NOTEFULL LISTENING STRATEGIES

GENERAL STRATEGIES
1. Intonation: Neutral, Surprised, Doubtful
2. Use shortcuts for notes:
Abbreviate key words, use symbols:
+ and
w with
w/o without
o or
= is, are, means, refers to, is called

not, not the same

@ about, approximately
X example
> more, larger
< less, smaller

result in , cause, produces, therefore

comes from, derives from

3.
4.
5.
6.

Improve your concentration: learn to say NO when you start to panic

Listen for ideas: no need to recognize each individual word
Pay attention to blackboards, NOT photographs of people in an academic setting
Listen for verbal signals to pay attention: Now this is important, The point is, Remember that, The
basic concept is, The issue is
7. Take careful notes when you hear repetition and restatement: Let me say that again, Let me repeat
that, I mean, To say that another way, In other words
8. Intonation: Neutral, Surprised, Doubtful
9. Use shortcuts for notes:
Abbreviate key words, use symbols:
+ and
w with
w/o without
o or
= is, are, means, refers to, is called

10.

not, not the same

@ about, approximately
X example
> more, larger
< less, smaller

result in , cause, produces, therefore

comes from, derives from

11. Make sure to study with colored pens

12. Step by step (dont jump)
13. Patient with your progress because its the fastest way to crack iBT
14. Dont study when frustrated
15. Regular breaks: take 5-15 minute break every 45-55 minutes
16. Only spend 1 minute for reading title and 1st sentences of every paragraphs (subject, verb, object)
17. Only spend 6 minute 20 seconds: answer Question 1-5 and 6-10 (per 1 minute 16 seconds)
18. Only spend 6 minute 20 seconds: answer Question 11-14 (per 1 minute 35 seconds)
19. Repeat the strategies while practicing
20. Tips for expanding vocabulary:
Write down every word (praise) that you dont know in a reading and master 7 of those words every
day. To push your score ahead faster, focus on 14 words a day
Try to vocabulary system of Notefull
21. Tips for getting faster reading speed:
Use National Geographic magazine or any Scientific American magazine
Need a stopwatch and set for 1 minute
Read the article as much as fast & try to understand
Count the number of lines you read and write it down on your notebook (For example 12 lines)
Twice as much information (24 lines) until you do
Twice as much information (48 lines) until you do
Twice as much information (96 lines) until you do
Do this exercise every single day before studying
Read with your eyes and your brain: put pencil in your mouth while reading
Peripheral vision: dont let your eyes to stop, skim fluently. Line by line
To avoid reread: move forward, not backward on the screen
22. Tips for building better comprehension:
Read any book that you interest and read consistently every day for 30-60 min
Underline subject, verb, and object for at least 10-20 min (1 paragraph)
Rewrite sentences in your own words (1 paragraph)
Write only 1 sentence to summarize a paragraph
Write only 1 sentence to summarize a passage
QUESTION TYPES AND STRATEGIES
1. Vocabulary Strategy
Identity: What does this word mean?
If you know the word:
Choose the answer or answers that match the meaning best
Read sentence with the highlighted vocabulary to double check the meaning
If you dont know the word:
Read the sentence with the word and guess what its meaning could be
Choose the answer that fits this meaning (if more than one works, guess fast)

Shouldnt spend a lot of time on this question

2. Detail Strategy
Identity: They often begin with according to paragraph and have a WH question
Read the question to understand what information you are being asked to find
Identify the key words in the question to search for in the reading
Start reading quickly from the beginning of the paragraph in search of the key words or synonyms
of them
When you find the key word, remind yourself of the question and read carefully to find the answer
for yourself. 60% of the answers will be found in the sentence with your key words. 30% will require
you to read 1 sentence more. 10% will require you to read 2 sentences more to find the answer
Once you have identified the answer, check the answer choices and choose the one that matches your
anticipated answer best
3. Negative Detail Strategy
Identity: Question with the words NOT or EXCEPT
Read the question to understand what information you are being asked to find
Identify the key words in the question to search for in the reading
Start reading quickly from the beginning of the paragraph in search of the key words or synonyms
of them
When you find the key word, read the sentence and check the answer choices to determine which
you can eliminate. Continue to do this for each answer choice until you can determine that one is
wrong or not mentioned and choose that answer
4. Inference Strategy
Identity: Question with the words infer or imply
Read the question to understand what information you are being asked to find
Identify the key words in the question to search for in the reading
Start reading quickly from the beginning of the paragraph in search of the key words or synonyms
of them
When you find the key word, remind yourself of the question and read carefully to find the answer
for yourself. Ask yourself, what does this imply that must be true? 60% of the answers will be found
in the sentence with your key words. 30% will require you to read 1 sentence more. 10% will require
you to read 2 sentences more to find the answer
Once you have identified the answer, check the answer choices and choose the one that matches your
anticipated answer best
If you dont find the answer right away, keep asking yourself: what must be true from this sentence
that isnt stated directly
5. Pronoun Strategy
Identity: The word (pronoun) in paragraph refers to
Determine whether the pronoun is singular or plural
Identify all of the nouns in the sentence before the pronoun that match in number (singular or
plural)
Choose the one that fits the meaning of the sentence best
Find that noun among your answer choice and choose it
6. Plug-in Strategy
Identity: Look at the four squares
Read the sentence carefully to identify what its saying and the key words within it
Read the paragraph and find the sentence that contains key words from the plug-in.

