TOEIC Strategies 2: Part 7 - Reading Comprehension (R)

TOEIC OVERVIEW

Part 7 - READING COMPREHENSION

You need to answer 54 questions about single and multiple passage sets. For single passage sets, there will be 29 questions with 2 to 4 questions about each single text. For the multiple passage sets, you need to answer 25 questions throughout 2 sets with 2 passages and 3 sets with 3 passages. There will be 5 questions about each multiple passage set. Recommended Time: 50 minutes.

STRATEGY 1:
Learning how to answer "NOT" questions and questions with names, numbers, dates, or times; Eliminating incorrect answer choices

SNEAK PEEK 1

Learning how to answer "NOT" questions and eliminating incorrect answer choices

A. Instructions: Find the keywords in the question and each answer choice and eliminate all the options that you think have the same meaning as the words in the text below then choose your final answer choice.

1. Which of the following is NOT true about the refund policy?

(A) You must return your pool pass if you want a refund.

(B) Cancelations will be accepted for medical reasons.

(D) You must inform your instructor when leaving the course.

Summer program refund policy

The effective date of the withdrawal/cancellation is the date the withdrawal notice is received by the center, regardless of the date the participant stopped attending the class.

Withdrawal requests from all registered courses must be made before the second class is held. If the request is received 5 business days prior to the first class, the amount refunded will be the full amount, less the refund administration fee ($25.00). If the request is received after the first class, but before the second class, the amount refunded will be the full amount, less the cost of the first class and less the admin fee ($25.00). From the second lesson onwards, no refunds/credits will be issued.

If there is a medical reason for the request, it must be received prior to the mid-point of the program. Refunds for sports and fitness programs will NOT be processed until ALL gym and pool passes have been returned.

Please note that advising an instructor or not attending a program will not constitute a notice of withdrawal.

Cash/check remittances will be refunded by check. Please allow our office 4 to 6 weeks to process your refund. Credit card refunds will go back on the original card.

B. Instructions: Choose the option for each number that does NOT have the same meaning as the original phrase.

1. Pets are not allowed in this establishment	a. Animals prohibited from entry
	b. No dogs or cats allowed
	c. Owners are responsible for their pets' behavior
2. No refunds for opened goods	a. Goods must be returned in a sealed condition
	b. All products come with an unconditional money-back guarantee
	c. Exchange only on unopened products
3. Discounts for seniors	a. Flat price for all ages
	b. Senior citizens get special rates
	c. Reduced prices for older people

LET'S TRY IT 1

Learning how to answer questions with names, numbers, dates, or times

A. Instructions: Read the question and answer choices. Then scan the passage below it to find the first answer choice. Decide if it refers to the same event mentioned in the question or a different one. Do this until the last answer choice to help you find the correct answer.

1. At what time will Dr. Lee catch a plane?	SAME or DIFFERENT EVENT
(A) 11:30 A.M.
(B) 3:00 P.M.
(C) 8:30 P.M.
(D) 9:00 P.M.

From: mmcpeg@glech.research.com

To: jholmes@gitech.com

Date: Feb 17

Subject: Dr. Lee’s visit

John, here is the outline for Dr. Lee’s visit.

You will meet Dr. Lee at the airport on Monday night at 8:30 and drive him to the hotel. The next day Tuesday, just after breakfast, we will bring him to the senior staff meeting, which is set for 11:30. We aim to have the conference call with the Zurich laboratories from 3:00, but we may have to reschedule it if the Swiss team are delayed.

Wednesday will be taken up with touring the plant and the research building. That should leave Dr. Lee enough time to interview the team leaders on Thursday before his flight back to Singapore at 9:00 on Friday evening.

Time is very tight on this visit and it is important that things go smoothly. Please ensure that all arrangements are made at your end.

Malcolm

B. Instructions: Do the same strategy for the question below.

2. When is Dr. Lee scheduled to have a conference call?	SAME or DIFFERENT EVENT
(A) On Monday night
(B) On Tuesday morning
(C) On Tuesday afternoon
(D) On Friday afternoon

TOEIC TIPS!

28. Answer "NOT" questions last and use information from the easier questions.

Doing the other questions should help you to answer "NOT" questions. If not, skim the passage to confirm the most likely answer choice.

