Speaking
Q1
ME
I personally prefer to eat fast food. Some people would not agree with my idea because they might think that fast food is not healthy at all and they have no good nutrition inside. but I believe that it's really convenient for me to eat fast food sometimes. One thing that comes to my mind when I get this question is that it's really fast to finish. It's very helpful especially when I'm very busy. So I would say that I prefer to eat fast food
GPT
Score: 3 out of 4
Feedback:
Strengths:
Response Structure: You provided a clear introduction stating your preference, followed by a counter-argument, and then supported your viewpoint with a reason.
Topic Development: You gave a clear reason (convenience) for your preference and expanded upon it with an example (when you are busy).
Delivery: Your pronunciation was mostly clear, and you maintained a steady pace.
Areas for Improvement:
Depth of Content: While you did provide a reason for your preference, offering another reason or expanding on the example could have made your response more compelling.
Complexity: Using varied sentence structures and transitional phrases can make your response sound more fluent and organized.
Grammar and Word Choice: Minor errors like "they have no good nutrition inside" could be refined to "they lack nutritional value." This would enhance clarity and accuracy.
Revised Response:
I personally prefer to eat fast food. While some might argue that it lacks nutritional value, I find its convenience quite appealing. Particularly when I'm swamped with tasks, grabbing a quick fast-food meal saves me a lot of time. Therefore, due to its quick and convenient nature, I lean towards fast food."
Remember, the TOEFL speaking section evaluates your ability to communicate ideas clearly and effectively in English. Practicing your responses to various prompts will help you become more comfortable and fluent.
Q2
ME
According to the reading, the University has announced that they are going to interview applicants to evaluate their suitability to join the biology research Club. The man in the conversation thinks that is not a good idea for two reasons . the first reason is that how knowledgeable students about biology should not be an issue. This is because they join the club because they are interested in biology and even if they don't know about it they could be informed through the club activities. The second reason is that even if presentations by students are just basic and not useful, they hardly give presentations. For example, out of 9 seminars in the past, seven seminars are done by visiting professors, experts.
GPT
Score: 3 out of 4
Feedback:
Strengths:
Content Identification: You clearly identified the main idea from the reading passage, which is about the University's decision to interview applicants for the biology research club.
Response Structure: You had a clear structure where you presented two reasons from the man in the conversation to support his viewpoint against the university's decision.
Topic Development: You mentioned specific examples (e.g., the ratio of student presentations to visiting professors) to reinforce the second reason.
Areas for Improvement:
Delivery and Fluency: While it wasn't possible to gauge your pronunciation or pace without hearing you, ensure you're maintaining a steady pace and clear pronunciation.
Grammar and Word Choice: Phrases like "thinks that is not a good idea" could be refined to "thinks it's not a good idea". The phrase "how knowledgeable students about biology should not be an issue" is grammatically awkward and could be rephrased for clarity.
Clarification and Coherence: The link between the two reasons could be made more coherent. It wasn't immediately evident how the frequency of student presentations directly relates to the main issue.
Revised Response:
According to the reading, the University has decided to interview applicants to evaluate their fit for the biology research club. The man in the conversation disagrees with this for two main reasons. First, he believes that a student's existing knowledge of biology shouldn't be a barrier. Students join clubs to nurture their interests and can learn about biology through club activities. Secondly, he mentions that students rarely give presentations in the club. For instance, in the past nine seminars, seven were delivered by visiting professors, highlighting that student knowledge may not play a major role."
As always, practicing your responses to various prompts will help you articulate your ideas more clearly and coherently.
Q3
ME
According to the reading, a token reward system is one of the most effective ways in which negative behavior can be corrected. The professor describes his personal experience to explain this. he was hired by a local drug treatment Center and the center had trouble with patients who didn't follow the rule. they had a reward system which allowed patient to communicate with their friends and family. But some of them didn't value it so they are not motivated. To improve this, the professor institutes a token reward system and they can exchange the value with the TV or snack and their behavior was improved.
GPT
Score: 3 out of 4
Feedback:
Strengths:
Content Identification: You correctly identified the main idea from the reading passage, which is about the effectiveness of the token reward system in correcting negative behavior.
Response Structure: You structured your response with a clear beginning (introducing the topic from the reading), middle (the professor's experience), and end (results).
Topic Development: You elaborated on the professor's experience by explaining the issues with the initial reward system and the changes made.
Areas for Improvement:
Delivery and Fluency: As with the previous response, without hearing your delivery, it's crucial to maintain a steady pace and clear pronunciation.
Grammar and Word Choice: There are several grammatical errors and awkward phrasings that make parts of your response hard to understand. For example:
"...who didn't follow the rule." could be rephrased as "...who didn't follow the rules."
"...and the center had trouble with patients who didn't follow the rule." could be smoother as "The center was struggling with patients not adhering to the rules."
"They can exchange the value with the TV or snack" might be clearer as "they could exchange tokens for rewards like TV time or snacks."
