TOEFL TPO 21 Speaking Task 2 Sample: The woman expresses her opinion about the university’s plan. Briefly summarize the plan. Then state her opinion of the plan and explain the reasons she gives for holding that opinion.

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

13 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

Daily E-mail with campus activities The university will now send all students a daily email containing information about campus events and activities. Rather than get information about campus events once a week in the campus newspaper, students will get the information every day, thus ensuring that it is always up-to-date. According to the university spokesman who announced the plan, “For all of us now, e-mail is part of our daily lives”. Students in particular have become used to relying on email and the Internet for most communication, so it is a logical change that will benefit everyone.

Question

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

User Samples & Evaluation Results

Evaluation Result

Sub Scores

Delivery: 3
Topic Development: 3.5
Language Use: 3

Estimated Scores

Total Score: 24

Delivery The speaker's delivery is generally clear and fluid, but there are a few instances where the pacing could be improved, and some occasional pauses could be reduced. To enhance the delivery, the speaker should practice maintaining a consistent pace throughout the response and work on minimizing unnecessary pauses.
Topic Development The response is coherent and well-organized, with clear connections between ideas and sufficient support or examples. However, there is room for improvement in terms of providing more specific details from the listening passage to strengthen the response. The speaker should focus on incorporating more direct quotes or paraphrases from the listening passage to better support their points and demonstrate a deeper understanding of the material.

5. Language Use

Original Answer: ~~According to a recent announcement, the university plans to send students the latest information and campus events through daily email instead of weekly newspaper.~~ The university recently announced plans to send students up-to-date information on campus events via daily emails, replacing the weekly newspaper. (Rephrased for clarity and natural flow) ~~They believe that doing so students can get the most updated information.~~ This change is expected to provide students with the most current information. (Simplified sentence structure) ~~Also, it is a sensible move since students nowadays rely on internet so much.~~ Additionally, this decision makes sense as students increasingly rely on the internet for communication. (Improved sentence structure and vocabulary) The Romana Conversation thinks that this is a great idea for two reasons. The woman in the conversation believes this plan is beneficial for two main reasons. (Clarified subject and improved vocabulary) First, she says that email is just a daily reminder helping her to catch up with all the fun things. Firstly, she mentions that daily emails serve as reminders, helping her stay informed about various events. (Improved sentence structure and vocabulary) And even if the concert that she is going to cancel the last minute, she would know before the event through daily email. Furthermore, if an event like a concert were to be canceled at the last minute, she would be informed beforehand via the daily email. (Rephrased for clarity and natural flow) Furthermore, she says that students will definitely read the email once a day and it would be more exciting if the university could include the cafe menu in the email. She also believes that students will certainly check their emails daily, and including the cafeteria menu would make it even more appealing. (Improved sentence structure and vocabulary)

Revised Answer (140 words): The university recently announced plans to send students up-to-date information on campus events via daily emails, replacing the weekly newspaper. This change is expected to provide students with the most current information. Additionally, this decision makes sense as students increasingly rely on the internet for communication. The woman in the conversation believes this plan is beneficial for two main reasons. Firstly, she mentions that daily emails serve as reminders, helping her stay informed about various events. Furthermore, if an event like a concert were to be canceled at the last minute, she would be informed beforehand via the daily email. She also believes that students will certainly check their emails daily, and including the cafeteria menu would make it even more appealing.

Mind Map


- University announcement
  - Daily emails
    - Replace weekly newspaper
    - Up-to-date information

- Woman's opinion
  - Beneficial plan
    - Reasons:
      1. Daily reminders for events
      2. Last-minute cancellations notification
      3. Students check emails daily
      4. Including cafeteria menu (appealing)

Key Words

Word	Phonetic Symbols	Parts of Speech	English Definition	English Translation	Sample Sentence
up-to-date	ˌʌp tə ˈdeɪt	adjective	incorporating the latest information or changes	incorporating the latest information or changes	The daily emails will provide students with up-to-date information on campus events.
beneficial	ˌbenəˈfiSHəl	adjective	resulting in good; favorable or advantageous	resulting in good; favorable or advantageous	The woman believes that the new plan is highly beneficial for students.
cancellation	ˌkænslˈeɪʃən	noun	the act of deciding that an organized event will not happen, or the act of stopping something from happening	the act of deciding that an organized event will not happen, or the act of stopping something from happening	She appreciates being informed about last-minute cancellations through daily emails.
appealing	əˈpiːlɪŋ	adjective	attractive or interesting	attractive or interesting	Including the cafeteria menu in the daily emails would make them more appealing to students.
reminder	rɪˈmaɪndər	noun	something that causes you to remember something, or a note to help you remember	something that causes you to remember something, or a note to help you remember	The woman finds the daily emails helpful as they serve as reminders for upcoming events.