Hi everyone,
You'd be bewildered if I told you that all TOEFL reading is about one and only one skill, wouldn't you?
Yes, the TOEFL Reading is all about PARAPHRASING. Paraphrasing is when you convey the same information using a different manner. For instance, "I'm from the north of Morocco" could be paraphrased as "I was born and raised in Nador, Morocco". The link of this to the TOEFL reading is that most of the accurate answer options are simply a paraphrase of the reading passage, and the key to paraphrasing is synonymy.
You may now be wondering how you can paraphrase, it's simple, please follow these steps:
STEP 1: Practice with TOEFL reading passages.
STEP 2: Once you check your work, go back to the correct answers and compare them to the passage.
STEP 3: Write down (in your notebook) all the synonyms you're able to identify based on your re-reading.
STEP 4: Review all your entries on a regular basis to keep enriching your vocab.
The better you get at paraphrasing, the more likely to select the right answers to your TOEFL reading questions.
Best of luck, TOEFLers!