TOEFLスピーキング練習模試01
You have 15 seconds to prepare for the answer.
- Which of the following functions of smartphones are most beneficial to students? (1) taking photos (2) listening to music (3) recording lectures
You have 45 seconds to record your answer.
Task 2 Integrated Speaking
Read a passage below. You have 50 seconds to read through:
A Letter from a Student
University management wants to increase art awareness on campus by displaying paintings and other artworks by students in very visible places. I think the lobby at the entrance to the student center would be a fantastic place for an art exhibition. Many students pass through the place every day so the artworks would be viewed by hundreds of people. The massive glass windows fronting the lobby let in a lot of natural light. This light makes the lobby a perfect place for displaying art because art should be seen clearly to be appreciated.
Now listen to the conversation below.
Prepare your answer in 30 seconds. Then answer the question below:
- Briefly summarize the proposal in the client’s letter. Then state the woman’s opinion about the proposal and explain the reasons she gives for holding that opinion.
You have 60 seconds to record your answer.
Task 3 Integrated Speaking
Read a passage below. You have 50 seconds to read through:
Behavior Chaining
Behavior chaining is the process of breaking down tasks into small steps. People use behavior chaining daily for tasks such as cooking, cleaning, or work. For many students, especially children, behavior chaining is a useful learning tool that allows them to take a large concept or task and break it apart into smaller steps for easier understanding.
Now listen to the lecture below.
Prepare your answer in 30 seconds. Then answer the question below:
- Using the main points and examples describe behaviour chaining.
You have 60 seconds to record your answer.
Task 4 Integrated Speaking
Now listen to the lecture below.
Prepare your answer in 20 seconds. Then answer the question below:
- Using the main point and examples from the lecture, describe three different types of cultural diffusion.
You have 60 seconds to record your answer.
Sample Answer
Sample Answer Task 1
I think the most beneficial function of smartphones is listening to music.
To begin with, I think that listening to music is very beneficial to students because it has been proven that classical music helps students study and memorize. If students are able to listen to music, they can drown out the world around them and focus on their studies.
Second, studying for exams and any other day to day obligations can be very stressful. Music can be a natural de-stressor, so you can plug your headphones in, sit back and relax. If students get too stressed, they will likely perform poorly, or fall ill.
Therefore, if I had to choose the most beneficial feature of a smartphone to students, I believe it is listening to music.
Sample Answer Task 2
The letter writer thinks the university authorities, who want to increase art awareness on campus, should display painting and other artworks by students in the lobby of the student center.
The letter writer thinks this is a good venue because hundreds of people will see the art every day and because the lobby has a lot of natural light.
In the conversation, the art student disagrees with this proposal for three reasons. Firstly, she thinks space will be overcrowded and this will make it difficult to view the artworks properly.
Secondly, she fears that the artworks cannot be protected properly in a public space and maybe damaged accidentally or deliberately.
Thirdly, she points out that natural light is not ideal for displaying artworks because it is not consistent enough.
Sample Answer – Task 3
The lecture describes the behaviour chaining as breaking down a task into smaller steps. The professor used one example to demonstrate the behavior chaining.
The example was about how he taught his children how to wash their hands. Each day he taught his children a small part of washing their hands. For example, on the first day, he taught them to turn the water on, and on the last day, he taught them to turn the water off.
Therefore, after a short time, they put the whole process together and can watch their hands on their own. This example demonstrates behavior chaining which is using small tasks to break down a large task.
Sample Answer – Task 4
In this lecture, the professor gives tons of information about cultural diffusion, and the professor says that there are three types of cultural diffusion; direct, forced, and indirect.
Direct diffusion happens when two cultures are physically next to each other and naturally share cultural ideas.
For example, the USA and Canada hold similar cultural values. Forced diffusion, on the other hand, is different.
It occurs when one culture conquers another and forces its own beliefs and customs on the less dominant culture. For instance, when Spain and Portugal conquered the areas of Central and South America. Priests from Europe forced the natives to become Catholics.
