TOEFL TPO -1 Speaking Task 3 Sample: Using the example of ants, explain the concept of communal nutrition.

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

Communal Nutrition Some kinds of social insects live in large groups or colonies in which different members of the colony have different tasks to keep the colony running smoothly. Some members of the colony are responsible for providing appropriate food for the entire colony. These insects typically practice communal nutrition. They gather different kinds of food and bring it to the nest to be shared by all members of the colony. They instinctively adjust and regulate the food they provide to meet the particular nutritional needs of the different members of the colony at any given time.

Question

Using the example of ants, explain the concept of communal nutrition.

User Samples & Evaluation Results

Evaluation Result

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

2.Estimated Scores

23. 3.Delivery

The speaker's delivery is generally clear and fluid, but there are occasional pauses that disrupt the flow. To improve, the speaker should practice speaking more consistently and work on reducing unnecessary pauses. Additionally, some words were mispronounced, so the speaker should focus on improving their pronunciation.

4.Topic Development The response is coherent and well-organized, with clear connections between ideas. However, the speaker could provide more specific examples or details to better support their explanation of communal nutrition. To improve, the speaker should practice elaborating on key points and providing more in-depth examples to strengthen their response.

5.Language Use

Original: Communal nutrition means that when social insects live in together, each member have different tasks to keep the group running smoothly. So the speaker explained this concept with the following example. For example, when ants live together in a large nest, every ant has their own job, and there is one special ant called forage ant. This ant look for food every day and bring different food back. This depends on the different situation. So if the colony now composed with many adult ant, the forage ant will bring back the fruits because this adult ant need more sugar. However, if the colony is composed with many baby ants, this forage ant will bring back certain type of leaf or mushroom because the baby ant needs more protein.

Corrected: Communal nutrition means that when social insects live in together, each member ~~have~~ has different tasks to keep the group running smoothly. So the speaker explained this concept with the following example. For example, when ants live together in a large nest, every ant has their own job, and there is one special ant called ~~forage~~ forager ant. This ant ~~look~~ looks for food every day and ~~bring~~ brings different food back. This depends on the different situation(situations). So if the colony now ~~composed with~~ consists of many adult ~~ant~~ ants, the forager ant will bring back the fruits because this adult ant ~~need~~ needs more sugar. However, if the colony is composed ~~with~~ of many baby ants, this forager ant will bring back certain type(s) of leaf or mushroom because the baby ant needs more protein.

Reasons and explanations:

"in" should be removed to make the sentence sound more natural.
"have" should be changed to "has" for subject-verb agreement.
"forage" should be changed to "forager" for consistency with the listening passage.
"look" should be changed to "looks" for subject-verb agreement.
"bring" should be changed to "brings" for subject-verb agreement.
Add "s" to "situation" to make it plural.
Change "composed with" to "consists of" for a more natural-sounding phrase.
Change "ant" to "ants" for plural consistency.
Change "need" to "needs" for subject-verb agreement.
Change "with" to "of" for a more natural-sounding phrase.
Add "s" to "type" to make it plural.

Revised (140 words):

Communal nutrition means that when social insects live together, each member has different tasks to keep the group running smoothly. The speaker explained this concept using ants as an example. In a large ant colony, every ant has a specific role, and there is one particular ant called the forager ant. This ant looks for food every day and brings various types of food back to the nest, depending on the colony's needs. If the colony consists mainly of adult ants, the forager ant will bring back fruits because adult ants require more sugar for energy. However, if the colony is composed of many baby ants, the forager ant will bring back certain types of leaves or mushrooms that are rich in protein, as baby ants need more protein for growth and development.

6.Mind Map

Communal Nutrition
- Social insects
- Different tasks
- Example: Ants
  - Large colony
  - Forager ants
    - Food gathering
    - Adjusting food types
      - Adult ants: sugar-rich food
      - Baby ants: protein-rich food

7.Key Words

Word	Phonetic Symbols	Parts of Speech	English Definition	Sample Sentence
Communal	/kəˈmjuːnəl/	Adjective	Shared by all members of a community; for common use.	Communal nutrition is essential for the survival and growth of social insects like ants.
Forager	/ˈfɒrɪdʒər/	Noun	An animal that searches widely for food or provisions.	The forager ants play a crucial role in providing appropriate food for the entire ant colony.
Colony	/ˈkɒləni/	Noun	A group of people or animals living together and sharing possessions and resources.	The ant colony consists of various members, each with specific tasks to maintain the group's harmony.
Protein-rich	/ˈprəʊtiːn rɪʧ/	Adjective	Containing a high amount of protein.	Baby ants require protein-rich food, such as leaves and mushrooms, to grow and develop properly.
Sugar-rich	/ˈʃʊɡər rɪʧ/	Adjective	Containing a high amount of sugar.	Adult ants prefer sugar-rich food like fruits to gain the energy needed for their daily activities.