作者：北美教学中心 托福口语组 王牧心
2021年8月一共有7场托福考试，话题包含学习、娱乐、生活和社会类话题。
学习类话题的考察最为频繁，有3次之多，一次是老师的选择，一次是图书馆电脑的使用，还有一次是作业相关话题。由此可见，学习类话题一直是托福独立任务的考察重点。同学们在备考过程当中，应该将该类话题列为重点，依托真题话题，积累常用的观点和语料，并在学习类的不同话题中练习观点和语料的灵活运用。
本月的考试中，3次重复了2019年的真题，其中两次是重复原题，一次是相似度极高的重复。所以，准备在今年参加考试的同学应该认真回顾2019年的托福独立任务话题，做到有备无患。
8月所有话题中，难度最 大的是一道和社会相关的观点类话题，这也是一道从来没有出现过的新题，在审题上造成很大的难度。所以，仅仅依托历年真题话题进行备考不能做到万无一失，在此基础上还应该强化审题能力。社会类话题非常多变，可以问到社会生活的方方面面，且多数是比较宏大的抽象的问题，大家在审题中要注意切入角度的选择。从同学们的词汇范围和表达能力上看，从个人角度切入，化抽象为具体，利用个人经历和生活体验作答会更有利于语言上和内容上的呈现。
2021年8月15日
Do you prefer to be taught by experienced teachers or new teachers who have just finished their training?（重复2019.11.9下午）
题目解析：
你更喜欢有经验的老师还是新老师？
这道题的题目理解起来不难，我们可以参考2016年7月2 日的考题，有经验的医生和新医生的选择，不难看出此题意在让考生思考有经验和新老师的具体表现。其中，有经验的老师见多识广，自然是对学生有更多的了解，处理学生学习生活上的问题轻车熟路；同时教授一门课程多年，在授课时也更能抓住易错点和难点，课堂可能会更加有效率。而新老师刚开展教学不久，可能会更与时俱进，在授课时结合时事或大家感兴趣的话题，上课也更有激情和活力，从而调动课堂氛围和大家的学习热情；同时新老师可能更加耐心，愿意花更多时间去解决学生的问题，即便是很基础的问题。
范文
Personally, I would prefer the new teacher. Firstly, they have up-to-date teaching style. Their class is usually carefully designed to combine the popular topics or current events for attracting students attention. Take my experience as an example, I’ve had a couple of English teachers, and I find that new teachers always use news and pop stars as examples to illustrate the theories and grammar rules, they could always make the classes more vivid and fun, also make it easier for students to memorize the rules in a casual atmosphere. Also, news teachers are often more patient with students, even they sometimes ask basic questions over and over again. I find this kind of teacher can always let my guard down, and I am more willing to discuss my study problems with them.
2021年8月21日 上午场
Some people like to keep old things, while others don’t. which one do you prefer? （重复2019.3.9线下原题）
题目解析：
有些人喜欢搜集旧物，有些人不喜欢。你的选择是什么？
如果选择喜欢，可以从个人角度入手，结合自己的生活现状，用具体的细节和例子发展话题，如搜集漫画书、生日贺卡等，从个人嗜好，纪念意义等角度作答。如果选择不喜欢，可以结合学生的一些实际情况，如学习太忙，没有时间整理和打扫旧物；或者学生宿舍空间有限，没有地方放置太多旧物。这两点也是学生不做很多事情的常用理由。
范文
Personally I really enjoy keeping all sorts of old things. I’m a very nostalgic person and for me keeping old things can help me hang on to certain memories. They give me insight into past times that I could never have had a chance experience which is really fun. One example I can remember is when my father gave me a stack of old magazine and comics from when he was growing up. I kept them because it helped me learn more about my father’s life, and his early influences that shaped his personality. I have become sort of addicted to collecting old things from family and relatives and I love sharing these items with friends and family. I guess you could say it’s become quite an obsession for me. I am actually running out of space to store all this stuff!
2021年8月21日 下午场
Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? The most important problems affecting our society today can be solved during your lifetime.
