Speaking
Q1
ME
I personally prefer to buy new technology when they are launched. Some people would not agree with my idea because they might think that they're worried about the product which is not proven yet from people. But there are some advantages of buying it first. For example, in general there are many events and promotions when they launch the product and I can get benefits of becoming an early adopter so I would say that I prefer to buy it first.
GPT
Score: 3 out of 4
Feedback:
Strengths:
Position Clarification: You clearly state your position on the topic right from the beginning.
Supporting Examples: You provided an example to support your preference, i.e., the benefits and promotions offered to early adopters.
Concession: You acknowledge the opposing viewpoint, showing a balanced perspective.
Areas for Improvement:
Grammar and Word Choice: There are some minor grammatical errors and awkward phrasings in your response. For instance:
"... they might think that they're worried about the product..." could be changed to "... they might be worried about the product..."
"I can get benefits of becoming an early adopter" might be more smoothly phrased as "I can benefit from becoming an early adopter."
Elaboration: While you mention events and promotions, elaborating a bit more on what kind of benefits one might get (e.g., discounts, exclusive features, or early access to updates) would strengthen your answer.
Conclusion: A brief conclusion summarizing your viewpoint would make your response feel more complete.
Revised Section:
I personally prefer to buy new technology as soon as they are launched. While some people might be apprehensive about purchasing unproven products, I see several advantages to being an early adopter. Typically, companies offer promotional events, discounts, or exclusive features for those who purchase their products right at launch. Such benefits make the initial purchase more enticing. Hence, I am inclined to buy new technology products first."
This revised version retains the essence of your original answer but refines the language and structure, aligning with the criteria for a high-scoring TOEFL response.
Q2
ME
According to the letter, the writers suggest that the business department should offer International internship program to student. the man in the conversation thinks that this is not a good idea for two reasons. The first reason is that student can already have an experience of exposing International culture without traveling abroad. this is because there are many International companies in their city. For example, his brother could have the experience as he joined the international company which has an a business with China and Korea. And the second reason is that the University has to cut the beneficial students already enjoy to support this program because they have tiny budget.
GPT
Score: 3 out of 4
Feedback:
Strengths:
Summary of Reading Passage: You adequately summarized the main point from the reading passage regarding the suggestion for an international internship program.
Clear Points from Listening Passage: You presented two clear reasons the man in the conversation opposes the idea.
Example Provided: You provided an example from the listening passage to support one of the man's points (his brother's experience with an international company).
Areas for Improvement:
Grammar and Word Choice: There are some grammatical errors and awkward phrasings in your response.
"...student can already have an experience of exposing International culture..." could be better phrased as "...students can already gain international exposure..."
"And the second reason is that the University has to cut the beneficial students already enjoy to support this program because they have tiny budget." is somewhat awkward. A clearer phrasing might be: "Additionally, he mentions that to support this program, the university would have to cut other benefits students currently enjoy due to budget constraints."
Fluency: While not evident in a text format, fluency and pacing are crucial for TOEFL Speaking. Ensure that you are able to deliver your response smoothly without rushing.
Content Elaboration: While you touched upon the main points, further elaboration and clarity, especially on the second point about the budget, would help enhance your answer.
Revised Section:
"According to the letter, the writers suggest that the business department offer an international internship program to students. However, the man in the conversation disagrees for a couple of reasons. First, he believes that students can gain international exposure without having to travel abroad, as there are many international companies in their city. He cites the example of his brother, who gained experience working with a company that did business with China and Korea. Secondly, the man points out that the university, due to budget constraints, would have to cut other beneficial programs or services that students currently enjoy in order to fund this international internship program."
This revised response enhances clarity and makes the argument more streamlined.
Q3
Me
According to the reading, opportunity cost refers to the benefit people lose out on selecting one option over another. The professor describes one example to explain this. Several years ago, the university had to choose whether they construct Sports hall or Recreation Center. if they choose sport hall, they had had no sport center yet so it would be very convenient for some team sports team in the University. so it seemed a good choice. On the other hand, If they choose recreation center, their Recreation had been very tiny, so they would have more facilities like coffee shop and lounge in their new building. They chose sport hall in the end but we have to remember that the university lost all the benefit from choosing recreation center by choosing sport hall.
