An Online Course Review of TestDEN TOEFL

An Online Course Review of TestDEN TOEFL Taking the TOEFL test can be an extremely challenging experience. Most universities have a minimum entrance score of 550. The range of grammar, reading and listening skills required to do well is enormous. One of the biggest challenges for teachers and students is identifying the correct areas to focus on in the limited amount of time available for preparation. In this feature, it is my pleasure to review an online course that specifically addresses this need. TestDEN TOEFL Trainer is an online TOEFL course which invites you to: Join Meg and Max in the TOEFL Trainer. These two, upbeat and friendly personalities will find the areas you need to improve the most and create a special study program just for you! Your virtual trainers will also give you focused practice tests to strengthen your TOEFL skills, and send you daily test-taking tips. The course costs $69 for a 60 day entrance period to the site. During this 60 day period you can take advantage of: personalized study guidesfull-length practice exams16 hours of audioover 7,000 questionsfull explanationse-mail test tips TestDENs TOEFL Trainer credentials are also quite impressive: TestDEN TOEFL Trainer is produced by ACT360 Media, a leading provider of education content. Since 1994, this innovative Vancouver company has been producing quality CD-ROM titles and Internet sites to enhance learning. Among these is the award-winning Digital Education Network and online tutorials for Microsoft Corporation. The only flaw seems to be that: This program has not been reviewed or endorsed by ETS. During my test period, I found all of the above claims to be true. Most importantly, the course is extremely well-planned and helps test takers pinpoint exactly those areas which cause them the most difficulties. Overview The course begins by requiring test takers to take an entire TOEFL examination called the Pre-test Station. This examination is followed by another section entitled Evaluation Station, which requires participants to take further sections of the examination. Both of these steps are required for the test taker to reach the heart of the program. While some people might become impatient with these steps, they are required to help the program assess problem areas. One reservation is that the test is not timed as in an actual TOEFL test. This is a minor point, as students can time themselves. The listening sections are presented using RealAudio. If the Internet connection is slow it can take quite a while to finish sections that require the opening of each listening exercise separately. Once both of the above sections have been finished, the test taker arrives at the Practice Station. This section is by far the most impressive and important section of the program. The Practice Station takes the information gathered in the first two sections and prioritizes a learning program for the individual. The program is divided into three categories: Priority 1, Priority 2 and Priority 3. This section includes exercises as well as explanations and tips for the current task. In this manner, the student can focus on exactly what he/she needs to do well on the exam. The final section is a Post-test Station which gives the participant a final test of his/her improvement over the course of the program. Once this section of the program has been taken there is no going back to the practice section. Summary Lets face it, taking the TOEFL test and doing well can be a long, hard process. The test itself often seems to have little to do with actually being able to communicate in the language. Instead, it can seem like a test that only measures the ability to perform well in an extremely academic setting using very dry and formal English. TestDENs layout does a wonderful job of preparing test takers for the task while keeping the preparation rather enjoyable by its user interface. I would highly recommend TestDEN TOEFL Trainer to any student wanting to take the TOEFL. In fact, to be completely honest, I think this program may do a better job of addressing individual needs than many teachers can! Why is this? Based on in-depth pre-testing and statistical information, the program uses computer technology to find exactly those areas that need to be covered. Unfortunately, teachers are often not able to access student needs so quickly. This program is probably quite sufficient for any high-level English student preparing for the exam. The best solution for lower level students would be a combination of this program and a private teacher. TestDen can help identify and provide practice at home, and a private teacher can go into more detail when working on weak areas.

Maglev trains Essay Example

Maglev trains Essay Example Maglev trains Essay Maglev trains Essay MAGLEV trains are a signifier of transit that includes scientific discipline of magnets and implies the hereafter of transit engineering. So what are MAGLEV trains? MAGLEV stands for magnetic levitation which means it uses magnetic forces to travel and travel. Even though this engineering might look really futuristic, it has a history that goes back to 1900s! It did nt get down at 1909 but an American projectile scientist by the name of Robert Goddard idea of transit system vehicles that levitated for high velocity conveyance. Besides a Gallic applied scientist, Bachelet, built a theoretical account train that levitated utilizing similar designs today. Even though these early scientists thought of this thought, they could nt happen out a manner to do this sort of transit. It was nt until at around 1960 s MAGLEV transit research resumed. This was when engineering had been more modern. James Powell A ; Gordon Danby developed designs for MAGLEV trains. By early 1970 s, the States had began proving reduced scaly theoretical accounts of magnetic levitation. Finally, Stanford Research Institute had tested a half-ton vehicle for magnetic levitation, taking to building of more advanced engineering. This finally lead to innovation of a MAGLEV train that could aboard people safely. In 1984 the first commercialized Maglev train was officially unfastened in England. In Japan, 2 trains were constructed and they held the fastest velocities yet, 581 kilometers per hour ( 2003 ) . The magnetic levitation trains were and still are, built throughout the universe and still they are being redesigned to do it faster and better. So, after reading about the long history of this absorbing engineering one thing sticks in head, 581 kilometers per hour? ! Yes, this is non some false computation or something of that kind. So if this train can travel 581 kilometers per hour so what is it made out of? This engineering can be simple or really complicated, retrieving that scientists Robert Goddard and Bachelet could nt happen out the expression of this system. So how does it work? The rubric says it all, magnetic levitation, magnets that are driving each other so that there can be levitation. It ca nt be any simpler than that, but this is what the rubric means. Let s see how the engineering works throughout the procedure. If you of all time played with magnet before, so you should cognize by now that opposites attract and similar repel. This is the basic rule of electromagnetic propulsion. This is what the train is utilizing in basic footings. On the magnetic levitation path, there is a magnetic spiral traveling along the path which repels the big magnets on the train. This allows the train to levitate from between 1 to 10cm above the spiral or guideway. As the train is levitated, a alone system is created of magnetic Fieldss that pull and force the train along the path as power is supplied to the guideway. The power or electric current that is supplied to the spirals is invariably jumping to alter the mutual opposition, doing the magnetic field in forepart of the train to draw and the magnetic field Begin to push . Maglev trains float on a thin bed of air which eliminates clash. This makes the train s velocities go more than 500 kilometers per hour. This brief account of how it works likely helped why it went so fast and besides how the system works. This train might sound all really good and you re likely believing why does nt everybody acquire this? Well there are the negative sides to this excessively. The likely # 1 for most job is the cost. These trains can acquire really ready to hand and besides are really eco-friendly to the environment merely that they are close to 4~5 billion dollars to construct one train system in each subdivision. So, that is likely why this train is non in every state. Besides the magnetic levitation trains have other issues like no magnetic informations storage- difficult thrusts, recognition cards, separation between train and guideway has to be monitored at all times because of instability of electromagnets, and etc. Even though the trains seem to be all right in the present right now, there are still more being built and more to come. There are many maglev systems being proposed in North America, Asia and Europe. Besides there are at least 10 programs for separate U.S lines in the systems. The engineering is easy being developed everyday and so are maglev trains. There are many new theories and new developments being made and thought for the magnetic levitation systems still today.