UNIT 1 - Macmillan Practice Online · exercises. TOEFL exam practice Listening to several conversations and choosing the correct option to answer questions. Listening to several lectures

1

Macmillan Practice Online is published by Macmillan English Campus

Upper Intermediate Academic English with TOEFL Practice Online

Macmillan Practice Online is the easy way to get all the benefits of online learning – and with over 100 courses to choose from, covering all competence levels and ranging from business English to exam practice and from academic to general English, you’re sure to find the one that suits your needs.

Take a look at the syllabus below for a complete list of the resources offered by this Macmillan Practice Online course.

Upper Intermediate Academic English with TOEFL Practice OnlineThis is an Upper Intermediate English for Academic Purposes course. It corresponds to CEFR level B2. You will find a collection of reading and listening activities, sample essays, web projects, grammar reference units and TOEFL exercises. There are 14 units in this course, focusing on cultural aspects, academic English, grammar and exam practice.

UNIT 1Visit top universities

This syllabus item helps you navigate the web to find out about and compare top universities around the world.

University life Navigating the websites of universities around the world, answering questions and watching a video about sustainable resources on campus. Using 'Peterson's Guide to Colleges' to compare the top U.S. colleges.

Universities around the world

Web Project Choosing a college

Web Project

Find out about courses

This syllabus item helps you find out about different kinds of college courses and types of assessments.

University life Reading a text explaining some of the differences between college courses and selecting the correct words to complete the text. Navigating the websites of two U.S. colleges to find out about and compare the courses they offer.

Academic vocabulary Reading a text about different types of assessments used in colleges and matching each type of assessment to its description.

2



Can I make the grade? Vocabulary Activity

Which course is for me? Language Exercise

Comparing courses Web Project

UNIT 2Use reading strategies

This syllabus item provides practice of different reading strategies, for example, skimming, scanning, predicting and identifying different types of text.

Academic reading Reading a text aimed at helping students plan their reading and matching the reading strategies with their definitions. Reading a text about a new form of marketing, matching the correct heading to each paragraph and deciding if statements are true or false. Reading a table about Papua New Guinea to look for specific information and reading a text about the country to answer questions. Reading the first paragraph of a text to predict what it is about, then reading the rest of the text and answering questions. Reading three short texts from different genres, identifying each text type, choosing a suitable heading and selecting the features you would expect to see in a journal abstract.

Active reading Language Exercise

Neuromarketing Language Exercise

Visiting Papua New Guinea Language Exercise

Earth Hour Language Exercise

Caring for the elderly Language Exercise

Listen with a purpose

This syllabus item provides practice of listening for gist (main ideas) and details. It also provides practice of predicting information.

Academic listening Listening to three different speakers talking about Pluto and trying to get the gist of the information. Listening to a speaker giving tips for learning a foreign language and keying in the missing words to complete sentences. Listening to a lecture about the life of Mahatma Gandhi and listening for details by answering multiple choice questions. Listening to a lecture about the effects of climate change and identifying the important points the professor makes. Listening to a lecture about schools in the U.S. and identifying the main ideas in the lecture from a list. Listening to a professor talking about tsunamis, predicting the information the speaker will include and deciding if statements are true or false.

Planet or asteroid? Listening Activity

Tips for effective language learning

Listening Activity

Mahatma Gandhi Listening Activity

The effects of climate change

Listening Activity

Schools in the U.S. Listening Activity

Tsunamis Listening Activity

3



Figure out the meaning of words

This syllabus item provides practice of using context (surrounding text) to figure out the meaning of unknown words or expressions.

Academic vocabulary Reading a short text about the art movement known as Impressionism and deciding on the meaning of a series of words in the text. Reading a text about the life and work of poet Emily Dickinson and identifying the part of speech of each highlighted academic word. Listening to a professor giving a movie review and choosing the correct meanings of idiomatic expressions. Visiting external websites, reading information and watching videos about business entrepreneurs and practicing figuring out the meaning of words and phrases from context.

Impressionism Vocabulary Activity

The poetry of Emily Dickinson

Language Exercise

Review of Indiana Jones Listening Activity

American and British entrepreneurs

Web Project

TOEFL practice 1

This syllabus item helps you prepare for the TOEFL. You will do some practice listening and reading exercises.

TOEFL exam practice Listening to several conversations and choosing the correct option to answer questions. Listening to several lectures and choosing the correct option to answer questions. Reading several texts and choosing the correct option to answer questions.

Listening 084: conversation

Exam Preparation Exercise



Listening 020: mini-lecture Exam Preparation Exercise


Reading 018 Exam Preparation Exercise


UNIT 3Take a look at future forms

This syllabus item helps you check your knowledge of how to express predictions, intentions and general possibility in academic English.

Academic grammar Checking your knowledge of how to express future predictions and intentions in academic English. Checking your knowledge of how modal verbs are used to express general possibility in academic English.