Clarity and Coherence: The transition between the old reward system and the token system was not very clear, leading to some potential confusion about how the two systems were different.
Revised Response:
According to the reading, the token reward system is considered highly effective in addressing and correcting negative behavior. The professor illustrated this through his personal experience. He was employed by a local drug treatment center, which was having difficulty with patients not adhering to rules. The center's initial reward system allowed patients to communicate with their friends and family, but it was ineffective since many patients did not value it. To address this, the professor introduced a token reward system, allowing patients to exchange tokens for rewards like TV time or snacks. This new system led to an improvement in the patients' behavior."
Remember, refining your language and ensuring your response is organized will contribute to a higher score. Practice is key.
Q4
ME
In the lecture, the professor describes two ways bats hunt for food. She started the topic by talking about aerial hawking. It is to detect, purse and consume prey while they're flying. And it applys to smaller bad and the pray tend to be smaller. They use the echolocation to target insects. The second example is perch hunting. It is very energy efficient and it applies to bats which has larger body and prays also tend to be larger than bats. In this way, prays come closer to bats and the bats utilize smell sense inferior eyesight to catch prays.
GPT
Score: 2.5 out of 4
Feedback:
Strengths:
Content Identification: You successfully identified the two main methods bats use to hunt for food, as mentioned in the lecture.
Response Structure: You started your response by introducing the topic, then proceeded to discuss the two methods in sequence, which gave a logical flow to your answer.
Areas for Improvement:
Grammar and Word Choice: There are a few grammatical errors and awkward phrasings that affect the clarity of your response. For example:
"It applys to smaller bad..." should be "It applies to smaller bats..."
"prays also tend to be larger than bats." is confusing. It might be clearer as "the prey of these bats tends to be larger."
"prays come closer to bats" should be "prey comes closer to bats"
"smell sense inferior eyesight" could be restructured to "sense of smell and their inferior eyesight"
Precision and Details: While you provided details about each hunting method, the way you described them might confuse listeners, especially in terms of the size of the bats and their prey.
Clarity and Coherence: The difference between the two hunting methods needs to be made clearer. As it stands, the distinctions are muddled.
Revised Response:
"In the lecture, the professor discussed two primary methods that bats use to hunt for food. Firstly, she described 'aerial hawking', where bats detect, pursue, and consume prey in mid-air. This method is commonly seen in smaller bats that typically hunt smaller prey, like insects. They employ echolocation to pinpoint these insects. The second method she mentioned was 'perch hunting'. This method is more energy-efficient and is prevalent among larger bats hunting larger prey. In this strategy, bats wait for their prey to come close. They then utilize their sense of smell and relatively weaker eyesight to capture their prey."
By refining your response for clarity and ensuring it is grammatically accurate, you'll have a stronger answer that aligns more closely with the TOEFL's criteria. Practice will help improve the fluidity and precision of your answers.
Writing
Q1
ME
The reading passage contends that the sudden Angkor's demise could be explained by three theories: The Black Death, the serious fault in their water system and the rise of maritime trade. On the other hand, the lecturer brings up several point to contradict this argument.
Firstly, the lecturer contends that the Black Death would not likely to reach Angkor. This is because it is known that the plague had been spreaded between coastal cities while Angkor was inland city. This casts doubt on the reading passage's claim that the Black Death would be main reason for Angkor's demise.
Secondly, the lecturer points out that if there were faults in their water system, it would have only impacted on the half of Angkor's population. So there should be another explanation with the explanation given that they would have suffered from water shortage. This counters the reading passage's claim that Angkor's fall due to the fall of its water system.
Finally, the lecturer maintains that Angkor is known as the city popular for trading luxury goods. So even if maritime trade was getting popular at that time, it had little impact on Angkor's reputation as trade center. This refutes the reading passage's claim that they decline because of the trend change of economy.
GPT
Score: 3.5 out of 5
Feedback:
Strengths:
Content Identification: You've effectively captured the main points of contrast between the reading and listening passages regarding theories for Angkor's sudden demise.
Organization: The structure is coherent, with clear transitions between the arguments from the reading and listening. You've consistently followed the pattern of presenting the reading's claim followed by the lecturer's counterargument.
Areas for Improvement:
Grammar and Word Choice: There are several grammatical errors and misused words which impact the fluency and clarity of the essay. For instance: "brings up several point" should be "brings up several points" "spreaded" should be "spread" "inland city" should perhaps be "an inland city" "explanation with the explanation given" is repetitive and a bit unclear. "they decline" should be "their decline" Clarity and Precision: While you've captured the main points, you could delve into a bit more detail or context where possible. For example, if the lecturer provided specific data or a more in-depth reasoning, including that would enhance your essay. Conclusiveness: Though not always required, having a succinct concluding sentence can neatly tie up your integrated essay. This provides closure to the reader and summarizes the main point of the comparison.
Revised Section:
Firstly, the lecturer asserts that the Black Death was unlikely to have reached Angkor. This is supported by the fact that the plague predominantly spread between coastal cities, while Angkor was an inland city. Thus, the reading's suggestion that the Black Death was the primary cause of Angkor's demise is cast into doubt.
