|
Outline
We will learn the simple strategies for each of the five steps involved in answering this question.
1st: you will be given 45 or 50 seconds to read a short passage of about 100 words. back to the top
In this question, you will read about a topic. The topic is usually about psychology or biology, but it could be about anything. You will see two things in this step: a title and a paragraph.
Practice: Reading
Sustainability
Most economic systems work to maximize the use of limited resources, often without great attention to the harmful effects such use may have. Sustainability relates to the management of resources to limit the negative impact placed on the environment. Sustainable practices aim to achieve the best balance possible between the use of resources and their maintenance for future generations. With these practices, businesses attempt to attain the greatest amount of profit possible by exploiting resources while managing them in a way that will allow both the business to continue well into the future and future generations to enjoy the same resources.
The title will always introduce a topic. For example, in our practice, the topic is sustainability. It will be the focus of both the paragraph and the lecture. Think of the title as a new vocabulary word and the paragraph as a 100-word definition of that word.
The first step in good note taking is making sure that you write down the title, and if you can, a few words from the paragraph that define the title. In our practice, we learn the definition of our topic, sustainability, from the passage: proper management of limited resources to limit negative effects on the environment. That’s all the information you need from the 1st step. Your notes should look something like this:
Example Notes
Topic: sustainability
Definition: manage resources to limit negative impact on envir.
It’s ok if you don’t understand the definition, but you should at least write down the title. The reason we care about understanding the definition of the topic, the title, is that the lecture will provide you with an example of it, so if you know the definition, the lecture will be easier to understand and you'll take better notes as a result, which will help you improve your score.
2nd: you will hear a lecture that lasts a little over a minute. back to the top
In this step, you must understand that the lecture will provide a story that gives an example of what you read about in the passage. Let's examine our practice to see this idea.
In the passage, we learned about sustainability. We read that it is the management of resources to limit the negative impact on the environment. So, we expect to hear an example of sustainability in the lecture. Knowing that will help us better understand the lecture and take notes on it, which will improve our score. Now, is that what we heard? Let's look at the lecture again to see.
Practice: Lecture
Let me tell you about an organization doing big things in the field of sustainability. Printing, like most other businesses, exploits limited resources such as paper and employs certain substances that can damage the environment such as ink, glues, and so on. If every printing company just went about their business without any regard for what impact they were making, the industry wouldn’t last for very much longer.
A local printing company, however, has taken a different approach. This local printing company is so unique not because it doesn’t use such material in its work, but because of the way it does so.
Rather than purchase paper from any company, it first attempts to purchase recycled paper whenever possible. If a client demands clean, un-recycled paper, the company buys it only from companies that themselves use sustainable practices, such as planting a tree for each one removed in the process of making paper.
Also, the ink used by most printing companies releases harmful chemicals into the environment, chemicals that add to air pollution. This company reduces its environmental footprint by taking advantage of vegetable oil based inks that release almost no toxic substances into the air and that are themselves made from sustainable companies.
The glue used to attach papers to produce books isn’t itself as bad as the effect it has on the recycling process. This glue tends to damage the machines responsible for changing old, useless paper into usable, recycled paper. To limit this negative effect, this printing company employs glue in only limited circumstances.
Yes, it is. Did you see the structure? Not so crazy, right? The lecture is nothing more than a minute and a half story about a printing company that practices sustainability; it uses resources in a way that limits its negative impact on the environment.
The notes you take should focus on the key points that show how the example illustrates the topic. You'll see examples of basic notes, which show the idea of how the printing company is sustainable and therefore does things in a way that doesn’t severely hurt the environment. And, you will also see an example of the perfect notes you need to earn a top score.
Example Basic Notes
Unique printing company
Uses recycled paper
Uses non-toxic ink
Limits glue use
Example Perfect Notes
Printing damages envir.
Industry not last forever
Unique printing company
Uses recycled paper
Buys paper from sustainable companies
Plants tree for each tree used
Inks toxic cause sir pollution
Uses non-toxic ink
Glue damages recycling machines
Limits glue use
Don't worry if you can't take notes that look like the basic example; this question is difficult. In fact, questions four and six are the most difficult in the TOEFL speaking. Focus on writing down what you can and building your listening skills. In time, with practice and the information you recently learned, you will improve.
