Hi I'm Michael from ETS.
Today on Inside the TOEFL Test,
we're going inside the TOEFL iBT
Reading section, specifically
the Prose Summary questions.
The Prose Summary questions
are designed to show
that you recognize the major ideas
and the relative importance
of information in a reading passage.
In a Prose Summary question,
there are six answer choices
and you will need to select
the three correct choices
that express the most
important ideas in the passage.
The incorrect answer choices
will misrepresent information
in the passage,
or will discuss minor points.
In the real test, you will drag
and drop your answers into the box.
Prose Summary questions are worth
two points toward your raw score.
You get two points
if you choose all three correct answers.
You get one point if you choose
two correct answers.
And you get zero points for
one or no correct answers.
Note that your answers
don't have to be in any particular order
and you can change your answers
at any point
during the allotted time
for the reading section.
Each reading passage will have
one Prose Summary question.
Let's look at a sample
Prose Summary question.
This type of question covers
the whole reading passage,
not just a single sentence or paragraph.
Here's the passage about meteorites
and dinosaur extinction.
And here's the question.
Now let's look at each
of the answer choices to see
which three are correct.
Answer number one isn't supported
by any of the information
in the passage,
so we know that this one is not correct.
Answer number two
is a factually correct statement,
but identifying the specific date
when something happened
generally doesn't qualify
as one of the most important ideas.
So this one is probably not correct.
But let's look at the others
to make sure.
For answer number three,
the reference to the crater
Tycho is used to give a sense
of the size of the crater
that struck the Yucatan.
However,
the topic of meteorite activity on
the moon is not a focus of this passage.
Answer number four
combines several facts that together
provide a summary of an important idea
from the passage.
This is supported by information
given in paragraphs two and three.
Answer number five is about the effects
of meteorite impacts,
which is an important idea
of the passage.
We can see this in paragraph four,
where it talks
about the mass destruction
from the cold, darkness and fires.
And in paragraph five, where it talks
about the catastrophic results.
Answer number six
is another important idea
that is stated in a similar sentence
in paragraph five.
What is a catastrophe for one group
of living things,
however, may
create opportunities for another group.
So for this question,
answers four, five and six
are the correct three choices.
You can work to improve
your reading skills
by creating your own outlines
or charts when you read a passage.
Pick a chart format
that's helpful for you,
like one of these.
And as you read,
identify the main ideas
and supporting details.
As you practice more,
you will be able to take fewer notes
to outline the points.
There are lots of ways
to improve your English skills.
Whatever you do,
keep practicing
and good luck on your TOEFL test.