Longman Complete Course for the Toefl Test: Preparation for the CBT and PBT 9. This course gives students the skills, strategies, practice and confidence they need to increase their scores on all sections of the TOEFL Test, including the Test of Written English. This edition reflects the revised TOEFL, first administered in July 1995, and skill coverage has been expanded for all sections. Volume A explains and practices key language points so that students improve their language proficiency as well as their test-taking skills. Clearly defined steps, pre- and post-tests and TOEFL exercises guide students in improving TOEFL strategies and. | SHORT DIALOGUES Paper and Computer 51 9. A Meat tastes delicious to him when it s cooked rare. B He isn t sure if the meal is delicious. C This meat is the best he s tasted in a long time. D He d like to eat some meat from this delicatessen. 10. A He broke his arm trying to move it B He only hurt the broken arm. C He only tries to move the broken arm. D There s no pain if he rests quietly. Skill 10 LISTEN FOR NEGATIVES WITH COMPARATIVES Negatives can be used with comparatives in the short dialogues of the TOEFL test. A sentence with a negative and a comparative has a superlative or very strong meaning. Example from the Paper and Computer TOEFL Tests On the recording you hear woman What do you think of the new student in math class man No one is more intelligent than she is. narrator What does the man say about the new student In your test book or on the computer screen you read A She is not very smart. B He is smarter than she is. C Other students are smarter than she is. D She is the smartest student in the class. The man responds to the woman s question with the negative No and the comparative more intelligent and this combination has a superlative meaning the smartest. The best answer is therefore answer D . The following chart outlines comparisons that you should be careful of when they are used with negatives COMPARATIVES WITH NEGATIVES Comparative Example Meaning more No one is more beautiful than she is. She is the most beautiful. -er He couldn t be happier. He is extremely happy. 52 LISTENING EXERCISE 10 In this exercise underline the negative and the comparative in the second line of each short dialogue. Then read the question and choose the best answer to that question. Remember that the best answer strong idea. is one that expresses a superlative or very 1. woman Have you gotten over your cold A He s feeling terrific. yet B He felt a lot worse today. man I couldn be feeling any better C He s not feeling too well today. today. narrator What does the man .
