Reading in Daily Life II: Schedules, Ads, Price Lists & Campus Policies
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Lesson overview
Reading structured schedules, timetables, advertisements, menus, price lists, instructions, forms, and campus policies on the TOEFL Reading section.
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Pacing
Read the stem stem-last (question clause first), eliminate two distractors, then verify constraints.
How TOEFL marks this
Focus on how TOEFL scenarios frame constraints, qualifiers ("FIRST", "BEST", "MOST likely"), and boundary cases.
Watch out for
Technically true statements that do not solve the specific constraint in the scenario.
Lesson content
How to Decode Schedules, Price Lists & Procedural Policies
1. Schedules, Timetables & Calendars: • Multi-variable filtering: A typical question gives two or three constraints: 'Which workshop can a first-year biology major attend on Wednesday afternoon if she has a lab until 2:30 p.m.?' Filter step by step: (a) Day = Wednesday, (b) Start time > 2:30 p.m., (c) Eligibility = open to first-year students / no prerequisite. • Room changes & asterisks: Always check symbols (*, †, #) next to a session title—they usually indicate 'Registration required', 'Bring a laptop', or 'Moved to Room 302'. 2. Advertisements, Menus & Price Lists: • Bundled vs À-la-Carte Pricing: Price lists and ads frequently compare a single-item price against a package or semester pass, or offer a discount with a minimum purchase ('15% off orders over $30 with a valid student ID; cannot be combined with clearance items'). • Feature comparison: When an ad compares three service tiers (e.g., Basic, Standard, Premium tutoring or gym plans), verify which tier is the cheapest one that includes ALL features requested in the question. 3. Instructions, Forms & Campus Policies: • Sequential Order ('Before / After / Only when'): Procedural instructions test the exact order of steps. If Step 2 says 'Obtain your advisor's signature before submitting the form to the Dean's Office,' submitting directly to the Dean's Office violates the procedure. • Eligibility & Penalties: Campus policies (housing, academic integrity, equipment checkout) define what is permitted, what requires prior approval, and what penalty applies when a rule is broken.
Worked Example 1: Orientation Workshop Schedule with Prerequisites
Read the schedule: 'FALL GRADUATE LIBRARY WORKSHOPS (All sessions held in Room 210 unless noted) • Mon 10:00–11:30 a.m. | Citation Management with Zotero | Open to all students * • Mon 2:00–3:30 p.m. | Archival Manuscript Handling | History & Literature grad students only (Special Collections Vault) • Wed 1:00–2:30 p.m. | Python for Data Visualization | Prerequisite: Intro to Python or instructor consent * • Wed 3:00–4:30 p.m. | Systematic Literature Reviews | Open to all graduate students * Participants must bring a personal laptop with wireless access configured.' Question: Which statement is true about a first-year Mechanical Engineering graduate student who does not own a laptop and has no prior coding experience?
Active Worked Example · Predict Step 1
5 stepsWrite down the formula, rule, or first move you would make before revealing Step 1.
Worked Example 2: Travel Reimbursement Form & Policy Instructions
Read the policy instructions: 'STUDENT CONFERENCE TRAVEL REIMBURSEMENT INSTRUCTIONS 1. Pre-Approval: Submit Form TR-1 signed by your faculty advisor at least 14 days before departure. Travel booked without pre-approval is ineligible for department funding. 2. Eligible Expenses: Economy airfare or rail fare, conference registration fees, and shared lodging up to $120 per night. Meals and local taxi fares are not reimbursable. 3. Post-Trip Claim: Within 10 business days of returning, upload itemized original receipts (credit card statements alone are not accepted) and your conference badge scan to the Finance Portal. 4. Maximum Award: Up to $500 per academic year for attendees, or up to $750 for students presenting a paper or poster.' Question: A student obtained pre-approval 3 weeks before a conference where she presented a poster. She spent $300 on economy airfare, $150 on registration, $200 for two nights of lodging ($100/night), and $65 on meals. If she uploads itemized receipts and her badge scan 5 days after returning, how much reimbursement will she receive? 1. Verify procedural compliance: She submitted Form TR-1 3 weeks (21 days ≥ 14 days) before departure, and uploaded itemized receipts + badge scan 5 days (≤ 10 business days) after returning. All steps are valid. 2. Check each expense for eligibility under Rule 2: • Economy airfare ($300): Eligible. • Conference registration ($150): Eligible. • Two nights of lodging at $100/night ($200): Eligible (since $100/night ≤ $120/night cap). • Meals ($65): NOT reimbursable under Rule 2. 3. Sum eligible expenses: $300 + $150 + $200 = $650. 4. Check against the Maximum Award cap in Rule 4: Because she presented a poster, her annual cap is $750. Since $650 ≤ $750, she receives the full $650. Answer: $650.
Watch Out for 'Credit Card Statement' and 'Non-Combinable' Clauses
• In forms and reimbursement policies, 'itemized receipt required' vs 'credit card slip' is a classic TOEFL detail check. • In advertisements and menus, always check whether a student discount 'cannot be combined with daily specials or clearance items'.
Key Takeaways
• On schedules and calendars, filter rows systematically using the question's day, time, major/level, and footnote (*) requirements. • On advertisements, menus, and price lists, compare bundled vs individual rates and check promotional cutoff dates and exclusions. • On instructions, forms, and campus policies, verify the mandatory sequence of steps (pre-approval vs post-event) and separate eligible from excluded categories.
Mastery Check · Lesson Quiz · pass 60%
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