Future predictions and intentions in academic English

Grammar Reference Unit

Modal verbs for general possibility in academic English


4



Study the elements of a good essay

This syllabus item shows you how to plan your writing, structure your essay and separate ideas into paragraphs. It also shows you how to write introductions and conclusions.

Academic writing Studying how to plan your academic writing by looking at a sample essay followed by comments and tips. Studying the structure of an academic essay by looking at a sample essay followed by comments and tips. Studying how to use proper paragraphing in academic writing by looking at a sample essay followed by comments and tips. Studying how to write an introduction for your academic writing by looking at sample introductions followed by comments and tips. Studying how to write a conclusion for your academic writing by looking at sample conclusions followed by comments and tips.

How microfinancing can help the world's poor

Sample Essay

What makes a successful language learner?

Sample Essay

The merits of "local food"

Sample Essay

What is it all about? Sample Essay

Bringing things to an end Sample Essay

TOEFL practice 2








TOEFL Listening 073: mini-lecture




UNIT 4Get to know the people on campus

This syllabus item helps you become familiar with the roles of the different people working at a university.

University life Reading a description of the roles of different people working in a department at a university, matching the description of their role to the title they are given and choosing the correct category heading for each title. Reading a series of statements by tutors about their daily contact with students and completing paragraphs with the correct words.

Who's who? Vocabulary Activity Asking for help and support

Language Exercise

5



Find your way around campus

This syllabus item helps you become familiar with the departments, facilities and support networks available on campus.

University life Reading a text about some of the facilities available on campus for college students and completing the text with words and phrases. Reading a text giving college students advice on where to go for help and selecting the correct words to complete the text.

On the campus Vocabulary Activity Support networks on campus

Vocabulary Activity

UNIT 5Summarize it!

This syllabus item provides practice of creating a summary of a text. It also provides practice of classifying key ideas.

Academic listening Listening to a speaker talking about autism and identifying the sentences that summarize the lecture.

Academic reading Reading a text about the ways different countries have approached the problem of environmental pollution caused by plastic bags and keying in words and phrases from the original text to complete a summary. Reading a text about doctors' perceptions of their patients' health and matching the beginnings and endings of statements to create a summary of the text. Reading a text about London's Old Vic Theater and classifying key ideas from the text under different headings.

The plastic problem Language Exercise

Health and belief Language Exercise

What is autism? Listening Activity

The Old Vic Theater Language Exercise

Take note!

This syllabus item provides practice of taking notes when listening to a lecture.

Academic listening Listening to a speaker talking about the life of Andy Warhol and keying in the missing words to complete the student's notes. Listening to a lecture about former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and filling in the student's notes with missing words. Listening to a speaker talking about Aurora Borealis (the Northern Lights) and keying in the missing words to complete the student's notes. Listening to a lecture about British and American heathcare and filling in the missing words in the student's notes.

A biography of Andy Warhol

Listening Activity

A great leader Listening Activity

The Northern Lights Listening Activity

British and American health care

Listening Activity

6



Make your point

This syllabus item provides practice of the kind of language you can use to participate in class discussions. It also provides practice of identifying turn-taking signals.

Academic speaking support

Reading two texts giving opposing views about London hosting the 2012 Olympic Games and choosing the correct words to compelete the opinions expressed in each text. Listening to some students discussing ethical food choices and matching the opinions to the people's names. Listening to students discussing standardized testing in elementary school and identifying the speakers who hold specific opinions. Listening to some college students discussing social responsibility and identifying the correct turn-taking signals in the discussion.

London Olympics 2012 Language Exercise

Eating green Listening Activity

Standardized testing in elementary school

Listening Activity

What is social responsibility?

Listening Activity

TOEFL practice 3











UNIT 6Convey the right message

This syllabus item helps you check your knowledge of words and structures used to compare and contrast in academic English. It also helps you check your knowledge of ways to express cause and effect, logical results and purpose.

Academic grammar Checking your knowledge of words and structures used to compare and contrast in academic English. Checking your knowledge of ways to express cause and effect in academic English. Checking your knowledge of how conditional sentences are used in academic English. Checking your knowledge of how purpose is expressed in academic English.

Comparing and contrasting in academic English


Cause and effect in academic English


Conditionals for logical results in academic English


Purpose in academic English


7



Study different types of essays

This syllabus item shows you how to write comparison-contrast essays, argument essays, evaluation essays and essays that describe a problem and present solutions for it.

Academic writing Studying how to compare and contrast in academic writing by looking at a sample essay followed by comments and tips. Studying how to give and support your view in academic writing by looking at a sample essay followed by comments and tips. Studying how to evaluate and challenge ideas in academic writing by looking at a sample essay followed by comments and tips. Studying how to present solutions to problems in academic writing by looking at a sample essay followed by comments and tips.

