Cliff's TOEFL Preparation Guide [Paperback]

Jerry Bobrow (Author), William A. Covino (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1995 | ISBN-10: 0822020793 | ISBN-13: 978-0822020790 | Edition: Bk&Cassett

This is a test preparation guide for students studying English as a foreign language. It provides background material and guidance in understanding the TOEFL, which should help students take the test with maximum efficiency. It aims to be thorough, concise and easy to understand. The book includes: an analysis of each type of question and an explanation of the most successful approaches to it; an intensive grammar review, exercises and mini-tests; six full-length practice tests; answers and explanations, cross-referenced to the review; self-scoring charts; two audio cassettes; and a complete table of contents.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

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• Expert test-taking strategies
• Focused reviews and exercises
• Realistic full-length practice exams
• Comprehensive exam overview
• Action plan for effective preparation
• Accurate self-assessment tests

With complete coverage of each TOEFL test section — Listening Comprehension, Structure and Written Expression, and Reading Comprehension — a thorough review of English language structure, and an audio CD to help improve your understanding of spoken English, this guide is all you need to score your highest

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CliffsTestPrep guides are available for a full range of standardized tests. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Michael A. Pyle earned a bachelor's degree in English in 1977 and a master's degree in linguistics in 1979. He has been involved in the field of English as a Second Language since he began work on his master's degree in 1977. The original TOEFL test preparation book that he co-authored was created while Mike was teaching at the University of Florida's English Language Institute and Santa Fe Community College in Gainesville, Florida in 1982. He also wrote Cliffs Advanced Practice for TOEFL in 1992. Although Mike no longer actively teaches for any institution, he periodically makes presentations to individual classes at Daytona Beach Community College and Embry Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida. He is a member of Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) and regularly attends its annual meetings. He has made presentations on teaching techniques related to TOEFL at TESOL annual meetings from time to time. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 675 pages
• Publisher: Cliffs Cassettes (Audio); Bk&Cassett edition (July 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0822020793
• ISBN-13: 978-0822020790
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.7 x 2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,527,467 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars USEFUL BOOK, April 22, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: TOEFL CBT (Cliffs Test Prep) (Paperback)

The book is really very useful.
1) Comprehensive grammar. I have hardly ever seen so broad and full grammar section although I had Kaplan, Barrons, Cambridge, and Princenton. If you have problem with grammar review buy this book. Moreover, mini tests after each grammar subsection reinforce you memory. In addition, the grammar looks like very close to that in real test.
2) Reading section is also very good. The book presents a lof of helpful techniques how to approach to reading section of the test. This section also can be qualified as the best among Toefl tests books.
3) Listening section is fair. Listening comprehension section is much better in Kaplan and Delta Key for the Toefl test.
4) Book is very effective in terms of practicing the test. 6 full scale test included in the book allowe you get used to toefl pacing and timing.
Generally, there is no single book for the Toefl. As I mentioned, Kaplan is better for listening comprehension part while Cambridge Preparation for the Toefl Test is definitely the best for Essay section. If you know English well and need only practice I recommend you buy Delta Key for the Toefl Test with CD Rom. The Delta's CD has 10 !!! tests.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars very good book, August 2, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Cliff's TOEFL Preparation Guide (Paperback)

This is one of the best TOEFL books available.
The grammar section is so strong that you
can build up your grammar skills very easily.

Lots of explanations and lots of examples.

Very, very, very good book.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars TOEFL Books Summary, November 26, 2005

By 

PrivateI "MJ" (Anywhere) - See all my reviews

This review is from: TOEFL CBT (Cliffs Test Prep) (Paperback)

I've taken the TOEFL CBT, and got a reasonable grade of 283. Here are the book I've used, from the most important to the least one, and what I did with each one, based on other readers' reviews:

1. CliffsTestPrep TOEFL CBT:

Excellent structure section. Good Reading strategies - but for the structure part (word forms) rather then for the Reading part of the test!

It's also one of the cheapest books available.

2. Cambridge Preparation For The TOEFL Test:

Great Reading and Writing sections.

3. Kaplan's TOEFL Paper-And-Pencil, Third Edition:

A fine Listening section.

4. ETS TOEFL Test Preparation Kit, 2nd Edition:

A lot of exercises at the appropriate difficulty level (from the creators of the test themselves). However, it has only PBT test, and NOT CBT.

I hardly used this one at all.

The only book you need is CliffsTestPrep, which really helps you with the structure part, and, if you insist, the Cambridge's book for the essays, either.

Also, download the TOEFL PowerPrep software (a computerized demo test, available for free download at the TOEFL official web site, including all the tutorials you'll see in the actual test), and the list of available writing topics in the official pool from the same site, and practice them whenever you're doing a test, in-order to increase the chance that you would be given a topic you've already been written on.

You should also look for a document called 'Toefl Essay Writing Tips' - it has a lot of good (how surprising) tips to write the essay, including a comprehensive division of the essay types, and what should you do in each one.

That's it - you're ready!

Good luck!