The day before yesterday's TOEFL exam
After the writing section, everyone was in tears
Yesterday's TOEFL exam
After the listening section, everyone was completely baffled
When CheersYou（清柚教育） found out, all they could say was
ETS, you're really something!
So today, the CheersYou（清柚教育） crew is here to teach you the exam tricks~
Master the right review techniques
And scoring 100 on the TOEFL is a sure thing
1. How to Memorize Vocabulary
Core Idea
Repetition. Memory is all about constant repetition.
Be efficient and know what to skip.
Vocabulary Categories
1. Common words: Be able to read, spell, and use them
This means learning a word thoroughly—these words are common in the exam, appear in listening, and are needed for writing and speaking, so you must master them solidly. For example: elaborate, cliché, and synonyms for agree/disagree/think.
2. Less common but still familiar words: Be able to read them
These are a bit less frequent than the first category; you might not use them often in your own speaking or writing, but they appear regularly in listening and reading, so ensure you can read them. Once your vocabulary reaches a certain level, if you can read them, you can basically spell them correctly or close to it.
3. Technical terms: Have a general impression
You don't need to know how to read or write them, and just having a vague idea is fine. These technical words can often be inferred from context. For example: photosynthesis, carnivorous, supernova, metabolic, sulfur dioxide. But if you want a near-perfect reading score (typically 110+ scorers achieve this), you'll need to recognize even these.
Recommended Resources
Longman Word by Word Picture Dictionary, 2nd Edition (PDF + Audio) Listen and view simultaneously, then repeat the process many times; no need for rote memorization.
400 Must-have Words for the TOEFL
Familiarize yourself with the words inside; you can do the exercises in the book.
iBT New TOEFL Essential Subject-Specific Vocabulary Rote memorize the technical terms, but make sure you genuinely understand the subject matter (see the "Recommended English Learning Materials" appendix for general knowledge topics).
iBT New TOEFL Vocabulary Pack A must-have for the Reading vocabulary questions.
Academic Word List (Averil Coxhead) and AWL Analysis 570 common academic words beyond the 2,000 most frequent words, along with their common word forms.
General Service List (GSL) The 2,000 most common English words (both spoken and written).
2. How to Practice Listening
Core Idea
Immerse yourself in an English environment
Train your ears until they bleed
Suggestions
Listening is the make-or-break part of the TOEFL: listening is required for the Listening section, Speaking section, and Writing section. Not only do you need solid listening skills, you also need a strong mental game. Some passages are extremely difficult, but even if you get frustrated halfway through, you must keep listening. Missing one question is no big deal—keep listening carefully and you can still recover!
Many test-takers complain it's too fast and they can't understand a thing. Actually, many people could only catch half the words at first and couldn't grasp the meaning. All I can say is, listen more and it will improve. I suggest listening to a passage three times, then checking the transcript, quickly looking up and noting unfamiliar words, then listening a fourth time. If you persist, you'll eventually understand everything!
From Longman Comprehensive Course, Delta, TPO, to Barron (in roughly increasing difficulty), there are plenty of materials. Just dive into the practice questions. Look up any unfamiliar words, relisten to parts you missed, analyze and summarize mistakes, and aim for full comprehension and mastery. Repetition is key—when you've finished all these materials, your listening will reach a new level. Use the Official Guide for pre-exam simulation.
Often, the feeling of not understanding is just a psychological block—you're not really listening attentively, thinking the material is beyond your level. As long as you stay calm, be patient, and adopt an attitude of "nothing I can't handle," you can overcome it.
Recommended Resources
Complete Transcripts of New TOEFL TPO Listening Passages (1-34), Version 3.0
TOEFL TPO Listening and Reading Translations (1-24)
Complete Audio Files for New TOEFL TPO Listening Passages (1-34 plus paper-based TPO 4, 5)
Classic Listening Supplementary Materials (Audio + Transcripts + Questions)
3. How to Speak
Core Idea
Pronunciation matters, but don't obsess over it.
Logic and organization are the priorities in practice.
Suggestions
First, good pronunciation isn't the most important thing. Well-organized thoughts, clear logic, and creativity are what really matter. Pronunciation isn't the key—being able to express your ideas is. Otherwise, many of our Indian and Japanese friends would never pass the TOEFL. (laughs)
Of course there are templates for the speaking section, but you can't use them rigidly. Start by writing a few common templates, then break them apart and adapt them into versatile building blocks that you can use for almost any question. At the same time, be flexible—many questions can be answered by relating them to your own experiences. The important thing is to keep your answers logical and, ideally, add some depth at the end.
Good speaking skills naturally require daily accumulation. Practice speaking aloud even when nobody's around—talk to the air. Hang out with friends who like to throw in English phrases. Shift your thinking into English mode; when you find yourself instinctively reacting with an English word before you can think of the Chinese equivalent, you've succeeded. If you're self-conscious, you might feel a bit awkward speaking in front of others—I used to as well, but I realized nobody really cares because they're all too busy worrying about their own speaking. So be confident! Be brave! Have your strategies ready, and with a steady mindset, you can soar.
