TOEFL

SPEAKING
--Saki
Exam Structure
3-4 篇阅读文章，每篇 10 个问题
一、阅读（ Reading ）
54-72 分钟
3-4 段讲座，每段 6 个问题
二、听力（ Listening ） 2-3 段对话，每段 5 个问题
41-57 分钟
4 道题， 1 个独立口语任务， 3 个综合口
三、口语（ Speaking ） 语任务
17 分钟
2 道题， 1 个独立写作任务， 1 个综合写
四、写作（ Writing ） 作任务
50 分钟
Independent Speaking Rubric
Integrated Speaking Rubric
TPO 练习建议
Tips for practice
Speak as much as you can

Memorize essential vocab/phrases

Improve listening/reading/paraphrasing skills

Record 1-2mins first, then contrast

Memorize templates

Revise your answer and re-record.

Question1--Independent Task
Or “Personal Choice” Question
Agree/Disagree (50%)
Preference (30%)
Good Idea (20%)

Obsolete Question types (for now)

-Multiple Choice
-Giving Advice
-Advantage/Disadvantage
Style One: Agree/Disagree
“State whether you agree or disagree with the followin
g statement. Then explain your reasons using specific
details in your argument. Teachers should assign daily
homework to students.”

“Do you agree or disagree with the following statemen

t? Children should help their parents with household c
hores as soon as they are old enough. Use details and e
xamples in your response.”
Style Two: Paired Choice
“There are many different approaches to academic stu
dies, and all of them have specific benefits. Do you pre
fer to study for tests in a group, or to study alone? Incl
ude details and examples to support your explanation.”

“Some people like to watch television news programs e

very day, while others like to watch them only now and
then. Which do you prefer? Include details and exampl
es to support your explanation.”
Style Three: Good Idea
Some companies have rules that forbid employees fro
m using personal cell phones during working hours. D
o you think this is a good idea? Why or why not? Use s
pecific reasons and examples to support your answer.

Nowadays, some people use extreme methods, includi

ng surgery, to change their appearance. They do this be
cause they want to look more attractive. Do you think t
his is a good idea? Support your answer with details an
d examples.
Answer Templates
 Main Point (pick one)
 “I agree with the idea that…”
 “I think it is better to…”
 “I think it is a great/terrible idea to…”

 Transition (optional)
 “I feel this way for several reasons.”

 First Reason
 “First…” + “For example…” (and a personal example)

 Second Reason
 “Second…” + “To be more specific…” (and a few more details)
Tips and Tricks
Avoid Repeating Words.
Vary your vocabulary as much as possible.

Use discourse phrases

“as a result,” “consequently,” “moreover,” and “therefore”to l
ink ideas.

Use a mix of simple and compound sentences.

Don’t copy from the prompt, especially at the beginning.

Avoid using idioms.

Question 2
Format:

Reading: 45-50s, about 100 words

Listening: conversation between two students(M&F)

Then QUESTION

Time spent for the answer

30s to prepare
60s to speak
Note taking
Statement Person 1 Person 2

Not Important, but try to Whoever talks the least is Main Speaker is very
take some note. not imporant. important
Reading Part
Notes to take
Title
Change (C):
Campus buildings (library, housing, cafeteria, etc.
Classs (schedule, availability, new class, homework etc.)
Trasportation (bus service, parking, etc.)
Others (tuition, new regulations,… etc.)
Reason 1 (R1)
Reason 2 (R2)
Listening Part
Tips for note
C:
R1:
R2:
Opinion(W/M): support or go against
R1:
R2:

QUESTION: not important

TPO 40
University to Create a Lounge for Commuter Students

 Many students at our university do not live in dormitories. These st

udents live in town or in the suburbs and travel to campus every day
. The university has decided to provide these commuter students wi
th a special lounge in the student center-with couches, chairs, and a
television. University officials hope that this lounge -a place to soci
alize and relax -will give commuter students some of the same adva
ntages that dormitory residents now have. An important additional
feature of the lounge will be a bulletin board on the wall for posting
and sharing information that may be especially useful to commuter
students and their particular needs.
Please listen to the audio