GPT
Score: 3 out of 4
Feedback:
Strengths:
Summary of Reading Passage: You started with a clear definition of "opportunity cost" from the reading passage.
Presentation of Example: You accurately described the university's dilemma in choosing between constructing a sports hall or a recreation center as presented in the listening passage.
Clear Conclusion: The ending ties back to the concept of opportunity cost effectively.
Areas for Improvement:
Grammar and Word Choice: There are grammatical errors and awkward word choices in your response.
"...they had had no sport center yet..." could be more clearly phrased as "...they did not yet have a sports center..."
"some team sports team" is redundant and could be shortened to "some sports teams".
"Their Recreation had been very tiny," might be better as "Their existing recreation center was very small,".
Content Elaboration: The listening's content could be described more smoothly. The transition between the advantages of the sports hall and the recreation center is a bit jumpy.
Organization: While the points are mostly clear, better organization and transition between ideas would make the response clearer.
Revised Section:
Opportunity cost, as described in the reading, is the benefit lost when one option is chosen over another. The professor exemplified this concept using the university's decision from a few years ago. The university was faced with the decision to either construct a sports hall or a recreation center. Had they chosen the sports hall, they would have benefited from finally having a facility for their sports teams, something they lacked. Conversely, choosing the recreation center would have expanded their currently limited recreational facilities, adding amenities like a coffee shop and lounge. While they ultimately decided on the sports hall, this meant that the university sacrificed the potential benefits of having a new recreation center."
The revised answer provides a clearer description and smoother transitions between the points.
Q4
ME
In the lecture, the professor describes two ways squirrels survive the cold winter season. First. he started the topic by talking about their physical characteristic. they have a thicker coat of fur and it absorbs solar heat in winter so they can produce metabolic heat and which make it possible to maintain their body temperature in winter. Another way is how they store their food. they gather their food in fall so they don't have to hang around to get a food in winter. And known as scattering hoarding, they spread out their food stores and also known as special chunking they store similar food and similar place to track where they are later.
GPT
Score: 3 out of 4
Feedback:
Strengths:
Summary of Lecture: You provided a clear overview of the main ways squirrels survive the winter based on the lecture: their physical characteristics and food storage habits.
Key Details: You included significant details like the thicker coat of fur that absorbs solar heat and the methods of food storage, scattering hoarding, and special chunking.
Areas for Improvement:
Grammar and Word Choice: There are some grammatical inconsistencies and awkward phrasings.
"...they don't have to hang around to get a food in winter." could be rephrased to "...they don't have to venture out to find food during winter."
"Another way is how they store their food." can be refined to "Another survival method is their food storage strategy."
The term "special chunking" is likely "spatial chunking". If it's a mishearing, then it's essential to ensure clarity in listening during the test.
Organization: The transition between the two primary methods squirrels use could be smoother. The sentence structures are a bit repetitive, and restructuring them might make the answer flow better.
Revised Section:
"In the lecture, the professor discusses the strategies squirrels employ to endure the harsh winter season. Firstly, he highlights the squirrels' physical adaptations, mentioning their thicker fur coats that absorb solar heat. This feature allows them to produce metabolic heat, ensuring they maintain their body temperature throughout winter. Secondly, he delves into their food storage techniques. In the fall, squirrels gather food to avoid searching for it during winter. They employ two methods: 'scatter hoarding', where they spread out their food stores, and 'spatial chunking', where they group similar foods in the same location, helping them remember where they stored it."
The revised answer ensures clarity, a smoother flow of ideas, and refined grammar.
Writing
Q1
ME
The reading passages contends that when we use tamarisk beetle to kill the tamarisk tree which consumes large quantities of water, there are three disadvantages: hazardous of spreading this insect, long time to finish the task and increase the risk of wildfires. On the other hand, the lecturer brings up several points that contradicts this argument.
Firstly, the lecturer contends that as this insect only have one food source: tamarisk tree, they could not much grow as long as they continue feeding this tree. In addition, there are many natural predators for this insect which makes the number of the insect controlled naturally.
