Guangzhou YMCA TOEFL  week 3                                      home page         


   Jim's email - Please CC to meredith6636@163.com




                                                          




Here are a few practice questions similar to the ones we did last week,
but that you can practice on you own if you wish.

Click on each Question link and you will be shown a page with a question
(and this annoying mouse-trail clock). You will be automatically redirected
back to this page after about 1 minute - 15 seconds, plus the 45 seconds
allotted for your spoken answer. I have given you slightly more than 60
seconds, actually, to compensate for the clumsiness of these web pages.

It might be better for you to have a clock of your own by your PC to 
easily keep track of time - to start talking after about 15 seconds, etc.

Have paper and pencil ready, please (-; 

Question One       Question Two       Question Three



The next type of questions (page 180) consists of reading a text, listening 
to a spoken passage on the same topic, then answering a question using 
information from both.

I don't know how we will practice this in class yet. If I (or you ) do not
come up with some good ideas, we may have to practice some of this one person
at a time (with the others waiting out of 'earshot').

We may just wish to continue practicing the simpler form of giving a spoken 
answer to a written question this week. Please give me your opinions. xiexie.


Answering 'emotionally loaded' questions

Try not to answer questions 'emotionally' on any spoken portion of the test.

Example: 'If you were the leader of your country, what are some things that 
          you would do ? Give reasons for your answer.'

For students with strong views on this subject, difficulties may arise.

 - Give a simple answer to such questions, not 'real answers' from emotion.

     - talk about something simple that you know, such as the traffic and   
       pollution problems in GZ.
     - list (on paper) only 2 or 3 things to speak about.
     - if there is time left, give a summary statement such as:
       "these are the 2 things I would do first as my country's leader".


Unknown subject matter

On 'paired response' questions, just ignore it or 'fudge it' -
say something that can be said about anything by using practiced 
sentence fragments as we have discussed. 

Example: 'Would you prefer racing around a lagoon in a speed-boat or
          paddling gently down a stream in a canoe ? Give reasons.

What if you dont know what a canoe is ? - or a lagoon ? (in this case,
you could ignore the word 'lagoon') 

 - Give an answer to the one you know, and say something very 
   general about the other.

If you are presented with unknown subject matter on a 'free-response' 
type question (not likely) or your mind 'freezes', you can still speak in
generalities using practiced responses. You could also state clearly that
you  'do not know what a canoe (or whatever) is, but that it sounds very   
interesting and I would certainly love to learn more about it, and that
the word 'canoe' is a perfectly  lovely sounding word, etc'. ... now I am 
getting too silly.



The heart of the matter is to be well prepared for 'the matter at hand',
   and to speak on any issue with confidence and ease ... we hope.

- 'the matter', 'this matter' -> can refer to anything 'as a matter of fact' (?).
  'matters' = 'things or (v)'is important' (v)

 - 'issue' -> is similar to 'matter', but not as inclusive.

Some Ideas for 'sentence fragments' and opening and closing phrases.

- Openings ( if a long opening is needed -> short ones = 'I think', 'I would have to say that..', etc)

   - 'This would be a very difficult decision/choice for me to make."
   - 'This would be an extremely difficult matter for me to decide upon.' (more difficult grammr)
 
   - 'This would be an easy decision/choice for me to make."
   - 'I would have no problem whatsoever making this choice/decision'. 

   - 'I would normally have to think long and hard to make this decision/choice.'
   - 'I would normally have to put a great deal of thinking into making a
      decision/choice on a matter such as this.'  (higher difficulty)

   - 'I would make this choice very quickly without even thinking'. ( ? )
   - 'I would decide upon a matter like this without giving it a second thought'.

   - 'This matter/issue is of great interest (importance, etc) to me. I LOVE the ocean ...

- Closings (if needed - if you have nothing more to say and there is time left)

  - 'So, this would be an / easy choice for me /an easy matter for me to decide /. I would 
     on almost all occasions / choose to / prefer to / have to say / ...
 
  -> Most of the 'Openings" can also be used as 'Closings'. Just use 'so', 'therefore',
     or even 'I would (have to) say' to start the closing if you wish. ( but try not to use both )

- 'Middle' - transitions - sentence fragments

 - see 'week 2' and the Study guide ('Ever since I can remember', 'is the kind of activity that
   I do/do not/ often enjoy, etc.

 - Transitions: 'however', 'on the other hand', but at times (or 'sometimes') I think/feel/want/etc 
                'in contrast to /this/ (the first thing) ->the ocean)'; 'In / looking at / considering / ...'
                'but/however/ considering the ( ? blank or adjective ) nature of ...', '"but, if I consider ..'

 - I (have always) (tend to ) / like, liked / dislike / am attracted to / am afraid of / etc
 - It seems to me that / this / the /I /etc ...;  I think that I would ... ;
 - also,...   or    I also / think /feel / would say / find that ...
 - The most important aspect (thing) I see / about / concerning /...(this matter, etc)

 - 'in the light of the fact that', 'in the light of this fact' (can replace 'because'and 'so')
 

As a matter of fact, in the light of the fact that I seem to be drifting away from the heart of
the matter at hand, I will stop here.