Question ：
The woman expresses her opinion about the university’s plan.
Briefly summarize the plan. Then state her opinion about the
plan and explain the reasons she gives for holding that opinio
n.
Answer Template 1
The university is planning to_____,
because_____and______.
The man/woman in the conversation agrees /disagrees
with the plan. He/she has two reasons
the first reason is that____.
The second is that ____.
(therefore, the man /woman supports/doesn't
Support this idea.)
Answer Template 2
1. State the Change
--According to the announcement/article/letter.
2. State the Reasons for the Change
--This is because___and___.
3. State the Speaker's opinion
--The man/woman does not support this change.
--The man/woman supports this change.
--The man/woman has a mixed opinion about this change.
4. State the Speaker's First Reason
--To begin with, he/she points out that...
5. State the Speakers Second Reason
--Moreover, he/she argues that...
TPO 40 听力原文
 Woman ： Hey, it's nice that they're gonna do this.
 Man ： It's not a bad idea, but do you think it'll accomplish what they're hopin
g?
 Woman ： Sure. I mean, the dormitories all have their own lounges, and think
about how much time students spend there, and how many people they meet.
 Man ： Yeah. I got to know a lot of people in my dorm during my first semester
just watching TV and taking study breaks in the lounge.
 Woman ： Right. Those dorm lounges are really central to student life. And I m
et people there that really helped me with my schoolwork too. Students who liv
e off campus don't have anything like that.
 Man ： That's true.
 Woman ： Plus, I like the idea of posting stuff. You know, things like notices fr
om students who want to get together with other students to share car rides to c
ampus.
 Man ： Yeah. Rideshare information could be helpful.
 Woman ： Absolutely! If students knew about rideshares, they could save mon
ey getting to campus cuz a few of them could travel in one car.
范文 TPO40
 The school has implemented a new policy that create a lounge fo
r the commuter students( 控制 10-13 秒内 ). And the woman hold
s a positive view towards the announcement. The first reason she
gave is that the lounge is very central to student life, and the peo
ple there could actually help her with her school work. Students
who live off campus don' t have anything like that. And the secon
d one is based on the fact that the woman likes the idea of postin
g stuff. Things like notices from students who want to get togeth
er with other students to share car rides to campus. And it could
save a lot of money for students because a few of them could trav
el in one car.
 Therefore, she agrees with that opinion
Tips and Tricks
* Link ideas from the conversation by using discourse phrases
like"as a result,""consequently ""moreover"and"therefore”.

*Spend about 10-13 seconds talking about the reading at most

 Remember that most of your score is based on the listening pa
rt.

*If you are a slow speaker, omit the reasons for the change.

*Use a mix of simple and compound sentences.

In-class exercise---TPO 39
Start a Ride-sharing Program
Students who live off-campus often get to campus by car. I prop
ose that the university create a student ride-sharing program, w
here students who live in the same area would form groups of fo
ur with each group driving to campus together in one car. The ri
de-sharing program would benefit students as well as the enviro
nment. For the students, they would save money by driving to c
ampus in groups instead of separately. And since there would be
fewer cars going and coming from campus, there would be a pos
itive impact on the environment.

