【預測】2015年8月托福口語預測及解析

Task 1: 

Which of the following would you prefer as a volunteer in the community - assisting visitors with locating books using computers, reading to young children, or shelving books and magazines? Explain why. Please include reasons and details in your explanation. 

Sample answer: 

Personally, I prefer to read to young children if I were a volunteer in the community because bringing children happiness and inspiring them are the most meaningful things in the world. For example，when I was in kindergarten, reading time was one of the fondest memories I had in my childhood because my teachers were always energetic and friendly; I always felt very relaxed and happy listening to their stories. In addition, I remember one of my teachers once told us a story about how dedicated young Benjamin Franklin was even though his family didn't have the money for his education. The story still inspires me to this day and I hope I can do the same the other kids by reading to them. 

Task 2: 

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement: Schools should forbid all junk food, such as hamburger, soda, and sugar on campus and why? Please include details and examples in your explanation. 

Sample answer:

Personally, I think the university shouldn't forbid all junk food on campus because things like sodas or burgers actually make people happy and it's harmless to have those once in a while. For example, last weekend my friends and I were celebrating for a job offer I got. We ordered lots of pizzas, sodas, and fried chicken at the party. Those foods were actually the highlight of our party because they tasted so good and everyone at the party had a great time. None of us felt sick or uncomfortable after the party because we don't eat junk food on a daily basis or excessively. Therefore, I think it's unnecessary for the university to purge all the junk food on campus. 

Task 3: 

A student has written a letter suggesting that the university take freshman students to go camping off campus during the orientation week but the woman in the conversation disagrees with this idea. First, according to the letter, incoming students will get to know each other better when they're camping together. The woman in the conversation, however, argues that the purpose of orientation is to let students know more about the campus and facilities. If new students go camping off campus during orientation, they won't be able to learn more about the school and adapt to the 

new environment. Second, the student in the letter also proposes that the university should provide camping equipment for students since most students don't have that kind of equipment. The woman in the conversation also finds it a waste of money for the university because students will only use the equipment once a year and the expensive equipment will be sitting in the storage room for most of the time. For these reasons, the woman in the conversation opposes the studen's proposal. 

Task 4:

The term biomimicry refers to the imitation and application of natural elements or models to human constructs. The professor in the lecture uses the example of solar lily pad panels to explain how biomimicry can help humans solve complex problems. Water lilies are flowering plants rooted in soil in bodies of water with their flowers and leaves, which are typically large and round like pads, floating on the surface.

Some scientists and architects were inspired by this and applied the structure of water lilies to the design of solar panels that could float in water. The power generator and the grid were tethered to the riverbed like the root of a water lily and the solar panels were designed to look like the round, large, and flat leaves of water lilies and float on the surface of the river. This design allowed the solar lily pad panels to achieve the maximum exposure to sun's rays. 

Task 5:

The woman in the conversation made a commitment to take some kids to visit the museum next week but the tour guide is sick and won't be able to lead the group that day. The woman can either still take the kids to the museum without a tour guide or reschedule the trip. In my opinion, it's better for the woman to still take the kids to the museum. First, if she reschedules the trip to the museum, she will have to get the permission from kids' parents again and rearrange the tickets with the museum, which will take her too much time.

A busy college student should prioritize their schoolwork or career development rather than volunteer work. In addition，if the woman takes the kids to the museum without a tour guide, she won't have to worry about spending extra time on logistics and liaison, which can distract her from her studies and stress her out. She will be able to relax and enjoy the trip with the kids and all the kids will have a good time too. For these reasons, I think the second solution is better. 

Task 6:

In the lecture, the professor talks about how small animals have evolved to protect themselves against the predation of larger animals, including structural and behavioral adaptations. First, some small animals have developed certain physiological features which can pose threats to their attackers. For instance, bullhead sharks are relatively small and are vulnerable to the attacks of other larger marine animals.

As a result，they have developed small spikes on their dorsal fins, which can deter the predation of larger sharks. On the other hand, other small animals have adopted behavioral changes to protect themselves. For example, possums are often the targeted prey of feral cats and foxes，which are significantly larger than possums in their body size. When faced with danger, possums have evolved to take on the appearance of being dead by keeping their eyes closed and lowering their heart rate so their predators will assume that they're dead and move on to other objects. 

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