Problem: Article: Cut a card down the middle, using the crease as a guide. Flip the front of the card over so that you can see the blank back. Orient the card landscape-style, and draw a vertical line down the middle. Write your message to the left of the line, and the address to the right. Remember to leave room for the stamp in the upper right corner! Discard the back of the card. Choose a card with a full image on the front, such as a Christmas scene or a basket of flowers. Use a gift tag-shaped craft punch to cut new tags from the front of the card. Cut a piece of string, thread it through the hole in the cut-out-tag, and tie the ends together. You can buy craft punches that are shaped like gift tags in the scrapbooking aisle of a craft store. If the punch does not have a hole in it for the string, you'll have to poke the hole yourself. Use a miniature hole punch to do this. Write "To" and "From" on the black/blank side of the tag. Cut a down the middle, using the crease as a guide. Next, cut the top, bottom, and side edges off using decorative scissors to create a nice border. Fold a sheet of cardstock in half to make a new card, then glue the cut-up card to the front. Let the glue dry, then write your message inside. You can find decorative scissors in the scrapbooking aisle of a craft store. They come in all sorts of shapes, such as wavy and zigzag. Choose cardstock in a contrasting color. It will show up as a nice border outside the card you cut. Decorate the front of your card with scrapbooking embellishments, such as buttons, rhinestones, or glitter glue. Cut a rectangle from white paper a little smaller than your card. Secure it to the inside of your card with glue or double-sided tape, then write your message on that instead. Find a template online for a pillow pouch-style envelope. Trace the template onto the front of your card, then cut it out. Score the folding lines, the fold and glue your pillow pouch together. Use a card that's suitable for the occasion, such as a Christmas card for a Christmas gift pouch. Decorate the gift pouch with rhinestones, glitter glue, and other scrapbooking embellishments.
Summary: Cut the front off of a card, then turn it into a postcard. Use a gift tag-shaped craft punch to create gift tags. Cut a card apart, then glue it to folded cardstock to make a new card. Use a pillow pouch template to turn a card into a gift pouch.

Problem: Article: Try reading college-level textbooks, which are written in the same style that the TOEFL will use, and cover a wide range of topics. You should definitely build reading time into your study schedule, but try to add additional reading time to your day, too. Try reading during your commute or before you go to bed. Use the internet! News articles, blogs, and online magazines are all helpful when improving your reading skills. You can read whatever interests you. Try food blogs if you are trying to improve your cooking skills, or read about health and wellness if you're trying to get fit. All that matters is that you read. After you read an article or text, write a brief summary. Make sure to include all of the main points of the text. If there are 2 viewpoints being expressed, make sure to include both of those in your summary. Start by listing the main points and the supporting details. Then turn those into a complete paragraph. After you write your summary, go back and fix any spelling or grammatical errors. It's really important that you understand what you are reading. Test yourself by answering some basic questions after you read a text. For example, make sure that you can answer basic questions. It's always a good idea to be able to identify the "who, what, when, where, and why." Have a friend quiz you by coming up with questions about what you've just read. Improving your vocabulary will help you read better. Keep a small notebook with you at all times so you can write down new words. Any time you hear or read a new word, write it down. When you have time, look up the meaning and write that down, too. You can make flashcards with your vocab words on them so that you can easily quiz yourself. Make sure that your essay has an introduction, body, and conclusion. While you are writing practice essays, get in the habit of structuring your essays in that way. Each body paragraph should focus on 1 subject. Don't forget to include a strong thesis statement! Use keywords and phrases to mark your place in the essay. For example, if you're comparing to points, say, "In contrast to" When you come to your last paragraph, you can say something like, "To conclude" When you're studying, stick to a plan for writing your essays. You should get used to spending 4-5 minutes planning and organizing your writing. Save another 5 minutes at the end to edit your work. The rest of the time should be devoted to writing the essay. You should use clear, brief sentences for the writing portion. Make sure to stay on topic and only write about the main points of your outline. For example, if you're writing about an essay on taking care of your dog, you might write, "The most important thing is to give your dog lots of attention. Play with it, take it outside, and talk to it every day. You also need to focus on giving it nutritious food." Write in the active voice to make your points really clear.
Summary:
Read as much English as you can each day. Practice writing down the main points of a passage. Work on reading comprehension to make sure you understand the material. Keep a journal to track new vocabulary words. Practice organizing your essays for the writing section. Set aside time to organize, write, and edit your essay. Stick to the main point and use complete sentences.