TOEIC Part 7 (1): Starting with E-mails — Learning How to Read Long Passages Step by Step — July 26, 2026 (Sunday) Reiwa8

Today, I began studying Part 7 of the TOEIC test using New TOEIC Test: Chokuzen no Gijutsu (Last-Minute Techniques), a textbook that I used in my high school English classes many years ago.

At that time, Part 7 consisted of 48 questions with single and double passages. Today, it has expanded to 54 questions, and triple passages have been added. As a result, the amount of reading has increased significantly.

The book recommended solving the test in the following order: Part 2 → Part 5 → Part 6 → Part 1 → Part 7 → Part 3 → Part 4. However, because today's Part 7 is much longer, many test-takers now use different strategies depending on their strengths.

Personally, I believe beginners should first answer the questions they can solve confidently and then spend the remaining time on Part 7. As reading ability and vocabulary improve, each learner can gradually develop a time-management strategy that works best for them.

Today's lesson focused on the first type of Part 7 passage: an e-mail.

When reading an e-mail, it is important to identify who wrote it, who received it, and why it was written. Reading the opening sentence of each paragraph also helps you understand the overall flow of the message.

The sample e-mail was about a company system upgrade. It included vocabulary related to computer viruses, payroll, software installation, and compatibility. Although the English itself was not especially difficult, the topic required some background knowledge about computers and office work.

Another important point in TOEIC is paraphrasing. The wording in the questions is often different from the wording in the passage. Instead of translating every sentence word for word, it is more effective to understand the main idea and recognize how the information has been rephrased.

Part 7 contains many questions and requires careful reading. Rather than trying to study too much at once, I believe it is better to read one passage at a time and steadily build solid reading skills.

The next passages will include forms, menus, advertisements, and job postings. However, I decided to stop with the first e-mail today and continue the rest in the next lesson.

Step by step, I hope to strengthen my long-reading skills while enjoying the learning process.

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