作者：武汉新航道北美考试院 托福口语 周浩

11月考试非常多，一共9场。就托福口语独立题来看，整体难度适中，话题较为单一，出现大量教育相关话题，且较多原题。联系过往真题，可以看到20年11月考试当中，16年到19年的题目均有出现，如2020/11/1重复2016/11/5 task2，2020/11/8重复2018/7/7task2，2020/11/11重复2018/6/2 task2，2020/11/15重复2016/9/10 pm.task2，2020/11/22重复2017/11/12 task2，2020/11/29重复2020/4/15 家庭版托福。话题内容也限于常考幼儿教育，中等和高等教育。话题很接地气，但是熟悉中也有一些难度，比如本月的人生经历类话题：好朋友可以成为好室友。

学生在备考期间，对经典原题重复练习必不可少，增加语言流利度和话题熟练度是根本。在此基础之上，推陈出新，需要加入一些新的语料和内容，比如“新冠”，“亚美尼亚”，给听众，即托福口语评分老师，带来更多共鸣，同时能让听众更能明白口语所表述的内容，这样分数自然提升更快。根据数据统计，11月有三分之二的题目来自往年原题，所以同学们备考的方向依然是以真题为根本，掌握常见话题的语料，不断提升语言熟练度和更新语料内容，使自己的答题更加完善。

2020.11.1

Task 1

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? The best way to learn about a country is to watch television shows about this country. Why?

A:

I think watching TV shows about a country is the best way to know this country. I feel this way for several reasons. Firstly, it is safer to know a place by watching TV. Right now, the novel coronavirus is rampant all over the world. If people choose to go outside, like exposing themselves to museum or park, they will be prone to deadly COVID-19 and their lives will be endangered. Moreover, for the people from badly-off families, watching TV is probably the only access to the outside world, because they just cannot afford budget flights or accommodation to pay a visit to a new country. Thus watching TV is an effective solution.   

D:

Learning about other countries through television programs is inaccurate. Television provides a limited picture of the country. The content usually presented on TV consists of unusual events, such as the case of the news. From the news, we can see that Armenia is engaging in intense exchange of fires with its neighbor. But what the news failed to present is the beautiful culture of Armenians. If someone learns about Armenia only through TV, they may think of Armenia only in terms of military engagement. In addition to being limited, television often distorts the facts. If Americans decided to learn about Asian countries through Hollywood TV series, rather than seeing the true side of Asians, they can only see Asians as presented or seen by Americans.

2020.11.7

Task 1

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? All university students should be required to take writing or composition courses in their first year of college even if these courses are not the field of their study. Why?

A:

In my opinion, college freshmen should be required to take writing courses for these reasons. Firstly, writing is a perfect way to train for an organizational and logical mindset, which could benefit students in their college courses. Writing helps students to process their ideas as well as to digest what they learn through analysis, which is an important skill to master. Secondly, having good writing abilities showcase that you are capable of doing rigorous tasks. Many professors seek for students who want to participate in research and expect them to polish papers. Therefore, writing classes should be required because they are extremely advantageous.

D:

I think there is no need to let first-year students learn writing courses. First, it just intensify students’ academic burden, because freshmen have a heavy load of subjects including many compulsory courses and optional courses. It takes large amount of time to internalize and memorize such knowledge. Students can postpone learning writing courses for a year or two. Second, it is useless for some students to learn writing courses, since they already mastered writing skills in their high schools. For example, many Chinese high school students are taught how to write different kinds of writing, like academic writing and practical writing. If these students are forced to learn such courses, it will be a total waste of time and effort. So it is wise to make such course optional.

2020.11.8

Task 1

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Parents should discourage children from choosing some majors which might be very competitive to find a job in the future, like professional athletes and singers. Why?

A:

I think parents should deter children from choosing competitive majors. First, kids are prone to make hasty decision, which could be problematic, simply because they lack life experience. Children instinctively love to think of a question from a single aspect, regardless of comprehensive perspectives. Take my little cousin as an example; recently he wanted his parents to send him to a basketball training school. However, the problem is that even if he has passion and love for basketball, his height prediction report shows he will be around 1.6 meters tall. It will be risky for parents to invest time and money in cultivating him as a future basketball player, because he will be less likely to be a successful basketball player without enough makings, like height.

D:

In my opinion, parents should not interfere with the students’ decisions for the following reasons. Firstly, students should pursue what they wish to do in the future and follow their dreams. Only through this way will students constantly have motivation and initiative to work. And they are more likely to become successful. Secondly, changes in our generation are inevitable and some jobs may not always have good prospect. For instance, doctors are in great need for this decade, but it may not be the case ten years from now. Our society keeps changing and we should not always stick to a specific profession. Therefore, I think parents should let students decide what they want to do.

2020.11.11

Task 1

Some professors prefer to answer students’ questions at any time of the class; other professors prefer to answer questions raised by students at the end of the class. Which one do you prefer and why?

1st

The professor should answer questions whenever they are raised and not wait until the end of class. Answering questions immediately after they are raised helps the student make a deep connection to the knowledge. Upon learning the role of the trachea in the respiratory system, the student might want to raise a question to further his understanding of the trachea s relationship with the larynx. If the question is postponed until the end of the session, the student will not remember so clearly what exact answer he desired from his question so that he missed an opportunity to learn. Answering questions at the end of class is also problematic time wise. The teacher might rush through the content so that question time can be tightly fit before class ending.

2nd

I prefer the second one, which is better for learning. It’s very common for students to have some questions in a lecture. But, normally, there will be so many students attending a lecture each time. For example, if 10 students have different questions to ask, which means the lecture will be interrupted at least 10 times, let alone the time spent answering each of the questions. In this sense, the whole content of the lecture cannot be fully conveyed to the students. The professor is likely to fail to fulfill his teaching task and thus students cannot gain knowledge form the lecture thoroughly. Both professor and students will take extra efforts and time in the lecture. As a result, it will severely impair the teaching quality.