29. Eliminate incorrect answer choices and choose what's left.

Ignore choices which seem to be distractors. For "NOT" questions, ignore answer choices with similar meanings in the passage you need to find the one that is NOT true. The option you can't find is the correct answer.

LET'S PRACTICE 1

A. Instructions: Use the tips you have learned to answer questions 1-3.

Questions 1-3 refer to the following email.

From: Alison Lockwood [ ali_cat@inmail.com ]

To: susan77@yourmail.com

Date: 29 May 20-, 3:30 P.M.

Subject: Julia’s Party

Hi Susan,

Just a quick note to remind you we really need to organize Julia’s party as soon as possible.mHer birthday is on 10 June, but she’s not working that day so I thought we could have it on her first day back, 11 June. This might be a good day to have it as everyone in the section is working an early shift that day. That means they will finish at 5 P.M. so there should be plenty of time to get to the restaurant for a 6:30 start ... what do you think?

I’ve already spoken to the manager about it all. He says it’s fine, but just needs to get the numbers by Friday so he can organize the food. I think we should book for around 12-15 people ... is that OK?

Let me know what you think,

Ali

1. What is NOT true?

(A) The party will be held in a restaurant.

(B) Alison is writing to Susan about a party.

(D) Between 10 and 15 people are expected.

2. At what time will the party start?

(A) 12:15 P.M.

(B) 3:31 P.M.

(D) 6:30 P.M.

3. When will the party be held?

(A) On May 29

(B) On June 10

(D) On December 15

STRATEGY 2:
Learning how to deal with charts, tables, and forms; Locating information in questions that refer to two or more texts

SNEAK PEEK 2

Dealing with charts, tables, and forms

A. Instructions: Match the description of the features (A-F) with the section of the email or the table (1-6) that it best describes.

A. Background information related to the chart/table/form or the people who use it

B. Details of how information in the chart/table/form is meant to be used

C. Information about who the text is from or intended for

D. Details/facts/numbers/dates/names

E. Extra details that indicate changes/differences to the information in the chart/table/form

F. The main focus of the chart/table/form

2024-TS-PART 7

B. Instructions: Now answer the following questions about the email and table as quickly as you can.

1. What does the chart show?

(A) The number of vehicles sold by one manufacturer

(B) Sales figures for four years

2. Who sent this e-mail?

(A) Andrew Fisk

(B) Gordon Billings

3. Which model sold the greatest number overall?

(A) Civic

(B) Odyssey

4. Which was the most successful period for sales of the Odyssey?

(A) July-August

(B) January-March

5. What happened in January?

(A) There was a sales conference.

(B) The Accord model was discontinued.

6. How many Accords were sold in December?

(A) 465

(B) 0

LET'S TRY IT 2

Locating information in questions that refer to two or more texts

A. Instructions: Look at the questions below and identify if you need to look at the ad, email, or both (shown below) to find the answer.

	AD	EMAIL	EMAIL
1. Where did Kelvin Adams see the ad?
2. What feature probably attracted Kelvin to this apartment?
3. How many rooms are there in the apartment?
4. What does Kelvin request?
5. Which of the following is likely to be a problem?

2024-TS-PART 7

B. Instructions: Look at the answer choices and choose the best answer based on your analysis from the previous exercise.

1. Where did Kelvin Adams see the ad?

(A) On the Internet

(B) In the newspaper

2. What feature probably attracted Kelvin to this apartment?

(A) The central heating

(B) The price

3. How many rooms are there in the apartment?

(A) 2

(B) 5

4. What does Kelvin request?

(A) Directions to the apartment

(B) Pictures of the apartment

5, Which of the following is likely to be a problem?

(A) The availability date

(B) The policy on pets

TOEIC TIPS!

30. Understand parts of charts, tables, and forms and find information quickly.

Doing so will help you know where to look for the answers and which part of the text is referred to.

31. Be careful of the fine print in charts, tables, and forms.

These might include notes or extra information at the bottom. Check this before choosing an answer to avoid making possible mistakes.

32. Read all passages and watch for connected information between texts.

Make sure to read all the passages before you answer. In each double or tiple passage there will be at least one question that will require you to look at at least two of the texts and connect their information.