For example, if you have the key word apples in your sentence. You read the passage searching for
apples. You find it between the answer choices A and B and nowhere else. You know your sentence
belongs in A or B
Use pronouns in your plug-in sentence to determine where your sentence belongs
If thats not enough. Identify words such as however, consequently, therefore, etc. to determine
whether your sentence continues the idea or begins the idea.
Continuing our apple example. If you see apples between A and B in the paragraph, and your plugin sentence begins with consequently. Youre answer choice should be B because it is concluding
the idea of apples and not starting it
Finally, read through the paragraph with your answer in place and double check that it makes sense

7. Paraphrase Strategy
Identity: Information in a highlighted sentence
Read the main independent clause and nothing else. Understand the subject, verb, and object.
Break the sentence down piece by piece. They usually use complex sentences with many parts-adjective clauses, adverb clauses, and so on. Dont read the whole highlighted sentence and then try to
choose the answer. Its the best way to become confused
Read through the answer choices and eliminate any answer that does not state this information
exactly
Read the next clause in the highlighted sentence carefully
Read through the answer choices and eliminate any answer that does not state this information
exactly
Continue this process until only one answer is left
8. Purpose Strategy
Identity: Why author/passage mentions or states a word, phrase, or sentence in the reading
Read the question to understand what youre being asked
Identify the key words
Read the appropriate paragraph and find those key words or synonyms of them
Read the sentence and understand that the purpose of the statement in the question was to explain
the content of that sentence
For example, the question will ask, Why does the author mention apples? You look for apples in
the reading. Find it and then read the sentence before and say to yourself, the reason the author
mentioned apples was to explain the content in this sentence before.
Look for any adverbs that will help you to identify the relationship between your key words and the
content before it
Continuing our example with apples. If between the two sentences, we have the adverb however.
The purpose of the authors words was to contrast the information in the sentence before
Now, choose an answer choice that reflects the information in the sentence before
9. Summary Strategy
Identity: Last question
First, review the structure of the reading on your own. Explain to yourself how it is organized to
remind you of the important information
Read the question carefully and see if the sentence in bold gives you a clue as to what the answer
choices might be
If it states something about 3 theories, its easy to know that you must choose 3 answer choices
among the 6 that describe 3 theories mentioned in the reading
Read your first answer choice to understand what it states and find its key words

Scan through the reading until you find the key words or synonyms of them and read the sentences
they are found in
Determine whether that answer choice is a summary, detail, or wrong answer
If an answer choice is a summary, the answer choice restates information found within the topic
sentence of the paragraph, the first sentence. Thats a good choice
If the answer choice deals with a sentence that is not the first, it is a detail. It is therefore not a
good choice. You must choose answers that summarize important points in the passage and not
just minor points mentioned in one sentence that is not the topic sentence
If the answer choice describes content that is not found in the reading or is wrong according to the
reading, of course, eliminate it
After your analysis, you should be left with 3 summary answer choices. They will be your answer
If you are left with 4 summary answer choices, read the sentence in bold in the question and
eliminate the answer choice that doesnt directly deal with the topic sentence
If you are left with 2 summary answer choices and 2 detail answer choices, read the sentence in bold
in the question and eliminate one of the detail answer choices that deals with the topic sentence least
ANOTHER type of summary question is incredibly rare
Read an answer choice and identify the key words
Find the key words or synonyms of them in the reading
Read the sentence with your key word and determine what topic it belongs to
Match that answer choice to the appropriate topic