新托福的口語(yǔ)考試大約30分鐘，共有6道題目，一般稱(chēng)作Speaking Tasks 1-6。如果把它們進(jìn)行分組的話，正好兩兩每組：Speaking Task 1 and Speaking Task 2為一組，解題關(guān)鍵詞是characteristics(特性、特質(zhì));Speaking Task 3 and Speaking Task 5為一組，解題關(guān)鍵詞是campus(校園);而Speaking Task 4 and Speaking Task 6歸入后一組，解題關(guān)鍵詞是class(課堂)。
Characteristics: Speaking Task 1
第一題和第二題除了都是關(guān)于一些familiar topics以外，它們另一個(gè)共通之處就是涉及到人或事物的characteristics。比如在Speaking Task 1里面，you will be asked to describe an important book. 具體題目見(jiàn)下：
Talk about a book you have read that was important to you for some reason.
Explain why the book was important to you. Give specific details and examples to explain your answer.
Preparation Time: 15 seconds
Response Time: 45 seconds
針對(duì)這樣的題目，你談什么樣的書(shū)其實(shí)并不重要。關(guān)鍵在于你說(shuō)出了這本書(shū)之后，給出怎樣的合理解釋?zhuān)搭}目要求中的specific details and examples，而這些東西就是我們所說(shuō)的characteristics。換言之，你把這本書(shū)的三大特性描述出來(lái)，就等于給出了相應(yīng)的細(xì)節(jié)和例證。請(qǐng)看下面的列表：
The reasons why the book was important
Reason 1 = Characteristic 1: It gave me a lot of practical guidance
Reason 2 = Characteristic 2: It had a lot of illustrations to help me understand
Reason 3 = Characteristic 3: There was an interesting theoretical framework in the book
在三大理由(或三大特性)中，我們分別給其中的核心要點(diǎn)加了斜體和下劃線，這就是考生們必須在15秒鐘的準(zhǔn)備時(shí)間內(nèi)記下的簡(jiǎn)單的筆記。沒(méi)有這三點(diǎn)，想要在后面的45秒鐘回答時(shí)間內(nèi)進(jìn)行良好的發(fā)揮，是一件異常困難的事情。
09年中國(guó)大陸地區(qū)的第一場(chǎng)考試發(fā)生在2009年1月10日。其中第一題的大意是：When it comes to choosing friends, which characteristic do you think is the most important: honesty, loyalty or sense of humor? 回答這個(gè)問(wèn)題有兩種策略：一個(gè)是老實(shí)人的辦法，一個(gè)是聰明人的招數(shù)。我們先看題目在問(wèn)什么，很明顯，題目要求我們從三種特性中選出一種，是在擇友過(guò)程中重要的。老實(shí)人的辦法就是老老實(shí)實(shí)地選一個(gè)，比如honesty(誠(chéng)實(shí))，然后根據(jù)honesty再來(lái)展開(kāi)三個(gè)論據(jù)(或舉例或抽象描述)：
Plan A
Honesty is the most important characteristic in choosing friends
Reason 1: True friends should never lie to each other
Reason 2: Being honest to your friends is the best way to maintain a long-term relationship
Reason 3: A dishonest person will eventually hurt you and your family
顯然，此類(lèi)針對(duì)honesty而擴(kuò)展的抽象論證并非每一個(gè)考生力所能及的事情，因?yàn)檫@種老實(shí)人的辦法往往難度較高，只適合那些語(yǔ)言功底扎實(shí)和思路敏捷的人。雖然這種策略比較容易拿高分，其風(fēng)險(xiǎn)也是較大的。
那么聰明人的招數(shù)是什么呢?聰明人通常不按常理出牌，他們會(huì)尋覓一種捷徑，以非常討巧的方式來(lái)滿足題目的要求。聰明人看到題目本身就含有三大特性，他們一見(jiàn)機(jī)遇就趕緊抓?。?BR> Plan B
These three characteristics are equally important when choosing friends
Characteristic 1: Honesty – Only people who are honest to one another can become real friends.
Characteristic 2: Loyalty – A faithful friend can lend you a helping hand when you are in trouble.
Characteristic 3: Humor – A person with a great sense of humor is often friendly and easy-going.
明眼人一看就知道，后一種策略的難度大大地降低了，因?yàn)槊恳粋€(gè)特性只要展開(kāi)一個(gè)論據(jù)就行了，是一種取巧的方法?？赡苡腥藭?huì)問(wèn)，這算不算off topic呢?考官會(huì)不會(huì)認(rèn)為你沒(méi)有回答到位呢?答案是否定的，因?yàn)槿筇匦酝瑯又匾那闆r當(dāng)然會(huì)存在，所以依次展開(kāi)也無(wú)可厚非。其實(shí)從另一個(gè)角度看，聰明人有時(shí)也會(huì)碰到麻煩，比如其中講某個(gè)特性的單詞不認(rèn)識(shí)(比如loyalty)，導(dǎo)致無(wú)法在這上面展開(kāi)，這時(shí)候只有退而求其次，講其中的兩大特性很重要(honesty and sense of humor are both very important)。
綜上所述，Speaking Task 1的特性描述是極為關(guān)鍵的一種訓(xùn)練方法。托福考試專(zhuān)家建議大家備考時(shí)，特別針對(duì)Person, Place, Thing, Event這四種出題的可能性來(lái)列出一些常見(jiàn)的characteristics，其中關(guān)于人的特性尤其重要。
Characteristics: Speaking Task 1
第一題和第二題除了都是關(guān)于一些familiar topics以外，它們另一個(gè)共通之處就是涉及到人或事物的characteristics。比如在Speaking Task 1里面，you will be asked to describe an important book. 具體題目見(jiàn)下：
Talk about a book you have read that was important to you for some reason.
