TOEFL Module 4 of 6

Module 4: Reading Foundation

Skimming, scanning, vocabulary in context, and evidence-based reading decisions.

Overview

The Reading section of the TOEFL iBT measures your ability to understand and analyze academic texts similar to those used in university courses. This module builds essential reading strategies to help students read faster, understand complex ideas, and answer questions accurately.

Strong reading skills are critical for achieving a high TOEFL score and succeeding in university-level study.

🎯 Learning Objectives

By the end of this module, students will be able to:

Identify the main idea of academic passages
Understand supporting details and examples
Recognize vocabulary in context
Analyze paragraph organization
Apply TOEFL reading strategies effectively

📘 Section 1: Understanding Academic Passages

Students will practice reading texts from subjects such as:

Biology
History
Environmental Science
Psychology
Sociology

Focus areas include:

Topic sentences
Supporting evidence
Cause-and-effect relationships
Compare-and-contrast structures

🔎 Section 2: Reading Strategies

This section teaches essential TOEFL strategies:

1️⃣ Skimming

Quickly reading to understand the general idea
Identifying the main topic

2️⃣ Scanning

Searching for specific information
Locating names, dates, and key terms

3️⃣ Active Reading

Highlighting keywords
Recognizing transition words
Identifying paragraph structure

📖 Section 3: Vocabulary in Context

Instead of memorizing words, students learn to:

Guess meaning from context
Identify synonyms
Understand word forms (noun, verb, adjective)
Recognize academic vocabulary

📝 Section 4: TOEFL Reading Question Types

Students practice common TOEFL Reading questions:

Factual Information Questions
Inference Questions
Vocabulary Questions
Sentence Simplification
Insert Sentence Questions
Summary Questions

Each practice includes explanation and strategy breakdown.

⏱ Practice & Assessment

Timed reading drills
Vocabulary quizzes
Passage analysis exercises
Weekly progress tests
Full TOEFL-style reading practice test

📊 Expected Outcome

After completing this module, students will:

Read academic texts more efficiently
Improve comprehension speed
Answer TOEFL Reading questions with confidence
Strengthen overall academic reading ability

📚 Reading success comes from strategy, not just speed.

Master this foundation to improve your TOEFL score and prepare for university-level study.

Video Lesson

Mini Quiz (Instant Feedback)

1) Main idea questions ask for: The central message Minor spelling errors Author biography only

2) Supporting details are used to: Replace the thesis Back up main points Ignore context

3) Skimming helps you: Get the general idea quickly Memorize every word Translate line by line

4) Scanning is best for: Writing conclusions Finding specific information fast Guessing speaker tone

5) Vocabulary-in-context questions require: Using sentence and paragraph clues Ignoring nearby words Random guessing only

6) Inference questions test: Only exact quotes Implied meaning Audio note-taking

7) Insert sentence questions focus on: Best logical placement in passage Verb tense only Pronunciation

8) Summary questions usually require: Choosing trivial facts Identifying major points Rewriting all paragraphs

9) Timed drills help improve: Reading speed with accuracy Speaking pronunciation Listening memory only

10) Best TOEFL reading approach is: Read once and never review Strategy-based reading and review Focus on vocabulary lists only

Assignment

Submit your full mock score sheet and revision plan.

Reflection / Submission Notes