LET'S PRACTICE 2

A. Instructions: Use the tips you have learned to answer the following questions below.

Questions 1-3 refer to the following report and chart.

Consumer’s Friend magazine

We do the research, so you don’t have to!

In our efforts to keep consumers informed, we continue to look hard at product and pricing trends throughout the region.

This month’s report focuses on a year-long pricing study of the 4 largest supermarket chains in the Greater Altonville area. For this study we surveyed 2 main food staples, eggs and bread, in each chain over a full year. Surveys on individual products showed little quality difference between each of the four stores. The main difference was the price, as shown in our comparison chart below.

2024-TS-PART 7

1. Who are the intended readers of this report?

(A) Reporters

(B) Store owners

(D) Shoppers

2. Which company sold the cheapest bread in the first four months?

(A) Floor Mart

(B) 5-9 Stores

(D) VFG

3. What happened to the price of eggs at Floor Mart throughout the year?

(A) It stayed largely unchanged.

(B) It dropped slightly.

(D) It matched their competitors.

Questions 4-8 refer to the following advertisement and letter.

2024-TS-PART 7

132B, West Bayside

San Francisco, CA 94105

24 August

Dear Sir,

I am writing to complain about a recent trip I took with Suntours. I originally signed up for a two week trip to the island of Kefalonia, as advertised in Newsmonth magazine, and was looking forward to enjoying the holiday. Unfortunately, I felt that a number of things spoiled the holiday for me. Firstly, I was led to believe that all rooms in the hotel had a balcony with a view of the beach. However, my room not only did not have a balcony, but it faced away from the sea. Secondly, only one of the hotel’s pools was open, the other was still under construction, and the promised jacuzzi was not there at all. The hotel’s restaurant was excellent, but it was closed two nights a week, meaning that my family had to walk about 30 minutes into the nearest town to eat, as there was no evening bus service. Finally, we took the tour to Turkey, but could not leave the boat, as nobody told us we had to arrange visas in advance. Had we known, we could have chosen the other option.

I feel very disappointed about the trip, and would appreciate some compensation.

Yours truly,

Dave Clayman

4. How far is the hotel from the beach?

(A) 5 minutes

(B) 30 minutes

(D) 2 hours

5. What is advertised as part of the package?

(A) A suite of rooms

(B) A private beach

(D) A chance to visit historic ruins

6. How does Mr. Clayman feel about the hotel?

(A) He is unhappy there was nowhere to swim.

(B) He is angry his balcony was too small.

(D) He feels the advertisement misrepresented the hotel.

7. What was Mr. Clayman NOT disappointed about?

(A) The view from his window

(B) The quality of the food

(D) The lack of a bus service

8. Which option does Mr. Clayman wish he had chosen?

(A) The visit to the local villages

(B) The trip to Turkey

(D) The visit to Kefalonia

LET'S DO THE CHALLENGE!

Instructions: Your mentor will give you 13 minutes to finish answering all 14 questions. Apply the Double Pass method to help you maximize your time. Try to spend a maximum of 50 to 55 seconds for each question. If you can't find the answer, make your best guess and continue to the other items.

Questions 1-4 refer to the following announcement.

ATTENTION!

EMERGENCY PROCEDURES FOR MINOR CHEMICAL SPILLS

Certain experiments require the handling of dangerous and toxic chemicals and materials. Please be familiar with the following emergency procedures.

GET AWAY. Extinguish any ignition source (burners, appliances, and other equipment) and move to a safe distance.

DETERMINE the nature of the substance spilled, the extent of the spill, and the degree of danger. Block off the area.

GET HELP. If the spill cannot be handled safely using the equipment and personnel present, activate the fire alarm and call 911 for emergency assistance.

ASSESS INJURIES. If anyone is injured, call 911.

CLEAN UP THE SPILL WITH PROPER EQUIPMENT AND MATERIALS. Select the appropriate protective equipment and clean-up materials for the chemical spill. Place contaminated materials in the container designated for hazardous waste.

DISPOSAL. Contact Environmental Health and Safety personnel. Absorbed materials remain hazardous. Treat them with care.