Sincerely
Jim Sears
请听语音内容

The woman expresses her opinion about the proposal in

the letter. Briefly summarize the proposal. Then state he
r opinion about the proposal and explain the reasons she
gives for holding that opinion.
TPO39 原文
 Now listen to two students discussing the letter.
 M: Ellen, you drive to campus, right? Did you see this letter in the paper today?
 W: Yeah, I did. I think it makes a lot of sense, so it'd be great if the university starts s
omething like that.
 M: OK...
 W: Well, now I drive to campus all by myself and buy gas now and then. It isn't muc
h each time I fill the tank, but it adds up.
 M: I'm sure.
 W: So, a program like that would really help students. They'd spend less on gas and
it’s not just gas either. It’s also the wear and tear on the car. I mean the more you use
a car going back and forth all the time, the more you have to do maintenance and re
pairs.
 M: Right, but do you think the program would have that other benefit?
 W: I do because there have been a lot more people coming into this city, so there's
much more traffic now than before and all the carbon dioxide that comes from all t
hose cars on the road is polluting the environment more and more.
 M: So, with this program...
 W: Right. There'd be less carbon dioxide pouring out into the air and this would red
uce environmental pollution and the air quality would certainly improve.
范文
The letter supposes that the university should start a car-sharing pr
ogram when the students need to go to college and return. One rea
son given by the letter is students can save money by sharing the ca
r-ride. Also, it will be good for the environment . The woman think
s it is a great idea and she explains the benefits in detail. First, she s
ays students will spend less on gas and the wear and tear of the car
if they can share cars together. Second, she thinks that this change
can reduce the traffic. As a result, less carbon dioxide will be pour i
nto air. So the pollution will also decrease and air quality will beco
me better.
 Question 3
 First, you will read a short (100 words) article on an academic topic.
 It should be about a specific term or concept it usually has a clear
title and about five sentences that define the term and give some
basic details. You will be given 45 or 50 seconds to read it.

 Next, you will hear a short lecture(1.5 minutes)about the same term
 or idea. Most of it will consist of one or two examples that
 demonstrate the term or idea.

 Note that if there is one example, you should look for two parts like
 a before/after or cause/effect relationship.

 Note the example could be from the life of the lecturer.

Common Topics
Biology/ Animals
Business/Marketing
Psychology/Learning
Art/History/ Literature
Other topics

Usually it contains 1-2 examples

Format:
45s to read: Topics&Definition
About 120s listening: Examples
Then QUESTION

T
Answer:
30s to prepare
D
 T:
 D:
 E: key words/clear

60s to answer E
THE QUESTION PROMPT
 Question Type:

 Describe what_____ is, and how the professor's example illustrates this ide
a.

 Describe how the example of the_____illustrates the concept of_____.

 Explaine concept of_____using the examples of ____and_____ given the le

cture.

 Using the examples from the lecture, explain the concept of_____.

 Time: 30 seconds to prepare your answer, and 60 seconds to speak.

 You will not be able to see the reading while answering or preparing
Note taking
Reading Listening

Term/Concept First,

Details
Second,

Specific Information
TPO 40
Agonistic Behavior
Within certain animal species, conflicts sometimes arise over
resources such as territory or food. To resolve these conflicts, t
wo animals of the same species may engage in agonistic behav
ior. With this type of aggressive behavior, the animals particip
ate in a physical competition that demonstrates which animal
is more powerful. While each animal attempts to prove its stre
ngth in the competition, it typically does so without harming
the other animal. Once the winner is established, that animal
gains access to the desired resources, while the weaker animal
surrenders and leaves the area.
Please listen to the audio~

Question ：

Explain how the example in the lecture illustrates ago

nistic behavior.
 原文
 I know some scientists who were observing snakes in the wild. And they witnessed an e
ncounter of this sort between two rattlesnakes.

 Uh...as you may know, rattlesnakes eat various kinds of small animals. Small animals tha
t live underground, in burrows, in little holes in the ground. And what these scientists s
aw was these two rattlesnakes had found the same hole and both wanted to eat whateve
r food was in that hole.

 So what happened was: The two rattlesnakes faced each other and then they lifted their
bodies into an upright position and made themselves as tall as possible. And then they s
tarted pushing each other, kind of wrestling with one another, each snake trying to gain
control of the other snake.