The building booms in Dubai and Beijing

Sample Essay

Are computer games bad for you?

Sample Essay

Corn ethanol as alternative energy

Sample Essay

Potentially Hazardous Asteroids

Sample Essay

TOEFL practice 4











UNIT 7Find somewhere to live

This syllabus item provides practice of the kind of language used in advertisements which offer accommodation.

University life Reading a request for accommodation and three replies, and answering the questions that follow. Reading three advertisements offering accommodation and matching vocabulary and abbreviations with their definitions.

Close to the library or close to the nightlife?

Language Exercise Room for rent? Vocabulary Activity

8



Share student experiences

This syllabus item provides practice of the kind of language you can use to talk about different experiences at college.

University life Visiting external websites and learning about different colleges in the U.S. Visiting the websites of U.S. colleges and finding out about the clubs and societies you can join there. Reading extracts of two letters home, one by an American student and one by a British student, and deciding whether the language is more likely to be used in American or British English.

What's it like at college? Web Project

A little free time

Web Project

Which side of the Atlantic? Language Exercise

UNIT 8Complete tables and diagrams

This syllabus item provides practice of completing tables and labeling diagrams with the information you read or hear.

Academic listening Listening to a professor giving a welcome talk to a group of students at the start of an English language summer course and filling in the table with the missing information. Listening to a professor talking about methods of marketing and dragging each item into the correct category to complete a table. Listening to a lecture about the discovery of Tutankhamen's tomb in Egypt and labeling a map of the tomb. Listening to a lecture about how vacuum cleaners work and labeling the parts of a diagram. Listening to a lecture about the process of making toothpaste and completing a flow chart which describes the process, using verbs in the passive form.

Academic reading Reading a text about the geological features of the Glencoe valley and labeling a diagram with the features you find in the text. Reading three short texts on management styles and completing a table by typing in words from the texts.

Welcome talk Listening Activity

The geology of Glencoe Language Exercise

The "four P's" of marketing

Listening Activity

Tutankhamen's tomb Listening Activity

Evolution of management styles

Language Exercise

How vacuum cleaners work

Listening Activity

How toothpaste is manufactured

Listening Activity

9



Interpret statistics

This syllabus item provides practice of interpreting information that is presented in the form of statistics.

Academic listening Listening to a speaker talking about household greenhouse gas emissions, and identifying and labeling the correct percentages on a pie chart.

Academic reading Reading a short text and looking at a graph showing life expectancy by country and gender, then deciding if statements are true or false. Visiting several websites giving information about health and diet, and interpreting the information and statistics that they contain.

Greenhouse gas emissions Listening Activity

Life expectancy by country Language Exercise Health and diet

Web Project

Identify opinions

This syllabus item provides practice of distinguishing fact from opinion and identifying the writer's/speaker's point of view or purpose.

Academic listening Listening to a speaker talking about the benefits of biofuels and identifying the key points that are missing from the explanation.

Academic reading Reading three reviews of the movie 'Pride and Prejudice' and answering multiple-choice questions on the opinion of each of the reviewers. Reading an article about Scottish inventions and discoveries, deciding if a series of statements expressing the writer's opinion are true, false or if the answer is not given, then matching key words and phrases from the text with their definitions. Reading three texts which discuss different aspects of complementary medicine, identifying the writer's purpose in each text and answering questions about how the writer gets his or her message across.

The energy of the future Listening Activity

Pride and Prejudice Language Exercise

A world of Scottish invention

Language Exercise

Complementary medicine Language Exercise

TOEFL practice 5











10



UNIT 9Choose the right verb forms

This syllabus item helps you check your knowledge of how the present progressive, the past simple, the present perfect and passive verb forms are used in academic English. It also practices noun-verb agreement and verbs followed by prepositions and the '-ing' form.

Academic grammar Checking your knowledge of how the present progressive is used to express change and development in academic English. Checking your knowledge of how to use the past simple and present perfect tenses in academic English. Checking your knowledge of how to use passive verb forms in academic English. Checking your knowledge of how verbs and nouns agree in academic English. Checking your knowledge of structures containing a verb followed by a preposition and '-ing' form in academic English.

Present progressive in academic English


Simple past and present perfect in academic English


Passive verb forms in academic English


Noun-verb agreement in academic English


Verb + preposition + -ing form in academic English


Describe and explain processes

This syllabus item shows you how to describe processes, changes and historical developments in academic writing. It also shows you how to explain how something works.

Academic writing Studying how to describe processes in academic writing by looking at a sample essay followed by comments and tips. Studying how to describe changes over time in academic writing by looking at a sample essay followed by comments and tips. Studying how to describe historical developments in academic writing by looking at a sample essay followed by comments and tips. Studying how to describe visual information in academic writing by looking at a sample essay followed by comments and tips. Studying how to explain how something works in academic writing by looking at a sample essay followed by comments and tips.