Explain why the book was important to you. Give specific details and examples to explain your answer.
Preparation Time: 15 seconds
Response Time: 45 seconds
針對(duì)這樣的題目，你談什么樣的書(shū)其實(shí)并不重要。關(guān)鍵在于你說(shuō)出了這本書(shū)之后，給出怎樣的合理解釋?zhuān)搭}目要求中的specific details and examples，而這些東西就是我們所說(shuō)的characteristics。換言之，你把這本書(shū)的三大特性描述出來(lái)，就等于給出了相應(yīng)的細(xì)節(jié)和例證。請(qǐng)看下面的列表：
The reasons why the book was important
Reason 1 = Characteristic 1: It gave me a lot of practical guidance
Reason 2 = Characteristic 2: It had a lot of illustrations to help me understand
Reason 3 = Characteristic 3: There was an interesting theoretical framework in the book
在三大理由(或三大特性)中，我們分別給其中的核心要點(diǎn)加了斜體和下劃線，這就是考生們必須在15秒鐘的準(zhǔn)備時(shí)間內(nèi)記下的簡(jiǎn)單的筆記。沒(méi)有這三點(diǎn)，想要在后面的45秒鐘回答時(shí)間內(nèi)進(jìn)行良好的發(fā)揮，是一件異常困難的事情。
09年中國(guó)大陸地區(qū)的第一場(chǎng)考試發(fā)生在2009年1月10日。其中第一題的大意是：When it comes to choosing friends, which characteristic do you think is the most important: honesty, loyalty or sense of humor? 回答這個(gè)問(wèn)題有兩種策略：一個(gè)是老實(shí)人的辦法，一個(gè)是聰明人的招數(shù)。我們先看題目在問(wèn)什么，很明顯，題目要求我們從三種特性中選出一種，是在擇友過(guò)程中重要的。老實(shí)人的辦法就是老老實(shí)實(shí)地選一個(gè)，比如honesty(誠(chéng)實(shí))，然后根據(jù)honesty再來(lái)展開(kāi)三個(gè)論據(jù)(或舉例或抽象描述)：
Plan A
Honesty is the most important characteristic in choosing friends
Reason 1: True friends should never lie to each other
Reason 2: Being honest to your friends is the best way to maintain a long-term relationship
Reason 3: A dishonest person will eventually hurt you and your family
顯然，此類(lèi)針對(duì)honesty而擴(kuò)展的抽象論證并非每一個(gè)考生力所能及的事情，因?yàn)檫@種老實(shí)人的辦法往往難度較高，只適合那些語(yǔ)言功底扎實(shí)和思路敏捷的人。雖然這種策略比較容易拿高分，其風(fēng)險(xiǎn)也是較大的。
那么聰明人的招數(shù)是什么呢?聰明人通常不按常理出牌，他們會(huì)尋覓一種捷徑，以非常討巧的方式來(lái)滿足題目的要求。聰明人看到題目本身就含有三大特性，他們一見(jiàn)機(jī)遇就趕緊抓?。?BR> Plan B
These three characteristics are equally important when choosing friends
Characteristic 1: Honesty – Only people who are honest to one another can become real friends.
Characteristic 2: Loyalty – A faithful friend can lend you a helping hand when you are in trouble.
Characteristic 3: Humor – A person with a great sense of humor is often friendly and easy-going.
明眼人一看就知道，后一種策略的難度大大地降低了，因?yàn)槊恳粋€(gè)特性只要展開(kāi)一個(gè)論據(jù)就行了，是一種取巧的方法?？赡苡腥藭?huì)問(wèn)，這算不算off topic呢?考官會(huì)不會(huì)認(rèn)為你沒(méi)有回答到位呢?答案是否定的，因?yàn)槿筇匦酝瑯又匾那闆r當(dāng)然會(huì)存在，所以依次展開(kāi)也無(wú)可厚非。其實(shí)從另一個(gè)角度看，聰明人有時(shí)也會(huì)碰到麻煩，比如其中講某個(gè)特性的單詞不認(rèn)識(shí)(比如loyalty)，導(dǎo)致無(wú)法在這上面展開(kāi)，這時(shí)候只有退而求其次，講其中的兩大特性很重要(honesty and sense of humor are both very important)。
綜上所述，Speaking Task 1的特性描述是極為關(guān)鍵的一種訓(xùn)練方法。托福考試專(zhuān)家建議大家備考時(shí)，特別針對(duì)Person, Place, Thing, Event這四種出題的可能性來(lái)列出一些常見(jiàn)的characteristics，其中關(guān)于人的特性尤其重要。