Recommended Resources
TOEFL Speaking: This Book Is All You Need The problem-solving strategies in Chapter 3 are particularly important.
TOEFL Speaking Golden 80 Topics A supplementary tool for building up examples.
Sample Speaking Audio and Scripts from TPO (TPO 1-26)
Speaking Transcripts TPO 1-22, Speaking Transcripts TPO 23-33 You can also write your own responses; similar questions can share a response (just change the opening and closing lines). Then practice delivering them fluently, ideally with a partner to practice together.
4. How to Tackle Reading
Core Idea
Quality over quantity
Don't overthink; respect the passage
Suggestions
A reminder: don't underestimate the Reading section. TOEFL reading is actually quite challenging. Although it is a relatively easier section for Chinese students, you still need to take it seriously.
It's not about doing a large volume of reading practice. Once you have a decent vocabulary, focus on doing each passage thoroughly and carefully analyzing your mistakes.
Vocabulary questions make up a large portion of the Reading section, and once your vocabulary is solid, the passages won't pose much of a problem. Many words will keep reappearing in practice, constantly reinforcing your memory. Many people try various fancy memorization methods—forward order, reverse order, etc.—but the most important thing is to diligently finish one reliable resource and master the majority of the words, then use other methods to reinforce your memory.
Another key point for Reading is: don't overthink. Except for "infer" questions where you should never choose the original text, at all other times, don't let your imagination run wild. Some sentences are extremely long and expressed in a roundabout way; they can be very frustrating at first glance. But you must patiently analyze what exactly the sentence is saying, because the more complex the structure, the more likely a question will appear there. I recommend checking out Yang Peng's Long and Difficult Sentences guide to become more familiar with complex structures, so you'll be less panicked when encountering particularly convoluted sentences. Reading success comes down to two things: vocabulary and focus. If you have both, your accuracy won't be low.
Recommended Resources
Golden Reading This compilation includes authentic new TOEFL reading passages, from all TPOs and the Official Guide—every piece is a classic.
GRE & GMAT Reading Difficult Sentences Tutorial
DELTA
5. How to Write
Core Idea
Focus on accumulation
Use the five-paragraph format
Suggestions
For the Integrated Writing task, have a template—but it's best not to copy someone else's directly. Instead, look at various expressions and craft your own template. Vary your sentence structures, alternating words like propose, explain, cast doubts, demonstrate, etc. Be sure not to copy the reading passage content; paraphrase it and express the listening material in your own way. Usually, the reading and listening present opposing viewpoints; if you miss something in the listening, you can think about how to argue against the reading based on its content. The Integrated Writing task is arguably the simplest part of the entire exam. Just work through all the TPO tasks once, and you'll basically get the hang of it. By this point in the test, you're almost done, so your mood is more relaxed.
For the Independent Writing task, you can have a template, but don't be rigid—internalize it and use it flexibly. Writing really comes down to two things: ideas and structure. After seeing the topic, you can usually think of several arguments, but quickly consider which one is the strongest, easiest for you to write about, and best to illustrate with examples. Here, you can refer to the 185 writing topics pool; after reviewing many, you'll notice patterns. For example, many topics can be addressed by talking about boosting employment, increasing tax revenue, or being beneficial for the public. If it's technology-related, it usually increases efficiency, makes our lives more convenient, or ties into entertainment...
Once you can write essays within the time limit without obstacles, it's time to elevate your writing. You can study beautiful sentences, sentence-writing techniques, and ultimate sentence patterns. Websites like “Xiaozhan,” “Shangyou,” and “Taisha” have plenty of reference materials; just search under the essay section. Read and then summarize and internalize. Using advanced vocabulary can indeed make your essay appear more sophisticated, but vocabulary is built over a long period through immersion—it's not a skill you can casually pull out to impress. By contrast, sentence structures are easier to master. Alternate between various clauses and parenthetical phrases, and your essay will have a pleasing rhythm. The way to practice writing is to write more and practice more, constantly training yourself to shift your thinking and expression into English mode.
Recommended Resources
185 Model Essays by Native Speakers, ETS Official Full-Score Essay Collection Choose essays that align with your own viewpoints and do Chinese-English mutual translation: first translate the English model into Chinese, then translate that Chinese back into English, making sure to use vocabulary and sentence patterns you're comfortable with. Feel free to modify and supplement the original based on your ideas. Never memorize the original English model essays word for word.
Complete Collection of Integrated Writing Reading/Listening Transcripts (Texts) + Full-Score Model Essays for New TOEFL TPO (1-33 plus Paper-Based 4, 5)
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Also, a special emphasis: TOEFL listening is extremely important. I suggest taking two TPO practice sets per week, but the key is to carefully analyze and summarize. Never just go through the motions of doing exercises; do full simulated exams.
The TOEFL is computer-based, which feels very different from paper-based tests like the CET-4/6 and IELTS. So if you want to score well on your first attempt, you must do plenty of full-length simulations. Don't overly focus on test predictions or place too much faith in tips; rely on your genuine proficiency.
I wish everyone an effortless TOEFL 100+! Sending love~
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