1. Where would this notice be posted?

(A) a laboratory

(B) a health food store

(D) a garage

2. In case of a chemical spill, what should be done first?

(A) put on protective gear

(B) contact the janitor

(D) call the health authorities

3. How should contaminated materials be disposed of?

(A) They should be burned.

(B) They should be rinsed thoroughly with water.

(D) They should be placed in special containers.

4. Which personnel should be contacted prior to disposal?

(A) the police department

(B) the fire department

(D) environmental health authorities

Questions 5-9 refer to the following registration notice and email.

To: Registrants

From: Program Director

Subject: Course Deposits and Withdrawal Policy

Date: March 12

Dear Registrants;

A $100 deposit per person is required for the 5-day course on Website Design and $50 per person for the 2-day Social Media Marketing course. Deposits are refundable if notice of cancellation is received at least 14 days prior to the reservation period, less a $10 handling charge. Deposit will not be refunded if cancellation is received less than 14 days prior to the reservation period. Deposit may be transferred to another session if notice of change is received at least 7 days prior to original date of enrollment. Transfer of deposit to another session is contingent upon availability of space in that session.

Please contact the Program Director at pd@seminars.com

To: Program Director

From: Grant Hayhurst

Subject: Course Refund

Date: March 12

Dear Sir or Madam;

I originally intended to participate in the 2-day Social Media and Marketing course and send my $100 deposit as required. However, I had to cancel my attendance and notified your organization more than 3 weeks prior to the course and am waiting to receive a full refund (less the handling fee of $10).

However, I have not received my refund as of now and would like to inquire about the current status of my refund and when I am going to receive notice from your organization about my deposit.

Looking forward to receiving your reply on the above issue.

Kind regards,

Grant Hayhurst

5. Which of the following would be the best heading for this notice?

(A) Procedures for Depositing Checks

(B) Availability of Registration Forms

(D) Policy on Withdrawals

6. How much must you pay if you cancel three weeks before a session begins?

(A) nothing

(B) $5

(D) $50

7. What determines if your deposit can be transferred to a different course?

(A) if you paid the handling charge

(B) if there is any space left in the second course

(D) if your original suit can be fitted

8. What is the time limit for transferring the deposit for another training course?

(A) 5 days

(B) 7 days

(D) 14 days

9. What is the customer requesting in the email?

(A) a reply about his refund request

(B) an update on his training course

(D) a complaint about the instructor

Questions 10-14 refer to the following emails and flight itinerary.

To: Ursula Pennington

From: Richard Seymour

Subject: Arrival in Santiago and Accommodations

Date: January 10

Dear Ms. Pennington,

We will be pleased to welcome you to our headquarters for the end of year auditing procedures.

Paula Jenkins tells us that you will arrive in Santiago on Flight TA 209 on Monday, January 31, at 11:20 A.M. I have instructed my assistant, Carmen Sierra, to drive you directly to our office and make sure that all the arrangements for your stay are satisfactory. We will set up a PC workstation with LAN access at your disposal in a private office. If you have any special requirements or requests, I would appreciate it if you would contact us by phone or email us to let us know before your arrival.

We have booked a room at the Los Cristinos Hotel in the center of downtown Santiago, which serves complimentary breakfast and dinner. Alternatively, we can recommend many fine restaurants in the center of town. We have arranged for you to have prepaid lunches at our staff cafeteria. Ms. Sierra will take care of the transport arrangement for your return to the airport on Saturday the fifth.

I look forward to meeting you next month.

Sincerely,

Richard Seymour

Financial Director

2024-TS-PART 7

10. Why is Ms. Pennington going to Santiago?

(A) to visit a drilling site

(B) to upgrade a computer system

(D) to review various restaurants

11. Why does Ms. Pennington contact Mr. Seymour prior to her arrival?

(A) to arrange to use a computer

(B) to confirm her travel schedule

(D) to find out if she will have access to a copy machine

12. Where will Ms. Pennington probably have her midday meals?

(A) the company’s cafeteria

(B) the Los Cristinos hotel

(D) a local coffee shop

13. When will Ms. Pennington actually arrive in Santiago?

(A) Tuesday

(B) Thursday

(D) Monday

14. What special requests did Ms. Pennington make?

(A) special sleeping arrangements

(B) special travel arrangements

(D) special work arrangements