Drug-resistant bacteria Sample Essay

How the Gold Rush changed San Francisco

Sample Essay

The history of NASA Sample Essay

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Website

Sample Essay

Roman Aqueducts Sample Essay

TOEFL practice 6







11







UNIT 10Use the appropriate register

This syllabus item helps you practice the kind of language you can use to interact with members of staff and other students.

University life Identifying the appropriate language to use when making requests to strangers or people you know and deciding which of a pair of sentences is more appropriate. Reading pairs of sentences with the same meaning and choosing the sentence which has more appropriate language for the academic context described.

Speaking to staff and students

Language Exercise Language on campus Language Exercise

Do academic research

This syllabus item shows you how to search for academic information online. It helps you identify reliable resources and become aware of how information is put into categories.

Academic research Visiting external websites, reading about how we find and interpret online information and thinking about how to search for academic information online. Visiting external websites and thinking about how information is presented for different audiences. Visiting external websites, reading about different types of cultures and thinking about how we divide things into categories.

The Google Generation

Web Project In the news

Web Project

Cultural categories Web Project

UNIT 11Pay attention to key words

This syllabus item provides practice of the specific language used by speakers to introduce their ideas and signpost their talk for their listeners. It also provides practice of understanding sentence stress.

Academic listening Listening to a professor talking about ecotourism and selecting the correct word to complete the phrases the speaker uses to signal the structure of the lecture. Listening to a professor talking about business principles and clicking on the stressed words in the sentences.

Ecotourism Listening Activity

12



Principles for success in modern business

Listening Activity

Understand long descriptions

This syllabus item provides practice of understanding long descriptions in lectures and academic texts.

Academic listening Listening to a lecture about ecotourism and answering multiple-choice questions.

Academic reading Reading a text about the discovery of China's Terracotta Army, matching the correct heading to each paragraph in the text and answering a series of multiple choice questions.

Vacations with a conscience

Listening Activity China's Terracotta Army Language Exercise

Use appropriate language and punctuation

This syllabus item provides practice of using academic vocabulary. It also provides practice of finding errors and identifying the meaning of punctuation marks.

Academic grammar Reading a series of sentences, each containing an error in the use of academic English, identifying each error and selecting the best word to correct the sentence.

Academic reading Reading a series of sentences and answering questions about the meaning of punctuation marks.

Academic vocabulary Reading an article about what makes people happy and selecting appropriate academic words to complete the text. Reading about scientific exploration on Mars and choosing the correct vocabulary to complete the text. Reading an article about bog bodies, an archaeological phenomenon common in north-west Europe and dragging each verb into the correct blank to complete the text.

The psychology of happiness

Vocabulary Activity

Water found on Mars Vocabulary Activity

Bodies in the bog Language Exercise

Get it write! Language Exercise

On your mark Language Exercise

TOEFL practice 7











13



UNIT 12Take a look at adverbs, quantifiers and clauses

This syllabus item helps you check your knowledge of how adverbs, quantifiers, relative clauses and participle clauses are used in academic English.

Academic grammar Practicing the position of adverbs in academic English. Practicing how quantifiers are used in academic English. Practicing how relative pronouns are used in academic English. Practicing how participle clauses are used in academic English.

Position of adverbs in academic English


Quantifiers in academic English


Relative pronouns in academic English


Participle clauses in academic English


Take a look at reporting and references

This syllabus item shows you how to use other people's ideas in your academic writing. It looks at paraphrasing, reporting and referencing.

Academic writing Studying how to paraphrase in academic writing by looking at a sample essay followed by comments and tips. Visiting external websites, reading about travel and tourism and its effect on the environment, and studying how writers use reporting verbs and references to support their arguments.

The development of telecommuting

Sample Essay Ecotourism Web Project

TOEFL practice 8











14



UNIT 13Practice for the TOEFL PBT Structure and Written Expression section

This syllabus item provides practice for the Structure and Written Expression section of the TOEFL PBT. It also covers the kind of language that is marked in the Writing section of both the PBT and iBT tests.

TOEFL exam practice Choosing the correct option to complete sentences. Correcting sentences by identifying the incorrect word or phrase.

Structure/Written expression 004












UNIT 14Practice for the TOEFL PBT Listening section

This syllabus item helps you prepare for the Listening section of the TOEFL PBT. It includes short dialogs. You do not need to do this syllabus item if you are not taking the TOEFL PBT.

TOEFL exam practice Listening to short dialogs and choosing the correct option to answer questions.

Listening 044: dialog Exam Preparation Exercise






Documents

UNIT 1 - Macmillan Practice Online · exercises. TOEFL exam practice Listening to several conversations and choosing the correct option to answer questions. Listening to several lectures