This may be a situation, an activity, or an event. After you hear the question, you will make a choice between two options present- ed and then explain why you made that choice.
You will have 5 minutes to present your speech. E. g. Some students live in dormitories on campus. Other students live in apartments off campus. Which living situation do you think is better and why?
A. Task
Choose between two options
Explain the reasons for your preference
Directions
Read the Example
Answer. Use the Checklist to learn how to rate a speaking response
for this type of question.
Dormitories
More interaction-practice English, study
Less responsibility-meals, laundry, cleaning
Better
location-library, recreation, classroom buildings
A lot of my friends live off campus, but I think that living in a
dormitory is a better situation uh especially
for the first year at a new college.
Dormitories are structured to provide opportunities for interaction and
for making friends. As a foreign student,
it would be an advantage to be in a dormitory to practice
English with other residents and even to find study groups in the dormitory. And dorm students have . . .
uh have less responsibility for meals, laundry, and . . . and cleaning since there are meal plans and
services available as part of the fees. Besides, there's only one check to write, so the bookkeeping's
minimal.
And the dormitory offers an ideal location near the library and um all the recreational facilities
and . . . and classroom buildings.
Checklist
(The talk answers the topic question.
( The point of view or position is clear.
d The talk is direct and well-organized.
d The sentences are logically connected to each other
( Details and examples support the main idea.
(The speaker expresses complete thoughts. The meaning is easy for the listener to comprehend.
d A wide range of vocabulary is used.
d There are only minor errors in grammar.
(The talk is within a range of 125-1 50 words.
2. Lecture English uses a system of about a dozen word endings to express grammatical meaning-the -ing for present time, -s for possession and plurality, and . . . the -edfor the past, to mention only a few.
But uh how and when do children learn them? Well, in a classic study by Berko in the 1950s, investigators . . . they elicited a series of forms that required the target endings.
For example, a picture was shown of a bird, and . . . and the investigator identified it by saying, "This is a Wug." Then the children were shown two similar birds urn to . . . to elicit the sentence, "There are two -." So . . . if the children completed the sentence by saying, "Wugs," then it was inferred that they had learned the -sending.
Okay. Essen- tial to the study was the use of nonsense words like "Wug" since the manipulation of the endings could have been supported by words that the children ... had already heard. In any case, charts were devel- oped to demonstrate the uh the gradual nature of grammatical acquisition. And the performance by chil- dren from 18 months to four years confirmed the basic theory of child language that the . . . the gradual reduction of grammatical errors . . . these are evidence of language acquisition. Word endings--grammatical relationships -ed past -S plural Wug experiment-Berko nonsense words-not influenced by familiar manipulate endings data about development In English, there are several important word endings that express grammatical relationships, for exam- ple, the -ed ending that signals that the speaker's talking about the past and the -s ending that means "more than one" uh when it's used at the end of a noun.
So, when children learn English, they um . . . they make errors in these endings, but they gradually refine their use until they master them. In the Wug experiment, Berko
developed nonsense words to get children to use endings . . . so . . .
so the re- searchers could uh follow their development. It was important
not to use real words because the chil- dren might have been influenced
by a word they'd heard before. So this experiment provided data about
the time it takes and the age when endings are learned. It supported the
basic theory of child language that um . . . sorting out grammatical
errors is a feature of the speech of . . . of four year olds and a stage
in language acquisition. Checklist d The talk relates an example to a
concept. d There are only minor inaccuracies in the content.
d The talk
is direct and well-organized. d The sentences are logically connected to
each other. d Details and examples support the talk. d The speaker
expresses complete thoughts. d The meaning is easy for the listener to
comprehend. d A wide range of vocabulary is used. d The speaker
paraphrases, using his or her own words. d The speaker credits the
lecturer with wording. d There are only minor errors in grammar.
d The
talk is within a range of 125-1 50 words. 3.Summaries In this question,
you will be asked to give a summary of an academic lecture. EXAMPLE
QUESTION Using examples from the lecture, describe two general types of
irrigation systems. Then explain the disadvantages of each type. Task
Comprehend part of an academic lecture Summarize the main points
Directions Read the Lecture and the Example Answer. Use the Checklist to
learn how to rate a speak- ing response for this type of question.
Lecture Two types of irrigation methods that are used worldwide are
mentioned in your book. Flood irrigation . . . that has been a method in
use since ancient times . . . and we still use it today where water is
cheap. Basically, canals connect a water supply like a river or a
reservoir to the fields where ditches are constructed with valves uh
valves that allow farmers to siphon water from the canal, sending it
down through the ditches. So that way the field can be totally flooded,
or smaller, narrow ditches along the rows can be filled with water to
irrigate the crop. But, this method does have quite a few disadvantages.
Like I said, it's contingent upon cheap water because it isn't very
efficient, and the flooding isn't easy to control, I mean, the rows
closer to the canal usually receive much more water, and of course, if
the field isn't flat, then the water won't be evenly distributed.
Not to
mention the cost of building canals and ditch- es and maintaining the
system. So let's consider the alternative-the sprinkler system. In this
method of 96 PREVIEW OF SPEAKING irrigation, it's easier to control the
water and more efficient since the water is directed only on the plants.
But, in hot climates, some of the water can evaporate in the air.
Still, the main problem with the sprin- klers is the expense for
installation and maintenance because there's a very complicated pipe
system and that usually involves a lot more repair and even replacement
of parts, and of course, we have to factor in the labor costs in
feasibility studies for sprinklers. Flood Not efficient Difficult to
control-flat fields Initial expense to build canals, ditches Requires
maintenance Sprinkler Complicated pipe system Expensive to install,
maintain-repair, replace Labor cost SCRIPT FOR EXAMPLE ANSWER Two
methods of irrigation were discussed in the lecture.
First, flood
irrigation. It involves the release of water into canals and drainage
ditches that flow into the fields. The disadvantages of the flood method
. . . um . . . well, it isn't very efficient since more water is used
in flooding than the crops actual- ly.. .uh, need, and also it isn't
easy to control. Another problem is the initial expense for the
construction of the canals and the connecting ditches as well as . . .
as maintenance. And besides that, if the fields aren't flat, the water
doesn't-l mean, it isn't distributed evenly. The second method is
sprinkler irriga- tion which uses less water and provides better
control, but there is some evaporation, and the pipe sys- tem's
complicated and can be expensive to install and maintain, and there's
usually a lot more labor cost because the equipment must be repaired and
replaced more often than a canal system. Checklist (The talk
summarizes a short lecture. (There are only minor inaccuracies in the
content. The talk is direct and well-organized. (The sentences are
logically connected to each other. r/ Details and examples support the
main idea. d The speaker expresses complete thoughts. d The meaning is
easy for the listener to comprehend. (A wide range of vocabulary is
used. (The speaker paraphrases, using his or her own words. (The
speaker credits the lecturer with wording. (There are only minor
errors in grammar. (The talk is within a range of 125-1 50 words.