Secondly, the lecturer points out that this insect have an direct impact on the tree imminently. This is because the insect consume the tree's leave which require both sunlight and water as an energy for photosynthesis. Thus, as its leave are removed by the insect, the number of tamarisk trees will be restricted.
Lastly, the lecturer maintains that the wildfires caused by the debris from the dead wood could be controlled by the government agency. the debris would be removed. Even though the fire happens, the trained staff can extinguish before it spread out widely.
GPT
Score: 3.5 out of 5
Feedback:
Strengths:
Integrated Structure: The essay demonstrates a clear structure, juxtaposing the reading passage's arguments against the lecturer's counterpoints.
Detailed Counterarguments: The essay highlights specific points the lecturer made to counter the reading's contentions.
Transition Words: You utilized transition words like "Firstly", "Secondly", and "Lastly" to guide the reader through your points.
Areas for Improvement:
Grammar and Word Choice: There are some grammatical errors and awkward phrasings.
"reading passages contends" should be "reading passage contends".
"hazardous of spreading this insect" should be "hazard of the insect spreading".
"this insect only have one food source" should be "this insect only has one food source".
"they could not much grow" should be "they cannot grow much".
"this insect have an direct impact" should be "this insect has a direct impact".
"as its leave are removed" should be "as its leaves are removed".
Clarification: At times, it felt like some of the lecturer's points could be elaborated a bit more. For instance, the point about the debris and fires could use more explanation on why and how government agencies can control this problem.
Revised Section:
The reading passage contends that using the tamarisk beetle to combat the water-consuming tamarisk tree has three disadvantages: the risk of the insect spreading uncontrollably, the length of time required to eliminate the trees, and an increased risk of wildfires. However, the lecturer refutes these points.
Firstly, the lecturer asserts that the tamarisk beetle's sole food source is the tamarisk tree. As such, its population growth is limited by the availability of these trees. Additionally, the beetle has numerous natural predators that keep its numbers in check.
Secondly, the lecturer emphasizes the immediate impact the beetle has on the tamarisk tree. The beetle feeds on the tree's leaves, which are crucial for photosynthesis since they harness sunlight and water. Without its leaves, the tamarisk tree's growth is stunted.
Lastly, the lecturer argues that risks associated with wildfires, stemming from debris of dead trees, can be managed by government agencies. Regular removal of such debris can mitigate the risk, and in case of fires, trained personnel are equipped to address them before they spread extensively."
The revised essay enhances clarity and corrects the grammatical inaccuracies while preserving the original counterarguments and structure.
Teacher
haul away 운반하다
litter 쓰레기 찌꺼기, 흩뿌리다 버리다
the spread of the proliferation of
control the spread of = check the spread of = prevent the spread of
kill off = wipe out = get rid of = eradicate = exterminate
have some drawbacks/disadvantages/demerits
take actions/measures
account for = take up
consume = eat = feed on
objection to = opposition to
affect= influence = impact = have an effect on = have an influence on = have an impact on
impossible infeasible difficult
control check limit
spread proliferation
increase/raise the risk
be more likely to cause
be more likely to occur due to
The reading passage contends that using the tamarisk beetle to kill off the tamarisk trees in the American Southwest has some drawbacks. On the other hand, the lecture brings up several points that contradict this argument.
First, the lecturer contends that the spread of the tamarisk beetles can be checked(controlled). The tamarisk tree is the only food source these beetles feed on, so it is impossible for them to survive where the tree does not exist. Moreover, many natural predators eat(consume, feed on) the beetles. This casts doubt on the reading passage's claim that it's infeasible to limit the spread of the tamarisk beetles.
Next, the lecturer maintains that the tamarisk beetles have an immediate impact on the water used by a tamarisk tree. The beetles consume(eat, feed on) all the leaves of the tree, which reduces the rate of photosynthesis. Much of a plant's water use is accounted for by the process of photosynthesis. This counters the reading passage's claim that using the tamarisk beetle takes too long to prevent a drain on water.
Finally, the lecturer asserts that wildfires are unlikely to happen severely. Government agencies have wildfire prevention methods. For example, flammable debris is removed each year. In addition, controlled burns can be used to intentionally clear out litter. This refutes the reading passage's claim that wildfires are more likely to occur due to the tamarisk beetle.
Q2