The last one is the indirect cultural diffusion. This type of cultural diffusion happens through technology like the internet.
For example, someone from South Africa might watch a YouTube video about Korean food and therefore adopt it as part of their everyday diet.
Transcript
Transcript – Task 2
| Student 1: | Mary, you study art, don’t you? What do you think of this letter? |
| Student 2: | I don’t think her suggestion is such a good idea. |
| Student 1: | Why not? |
| Student 2: | Well, it is true that hundreds of people pass through the lobby of the student center every day, but that is exactly where the problem lies. |
| Student 1: | What problem? |
| Student 2: | The overcrowding. Artworks do not display well in overcrowded spaces. Sometimes you need to be able to get some distance from the art in order to view it properly. Imagine you are trying to look at a sculpture or a painting from a meter away but people keep walking past. They’ll block your view and distract you. I just don’t think it will work. |
| Student 1: | Yeah, now that you explain it like that. |
| Student 2: | Also, it is difficult to protect the art in a public space like that. Artists work extremely hard to create those works. Can you imagine what bumps in an overcrowded space will do to fragile sculptures? And there is always some idiot who will think it is funny to draw a mustache on the model. |
| Student 1: | I get you. |
| Student 2: | And the light in the lobby is all wrong! |
| Student 1: | I thought you needed a lot of light to see the artworks properly. |
| Student 2: | You do, but the lights need to be controlled. You need electric lighting that stays the same. Natural light is sometimes too bright and sometimes too dark. Think about art museums – the light is always at the same intensity. |
| Student 1: | Mary, you study art, don’t you? What do you think of this letter? |
| Student 2: | I don’t think her suggestion is such a good idea. |
| Student 1: | Why not? |
| Student 2: | Well, it is true that hundreds of people pass through the lobby of the student center every day, but that is exactly where the problem lies. |
| Student 1: | What problem? |
Transcript – Task 3
| P: | So we said that behaviour chaining breaks a large task into small steps. It helps teach by allowing the person to learn each step slowly. Actually, this technique is quite helpful in assisting children to learn a routine task that is repetitive such as using the bathroom, brushing their teeth, or completing a work task. |
| So let me tell you of my own experience with this when I taught my children to wash their hands by using the idea of behavior chaining. We know that washing your hands consists of a couple sequential steps, which I broke down into 5 steps: One, turning on the water, two, putting your hands under the water, three, rubbing soap on your hands, four, rinsing your hands under the water, and five, turning the water off. I taught my children one step per day to make sure they knew exactly what to do. After learning each step, they can link the entire process together. Lastly, I successfully used behavior chaining to teach them to wash their hands. |
Transcript – Task 4
| P: | Okay, let’s get started! Last time we talked about the concept of “cultural diffusion.” Cultural diffusion happens when beliefs, ideas, or even social activities spread from one culture to another. This creates a mix of cultures. Now, there are three types of cultural diffusion: direct, indirect, or forced. |
| Let’s talk about direct diffusion first. Direct diffusion occurs when two cultures are physically close together and can exchange ideas through intermarriage, trade and even warfare. For example, the USA and Canada hold similar cultural values and ideas, likely due to their proximity to each other. Despite having different histories and government systems, people in both countries share, basically, the same cultural references. | |
| Secondly, indirect diffusion happens when cultural traits are transmitted indirectly from one culture to another, through a middleman of sort. By this, we mean that the two cultures do not have direct contact like physical proximity. They have some kind of communication, like, for example, the Internet. Someone from South Africa might watch a YouTube video about Korean food, love it, and adopt it as part of their everyday diet, you know? Hollywood is watched worldwide, so it’s also an example of indirect diffusion, isn’t it? | |
| Now, forced diffusion happens when one culture conquers or enslaves another and forces its own customs on the defeated one. A good example of this was in the 10th century when Spain and Portugal conquered the areas of Central and South America. Priests from Europe forced the natives to become Catholics. Also, many customs of the conquered natives were prohibited by the Spanish, and were gradually, completely eliminated. |