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Kamis, 13 Juni 2013

TOEFL IBT (Internet Based Test)

 The TOEFL formally known as Test Of English as a Foreign Language, is a test of an individual's ability to use and understand English in an academic setting. The test is designed and administered by Educational Testing Service (ETS), and TOEFL is a registered trademark of ETS. It was developed to address the problem of ensuring English language proficiency for non-native speakers wishing to study at U.S. universities. It has become an admission requirement for non-native English speakers at many English-speaking colleges and universities. Additionally, institutions such as government agencies, licensing bodies, businesses, or scholarship programs may require this test. TOEFL scores are valid for two years, after then they are no longer reported.
Internet Based Test

Since its introduction in late 2005, the TOEFL iBT format has progressively replaced both the computer-based tests (CBT) and paper-based tests (PBT), although paper-based testing is still used in select areas. The TOEFL iBT test has been introduced in phases, with the United States, Canada, France, Germany, and Italy in 2005 and the rest of the world in 2006, with test centers added regularly. The CBT was discontinued in September 2006 and these scores are no longer valid.

Although initially, the demand for test seats was higher than availability, and candidates had to wait for months, it is now possible to take the test within one to four weeks in most countries. The four-hour test consists of four sections, each measuring one of the basic language skills (while some tasks require integrating multiple skills) and all tasks focus on language used in an academic, higher-education environment. Note-taking is allowed during the TOEFL iBT test. The test cannot be taken more than once a week.
  1. Reading
The Reading section consists of 3–5 passages, each approximately 700 words in length and questions about the passages. The passages are on academic topics; they are the kind of material that might be found in an undergraduate university textbook. Passages require understanding of rhetorical functions such as cause-effect, compare-contrast and argumentation. Students answer questions about main ideas, details, inferences, essential information, sentence insertion, vocabulary, rhetorical purpose and overall ideas. New types of questions in the TOEFL iBT test require filling out tables or completing summaries. Prior knowledge of the subject under discussion is not necessary to come to the correct answer.
  1. Listening
The Listening section consists of six passages 3–5 minutes in length and questions about the passages. These passages include two student conversations and four academic lectures or discussions. A conversation involves two speakers, a student and either a professor or a campus service provider. A lecture is a self-contained portion of an academic lecture, which may involve student participation and does not assume specialized background knowledge in the subject area. Each conversation and lecture stimulus is heard only once. Test-takers may take notes while they listen and they may refer to their notes when they answer the questions. Each conversation is associated with five questions and each lecture with six. The questions are meant to measure the ability to understand main ideas, important details, implications, relationships between ideas, organization of information, speaker purpose and speaker attitude.
  1. Speaking
The Speaking section consists of six tasks: two independent tasks and four integrated tasks. In the two independent tasks, test-takers answer opinion questions on familiar topics. They are evaluated on their ability to speak spontaneously and convey their ideas clearly and coherently. In two of the integrated tasks, test-takers read a short passage, listen to an academic course lecture or a conversation about campus life and answer a question by combining appropriate information from the text and the talk. In the two remaining integrated tasks, test-takers listen to an academic course lecture or a conversation about campus life and then respond to a question about what they heard. In the integrated tasks, test-takers are evaluated on their ability to appropriately synthesize and effectively convey information from the reading and listening material. Test-takers may take notes as they read and listen and may use their notes to help prepare their responses. Test-takers are given a short preparation time before they have to begin speaking. The responses are digitally recorded, sent to ETS’s Online Scoring Network (OSN) and evaluated by three to six raters.
  1. Writing
The Writing section measures a test taker's ability to write in an academic setting and consists of two tasks: one integrated task and one independent task. In the integrated task, test-takers read a passage on an academic topic and then listen to a speaker discuss the same topic. The test-taker will then write a summary about the important points in the listening passage and explain how these relate to the key points of the reading passage. In the independent task, the test-taker must write an essay that states, explains, and supports their opinion on an issue, supporting their opinions or choices, rather than simply listing personal preferences or choices. Responses are sent to the ETS OSN and evaluated by four raters.

Japanese Cherry Blossom





Cherry trees and their blossoms in Japan go by the name of sakura and carry a great cultural meaning and significance for the people of Japan. The word sakura would translate as the Japanese flowering cherry tree in English whereas the blossoms are referred to as cherry blossoms.

The cherry blossom trees produce the wonderful fruit of cherry which goes by the name of sakuranbo in Japan. This fruit actually comes from another species of the tree.

The Japanese cherry blossom tree is not only native to this island country, rather it is indigenous to other Asian countries as well including China, Korea and India. Japan alone has over two hundred cultivars of the cherry blossom tree.



History and Symbolism of the Cherry Blossom Tree

Flower viewing was a phenomenon that the Japanese adopted from China during the Heiran Period. Poets, singers, aristocrats and members of ordinary households would come together to gather around cherry blossom trees and appreciate their beauty. Over the years the tree became a highly revered species in Japan.
  
Whereas the cherry blossom tree represented the female form in China it took on a much deeper meaning in Japanese culture. The Japanese observed the life cycle of the cherry blossom tree and drew a similitude between the nature of the blossoming tree with human life in general.

The cherry blossom tree is known for its short yet brilliant blooming season which ends with an inevitable fall to the ground. For the Japanese masses this drama staged by the natural process of the tree was reminiscent of the natural way of human life where rise and fall are the main elements in limited time.

Along with being a metaphoric representation of life in general, the cherry blossom tree is believed to have deep connections with Buddhism. According to the dharma the tree was associated with the concept of ‘mono no aware’ ever since the 18th century.

sources: 
http://globerove.com/japan/japanese-cherry-blossom-trees/1582 
http://greatatmosphere.wordpress.com/tag/cherry-blossoms/
 
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