区都提供这种考试，美国几乎所有大学和奖学金项目都认可这种形式的考试。

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.

而另一种考试形式是 纸考。一些发展中国家仍使用这种方式。奖学金项目为学生提供资金，帮助他/她继续接受教育。许多学校奖学金项目会根据纸考结果，录取首先申请该校奖学金的 学生。但是，正式录取前，他们也许会要求学生参加托福网考。托福纸考成本更低，不需要使用因特网，一些企业和政府机关运用纸考来测试他们雇员的英语语言能 力。

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.

托福网考和纸考的体系不一样。主要区别是网考完全是在线考试，包括检测学生说英语的能力的一些问题。网考还有综合的考试项目，比如：听、说和读都混合在一起。纸考测试并没有把这些部分混合在一起。纸考有一部分是检测语法——组词造句的规则，而网考则没有这一项。

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.

如果有机会，参加托福网考，考试费用并不昂贵。纸考正逐渐淘汰，最终会消失。

Here are some tips for getting started with TOEFL:

这里给一些建议给开始准备托福的人：

1. Plan ahead – It takes a long time to improve your TOEFL score. Manystudents 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 alot of time and energy.

1.提前计划——要提高托福分数需要很长时间，很多学生只是考试前学习。提升分数需要花费数月的深入的练习。别指望经过两周的学习就能有个好的考试结果。没有什么简捷的办法迅速提高分数。你需要花费大量的时间和精力。

2. Master the basics first – Many students study for the TOEFL before theyare ready. You should have at least an upper-intermediate English level beforeyou 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.首先掌握一些基本要点——许多学生还没有准备好就开始学习托福。参加考试至少得接近这个英语水平。如果你的分数纸考低于500分或者网考分数70分，你需要再学几个月基础知识，然后再来考托福。

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.制定一份学习指导——托福网考的学习指导很容易找到，皮 尔森（Pearson）、巴伦（Barron’s）、美国教育考试服务中心（ETS）还有卡普兰（Kaplan）都提供高品质的学习材料。一个月做一两次 练习测验。每次测验的结果就是最好的学习指导。纸考的指导较难找到，因为这种测试正逐渐淘汰。

4. Use outside resources – Using TOEFL practice materials all the time willmake 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 Englishspeakers, 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.运用外部资源——总用托福的材料 练习会让你抓狂的，记住一点：你是在学习一门语言，不是学习一门考试。通过让英语成为日常生活中的一部分，可以提高托福分数。一些简单的方式是听播客、与 讲英语的人进行交谈、看电影还有读报纸。还有一些人会阅读英语教科书，发送英语信息、阅读英语信息，还有人上网用英语写评论。

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.

最重要的一点是，要想托福取得好成绩，必须很好地了解英语。不要 依靠那些建议和窍门；不要试图蒙骗测试机构。把读、听、写和语法看成是交流中的彼此相关的概念。测试的真正目的是检测学生在英语课堂上到底能多流畅的交 流。自己每天一步一个脚印的学习英语，肯定会不断的取得进步。

I’m Adam Brock

我是亚当·布洛克