TOEFL TPO -1 Speaking Task 2 Sample: The man express his opinion about the proposal described in the letter. Briefly summarize the proposal. Then state his opinion about the proposal and explain the reasons he gives for holding the opinion.

Historical user samples and AI evaluation results from an older TOEFL format.

1 archived user samples

Older TOEFL Format

This task is from a previous version of the TOEFL exam. The current TOEFL has a different structure. These archived samples remain available as a reference for practice.

Task Overview

Reading Passage

Student Play Should Be Free for Everyone Thanks to our superb theater program here at the university, we are fortunate to be able to see many plays that are put on by student actors. However, while all employees and students at the university may attend these plays for free, anyone who is not directly associated with the university must pay a fee to attend. I think student plays should be open to everyone free of charge. That way, people in the local community could benefit from having a free entertainment option in town. It would also be good for the student actors, since it would help to ensure larger audiences at the plays. Sincerely, Marie Jones

Question

The man express his opinion about the proposal described in the letter. Briefly summarize the proposal. Then state his opinion about the proposal and explain the reasons he gives for holding the opinion.

User Samples & Evaluation Results

Evaluation Result

1.Sub Scores Delivery: 3 Topic Development: 3 Language Use: 3

2.Estimated Scores

23. 3.Delivery

The speaker's delivery is generally clear and fluid, but there are occasional pauses that could be reduced. To improve, the speaker should practice speaking more consistently and work on reducing unnecessary pauses. Additionally, focusing on accurate pronunciation will help eliminate any spelling errors that may arise from mispronunciation.

4.Topic Development The response is coherent and well-organized, with clear connections between ideas and sufficient support or examples. However, the speaker could further improve by providing more specific details from the listening passage to support their points. Additionally, practicing paraphrasing and summarizing the main points more concisely will help create a more polished response.

5.Language Use

It is proposed that the student play should be ~~free~~open for everyone (replace "free" with "open" to sound more natural) because firstly, people in local community could benefit from it, and secondly, it would be good for the student actors too. And the man thinks it's a good idea because firstly, he mentions that people in the local community now don't have a lot of things to do since there's no movie theater in town. And if they go to the nearest theater, they have to spend one hour and spend a lot of money, like $40. And secondly, the man states that now there's not a lot of people to watch the student play, and it's bad for the show, because if there's a comedy, they need a lot of people laughing at the jokes to make the play funny. And this proposal just encourages more people to go to watch the show, and it's really good for the student play and for the actors.

Revised Answer (140 words):

The proposal suggests that student plays should be open to everyone without charge, benefiting both local community members and student actors. The man supports this idea for two main reasons. First, he points out that entertainment options are limited in town due to the absence of a movie theater. Attending professional plays requires traveling an hour away and can be costly at around $40 per ticket. Second, he emphasizes that having larger audiences would improve the quality of student performances. For instance, comedies rely on audience laughter to create a humorous atmosphere. By making plays accessible to more people, this proposal would increase attendance and enhance both the experience for viewers and performers alike.

6.Mind Map


- Proposal
  - Open to everyone
  - Benefits
    - Local community
    - Student actors

- Man's opinion
  - Supports proposal
  - Reasons
    - Limited entertainment options
      - No movie theater in town
      - Costly professional plays
    - Larger audiences improve performances
      - Comedies need laughter for humor
      - Enhanced experience for viewers and performers

7.Key Words

Word	Phonetic Symbols	Parts of Speech	English Definition	English Translation	Sample Sentence
accessible	/əkˈsesəbəl/	adjective	easy to approach, reach, enter, speak with, or use	easy to approach, reach, enter, speak with, or use	Making student plays accessible to everyone would provide more entertainment options in town.
enhance	/ɪnˈhæns/	verb	to raise to a higher degree; intensify; magnify	to raise to a higher degree; intensify; magnify	Larger audiences can enhance the quality of student performances.
atmosphere	/ˈætməsˌfɪr/	noun	a surrounding or pervading mood, environment	a surrounding or pervading mood, environment	A comedy play needs a humorous atmosphere created by audience laughter.
limited	/ˈlɪmɪtɪd/	adjective	confined within limits; restricted	confined within limits; restricted	The local community has limited entertainment options due to the absence of a movie theater.
costly	/ˈkɔstli/	adjective	expensive; high-priced	expensive; high-priced	Attending professional plays can be costly, with ticket prices reaching around $40.