题目解析：
你是否同意：很多重要的社会问题能在你的有生之年得到解决。
这是一个社会类话题，结论本身非常抽象宏大，建议审题时找到比较个人的小的切入点，进行构思；而应该避免从社会的、经济的、政治的、科学的角度作答，因为抽象词汇和专业词汇是同学们语言应用上的弱点，另外过于宏大的角度，很难深入发展话题，往往导致内容不够充实，说不满45秒。
范文
I would strongly disagree that the most important problems affecting our society today could be solved during out lifetime. I feel that in order to fix these major problems such as pollution, overcrowding and climate change; we need to change people’s way of thinking, behavior, and habits, which in my opinion is basically impossible. Many people do in fact know that these issues are serious problems that exist and they are aware of changes that they make in their own personal lifestyle, but they are simply too stubborn and stuck in their ways to change. Just look at all of the people in America that are still buying gas guzzlers! My friend recently bought one of those humongous SUVs that get terrible gas mileage and when I asked him if he knew how terrible they are for the environment he simply said, “The planet is already doomed, I’m just going to do what I want and enjoy my life however I want while I’m alive.”
2021年8月22日
Your university plans to restrict the use of the Internet to research only and to no longer allow access to personal e-mail and social media Web sites on library computers. Do you think this is a good idea? Explain why or why not.
题目解析：
你是否同意以下观点：学校禁止学生用图书馆的电脑发私人邮件和使用社交网站。
类似话题2019年8月24日，2018年11月10日两次考到过，只不过这个话题的主体限定为学生，地点限定是图书馆；而之前两次考到的主体是企业员工，地点限定是办公室。但是本质上，并没有太大区别。如选择同意的立场，可以谈谈专心学习来保证学习效率的重要性；如果选择不同意的立场，考生可以从两方面入手。第 一，阐述每个人的生活中都有突发或是紧急的事件需要处理，这是无可避免的，也是可以被理解的。第二，采用发短信或者是邮件的方式也可以保证公共环境（图书馆）的安静，并没有影响到其他人的工作，是可取的。
范文
I agree with the idea that students shouldn’t send personal E-mails or get on social media on library computers. I mean, study efficiency would be seriously decreased when there’s distraction. For example, two weeks ago, I was using the computer in my school’s library in order to get some references for the final project that I had been working on. But going through bunch of essays was so dull after a while, so I signed in my Facebook to check my friends’ latest updates. There were photos of food that they had recently, endless selfies and so on. To be honest, nothing was too interesting but I winded up wasting two hours on it. My plan for that afternoon was to collect all the stuff I needed for my final project, but apparently that didn’t happen because I got distracted.
2021年8月28日 上午场
Is television a good way to entertainment?
题目解析：
看电视是一种不错的娱乐选择吗？
这是一个比较简单的话题，属于学生业余生活中常考话题。真题中类似话题还有旅行，运动，音乐会，电影等，虽然闻到的活动不同，但都可以从放松和社交的角度切入作答。从放松的角度发展，可以结合学生繁忙的学习，谈谈看电视如真人秀电视剧电影等可以让自己暂时忘记学业上的压力；从社交的角度谈，可以说和朋友一起看电视是联络感情的好方式。
范文
Personally speaking, I think watching TV is definitely a good way to relax and have fun. For example, last Saturday, I invited one of my best friends Tyler to come over and we watched stand-up comedy together on NetFlix. The stuff was so hilarious that we couldn’t stop giggling the whole night. You know, after a week of busy studying, it’s time to take a break and leave all the stress behind. Also, we were snacking and chatting while enjoying the show, it was nice to catch up after not seeing each other for a while. We ended up having a great laid-back evening, no rush, nothing serious but pure joy.
2021年8月28日 下午场
Some professors allow students who have not done well on graded assignments during a course to do additional assignments in order to improve their overall course grade. Do you think this is a good idea?
题目解析：
教授允许成绩不好的学生通过完成额外的作业提高成绩。你觉这样好吗？
学习类的话题一直是ETS的考察重点，如做作业的形式，考试形式，学习方法等。针对这个话题，我联系自己作为slow learner的具体经历，选择同意。因为显然每个学生的学习能力是不一样的，但成绩对所有人来说都很重要。我通过付出更多的时间和精力完成额外作业而学到更多并且提高最终成绩，这是非常不错的。有了这一经历作为基础，就可以用到举例技巧-When/where/who/what/how/why-每个点具体展开，完成作答。
范文
I would agree that it is indeed a good idea to allow students that have not done well on graded assignments during a course to do additional assignments in order to improve their overall course grade. In my opinion many subjects have very difficult assignments that not all students are very good at completing. I recall one class I had when I was in university that required us to create a complex survey on campus life and collect all kinds of data and create statistics and graphs about it all on a PPT. Now that may be simple for some students but for me it was an absolute nightmare and I seriously bombed the assignment. Luckily for me I was able to make up for it with an extra credit assignment given to us by the professor. That for me was a life saver and I think it is important to allow students to prove they can redeem themselves throughout a course if they just so happen to do poorly on certain homework that was assigned.