2020.11.14

Task 1

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Good friends can always become the best roommates. Why?

A:

Good friends will likely become good roommates for the following reasons. Supportive friends are caring and will be on your side when you face difficulties on a daily basis. For instance, my roommate is also my friend, and when I felt sick one time she took care of me and told the teacher about it. Having a trusting friend on your side could always make your life easier and more comfortable. Furthermore, friends tend to know you better than others do. They know your habits, hobbies, and personality. Living in a dorm together could create laughter and memories. You could also share your personal feelings with them during hard times. Therefore, good friends have the potential to be great roommates.

D:

I disagree with the idea that good friends can always be the best roommates, because good friendship has nothing to do with living comfortably together. For instance, my best friend Tom has an annoying problem that he will snore heavily when falling asleep. Once, we traveled together to Shanghai and lived in the same hotel room. In the evening, both of us were extremely sleepy, because we visited different places in Shanghai during the day. We fell asleep very quickly. All of a sudden, I was woken from a deep sleep by thunder-like noise and then I realize that my friend kept snoring all night. Right now, I become a light sleeper, so it is impossible for me to live with my best friend.

2020.11.15

Task 1

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Students learn better when teachers assign a lot of homework. Why?

A:

In my opinion, assigning a lot of homework provides many benefits. Firstly, school work could help train the students’ time managing skills. If they do not have a lot of work to do, they might procrastinate and thus waste time on irrelevant tasks, which could lead to a bad habit. Some students may even become addicted to games. Secondly, homework could also help students strengthen their academic abilities as practice leads to success. Students are able to familiarize with the concepts and the types of questions they may face on exams. Doing homework aid students to get good grades in their classes and become successful. Therefore, assigning more homework is preferred.

D:

I don’t think students can learn more by receiving a lot of homework from teachers. First, too much homework will cause health problems for students. For example, it’s pretty common in China that many students stay up very late to finish homework. They just overuse their eyes. Over time, many students suffer from poor eyesight and they won’t learn more. Also, students will get stressed out, if they are busy with homework. In this case, they will have a little time to relax, which is disastrous. How can students maintain momentum for study without much free time? They will lose interest in study sooner or later.

2020.11.21

Task 1

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? It is a good idea to use educational games in class. Why?

A:

From my perspective, games that foster our passion for learning are welcomed during class time. Firstly, these games could help improve our learning experience. Listening to lectures and taking notes all the time could eventually make the students inactive and unmotivated. If academic related games are involved, the class atmosphere would become much more exhilarating. Secondly, these educational games could also aid us in understanding the concepts more thoroughly. For example, games like Kahoot let students compete with each other, which could encourage us to memorize the concepts. This way, we are actually more productive in class than before. Therefore, games that are related to study are encouraged in classes.

D:

I disagree with the statement. I think it is unwise to use educational games in class for several reasons. First, educational games will waste a lot of time in class. For instance, during a college computer class, if the teacher tells students to play educational games, they will get very confused, because educational games are mostly suitable for elementary school students. Second, educational games in class are problematic. To be more specific, in a primary school class, if many students engage in such games, like word cheer game, some naughty students won’t follow the rules. This may cause other students to shout or cry, so the entire classroom will be in a mess.

2020.11.22

Task 1

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Good teachers can admit their mistakes or don’t know something. Why?

A:

Teachers should admit their mistakes to their students. First, teachers’ job is to facilitate learning, not to show the class how smart they are. By owning to a mistake, a teacher can create an opportunity for students to discuss the mistake the teacher made in the class and cultivate creative and critical thinking where students discuss how the teacher made that mistake and how to rectify it. Second, if a teacher tries to claim he/she is infallible, suddenly the classroom becomes a battleground with a room full of young eyes desperately searching for an “Aha!” moment that they can pick up on. Nobody wants to respect and trust the person who denies his mistakes. Admitting a mistake and following up with a plan to correct it is the tools a teacher can use to earn students’ trust.

D:

I disagree with the statement that good teachers can admit their mistakes or don’t know something, because there is no need to do so during the class. Take my math teacher, Mr. Lee, as an example; He comes from a small village in Hubei Province in China. In his hometown, all the people mispronounce the consonant l and n. Therefore, when greeting to students before the class gets started in the afternoon, he always says that Good afterloon* instead of good afternoon. All the students just burst into laughter and we all think this pronunciation mistake is quite funny and acceptable. No student wants Mr. Lee to correct his pronounce mistake and in fact he is quite aware of this mistake and doesn’t care at all.

2020.11.29

Task 1

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Professors who have received good evaluations from students should be promoted. Why?

A:

I agree with the statement that professors who have received good evaluations from students should be promoted. First, students’ evaluation on professor is reliable. For example, in my university, students will be required to evaluate professors at the end of semester, because the vast majority of students will give their objective feedback, which can truly reflect each professor’s teaching quality. For those professors who receive many positive feedbacks from students, in fact they always redouble their efforts after the class in order to provide students with more high quality courses. The hard-working professors have every reason to be rewarded or get promoted.

D:

Students' ratings should not be the basis for increments in professors’ salaries. Student ratings do not honestly reflect the teaching quality of the professor. Most students enjoy professor that gives out easy tests and small amounts of homework. Such a professor would then get a high rating. However, other professors who worked harder so that the students can get the full learning experience will not get the reward because of the biased ratings. On the other hand, teaching is not the only job for most professors. Professors also need to oversee labs, research projects including that of their own, and seminars. Using one aspect of their job, teaching which is subjectively judged by the students, to determine the overall quality of his work is inadequate.