The question isn’t really important. It will always ask you to explain how the lecture provides information that illustrates the idea discussed in the reading passage.
Big tip: if you forget the idea behind this question or didn’t write down the title, the question is very helpful. It will tell you the topic and remind you that the lecture gave information that illustrated that topic. Look at the question to this practice to see what we mean.
Practice: Question
Explain sustainability by using the example of the printing company provided by the professor.
4th: you will be given 30 seconds to prepare your response. back to the top
In this step, you need to organize your notes. Without organized notes you'll get lost when you speak. Take some time to review them so you know what you are going to say and remember that the reading describes a topic and the lecture gives an example of it. As you review your notes, don't forget to draw your circles and arrows.
Prepare your notes
1st: Circle the topic (the title of the reading passage)
2nd: Circle the words that define the topic (from the reading passage)
3rd: Circle the words from the lecture
4th: Draw an arrow from the topic to the definition
5th: Draw an arrow from the definition to the lecture
Remember; the circles and arrows really do help and no one tells you to use them. . . except me. A trick few students know but many use to get a top score.
5th: you will then have 60 seconds to record your response. back to the top
When you deliver your answer, you must say the following in this order:
1st: The title
2nd: A short definition of the title from the information provided in the passage
3rd: A transition sentence that describes how the lecture provides an example of the topic
4th: Everything you remember from the lecture
If you get enough details, the 60 seconds will go by faster than you think, so make sure to monitor your time and take yourself from the beginning to the end of your notes before time runs out.
Speak slowly to improve your grammar and pronunciation and use the key words you see in bold in the examples. The first basic answer is the starting point. You need to be able to state that the professor describes a unique printing company that is an example of sustainability and that she gives three points that show that it’s sustainable: paper, ink, and glue. Miss a point and you need to improve your listening skills. (Listen to talk radio, the news, etc.)
You'll also find a fair and perfect response so that you can see where you are among the examples. The basic answer would probably earn a 16; the fair answer would earn a 24; and, the perfect answer would earn a perfect 30.
Example Basic Answer
(step 1) The article talks about sustainability.
(step 3) The lecture provides an example of sustainability.
(step 4) The professor describes a unique printing company. This company uses recycled paper whenever it can. This company uses non-toxic inks. It also limits the use of harmful glue.
This would earn a score of (16/30)
(step 1) The article talks about sustainability.
(step 3) The lecture provides an example of sustainability.
(step 4) The professor explains that most printing companies don’t care about the negative effects their practices have on the environment. He describes a unique printing company that does care. This company uses recycled paper whenever it can. When it can’t, it buys paper from companies that use sustainable practices too. Most companies use toxic inks that add to air pollution. This company uses non-toxic inks. It also limits the use of harmful glue.
This would earn a score of (25/30)
(step 1) The article talks about sustainability,
(step 2) which the passage describes as the use of limited resources to reduce negative effects on the environment.
(step 3) The lecture provides an example of a printing company that practices sustainability.
(step 4) The professor explains that printing exploits limited resources. Most companies don’t care about the negative effects their practices have on the environment. He describes a unique printing company that uses sustainable practices. This company uses recycled paper whenever it can. When it can’t, it buys paper from companies that use sustainable practices too, such as planting a tree for each tree used to make paper. Most companies use toxic inks that add to air pollution. This company uses non-toxic inks that don’t. It also limits the use of glue, which can damage recycling machines.
This would earn a score of (30/30)
A native speaker can go through the perfect example in about 50 seconds at a slower than normal speed. If you can’t say this within a minute, then you can’t say it on the test. So, eliminate step two and simplify step three if you can’t make it all the way through in 60 seconds (as in the basic and fair examples). Steps two and three are not essential; they show that you have a very clear understanding of the relationship between the passage and the lecture and help ensure a top score.
Want to listen to example answers for this question from students? You'll learn what mistakes to avoid and hear some good examples to follow by doing so. You will find a detailed evaluation with feedback for each example answer. You'll learn simple ways to improve your score.
|
