TOEFL TPO -1 Speaking Task 2 Sample: The woman expresses her opinion about the university's plan. Briefly summarize the plan. Then state her opinion about the plan and explain the reasons she gives for holding that opinion.

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

2 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

University Announces Change in Campus Tour Guides Traditionally, staff members from the admissions office have led the campus tours for secondary-school students who are considering attending the university. Beginning next semester, however, current students will lead these guided walks around the campus instead. "The staff of the admissions office no longer have time to lead the campus tours. We need to focus our resources on our other responsibilities," explains Christine Tanner, the director of admissions. "Furthermore, we feel that current students will offer unique and valuable insight to our visitors during these campus tours."

Question

The woman expresses her opinion about the university's plan. Briefly summarize the plan. Then state her opinion about the plan and explain the reasons she gives for holding that opinion.

User Samples & Evaluation Results

Evaluation Result

1.Sub Scores Delivery: 3 Topic Development: 4 Language Use: 3

2.Estimated Scores

23. 3.Delivery

The speaker's delivery is generally clear and fluid, with a consistent pace and only occasional pauses. However, there are some minor issues with pronunciation that need to be addressed. To improve, the speaker should practice pronouncing words more accurately and work on reducing pauses in their speech.

4.Topic Development The topic development in the response is excellent. The speaker provides a coherent and well-organized response, with clear connections between ideas and sufficient support or examples. The summary of the plan, the woman's opinion, and her reasons for holding that opinion are all well-explained. No significant improvements are needed in this aspect.

6.Language Use

The university announces that they will have current students instead of staff members to lead campus tours, because staff of the admission office no longer have time and they need to focus on other responsibilities. Besides, they believe that students could offer more unique and valuable insights. The girl in this conversation likes this idea because when she was visiting the admission office, she found everyone was really busy with interviews, phone calls, etc. So it would be nice if they had less things to worry about. In addition, she thinks that students like her would be really good at this. When she was shown around the campus, she had a really good guide, but he just couldn't answer many practical questions regarding students' cafeteria, dorm situations, etc. because of the lack of first-hand information. Therefore, she thinks that this proposal is a really good idea.

Revised Answer (140 words):

The university plans to have current students, rather than staff members, lead campus tours since the admissions office staff no longer have time and need to focus on other responsibilities. They also believe that students can provide unique and valuable insights. The woman in the conversation supports this idea because she noticed how busy the admissions office staff were with interviews and phone calls when she visited. She thinks it would be beneficial for them to have fewer tasks to handle. Additionally, she believes that current students like herself would excel in this role. She recalls her own campus tour experience where her guide couldn't answer practical questions about student cafeterias or dorms due to a lack of firsthand knowledge. Consequently, she considers this proposal an excellent idea.

7.Mind Map


- University Plan
  - Current students leading campus tours
  - Admissions office staff focusing on other responsibilities

- Woman's Opinion
  - Supports the idea
  - Reasons:
    - Admissions office staff are busy
    - Students can provide firsthand knowledge
      - Practical questions (cafeterias, dorms)

8.Key Words

Word	Phonetic Symbols	Parts of Speech	English Definition	Sample Sentence
Admissions	/ədˈmɪʃənz/	Noun	The process of accepting someone into a school, organization, or institution.	The admissions office staff are overwhelmed with their workload, so students should lead campus tours.
Firsthand	/ˈfɜrstˌhænd/	Adjective	Obtained directly from the original source; experienced personally.	Current students can provide firsthand knowledge about campus life to prospective students.
Practical	/ˈpræktɪkəl/	Adjective	Concerned with actual use or practice; useful or sensible.	The woman believes that students can answer practical questions about dorms and cafeterias better.
Responsibilities	/rɪˌspɒnsəˈbɪlɪtiz/	Noun	Duties or tasks that you are required to do or deal with as part of your job.	The admissions office staff need to focus on their other responsibilities instead of leading tours.
Insight	/ˈɪnˌsaɪt/	Noun	A deep understanding of a person, thing, or situation; the ability to see clearly.	Current students can offer unique and valuable insights into campus life during the tours.