Secondly, regarding the water system, the lecturer indicates that even if there were faults, they would have impacted only half of Angkor's population. Therefore, the reading's theory that Angkor's decline was solely due to its water system issues becomes less convincing.
Lastly, the lecturer emphasizes that Angkor was renowned for trading luxury goods. Hence, even if maritime trade grew in prominence during that period, it wouldn't have greatly affected Angkor's status as a trade hub. This challenges the reading's idea that a shift in economic trends led to their downfall."
By refining the wording and improving grammar, the essay would align more closely with TOEFL's criteria for a high-scoring response.
Teacher
Answer
The reading passage contends that the decline of Angkor can be fully explained by three theories: the Black Death, its failed water system, and the rise of maritime trade. On the other hand, the lecture brings up several points that contradict this argument. First, the lecturer asserts that the Black Death hit(affected) coastal cities (the hardest). Since Angkor was located inland, it is unlikely that it suffered (from a major outbreak. In addition, it is still debated whether the Black Death ever spread to Southeast Asia. This casts doubt on the reading passage's claim that Angkor's decline was caused by the Black Death. Next, the lecturer claims that defects in the water system would not have been disastrous. The irrigation system was not that crucial in the city because of the limited amount of water it provided. Therefore, the city must have had access to other water sources. This counters the reading passage's claim that a fault canal system led to Angkor's downfall. Finally, the lecturer contends that maritime trade could not have severely impacted Angkor. Angkor's economy was based on the trade of agricultural products, but cities along the coast dealt with luxury items instead. As a result, Angkor remained an important trade center after the rise of coastal cities. This refutes the reading passage's claim that the advent of maritime trade caused severe economic damage that led to the decline of Angkor.
TIP/VOCA
~의 멸망 the collapse of the fall of the downfall of the decline of the end of
멸망하다 collapse vanish disappear be destroyed be abandoned
여전히 논쟁 중이다
it is still debated whether
it is still under debate whether
there is no evidence that
there are no indications that
there are no signs that
explain account for
rely on depend on
be dependent on be reliant on
be based on
deal with cope with handle
affect influence impact have an effect on
have an influence on have an impact on
cause bring about lead to give rise to result in
trigger be responsible for
be the reason for be the cause of
be attributed to be caused by be the result of
be due to be triggered by result from
there are no records of 명사 / that 절
there is no chance of 명하 / that 절
prove that demonstrate that show that verify that be evidence of 명사 / that 절
be proof of
be related to be connected to
there is no clear link between A and B
access have access to
the rise of the advent of
Q2
ME
I understand that Scott's perspective that Social media platform could be useful in terms of expressing oneself. However, In my opinion, the negative impact of social media is more noticeable. there are many side-effects while using social media. It not only worsens people's concentration, but also sometimes makes them feel frustrated by comparing themselves with others. This could be demonstrated by my personal experience. My sister used to have serious depression. She always complained her appearance and how many friends she had. I picked up on why she thought so. So I recommended her to stop using her instagram. She accepted my advice and her feeling were getting better soon. From this experience, I was able to notice that social media could have a bad impact on people.
GPT
Score: 3.5 out of 5
Feedback:
Strengths:
Position Clarification: You started by acknowledging an opposing viewpoint (Scott's perspective) and then clearly stated your own position on the issue.
Use of Personal Experience: Incorporating a personal story added depth to your argument and served to illustrate your main point.
Topic Development: The progression from a general statement to a specific example provides a logical flow to the essay.
Areas for Improvement:
Grammar and Word Choice:
"There are many side-effects while using social media" might be better as "there are many side-effects to using social media."
"Her feeling was getting better soon" should be "her feelings began to improve."
There are some small issues like missing capitalization at the start of sentences ("However, In my opinion").
Elaboration: Your main argument could benefit from further elaboration. For example, mentioning some studies or statistics about the negative impacts of social media would bolster your position.
Transitions: The transition from acknowledging Scott's perspective to stating your own could be smoother. Perhaps using a phrase like "While I recognize Scott's point of view, I believe..."
Conclusion: A conclusion that briefly summarizes your position and ties your main points together would give the essay a more complete feel.
Revised Section:
While I recognize Scott's point of view on the benefits of social media platforms for self-expression, I firmly believe that the negative impacts of these platforms outweigh their advantages. The use of social media often leads to a decline in an individual's concentration, and many users find themselves feeling inadequate when comparing their lives to others. For instance, my sister struggled with severe depression and was constantly worried about her appearance and the number of friends she had on social media. Upon deeper reflection, it became clear to me that her insecurities were exacerbated by platforms like Instagram. Following my advice, she took a break from the platform and her mental well-being started to improve significantly. This personal experience solidified my belief that social media can have detrimental effects on individuals."
This revised version maintains the core message of your original essay but refines the language and structure for clarity and flow, which aligns with the criteria for a higher-scoring TOEFL response.