 And what's interesting is that during all these pushing and shoving and maneuvering, n
either snake ever tried to bite the other snake. Neither snake ever tried to injure the othe
r snake. So...after this went on for a while, one of the snakes finally gained control of the
other snake, pushed it to the ground and held it there. At this point, the snake that was
on top could have easily bitten the other snake. But it didn't. Instead, it just released the
other snake, just let it go. The snake that had lost just slithered away, and the snake that
had won went down into the hole to look for food.
ANSWER TEMPLATE
1. State the Term or Idea
 The reading is about (TERM/CONCEPT)"
2. Give a Small Amount of Detail from the Reading
 It states that......
3. Transition
 The professor elaborates on this by providing an example.
 The professor elaborates on this by providing two examples.
4. State the First Example or First Part
 To begin with, he/she mentions that...
5. State the Second Example or Second Part
 Next, he/she says that
TIPS AND TRICKS
 Try to use transitional phrases like"as a result,""consequen,
 "moreover, "and"therefore.

 Spend about 10-13 seconds summarizing the reading...at most.

 Remember that most of your score is based on the listening sum
mary.

 If you are a slow speaker, omit the"small amount of detail" part.

 Use a mix of simple and compound sentences if possible

 Paraphrase
In-class exercise---TPO 39
Signaling
Customers are often willing to pay higher prices for high-quality
products, however, without specialized knowledge, it can be di
fficult to evaluate whether certain items are highly quality. Whe
n customers are unsure whether an item is high quality, ad wort
h the prize, they are less likely to purchase it. This problem can
be solved through signaling . The seller of a product finds a way
to signal, or demonstrate, to the buyer that the product is high q
uality. One common signaling strategy is to have a person or co
mpany that is not involved in the sale provides an objective, unb
iased judgment about the quality of a product.
听力原文
So OK here's a good example. A friend of mine owns a small jewelry store whe
re she sells jewelry. And the jewelry she sells, watches, rings, necklaces, is very
expensive, thousands of dollars, because it's all real gold, real diamonds, and
other precious gemstones. So of course, when customers come into her store,
well, if they are considering spending that much money on a piece of jewelry,
they want to make sure it's authentic, that the gold is real, the gemstones are r
eal, and not just pieces of glass. But most customers don't actually know how
to tell the difference on their own. So in order to reassure her customers, what
my friend did is, she had a jewelry expert come in and look at all the jewelry i
n her store. This expert had, like, twenty years of experience in examining jew
elry, so he knew a lot about it. And the expert examined all the precious gemst
ones and certified that they were authentic, real. And then my friend put up a
sign in the store saying that all the jewelry in the store had been certified as a
uthentic by a leading expert. So her customers would see the sign and know t
hat all the jewelry in the store was real. And since the expert didn't work for m
y friend's store, it didn't matter to him if the jewelry got sold or not. So custo
mers were likely to trust his opinion. The expert was therefore able to provide
evidence that the jewelry was worth the high prices.
Now listen to the audio

Question ：
Explain how the example used in the lecture illustrate
s the concept of signaling.
范文
 According to the reading, signaling is when the seller of a product finds
a way to show the buyer that their product is of high quality.
 And (It states that) one common way of doing this is to have a person o
r company that is not affiliated with the sale of the product to provide s
ome sort of an opinion of the product.
 To illustrate this concept
 the professor cites an example of his friend who owns a jewelry shop se
lling gold, diamonds and other precious gemstones, which are typically
expensive.
 To make sure her customers were convinced the jewelry was worth the
price, She hired a jewelry specialist to examine the jewelry and prove its
authenticity by providing her with a certificate, and because the jewelr
y expert was not an employee of the store, her customers would see this
certificate and trust the jewelry store even more.
Question 4
Only one person talking
Time: 20s+60s

Single sourse question

Main idea_______
S1________
S2________
S3________
Common Topics
Biology/Animals
Business/Marketing
Psychology/Education
Art/History/Literature

Each topic includes 1-2 examples